Mike Green is back, and he is a nice Fantasy addition. Photo Credit: Horge
(All statistics through Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012)
Playing in a location like Arizona, and being cast off by the Tampa Bay Lightning, a guy like Phoenix goalie Mike Smith doesn’t get much, if any, attention. However, he has been unreal lately, single-handedly carrying Fantasy owners to victories.
Smith has won seven consecutive starts dating back to Jan. 31, and he is 3-0-0 with a 0.33 Goals-Against Average (GAA) and a .990 save percentage over his past three starts with two shutouts. He has allowed one or fewer goals in six consecutive outings, and has blanked the opposition four times this season. Overall, he has 25 victories (25-14-7) with a 2.25 GAA and .928 save percentage. Of the 1,386 shots he has faced, only 100 goals have been allowed.
Smith has carried the Coyotes on his back, getting them into position for a postseason berth. If he is able to stay this hot into the postseason, the Coyotes could be a serious player. While Smith has a ways to go before he is considered a Vezina Trophy contender, he has certainly jumped into No. 1 goaltender status and Fantasy MVP discussions.
Good news for Fantasy owners who have been patiently waiting for Washington Capitals D Mike Green (stomach) to return. He had missed 18 games after having surgery to repair a small tear in his stomach on Jan. 17.
While Green logged just 14:14 of ice time (TOI), and he had no shots on goal (SOG) or points, he was able to post a hit, blocked shot and rack up a minor penalty. As he rounds into shape, Green has the potential to be a Top 25 rearguard option down the road and into the Fantasy postseason. If he is available off the waiver wire, pounce on him immediately. Remember, Green is just two seasons removed from back-to-back campaigns with 73 or more points.
INJURIES
The San Jose Sharks are close to welcoming back W Martin Havlat (hamstring), who resumed skating this past week. While game action is still likely a month off, at best, if he is available off the waiver wire, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to stash him away. Havlat’s propensity for injury will always make him a risky pick, but when he is playing, he has a ton of offensive potential.
Phoenix Coyotes C Martin Hanzal (lower body injury) left Saturday’s low-scoring win against Dallas due to the dreaded “lower body injury,” and he was unable to return. There are no details on Hanzal’s injury, and the Coyotes don’t play again until Tuesday. To be on the safe side, reserve Hanzal in all non-daily leagues if your lineup deadline is Monday. He has struggled, going scoreless in his past six games after posting a respectable 24 points (8 G, 16 A) through his first 39 games, so you’re not missing much even if he can play.
Colorado Avalanche G Jean-Sebastien Giguere (groin) is dealing with a groin pull, and he did not get the start Sunday at Winnipeg. G Semyon Varlamov drew the start, and might be worth adding in all Fantasy leagues. There is talk that the Avalanche might try to deal Giggy before the trade deadline if he can get back to 100 percent health. If so, Varlamov would become the undisputed No. 1 in Denver. If you own Giguere, add Varlamov immediately.
SCANNING THE WAIVER WIRE
Minnesota Wild W Devin Setoguchi has picked up four goals with a pair of assists and an even rating over his past five games. He is owned in about 40 percent of all Fantasy leagues, but he gets plenty of power play time and is worth a look in pools with 12 or more teams. However, beware of his subpar plus/minus rating and lack of penalty minutes (PIM). He has just 16 PIM through 45 games.
On the subject of the Wild, now might be a good time to add D Marek Zidlicky to Fantasy rosters. The NHL trade deadline is approaching, and it is hard to imagine the Wild not trying to get something for the disgruntled rearguard. Zidlicky has butted heads with bench boss Mike Yeo, has been a healthy scratch frequently, and it appears he is about to be sprung from Fantasy jail. Zidlicky will be fresh down the stretch after playing so infrequently, and he could be a big-time difference-maker for Fantasy owners down the stretch if he lands in the right situation.
