Feature Articles

Team	Wins	Losses	OTL	Points	GF	GA	Last 10
Minnesota	8	1	0	16	29	15	8-1-0
Vancouver	6	4	1	13	29	24	5-4-1
Edmonton	6	3	0	12	27	23	6-3-0
Colorado	4	4	2	10	33	33	4-4-2
Calgary	3	4	1	7	21	22	3-4-1

 

Minnesota Wild

 

Hot: Brian Rolston (8 G, 4 A, 5 PPP), Pierre-Marc Bouchard (1 G, 9 A, +7), Mikko Koivu (2 G, 3 A), Manny Fernandez (7-1-0, 1.53 GAA, .949 Sv. %)

 

Cold: Martin Skoula (1 A), Mark Parrish (2 G)

 

Injuries: Marian Gaborik (1-2 Weeks, Strained Groin), Pascal Dupuis (3-5 Weeks, Sprained Knee)

 

We knew the Wild were going to be good this season, but they’ve surpassed even their biggest fan’s wildest dreams to this point. Minnesota currently ranks eleventh in goals per game, while their 3-1 victory over the Kings Wednesday night moved them into a tie for first in the league with a 1.67 GAA. Considering that they’ve been filling the net without Dupuis (a solid role player who’s capable of hitting the fifty point mark) and their unquestioned superstar Gaborik for the past week, the Wild look like they’re going to be a force all season long.

 

Rolston and newcomer Pavol Demitra have been the keys offensively for Minnesota to this point, though they’ve seen some nice contributions out of Koivu and Branko Radivojevic to start the year. Rolston, coming off a career year in 2005-06, wasn’t expected to put up quite the gaudy numbers that he did last season, but he’s actually improved on them to this point. Demitra gives Minnesota an elite playmaker who can line up under center or on either wing, and makes everyone around him better.

 

The wildcard is Pierre-Marc Bouchard, who has shown tremendous playmaking skills in his first couple of seasons in the league, but certainly has the potential to score thirty goals, rather than just feeding his linemates. He has tremendous speed and vision, which he’s using to create space for his linemates (9 assists), but he still seems a bit tentative letting the puck fly on net, and has averaged just over two shots per game so far.

 

While coach Jacques Lemaire preaches defense to his forwards, even the best defensive system isn’t going to work without the right goaltender back there. While Manny Fernandez certainly took a bit longer than Minnesota would have liked to develop into an elite goaltender, he’s clearly done so at this point. Coming off a phenomenal showing in 2005-06, he hasn’t skipped a beat early on. With a healthy (and preferably rested, which may become an issue without former platoon-mate Dwayne Roloson) Fernandez, Minnesota has the talent up front to make a run at the Western Conference title.

 

Martin Skoula never really developed into the puck-moving defenseman that many thought he would be back in his Colorado days. While the Wild aren’t exactly loaded with offensive defensemen, he’s number three on the depth chart, which means Power Play time will be at a premium for him all year. Parrish has the potential to net thirty for the second time in his career in this stacked lineup (he had 29 between the Kings and Isles last season), but he seems to be having a little trouble getting out of the gate. He’s scored just twice, while Brian Rolston and Branko Radivojevic have stepped it up a lot more at his position, and he may not get much of a chance to play alongside Demitra and (when healthy) Gaborik. Being relegated to playing with a magician like Bouchard can’t be all bad, but unless he picks up the pace even that might not be in the cards much longer.

 

Next Five: vs. Anaheim, at Colorado, vs. Vancouver, vs. Nashville, at San Jose

 

Though it’s not like they’ve played a cushy schedule so far, it’s about to get a lot more difficult for Minnesota. Anaheim, Nashville, and San Jose are legitimate cup contenders, while Vancouver has one of the top goalies in the league and one of the more dominant first lines in hockey. Even the game against the Avs can hardly be considered much of a break. They’re in the top ten in the league in goals per game to this point, and their goals against numbers are a bit skewed because of an 8-5 loss to Montreal last week.

