Florida Panthers: Big Cats with no Claws

Florida Panthers: Big Cats with no Claws (posted 11.26.06)

by David Burstyn

To say the Panthers like playing in the hot climate of Florida would be an under statement. Currently sitting in the Southeast division basement, their road record is one of the worst in the league. But their problems don't just start there, they have surrendered the second most goals in the East division and their PK units have simply not gotten the job done. There are a few bright spots for the Panthers as they have several young players itching to establish themselves and earn more minutes.

Jay Bouwmeester - Defense

Exploded in his third season to post respectable numbers, including the second highest assist total for a Panther defenseman in a season with 41 .. has played over 200 games and is hardly considered a prospect anymore but is only 23 and is playing in his fourth season .. registered a plus rating last year for the first time in his career, albeit a plus 1 .. a smooth and sensational skater, whose effortless stride and skating style is one of the best in the league .. seeing the ice much better but still prone to some mental errors .. his first pass resulted in a goal which actually sprang Salei of all players on a break away .. makes cautious plays to vacate the puck from the zone however was pressured hard by Buffalo as they saw him as an imminent threat and their game plan was to attack him constantly .. was beaten cleanly on a few occasions as fast Sabre forwards proved to be difficult for him to contain .. offensively he does not gamble, it does not suit his game but he is slowly lending his name to the score sheet more often .. has already established himself as one of the premier defenseman in the league and his offensive ceiling continues to flourish ..

Bryan Allen - Defense

Joins the Panthers following the Luongo trade and gives the blue line instant mobility and size .. a former first round selection, ironically taken at fourth overall in 98 where Luongo was a fourth overall selection in 97 .. a big player who can skate and keep up with the play, offensively his hands are raw but he does an admirable job of controlling the play at the line in PP situations .. smart positioning result in his increased minutes especially in PK situations where his size covers and blocks shooting lanes and he does not get beaten down low as he is physically strong and can remove players instantly .. slowly maturing into the player he was in junior a reliable defensive defenseman that can eat up 22 to 24 minutes a game ..

Mike Van Ryn - Defense

The Panthers most skilled offensive defenseman .. has posted 37 points the past two seasons and shows offensive consistency in his game .. boasts strong puck skills as his play on the PP is dangerous due to a stinging shot that gets through, creates many assists by means of his shot .. has a tendency to pinch too often and it resulted in two break aways on a single shift, one in which he had to hook Vanek resulting in a penalty shot .. has good speed but still takes bad penalties in his inability to keep up .. still could be a little stronger as his work down low did very little to halt an attack ..

Stephen Weiss - Center

Yet another 4th overall selection, this time in the 2001 draft .. has failed to establish himself as a scoring threat however he is very smart away from the puck .. at times he suffers from bouts of inconsistency and laziness but when he plays he is quite effective ..has deceptive speed and change of gears .. over handles the puck and sometimes needs to simplify his game as he is at his best when he makes quick passes and distributes the puck up the ice .. an effective PK player, he establishes good position in the defensive zone and gives up very little in terms of ice .. prefers to keep players to the outside as opposed to board battles as his upper body strength is not quite there .. slowly emerging but needs to show the same effort on a nightly basis ..

Rostislav Olesz - Center

Missed 17 games last year with a strained MCL, although he produced at close to a half a point clip last year .. has offensive tools and a great set of wheels to enable him many scoring chances however he fails to take advantage of his shot and it is his downfall .. always looks to pass, still does not shoot as he has amassed only 26 shots in 20 contests this season .. his decision making must come into question when he keeps repeating the same mistakes that stunt his development .. played on a more shut down unit and seems to be content to play a third line role with limited minutes as he did very little offensively to create due to a lack of confidence .. skating is a plus as he is smooth and can freely navigate the ice with his speed, which helps in his defensive role .. management is expecting more offensively from him and while he is still very young he needs to show more jam and urgency to produce goals ..

Nathan Horton – Right Wing

Is a more of a goal scorer than he is a playmaker as he is the youngest player in franchise history to score a goal .. he relies heavily upon players getting him the puck so he can bury his chances .. needs to play more desperate in front as he was knocked off the puck far too easily .. his shots were off the mark as he rushed them and they proved to be very predicable .. not a dynamic skater he tends to get behind in the play and was very slow in getting back to help the defence .. is a force down low and around the net as his power and strength are his best assets .. he should continue to add some bulk to his frame however he lacks intelligence and appears to be a bang and crash type player whose style may have been better suited a few years ago as opposed to the new NHL, that being said he will still get his points but offensively his potential has already been established with his ceiling being about 50 points ..

AHL: Mr. Chipchura (posted 11.25.06)

by David Burstyn

Ryan O'Byrne (Mtl), D, Hamilton

Big rear guard is adjusting slowly to his first year of pro .. displays healthy skating mobility and acceleration for a player of his size .. better suited to keep the puck out then put the puck in as his massive frame is good at eliminating players from the crease or keeping them pinned to the outside .. he did have some trouble containing smaller players on the rush, as he had to let them go due to the new rule changes which hurt his game a little bit .. his puck skills are still quite raw as he coughs up the puck when he is pressured, he lacks the ability to make a good first pass .. he needs to make faster decisions with the puck and at times seems over whelmed with it .. coming along slowly but is an attractive prospect that will need a few more years of seasoning.

Duncan Milroy (Mtl), RW, Hamilton

Fourth year pro is making considerable strides in his game after an extensive training program in the off season .. the work has paid off as he looks stronger and faster .. his game is slowly maturing and he is becoming more consistent, something his game was lacking .. makes healthy plays with the puck, does not just throw it away .. efficient stride and increased speed has allowed him to chase down the opposition .. while the Montreal organization is loaded with several young forwards his renewed commitment to the game is pleasing and should bode well for a call up, should it occur.

