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Fantasy Hockey Advice

Thin Blue Line: Jake Gardiner impresses
February 9
ESPN.com
 
"As a member of one of the hottest teams in the NHL, Jake Gardiner has been audaciously making a good amount of noise with the Toronto Maple Leafs of late. With eight points in the 12 games since New Year's, Gardiner has clearly secured a top-four role on a roster bursting with talented and NHL-capable defensemen. And the rookie shows no signs of letting up in his current productive ways. Seemingly encouraged to join in offensively at his own discretion, Gardiner displays a great deal of maturity and sense of discipline for being only 21 years old. The resulting adult-like confidence is a part of the reason general manager Brian Burke wanted the University of Wisconsin standout so badly as"
Turn Left Here: Kovy flourishes with multi-point games
February 9
NHL.com
 
"Yesterday we discussed the most consistent forwards of the 2011-12 NHL season. Today we'll look at who has turned in the most multi-point efforts. Having the ability to post at least two points in a single game is not an easy task, but of course there are players that achieve that feat with such frequency that it appears easy from our viewpoint. Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom might be the most impressive of anyone this season. Backstrom may be on the sidelines right now, but in 38 games this season he has posted 15 multi-point nights, which is simply remarkable. Backstrom has had 26 games in which he's recorded at least one point, but in well over half of those he has had at least two."
Hockey Daily Dose: Kipper hits the 300 win mark
February 9
Rotoworld.com
 
"Time passes in funny ways. Certain events that happened 10, 20 years ago can feel disturbingly fresh (especially as you get older). At the same time, other similarly spaced moments seem more like ancient history than a contemporary occurrence. Personally speaking, it's almost hard to believe that the Calgary Flames made their run to the Stanley Cup finals in 2004. Blame it on the lockout and all that changed after it if you'd like, but it almost feels like Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff's captivating run to just short of a championship was mummified in an Egyptian tomb or carved in some prehistoric cave. Obviously, neither franchise player has gone anywhere, but they've been bumped"
Hockey Daily Dose: Celebrating great goalie runs
February 8
Rotoworld.com
 
"To paraphrase what Matthew Broderick/Ferris Bueller might say in that surprisingly over-hated car commercial,* an NHL season moves by awfully fast. If you don't take a step back to admire a great run or two, you might miss them. Going into Tuesday's Vancouver Canucks-Nashville Predators game, the greatest amount of attention revolved around Alain Vigneault at least pondering the idea of splitting up the Sedin twins. Naturally, that idea was exposed as ludicrous in an entertaining fashion on Tuesday as the Sedins spurred a two-point night for Byron Bitz. (Let me give credit where it's due, though; Bitz made an outstanding pass for his assist.) As it turns out, Vigneault's idea wasn't the"
Center Stage: Elias, Malkin among most consistent
February 8
NHL.com
 
"Let's talk about consistency. Despite this piece usually being about fantasy hockey's centers, today we're going to discuss all the forwards and what it means to be a consistent performer. How important is it to fantasy owners for a player to be consistent? Do we care if they rack up four points one night and then go three straight games without a point, or would we rather see them post a point in each of the four games? There are many ways to gauge how talented a player is, but his ability to perform at the same level night in and night out is one of the best ways to tell what kind of value that player carries. When some third or fourth-liner has a career night with three points, do we"
In the Crease: Replacing Jimmy Howard
February 7
ESPN.com
 
"Through the All-Star break, Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard had racked up an impressive stat line, one that put him in the No. 3 slot for the season on the ESPN Player Rater. After winning two straight during the Wings' subsequent jaunt through Western Canada -- stopping 50 of 54 shots overall for a .926 save percentage -- he emerged from the second of those games with a broken right index finger. Given that this is the hand with which Howard holds his stick, that's a problem. Initial reports indicated that Howard would miss the two remaining games on the Red Wings' road trip, and he has: Ty Conklin got the start against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, while Joey MacDonald got"
On the 'D'-Fence: Ryan Whitney back on the ice
February 7
NHL.com
 
"If we were to tell you that you could grab a defenseman off of the waiver wire who has averaged .57 points per game over his seven year NHL career, has a 59-point season on his resume and was scoring .77 points per game through the first 35 games of last season before suffering an injury in December, would you leap at the opportunity? No-brainer, right? What if we were to tell you that the player has missed 113 games over the last four seasons? Does that temper your enthusiasm at all? If so, then you are well aware of what it feels like to own or to contemplate owning Ryan Whitney. The talented Oilers' defenseman has long tantalized fantasy owners with his mixture of skating ability,"
In The Crease: Parise Hitting His Stride
February 7
Rotoworld.com
 
