Fantasy Hockey Advice

Week 19 Fantasy Hockey Planner
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February 8
CBSSports.com
 
"Week 19 (Feb. 8-14) Teams playing four games: Anaheim, Colorado, Edmonton, Nashville, New Jersey, N.Y. Islanders, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Jose, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Vancouver Teams playing three games: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Calgary, Carolina, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Florida, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Montreal, N.Y. Rangers, Pittsburgh, Washington Teams playing two games: Toronto (Editor's note: Week 19 is the final scoring period before the Olympic break. The following scoring period -- Week 20 -- technically begins on Feb. 15 and runs through March 7, but the first game isn't until March 1 at 9 p.m.) Atlantic Division New Jersey Devils: The big news of the week ..."
Open Ice: Top waiver-wire options
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February 8
ESPN.com
 
"This won't be your average All-Star break when the NHL goes on a two-week hiatus starting Sunday, with many of its players heading to Vancouver to participate in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. There will be some fantastic hockey to watch -- not the least of which will include some blasts from the past like Ziggy Palffy, Jaromir Jagr and Peter Forsberg -- but it does mean two weeks during which you don't have to concentrate on your daily fantasy hockey chores. However, such a long break from daily lineup decisions will allow extra time for both you and your opponents to reflect on your teams and assess your needs down the stretch. That means that starting next Monday, your opponents might ..."
Fire on Ice
Comment
February 8
FantasyHockey.com
 
"Johan Franzen, C, RW DET (3GP-1g-1a-2pts, with an even rating and 6 PIM) The Mule is set to return this week, so if he's still on waivers in your league, act fast. Franzen has a made a habit of producing huge goal totals when it matters the most, and with the Red Wings in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in over a decade, now is when they're going to need him to step up. Wayne Simmonds, RW, LA (54GP-14g-21a-35pts, with a +19 and 85 PIM) With steady improvement since entering the league last year, Simmonds has finally earned himself a chance to play with the big boys on the top line in Los Angeles. The wiry winger has provided excellent two-way play all year, and his ..."
The Week Ahead: Week 19
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February 8
FantasyHockey.com
 
"The final week of fantasy hockey action before the highly anticipated Olympic competition in Vancouver is here, and now puckheads everywhere are being forced into taking a two-week vacation from their love for the fantasy hockey! This is a statement week in your league, regardless of scoring type. You really want to be able to step it up this week and go into this fantasy vacation on a high note. This past seven days we have seen much of the same from most of the usual suspects in fantasy puck action, including the two biggest guns of all, Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. The NHL's schedule this week was capped of quite nicely with an incredible come-from-behind win by the Caps on ..."
Fantasy Hockey Roundtable
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February 7
FantasyHockey.com
 
"What player(s) do you think will benefit the most from the recent transactions? Who do you think was hurt the most due to the moves? I'm going to stick with the Broadway Blueshirts for both answers. First, the player that has to benefit the most from the recent trades is Olli Jokinen. The chemistry wasn't there with Jarome Iginla, so Jokinen will get to take his reps with Marian Gaborik. Jokinen's point totals have declined from 91 points in 2006-07 to 71 points to 57 points to 35 points this season. It's now or never for the underachieving Finn, who is playing for a new contract and will find himself in the KHL next season if he doesn't improve dramatically on his 11 goals. Honorable ..."
Four deals in February
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February 7
Rotoworld.com
 
"This is the last week of the NHL schedule before the two-week Olympic break. The Toronto Maple Leafs only play twice and they are also the only team to not play on the weekend, so the lowly Leafs get an extra couple of days of vacation. It also allows their Olympic players Phil Kessel, Jonas Gustavsson and Tomas Kaberle to arrive in Vancouver before any other NHLer. There were a couple of major trades this past week as Atlanta traded Ilya Kovalchuk to the New Jersey Devils for Niclas Bergfors, Johnny Oduya, Patrice Cormier and the Devils first round pick. The Calgary Flames dealt Dion Phaneuf, Fredrik Sjostrom and Keith Aulie to Toronto for Niklas Hagman, Matthew Stajan, Ian White and ..."
The Goods: Deal With The Devils
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February 6
FantasyHockey.com
 