 

Vancouver Canucks

 

Hot: Daniel Sedin (5 G, 9 A, +10), Henrik Sedin (2 G, 12 A, +7), Sami Salo (3 G, 5 A, 4 PPP), Kevin Bieksa (1 G, 4 A, 2 PPP, +3), Taylor Pyatt (5 G, 2 A, +4)

 

Cold: Matt Cooke (1 A), Ryan Kesler (2 A)

 

Injuries: Willie Mitchell (D2D, Concussion)

 

To paraphrase Dennis Green, the Canucks are who we thought they were! Rather than the overpowering offensive force that they were prior to the lockout, we now see a team that’s very sound defensively, has a terrific goaltender, and has just one dominant scoring line. On the positive side, that scoring line is capable of carrying this team into the playoffs, as the Sedin Twins have officially arrived as one of the most dominant duos in hockey. Separating them from Markus Naslund is creating a little balance, and it’s certainly setting Taylor Pyatt up for success.

 

Pyatt, a strong two-way forward for the better part of the past decade with the Sabres, isn’t exactly ideal as someone who can protect Daniel and Henrik, but he can allow them to take a few more chances without leaving the defense unprotected. Should Pyatt continue to play alongside the twins, he’s in for a year as good (if not better) as the one that Anson Carter turned in last season, and should be picked up in most league formats immediately.

 

Keeping Naslund next to Brendan Morrison on the second line will help Morrison maintain some semblance of fantasy respectability. Though he’ll never be the fantasy star that he was earlier in his career centering Naslund and Todd Bertuzzi, Morrison is still a strong enough all-around player to warrant consideration in leagues with any depth. While the Canucks could just play an all Swedish line and put Naslund with the twins, they’re better off spreading out the scoring, and the twins have proven that they can carry a third linemate so long as they’re playing together.

 

Salo and Bieksa have officially stepped in as the top two point men on the Canucks’ Power Play, which makes them legitimate options as fourth defensemen. While the hope was that Lukas Krajicek, who has a significantly larger upside as an offensive defenseman than either Salo or Bieksa, would work his way into some Power Play time, he simply doesn’t seem to be far enough along with his play in his own zone. Bieksa is the weaker link of the two current point men, though the only reason that he’s worth a look on the Power Play is because of his slap shot. He’s not a terrific passer, nor is he capable of flying around and pinching without getting beat.

 

Cooke continues to devolve from being a strong two-way instigator who is capable of netting 10-15 goals to a strong defensive instigator who doesn’t look like he’ll reach 20 points. At one point in time, he figured as an ideal choice to push for time with the Sedins, but with Pyatt stepping up, Cooke is losing any shred of fantasy value that he had. Kesler figures to continue to develop into a solid offensive center, but he’s simply not producing early this season.

 

Next Five: vs. Washington, vs. Nashville, at Minnesota, at Colorado, vs. Dallas

 

On the positive side, three of the next five are at home. On the negative side, the last four come against playoff teams from a year ago. Nashville, Minnesota, and Dallas all have designs on deep playoff runs, and Nashville’s the only team that isn’t flying out of the gates. The Caps have two tremendous young scorers in Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin, but if the Canucks’ strong defense can keep them off of Luongo, he should have little trouble shutting them down. Simply put, the biggest problem with this stretch is that Minnesota and Dallas are certainly going to find a way to hold the top line down, and Nashville’s more than capable of doing the same. Start Luongo, and you simply can’t bench the Sedins or Naslund, but take any other Canuck with a grain of salt next week.

 

Edmonton Oilers

 

Hot: Petr Sykora (6 G, 7 A, +5, 6 PPP), Patrick Thoresen (2 G, 4 A), Steve Staios (1 G, 4 A)

 

Cold: Fernando Pisani (0 Points)

 

Injuries: Ethan Moreau (Indefinite, Separated Shoulder)

 

Edmonton hasn’t gotten off to the flying start that many would have projected based on their run to the finals last season, but they’re certainly finding themselves in better position right now than they did early last year. Signing Sykora has made Kevin Lowe look like an absolute genius. Setting him up alongside Ales Hemsky has made Sykora’s performance reminiscent of his production back when he was on the TAS line in New Jersey. He should go a long way in helping Hemsky, who is suddenly the face of the franchise after signing a five-year deal in August, develop into the superstar he can become.