Kyle Chipchura (Mtl), C, Hamilton

Second year in the AHL after a brief stint last year in which he played eight games .. has shown maturity in his game and is getting more acclimatized to the pace of the league .. throws his weight around and is strong and steady on his feet .. skating is still a concern, he is not gifted but he is economical in his stride and does not expend too much energy which helps his overall game .. positioning has improved as he is a consciences two-way threat .. scored his first goal on the season by making nice moves in traffic and sliding it low stick side for a backhand .. showed puck skills and creativity in the goal .. overall his puck skills could use some refinement as he is slowly becoming a player that could eat up 11 to 13 minutes in the NHL in a third or fourth line role capacity.

Mikhail Grabovski (Mtl), C, Hamilton

The generously listed at 5'11 forward has dynamic speed and agility that set him apart as one of the more skilled players on the team .. he is shifty and can make moves at top speed however too many times his rushes result in very little getting done .. he is a tad selfish and makes passes that put his team mates into bad spots .. needs to distribute the puck faster and see his options open up sooner .. plays more of an individual game than a team game as his adjustment to the North American game is gradually coming along .. his puck skills and finishing abilities do not come into question however his small stature and lack of physical involvement prohibit him from taking full advantage of his skills .. he is a few years removed from playing in the NHL.

Corey Locke (Mtl), C, Hamilton

Has put up good numbers in each of the last two seasons as his point totals have improved .. his offensive skills are not an issue, his consistency is, as he plays a few shifts very hard and then does not show the same intensity the next .. at times he seems a step behind the play or he is out of sync, this could be a direct result of him not moving his feet .. certainly a smart player and knows what to do with the puck, he makes clever passes and has shown increased patience with the puck that has improved his game as opposed to him getting rid of it as he did in his rookie season .. has a good shot .. defensively he gets involved .. Locke is a good player but I question his NHL calibre.

Maxim Lapierre (Mtl), C, Hamilton

If anyone deserves a chance to play in the NHL it is him .. he comes to work everyday at the rink and his work ethic is what sets him apart .. good skating technique, he is fluid and shows good acceleration, has good speed but not high end .. a threat to score every shift .. his hands are good but it is his determination to get the puck that opens up room for others, his +/- is one of the best on the team for obvious reasons .. he works hard down low and registered an assist as the defenders could not contain him as he kept banging away at the puck before it popped out in front for a goal .. plays tough too, does not back down .. his anticipation skills also help to compliment his game .. no doubt he will be playing in the NHL as he just does too much not to get a shot.

Zack Stortini (Edm), W,C, Hamilton

Joins the Bulldogs for his first season .. rugged and tough he finishes checks and adds a physical side to the team .. likes to initiate contact and goes for open ice hits .. his skating is average to borderline poor .. his stride is choppy and he has not maximized his speed .. has limited vision as he plays with his head slightly down when handling the puck .. has scored goals this season by crashing the net and using his shot which is ok.

Tim Ramholt (Cgy), D, Omaha

Swiss defender is not overwhelming in any area of his game but is consistent .. unless you look for him he is likely to go unnoticed as he has a casual and simple approach to the game .. swift skater, he is strong on his skates and can make decent decisions with the puck .. good job of putting the puck in his feet and shielding off players when line mates did not get into position, thus displaying his intelligence .. offensively he does not have skills that are outstanding, he has an ok shot from the point and sees the ice well enough to make a good pass out of the zone, very efficient.

Brett Palin (Cgy), D, Omaha

Captain of the Memorial Cup winning Kelowna Rockets (2004) is still learning the ropes in the league after playing 64 games last year in his debut season .. big presence on the back end he is relied upon more for his ability to defend .. getting more comfortable handling the puck but is still partial to give aways in the neutral zone .. his decision making in the offensive zone needs to be tweaked as his pinches are poor .. has decent mobility and foot speed that allows him to keep up, big Western boy will have to bide his time.

Kris Chucko (Cgy), RW, Omaha

Former first rounder showed little to impress as his skating is simply not up to par for the AHL yet alone the new NHL .. hunched over style and poor acceleration with literally no 1st step quickness really hurt him keep up with plays .. plays a power forward game as his work down low is admirable and he can get to the net with relative ease, and more importantly stay there .. tries to hit guys but he lacks the strength as he bounced off players and did not have the proper follow through .. Coach tried to motivate his play by placing better line mates in an attempt to generate offence but was unsuccessful .. has a long way to go.

Dustin Boyd (Cgy),C, Omaha

Showing the Flames brass more and more that he is a legitimate player capable of playing on the second line .. he creates with the puck however at times I wish he were more selfish, as he passed up on some good scoring opportunities .. he has a decent shot and he likes to get it off in traffic hoping for a deflection or to catch the goalie by surprise .. shifty and small he goes into scoring areas and is not afraid to pay the price to make a play .. attacks when he sees an opening as he can get surprising speed from a skating stride that does not look to be so explosive .. defensively he always comes back and it is not uncommon for him to go into the corners and retrieve the puck behind his own goal after he just finished making a play in front of the opposition's net .. works well down low and in open ice situations, offensively he is the Flames best prospect.

Andrei Taratukhin (Cgy), C, Omaha

Offensive catalyst that makes plays with his intelligent approach to the game .. shifty and fast he can change directions on a dime and this really helps him to power over the opposition .. employs head fakes and deft stick handling to give the illusion he is going one way and fool defenders .. plays an aggressive game in the defensive zone, as he is everywhere and is relentless in his puck pursuit .. his shot is average and if it had more power to it he would be a very dangerous player nevertheless he is able to produce .. however his contributions at the NHL level will be reduced slightly .. as mentioned earlier by other McKeen's scouts he has the potential to play in a third or fourth line capacity as his effort and skill make him an NHL player.

