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| Around the NHL with BT: The Laters Rounds and Free Agency in Your Fantasy Draft |
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| Around the NHL | |||
| Monday, 28 September 2009 20:14 | |||
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Over the past few weeks, we've examined everything from rookies with potential, to players who are having big training camps.
Today however, with the season just around the corner and fantasy drafts of all proportions taking place, we'll be looking at some free agents to keep an eye on, or late-round sleepers that are worth an 18th, 19th, or 20th round selection that may get your buddies sweating a little. As far as rookies this season, Erik Karlsson, Viktor Stalberg, Artem Anisimov, and Sergei Shirokov all made their teams out of training camp, impressing the brass with their goal-scoring abilities and conditioning, high-light reel abiltiies, and chemistry with some of the league's top players. For rookies with more recognized names, fourth-overall pick from the 2009 entry draft Evander Kane will start the year in Atlanta, having to prove he deserves more ice time, while Columbus Blue Jackets' rookie Nikita Filatov will be in the same boat—required to earn his way up to the second line—while Cody Hodgson (who may not be a lock after he was slowed by injury), Matt Duchene, John Tavares, Colin Wilson, and Victor Hedman are the big names of the freshman class this year.  Many fantasy players are always looking for a surprise between the pipes. WhileThomas Greiss of the San Jose Sharks and Corey Crawford of the Chicago Blackhawks are getting thrown into backup duty (with both seeing success at the AHL level so they may be safe options for a handful of starts), one option that many people forget about and let slide through the cracks, is former MVP Jose Theodore.While Theodore has fallen a long way from his Vezina form, the situation in the crease in Washington is still unsettled, as he and Semyon Varlamov will see their time shift back and forth. Alex Auld could also be a good option if Marty Turco struggles between the pipes for the Stars. If you're looking for help on the blueline, then there are a few names that can provide some depth and some offense. Starting at the top of the NHL alphabet, the Anaheim Ducks' James Wisniewski not only provides a solid defensive presence, while owning the potential to be a 35+ point defenseman—especially surrounded by some of the talent the Ducks have. The Kings' Jack Johnson could also be a surprise offensive presence from the Pacific as well this year. Former Canadian forward turned defensive stud Brent Burns is healthy this year, and while the new offense-first system in Minnesota will boost his point production, his defensive ratings may take a little slide if the forwards forget their hard-learned forechecking lessons. Current Florida Panthers defenseman Ville Koistinen could also be in for a big year if he gets the opportunity to set up Bryan McCabe on the power play. While the Philadelphia Flyers have bolstered their defense with the addition of Chris Pronger, monitoring Matt Carle could be worthwhile if he catches fire for a portion of the season (or someone on the Flyers gets injured), as his 24 points in 64 games could be a good two or three week fill-in. While the Boston Bruins are chock-full of offensive defenseman and promising young forwards, their veteran acquisition of the offseason Derek Morris has offensive potential. With free space on the second power play unit, Morris may get an opportunity to unleash his shot from the point and possibly surpass his career-high 11 goals. Staying in the Northeast, Josh Gorges could be another one of those "few week" replacements in case of injury or a bit of a slow down, as he's expected to improve upon last year's 23 points. Although he isn't a very flashy option, Pascal Dupuis will chip in a few points for the Pittsburgh Penguins and he may come in handy in deeper fantasy leagues, along with the developing Martin Hanzal, who could inch into the 40-point plateau this year in Phoeinix. Jochen Hecht should be primed for a bounce-back season with the Buffalo Sabres, as the 32-year old suffered a 22-point drop off last year, but the young talent surrounding him for the Sabres could definitely help him reach the half-century mark once again. In Jason Williams' return to Detroit, he's hoping to reach the 20-goal plateau once again, while Patrick O'Sullivan and Curtis Glencross will hope to spice up the Battle of Alberta.  Due to season-ending hip surgery, Paul Kariya has become a sleeper for some, and an ignored factor from others. He's looked good in the preseason though, so chances are you could nab a point-per game producer even after your draft. Chad LaRose played very well for the Hurricanes in the playoffs last year and may be worth flaggin as a player to watch, while David Clarkson is big on penalty minutes and could be a 20-goal scorer in New Jersey. While each team has more than one sleeper or rookie to keep an eye on, these is just a quick list. With the season starting on October 1st, the eyes of all fantasy owners are going to be peeled to "Hot or Not" lists and scouring the box scores for those that went unwatned after the draft. Hopefully there aren't any transaction limits in your leagues. Bryan Thiel goes 'Around the NHL' every Monday. Questions, comments, or complaints? Send them all over to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Trackback(0)
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Tags: Erik Karlsson Viktor Stalberg Artem Anisimov Sergei Shirokov Evander Kane Nikita Filatov Columbus Blue Jackets Atlanta Trashers Cody Hodgson Matt Duchene John Tavares Colin Wilson Victor Hedman Thomas Greiss San Jose Sharks Corey Crawford Chicago Blackhawks Jose Theodore Semyon Varlamov Alex Auld Washington Capitals Marty Turco James Wisniewski Anaheim Ducks Jack Johnson Los Angeles Kings Brent Burns Minnesota Wild Florida Panthers Ville Koistinen Bryan McCabe Philadelphia Flyers Chris Pronger Matt Carle Boston Bruins Derek Morris Josh Gorges Pascal Dupuis Pittsburgh Penguins Martin Hanzal Phoenix Coyotes Jochen Hecht Buffalo SAbres Jason Williams Detroit Red Wings Patrick O'Sullivan Curtis Glencross Paul Kariya Chad LaRose St. Louis Blues Carolina Hurricanes David Clarkson
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