It has been a rough morning so we let Daniel Dobish take over with his weekly column over at RotoExperts. Thanks a million good sir……
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Science, particularly geology, was of tremendous interest to me during my days in school. Oddly enough, my least favorite subject was English, so I ended up as a writer, of course. Anyway, even through my college days, I would pick up rocks and minerals to add to a collection which I always question when it is time to move. The one which is awesome to look at, but fairly valueless, is pyrite, a.k.a. Fool’s Gold.
Fantasy owners are always looking for gold, but don’t be fooled into grabbing a shiny piece of pyrite such as Dallas Stars RW Radek Dvorak. The 34-year-old Czech has managed three goals and 10 assists through 26 games, which puts him on pace for about 40 points. That’s at or slightly above the level he has performed for most of his career. Don’t be fooled by the fact all three of his goals, four assists and a plus-4 rating have come in the past seven games. Dvorak isn’t some sort of late bloomer, and we know what we’re getting. He only warrants a roster spot in the very deepest of pools, and he should be dropped at the first sign of cooling.
One veteran who is performing at a high level lately, but has plenty left in the tank, is Anaheim Ducks C Saku Koivu. He got off to an awfully sluggish start, but he has posted a goal and five points over his past five games. In addition, he has five goals and 11 points over his past 15 games after managing no goals and just three assists in his first 11 contests. Koivu is finally back on pace for 43 points, performing at just over a half-point per game. He has normally checked in around 50-55 points over the past eight years, making him a decent No. 3 center.
INJURIES
Calgary Flames D Mark Giordano (leg) will be out indefinitely after he suffered ruptured tendons in his leg during a game against the Nashville Predators last Tuesday. The underrated rearguard will not have another MRI for three weeks, and he will need to be stashed away on reserve or injured spots until at least the middle of January, if not longer. If you cannot afford the roster spot, drop him, and try to pick him back up around the holidays. Potential adequate short-term replacements include Winnipeg Jets D Zach Bogosian, Columbus Blue Jackets D Nikita Nikitin or Colorado Avalanche D Ryan Wilson.
The Flames can’t catch a break. Backup G Henrik Karlsson (knee) suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in Sunday’s loss against Vancouver, and he has landed on Injured Reserve. While he doesn’t have tremendous value in most formats, daily leaguers will want to steer clear. G Miikka Kiprusoff might get less rest in the short term, with G Leland Irving serving as his understudy.
Pittsburgh Penguins D Kristopher Letang (concussion) is dealing with a concussion after being leveled by Montreal Canadiens LW Max Pacioretty in a game Nov. 26. The team is being very tight-lipped with the injury information, as has been the case in the NHL over the past few years. That’s maddening for Fantasy owners, but all you can do is reserve him and hope the head injury ends up being mild.
THINGS TO WATCH
The Boston Bruins made it through the entire month of November without a loss in regulation, putting the rest of the league on notice. The defending champs are looking like serious threats to become the first back-to-back Stanley Cup champion since 1997-98. Next up is a very difficult assignment Tuesday night in Winnipeg, just 24 hours after winning in Pittsburgh. … It seems like Groundhog Day, as the Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals will get together again Wednesday night. The two teams have met just three times, but it seems like more. Washington won in overtime 3-2 Saturday night, and won 2-1 back on Oct. 15. Each game is usually tight and very entertaining in the battle of the nation capitals. … The Dallas Stars and Los Angeles Kings will renew their rivalry Saturday night, and these two teams have already met very frequently this season. It will be the fourth installment of the series, with two of the games being decided by one goal. In fact, the Stars pulled their goalie and ended up forcing overtime with a goal in the last minute Nov. 23, and then ended up winning in overtime. Don’t think the Kings forgot that gut-wrenching loss in Big D.
SLAP SHOTS
Phoenix Coyotes LW Ray Whitney has been invaluable to Fantasy owners in leagues which require starters at the various winger spots. Left wing is actually fairly limited, but he has posted three goals, six points and a plus-5 rating over his past five after adding a helper at Chicago in a shootout win Monday. … Pittsburgh Penguins LW Steve Sullivan continues to fly under the radar, posting three goals with an assist over his past eight. As long as he can stay healthy, something which hasn’t been easy for him during the course of his career, he can be a useful Fantasy asset. … New York Islanders LW/RW Matt Moulson picked up a career-high four goals Saturday night at Dallas, and he has now lit the lamp in four consecutive games. He has a total of seven goals with an assist during the span, and he confidence is obviously at an all-time high. Moulson had four or fewer shots on goal (SOG) in all but one of his first 22 games, but he has squeezed off seven SOG in each of his past two games. The former Cornell standout is looking poised for his third straight 30-goal season. … Be patient with New Jersey Devils C Patrik Elias. He has just one goal, not assists and an awful minus-6 rating over his past five games, but he should not be dropped, at least just yet. It would be wise to try and target him in a trade if you do not own him yet, as you might be able to scoop him up at a bargain price. … Florida Panthers D Ed Jovanovski continues his yo-yo season. He is scoreless with a minus-4 rating over his past eight games after being blanked again with a minus-2 Monday against Washington. It might be time to just cut bait and let him be someone else’s problem.
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You can follow Mr. Dobish on Twitter as always for all the snark and fantasy knowledge you need. Yes the show will go on tonight at 8pm ET as scheduled. Thanks again.