"As we approach the final third of the season, here are a few nuggets that may help you to a top-three finish: You might recall I sung the praises of Craig Anderson in my last column. Well, it seems I may have jinxed the Senators' netminder in the process. Since coming off a stretch that saw him win six of seven starts, Anderson has now gone six straight games without earning a victory. What's worse is the fact that he has allowed fewer than three goals only twice during that dreadful span. If you're asking for my opinion, I actually think it's a good time to buy low. Anderson leads the NHL in games played and stands fourth in wins, despite barely winning 50-percent of his starts."
Hockey Daily Dose: Coaches on the injured list
February 7
Rotoworld.com
 
"The Hockey Daily Dose has seen a lot of injuries in the first season of its existence, but Monday, Feb. 6 probably takes the insane-random-cake. It also shows that hockey people – not just players – should never really drop their guards. Even during seemingly mundane moments. ROUGH BREAK FOR RUFF In case you missed the strange duo of occurrences, both Lindy Ruff and Tom Renney are day-to-day with injuries suffered during practice/morning skates. Ruff collided with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Jordan Leopold and ended up with three broken ribs in the process. From a darkly comical standpoint, if it were to happen to any coach, it would be Ruff. Think about it. If any NHL coach were to"
Hockey Daily Dose: Howard Hurts
February 6
Rotoworld.com
 
"Every now and then, the NFL charges through the sports world's weekend like a bull in a china shop (or maybe some non-cliché in which a powerful, uncontrollable beast stomps around and breaks delicate things). Super Bowl weekend is likely the finest example of this, at least when the league manages a captivating storyline (check) and engrossing results (check). With that in mind, you might be a night or even weekend behind the NHL action. Fear not, fantasy owners, for the Daily Dose will do its best to lap up the most pertinent information like a sturdy tortilla chip carrying a massive amount of dip or some other reference to the caloric mistakes millions of us made on Sunday. HOWARD"
Front Line: Gagner's value on the rise
February 6
ESPN.com
 
"It's easy to get overly excited by Sam Gagner's eight-point explosion on Thursday night. He didn't calm those feelings with a follow-up three-point night Saturday. There is reason to be excited, but don't break your fantasy piggy bank to get in on the Gagner action. Yes, he does have the pedigree for this. Literally. The son of former NHLer Dave Gagner, Sam quickly made his name as a star for the OHL's London Knights. Playing on a line with Patrick Kane and Sergei Kostitsyn, he managed 35 goals and 83 assists and became a first-round pick in the 2007 draft. But Gagner hasn't busted out like Kane did, even though the two were believed to be a pair of comparable superstars. While it is not"
Blue Line Buzz: Gagner too good to be true
February 6
CBSSports.com
 
"The season's unofficial second half has hit full stride as the race to the playoffs continues. For the sake of hockey fans and the interesting media coverage that will ensue, Toronto needs to be in the playoffs. One of the dominant stories in hockey this week was the performance of another Canadian team, slightly to the northwest of Toronto, where Edmonton exploded in an 8-4 win over Chicago on Thursday. Sam Gagner stole the headlines everywhere with four goals and four assists, making him the answer to a trivia question that includes Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey. Sam is proving himself highly valuable for the Oilers, but 11 points over two games is a pace that won't last. Gagner followed"
In the Cage: Overcoming Howard's injury
February 6
NHL.com
 
"Since Jimmy Howard is on the shelf for at least a few weeks due to a broken index finger, many poolies are faced with the choice between Ty Conklin and Joey MacDonald as a potential replacement. So which one is likely to have more fantasy value during Howard's absence? On one side you have Conklin, who allowed three goals on just nine Oilers shots last Saturday night. His uninspiring play opened the door for Joey MacDonald to step in and stop 22 of 23 shots, a valiant effort in a 5-4 shootout loss. It has been a tough season for Conklin, who is just 3-5-0 with a 3.40 goals-against average and .878 save percentage. All nine of his starts this season have come on the road. MacDonald,"
Right on Schedule: Go West, young man!
February 6
CBSSports.com
 
