Waiver Wire: Philly freedom for Leighton?

When Ray Emery returned to the ice during practice on Monday for the first time since undergoing abdominal surgery on Dec. 8, his presence was a welcomed sight for the Flyers coaches and players.

Philadelphia hit the panic button in early December when it heard Emery would be out several weeks following surgery. It's not often teams survive long stretches without their starting netminder.

"We don't talk about it, but everybody was thinking, 'Holy Cow, who is going to play in net?'" enforcer Ian Laperriere told NHL.com.

The Flyers initially turned to veteran goalie and former Flyer Brian Boucher.

Boucher was proving to be an ample replacement having allowed more than two goals in just three of his first nine starts in place of Emery, but Boucher had only two wins in that span. The news got even worse when he suffered a lacerated finger during a Dec. 21 start against the Panthers.

Peter Laviolette was already having a tough enough time winning games since he took over the head coaching job from John Stevens in early December, and then he lost both of his netminders. All he could do was look down his bench and signal for career backup Michael Leighton.

No one could blame Laviolette, the Flyers or the Philadelphia faithful for having a glum outlook as Leighton made his way toward net. It was just weeks earlier that Leighton was placed on waivers by Carolina and ousted from his backup role with the Hurricanes by a veteran on his last leg, Manny Legace. Now, he was to become the starting goalie of a team with legit Stanley Cup aspirations.

When Emery left the crease on Monday after facing shots in practice, he said he was still sore and about only 65-70 percent recovered. Laviolette echoed the sentiments that his starting netminder wasn't close to playing. But there was no cause for concern in the voice of either man. Leighton has a lot to do with the new confidence in Philly.

The veteran backup has won four straight starts and has kept Boucher glued to the pine despite his finger being healed. Not bad for a guy that never won as many as three consecutive games before beating the Islanders on Sunday and earning his first shutout since December 2003 on Wednesday against the Rangers.

"I'm just happy the way things are going," Leighton told NHL.com. "Obviously, the better I play, the better my future is going to be for me."

That's exactly what Fantasy owners want to know about Leighton as well -- what does the future hold?

Despite his recent run, there is a good chance Leighton could be placed on waivers again when Emery is back in the lineup.

Leighton was Laviolette's backup choice to Cam Ward in Carolina and familiarity was a big reason the former Hurricanes coach brought in the 1999 sixth-round draft pick. But Boucher is under contract through next season and has a better track record than Leighton, who has only 22 wins and a 3.01 goals-against-average in 81 NHL appearances since 2002-03.

It definitely seems Leighton is the short-term solution in Fantasy Hockey and in Philadelphia as well.

"I'm just looking for a chance to play somewhere," Leighton said. "Obviously, I have to keep proving myself. They always say it's easy to get in the league and harder to stay in the league. I have to play well and establish myself here."

Add 'Em

Andy McDonald, C, St. Louis
Owned: 56 percent of leagues
Analysis: It seems every year I'm always lobbying for McDonald to be added in Fantasy and 2009-10 is no different. He might not be the 30-goal, 80-point threat he once was with the Ducks, but McDonald can still be helpful in Fantasy. He has had a poor start to the season in St. Louis, but pretty much every Blues player is underachieving. McDonald is starting to come out of his shell with five goals and two assists in his last six games, and this is about the time of year he starts to heat up. He has definitely become a second-half player since landing in St. Louis during the 2007-08 season. He had nine goals and 26 points in 30 games after returning from an ankle injury last season and totaled 13 goals and 31 points in his last 44 games in 2007-08. St. Louis is a sleeping giant and could have a strong second half like they had in 2008-09.