"The Devils' surprising move for Ilya Kovalchuk puts them back in the Stanley Cup conversation, but what does it do for your fantasy team? If you have Kovalchuk, his numbers will not take a hit. He has ten powerplay goals and should help the Devils in that category, who are struggling mightily (just two for their last 33). Niclas Bergfors has eight powerplay goals, which was the most among any Devil, and now Kovalchuk will inherit that title. Kovalchuk could be on a line with Dainius Zubrus and Patrik Elias at the center position (when he returns from his concussion, probably in the next week. Elias skated with the team on Thursday). Until Elias returns, Jamie Langenbrunner could complete ..."
Waiver Wire: Jussi what we see?
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February 5
CBSSports.com
 
"It seems the key to winning games for the Carolina Hurricanes is making sure Jussi Jokinen gets the puck and scores. It does seem a little odd since Carolina has a perennial All Star in Eric Staal, a seasoned vet in Ray Whitney and a game-changer in net in Cam Ward, but the numbers don't lie. Carolina is 11-2-3 in 2009-10 when Jokinen has scored at least once. That's nearly 60 percent of the time Carolina has won when Jokinen lit the lamp. The Finnish forward is second on the team with 18 goals and is third on the squad with 41 points. He has already set a career high for goals and has a very good chance of surpassing his previous high of 55 points, which he set as a rookie in 2005-06 with ..."
Forecaster: Impact of Kovalchuk deal
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February 5
ESPN.com
 
"As we head into the final week before the Olympic break, the first question that comes to mind is: Who is left to move at the trade deadline? But that should be an afterthought for the fantasy hockey owners after seeing that the Atlanta Thrashers have sent Ilya Kovalchuk packing. Kovalchuk and defenseman Anssi Salmela head to the New Jersey Devils for rookie Niclas Bergfors, Johnny Oduya, infamous prospect Patrice Cormier and a first-round pick. On the surface, the breakdown seems simple: the Devils get better, the Thrashers get worse. Looking closer, though, we can see some subtleties to the impact and possibly a few players worth exploring for your fantasy benefit. On the negative side ..."
Eastern Conference Grumblings: Know Your ABCs!
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February 4
SportsGrumblings.com
 
"Always follow your players. If you are to be successful, you must keep track of all of your players at all times. Be aware of trades. Trades can lift a struggling player to new heights, they can turn a marginal player into a top-notch point getter and they can downgrade a player's value. Check the waiver wire daily. You never know who's going to show up there. Case in point: I was able to pick up Benoit Pouliot for a struggling Christopher Higgins just as the Habs first line was getting hot. Don't put all of your eggs in one basket. This adage holds true in fantasy hockey as well, as you should limit the amount of players you have from one team. My personal limit is 3 and they ..."
Like ol' Oilers, Caps will have to be 'attentive to the defensive side' of game
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February 4
ESPN.com
 
"Thank goodness you can pause live TV. It's the kind of technological advancement that saves you from missing three goals while you go fix yourself a sandwich during a Washington Capitals game. The Caps are filling the net like nobody's business, obviously a big reason they're riding a franchise-record 11-game winning streak into tonight's tilt at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers. More than ever, the Caps are a thrill a minute. And the architect of the team says that was the plan. "Well, it just seemed that this was the way the league was going coming out of the lockout, that it wanted a more entertaining game and wanted more scoring," Caps GM George McPhee told ESPN.com ..."
In the Crease: Giguere trade fallout
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February 4
ESPN.com
 
"The flurry of trades Sunday by Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke sent shock waves throughout the league. Many skeptics had started to think that massive player swaps were no longer possible in the current NHL, with salary-cap considerations limiting what teams could do. While the trades will impact each of the real-world teams differently, they will also have a significant impact on the three goalies. First up is Jean-Sebastien Giguere, and what a difference a week can make. It had become increasingly clear to even casual hockey folk that Jiggy had become a high-priced afterthought for the Anaheim Ducks; that was confirmed officially when Jonas Hiller got his $18 million deal last ..."
Turning over new Leafs
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February 3
CBSSports.com
 
"Enough was enough. Brian Burke couldn't take losing anymore. After watching the Maple Leafs lose a sixth straight game on Saturday against the Canucks, the Toronto general manager went to work while the rest of the hockey world went to bed. The results were two trades on Sunday that stunned the NHL. Burke overhauled the Maple Leafs roster by pulling in two premier names in defenseman Dion Phaneuf and goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Burke landed Phaneuf, who was thought to be untradeable, forward Fredrik Sjostrom and defenseman prospect Keith Aulie in a trade with Calgary for forwards Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers and defenseman Ian White. He then parted ways with goalie Vesa ..."
The Thin Blue Line: Beyond Phaneuf
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February 3
ESPN.com
 
