damien brunner – McKeen's Hockey

Fantasy Hockey Waiver Watch

Peter Harling — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 02:03:45 +0000

By now your fantasy hockey draft is done and you are feeling good about your team. No doubt you used the McKeens yearbook to find great value picks and stat stuffing players. Now it is time to move into the second stage of your plan to win the fantasy hockey championship.

While the 2013 NHL season is still in its infant stages only one week in, it is time to evaluate the reality of some of your draft picks in comparison to the reality of their early performance. Chances are, prior to your draft all you had to go on in later rounds were preseason performances, hype and prognostication. Some of those late risky picks may have panned out, some may have not. Perhaps you gambled and lost on players who were returned to junior and are gone for the year. Perhaps they were merely sent to the AHL, they may be back, but when?

Bottom line is if you have a player on your roster who is under performing, injured or not in the league, don’t wait too long to replace him because it may be too late. If your league has a waiver wire or free agency option, it is too late to pick up Tomas Hertl now, but here are some players you need to consider adding to your team.

1. Dave Bolland - Toronto Maple Leafs, Centre 45.7% owned on Fantrax

After scoring the Cup winning goal a few months ago Bolland is brimming with confidence. Perhaps even more importantly, he has the confidence of his Coach. As a result he is getting more ice time than Nazem Kadri and playing on the Leafs second line with Joffrey Lupul and Mason Raymond. Even Don Cherry was comparing him to Doug Gilmour on Hockey Night in Canada. In four games, Bolland has two goals (one game winner and a PP goal), one assist, is a plus -2, and has eight shots on goal, 12 hits and 32 faceoff wins. In multi category leagues he is dominating.

2. Damien Brunner - New Jersey Devils, Right Wing 64.6% owned

Unsigned all summer as a UFA he was a KHL flight risk and went highly undrafted in most fantasy drafts. He was on a PTO with the Devils and was signed prior to the season. With 26 points in 44 games last season and four points in four games including three goals already he is a solid pick up. Brunner is playing with Ryan Clowe and Loktionov on the second line.

3. Jamie McGinn – Colorado Avalanche, Left Wing 39% owned

McGinn is off to a strong start scoring two goals and two assists in the first three games. He is averaging 15 minutes a night playing on a line with first overall pick Nathan MacKinnon, and P.A. Parenteau and the line has great chemistry

4. Vladimir Sobotka – St. Louis Blues, Centre 18.8% owned

Another strong start and another player who has the confidence of his Coach. Sobotka is playing mainly fourth line with Lapierre and Reaves and kill penalties. Don’t expect his three points in two game scoring pace to maintain over a whole season, but he is a viable 30 point producer and is currently winning 78% of his face offs as well

5. Tommy Wingels – San Jose Sharks, Right Wing 17.4% owned

Tomas Hertl is getting all the attention in San Jose, but Wingels has quietly scored three points in his first three games playing on the third line with Joe Pavelski and Matt Nieto. Only scored 13 points in 42 games last season, but has 30 point potential.

6. Alex Killorn – Tampa Bay Lightning, Left Wing 39.3% owned

The 24 year old Harvard man has shown an NHL scoring touch in the NHL already with 19 points in 38 games last year and already has two points in three this year. He is playing on a line with Valtteri Filppula and Ted Purcell. Killorn could score 40 points.

7. Mark Scheifele – Winnipeg Jets, Centre 66.5% owned

The seventh overall and first pick in Jets history has apparently finally made the Jets and looks very impressive on a line with Evander Kane and Devin Setoguchi. He is a Calder candidate with 40 point potential.

8. T.J. Galiardi – Calgary Flames, Left Wing 16.4% owned

Galiardi has found his rookie season production in his hometown in Calgary playing on a line with Jiri Hudler and Mikael Backlund. He has three points in four games and is playing over 14 minutes a game. Injuries have been a concern in the past, but if he can stay healthy he could produce over 30 points.