"Forget the pending labor talks; we don't have to even think about 10 years of progress down the tubes. Nearly half (14) of the NHL is playing four games this week. We've got a lot to cover, so let's get to it. Deuces First things first, Boston and Carolina will play only two games this week. Regardless of how Cam Ward (27.4 CBSSports.com Fantasy points last week) and Tim Thomas (22.2 points) have been playing, you may want to go somewhere else for netminders. Four Card Draw Twelve points out of the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference, Coach Bruce Boudreau has Anaheim in the midst of doing things, one night at a time. After going 9-2-1 in the month of January, the Ducks (vs."
Hockey Day in Canada
February 4
Rotoworld.com
 
"It's Hockey Day in Canada on Saturday and all seven teams are in action with the NHL moving Friday's Winnipeg-Pittsburgh game to Saturday from the original schedule to give hockey coverage north of the border from 2pm ET until well after midnight. An amazing performance by Sam Gagner on Thursday as he became the first NHL player since 1988 to record eight points in one game, and the third Oiler to do so as he joined Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey. Gagner has been rumored to be on the trade block but the Oilers would be foolish to give up so quickly on the 22-year-old. Now to The Week Ahead. WEEK OF FEBRUARY 6-12 4 Games – Anaheim, Calgary, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Florida, Los"
Fantasy Forecaster: Week of Feb. 6
February 4
ESPN.com
 
"This is the best time of year to glean important information from hockey statistics. Breakdowns are often offered for pre- and post-All Star game numbers and there is a significant sample size available for the current season, yet there also remains enough games to be played that making changes can have an impact. It's that perfect window of opportunity when there is enough data to learn from and still enough time to do something with it. In that spirit, we begin this week's Forecaster with some team statistics that may surprise you based on your preconceived or "at-a-glimpse" notions. The Nashville Predators have the second-best power play. That's right, the same Predators that are more"
Worth another look?
February 4
CBSSports.com
 
"Following up on last week's underappreciated player review, we now turn to those overlooked on the waiver wire. Alas, there will be no list. But hopefully, you will still learn something. (There will be a quiz after, so pay attention). As your league's trade deadline has either passed or is reaching its conclusion, you need other sources to fill your roster requirements. And since you can't forcibly steal property from any of the other owners (as detailed in Section 1.2.92 of the Geneva Convention), then what better way to replace/upgrade than wading in the free agent pool. This idea may elicit chills, but you will warm up to it…when you realize you have no other choice. If you currently"
Gauging Gagner's great game
February 4
Rotoworld.com
 
"If you're in the mood to get a word snob all huffy, just throw words like "amazing" and "unique" around flippantly. Nothing gets their blood boiling quite like hyperbolic statements that bend – or even break – the rules of language. With those irritable folks in mind, I cannot say that Sam Gagner truly experienced a "unique" night on Thursday. That would state that he accomplished something one-of-a-kind, which isn't totally true. Instead, I'll go the safer routes and say that he did something unusual and extremely unexpected. Sure, there's no denying that the playmaking forward has the pedigree to produce – he was the sixth overall pick of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, after all – but if"
Gauging Gagner's great game
February 3
Rotoworld.com
 
"If you're in the mood to get a word snob all huffy, just throw words like "amazing" and "unique" around flippantly. Nothing gets their blood boiling quite like hyperbolic statements that bend – or even break – the rules of language. With those irritable folks in mind, I cannot say that Sam Gagner truly experienced a "unique" night on Thursday. That would state that he accomplished something one-of-a-kind, which isn't totally true. Instead, I'll go the safer routes and say that he did something unusual and extremely unexpected. Sure, there's no denying that the playmaking forward has the pedigree to produce – he was the sixth overall pick of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, after all – but if"
Hockey Daily Dose: Piling Up Zeros
February 2
Rotoworld.com
 
"Every now and then, full nights of action develop themes. In the case of Wednesday, the biggest theme might just be "zeros." Sure, there are a couple cases where you have to stretch the argument a little bit, but the shoe seems to fit reasonably well. The most obvious examples are the shutouts that took place. Two of Feb. 1's first three games featured three just-about-perfect performances from the goalies involved. HANK ASCENDS TO THRONE? The first case features New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who made 34 saves as the New York Rangers earned a 1-0 shootout win against the Buffalo Sabres. These are the types of performances that big proponents will cite when making an argument"
Turn Left Here: Couture, Heatley starting to heat up
February 2
NHL.com
 