"Following his debut in a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform on Tuesday night, no one can accuse Dion Phaneuf of being shy. On the heels of Sunday's hefty trade between the Leafs and Calgary Flames, Phaneuf was clearly in no mood to take a subtle approach to his first game with his new team. In a single hockey hour, the dynamic defenseman skated more than 24 minutes, registered four shots, dished out six hits and dropped the gloves with New Jersey Devil Colin White, earning a five-minute major. In other words he played like the Dion Phaneuf many of his fans know and love. But what now? Sure, Phaneuf was fired up skating with his new team for the first time, in front of a home crowd, but how long ..."
Front Line: Believe in Canucks' top line
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February 3
ESPN.com
 
"How ridiculous have Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin been? As we answer that question, we will find that Alex Burrows has been a tad ridiculous as well. Check out this line: 2.08 goals, 3.91 assists, plus-1.76. That is the average production per game from the Sedins and Burrows over the past month. They have sustained that level of production for the past 30 days (12 games). Over a full season, that would mean the trio was responsible for more than 170 goals, 320 assists and a combined plus/minus of plus-144. Those numbers are, quite frankly, ridiculous. But their pace over the whole season can't possibly be that solid, can it? Well, not all of them, as Daniel missed 18 games with a broken ..."
The Net Effect
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February 3
FantasyHockey.com
 
"Anaheim Ducks One of the big trades involving the Leafs this weekend sent J.S. Giguere and his large salary to Toronto, with Vesa Toskala heading to the Ducks. For Hiller, this trade officially cements his place as the number one goalie in Anaheim for the next few years. Hiller had already started 39 of the Ducks' 56 games this year and is 10-3 in his last 13 starts. He has started 19 of the Ducks' past 22 games, and even though the Ducks aren't doing well as a team, Hiller posts good numbers. Minnesota Wild Niklas Backstrom has recovered from a back injury, but he is now sidelined with the stomach flu. He has started 42 games for the Wild, and was the only Minnesota netminder to not be ..."
Looking at the Calgary/New York Trade
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February 3
Fantasy Pros 911
 
"The Flames and Rangers got together on a 4 player trade Monday evening in hopes of injecting some life into each of their struggling lineups. Calgary acquired RW Ales Kotalik, and LW Chris Higgins from New York in exchange for C Olli Jokinen, and RW Brandon Prust. Lets look at each of those involved: Olli Jokinen- Easily the biggest name and most accomplished player of the group. He's 31 years old and will play on his 6th NHL team. He's known as a lockerroom problem , moody and kind of a clubhouse lawyer. His per 82 game stat line entering this season was 24-29-53 (goals-assists-points) . In addition to him taking over the #1 center role for the Blueshirts he immediately becomes the club's ..."
Fire on Ice
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February 3
FantasyHockey.com
 
"Niklas Hagman, LW/RW, CGY (56GP-20g-13a-33pts, with a (-3) and 148 shots) Matt Stajan, C, CGY (56GP-16g-25a-41pts, with a (-4) and 13 pp points) The recent shakeup in Calgary will surely lead to some interesting new line combinations, and for the moment it looks like Hagman and Stajan will skate with Jarome Iginla on the Flames' top line. On paper this might not look like a huge boost from what they were working with a week ago, but this is actually the closest thing the Flames have put together as far as a true top line in quite a while. Most of the great top lines have at least one winger that can snipe, a power forward type of guy on the other wing, and a centerman that can just ..."
Analyzing The Players in the Leafs Two Trades
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February 2
Fantasy Pros 911
 
"Here's a player by player look at all those involved in the Leafs pair of Transactions Sunday; Toronto sends LW Niklas Hagman, C Matt Stajan, RW Jamal Myers, and D Ian White, to Calgary in exchange for D Dion Phaneuf, W Fredrik Sjostrom, and D Keith Aulie. Niklas Hagman- Hagman comes to Calgary with 20 goals on the year making it the third straight season that he has reached that plateau. He's a high energy, enthusiastic player whose offensive capabilities took some time to surface. Entering this season his career per 82 games line was 15-16-31 (goals,assists, points). He's a fine addition for the Flames who will contribute as a top 6 forward, and he's signed for another couple of seasons ..."
Open Ice: Turning over new Leafs
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February 1
ESPN.com
 