Eric Nystrom (Cgy), LW, Omaha

Returned to Omaha following a brief stint with the Flames .. a healthy skater he is not overly fast but he is sensationally smooth .. has a nose for the net and will get involved to make a play .. his strength is his keen anticipation skills .. he is able to read plays and uses that to his advantage in terms of positioning .. goes to where the puck will be not where it is .. he doesn't have high end offensive skills but he can shoot the puck and created many chances with an active stick and strong positioning in the offensive zone as he put himself strategically between the defender and the forward minimizing the defenders options and jumping on pucks when they became available, was especially effective in the neutral zone .. shows the intelligence needed to play at a higher level however his offensive ceiling is still quite low.

Fair Trading Doesn't Reap Rewards (posted 11.24.06)

by Gus Katsaros

We're number one! We're number one! In a shocking development, over the weekend, McKeen's Hockey overtook Darryl 'Dobber' Dobbs of The Hockey News for sole possession of first place overall in the ICE experts league.

Andrew Raycroft returned to game action against the NY Islanders but I get worried about the impact a nagging groin injury may have over the course of a season. With the lack of quality goaltenders available and high sticker prices on acquiring a front line goalie in a trade, I will have to rely on the R&R combination for the time being. Picked up Johan Holmqvist of the Lightning, but that is more of a safety precaution, rather than a move to really bolster the lineup.

Penalty minutes is the one category that McKeen's is lacking. A drastic measure might be in order, but I am reluctant to add a player strictly for PIM's, only to remove a proven point producer from the lineup. Although every other category is fairly competitive, the difference between first and fourth is a thin margin. With so many games being played in the next few weeks, McKeen's will ride the skater categories, and reevaluate the penalty minute situation at a later date.

Streaking and Stinking

This section is where you will find the best and worst of the period.

Streaking …

Jamie Langenbrunner, RW, New Jersey

Playing on a line with Zach Parise – who has made tremendous strides this season – and Travis Zajac (see below) have been a great benefit for the longest name in hockey. Known for his timely playoff scoring, sometimes he gets overlooked in the regular season. Owners have been singing his praises in the recent past. Not only is he finding open space, but pin point passes from both the talented Zach Parise and rookie Travis Zajac have contributed to his recent point streak. New Jersey guns, Patrick Elias and Brian Gionta have struggled in the absence of Scott Gomez, but this second line of Langenbrunner, Parise and Zajac have eased managements minds.

Rod Brind'Amour, C, Carolina

'The Bod' wasn't drafted by the experts. Many believed that last season's totals were an aberration, and with Brindy's age reaching the inclusion of a '4', his contributions were grossly underestimated. After starting the season without registering a point (4-0-0-0, minus-2, 11 shots) he has only had three games without a point (Oct 20th vs Buffalo, Nov 2 vs Montreal, Nov 22 vs NY Rangers) intermingled with eight multiple point games. An increase to ice time, back to the level during the stretch and playoffs, (he led Carolina in TOI – the only forward to do so in the league) and playing with red-hot Ray Whitney has certainly helped his point production and provided leadership beyond Carolina's expectations. His commitment to fitness (aided by Gary Roberts; they don't call him Rod 'The Bod' for nothing) have shown that he could not only be playing in the NHL, but contributing at a high level. Carolina will rely on Brindy, Whitney and Staal until reinforcements in the form of Frantisek Kaberle and Cory Stillman return from surgery. The Hurricanes took a few games to hit stride and they are now cruising along. Brind'Amour is not just a hot commodity, he is a front line player that will make his impact all season long.

Alexander Frolov, LW, Los Angeles

It's a good thing Frolov wears hockey gloves because his stick is so red-hot, it must be burning a hole through the leather palms. Posting three consecutive two-goal games is not a surprise to teammate Craig Conroy who mentioned how it would be a shame to see his streak end. He has made Conroy a better player recently, easing the trade rumors coming out of LA. Frolov started last season just as hot, with 12 goals in 22 games, only to disappear into the background, scoring nine times in the following 47, as well as playing through some nagging injuries.

Stinking …

Manny Fernandez, G, Minnesota

Letting in some bad goals in bad moments. It's the Belfour syndrome. Looking like a powerhouse over the first few games of the season, the Wild aren't too wild about his performances lately. This is a strong competitor, a proven, capable goaltender that has bounced back from adversity in the past. Owners should not fret, and don't go making any trades cause of a little slump. The Wild are still trying to find the balance between Lemaire's signature defense, and opening it up on the offensive side.

Eric Lindros, C, Dallas

Started the season off hot, but has dwindled along with the rest of the Stars offense. He has remained healthy enough to play in every game this season and enjoyed the lesser attention to the game in Dallas, compared to the media fish bowls of Philadelphia, New York and Toronto. The slide is temporary. Stars offense seemed to hit a wall in the recent weeks, but a turnaround is due. Eric has played a pivotal role thus far, dominating at times, timid in others. Injuries will be the only factor to derail him from a semi-comeback season.

Manny Legace, G, St. Louis

Overrated backstop lost his place in the Red Wings organization only to be given another shot with the Blues. Curtis Sanford, who should have had the opportunity to stake his claim to the number one role, has been challenging lately and the seesaw battle may see him take over permanently. Legace, too, is suffering through the bad goal at a bad time syndrome. Management may soon pull the starting plug on Legace making way for Sanford to claim the number one spot.

Keep An Eye On

Travis Zajac, C, New Jersey

Has flourished playing mostly with Zach Parise and recent addition Jamie Langenbrunner. Fromer NCAA and BCJHL all star has flourished at every level in his career, made an impression on the Devils in training camp to snag a roster spot to start the season. Given his age, he has shown remarkable poise and ability to execute at high speed. May not make a great impression in his first season, but is a key player to the Devils that are starved for offense after the Gionta/Gomez/Elias trio. Keep an eye out.

Wade Redden, D, Ottawa

Groins. The problem has plagued the defenseman's ability to use his smooth skating and long strides to lead the Senators transition game. Their power play has suffered, as has their even strength play. Redden made some glaring gaffes prior to removing himself from the lineup and missing four games. Groins are a problem that can nag throughout the season, so as a precautionary measure, Redden is not practicing, only playing in games, and performing off-ice rehab to the groin, which indicates that he is not 100% and may not have the impact anywhere close to what it was last season. Having lost Chara, he was to pick up the slack. So far, it's not looking good for the Senators blueline leader.

