So Jonathan Quick might have wanted to have that one back perhaps. Quick has regressed a bit to be honest fantasy wise and though he will bounce back. This is kind of what you get with the LA goalie. However, what we want to do is bring you Rotoexperts Daniel Dobish and his column tonight. Thanks for understanding and enjoy.
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Highlights: Ilya Kovalchuk is a great buy-low candidate for Fantasy owners, as he has struggled offensively and is nursing an injury.
(All statistics through Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011)
Daily leaguers, and even those in very deep mixed Fantasy formats, might want to take a look at Florida Panthers G Scott Clemmensen (knee). He completed a conditioning assignment with San Antonio of the AHL, which is where G Jacob Markstrom is headed despite posting a 2-2-1 record with a 2.05 Goals-Against Average (GAA) during his time with the Panthers. His solid record, and .944 save percentage, has the team looking to deal either Clemmensen or veteran G Jose Theodore. Theo is making $3 million on a two-year deal, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the thrifty Cats try to dump him if they feel Markstrom is ready, and he has looked the part.
Speaking of goaltenders, and daily league situations, the New York Islanders will give G Evgeni Nabokov (lower body) the starting nod Monday at Boston. Since there is just two games on the schedule on the night, daily leaguers might be tempted to plug Nabokov into the lineup, but it’s a risky play considering the B’s offense awakened over the weekend and could put you into an early hole. He’ll be opposed by Bruins G Tuukka Rask, who gets the nod over G Tim Thomas.
Another Russian goaltender is on a roll, and his name is Nikolai Khabibulin of the Edmonton Oilers. It appeared the veteran was about to bottom out heading into this season, but he has not only fended off a challenge from G Devan Dubnyk, but has re-gained Vezina-like form during the early going. The ‘Bulin Wall’ has five straight victories, and is 6-0-2 with a 0.98 GAA, .963 save percentage and two shutouts in eight appearances.
The worry is that when Khabibulin falls, he might fall really, really hard. If there was ever a sell-high candidate, it is the Oilers starting netminder. Before the season, he was useless, but after one month, you might be able to get quite a return. Try dangling him for a slumping forward like New Jersey Devils LW Ilya Kovalchuk or Calgary Flames RW Jarome Iginla and see what happens. Fellow owners may not have been born yesterday, but you never know. Kovie might be more likely, especially since he has been battling a leg injury and his Fantasy owners might be a bit frustrated. In fact, he might not play Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes.
INJURIES
Chicago Blackhawks D Duncan Keith (hand) has missed the past three games with a left hand injury, and there really is no certainty on when he will return. It appears he is near, but NHL clubs do not have to be as forthcoming as their NFL brethren when it comes to injuries. He had six assists in seven games before going down, and eats up plenty of TOI, so he is worth keeping an eye on. If he is available off the waiver wire, stash him away and hope for a return sooner rather than later. He is especially useful in leagues which discourage penalty minutes, since he rarely racks up any PIMs.
Another week, another C Sidney Crosby (concussion) report. He was back on the ice at practice Monday, but played down reports that he might be ready for his season debut Friday night at home against the Dallas Stars. However, he did admit there is a possibility of returning, so stay tuned. Where there is smoke, there is sometimes fire. However, don’t be surprised if he is in and out of the lineup, a la C Evgeni Malkin (knee) during the early going, as the team takes it ultra-careful with their prized pieces.
Ottawa Senators RW Daniel Alfredsson (concussion) continues to push to return from injury, as he was already back on the ice Monday morning. The Ottawa Sun is reporting that Alfie will have baseline tests Tuesday, and he and the organization are hopeful he’ll return sooner rather than later. It’s a double-edged sword, as he is known for being one of the hardest working players, and trying to come back quickly from injuries. However, he opens himself up to potential harm and further damage if he comes back too soon. Stay tuned.
THINGS TO WATCH
A lot of people might be too young to remember, but a rematch of the 1988 Stanley Cup Finals is on tap this week. The Edmonton Oilers roll into town to meet the Boston Bruins Thursday evening. At the old Boston Garden, a power failure disrupted Game 4, and the ice became foggy. The game was replayed in Edmonton at the AB Northlands Coliseum, where Wayne Gretzky and the Oilers eventually completed the sweep. C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and this current Oilers squad might not be contenders for Lord Stanley’s grail, but it will be a good measuring stick game and they are fun to watch. … Continuing a walk down memory lane, as a Toronto Maple Leafs fan (don’t laugh!), seeing the Buds take a trip to St. Louis brings back some good, and not so good, memories. The Leafs used to battle the Blues in the Norris Division from 1981 until its move to the Eastern Conference in 1998. They’ll square off in the Lou Thursday night.
SLAP SHOTS
Calgary Flames youngster Roman Horak skated on the team’s top scoring line with Iginla and Alex Tanguay in Sunday’s contest. The Flames are obviously very high on Horak, and he has a pair of multi-point performances over his past six games, although he is scoreless in his past four. If he can remain on a line with such high firepower, he too might be in line for some Fantasy success. Right now, he is only worth a look in long-term keeper pools and very deep leagues. … Don’t look now, but Minnesota Wild G Josh Harding is making a push for more playing time. He garnered first star honors from the NHL this week after going 3-0-0 with a 0.99 GAA and .968 save percentage, thwarting the Red Wings on a pair of occasions. The plan is still for G Niklas Backstrom to be the primary starter, in fact he’ll go Tuesday, but he’ll certainly be looking over his shoulder with Harding coming hard. … Philadelphia Flyers C Sean Couturier has really come on, posting three goals, one assist and a plus-4 rating over his past three games. One of his goals against Columbus Saturday night was of the shorthanded variety. Overall the 18-year-old has eight points (5 G, 3 A) and an impressive plus-9 rating, and he has squeezed off 23 shots in 14 games. He is still fringe Fantasy material in pools of 12 or fewer teams, but keep him in mind in deeper leagues. … Phoenix Coyotes LW Ray Whitney is red hot, scoring three goals with seven points and a plus-5 rating over his past five games. … Father Time continues to be good to Anaheim Ducks RW Teemu Selanne, as he has racked up three goals, 10 points and a plus-4 rating over his past seven. … Remember when Detroit Red Wings RW Todd Bertuzzi was a stud? He continues to stumble along in Motown, going scoreless with a minus-3 rating over his past four. … Red Wings LW Tomas Holmstrom is also struggling, scoreless in his past four. He has been separated from long-time linemate C Pavel Datsyuk.
Mailbag
Walt from Manchester, Md. writes: Is it time to part ways with Kovalchuk? I’m thinking of picking up another defensemen. Fedor Tyutin, Jason Garrison, Josh Gorges and Sami Salo are all available.
Dobish: I wouldn’t drop Kovalchuk for any of those guys. It’s a marathon, and not a sprint. (Pardon the cliché, will you?) I’d hate to drop a talent like Kovie at his lowest point, only to see one of my competitors enjoy the success when he starts scoring in bunches. Let him languish on your bench for a while, but those other guys are certainly not even close to being better. If anything, I’d swap out Calgary Flames D Mark Giordano for one of those rearguards if you really want make a move.
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Thanks to Mr. Dobish for the epic column this week and as always we will be live tweeting our observations tonight. This is a big night of hockey.