"If you had to take a moment and decide whether or not Sports Center had started reporting trades in fantasy hockey leagues over the weekend, you weren't alone. Good 'ol Brian Burke decided it was about time to remind everyone exactly why he is considered brash and aggressive among the ranks of general managers. Burke sent six players packing in two trades on Sunday landing the Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Dion Phaneuf and goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere. It really does sound like a day of trading normally reserved for the NHL trade deadline or something out of the average fantasy league. Leaving the Maple Leafs for the Calgary Flames are Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers and Ian ..."
The Goods: Big Day In The Big Smoke
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February 1
FantasyHockey.com
 
"The Sunday morning announcement that Brian Burke was up to something got the rumor mill chugging in overdrive, and he wasn't kidding when he said he was up to something big. Everything kicked off with the surprise announcement that Dion Phaneuf was being traded to Toronto. Now that the dust has settled, how will this move affect fantasy teams? First off, Phaneuf heads to the more wide-open Eastern Conference, which on the surface could help his numbers. He'll play a similar role for the Leafs that he did for the Flames: 25-plus minutes with first-unit power-play time. Right now, the guy who plays a similar role for the Leafs is Tomas Kaberle, who appears set to be moved by the trade ..."
Western Conference Report
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February 1
FantasyHockey.com
 
"We are less than two weeks away from the start of the Olympics, and the hockey world is gearing up. A lot has happened in January, so let us look at the latest developments in the Western Conference. Anaheim Ducks The Ducks traded away J.S. Giguere for Vesa Toskala (7-12-3, 3.66 GAA, .874 SV% and 1 SO) and Jason Blake (10g, 16a, 26 pts). Blake should immediately find himself on the second line with Saku Koivu (10g, 19a, 29 pts). Koivu has been in a bit of a slump lately with no points in his last three games, but Blake's speed and finish could kickstart Koivu offensively. Dan Sexton (9g, 9a, 18 pts) has been sent back to the AHL, so drop him in any non-keeper formats. He may be recalled ..."
Gen Next: AHL Prospects
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January 31
FantasyHockey.com
 columnist AJ Cich
"Already one month into the year 2010 and fans are foaming at the mouths for all the hockey they can handle. The NHL and AHL seasons have seen some fierce competition, but none of that will compare to how things are going to ramp up for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. In about three weeks' time, players from all over the world will dawn the colors of their nations in hopes of bringing fame, glory and the elusive gold medal back to their home countries. So in the spirit of the winter games, I decided to focus on some AHL snipers from all over the globe who are doing their clubs and countrymen proud. Mikael Backlund, C, Abbotsford Heat Backlund, who originates from Vasteras, Sweden, ..."
The Week Ahead: Week 18
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January 31
FantasyHockey.com
 columnist Tim Arnold
"As we wind down the pre-Olympic NHL schedule, I am left to wonder what kind of content I am going to provide for the two-week layoff since the whole Week Ahead bit will not be required! I have a few ideas in mind, but if you have any of your own, feel free to fire them my way here on this page or on my Twitter page. Let's get the ball, or in this case, the puck rolling on another edition of The Week Ahead while it still has some relevancy. Another big week for the Washington Capitals as they have now extended their season high win streak to nine games. The last win may have come at a price, as they lost star D man Mike Green for three games following a suspension for his hit on the ..."
Forecaster: Winds of change in Carolina
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January 30
ESPN.com
 columnist Sean Allen
"It's about time we take a closer look at the resurgence being staged in Raleigh, as the Carolina Hurricanes work their way out of the Eastern Conference basement. Winners of four of their past five, the Canes should have no trouble overtaking the Toronto Maple Leafs in the coming days to climb out of the cellar, and if they can keep up the scoring they could be in the playoff picture (it's a wide-angle lens taking the shot) just before the Olympic break. What's been happening to turn the ship around? The Hurricanes found the right leadership, that's what happened. After naming Eric Staal captain Jan. 21, the Canes have lost only one contest, and Staal has been the catalyst. He marked his ..."
Where is Kovy Going?
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January 30
Rotoworld.com
 columnist Mike Finewax
"The biggest story going around the NHL at this time is where is Ilya Kovalchuk going to play next season. Will be re-sign with the Thrashers and will the Thrashers trade him at the deadline to get something for him are just two of the questions that are being asked at this time. Kovalchuk has a lot of possibilities for next season. He could re-sign with Atlanta, he could test free agency in the NHL or he could go back to Russia and sign with a KHL team and reap millions of extra dollars that he couldn't under the NHL's salary cap. Should he decide not to sign with the Thrashers they have many trade partners who have depth that Atlanta could use to re-build. Boston, Calgary, Chicago and Los ..."
Fantasy Hockey Roundtable
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January 30
FantasyHockey.com
 