Antoine Vermette, LW, Ottawa

Inconsistent. The subject of trade rumors, Vermette's name appears among the players that rival General Managers consider when speaking to GM John Muckler. He has been streaky all season, struggling along with the rest of the Senators early on, before hitting stride lately with a noticeable increase in ice time. One of the few players who is able to execute at high speed, former Q scoring sensation looks more comfortable in a scoring role, although he learned defense at the NHL level thanks to departed bench boss Jacques Martin. Overall, he will provide streaky secondary scoring, as well as a role of shut down winger. Kills penalties, gets some power play time and is a threat killing penalties due to his afterburner type speed.

Chris Kunitz, LW, Anaheim

Kuntz has already surpassed the halfway mark to last season's totals (67-19-22-41) and has found a comfortable spot playing with Teemu Selanne and Andy McDonald. Even though he missed a game with a hand problem, he returned to score his first career hat-trick, which should be the first of many. Five-foot-eleven dynamo is strong on his skates, has learned to drive the net even better than last season, and has only played minimal amount of time off the first line. Breakout year is in progress and recommended as an addition on all rosters.

Andrew Raycroft, G, Toronto

Redden and Raycroft have the same problem. Raycroft's situation is more severe, since the goalies ability to get up and down will be severely hindered by a nagging issue like a groin. He has looked comfortable thus far, but beware of the groin and goalies. Admirable comeback from a horrid season with the B's last season can be derailed at any given moment. Be watchful.

Schedules

Teams with 4 games – Anaheim, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Florida, Los Angeles, Montreal, NY Islanders, Ottawa, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Washington

Teams with 3 games – Calgary, Carolina, Colorado, Columbus, Detroit, Edmonton, Minnesota, Nashville, New Jersey, NY Rangers, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Jose, Vancouver

Teams with 2 games –Buffalo, Chicago

Note* These are weekly games Friday-to-Thursday.

Games of Note

Friday features five games played during the day, not in the evening.

Carolina visits Boston at noon EST. Columbus visits Philadelphia at a 1 p.m. EST start time. Phoenix at Minnesota and Pittsburgh at NY Islanders start at 2 p.m. EST. New Jersey plays Anaheim at 4 p.m. EST which translates to a 1 p.m. start on the West Coast.

Five crossover games are featured in the week, with New Jersey continuing a four-game Western road swing with three games in four night (@Ana, @SJS, @LAK).

Chicago ends its Western road trip with a game against the Oilers before taking three days off. They host Dallas on Wednesday in their only two games this week.

Keep those Sabres in reserve. They play Friday hosting Montreal and on the road Sunday versus the Rangers in their only two games of the week.

Fair Trading Doesn't Reap Rewards (posted 11.24.06)

by Gus Katsaros

Thirty NHL General Managers met in Toronto last week, some brought along their team woes, like the Flyers, Senators and Flames. One would figure, with all that high-end brass, somebody would have been traded. Yet, nothing came out of these meetings.

That's the essence of trades, lots of talk, often just that, hot air. In fantasyland, just like the GM's meetings this week, deals can't always be worked out.

Something did occur in the GM meetings, however, that fantasy GM's could learn from in their own trade negotiations. A lot of seeds for future deals were planted this week. Some of those seeds can play out later in the season but more often than not, dead deals are added to the heap.

Fantasyland horror stories over the concept of trading recently include offers not addressing a need, nasty negotiations and plain terrible one-sided offers. This has potential to erode future relations.

An example in one instance, in a head-to-head league, one GM has received multiple offers for one of two stud goaltenders. This GM took the time to properly develop and work a draft strategy to be in the position to have two top-notch NHL goalies, complimented with a deep offensive selection. He did his homework and was stacked with no apparent glaring holes.

Offers would have to be blockbusters to pry a goalie from him because he simply did not have a need to fill in his lineup. Trade offers should be looking for a mutual need to fill, otherwise those negotiations are dead in the water, but it's surprising to hear of some of the worst trade offers.

Most offers this GM received were nowhere close to equal value, so each was rejected. Offer, after offer. The last straw occurred with a proposal substantially less than adequate, clearly one-sided and without regard as to addressing any need. The GM was subsequently bad mouthed across the league saying that he is 'impossible' to get a deal done. The GM shot back explaining the preparation to the draft and a strategy that he has been using since the season began.

If you can't address a need, don't make an offer. In the above case, the GM had no need to make any kind of deal. His needs were addressed, and any additions would be minor or off the waiver wire.

Another example, was when a GM proposed a one-for-one deal, forward for a forward. The proposed GM explained a need for a defenseman. The first counter proposal was for a number one defenseman and top three forward, offering players less than adequate. It didn't address a need. Rejected. Another offer, with a top six forward and number one defenseman, for more driftwood. Rejected. The final offer – the one that was finally accepted – was the original offer of the forward for a forward. One GM was trying to pry some good players offering driftwood in return. Following that episode, half the players offered in the driftwood category were subsequently put on waivers.

Trading is an art, one deemed to be beneficial for both parties. A deal is usually done when both GM's feel a need has been addressed. Another caveat is that a trade is not always the best situation and sometimes it's better to stick it out with the current lineup, rather than making any big sudden movements. GM's should respect the fact that other GM's will not make a deal, for the sake of making a deal. Be fair to your fellow poolies. Don't create bad blood by offering nothing for everything, and expecting a trade to get done.

Streaking and Stinking: (posted 11.23.06)

by Gus Katsaros

Streaking …

Teemu Selanne

Selanne started last season with 16-9-9-18 with six multiple-point games, and five games without a point, in essence scoring 18 pts in 11 games. This streaky play continued throughout the first half of the season and then ignited with a stellar second half.

