Fantasy Hockey Waiver Watch

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 18 Oct 2013 03:40:12 +0000

The NHL season is closing in on the ten game mark and the injuries are starting to pile up. Max Pacioretty, Rick Nash, James Neal and Dan Boyle are just a few of the players currently injured. Chances are you have one or two players injured or even just under performing or demoted to the minors. Here are five players you should consider if they are available in your league.

1. Mathieu Perreault – Anaheim Ducks, Centre 37.5% Owned

Perreault was traded in late September from Washington to Anaheim for John Mitchell and a 2014 fourth round pick. While in Washington, he was a third liner and even a healthy scratch at times. In Anaheim, he is the second line centre between Teemu Selanne and Jakob Silfverberg. In six games this season he has two goals, three assists, is a plus-3 with 11 shots on goal. He is also a reasonably cheap player with a cap just over one million. Prior to the start of the season, he was only 8% owned, don’t hesitate to pick him up if he is still available as his position on the second line looks secure.

2. Andre Benoit – Colorado Avalanche, Defense 26.6% Owned

Benoit had his first real taste on NHL action playing as a regular for Ottawa last season. He played 33 games of the short 48 game schedule and quietly produced an impressive three goals and seven assists. Signed as a free agent in the offseason in Colorado he is now a top four defender. It is unlikely he will lose that spot once the injured Ryan Wilson returns. In seven games in Colorado, Benoit has three assists, is a plus -5, nine shots on goal and is averaging 18:34 minutes a game and 2:38 minutes on the powerplay. The Avalanche are off to a hot start, so Benoit will not be a secret for long.

3. Mike Santorelli – Vancouver Canucks, Right Wing 25.9% Owned

Santorelli has been a journeyman playing on four teams in four NHL seasons with a career year to date coming back in 2010-2011 with Florida when he scored 20 goals and 41 points in 82 games. He is off to a hot start with four goals and two assists in eight games and has even been playing with the Sedin twins. With the injury to Alex Burrows, it is conceivable that Santorelli continues to ride shotgun with the twins. If so, expect his fantasy production to continue. With a cap hit of $550K what have you got to lose?

4. Tye McGinn – Philadelphia Flyers, Left Wing 17.1% Owned

McGinn debuted last year with Philly scoring five points in his first 11 games. Unfortunately he finished with five points in 18 games. He started the season in the AHL but has been recalled and played in three games so far. He is off to another hot start with three goals, seven shots and five hits. His cap hit is a very comfortable $775K and so far has been playing with Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek since the Coaching change to Craig Berube. McGinn could be a steal!

5. Rob Klinkhammer – Phoenix Coyotes, Left Wing 11.9% Owned

A late blooming power forward, Klinkhammer is a big 6’3” and 214 pound winger with three goals and one assist in seven games. Klinkhammer has seen his point totals in the AHL rise steadily in the last three years up to 44 points in 53 games last year. He is playing on a line with Shane Doan and Antoine Vermette, so if he can hold that roster spot, he may continue to produce points. At $625K, it is a small risk to take.

Season Opening Returns

Robert Howard — Sat, 05 Oct 2013 20:30:27 +0000

Too early in the season to draw many more conclusions other than what was learned in training camp but there are some notable opening performances and rising expectations. Early season revelations generally make attractive waiver wire pickups or trade targets – or trade fodder depending on how enthusiastic your competitors are. Experienced poolies are well aware that the first ten games of the season can produce some whacky results and unlikely heroes. Providing good trade opportunities for slow starters in exchange for some early season darlings.

Enjoying the energy to start this season from the over analysis of Nazem Khadri’s ice time to Patrick Roy’s explosive NHL return. Bush league or not it embodied the pent up excitement for a full NHL season after last season’s lockout year. Proceed cautiously in the early going but here are a few intriguing starts:

Alex Tanguay won a Stanley Cup alongside Patrick Roy’s Conn Smythe performance as a 21 year old in Colorado with a heroic seventh game. Roy is now leaning on his former teammate with power play duty on the point and a scoring role alongside Statsny and Landeskog (Mitchell ably filled in for an injured Landeskog last night). There may be much tinkering before anything is finalized in Colorado as a new coach gets to know his team but he is deploying four forwards on two set power play units alternating equally as 1A and 1B this season. Tanguay and off season free agent signing Andre Benoit ($900,000) form one unit while Erik Johnson and P.A. Parenteau man the other. Benoit has yet to register a point but leads the team after two games in total time on ice and is second it total power play time behind Johnson. The 29 year old saw power play time in Ottawa last season in Karlsson’s absence after a career as a stay at home defender. He has caught Roy’s eye with his speed and seems firmly entrenched in the top four in Colorado. Talented Tyson Barrie is the odd man out under the current power play scenarios. He has played well and can still emerge on one of the top units before the season is out.

There is more to Roy tapping his old friend to provide some veteran leadership to a young, talented team. Tanguay is in good shape to start the season and at 33 has some offense left to offer. His genuine enthusiasm for his role suggests a productive season ahead on a team that will be pushing the offensive pace.

Top three forward lines last night for Colorado: Mitchell-Statsny-Tanguay, O’Reilly-Duchene-Downie, McGinn-Mackinnon- Parenteau

Mikhail Grabovski after being unceremoniously bought out by the Leafs and hanging out there for a while as a free agent appears to be another case of falling into perfect circumstances. He has always been an underrated player with strong possession numbers. His role and relationship with Coach Carlyle kept his offensive opportunities limited last season largely starting in the defensive zone. He has meshed beautifully on the power play already with Ovechkin, Backstrom and Green in a unit that looks scary and dominating early in the season. Currently tied for the league lead in scoring with teammate Ovechkin his three goals have come on four shots compared to Ovie’s 20. Keep it all in perspective but looks good for a 50 point season.

Oveckin appears to be starting exactly where he left off last season and the Oates led Caps look like fantasy gold again. A major beneficiary of the resurgence will be Marcus Johansson manning the left wing with Backstrom and Ovechkin having signed a two year contract before the season for $4 million. Keeping pace and looking comfortable in the early going he may be attainable or available in many pools and worth floating an offer.

Evander Kane was dominating last night with a goal and two assists carrying his line and showing the elite level he is capable of. Is it a preview of a breakout season? Too early to tell but he was flying.

Damien Brunner is quickly establishing himself as a central piece of the Devils attack with two goals and an impressive 12 shots on goal in the first two games.

Justin Faulk served notice in the first game contributing points to both Hurricane goals. The 21 year old has been progressing steadily on his way to stardom and finished second on the team in ice time in the opener with 23:12 including 2:29 on the power play. The end to Joni Pitkanen’s season has opened up an opportunity to realize a breakout season in his third NHL campaign. It is a long season for young defensemen but his quickly growing maturity may put him ahead of the curve and worth a pitch before his emergence is a bigger story.

Andre Benoit – McKeen's Hockey

Fantasy Hockey Waiver Watch

Season Opening Returns