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Hype Watch- Stalberg

The Chicago Blackhawks are playing great but is the Viktor Stalberg hype deserving?

Analysis: Viktor Stalberg is having a solid year, 13 points in 24 games. He is a plus-9 and has 59 shots on goal. Obviously he is going to be picked up in some leagues but the amount of attention he is receiving seems to negate what he doesn’t do from a fantasy perspective.

Stalberg has only posted 1 power play point this year and had 0 last year in 79 games. This is a surprising stat since he has spent at least a few minutes per game on the man advantage over the past few weeks. We also have to take into consideration that he’s only getting 14 minutes of ice time per game and that number isn’t going to go up unless there are even more injuries in Chicago. Stalberg doesn’t rack up the penalty minutes either which is what you would like from guys who only produce at a half point per game.

He currently ranks as the 99th best fantasy forward this year but if his shots or plus/minus take a hit he will be worthless. The hype isn’t justified but he is a fine fantasy option for now.

Under The Radar- Bobrovsky

Sergei Bobrovsky’s play has been very good as of late as he continues to fly under the fantasy radar.

Analysis: Bobrovsky has allowed two or fewer goals in six of his last eight starts. Unfortunately he only has three wins in that eight game span. Regardless of Columbus’ inability to score, Bobrovsky has been extremely impressive. Over the last two weeks Bobrovsky is the 12th rated fantasy goaltender. What is even more surprising is that he is available in 70-80% of fantasy leagues.

Bobrovsky has only played in 14 of Columbus’ games this year but look for him to get increased playing time over the next few months. His save percentage and goals against average is significantly better than Steve Mason who has seen action in 11 games this year.

With injuries to Craig Anderson, Cam Ward(long term) and Martin Brodeur you have to consider Bobrovsky even if Columbus can’t score. You really don’t know what you are going to get from Anders Lindack or even Brian Elliott right now, so don’t count on those guys going forward although Tampa’s offense may keep Lindback relevant.

Sticking With Gonchar

Sergei Gonchar may only have one point in his last nine games but he is still producing in other fantasy areas.

Analysis: Despite his lack of points production Sergei Gonchar is still a must own. He’s twentieth in the NHL among defensemen in shots with 42 despite missing three games earlier this year. Gonchar is also twenty-third among NHL defensemen in ice time per game at 24:14. He is a plus-2 thus far this year but I wouldn’t expect much more than that due to the significant injuries on the Ottawa squad. The points and especially the power play points will come as Gonchar continues to get tons of minutes on the power play.

A few owners have dropped Gonchar because of his points production… don’t make the same mistake. His shots and ice time are elite and he will only hurt you in penalty minutes which isn’t that bad of a thing. Gonchar has outperformed Marek Zidlicky, Justin Faulk and John Carlson over the past two weeks despite being dropped. Gonchar is available in 5-30% of fantasy leagues so pick him up now before he starts scoring again.

Stock Rising- Trevor Ariza

Trevor Ariza’s minutes are on the rise in Washington and so are his numbers.

Analysis: Ariza has averaged over 30 minutes per game over the past five games and in that span Ariza is averaging 2.2 3PM, 1.8 SPG, 15.8 PPG and 4.4 RPG. He has always been a great asset in the three point and steal departments when he’s getting minutes but he does have his flaws. Ariza is shooting 41% from the field this year and is only shooting 42% from the field for his career. He does get banged up more than most but he is a disposable piece on any fantasy team.

Ariza does have shooting guard/small forward eligibility so you can fill him in where the need is greatest on your squad. As long as he’s getting around 30 minutes per game like he was with the Hornets the last two years then his steals and threes will be there for you. His 4.4 rebounds per game this season is a fine number for a fantasy shooting guard as well. He’s available in 60-80% of fantasy leagues and he is worth a look while his minutes remain on the high end.

Low Risk- Martin Havlat

Martin Havlat has just one point in his last eleven games.

Analysis: As a result of this terrible slump Havlat has become available in over half of fantasy hockey leagues. Although Havlat only has six points this year he isn’t minus-4 or minus-8, he actually has a plus-1 rating. He has over forty shots on goal and is averaging sixteen minutes of ice time per game so he does have some value in those areas.

But what we really have to consider is the potential. He’s still only thirty-one years old so we know his skills are not declining rapidly although he isn’t quite the speedster he used to be. Havlat has scored over fifty points seven times in his career and he is a career plus-68. He is a proven winger and worth the risk(if he has not burned you already).

When he gets it going his goals and assists will be there and his ice time and power play opportunities will be there for fantasy owners as well. It is hard to have patience in such a short NHL season but Havlat’s upside may be worth a pick up.