That's what a fantasy GM will get from Selanne, good production sprinkled with pockets of gooseggs.

This season, he continues the streakiness and has come on as of late, even scoring the winning goal in consecutive games and doubled season points total with three goals and five assists over the Ducks' last five games (5-3-5-8). Regardless of the streaky factor, he is a player that shouldn't be removed from a roster.

Selanne gets prime icetime, takes lots of shots, averaging five per game recently, generates scoring chances and is getting help from linemate Andy McDonald, who is holding a hot hand with a six-game point streak snapped against the Canucks, but he is scoring some big late game goals.

Endures another linemate insertion every so often, with Chris Kunitz or Dustin Penner as a winger, which could have a rattling effect to a duo like Selanne/McDonald.

The amazing thing is that Selanne is averaging only around 17 minutes a game, with Rob Niedermayer (the other Niedermayer) and Samuel Pahlsson getting more ice time.

Ducks have gotten a point in every single game this season and grandpa Selanne, surrounded by ducklings has played a part, although frustrating some along the way. Add to that, he's four goals shy of 500 for a career and is playing an inspired brand of hockey, all season long, hitting a productive peak at the moment. He's looking for the early Christmas present passing the milestone. The anticipation that comes with achieving that milestone is an effective boost to anyone's play.

Stinking …

Mike Fisher, (Ott), C

The hard working, Fisher, is not doing the things that brought success in the past. Last season, with the Sens scoring in bunches and the big line getting all the attention, Fisher was able to capitalize on the newly found space. This season, he only scored in the three-game span, the blowout with the Devils and a two game thumping of the Leafs, with two goals four assists.

A lot was expected from Fisher after losing Martin Havlat and Bryan Smolinski and the organization believed he was ready to step in as the second line center. Scoring like a madman in the preseason solidified that expectation.

Now, the Sens are struggling and there are calls for action, anything!! Trade rumors have surfaced and even though Fisher's name isn't mentioned, the recent rumor of the Sens inquiring about Vancouver's Brendan Morrisson, or even Craig Conroy, indicates that the club is looking for a replacement.

He had a swollen foot in a game against the Montreal Canadiens, further hampering his chance of producing.

The hardest decision is what to do with Fisher. The Sens play a slew of games leading up to Christmas, which means he will still be getting his opportunities, but if he continues on this pace, he can find himself looking from the bench of a fantasy roster, instead of from the active roster.

Keep An Eye On

Lee Stempniak (StL), RW

The kid is legit. Hard work and four goals and six points in the past seven games, playing only 12:43 per game, is forcing coach Mike Kitchen to reward the 23-year old with more ice time. It's only a matter of time he overtakes a veteran's spot.

Colby Armstrong, (Pit), RW

Briefly banished to the third line and given a wake up call after producing virtually nothing so far this season. He uses his big body to clear space for the wonder kids, working the wings and battling for pucks, but hasn't produced much on the score sheet. Although on the first line, he does not get the power play time with Sid and Evgeny, hampering his production. As long as he keeps working hard, he will maintain his spot there. If he wanes in ethic, or is simply not producing, with Maxime Ouellet breathing down his neck, he could be looking at a permanent demotion.

Alexei Ponikarovsky (Tor), LW

Don't look now, but 'Pony' has six goals already in this young season closer to breaking the career high of 21 from last season, earned through working hard. Work ethic makes him productive on any line, not only with Sundin. He has been a consistent threat all season culminating with two two-point efforts and a three point night, for seven points in three straight games. He is fourth in scoring, behind Darcy Tucker, Tomas Kaberle and Jeff O'Neill (who averages only 13:28 in ice time). Found himself next to Nik Antropov who has had a decent start to the season, showing some jump and scoring four points in his last two games (2-3-1-4).

Wade Redden, (Ott), D

Returned against the Thrasher on Wednesday and played just under 25 minutes, blocked three shots and played 6:16 on the powerplay. First game back, still no points. Redden has to step up and assume his number one spot on the sinking Senators, and should help their dismal powerplay. A test will be the three upcoming games versus Pittsburgh, Boston and Montreal. Groin problems can linger and can last for while, if they aren't properly cared after. Give Redden the next few games to see if he has in fact healed.

Schedules

Put away those Stars and Islanders as they only play once this week, while its busy for a third of the league with four games.

4 games - Buffalo, Edmonton, Florida, Minnesota, Montreal, Nashville, NY Rangers, Ottawa, Philadelphia, St. Louis

3 games – Anaheim, Boston, Calgary, Carolina, Chicago, Colorado, Columbus, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Jose, Washington

2 games – Atlanta, Detroit, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Vancouver

1game – Dallas, NY Islanders

Note* These are weekly games Friday-to-Thursday.

Games of Note

Minnesota play all four games on the road (@LAK, @Ana, @Phx, @Nsh). Montreal also play four straight road games (@Tor, @Ott, @TBL, @Fla).

Nashville will play on consecutive nights twice this week (@Det, Col, @Clb, Min), same for the Rangers (@Atl, @Was, NJD, @Car).

Anaheim returns to Calgary for the first time since Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs. Calgary will look to better the embarrassing whimper in which they exited.

Talented Mr. Roto League Update

A couple of Leafs pulled through in Andrew Raycroft (who was pulled in the second period against the Bruins with a groin issue) and Tomas Kaberle. Raycroft had wins over Buffalo (50th of his career) and stopped a season high, 40 shots against Philadelphia, with a 1.00 GAA and 0.9715 SV%. Add into the mix the goal scoring contributions of Tomas Kaberle and a three-point night from McKeen's newcomer Glen Murray and there is a making for a good week in fantasy land.

What to do with Jason Blake? Holding the hot hand, but with only one game this week, a tilt in Dallas. I can't justify having him in the lineup for the week. With that comes Mike Fisher. How can one justify him in the lineup, but the Senators play four games next week?

In addition to the above, there was exemplary production from Selanne, Crosby, Rod Brind'Amour and my personal fantasy favorite, Ray Whitney.