 

While Anze Kopitar is getting a lot of praise because Slovenia hasn’t produced many NHL players, young Norwegian Patrick Thoresen is trying to put his own country on the hockey map. Thoresen has pretty much come out of nowhere to bump Raffi Torres from the Sykora-Hemsky line, and should continue to vulture his fair share of points playing alongside a couple of uber-talented players. He’s coming off a three assist game against Phoenix, and has five points in his past three games. At the very least, he’s someone to put on your watch list.

 

Staios is going to cool off, but he’s certainly off to a hot start. Typically, you’re looking at a 25-30 point defenseman, but he’s currently on pace for 51. With the lack of a proven offensive defenseman, he could see a little extra time on special teams, though it’s hard to imagine that Marc-Andre Bergeron gets pulled from the top Power Play unit, and it’s safe to assume that Daniel Tjarnqvist and future star Ladislav Smid will be given more chances on the point as the year wears on. To this point, though Staios is out of the gate with five points, he’s yet to garner a PPP.

 

Fernando Pisani and Raffi Torres each received a little too much attention in fantasy drafts after strong playoff runs, but neither really has monster upside. Torres is certainly worthy of fantasy attention, and looks like he may crack the 30 goal mark if he can put his slow start behind him. Pisani is another story, though. At 31, he’s never scored twenty goals or notched more than 37 points in the regular season. He’s an overachieving checking line winger who probably isn’t worth your time in fantasy leagues.

 

While Dwayne Roloson had a horrible start against the Ducks Wednesday night (6 GA on 20 shots in a 6-2 loss), he’s still looking like the piece that the Oilers were missing throughout the regular season last year. Expect Jussi Markkanen, who is more than capable as a backup, to see a little more action to keep Rolo more rested, but the tandem should certainly keep them from having to sneak into the playoffs this season.

 

Next Five: at Phoenix*, vs. Washington, vs. Nashville, vs. Dallas, at Montreal

 

While the Oilers close the stretch with a trifecta of tough games against playoff-caliber teams, two of them will be at home. Expect them to beat up on the hapless Coyotes Thursday night, meaning that you should have any and all Oilers in the lineup. Expect Markkanen to get the call between the pipes in that one as well. They should also have little trouble lighting the lamp against the Caps, though scoring may be at a bit more of a premium in the last three. Despite Wednesday’s start, feel safe starting Roloson in any game except for possibly the Nashville game.

 

Colorado Avalanche

 

Hot: Joe Sakic (5 G, 7 A), Milan Hejduk (4 G, 5 A), Paul Stastny (2 G, 7 A), Tyler Arnason (3 G, 5 A), Wojtek Wolski (3 G, 4 A), Peter Budaj (2-1-1, 2.25 GAA, .924 Sv. %)

 

Cold: Brad Richardson (1 Point Last 7 Games), Jose Theodore (2-3-1, 3.68 GAA, .877 Sv. %)

 

Injuries: Jordan Leopold (1-2 Weeks, Hernia), Pierre Turgeon (Indefinite, Shoulder)

 

First off, congratulations to Joe Sakic on scoring points number 1,500 and 1,501 in Wednesday’s 5-3 loss to Washington. He’s had a tremendous career, and he certainly hasn’t faded in his twilight years. Expect him to continue to carry the first line, which hopefully continues to mean we’ll see a strong rebound from Milan Hejduk. Speaking of Hejduk, he’s back to his old tricks, and looks like he should return to his usual 30-35 goal form and finish with upwards of 80 points.

 

Stastny and Wolski are key pieces to the future for Colorado, and they’re both stepping in and producing immediately. If Colorado has any designs on making the playoffs this season, they’re going to have to continue to see major contributions from the kids, including Brad Richardson, who scored twice in the second game of the year but has been a ghost ever since.

