Someone forgot to tell Kris Versteeg that he isn't supposed to be this good.
A former 2004 fifth-round pick wasn't considered a top prospect, but the 5-10, 180-pound forward leads all rookies with eight points (two goals).
"We thought he would be a third-line guy," Blackhawks general manager Dale Tallon told USA Today. "Honestly, we thought he would play the right side on the third line."
The 22-year-old sensation hasn't been mired on the team's lower lines. He has been shifted to the top scoring line with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, who took home the Calder Trophy (top rookie) in 2007-08.
"He kind of reminds me of myself in a lot of ways, the way he plays -- he slows it down, makes good passes," Kane told the Chicago Sun-Times. "It would be awesome if (the Calder) goes back-to-back for the Blackhawks. I don't think it was expected of anyone this year, but he's probably the guy for us. If he can win the scoring, more power to him -- and I think he can, playing with us."
The Lethbridge, Alberta, native has at least one point in five of nine games this season and two multi-point efforts. He benefits from the fact that pressure is being put on Toews and Kane, but Blackhawks management is eager to see how he responds once the attention shifts his way.
"Skill-wise, he can play with Kane and Toews," Tallon said. "It will come down to what he does when other teams start focusing on him. But why not? He's the right age. He has the skill, speed and he doesn't back down from anyone."
Even newly-hired head coach Joel Quenneville is a big fan of Versteeg, who is currently on pace for 18 goals, 54 assists, a plus-27 rating and nine power-play tallies in 81 games.
"From where he was at the start of the summer to today shows how much he's capable of," Quenneville told the Sun-Times. "He's a young kid with a good personality in the way he comes to the rink. He's got a lot of energy, good speed, good patience and vision with the puck. And playing with two good players complements his game."
Versteeg didn't get his first taste of the NHL until a midseason trade in '07-08 brought him to Chicago. He made his NHL debut on Nov. 22, 2007 and spent the remainder of the season bouncing between the AHL and NHL. He was quite familiar with minor league hockey seeing how he had been situated there since 2005-06.
Versteeg appeared in 13 games last season for Chicago, and once he had the taste of NHL life he wasn't preparing to head back down to the minors. A darkhorse to make the opening roster, Versteeg scored three goals and tallied three assists in six preseason games. He converted 30 percent of his scoring chances and is doing his best to prove he is no fluke.
"I didn't think about going back to the minors," Versteeg told the Sun-Times. "To some, me making the roster was a huge shock, but to me it wasn't a shock at all. I have a lot of confidence in my ability. I know what I can do, and I'm not shocked by my start or anything."
Add 'Em
Sergei Fedorov, C, Washington
Owned: 39 percent of
leagues
Analysis: Fedorov is not letting Father Time slow him
down. The 38-year-old forward has seven points (three goals) and a
plus-7 rating in his first eight games. He has a point in at least six
games and has yet to finish below even. Coach Bruce Boudreau has been so
impressed with the veteran's play he even has him back on defense at
times. Fedorov came to Washington last season in a deadline deal and
then re-upped in the offseason after totaling three goals and 11 assists
in 18 games with the Capitals. It's just something about Boudreau's
cross-checking style of play that really sparks Fedorov's game.
Patrick O'Sullivan, C, Los Angeles
Owned: 51 percent of
leagues
Analysis: Much like Michael Strahan proved last season
with the Giants (NFL), O'Sullivan has shown training camp to be
overrated. Strahan missed most of the Giants' training camp in 2007
while contemplating retirement, only to return to lead New York to a
Super Bowl win. O'Sullivan missed the Kings training camp this season
during a contract dispute, but he is making up for lost time. He has
three goals, three assists and a plus-6 rating in seven games since
inking a three-year deal in early September. He has been moved up to the
team's top scoring line alongside Anze Kopitar
and Dustin Brown, and O'Sullivan remains
one of the Kings' more-talented skaters.
Drop' Em
Dustin Penner, RW, Edmonton
Owned: 42 percent of leagues
Analysis:
Penner scored two goals in Edmonton's season-opening win against
Colorado on Oct. 12. In the following seven games, he has zero goals and
no points. Penner said following the big opening night that the pressure
was off in Year 2 after his signing before 2007-08 was a center of
controversy between Edmonton and Anaheim. Despite the two-goal opener,
Edmonton didn't move Penner off the third line and the Oilers still have
better offensive weapons ahead of him.