"Who are your top three disappointing players for the 2009-2010 season so far? Devin Setoguchi – After a 31-goal, 65-point sophomore season, Setoguchi looked to be on the verge of big things alongside Joe Thornton. Unfortunately for Setoguchi, the Dany Heatley trade happened and the Patrick Marleau trade didn't, meaning that his time on the first line was up. Seto should at least reach the 20-goal mark this season, but scoring just 20 points in 41 games has meant that many fantasy owners have gone in another direction for scoring help this season. Dion Phaneuf – Phaneuf has performed better than Setoguchi this season, but just barely. As the Flames continue to freefall in the standings, ..."
Waiver Wire: Bullish on Beniot in Montreal
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January 29
CBSSports.com
 columnist Sean Allen
"Do you believe in starting over or second chances? If not, you might want to give Benoit Pouliot's story a gander. Washed out as a first-round bust in Minnesota, Pouliot got a new lease on life when the Wild dealt him to Montreal in late November for Guillaume Latendresse. Don't worry if you didn't give much thought to the trade. Not many did. Neither player warranted much attention in their young NHL careers as they both severely undercut expectations for the team's that drafted them. However, both players are paying dividends in their new cities. It's just Pouliot's story is a bit more intriguing since he was taken fourth overall in 2005 and 41 spots ahead of Latendresse, who has 14 ..."
In The Crease: Elliott on hot streak
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January 28
ESPN.com
 columnist Tim Kavanagh
"The Ottawa Senators are one of the hottest teams in the league right now -- winners of seven straight -- and Brian Elliott is one of the hottest goaltenders, both in the real world and in fantasy. Elliott has allowed just five goals over his past five starts, all wins. His work last week alone won him the First Star on NHL.com. His fantasy ownership in ESPN leagues has shot up 7.6 percent over the past seven days but is still only at 19.0 percent total, so there's still time to pick him up. Just don't expect any of this to continue. While we don't have a huge sample on Elliott (it's only his second full season in the NHL), we saw these same flashes of brilliance (and frantic waiver-wire ..."
Lester's Blue Line Specials Volume 16
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January 27
Lester's Legends
 
"Need some help with your fantasy hockey team? You've come to the right place. Try these hot players on for size. In Need of Goals Benoit Pouliot, LW, Montreal Canadiens 4 goals last week, +3 plus/minus rating, 2 power play points, 16 shots on goal 16 percent Yahoo! ownership Scottie Upshaw, RW, Phoenix Coyotes 4 goals, 1 assist, +2 rating, 1 power play point, 13 shots on goal 15 percent Yahoo! ownership Sam Gagner, C, Edmonton Oilers 3 goals, +1 rating, 1 power play point, 14 shots on goal, 15 face-offs won 12 percent Yahoo! ownership In Need of Assists Jussi Jokinen, LW, Carolina Hurricanes 5 assists, 2 goals, +2 rating, 4 power play points, 6 shots on goal, 2 face-offs won 24 percent ..."
Thin Blue Line: Wings getting healthy
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January 27
ESPN.com
 
"Slowly but surely, one player at a time, the Detroit Red Wings are returning to good physical condition. Top-four defenseman Niklas Kronwall made his much-anticipated comeback on Tuesday after missing 30 games because of a knee injury. While battling early to regain his timing, by all accounts, the joint held up well in nearly 22 minutes of ice time. Before getting hurt, Kronwall was productive when many of his teammates were laboring, scoring 13 points in 21 games. Now healthy again, the hard-hitting blueliner could make quite an impact in the final stretch of the season. And there's more sunny-side-up news ahead for the Red Wings. Forwards Jason Williams and Tomas Holmstrom are due back ..."
The Net Effect
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January 27
FantasyHockey.com
 