NHL: Sabres Working Overtime

(posted 11.20.06)

by David Burstyn

The Buffalo Sabres are clearly the best team in hockey! They are a fast, exciting team that rolls four lines effectively, and are backed by the top goalie tandem in the league as well as a defence that is more than capable. What is even more impressive is their road record is a perfect 10-0, and they have won all but one game in the overtimes they have played this year. Recently, the Sabres participated in three straight overtime games and clinched the victory twice in the first 21 seconds of OT. The Sabres have been decimated by injuries including the loss of some key contributors, however their farmhands have picked up the slack and played at an NHL level.

Chief correspondent David Burstyn was on hand at the HSBC arena for a recent contest featuring the sensational Sabres and files these notes.

Thomas Vanek - LW

He is a goal scorer and finisher in every aspect and quite possibly the best this organization has had since Alexander Mogilny .. his hand/eye coordination is sublime, he literally knocked a waist high puck down, controlled it and fired it top shelf all in one motion .. offensively, he is electric, his puckhandling skills have evolved and he does not look like the player that was benched for the entire playoffs last year .. it is very difficult to imagine him not being in the lineup as he brings so much depth to this Sabres' team .. he has registered a majority of his points partly by being on the second line as opposing checkers usually match up against the Briere line thus giving him more freedom .. he shows commitment in the defensive zone but still needs to challenge guys into making mistakes and getting more in their face .. possesses the smarts however, as his play away from the puck and his positioning have improved considerably, it is evident in his puck possession and just how his line is able to dictate the pace of the game.

Derek Roy - C

Whether Roy is creating instant offence or playing a sound defensive game he is always making a difference with his spirited play .. a tricky forward he is always buzzing around and getting behind players, very difficult to play against due to his persistent nature .. gaining more confidence and the points have been put up as a result, slowly becoming a clutch player that can be relied upon in all situations .. he has a tendency to dangle with the puck too long and he needs to release the puck off his blade faster, and/or be more selfish .. he has good agility and in close he can roof a puck top corner and is an effective finisher .. play is very reminiscent of a young Doug Gilmour.

Paul Gaustad - C/W

If there is a more deserving player than Gaustad on this line up can he please step forward .. simply put he works his ass off .. he does what he is told to do and has become such a versatile player for this organization .. it is of no surprise that when key players went down his minutes increased and he is now starting to pile up some points as he has goals in three straight games .. he does not have the best hands but he stays with plays and goes hard to the net giving the Sabre's an immediate big man to make life miserable for the opposition which in turn opens up ice for skilled forwards .. continues to shine in Sabre's system as his hard work and tenacious fore check make him a favourite in the dressing room.

Ales Kotalik - RW

If one player misses Connolly more than anyone it is surely Kotalik .. a recipient of many accurate passes, he was able to score many goals last year from the immediate blade of Connolly .. he has good stick preparation and is always ready to strike with a one timer and still is employed at the point on the PP .. he showed some laziness on the back check and was subsequently removed from his scoring line and his minutes were substantially reduced, he is the only minus player on the Sabre's who has played in every game .. needs to show more aggression and desperation, he tends to play the perimeter and as such is limited in his involvement .. with no sign of Connolly returning, Kotalik must find a way to snap out of his funk and it starts by working harder.

Drew Stafford - RW

The tall, slightly build American born winger gives the Sabre's a player the organization has coveted for years, a two way player with healthy offensive skills and respectable size .. made good plays throughout the contest, showcasing his vision with back hand passes and a nice pass that caught even Vanek by surprise but was ruled offside .. showed remarkable poise for only his second game as he elected to hang back and take care of his own end .. defensively he has a conscience .. long stride and gets good speed .. strong player who took it upon himself to initiate contact, players including Bouwmeester literally bounced off of him .. competes, he willingly chases loose pucks down .. still susceptible to rookie mistakes, throwing it off the boards and it being intercepted while he was caught flat footed however he showed decent recovery skills and showed maturity well beyond his years.

Nathan Paetsch - D

Was a healthy scratch to start the season even though he was working out with the team .. due to an injury to Tallinder he has gotten his opportunity and has not disappointed .. plays a very smart game as his many years in the AHL have groomed him to be NHL ready .. defensively he keeps things simple, he identifies his man and stays with him .. when he handles the puck, he is very decisive and does not appear to panic, making cool, calm and calculated decisions .. was used in many situations including when the game was on the line as Coach Ruff had enough confidence in him .. can fire good hard shots on the net and does not play with the puck on the line rather just fires away constantly at the net .. showing and making the necessary adjustments to stay in the line up and will give the Sabre's added depth at a position that hurt them last year.

AHL: Nashville & Blues' Prospects

(posted 11.17.06)

by Max Giese

Over 4,000 fans packed the Bradley Center in Milwaukee Wisconsin as it hosted an inter divisional tilt on Veterans Day. The Admirals won the game with two fluky goals including one on a goal mouth scrum in overtime to upset the Peoria Rivermen. Two first round selections from the 2004 draft played against each other and the game was a great test to each players overall play as the game was tightly played defensively by both teams.

Marek Schwarz (StL), G, Peoria

Has re-established himself as one of the top goaltending prospects with a fine start to his first year of pro hockey in North America .. his elite athleticism instantly jumps out .. has great dexterity, as he can get back up from his knees to his feet and set for the second shot promptly and makes it look easy .. has Hasek like scrambles at times where he contorts his body in abnormal ways and can do so brilliantly .. flexibility is remarkable .. once he went from making a save in the butterfly to going into the splits to make a brilliant save after a goal mouth scrum.. has a wide butterfly and with first rate leg extension .. a real good skater, swiftly moves in his crease and has exceptional lateral movement .. blessed with quick reflexes .. has a lively glove with an above average blocker side, but it's his leg reflexes that are extraordinary .. appears more economical in his movements than at his last WJC's .. does a good job of putting his entire body behind the shot and really follows the puck all the way in .. can still scramble in his crease and aggressively challenge the shooter, but he's picking his spots & angles more astutely .. I like how he plays on the top of his crease .. plays the puck at appropriate times where his skating ability shines as he moves outside of the crease .. still will need improvement at actually passing the puck.. uses his stick well to control rebounds, and will put the paddle laterally on the ice to cover down low .. thrives on a lot of shots and is capable of high light reel saves .. catches with his right hand .. both goals against were fluky deflections .. competitive with good body language on the ice .. looks like the stud he was drafted to be at this point.

