Category: NHL

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.

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.

Kubina Suspended, Pick Up Sekera

Tampa defenseman Pavel Kubina was suspended three games today for an elbow to the head in a game against Chicago Wednesday night.

Analysis: Pavel Kubina is your average fantasy defenseman. With just 22 points in 67 games, parting with Kubina should have been done weeks if not months ago. Although Kubina’s plus/minus was solid, losing him for three games makes you want to look elsewhere. Owned in just ten percent of fantasy leagues the red hot Buffalo defenseman Andrej Sekera is who you’re looking for. Sekera has amassed 2 goals and 8 assists in his last six games. Sekera is a plus 6 in that stretch with a solid 14 shots on goal. Sekera’s ice time is over twenty minutes a game although his power play minutes and points aren’t anything to write home about.

Projection: Kubina will return from suspenion the average fantasy defenseman that he is. Andrej Sekera is one of the hottest and most available fantasy defenseman in the NHL right now. Even if Sekera cools off just a bit the risk is worth it. Expect about a half of a point per game from Sekera the rest of the season with a solid plus/minus rating.

Al Montoya Is A Top 20 Netminder

In just eight games started former top ten pick Al Montoya has amassed some staggering numbers.

Analysis: A sub 2.00 goals against average will grab anyones attention but doing it on the Islanders is a different kind of animal and that is exactly what Montoya is doing. Montoya has a sub 2 goals against average with a save percentage north of .93 with 5 wins in just 8 starts. He really is one of the most athletic goalies in the game today and it’s ashame it took him so long in the AHL to hone his talents. Montoya will be getting the majority of the starts as the season winds down and his availability in most leagues leaves many with decisions to make at goaltender. At this point Montoya projects better than James Reimer and Craig Anderson going forward but lags slightly behind Cam Ward.

Projection: Al Montoya will win more than half of his starts the rest of the year. His GAA should bump up a bit into the 2.4 range and his save percentage should fall near 92%. Al Montoya will be a top 20 netminder the rest of the season and he can give your secondary goaltending numbers a real boost.