Yes, Winter is officially approaching in a week or so, and it's cold in most corners of the hockey world.  The weather has seemed to rub off on a number of fantasy options that started the season on a roll, but have since gone ice cold.  It's easy to get lazy and assume the top stars from October and November are still rolling at the same pace.  This week I'll highlight a number of players who, for reasons other than injury, have dried up in terms of daily fantasy production on Draftstreet.

GOALIES

We'll start at the most important position with some guys who have struggled to put up wins in recent weeks:

Jhonas Enroth (BUF)

Miller's head injury set the stage for Enroth to go on a run and earn some fantasy points.  It just didn't happen.  He dropped 3 straight games, averaging 3 goals against.  Now, Miller is back and Enroth is starting to look like just another average backup on a struggling team.

Jonathan Quick (LA)

Like most of the Kings, Quick has gone into a serious funk.  After an impressive start to the season, he's become unreliable of late, and is splitting time with Bernier as the Kings try to find an answer.  He's been tagged with a loss in three straight games, with a GAA over 3 in that span.  Perhaps the coaching change will wake him up.

Corey Crawford (CHI)

Two weeks ago, Crawford was among the league leaders in wins with 12.  He hasn't added to that total since Dec. 2nd.  Over his last several starts, he was benefitting tremendously from a Hawks offensive surge, as he was allowing close to 4 goals per game.  Emery has the hot hand right now, putting Crawford on the bench for the time being.  The Hawks have a tradition of changing number 1 goalies about this point in the season, and Emery is certainly capable of holding that position.  Tough times for Crawford.

Nikolai Khabibulin (EDM)

Since going the first 9 games without a regulation loss, Khabibulin has predictably down to earth.  He has just two wins since that time.  He's now rotating in net with Dubnyk with mixed results.

FORWARDS

Loui Eriksson (DAL)

Call him the Ice Man.  After a fantastic start to the season, it was looking like Eriksson could challenge for the Rocket Richard.  Something changed mid-November.  He now has just 1 goal in the pas 13 games.  He's without a point in five straight. 

Jamie Benn (DAL)

The Dallas woes aren't limited to Loui.  His center has a similar storyline.  Just 1 point in the last 7 games, after a promising first quarter.

Jordan Staal (PIT)

It's tough to explain what's happening with Jordan Staal right now, and it couldn't come at a worse time for wingers in Pittsburgh with Crosby on the shelf again.  After a hot stretch in November that saw him tally 6 goals and 2 assists in 8 games, he's been held without a point in 6 games.

Patrick Marleau (SJ)

It was beginning to look like Marleau may never find the scoresheet again.  His goal on Tuesday night snapped a 7-game pointless streak.  The once reliable Shark center hasn't recorded an assist since November 19th.

Alex Ovechkin (WAS)

Not that he got off to a particularly strong start, but it's worth noting that the coaching change in Washington has done little to light a match here.  He has a measley 7 points over his last 15 games.  The shots keep coming, but the points continue to elude the once-dominant winger.

Thomas Vanek (BUF)

Vanek came back from the opening week in Europe with aspirations of leading the league in goals, having been there 8 times in the first 10 games.  Lately, he's struggled to put points on the board.  He has just 2 in the past 6 games. 

DEFENSE

Oliver Ekman-Larsson (PHO)

Larson had become a nice default option on defense through the first part of the season.  He was/is priced very low, and the 5 goals through through 20 games was a fine pace.  He's now staggered through 9 games without a point.  He season total of 8 PIMs further hurt his fantasy value on Draftstreet. 

Alex Pietrangelo (STL)

The coaching change in St. Louis has done wonders for the Blues in terms of defense, but not in terms of fantasy production.  Pietrangelo is a prime example of that.  He was producing a fair amount of value on Draftstreet before Hitchcock arrived.  He now has gone 6 games without a single point.

Josh Gorges (MON)

Another one of those cheap point getters on the D has dried up.  No points in 8 games makes him a hard sell, despite the bargain price tag.

Sheldon Souray (DAL)

13 points in 29 games isn't a bad total for a defensemen, particularly one who was banished to the AHL last season.  However, all of those points came in the first 14 games.  The cold streak now stands at 15 games and counting.

Drew Doughty (LA)

Doughty is certainly leading the running for most disappointing fantasy option this season.  He has just one lousy assist in the last 14 games, despite logging over 25 minutes a game.  This one is hard to explain.

For more insight into daily fantasy sports, check out more of my posts on http://www.Rotogrinders.com.

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