Jeff Deslauriers, G, Edmonton
Owned: 33 percent of leagues
Analysis: It's funny that Deslauriers' ownership has actually gone down because he experienced a six-game losing streak, but his value should be on the rise regardless. Deslauriers has started 19 times since Nikolai Khabibulin went down with a back injury in mid-November. He appeared to be in a similar situation to Leighton as a stopgap Fantasy option, but the longer Khabibulin is out the better chances of Deslauriers becoming a viable flier the rest of the season. There is now even talk of Khabibulin needing season-ending back surgery. Even if Khabibulin opts to postpone surgery, this injury probably prevents him from being an every-game goalie the rest of the season. Deslauriers might not be winning on a consistent basis, but the fact he plays pretty much every night with Khabibulin sidelined means he is no worse than a No. 2 Fantasy goalie.

Drop 'Em

Niklas Hagman, RW, Toronto
Owned: 58 percent of leagues
Analysis: I put Hagman on the avoid list when he broke out for seven goals during the final seven games of November, yet his ownership continued to climb. He did start well in December with two goals and five assists in seven games, but I still stood by the fact his hot streak was an aberration. With one goal and two points in his last nine games, Hagman has certainly cooled off. He is also no longer seeing steady minutes on the power play. Teams are calling Toronto inquiring about adding Hagman, but the fact remains he is a nice NHL forward but no Fantasy superstar. Don't be afraid to drop Hagman to pick up another forward on a hot streak.

Blake Wheeler, LW, Boston
Owned: 46 percent of leagues
Analysis: Wheeler has been one of the more disappointing Bruins skaters in 2009-10. Here is a kid that burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2008-09 with 21 goals, 45 points and an outstanding plus-36 rating in 81 games. He really gelled on a line with David Krejci and Michael Ryder. However, all three players have gotten off to rocky starts and it shows up Wheeler's numbers. He has scored in only seven games this season with no multi-goal efforts. He also has been shut out of net in his last 14 games and his defense is nothing to talk about either. He has a season-worst minus-9 rating in 13 December games. Claude Julien has reunited Wheeler with Krejci and Ryder, but we don't see a second-half breakout from that line. The complexion of the Boston game plan has changed from last season. The Bruins have become more of a defensive unit in 2009-10 and is a large part why they rank 24th in offense (2.52 GFA).

Avoid 'Em

Kim Johnsson, D, Minnesota
Owned: 6 percent of leagues
Analysis: Johnsson probably deserves to be on the watch list rather than the avoid one, but I'm playing a hunch here. Johnsson has scored in three of his last four games, with two power-play scores in that span. He has also finished even or better in 11 of his last 12 appearances. Johnsson is really playing well as Minnesota has hit their stride, and he has also picked up the slack for the absent Brent Burns, who remains out indefinitely with a concussion. I would probably feel better if I knew Burns wouldn't be back this season but that is not the case. Also, Johnsson hasn't been a 10-goal, 20-assist threat since his earlier playing days with the Flyers. He is still on pace for only 10 goals and 20 points in 66 games. Johnsson is logging a ton of playing time in all situations for Minnesota. He has been striving to get back into the offensive mindset that made him an attractive free agent for the Wild in 2006, but we see Johnsson as a player past his heyday.

Marcel Goc, C, Nashville
Owned: 3 percent of leagues
Analysis: There is no denying that Martin Erat was the Predators' best player in December. It's just sad his outstanding run is overshadowing that of Goc, who has been a lower-line center since breaking into the NHL with San Jose in 2005-06. Goc seems content to make his bones as a faceoff and short-handed specialist, but he is showing some offensive get-up as of late. He had six goals, 13 points and a plus-10 rating in 15 December games. In fact, he has been even or better in his last 14 games (plus-12). Goc is centering the team's third line in between Patric Hornqvist and J.P. Dumont. It has turned into the Predators' second-most productive unit behind Erat, Jason Arnott and Steve Sullivan. Unfortunately, we don't see Goc's hot run lasting. Most of his points are coming at even strength, and Goc isn't likely to play alongside Hornqvist and Dumont the rest of the season. Goc is a former first-round pick, but he doesn't have history of being an offensive threat. He has only one season at any level of 50-plus points.

