The landscape of
fantasy hockey changes very quickly.
Just look at the San Jose. Two
weeks into the season, you couldn't go wrong with a lineup stacked with Sharks. Since the calendar turned to February, no
team has been worse. At the same time,
owners were ready to bail on the likes of Kessel, Ovechkin, and Kovalchuk. Don't look now, but all 3 are hot. It's critical to stay on top of the trends,
which is why you're going to continue scrolling down this article...
WHO's HOT
Phil Kessel (O-TOR)
It took him 10 games
before acquiring his first goal; however, it has been a sweet ride since he
broke through. 7 points in his last 4
games.
Alex Ovechkin (O-WAS)
After the worst
start to his career, he has shown some good signs of life lately. He has 7 points in his last 4 games and is
currently riding a 3 game goal streak.
Cam Ward (G-CAR)
It was a tough
start, but the wins and quality performances have started to come around for
Ward. He has won 4 of 5 starts.
Patrick Elias (O-NJ)
8 points in his last
five games, including 2 straight 3-point nights.
WHO's COLD
The fast-starting
rookies are dropping off:
Nail Yakupov (O-EDM)
Following a 6 game
scoring streak, Yakopov hasn't seen the scoresheet in the last 3 contests.
Cory Conacher (O-TB)
After a stunning
start to the season, Conacher has hit a wall.
He's now gone 5 games without a point, heading into Thursday night.
Dougie Hamilton (D-BOS)
After a strong, much
heralded start, the rookie has dried up offensively. 6 game scoreless run right now.
Brian Elliot (G-STL)
After a fast start,
Elliot and the Blues have crashed and burned following the injury to
Halak. Nothing but losses and four
straight games allowing 4+ goals. He's
being dropped all over the place. May be
the time to stash him on the bench, as this won't last forever.
Marian Gaborik (O-NYR)
Mr. Streaky has just
1 stinkin' point in the last 7 games.
WHO's HURT
- Jonas Hiller (G-ANA) - lower
body injury.
- Mikka Kiprusoff (G-CGY) -
sprained MCL
- Erik Karlsson (D-OTT) -
achilles. Out indefinitely.
- Jaroslav Halak (G-STL) -
still toying with a return date.
- James Reimer (G-TOR) -
strained MCL. Who knows when?
WAIVER WATCH
Jiri Tlusty (O-CAR)
Tlusty has been
mixing well with the older Staal lately, compiling a nice 9 points in the last
6 games. He is coming off back to back
2-goal performances going into Thursday night.
Mike Cammalleri (O-CGY)
I wrote this guy off
years ago. Mostly from banging my head against the wall. The Flames are starting to put up goals and
Cammalleri is part of that action. He
had a 3-game vacation with a hip flexor, but sandwiched around that were 7
points in 2 games.
Chris Stewart (O-STL)
Stewart has been a
big disappointment since arriving in St. Louis; however, the streaky winger has
been showing signs of life lately. He
has 2 multi-point games in the last 3 games.
Keep an eye on him.
Brayden Schenn (O-PHI)
Schenn has piled up
7 points in the last 7 games as he continues to gain ice time and a more
prominent role with his new team.
Alex Steen (O-STL)
Steen continues to
roll, and therefore, continues to disappear from waiver wires, but he still
remains in many leagues. He has 12
points in 13 games, including 8 points in the last 7 games.
Cody Franson (D-TOR)
Somebody just
stepped it up on the Toronto blueline.
His name is Cody Franson. Riding
a 4-game point streak, he has an impressive 8 points in 10 games, yet remains
unclaimed in many leagues. He's hitting
his prime now at age 25, so jump on it now.
Ben Scrivens (G-TOR)
It's unclear how
long Reimer will be out, or how long until the new management team in Toronto
pulls the trigger for a new man in net.
For now, it falls on Scrivens.
Toronto has been winning games, so if you're desperate for goalie
starts, it's worth a look at Scrivens.
Michal Jordan (D-CAR)
No idea if this guy
will be able to translate offensive success into the NHL, but it's his name is
Michal Jordan, and he will be starting his career in North Carolina. Different sport, but history shows this might
be a good thing.