Philadelphia Flyers C Brayden Schenn is still just 20 years old, so you can expect growing pains. However, he has started to really develop a sniffer for the net, cashing in with four goals over his past seven games, including a pair of markers in a game Feb. 12 at Detroit. Schenn is a must-have for Fantasy owners in long-term keeper formats, but isn’t a bad addition for depth up front in standard cumulative pools, too.
SLAP SHOTS
New Jersey Devils W/C Dainius Zubrus continues to fly under the radar for some reason, but he has managed three goals, six assists and a plus-6 rating over his past nine games. While he doesn’t help Fantasy owners in the PIM in leagues which reward the category, his scoring has more than made up for his lack of bad behavior. Ride him while he is hot. … Phoenix Coyotes D Adrian Aucoin has no goals and just one assist over his past seven games, but he has a solid plus-7 rating during the span. If you need help in the category, he might be a decent addition down the stretch. … Aucoin’s teammate, LW Ray Whitney, shows no signs of slowing down. He has managed eight assists with a plus-5 rating over his past seven games. … Edmonton Oilers LW Ryan Smyth has given Fantasy owners fits all season. He has either been red hot or ice cold for stretches at a time. Currently, he is in an icy patch, going scoreless with a minus-5 rating over the past five games. Don’t be surprised to see Smyth on the move at the NHL trade deadline, which might give his flagging Fantasy value a boost. … Devils G Martin Brodeur is 4-1-0 with a 1.38 GAA and sparkling .952 save percentage overh is past seven games, posting a shutout while allowing just seven goals on his past 147 shots. … Washington Capitals G Tomas Vokoun has also turned aside a lot of vulcanized rubber, posting a 1.23 GAA and .957 save percentage over his past four outings. … Edmonton Oilers G Nikolai Khabibulinhas been a sieve, going 1-1-0 with a 3.67 GAA and .888 save percentage over his past three outings. Don’t be shocked to see him moved at the deadline, too.
(All statistics through Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012)
Playing in a location like Arizona, and being cast off by the Tampa Bay Lightning, a guy like Phoenix goalie Mike Smith doesn’t get much, if any, attention. However, he has been unreal lately, single-handedly carrying Fantasy owners to victories.
Smith has won seven consecutive starts dating back to Jan. 31, and he is 3-0-0 with a 0.33 Goals-Against Average (GAA) and a .990 save percentage over his past three starts with two shutouts. He has allowed one or fewer goals in six consecutive outings, and has blanked the opposition four times this season. Overall, he has 25 victories (25-14-7) with a 2.25 GAA and .928 save percentage. Of the 1,386 shots he has faced, only 100 goals have been allowed.
Smith has carried the Coyotes on his back, getting them into position for a postseason berth. If he is able to stay this hot into the postseason, the Coyotes could be a serious player. While Smith has a ways to go before he is considered a Vezina Trophy contender, he has certainly jumped into No. 1 goaltender status and Fantasy MVP discussions.
Good news for Fantasy owners who have been patiently waiting for Washington Capitals D Mike Green (stomach) to return. He had missed 18 games after having surgery to repair a small tear in his stomach on Jan. 17.
While Green logged just 14:14 of ice time (TOI), and he had no shots on goal (SOG) or points, he was able to post a hit, blocked shot and rack up a minor penalty. As he rounds into shape, Green has the potential to be a Top 25 rearguard option down the road and into the Fantasy postseason. If he is available off the waiver wire, pounce on him immediately. Remember, Green is just two seasons removed from back-to-back campaigns with 73 or more points.
INJURIES
The San Jose Sharks are close to welcoming back W Martin Havlat (hamstring), who resumed skating this past week. While game action is still likely a month off, at best, if he is available off the waiver wire, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to stash him away. Havlat’s propensity for injury will always make him a risky pick, but when he is playing, he has a ton of offensive potential.