"Montreal Canadiens I wrote about this team last week, but Jaroslav Halak was struggling at the time. Since then, he has started three games, playing brilliantly. Halak made 31 saves in a 3-1 win against the Devils on Friday and followed that with a shutout on Saturday against the Rangers stopping all 32 shots he faced. On Tuesday night, he was on the losing end of a 2-1 game, but still made 27 saves. He could get his fourth straight start on Wednesday against Tampa Bay as a reward for allowing just three goals in three games. Carey Price has allowed three or more goals in each of his past four starts, which should make the decision on who the Canadiens will start even easier. (Editor's ..."
The Goods: Lame Flames
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January 27
FantasyHockey.com
 
"There are many theories as to why the Calgary Flames have lost seven consecutive games. For a couple good articles on why, check out Ray Ferraro of TSN's take, as well as this article from new member Unplucked Sports. But let's take inventory of where your fantasy Flames stand with their recent play: Jarome Iginla: goalless in his last 11 games, (-5) in his past three games. Olli Jokinen: ten goals this season, 12 points in 26 games over the past two months Dion Phaneuf: no goals and three assists over his past 17 games Jay Bouwmeester: two goals in 52 games, one assist over his last 12 games Personally, I think there are chemistry problems on this team that extend well beyond what a ..."
Has Chara's star fallen?
Comment
January 26
CBSSports.com
 columnist Michael Hurcomb
"Is Zdeno Chara no longer a must-start Fantasy option? This question was posed to me by one of our loyal Fantasy Hockey players, and while I understand his concerns, I just can't see the logic in pulling Chara out of lineups. It all stems from the off-month Boston is enduring in January. The Bruins are averaging 2.00 goals per game through 12 contests, and their struggles show up in Chara's stat line. He has one goal, four points and a minus-5 rating in that span. It is by far his worst month since he had no goals, three assists and a minus-2 rating in 11 October games to kick off the 2008-09 season. I sense the frustration from Fantasy owners, but it's not like this is anything new with ..."
Front Line: What's wrong with Iginla?
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January 26
ESPN.com
 
"There certainly doesn't seem to be much that can get Jarome Iginla going this season. Sure, his 44 points seem solid on the surface, but this is a guy who has been a sure-fire top-10 fantasy pick for the better part of the last decade. Instead, Iginla is on pace for his lowest goal total since the 2000-2001 season. Olli Jokinen was supposed to be the key, but several attempts to generate a spark between Jokinen and Iginla have more or less failed. The Calgary Flames have also tried David Moss, Curtis Glencross, Eric Nystrom, Fredrik Sjostrom and Craig Conroy for lengthy period of times alongside Iggy, but that hasn't worked either. And more recently, Jamie Lundmark has failed to provide ..."
Violence in hockey hasn't changed, but our tolerance for it has
Comment
January 26
ESPN.com
 
