Adam OatesDon’t look now but Adam’s back! Should you pick him up? Well, he’s a 41 year old playmaker coming off a disappointing year. That said, Oates still has hands like buttah. The problem with picking up the aging pivot is that he probably won’t see the ice time that a number one center will. The Oilers will use him more with the man advantage than at even strength. A better strategy for your team might be to look at those who may benefit from his quarterbacking the power play.
Ales Hemsky is a top candidate who may still be available. In any event, if you have Oilers in your lineup, Oates should bring their values up a notch.
Teemu Selanne
Paul Karyia and Peter Forsberg’s injuries are driving fantasy managers crazy. Owners of these two superstars have been crying in their beers, especially when it was learned that the former Anaheim captain would be sidelined indefinitely for a SECOND time with a sore wrist. As sad as that is, it gets even worse for fantasy owners. The forgotten loser in this sad awful mess has been Teemu Selanne. It was bad enough when he lost his left winger to injury. But when Forsberg went down, Teemu lost Joe Sakic as his center as well. With Sakic moving up between Tanguay and Hedjuk, Teemu has been the fifth wheel. To his credit he has put up respectable numbers, and he has potted 2 game winning goals in his last three games. It’s just that we expected so much more from him this year. Here’s hoping his teammates heal up quickly.
Alex Tanguay
Raise your hand if you thought Tanguay was going to be Colorado’s top scorer this year (let alone the league's top point getter). In terms of Colorado’s depth chart, this guy was way down on the list. Kudos to you if you drafted him low. He’s the real deal.
Keith Tkachuk
I have always been a big admirer of Tkachuk. He plays hard and does all the right things. He’s one of the league’s most dangerous snipers and a dominant force when he gets into a groove. Having said that, I’ve never drafted him for one of my fantasy squads. He never seems to stay healthy and even when he does; he goes out and pulls some boneheaded move like getting himself suspended. Last year it was for ten games. This time around he got three for trying to break somebody in half. Here’s hoping he (and his buddy Doug Weight) can stay in the lineup the rest of the season.
John Grahame
Backup alert! At the begining of the season John Grahame was given a hefty raise and there were grumblings that Nikolai Khabibulin might be shipped out of Tampa as he is in the final year of his contract. Such has not been the case as 'The Wall' has been solid all season. However, Grahame has made the most of his opportunities. He has been outstanding for the Lightning with a GAA. under 2.00! He may not start many games but his stats are sparkling. If you need a backup, he's probably available.
Marc-Andre Fleury
If you have him, sell him fast. He's facing way too many shots and he's already starting to wear down. Moreover, the cash strapped Penguins may be forced to send him to the minors in order to avoid paying him the incentive clauses in his contract. What a sad state of affairs the Penguins are in.
Pavel Datsyuk
Datsyuk scored an incredible goal last week that brought back memories of vintage Denis Savard. He has shown himself to be a bit of a streaky player and he’s starting to heat up. He now has six points in his last 5 games and has been really fun to watch. A lot of people aren’t convinced that he’s for real yet. If you’re working on a trade with his owner, see if you can’t con him into giving you Datsyuk as a throw-in.
Hope you bought low:
A few weeks ago I mentioned a couple of players who I said would heat up after humble beginnings. After a slow start Jarome Iginla has quietly put up 12 points in his last 13 games. As for Mats Sundin, he has averaged a point per game over his last 15. These are two examples of why it is important to remain patient with your star players. As I’ve said time and again: BUY LOW.
