Stockwatch: Terrific Fantasy trios

Our Michael Hurcomb puts a different spin on this week's Fantasy Stockwatch, spotlighting a few lines that are clicking of late and a trio of rookie netminders who are making the most of their opportunity.

By Michael Hurcomb

Feb 10, 2009 at 12:47 am ET • 6 min read

Every week our Fantasy staff will evaluate the landscape around the NHL and how it pertains to Fantasy owners in Fantasy Stockwatch.

	Dallas Stars It's not fair to single out one Stars' player since they have been getting quality production from a handful of guys. Let's start with the team's top scoring line. Ever since coach Dave Tippett put Steve Ott, Mike Ribeiro and Jere Lehtinen together, the scoring hasn't stopped. Both Lehtinen and Ott are on career-best eight-game point streaks, while Ribeiro is back to being a point-per-game threat. Defenseman Matt Niskanen has really come on as a puck-moving defenseman with eight assists during a five-game point streak. Loui Eriksson and James Neal have both become solid scoring threats in the absence of Brenden Morrow. And good ol' reliable Marty Turco is back to his All-Star form in between the pipes. He has won seven of his last eight starts and hasn't allowed more than three goals in 10 appearances.
	Thomas Vanek, LW, Buffalo The All-Star forward is sidelined 3-4 weeks after having surgery Sunday to repair a fractured jaw suffered Saturday when he was hit in the face via a slap shot from Anton Volchenkov, who just became Public Enemy No. 1 in Fantasy. Vanek had played in his 225th straight game Saturday and missed only one game in his first four NHL seasons before this latest setback. He has been an iron man for the Sabres and a reliable option for Fantasy owners. Now, Fantasy owners just hope they can get the 40-goal threat back before it's too late.
	Mike Green, D, Washington It's not like we weren't expecting a solid season from Green since we had him in our top five defensemen rankings heading into the season, but what he has done in the last few weeks has been unheard of from a Fantasy defenseman. Green is currently on a career-high six game scoring streak, in which he has totaled seven goals. He also has six assists in that span. Over his last 16 appearances, Green has 23 points (11 goals). He is third on the Capitals with 46 points. Green battled some shoulder issues in late November to mid-December, but he has been healthy ever since and unstoppable on the ice.
	Lubomir Visnovsky, D, Edmonton Visnovsky came into this week owned in 99 percent of leagues, and now he is the most dropped player in CBSSports.com leagues thanks to a potential season-ending shoulder injury. Visnovsky had to exit the Feb. 3 game against the Blackhawks after trying to board a Chicago player. He got in a weak hit and a world of hurt to go with it. The Oilers haven't said yet if Visnovsky will be lost for the season, but he is expected to be out several weeks with a dislocated shoulder. It comes at a bad time for Visnovsky since he has been on his game since December with 19 points (four goals) in 27 games.
	Jarrett Stoll, Dustin Brown and Kyle Calder, Los Angeles In what was supposed to be a rebuilding season for Kings, coach Terry Murray has Los Angeles in the thick of the playoff race. He has made a lot of quality decisions in 2008-09, but putting Calder, Stoll and Brown together a few weeks back has been pure genius. Calder spent a great deal of time early in the season in Murray's doghouse for poor performance, but he has turned his season around with three goals and five assists in his last eight games. Brown, the Kings' lone All-Star, has six goals and seven assists in his last eight games since the line merger, and Stoll has four goals and five assists in that span.
	Manny Legace, G, St. Louis Legace has gone from All-Star goalie to minor league benchwarmer in one year. Legace was placed on waivers late last week and cleared over the weekend. That prompted St. Louis to send the 36-year-old netminder to Peoria of the AHL, where he will split time with Ben Bishop. Legace began the season as St. Louis' top netminder, but injuries derailed his progress and allowed Chris Mason to impress management. Legace was sent down the minors with a 13-9-2 record, 3.18 GAA and .885 save percentage, and it has crippled his chances of landing a big free-agent deal in the offseason. Not to mention he has become pretty worthless in Fantasy while toiling in the minors.
	Jonathan Quick (LA), Pekka Rinne (NAS) and Yann Danis (NYI), G There has been a lot of goalie turnover in 2008-09, but the rookies have stolen the spotlight as of late. Quick earned First Star honors for Fantasy Week 18 (Feb. 2-8) after he led the Kings to three road wins. He stopped 95 of 100 shots in the process and has secured the starting goalie nod over Erik Ersberg with wins in six of seven outings. Rinne has wrangled the starting job in Nashville away from Dan Ellis and has opened February with a 3-0-0 record and 1.33 GAA. Finally, Danis was supposed to be just a holdover until Joey MacDonald returned from a groin injury, but now he is competing for a backup job next season. Danis has won four of his last five outings and has allowed more than three goals just once in his last nine appearances.
	Patrick Kane, RW, Chicago Kane, unlike Legace, was an All-Star this season, but he sure hasn't looked the part as of late. Kane has just one goal in his last 18 games and just six points in that span. He was flying high to begin the season, but has been knocked off course since sustaining an ankle injury in late December. Kane has admitted he is less than 100 percent, but says his ankle is improving. Well, angry Fantasy owners can't get by with what the reigning Calder Trophy candidate has provided lately with as much stock as they have invested in Kane.
	Ryan Kesler, Mats Sundin and Pavol Demitra, Vancouver After spending three games in the press box with a groin injury, Demitra pleaded with coach Alain Vigneault to put him back on a line with Sundin. The coach tweaked his rotation and even promoted Kesler from his third-line center spot. Jackpot! Demitra has four assists since the switch two games ago; Kesler has three goals and three assists in that span; and Sundin has two goals and three assists. The trio is likely to stay together as long as they keep producing.
	Miroslav Satan, RW, Pittsburgh The Penguins answer to losing Marian Hossa in the offseason was to sign Satan at a fair value and hope he could be a 30-goal scorer again playing aside the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. In the early going it appeared feasible, as Satan scored nine times in 23 games. He has scored just five times in his last 32 games and is now squarely in coach Michel Therrien's doghouse. Satan logged just 9:37 of ice time Sunday against the Red Wings and there is growing tension between player and coach. Satan will be a free agent again in the summer, but a new contract doesn't appear to be enough motivation.

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