"Contrary to the widely held view some people have, violence is not on the rise in hockey. Anyone who remembers a game from the 1970s and '80s, when bench-clearing brawls were the norm, knows otherwise. Just click on this link to remember what hockey was really like back then. But what has clearly changed, especially over the past decade, is society's tolerance for violence in hockey. And that's OK. Which brings us to Patrice Cormier. The 19-year-old forward, whom the Devils selected in the second round of the 2008 draft, was suspended by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for the rest of the season (including playoffs) after elbowing Mikael Tam, sending him into convulsions. It's a ..."
Open Ice: Get to know Sabres' top line
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January 25
ESPN.com
 columnist Sean Allen
"The Buffalo Sabres' top line still has more to offer fantasy owners. Fantasy owners are already on the Tim Connolly train, and for good reason; Connolly has 24 points in his past 15 games. But linemates Jason Pominville and Jochen Hecht are available in more than half of ESPN leagues. As usual, Pominville has been inconsistent. He'll go four games with zero points and then have eight points in the next four games. In fact, that's the trend of his past eight games. Meanwhile, Hecht is quietly continuing to offer mild production that is getting overlooked in deeper fantasy formats. Although Pominville's dry spells can frustrate fantasy owners, his 37 points on the season should be enough to ..."
Week 17 Fantasy Hockey Planner
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January 25
CBSSports.com
 columnist Michael Hurcomb
"Week 17 (Jan. 25-31) Teams playing four games: Calgary, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Jersey, N.Y. Islanders, N.Y. Rangers, Phoenix, St. Louis, Washington Teams playing three games: Anaheim, Atlanta, Buffalo, Carolina, Chicago, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Florida, Minnesota, Montreal, Nashville, Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Vancouver Teams playing two games: Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Jose Atlantic Division New Jersey Devils: Niclas Bergfors has hit a rookie wall in January. He has not scored in 11 games and has one point in that span. He is also minus-1 and has been spending time as a fourth-line winger while he tries to break out of his slump. N.Y. Islanders: Kyle ..."
The Week Ahead: Week 17
Comment
January 24
FantasyHockey.com
 columnist Tim Arnold
"It's hard to believe that 2010 is nearly one month old already! What's not hard to believe is that in less than one month's time, we will all be glued to our TVs getting ready to cheer on our respective countries hockey teams at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. With all the rosters named and players aware of their Olympic status (unless you're from Russia), they are all doing their best to go into the Olympics riding a high and playing at the top of their game. Injuries have yet to play a very big factor in any major superstar's status for the games, but that is bound to change with three weeks' worth of hockey left before the break. It's much easier for a county like Canada to ..."
Marleau keeps scoring
Comment
January 23
Rotoworld.com
 columnist Mike Finewax
"The Vancouver Canucks are going on the longest planned road trip in NHL history as they have to vacate their home arena for the Olympic Games which start on February 12th. The Canucks play their last home game on January 27th against the Blues and will not return to General Motors Place until March 13th when they face the Ottawa Senators. That is 45 days between home dates, and that puts a lot of pressure on the team to perform well on the road. The Canucks, like everyone other team, gets a two week break from mid-February to the end of the month for the Olympics. Now to The Week Ahead. WEEK OF JANUARY 25-31 4 Games - Calgary, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York ..."
Waiver Wire: Time to get Downie!
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January 23
CBSSports.com
 columnist Michael Hurcomb
"I saw something on Saturday I never thought imaginable. There I was sitting in my seat in Section 114 at the Bank Atlantic Center watching the Florida Panthers host the Tampa Bay Lightning. It was late in the third period with Florida holding a 5-2 advantage. Tampa Bay was still pushing hard toward the net, peppering Tomas Vokoun with shots. The Lightning showed no quit despite the significant scoring disadvantage, and it was no more evident than in the play of Steve Downie. He was still mixing it up near the net and becoming a nuisance for the Panthers, especially defenseman Bryan Allen. It got to the point where Allen started a shoving match with Downie. I was almost assured a fight was ..."
The Goods: Turco Losing Time
Comment
January 23
FantasyHockey.com
 
"Before we get into some observations from Friday's games, here's some info on some podcasts that I'll be a part of on Saturday. Fantasyhockey.com and New York Post writer David Satriano will join us on the Weekly Slapshot with some insight on the John Tortorella/Larry Brooks feud. Basically it's the kind of behavior that we've come to expect from Tortorella through the years. Brooks was spot on about Tortorella and the Rangers' plight in his Friday article. I mean, eight goals against Tampa Bay on Tuesday, but nothing against Philadelphia on Thursday? Owning any Rangers on your fantasy team other than Marian Gaborik is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you'll get. I know, bad ..."
Forecaster: Red Wings rising
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January 22
ESPN.com
 
"Just how different are things for the Detroit Red Wings this season, and just how troubled have their fantasy owners been? Well, in a four-game week for the Red Wings on this Forecaster, which includes some games against teams who aren't exactly the cream of the defensive crop, the Wings put up no better than a five for offense and top out at seven on defense. Not that the Forecaster was around with this formula last season, but I'll bet the Red Wings would have been notorious for putting up nines and tens most weeks. The team led the NHL in goals last season with 289, and is on pace this year to finish this season 26th in the league with 205. Does subtracting Marian Hossa, Jiri Hudler and ..."
Blackhawks, Stars changing goalies?
Comment
January 21
ESPN.com
 
"This week, both the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars walked farther down the path of making a switch at goalie. The incumbents have been equally inconsistent this season, but the players unseating the incumbents offer quite divergent value to us in Fantasyland. In Chicago, Cristobal Huet's past five starts have been a microcosm of that inconsistency this season. During the first game against the Minnesota Wild, he allowed just one goal on 20 shots, but followed that up by allowing five on 21 shots to the same team just three days later. Huet stopped 24 shots in a shutout in the next start against the Columbus Blue Jackets, which was followed by another five goals-against stinker against ..."
The Goods: Spreading the Stockwatch
Comment
January 21
FantasyHockey.com
 