Alexander Radulov (Nsh), F, Milwaukee

What stands out most about Radulov is his one on one ability .. has explosive lateral cuts that instantly separate himself from the defender .. handles the puck effortlessly and can make plays from both sides of his stick .. his play making touch really shined in this contest as he threaded the needle creatively multiple times to gives his teammates in prime scoring opportunities .. competitive player who back checks hard, but showed the kinks in his defensive armor as he didn't cover for the defenseman when they pinched in .. deceptively fast, Radulov could still improve his overall explosiveness .. not a matter of if, but when he'll be a top six winger in the NHL.

David Backes (StL), F, Peoria

Has a tall frame with a strong build .. will use his size offensively and in traffic areas but isn't a physical presence as he lacks that edge to his game to be a power forward .. swift skater for a big man, is agile and light on his feet .. stops, cuts, and turns smoothly .. has a strong first step with a long stride but he could improve his top end speed if he didn't stop moving his feet at times .. more of a play maker than a finisher despite having six goals and on assist so far .. I see him as a 15 goal, 25 assist winger in the NHL who will be a really good third liner who is capable of also playing on the second line and time on both the power play and penalty kill .. has a quick release with fine velocity but his accuracy is inconsistent .. moves the puck and sees the ice well .. distributes crisp, tape to tape passes and spots the open man instantly .. at times was creative moving the puck and made nice passes through tight lanes to set up good scoring chances .. handles the puck softly, isn't a dangler but does protect the puck well using his large frame to shield the puck .. cycles the puck down low well .. works hard away from the puck at both ends of the ice .. has diligent puck pursuit .. plays on the first penalty kill unit .. willingly lies down to block shots .. clogs passing lanes and has good defensive zone coverage awareness .. a consistent player shift to shift.

Roman Polak (StL), D, Peoria

Played five games in the NHL already this season and is receiving top pairing minutes with the Rivermen during his first season of pro hockey in North America .. a physical, stay at home defenseman who will likely play effectively in the NHL for a long time, but many won't notice him .. makes the safe plays distributing the puck .. can execute a low risk, short distance pass but prefers to use the boards or move the puck laterally to his partner .. didn't turn the puck over .. calm while in possession with good puck protection and escape moves to buy himself more time .. a strong skater with impressive acceleration .. closes the gap quickly on the puck carrier and wins the majority of foot races .. has an above average top gear too, has a short, choppy stride but his feet are very quick .. pivots easily .. doesn't use his speed offensively and doesn't skate with the puck long.. a physical blue liner with impressive lower and upper body strength .. a chippy player who likes to stand up his man at the blue line and is a good open ice hitter .. can get nasty in front of his own net .. maintained a healthy gap and can skate with his man off of the rush .. he's limited offensively as he lacks any imagination with the puck and always thinks defense first .. but I like his play and should see a permanent NHL role sooner than later.

Ryan MacMurchy (StL), F, Peoria

This is his first season of pro hockey after a productive four year collegiate career with the Wisconsin Badgers that saw him score 44 goals in that tenure, although it appears his scoring ability doesn't translate to the pro game .. still has his quick released wrist shot with adequate velocity but he struggles to get his shot off, and his accuracy doesn't stand out at this level .. isn't tall, but has a very thick, strong build .. protects the puck well but lacks one on one elusiveness .. cycles the puck down low and is tough to knock off his feet .. willing to get his nose dirty and shows the qualities of possibly developing into a role player .. isn't going to be an offensive force however, as he lacks the vision and imagination with the puck .. he won't be an offensive player in the NHL but his willingness and effectiveness in a grinder's role allows him to have an outside shot of playing in the NHL some day.

Cal O'Reilly (Nsh), F, Milwaukee

Deceptively quick .. lacks a top end gear but it is tough to get a body on him once inside the blue line thanks to his quick first few strides and his lateral quickness.. protects the puck well for a player of his size as he's well balanced on his feet, and had a few nice one on one moves .. is a creative play maker who sees the ice and distributes the puck instinctively .. was especially impressive at threading the needle from the wing on a few odd man rushes to his teammates in the slot .. willing to go into traffic areas but isn't a physical player .. will need to quicken his release and accuracy to score goals in the NHL .. besides Radulov, he is the best forward prospect for Milwaukee.

John Vigilante (Nsh), F, Milwaukee

Snake bitten and has yet to score his first pro career goal after winning the Alice Iafrate award for the overage player of the year in the CHL.. whiffed the puck wide when he was in close looking at the gaping open net .. has a hunched over, wide legged stride .. will be asked to improve his first step quickness but his top gear is quite good once as his stride has decent power .. has soft hands with impressive escape ability and a few elusive one on one moves but didn't challenge the opposition often .. more of a play maker than a finisher .. he spots the open man quickly and distributes a crisp pass, tape to tape but isn't as creative as O'Reilly at this point .. played on the penalty kill as he sees the ice well and positions himself on the ice well away from the puck .. back checks with full effort and the puck seems to follow him at times .. willing to take a hit to make the play and did stay on his feet as he fought through checks .. starting to come on with his increased role.

