Author: TJ Streett

Loui Eriksson Out, But For How Long?

Dallas winger Loui Eriksson was knocked out of Tuesday nights game against the San Jose Sharks with an “upper body injury.”

Analysis: Loui Eriksson was hit in the head area by Shark defenseman Douglas Murray and it is now a question of if Loui Eriksson has a concussion or not. As of now the Stars are listing him as day to day, however, we all know how unpredictable concussion injuries can be if that is the case. The 25 year old Eriksson up until this point was having the best season of his career with 63 points in 69 games with a plus 14. Under no circumstances can you drop Eriksson until it is apparent he’ll be out for at least three weeks as the regular season ends in just over three weeks. Closely monitor the situation as to not lose any ground as you head into the last stretch of the fantasy hockey season.

Projection: If all goes well Loui Eriksson will be back within a week, however, if the situation develops and leaves you searching for a new winger you may want to consider the following options. Teammate Jamie Benn is still available in most leagues and he is absolutely lighting up the score sheet with goals in seven of his last eight games. Also, Vinny Prospal is finally starting to pick it up for the Rangers and he is available in the majority of fantasy leagues.

Chris Pronger Officially Out For Regular Season

After coming back from a right hand injury for four games, Chris Pronger has missed his last two games and is officially out for about a month.

Analysis: Chris Pronger originally suffered the small fracture in his right hand on Febuary 24th against the New York Islanders. He went on to play the next four games with the injury but now Philly is doing the wise thing in shutting him down. The Flyers last regular season game is April 9th so Pronger should be able to get back into action at the start of the first round of the eastern conference playoffs. From a fantasy perspective this leaves a pretty big hole on your team to fill. Pronger contributes in every fantasy category for skaters and is easily a top 10-15 defenseman.

Projection: Andrej Sekera of Buffalo is still hot and is widely available. He’s mostly good for points and shots on goal. Also, Andrew MacDonald of the Islanders is a good choice to pick up. He’s gets tons of ice time, his plus/minus has been great as of late and he too is widely available.

Mike Stanton Brings The Lumber

After a historic .248 ISO as 20 year old, Mike Stanton is poised to bring the lumber in 2011 but what exactly should we expect?

Analysis: Mike Stanton hit 22 homers in just 100 big league games last year and he also hit 21 bombs in just 53 Double A games. That’s 43 homers combined as a 20 year old, nearly unheard of. His walk rate of 8.6% with the Marlins wasn’t as expected but it should be around the 12% mark this year which will help his run and stolen base totals. As long as his strikeout rate doesn’t go up from 34.3%, Stanton will hit 35 home runs rather easily. Like many power hitters he’s not going to give you any batting average help in roto leagues but a handful of steals should help ease a batting average that should fall in the .260-.270 range. Stanton is a high reward outfielder with his seemingly limitless home run power so grabbing him over guys like Andre Ethier or Alex Rios who will be down this year may be in order. Don’t be disappointed if Jay Bruce falls into your lap after Stanton goes early. Bruce’s home run potential this year is in the mid thirties.

Projection: I don’t think Stanton is capable of hitting less than 33 homers this year which makes him the low risk outfielder that he is, but I doubt he can reach 45 bombs as a 21 year old with the pitching in the NL East. Expect a .265 BA, 38 HR, 105 RBI, 90 R, 6 SB.

Jamie Benn Is On Fire

Dallas forward Jamie Benn has been on fire since his return from injury in all seven fantasy categories.

Analysis: Since his return from a shoulder injury suffered in late January, Jamie Benn is one of the hottest forwards in the world of fantasy hockey. Benn has 6 goals and 3 assists with 32 shots on goal in his last nine games. He’s everything you’re looking for down the stretch. He has center and left wing eligibility, he’s getting tons of ice time and he’s available in about half of all fantasy leagues. Dallas is right in the middle of a heated playoff race in the western conference and the Stars need all of their best players to step it up with Brad Richards only three games in to his shaky return from a concussion. One of the most over looked categories among forwards in fantasy hockey is definitely penalty minutes and Jamie Benn is racking them up with ten PIM over his last eight games. All in all Jamie Benn is producing in seven fantasy categories and he’s widely available.

Projection: Expect just under a point per game with tons of ice time from Jamie Benn in the Stars remaining thirteen games. He shoots in bunches and he gets lots of power play minutes so if you have a team need at left wing or center, Jamie Benn may be the right fit for you.

Erik Karlsson, A Future Star

If it wasn’t for Erik Karlsson playing on a team with the NHL’s worst goal differential he would be owned in every single fantasy league. Karlsson is already a five category fantasy stud in just his second year in the league and his play as of late has been more than solid.

Analysis: Erik Karlsson’s minus 32 rating on the year is miserable, however, two other Ottawa denfeseman are minus 26 or worse, so he’s not alone on that front. Karlsson is just 20 years old and he could be one of the best fantasy defenseman in the NHL sooner than later. Karlsson is seventh among NHL defenseman with 11 goals, fourteenth in points with 38, eleventh in shots with 151 and twelfth in power play points with 20. To put it simply he’s on the fast track to top ten fantasy defenseman status if Ottawa can get their act together from the front office down. I couldn’t name seven defenseman that I’d want on my fantasy squad for the next ten years in front of Erik Karlsson, he’s just that special.

Projection: He’s going to continue to dominate every category with the exception of plus/minus and penalty minutes this year and going forward I see many 70 point seasons like Mike Green.