"The first Tuesday edition of the Weekly Slapshot is in the books. We discussed some of the more interesting goalie situations, plus our usual cross-border banter. You can check it out by clicking here (it's the Tuesday episode – Weekly Slapshot Express). Because I never have time to sit down and type a full article anymore, I'll try to provide my stockwatch information in installments. In other words, as it pops into my head. My Brent Burns pickup yesterday morning in the Yahoo Friends and Family League generated some buzz, both on the message board and in Matt Romig's most recent article. Burns may return as early as Thursday, and he's available in a ton of leagues. Don't let the ..."
Thin Blue Line: Overowned defensemen
Comment
January 20
ESPN.com
 columnist Victoria Matiash
"After focusing on several underappreciated fantasy defensemen in this space last week, this strikes as the appropriate occasion to highlight a small group of those owned in far too many leagues. Even after accounting for the estimated amount of inactive ESPN.com fantasy team owners, these percentages are way too plump. Remember the dead weight alluded to in the last edition of this column? Well, here are some solid examples: Why is the Vancouver Canucks' Shane O'Brien owned in 70 percent of ESPN.com leagues? With five points on the season, it can't be due to his scoring abilities. And it's not like the guy has a history of lighting it up. His ice-time isn't overwhelming either, so the ..."
Lester's Blue Line Specials Volume 15
Comment
January 20
Lester's Legends
 
"Need some help with your fantasy hockey team? You've come to the right place. Try these hot players on for size. In Need of Goals Antti Miettinen, RW, Minnesota Wild Miettinen had six points last week (4 goals, 2 assists) with a -2 plus/minus rating. He added two power play points, nine shots on goal, and won a face-off. Antti is owned in 5 percent of Yahoo! leagues. Raffi Torres, LW, Columbus Blue Jackets Torres had 3 goals last week with a -2 rating. He had 13 shots on goal. Raffi is owned in 4 percent of Yahoo! leagues. Brandon Dubinsky, C, New York Rangers Dubinsky had five points last week (3 goals, 2 assists) with a 4 rating. He added a power play point, a short-handed point, ten ..."
Trade winds already swirling
Comment
January 20
CBSSports.com
 columnist Michael Hurcomb
"What to make of Marty Turco's Fantasy value the rest of the season? All signs point to Dallas moving the 34-year-old netminder at the trade deadline. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1 and clearly he is trending downward. Turco is 14-13-8 with a 2.84 goals-against-average and .905 save percentage in 35 appearances. He has won only 10 times in his last 26 appearances. There is further writing on the wall as Dallas is willing to give backup Alex Auld more playing time as it assesses its future. The real question remains will a trade positively or negatively impact Turco's Fantasy value? Our best guess would be negatively since he will likely be dealt to a contender and ..."
Front Line: Alfredsson, Sens heat up
Comment
January 19
ESPN.com
 columnist Sean Allen
"It looks like Daniel Alfredsson used his more than three weeks off recovering from an upper-body injury to focus on how he could put the Ottawa Senators on his back and carry them to a late-season run. At least that's what I take from Alfie's consecutive three-point games in his return to the ice. Could Alfredsson help generate some fantasy value on this team for anyone not named Mike Fisher? Let's start by giving some context to just how bad the situation has been. Before the season, Dany Heatley was traded and the sacks of beans the Sens received in return have failed to yield a beanstalk of any significance (Jonathan Cheechoo has 13 points while Milan Michalek has concussion problems ..."
The Net Effect
Comment
January 19
FantasyHockey.com
 
"Dallas Stars For the past six years, Marty Turco has started majority of the games for the Dallas Stars. Even when he has struggled throughout that run, the team has leaned on him as their go-to guy. However, Turco has been struggling lately, losing five of six starts while allowing 20 goals in that span. Alex Auld started his second straight game Monday night and picked up his second win in a row. Before that, Auld had lost three of four starts. The goals-against average and save percentage are very similar (2.84 GAA, .905 SV% for Turco, 2.94 GAA, .898 SV% for Auld), so I do not think that Turco will lose his job anytime soon. Pittsburgh Penguins Marc-Andre Fleury has been out with a ..."