 

Arnason, a quality addition as a second-line center over the offseason, hasn’t disappointed either. Since getting shut out in his first three games, he’s hit the scoresheet in five of seven starts. He has good hands and has proven to be a capable two-way center for the past few years. Asked to carry more of the scoring load and take a leadership role in Colorado, he’s capable of pushing the sixty point mark.

 

The real spot to watch in Colorado, though, is between the pipes. Budaj is a proven goalie at the international level, and had a strong rookie showing in the NHL last year. Unfortunately, the Avs have committed a lot of money to Jose Theodore over the next few seasons, and it’s going to be awfully difficult for Budaj to gain anything more than a platoon. Since Theo was smoked for eight goals in his return to Montreal, Budaj has made both of the Avs’ starts. Both are capable netminders, though it’s difficult to say that either is a legitimate fantasy starter at this point. Don’t be too surprised to see Joel Quenneville ride the hot hand.

 

Next Five: vs. Minnesota, at Columbus, at St. Louis, vs. Vancouver, vs. Los Angeles

 

Goals are bound to be hard to come by against Minnesota on Sunday, and it’s doubtful they’ll net more than a couple against Roberto Luongo when they host Vancouver. On the positive side, both of those games are at home in the Pepsi Center. Columbus, St. Louis, and the Kings are all bound to be high-scoring games, though, so keep your Avs in the lineup. Play the guessing game as to who Quenneville starts in net, but feel safe in all five of these games starting either Theo or Budaj.

 

Calgary Flames

 

Hot: Matthew Lombardi (3 G, 4 A, +7), Daymond Langkow (2 G, 5 A), Chuck Kobasew (2 G, 3 A)

 

Cold: Jeff Friesen (0 G, 1 A), Darren McCarty (0 Points), Kristian Huselius (1 G, 1 A)

 

Injuries: Stephane Yelle (Indefinite, Ankle), Eric Nystrom (Indefinite, Shoulder)

 

These are the same Flames we’ve seen the past couple of seasons, though Miikka Kiprusoff hasn’t been quite as dominant early on as he has been the past two years. They struggle to score unless they’re on the Power Play, and even then, they struggle to score. The hope was that bringing playmaking winger Alex Tanguay in would help to change this a bit and give Jarome Iginla a boost, but they’re not dominating so far.

 

Matthew Lombardi had just 55 points in his first two seasons in the league, but he’s flying out of the gates in his third season. With seven points in eight games and a fantastic +7 rating, he’s showing that he’s capable of carrying his own line. While the expectation this preseason was that he might center Iginila and Tanguay, he eventually lost out to Langkow in that battle and is centering Kobasew (and now, Friesen). While Kobasew isn’t quite the proven scorer that Iginla is, he did net twenty last season, and gives Lombardi a decent sniper to feed. If they can get Friesen going, his numbers should continue to be on the rise. At the very least, all three members on the second line are capable players in their own zone.

 

McCarty’s never been a great scorer by any stretch of the imagination, but he’s usually a decent enough spot-starting option on the waiver wire because he’ll score about ten goals, keep a solid +/-, and rack up 100+ PIMS. To this point, he’s not performing in any of his categories. Huselius is one of the streakiest scorers in the league, so he’s bound to run cold sometimes. Unfortunately, he usually tends to heat up early and tank it as the season wears on. Hopefully he’s just reversing his fortunes this season.

 

Next Five: vs. Nashville, vs. Washington, at Detroit, at Columbus, at St. Louis

 

The defunct offense could get off the schyde a touch with games against the Caps, Jackets, and Blues in their next five, while Nashville and Detroit haven’t exactly been overwhelming in their own zone so far either. However, a struggling (for him, at least) Kipper may have a little trouble in the first three games of this stretch. I’m not telling you to bench him, but don’t expect monster numbers over the next three or four games. With Lombardi heating up, anyone on the top two lines is a decent play, though nobody outside of Tanguay and Iginla (who aren’t off to great starts themselves) is a must-play.