Fresh off a round of meetings in sunny Naples, Fla., to discuss rules, NHL general managers are now trying to swing the best deals for their teams prior to the deadline. Some of the players we are recommending off of the waiver wire might see huge increases in Fantasy value since a potential change in zip code might mean a big spike in appeal.
One of the biggest rules in Fantasy sports in general is: what have you done for me lately?
A defenseman whose name is being floated around quite a bit is Eric Brewer of the St. Louis Blues. And the answer to the question above is not much.
Brewer's name was connected to a pretty strong rumor out of Buffalo which had him heading to the Sabres for Ales Kotalik. Well, since the forward sprained a medial collateral ligament over the weekend and Buffalo has no less than five forwards on the injury report, look for the Blues to find a better suitor at this point. Brewer might also be headed back to a former home in Edmonton.
In any event, despite the fact he has managed just three goals and 17 points through 60 games with the Blues, we like the fact contenders are taking a look at him. He might be a big help down the stretch for Fantasy owners, especially in Rotisserie formats, for help in the penalty minutes and plus/minus categories.
Karel Rachunek is not going anywhere, as the New York Rangers are in the playoff mix. However, it's almost like the Blueshirts acquired a new player the way his season has turned around. Rachunek managed two goals and 16 points with a minus-10 rating through the first 47 games, but he has equaled the goal production and managed four assists in eight games with an even rating in February. He is a tremendous addition for the stretch run for Fantasy owners in leagues of 10 or more teams.
The Boston Bruins have also turned things around of late, thanks in large part to the offense re-discovering its touch. The move to bring Brandon Bochenski over from the Chicago Blackhawks has looked brilliant so far. Bochenski has posted five goals and two assists in seven games with the B's. His teammate Marco Sturm has managed seven goals over the past seven games and is equally attractive for plucking off of the waiver wire.
The Northeast Division rivals of the Bruins, the Montreal Canadiens, have been struggling on offense and now have to replace their All-Star goaltender Cristobal Huet, who is out indefinitely after surgery to repair a torn hamstring. Jaroslav Halak has been recalled from Hamilton of the AHL and looked tremendous in a win on Sunday at Columbus in his NHL debut. However, a bulk of the starts are expected to go to David Aebischer, who is a veteran that has shown he can do it on a full-time basis in the past. By the way, Huet should be cut and his value in keeper leagues has taken a huge hit.
One player who is no stranger to a trade talk is Mike Sillinger. In fact, he has played for more teams than anyone else in NHL history, earning the nickname 'Suitcase'. However, his bags should not be packed this season, as he has been a steady contributor for a surprising Islanders team in the hunt for a playoff spot. He potted the game-winner in Monday’s afternoon game against the Penguins and has four goals and eight points with a plus-5 rating over the past nine games. If you've been holding onto a player such as Brad Boyes or Christopher Higgins to get back on track or a player such as Eric Lindros or Joe Pavelski to get healthy, you might want to look at Sillinger instead.
To the scrap heap…
Dennis Wideman, who emerged last season as quite the offensive surprise, has apparently done nothing to earn coach Andy Murray’s respect. Despite the fact Jay McKee has been sidelined due to a pelvic injury, Murray has elected to use Jeff Woywitka in the past four games, making Wideman a healthy scratch. That's enough to part ways with Wideman, at least until Brewer is possibly moved.
Another rearguard who has been doing absolutely nothing lately is Filip Kuba. It is no wonder that the Lightning are in the market for a defenseman, as Kuba has gone south in a hurry. After performing at a career-high pace through the month of December, Kuba has managed just one goal and one assist over the past 20 games, including a scoreless February. No wonder the Lightning are looking into picking up Bryan Berard from Columbus or perhaps Brent Sopel from Los Angeles.
We mentioned Boyes above, a player who is just not producing or playing with a lot of confidence right now. After a breakout performance last season, he has experienced quite the sophomore slump. In fact, he has managed just one goal and one assist over the past 24 games and that is simply not going to get it done for Fantasy owners jockeying for playoff position in head-to-head leagues. The same holds true for Higgins in Montreal, who recently broke a 13-game scoreless skid, but still has no goals since Jan. 13.
Rumor mill
Other names being bandied about included Anson Carter, who is a hot commodity from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Teams are also contacting general manager and president Doug McLean about Fredrik Modin, but his availability is nil. In fact, the club wants to sign him to a multi-year deal. The Carolina Hurricanes are interested in Carter and the Vancouver Canucks are apparently interested in the idea of bringing him back. … Florida's Gary Roberts is a player a lot of teams would like, but he has a no-trade clause and is on record as saying he only will waive it to play for a team in Ontario. Look for Ottawa and Toronto to bid against each other for his services. His daughter goes to school in Toronto and he wants to be closer to her. … The St. Louis Blues appear to be sellers and Bill Guerin and Keith Tkachuk are big names being tossed around. Anaheim and Detroit appear to be heading up the Tkachuk sweepstakes, while Guerin has had his name surface to Detroit and Toronto, although the asking price for the All-Star might be too high.
Mailbag
Ben, Leamington, Ont., Canada: I've got four possible keepers in Nicklas Lidstrom, Martin Brodeur, Evgeni Malkin and Vincent Lecavalier. Which two would you keep?
D.E.D.: Wow, Ben. I have trouble deciding which nine players I would like to keep in my big league. I certainly do not envy your decision. However, I think most people would agree that Malkin is a no-brainer simply because of his age and upside. We've seen him emerge as a shoe-in for the Calder Trophy and he might simply be scratching the surface. Look at how Sidney Crosby even improved from Year 1 to Year 2. The next decision likely depends on your scoring system. If it is skewed more towards goaltender points, than Brodeur is still a tremendous option. He rarely takes a day off, is extremely durable and continues to post excellent numbers. I have had Lecavalier going on five seasons now in my league and this year has really been a treat. However, Lidstrom continues to be steady for Detroit and is the tops at a mighty-thin position.
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