Phoenix Coyotes C Martin Hanzal (lower body injury) left Saturday’s low-scoring win against Dallas due to the dreaded “lower body injury,” and he was unable to return. There are no details on Hanzal’s injury, and the Coyotes don’t play again until Tuesday. To be on the safe side, reserve Hanzal in all non-daily leagues if your lineup deadline is Monday. He has struggled, going scoreless in his past six games after posting a respectable 24 points (8 G, 16 A) through his first 39 games, so you’re not missing much even if he can play.
Colorado Avalanche G Jean-Sebastien Giguere (groin) is dealing with a groin pull, and he did not get the start Sunday at Winnipeg. G Semyon Varlamov drew the start, and might be worth adding in all Fantasy leagues. There is talk that the Avalanche might try to deal Giggy before the trade deadline if he can get back to 100 percent health. If so, Varlamov would become the undisputed No. 1 in Denver. If you own Giguere, add Varlamov immediately.
SCANNING THE WAIVER WIRE
Minnesota Wild W Devin Setoguchi has picked up four goals with a pair of assists and an even rating over his past five games. He is owned in about 40 percent of all Fantasy leagues, but he gets plenty of power play time and is worth a look in pools with 12 or more teams. However, beware of his subpar plus/minus rating and lack of penalty minutes (PIM). He has just 16 PIM through 45 games.
On the subject of the Wild, now might be a good time to add D Marek Zidlicky to Fantasy rosters. The NHL trade deadline is approaching, and it is hard to imagine the Wild not trying to get something for the disgruntled rearguard. Zidlicky has butted heads with bench boss Mike Yeo, has been a healthy scratch frequently, and it appears he is about to be sprung from Fantasy jail. Zidlicky will be fresh down the stretch after playing so infrequently, and he could be a big-time difference-maker for Fantasy owners down the stretch if he lands in the right situation.
Philadelphia Flyers C Brayden Schenn is still just 20 years old, so you can expect growing pains. However, he has started to really develop a sniffer for the net, cashing in with four goals over his past seven games, including a pair of markers in a game Feb. 12 at Detroit. Schenn is a must-have for Fantasy owners in long-term keeper formats, but isn’t a bad addition for depth up front in standard cumulative pools, too.
SLAP SHOTS
New Jersey Devils W/C Dainius Zubrus continues to fly under the radar for some reason, but he has managed three goals, six assists and a plus-6 rating over his past nine games. While he doesn’t help Fantasy owners in the PIM in leagues which reward the category, his scoring has more than made up for his lack of bad behavior. Ride him while he is hot. … Phoenix Coyotes D Adrian Aucoin has no goals and just one assist over his past seven games, but he has a solid plus-7 rating during the span. If you need help in the category, he might be a decent addition down the stretch. … Aucoin’s teammate, LW Ray Whitney, shows no signs of slowing down. He has managed eight assists with a plus-5 rating over his past seven games. … Edmonton Oilers LW Ryan Smyth has given Fantasy owners fits all season. He has either been red hot or ice cold for stretches at a time. Currently, he is in an icy patch, going scoreless with a minus-5 rating over the past five games. Don’t be surprised to see Smyth on the move at the NHL trade deadline, which might give his flagging Fantasy value a boost. … Devils G Martin Brodeur is 4-1-0 with a 1.38 GAA and sparkling .952 save percentage overh is past seven games, posting a shutout while allowing just seven goals on his past 147 shots. … Washington Capitals G Tomas Vokoun has also turned aside a lot of vulcanized rubber, posting a 1.23 GAA and .957 save percentage over his past four outings. … Edmonton Oilers G Nikolai Khabibulin has been a sieve, going 1-1-0 with a 3.67 GAA and .888 save percentage over his past three outings. Don’t be shocked to see him moved at the deadline, too.
The 2012 Xclusive Edge Fantasy Baseball In-Season package is here! Register now and take full advantage of our comprehensive player advice and analysis!
Start your advance scouting for the 2012 Fantasy Football season and relive the greatest moments from the 2011 season. NFL Rewind is where you break it down and replay the great moments of the past season.