9. Radek Dvorak – Carolina Hurricanes 9% owned

The 36 year old winger was all but forgotten in fantasy drafts as he was an unsigned UFA. After being invited to Carolinas training camp, he has earned a contract and is playing on the third line with Jeff Skinner and Riley Nash. He has two goals in his first three games.

10.Mark Arcobello – Edmonton Oilers, Centre 17.8% owned

Arcobello played last season with Oklahoma in the AHL between Eberle and Hall during the lockout. He scored 68 points in 74 games. Given the injuries to RNH and Gagner he has started the season with Edmonton and is playing with Eberle and Perron and has two points in three games.

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.

Players To Watch – Preview 12-13

Iain Morrell — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 20:06:51 +0000

BREAKOUTs & HIDDEN gems

DREW DOUGHTY, D, LA
Fully capable of much more as he showed in commanding playoff performance

JAKUB VORACEK, RW, PHI
Czech winger likely moves to top line replacing his departed idol Jaromir Jagr

DAMIEN BRUNNER, RW, DET
Wings hope to have found a gem to replace Jiri Hudler in Swiss scoring star

JAMIE BENN, C, DAL
Should see more power play time with Mike Ribeiro gone, and hit career highs

JONATHAN BERNIER, G, LA
Could get chance to be a starter depending on how Kings grant trade request

ADAM LARSSON, D, NJ
Look for his bold offensive side to steadily emerge as his comfort level rises

TYLER SEGUIN, RW, BOS
Will again be a 'drool' pick for poolies given likelihood of a another big jump

ZACH BOGOSIAN, D, WPG
Look for a 10-goal 40-point year in fifth term as he continues to 'figure it out'

J VAN RIEMSDYK, LW, TOR
JVR gets a fresh start here to establish himself as a legitimate top-six scorer

JEFF SKINNER, LW, CAR
Could be beneficiary of Canes' bulked-up offense after painful sophomore dip

KRIS LETANG, D, PIT
Only an injury should sidetrack what should be a career-best breakout effort

T.J. OSHIE, RW, STL
Can only benefit as he matures along with a burgeoning surrounding cast

ALEX GOLIGOSKI, D, DAL
Talented quarterback will relish the added powerplay weapons at his disposal

VICTOR HEDMAN, D, TB
Starting to tap offensive creativity - and the extra blueline manpower will help

ANDERS NILSSON, G, NYI
Ongoing Isles' goaltending quagmire may find a Swedish solution at some point

CAM ATKINSON, RW, CBJ
Re-vitalized the Blue Jackets with his aggressive forecheck and clinical shooting

BRAYDEN SCHENN, LW, PHI
Will settle in as sophomore - with big brother Luke's arrival an added bonus

MIKKEL BOEDKER, LW, PHX
Turned into a great Dane with eye-opening speed and courage in playoffs

KYLE TURRIS, C, OTT
Advancing strength and conditioning - should translate into a breakout fifth year

TYLER ENNIS, C, BUF
Tiny dynamo looks to get back on track after being derailed by injury in `11-12

DMITRI KULIKOV, D, FLA
Made important defensive gains last season beside stable partner Mike Weaver

FRANS NIELSEN, C, NYI
Underrated Dane has continued to develop into a standout two-way player

DMITRI ORLOV, D, WSH
Assumes increased duties without Wideman, building on impressive NHL debut

COLIN WILSON, LW, NSH
Emerged late in the playoffs after beginning post-season as a healthy scratch

ROMAN CERVENKA, C, CGY
Flames are banking on Czech star to pick up Olli Jokinen's second-line spot

DEREK STEPAN, C, NYR
Emerging playmaker can only benefit from another marquee scorer to feed

KYLE PALMIERI, RW, ANA
Made vital defensive gains - and Ducks need next wave of scorers to step up

BEN BISHOP, G, OTT
Dominated the AHL in `11-12 and is game if starter Craig Anderson slips up