"You'll notice there isn't any movement from our top four spots, and if it wasn't for the return of Patrick Sharp in our rankings (he came off IR on Jan. 31), Kovalchuk would have remained in the No. 5 spot. Daniel Sedin, Pavel Datsyuk, Alex Ovechkin and James Neal all hold down the top four spots. In fact, we believe that only Ovechin is in jeopardy of being knocked out of the top five as of now, but we're still holding on and looking for him to go on a surge that carries the Capitals to the playoffs. However, outside our usual suspects at the top of the charts, you'll see some definite shake-ups throughout the rest of our top-40 rankings of the left wing position. Let's get right into"
Hockey Daily Dose: Soft Tissue Issues
February 1
Rotoworld.com
 
"The Hockey Daily Dose isn't meant to be some maverick regular column that's "above" some of the stories of the day, but I have to admit that I've tried to keep the Sidney Crosby Concussion Wild Goose Chase at an arm's length. Simply put, the saga's been a lot like a soap opera except there aren't any sexy co-eds and the drama and hair-pulling has been replaced by depressing updates and teases in comeback clothing. Lately, it's been sharing some of the plot twists and finger-pointing of soap operas, though, so it seems as if there's little choice but to at least acknowledge the latest developments. Sure, there's not much I can say when some Justice League of world-renowned (and Tom"
Center Stage: Tavares is taking over fantasy world
February 1
NHL.com
 
"With the All-Star festivities behind us and fantasy hockey playoffs inching nearer for those of you in head-to-head leagues, it's time to get back into the swing of things with our weekly "Center Stage" feature that covers everything related to fantasy hockey centers. And who better to lead with than Islanders center John Tavares, who was just announced earlier today as the No. 1 star for January. In fact, Tavares has been so unbelievably good lately that he is the only player we're going to talk about as our "Trending Upward" player. Usually we discuss three guys, but Tavares has been good enough to equal three players in January. Tavares was drafted in Yahoo! Fantasy Leagues with an"
On the 'D'-fence: Rookie rearguards who rank
February 1
NHL.com
 
"The 2012 NHL All-Star Game is in the books and as always it was an exciting event that showcased the skills of some of the best and brightest the league has to offer. Though there were 42 vets selected to participate in the game itself, the League's selection committee also chose 12 rookies to take part in the weekend's activities. That is what we are going to do here today. Considering that we had a short week in the fantasy realm due in large part to those All-Star festivities, we figured that we would point out a handful of rookies that are starting to slide into bigger roles for their teams. These players may not be a benefit to all of you, but they could offer some nice depth scoring"
Blue Line Buzz: Bargain-bin bonanza
January 31
CBSSports.com
 
"You have to admire the NHL for being bold with their formats for the All-Star Game over the years, or as its known this year, the Tim Horton's 2012 NHL All-Star Game. This edition of the game marks the second year of the All-Star Fantasy Draft, where several captains get to pick their own team from a pool of available talent. On Thursday, Daniel Alfredsson and Zdeno Chara made some predictable selections with Team Alfredsson, co-captained by Henrik Lundqvist, loading up on Swedes and Team Chara grabbing all the available eastern European talent and scooping up his Boston teammates, Tim Thomas and Tyler Seguin. While not perfect, this format certainly has made the All-Star game more"
Hockey Daily Dose: Blackhawks, Canucks Clash
January 31
Rotoworld.com
 
"With 13 games on the docket tonight, it seems silly to pinpoint one that towers over the others to the point that it deserves a huge chunk of the Daily Dose's attention. For better or worse, I'm silly enough to do just that, though. While there's no denying that every contest is worth the same up-to-two points for every team involved, there are certain games that take on added meaning. (Example: Honestly, I thought that the Boston Bruins-Buffalo Sabres game in which Milan Lucic bowled over Ryan Miller was too easy a narrative. Sometimes the best stories are the simplest ones, though, and if you follow the trajectory of both teams it's tough to deny that it was a pivotal moment in their"
Hockey Daily Dose: Second Half Stories
January 30
Rotoworld.com
 