Watch 'Em

Martin Hanzal, C, Phoenix
Owned: 11 percent of leagues
Analysis: I'm intrigued to watch the continued development of Hanzal, who is becoming a two-way threat in Phoenix. He has quietly posted two goals and eight assists in his last 12 games. He has always been a player that has thrived in the faceoff circle and in short-handed situations for Phoenix, but his offensive game has been non-existent. A lot of folks forget Hanzal was a first-round selection in 2005m but unlike Goc, Hanzal showed some offensive potential as a youngster. He had 26 goals and 85 points in 60 games for Red Deer in 2006-07, his lone season in the competitive WHL (juniors). First-year coach Dave Tippett has done a wonderful job tutoring and developing talent this season in the desert. He has elevated Hanzal to the second line to skate in between Petr Prucha and Radim Vrbata; two players who seem to be finally hitting their stride as well. Our only concern is that we aren't sure if this is the real Hanzal or a mirage? If Hanzal can have another solid month without going cold, then we will be more convinced.

Kurtis Foster, D, Tampa Bay
Owned: 33 percent of leagues
Analysis: Foster has quickly ascended the Fantasy rankings with his latest outburst. The veteran blueliner has three goals and six assists in his last eight games. He also has 10 or more Fantasy points in four of his last seven Fantasy weeks. This latest trend is something we expect from Foster. He has always been a player with offensive potential. Foster showed it as a junior player and then again in the minors. Even when he came up to the NHL we have seen spurts like this. But Foster is much like James Wisniewski. He is a blueliner that never seems to reach his full capability because of injuries. Foster has never played more than 58 games in a season as a NHLer because of various injuries and is only on pace for 60 games this season because he has already missed time. However, he is also on pace for 12 goals and 30 points. Foster is very close to being on our add list, but there is definite risk because of his injured past. Maybe if Foster stays healthy for a few more weeks and his play stays consistent it will give us a little more confidence in recommending him for Fantasy play.

Ryan Callahan, LW, N.Y. Rangers
Owned: 31 percent of leagues
Analysis: Callahan is another player that pops up on the Fantasy radar after turning in a great performance in December. After totaling four goals and eight points through his first 27 games, Callahan had five goals and 11 points in 13 December appearances. He has been a player to really respond to coach John Tortorella laying into the slumping Rangers. Callahan was a player that popped up on the Fantasy radar late in 2008-09 since he was one New York player to benefit greatly from the coaching change. He had 10 goals and 22 points in his final 31 games. He also finished with a career-high 22 goals in 2008-09. Callahan clearly had extra motivation since he was in a walk year, so we couldn't be overly surprised by his down performance to open the 2009-10 campaign. But he finally seems to be coming around. Callahan is logging consistent top-six and power-play minutes. Now, can he sustain or will he revert back to his early-season ways?

Prospect Watch

Nazem Kadri, C, Toronto
Drafted: First round (seventh overall) in 2009
Primary 2009-10 team: London Knights of the OHL (juniors)
Owned: 11 percent of leagues
Analysis: He was only drafted by Toronto in June, but Kadri has bypassed everyone on the organizational prospect chart to sit atop the Maple Leafs' rankings. Kadri is still a bit of a raw talent, but everyone in and outside the organization sees the kind of potential he brings to the table. A lot of folks believe with one more of year junior hockey that Kadri can make the immediate jump to the NHL in 2010-11. He is in the midst of his finest junior season to date. Kadri has 20 goals and 38 points in his first 28 games with London. His previous career highs are 25 goals and 78 points, both set last season in his first year with London. Kadri is in an excellent position to succeed because London is one of the premier junior hockey organizations. They have sent players like John Tavares, Patrick Kane and Sam Gagner all to the NHL in recent years. Kadri is also making a name for himself at the 2009-10 World Junior Championships with three goals and five points in his first three games with Team Canada.

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