Brendan Morrison, C, Anaheim
Owned: 27 percent of leagues
Analysis:
The Ducks had high hopes for Morrison after luring him to the West
Coast in the offseason. He was coming off a major knee injury (torn ACL)
with Vancouver, but he didn't miss a regular-season game from 2000-06,
and outside of being an iron man he was a pretty productive player as
well. Yeah, Morrison has just one point (an assist) and a minus-5 rating
in his first 10 games with Anaheim. He has even been moved from a
second-line center to the left wing. Morrison still plays on a line with Teemu Selanne, but perhaps he isn't mentally 100 percent coming off a
major injury. Until Morrison reaches his potential, it's best to keep
him off your Fantasy roster.
Avoid' Em
Brian Boucher, G, San Jose
Owned: 12 percent of leagues
Analysis:
It has been two starts and two shutouts for the 31-year-old Boucher
under first-year coach Todd McLellan. The nine-year veteran is showing
glimpses of his old self and even looks like the rookie who won 20 games
back in 1999-2000 for Philadelphia. However, his recent surge won't be
enough to dethrone Evgeni Nabokov, who
won 46 games last season. In fact, Boucher made his second start 13 days
after the first one. Boucher might see one start in net every other
week; still making him one of the NHL's top seldom-used backups. He
really only remains a Fantasy option as a handcuff for Nabokov owners or
a flier in leagues that use average points per game.
Travis Zajac, C, New Jersey
Owned: 17 percent of leagues
Analysis:
Zajac has been on a nice scoring pace to open the 2008-09 season. He
has six points (five assists) in eight games, as well as a plus-4
rating. However, he had just one point in his first five games and the
remaining five have come in a flurry since Brian Rolston went down with an ankle injury. Zajac was a former
first-round pick (20th overall) in 2004. After completing a successful
two-year stint at North Dakota, he joined the Devils in 2006-07. He has
been a durable forward for them -- missing only two games in his first
two seasons -- but his offensive production has been ho-hum. He showed
in junior hockey and college to have point-per-game potential, but that
has been far from the case in the NHL. New Jersey has always been a more
defensive-minded team, and as soon as Rolston is healthy, Zajac's
offensive role likely will once again be reduced.
Watch 'Em
Mason Raymond, LW, Vancouver
Owned: 17 percent of leagues
Analysis:
Vancouver's power-play unit struggled through the first few weeks, so
coach Alain Vigneault decided to switch around some pieces and moved
Raymond to the point. In his first game running the power play, he
scored a pair of goals against Edmonton. He extended his then-points
streak to five games (3 G, 3 A). The Canucks have always thought very
highly of Raymond and have even given him playing time the last two
seasons on the top-scoring line with Daniel Sedinand
Henrik Sedin, although he has never been
able to stick. Wait until Raymond goes on a prolonged scoring run to add
him in Fantasy, but there is definite potential here.
Jordan Leopold, D, Colorado
Owned: 22 percent of leagues
Analysis:
It's like the Hockey Gods are finally smiling down on Leopold. After
two injury-plagued seasons with the Avalanche, Leopold hasn't even
sniffed the IR through the first nine games and has been fairly
productive. He has five points and two even-strength goals while logging
nearly 16 minutes per game. Leopold showed some decent offensive
potential while with Calgary from 2002-06. He remains on our "Watch
List" because of his propensity for injury, but if it looks like he can
stay on the ice and halfway productive, then feel free to scoop him up
in Fantasy.
Loui Eriksson, LW, Dallas
Owned: 21 percent of leagues
Analysis:
After Dallas got off to a very bad start, coach Dave Tippett shook
up his scoring lines and reunited Eriksson with Mike Ribeiro and Brenden Morrow. The
move has paid off big time. The Stars have scored 10 goals in their last
two games since the switch and the Eriksson-Riberio-Morrow line has 15
points in that span. Eriksson himself has three goals and one assist.
The Stars have wanted increased production from Eriksson since he made
his debut in 2006-07 and have no qualms about him shooting more. If he
can maintain a rapid pace, consider adding him in Fantasy.
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