"The bland yet benign 2012 NHL All-Star Game is out of the way now, which means that we can focus on the second "half" of the 2011-12 season. (I put half in quotation marks because, technically speaking, NHL teams have played more than 50 percent of their games already. Still, it's halfway done in spirit.) With that in mind, here's an interesting player to watch per team; I'll try to stay away from too many obvious choices, although they'll be a few here and there. Anaheim: It's likely that you know about the Ducks' big guns, so let's skip past them (although Jonas Hiller ranks as one of the biggest wild cards in the NHL). Instead, Lubomir Visnovsky is interesting to watch, especially"
In the Cage: Two so-called backups
January 30
NHL.com
 
"To get an edge on the competition, poolies must realize that a goaltender's stats are merely the end result of a unique situation. The position is 90 percent mental, so confidence, rhythm, focus, and opportunity are key ingredients in making what we call a "sleeper" or a "hidden gem" fantasy talent. For two so-called backups, Devan Dubnyk and Sergei Bobrovsky, a few impressive performances before the All-Star break have led us to believe they're currently surrounded by very promising situations. Furthermore, both goalies could see their fantasy value rise due to the struggles of their counterparts. Dubnyk is the first one on our list, as we feel his odds to steal the starting gig in"
Neutral Zone Wrap: Can I get some respect?
January 28
CBSSports.com
 
"Do you think your job sucks? Have you ever been frustrated when your work goes unnoticed while others receive attention? How about feeling like you are not being paid enough? Or those regular daydreams where you see yourself in a better environment (and probably on some beach, too) surrounded by friendlier colleagues? The following NHLers may be able to empathize with those thoughts. After all, their teammates are headed to Ottawa to partake in the 59th All-Star Game while they will either be parked in front of a TV watching the festivities or having a good time in some tropical locale. OK, so they may not prove to be a fair comparison to average office folk. But these skaters still must"
After the Break
January 28
Rotoworld.com
 
"The All-Star break is a good time to look back at the happenings of the NHL as the league takes off at least six days for all teams (not including the participants of the All-Star game) with the exception of Montreal and Detroit who get off only five days. St. Louis receives the biggest break of all as they are off from Tuesday the 24th to February 3rd, a span of 10 days. All games on Sunday are afternoon starts with the Super Bowl taking over the evening in a game that can be seen on NBC. We expect a lot of cross-promoting for the NHL during the telecast. The Rangers and Bruins each have 35 games left in the second half, the most in the NHL, while Ottawa has only 30 games left with"
Thin Blue Line: The top defensemen are
January 27
ESPN.com
 
"In honor of the All-Star festivities and accompanying hoopla, here's a nod to those who have performed exceptionally well in individual fantasy categories. Consider this our version of the Oscars, but without venue, red carpet, tangible reward, pizzazz and any acknowledgement or interest from those being honored. • Very few (read: absolutely no one) could have predicted that Jason Garrison of the Florida Panthers would be leading all blueliners in goals (with 13) by this stage of the season. In his second full NHL season, the 27-year-old has really blossomed on a squad with so many new additions. And without Dmitry Kulikov (more on that below), Garrison will be asked to continue producing"
In The Crease: Is Hartnell The Fantasy MVP?
January 26
Rotoworld.com
 
"I'm back with another compilation of fantasy nuggets I hope you'll find useful. Craig Anderson's torrid month has vaulted him into third place in the NHL with 25 wins. The Senators' goaltender has made his fantasy owners smile with an 8-2-1 record for January along with a 1.79 GAA and a .947 save percentage. His stats for the season remain mediocre, but he has erased any doubts about whether he is a legitimate NHL netminder, and playing behind the surging Sens, he's a must-play in all formats right now. Speaking of goalies who have overachieved this season, Jimmy Howard sits atop the league with 29 victories, but unlike past seasons, he now has the ratios to match. The 27 year-old"
Hockey Daily Dose: Alex Ovechkin sits and skips
January 25
Rotoworld.com
 
"As Tuesday's Daily Dose anticipated, Alex Ovechkin won't participate in the 2012 All-Star Game. In a way, it's as "political" a protest as Tim Thomas giving the White House the shaft even though the target is the NHL's disciplinary wing rather than the federal government. Ovechkin isn't pleased with the three-game suspension he received for his questionable check on Zbynek Michalek, so he'll provide some civil disobedience by way of passing on this weekend's festivities. While the three-game suspension is far from a good thing for fantasy owners, the combination of that and his little siesta on the weekend might just make for a strong stretch run for Ovechkin, who won't play in another"
In the Crease: Fantasy All-Star team
January 24
ESPN.com
 
