Thanks again to Daniel Dobish for being good enough to help us out today. As always we will have more and more fantasy information tonight on the Weekly Slapshot.
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Highlights: Two important Fantasy defensemen went down with month-long injuries this week. Who can you add to fill the void?
(All statistics through Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011)
Things got very interesting in the Pacific Division this week, as a couple of key defensemen succumbed to injury
Anaheim Ducks D Lubomir Visnovsky (finger) suffered a broken finger on his right hand, and he is expected to be sidelined at least four weeks. Unfortunately, one of the things he does best to help Fantasy owners caused this injury. He sustained the injury going down for a blocked shot. While he won’t require surgery for the injury to heal, he is not expected to start his rehab for another 10 days.
The injury is good news for D Kurtis Foster, who should draw in more frequently, although his Fantasy appeal remains negligible. However, keep an eye on D Luca Sbisa, who might be bumped up to work with D Toni Lydman in Visnovsky’s vacated spot. He might be a decent short-term addition if he gets out to a quick start. D Cam Fowler also gets a huge bump in Fantasy value.
In Dallas, the Stars are also dealing with a key rearguard now on the mend. D Alex Goligoski (thumb) suffered a broken thumb, also on a blocked shot, and he will likely be sidelined up to four weeks as well. He had managed just two goals and six points through 15 games, with two of those points coming on the power play. The biggest beneficiary is likely to be D Stephane Robidas, who should see ample time on the man advantage working with D Sheldon Souray. Defensemen Trevor Daley and Nicklas Grossman are also likely to see a slight bump in TOI, and D Mark Fistric might draw in more, while D Philip Larsen might also get a look. The latter two are not worth a Fantasy roster spot just yet, but monitor the situation closely.
Some other alternatives for owners of Goligoski and Visnovsky include Colorado Avalanche D Ryan Wilson, who has five helpers over his past five games. Just beware of his less-than-stellar plus-minus rating, which can hurt. Columbus Blue Jackets D Grant Clitsome is also hot lately, posting three goals and three assists over the past seven. Again, just beware of the plus/minus, as the Jackets aren’t exactly lighting the world on fire.
INJURIES
Buffalo Sabres G Ryan Miller (concussion) was blasted by Boston Bruins W Milan Lucic on a controversial hit, and he will be sidelined indefinitely. If you’re a Miller Fantasy owner, grab G Jhonas Enroth immediately for the upcoming week, especially since the Sabres have four total games. It is the second concussion for Miller in the past eight months, and this one could have been easily avoided. G Drew MacIntyre has been recalled from Rochester of the AHL to serve as Enroth’s understudy, but don’t look for him to see much action between the pipes unless it’s an emergency.
In Chicago, Blackhawks D Brent Seabrook (lower body) is dealing with an undisclosed lower body injury, which is believed to be a possible ankle issue. He fell awkwardly into the boards in a game against Edmonton Sunday, and was forced to leave the game. The Blackhawks won’t play again until Wednesday, giving Seabrook a couple of days to rest. However, it is a gamble at this point to use him without full report on the injury, so it’s best to make alternate plans.
Red Wings D Ian White (cheek) was another casualty this week thanks to his efforts on a blocked shot. White had his cheekbone fractured while stepping in front of a blast from Stars W Jamie Benn. He is only expected to miss 10 to 14 days due to the injury, and he will also not need surgery.
THINGS TO WATCH
Tuesday night, the Florida Panthers head to Dallas to meet the Stars. The Panthers have been surprisingly effective on the road this season, winning six games away from Sunrise. That ranks at the top of the Eastern Conference. Conversely, the Stars are among the best in the NHL at home, so something has to give. For a game that didn’t look that interesting just a couple of weeks ago, this one has the potential to be very interesting. … Friday night features my first ‘live’ game of the season, as the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes hook up at RBC Center. More importantly, these teams don’t seem to like each other, and this could be a very hard-hitting affair. … What can the Philadelphia Flyers and Winnipeg Jets do for an encore? The two teams met Oct. 27 in Philadelphia, and the Jets came away with a wild 9-8 victory. Surprisingly, no one had a hat trick, but Flyers C Daniel Briere has posted two goals and four points, while D Kimmo Timonen came away with four assists. For the Jets, it was a balanced effort, as no one has more than three points in that game. C Nik Antropov had a goal and two assists, while LW Tanner Glass also had three points (1 G, 2 A) and RW Blake Wheeler had three helpers. Oddly enough, G Ondrej Pavelec yielded seven goals and still picked up the win!
SLAP SHOTS
In Raleigh, head coach Paul Maurice has been toying with the idea of moving C Eric Staal to the wing for a while now. He finally went with it Saturday night, and the move paid immediate dividends, as Staal posted a goal and assist on a line featuring Brandon Sutter at center, and Chad LaRose on the other wing. Fantasy owners don’t care where he is playing, as long as he starts to produce. Before Saturday’s multi-point effort, Staal had not lit the lamp in 10 games, and he was blanked in the past seven. … Detroit Red Wings D Nicklas Lidstrom is still going strong, even at 41 years old. He has three goals, two assists and a plus-8 rating over his past four games. … Panthers D Ed Jovanovski is enjoying some success lately, posting a goal, assist and plus-5 rating over his past five outings. … Anaheim Ducks W Teemu Selanne is in the tank again, posting just one assist with a minus-2 rating over his past five games.
Mailbag
Chandler from Halifax, N.S. writes: What’s up with Calgary Flames W Jarome Iginla this year. He is killing me in my hockey pool. Should I consider dropping him?
Dobish: It’s a tough spot, as Iginla has managed just five goals, nine points and a minus-7 rating through 16 games. However, there are nights like Nov. 3 in Detroit, where he had two goals and one assist, which remind you why you drafted him. Iginla can pick up points in bunches, he just has yet to do so in a long stretch. In fact, he hasn’t had points in back-to-back games this season, which is unheard of for Iginla. At 34, I still think he has plenty left in the tank, and I’d hate to see you drop him, only for a competitor to add him and reap the rewards. If you are absolutely at the end of your rope, reserve him, but don’t dump him just yet if you can help it.
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Again, you canfollow Daniel at http://twitter.com/danieledobish. More to come later this evening as always….including some of our predictions and projections for tonight in fantasy hockey and hockey.