"With every NHL team having hit the midseason point by last week's column, I went through a collection of midseason awards. And with the NHL preparing to stage the All-Star Game this weekend, what better way to mark the occasion than to assess which players around the league have been fantasy All-Stars? Just so we're on the same page, I'm following colleague Sean Allen's lead here: these are not simply the best fantasy assets to this point of the season. The overall Player Rater rankings for netminders can provide you with that information. Instead, this assessment also takes draft value into account, much like the MVP award from last week's column, which went to the largely undrafted Brian"
On the 'D'-fence: PP points can power you to victory
January 24
NHL.com
 
"Power-play points may not be included in all scoring formats that you are participating in, but they have earned a spot alongside goals, assists, plus/minus, penalty minutes, and shots on goal in Yahoo! standard leagues. Some leagues even break it down further giving you credit for each power-play goal or assist your players earn. This makes it a pretty valuable stat, and it can tilt many a tightly-contested scoring period in your direction if you have the right players on your roster. We are all familiar with the likes of Erik Karlsson, Zdeno Chara, Kris Letang and Shea Weber, as they provide the most bang for your fantasy buck across almost every scoring category. However, you may be"
Blue Line Buzz: Who's up and who's down?
January 24
CBSSports.com
 
"Hockey fans will get to enjoy more weekend games with early afternoon start times now that football is coming to a close. This means the NBC Game of the Week has returned to feature tremendous play-by-play calls by Doc Emrick with the commentary of Pierre McGuire and Mike Milbury, because if there's a man who knows something about evaluating players, it certainly is Mike Milbury. Coupled with McGuire's Wikipedia-like knowledge of where every Canadian played their junior, bantam and mite hockey, one has to wonder how Emrick can keep a straight face. However, Don Cherry did call Afghanistan a "godforsaken place" on Coaches' Corner Saturday, so Emrick might have it easier than Ron MacLean. In"
Front Line: Fantasy All-Star team
January 24
ESPN.com
 
"The All-Star Game can serve as a reminder that not all things are created equal between the NHL and fantasy hockey. While there aren't many serious objections about the players named to this week's All-Star rosters, there is certainly a few differences to be found if you consider who would make the team in fantasy leagues. We were clear in the midseason awards that draft position had a lot to do with selecting the first-half fantasy MVP, so the same logic would apply to the fantasy All-Star team. In the spirit of a celebratory week for the NHL, here are some of the top selections fantasy owners would likely make for the 2012 All-Star Game in Ottawa. Just like the NHL names its teams after"
Right on Schedule: The real work begins now
January 24
CBSSports.com
 
"Planning on grabbing a beer and setting your lineup for the second half? Not so fast sir. Even with All-Star weekend upon us, there's still some work to do. This Sunday, you'll be faced with some interesting lineup changes. Players who have been stashed on your bench all season long are ready to blossom and maybe give you that gooey feeling over the next three days of hockey. This week, we examine a backup goalie and one position player that may help you win some points in a three-day Fantasy week. Let's start with the Western Conference, who has six teams playing two games this week while the Eastern only has four."
Hockey Daily Dose: Red Hot Hartnell
January 23
Rotoworld.com
 
"The NFL just showcased its pre-Super Bowl weekend, but the NHL's pre-All-Star Game weekend wasn't too shabby, either. Let's take a look at some of the most interesting bits from a jam-packed three days. CLOSER TO THE HARTNELL It's not exactly as if Scott Hartnell lacked any fantasy value before this season. Going into 2011-12, it seemed like his owners could count on 40-50 points (maybe 60 if he had some extra focus or luck) and somewhere around 150 penalty minutes. Those aren't numbers to sneeze at, particularly in a league with very few guys who can combine respectable scoring stats with ample penalty box visits. That being said, this season's combination of friendly bounces, hard work"
In the Cage: The veteran presence
January 23
NHL.com
 
"Every Monday during the season, goalie specialist and founder of The Goalie Guild Justin Goldman will provide you with an in-depth analysis of fantasy goaltenders in NHL.com's weekly segment: "In the Cage." From updated goalie rankings to guys you should keep a close eye on and much more, Goldman will be your fantasy goalie expert all season long. The NHL's All-Star Weekend is just over the horizon, and with each passing day, teams are gearing up for the post-season push. For goalies, that means every save is more important than the last, and one weak effort could mean the difference between making and missing the playoffs. Since timely stops are so crucial right now, it's often the"
Phoenix not rising
January 21
Rotoworld.com
 
"It's the shortest week of the schedule with the All-Star Game on Sunday in Ottawa. Montreal and Detroit finish the week on Wednesday with everyone else done by Tuesday at the latest, so players not in the All-Star game will get at least six days off as the schedule resumes on Tuesday the 31st. I'm in Phoenix for the week and have gone to two games, seeing the Coyotes crush the Avalanche 6-1 on Martin Luther King Day and having a great time with my cousins Gabrielle and Jacob, then watching Detroit defeat the Coyotes 3-2 in a shootout and very exciting game Thursday. There were a lot of Detroit fans at the game Thursday and the whooping and hollering after their win in the hallways was"
Halak is back in form
January 20
Rotoworld.com
 
"Going with a red-hot backup can make you feel savvy, but it always comes with the risk that he'll be usurped by the No. 1. When you consider the typically large gulf between a team's should-be starter and his relatively cheap No. 2, it's almost tough to blame NHL teams for doing their best to force the top guy back into the mix at the first sign of weakness from his counterpart. In the case of the St. Louis Blues goalie rotation, there's not much of a weakness to be found. On one end, you have Brian Elliott, a netminder whose story is one of the more stunning ones of the 2011-12 season. Elliott's stock was so low last summer that he accepted a one-year, two-way contract with the Blues."
Hockey Daily Dose: Risky Business
January 19
Rotoworld.com
 
"Every now and then, you run into a story that just makes you shake your head and say "That's what hockey players do!" When that thought goes through your head, it's best to use the same inflection that a character uses toward a zany-but-beloved family member in a bad sitcom. The latest occurrence revolves around the crazy accident that took Taylor Hall as its victim. In case you didn't see it, Hall lost his balance during pre-game warm-ups, taking out a fellow Edmonton Oilers player in the process. The two of them glided toward Corey Potter, who attempted to hurdle both but ended up landing his skate on Hall's head. The 2010 first overall pick is OK from a "didn't lose his eye/get his"
Thin Blue Line: Midseason duds
January 19
ESPN.com
 
"If useless provides severe and appropriate contrast to valuable in fantasy terms, and worthless serves as a suitable antonym of precious, Milan Jurcina could be considered the natural opposite of Erik Karlsson (no offense to Jurcina in general, but as a fantasy asset, he stinks). As a follow-up to last week's look at gems, here's a collection of blueliners who have provided some degree of disappointment to date. And whether we can expect better in the final three months of 2011-12. • Veteran Mark Streit isn't nearly as bad as his minus-17 would indicate; it's simply an occupational hazard of playing for the New York Islanders. In all honesty, we expected slightly better numbers from"
In the Crease: Midseason awards
January 18
ESPN.com
 
"With every NHL team officially finishing out the first 41 games of their schedule, it's time for the ESPN.com fantasy hockey midseason awards, as started on Monday by my colleague Sean Allen's look at the forwards. Some of the awards you see here will be familiar if you read Monday's column, but goalies are a different breed than skaters, so there are obviously going to be some tweaks. As we reflect on the accolades of the players here, the midseason point is also a good time to obey the credo that we hear so often in athlete interviews: "It is what it is." That bit of existential philosophy can be maddening for sports reporters looking for an opinion, but it's an important phrase to keep"
Hockey Daily Dose: The Burden of Expectations
January 18
Rotoworld.com
 
"The history of sports is rich with boastful athletes who backed up their considerable trash talking with unforgettable results. Who could forget Mark Messier and Joe Namath backing up their guarantees, Muhammad Ali proving that he really might have been the greatest and Babe Ruth calling his shot? Watching a scenario in which being cocky turns to into exhibiting well-founded confidence ranks as one of the great lures of following sports. Of course, the flip side to victors writing history is that the many braggarts' failures are erased with time. Sure, we do hold onto some special moments when high-level hubris explodes in a player or team's face in a hilariously spectacular way. Anyone"
Hockey Daily Dose: Blanked
January 17
Rotoworld.com
 
"Every now and then, a day's worth of news and results can be wrapped up pretty nicely with one word. If I had to choose a single one for Jan. 16, it would be "blanked." GOALIES BLANKING TEAMS In the most obvious sense, that word describes the three shutouts that happened (which, by the way, is a pretty surprising development since there were only six games on a holiday Monday). In case you missed it: Jimmy Howard improved his league-leading wins total to 27 games with a 27-save shutout of the Buffalo Sabres (more on that later). Howard had a nice 5-0 margin of error, but the other goose eggs were tougher to come by. Chris Mason celebrated a rare start with a 25-save shutout as the"
On the 'D'-fence: Letang cleared for takeoff
January 17
NHL.com
 
"We promise that this space will eventually be used to talk about something other than injuries and those who are suffering from them, but it would be folly to gloss over the latest high-profile player that is set to make his triumphant return: Kris Letang. Letang spent an awful lot of time sitting in the No. 1 slot in our rankings before exiting the Penguins' lineup with a concussion suffered on Nov. 26 against the Montreal Canadiens, and his return should have the Penguins as well as fantasy owners singing hallelujah. The Montreal native was set to rejoin his teammates in practice Tuesday and has been cleared for full contact. Unfortunately there isn't a definitive date for his actual"
In the Cage: Four buy-low candidates
January 17
NHL.com
 
"As the sense of urgency rises for teams hinging on a playoff spot, so too does the sense of urgency for their goaltenders. We've seen hints of brilliance from a few savvy veterans over the last week, so we want to give you the lowdown on four interesting buy-low candidates for the rest of the regular season. There will always an inherent risk with these goalies, but this is universal; if you own them, expect a lot in return. If you want to acquire them, try to sneak a buy-low steal from otherwise unaware managers! 1. Craig Anderson: Leading the race in volume stats categories, Anderson is 4-0-1 in his last five games and currently playing the best hockey of his season. He sits first in"
Front Line: And the first-half MVP is ...
January 16
ESPN.com
 
"The Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks were the final two teams to hit the halfway point of the NHL season; both teams passed the mark over the weekend. That means it's time to hand out the hardware for the first half of the fantasy season. As we take a look at the good, bad and ugly from the first half of the season, take a moment to reflect on your current place in the standings. Although this probably has been the case for at least a few weeks now, there is no kidding yourself now if you think the team that currently has you in seventh place is going to magically become a contender. Make the moves you have to make to be competitive and give yourself a chance to win. Remind me again what"
Blue Line Buzz: Bypassing the dysfunction
January 16
CBSSports.com
 
"The Montreal Canadiens have provided us with several of the league's top storylines recently, from "interim" coach Randy Cunneyworth's inability to speak French, P. K. Subban and Tomas Plekanec dropping the gloves in practice, and this past week's jettisoning of Michael Cammalleri to Calgary. It was the manner in which Cammalleri was ejected from Montreal that's unique; he was held out of the third period after already playing nine minutes in Thursday's loss to Boston. According to reports, he was sent back to the team hotel to await further word on his destination -- the trade undoubtedly stemming from Cammalleri's remarks on Wednesday about the lack of a winning attitude in Montreal. Not"
Fantasy Forecaster: Week of Jan. 16
January 14
ESPN.com
 
"Like it or not, the current situation for several NHL teams as it relates to injuries warrants another injury roundup in this space. It doesn't seem like all that long ago we last dedicated this space to a look at the bumps, bruises and breaks around the league, but certainly the current list of NHLers missing time deserves another review for fantasy implications. Jeff Skinner, Carolina Hurricanes: We are probably days away from Skinner making his return to the lineup from a concussion that has had him sidelined since Dec. 7. He sat out Thursday's game but could return over the weekend. Skinner was the team's new offensive leader earlier this season, but Eric Staal has been rejuvenated"
Neutral Zone Wrap: Injuries taking their toll
January 14
CBSSports.com
 
"The post-New Year hangover is inevitable. Now, I'm guessing you didn't wake up missing a tooth or slumped over in a seedy Asian hotel, but you still might be unaware of what has happened lately. In case you haven't heard, Sidney Crosby hasn't returned. Neither has teammate Kris Letang. And Jeff Skinner. And several other folks who have been diagnosed with concussions quicker than a regular fourth-line shift. Heck, if you looked at all the current NHL rosters, then you'd find each one is missing at least one key player. Same goes for Fantasy. You may be complaining about who is out. But then again, so is everyone else. Time to focus. Grab a caffeinated beverage, take a few deep breaths, and"