Konstantin Zakharov (StL), F, Peoria

Played on the third line after only dressing in three games prior .. seems to be buying into the team concept and is playing a more involved game away from the puck, but has lost some of his offensive imagination in the process .. has a short, jerky stride with very quick feet .. has an above average top gear but his first step quickness really stands out, although he didn't aggressively use his speed as an offensive weapon .. moves the puck well but seemed a step late at times from making a real creative play .. has soft hands and looks comfortable with the puck, although he didn't perform any moves that did anything offensively .. didn't register a shot and seems to be a perimeter player as he stays to the outside, rarely venturing to the middle of the ice .. has good hockey sense and anticipates the game adequately .. knows where to be on the ice .. back checked with noticeable effort and was willing to throw a few hits .. although he isn't as strong, nor balanced as his size would indicate .. has some raw ability that keeps you interested but he must now rediscover the offensive touch that allowed him to score 16 points at the U-18 World Junior Championships in 2003.

Kevin Klein (Nsh), D, Milwaukee

After having 42 points last season with the Admirals, Klein has struggled early in the season and has yet to register a point .. did appear more like himself in this contest as I wasn't impressed with him open night vs. Omaha .. can rush the puck up the ice on his own and can execute a few subtle moves in the neutral zone to make the opposition miss .. is a real smooth skater with underrated speed and impressive acceleration .. will pinch in on almost every opportunity and will join the rush to make create an odd man opportunity .. his bread and butter is his puck movement .. disguises his intentions nicely and can creatively thread the needle from the point .. has the potential to play on the second power play unit in the NHL .. made a nice pass from his own zone that stretched the ice allowing the target to sneak behind the opposition's defense .. looks small and scrawny but handles himself well against the larger opposition .. was on the ice late in the game for a crucial penalty kill .. isn't a physical player but he positions himself well .. still prone to rushing an errant pass up the middle at times .. back to playing the way he can though.

D.J. King (StL), F, Peoria

Played in six games with the Blues this season and looks to have the make up of a solid fourth liner in the NHL .. lacks first step quickness and his skating looks a bit rough, but he has an above average top gear once he gains some steam .. always keeps his feet moving and covers the ice well .. firmly balanced, can cycle the puck for a long duration of time ..plants himself in front of the net and is hard to remove from the crease area .. lacks offensive imagination and his hands could be softer but he's pretty smart away from the puck .. closes open passing lanes quickly and gets on the puck carrier instantly thanks to his strong puck pursuit .. back checks hard and is willing put his body into harms way to take a hit to make the play or block a shot .. has a big, strong build but doesn't have a mean edge to his game .. a solid, defensively responsible fourth liner in the NHL.

Doug Lynch (StL), D, Peoria

His mobility still impresses for a big man .. you instantly notice his long, strong stride that gives him a very decent top gear .. is a stay at home defenseman and his offensive touch from the WHL hasn't translated to the pro game, as he keeps his much movement extremely simple .. could be more physical and needs to show something special to warrant a long stay in the NHL.

Peter Sejna (StL), F, Peoria

Small winger with a thick build and impressive balance .. is difficult to knock off the puck as he keeps his feet driving through checks .. has a few tricky stickhandling moves .. accelerates swiftly but rarely uses it to his advantage .. has a great release on his shot but he's still not become a dangerous goal scorer at the AHL level .. plays on the penalty kill .. it's becoming obvious he will never be the prolific scorer he was in College at the pro level.

Jeff Woywitka (StL), D, Peoria

Smooth skater with a lively first few step that allows him to accelerate his quick feet swiftly .. lacks an above average top gear though and doesn't use his speed offensively .. does a good job of making the first pass .. was the quarterback on the power play but lacked creatively to create any real good scoring chances .. his strength is still an issue and looks too lanky for a player of his height and age .. isn't a physical player and elects to use his stick instead .. might still play in the NHL ultimately as a third pairing defenseman.

Tomas Mojzis (StL), D, Peoria

Didn't receive a lot of ice time but really caught my attention with his impressive end to end rushes .. has an attractive, long and powerful stride that gives him a superb top gear .. has soft hands and made a few guys miss in the neutral zone .. took a few hits and yet stayed on his feet showing fine strength .. makes the first pass out of the zone effectively but isn't a power play quarterback at this level .. looks more deserving of an NHL shot than some of the higher drafted defenseman on his team.

Magnus Kahnberg (StL), F, Peoria

Has admirable hockey sense and anticipation .. is a reliable player who makes a lot of subtle plays to help his team .. is well balanced, and smooth on his feet but lacks overall quickness .. bounces off checks well and protects the puck, but lacks any elusive one on one moves .. in the end though, he didn't display creativity with the puck as most of his passes where safe, simple plays and he only registered one shot and that was from far range .. doesn't have the look of a scorer in the North American game.

Brandon Segal (Nsh), F, Milwaukee

Listed at 6-2 210 but doesn't play as strong as his size would suggest .. will need to improve both his lower and upper body strength as he can be knocked off balance too easily .. is a fine skater with a strong stride that gives him a very decent top gear but isn't explosive in tight spaces .. despite having a good release with above average velocity he isn't a scorer .. he lacks any one on one moves and struggles to get into scoring areas with the puck on his stick .. lacks vision of the ice and doesn't spot the open man, often just dumps the puck in the zone and chases after it.

AHL: Pittsburgh, Edmonton and Toronto Prospects

(posted 11.10.06)

by David Burstyn

Stephen Dixon (Pit), C, Wilkes-Barre

Played his first season in the AHL last year and posted respectable numbers (80-12-16-28) .. was impressive in the Penguins exhibition games and was a last minute cut .. returns focussed and driven as he centres the top line and has already been scoring at a pace well ahead of last year's totals .. shifty player who gets good speed in a few short strides .. maintains an open stance, as he is always anticipating and ready to change directions .. gets involved, not an overly big player he is elusive in the corners and does good work along the side boards .. showed healthy offensive skills with a backhand that he roofed short blocker side with limited space offered by the opposing goalie .. efficient at face-offs he won the majority of draws taken .. a smart player who continues to shine in his responsibilities, capable of scoring, shows desire to compete and can be thrown into most if not all game situations at this level, should be ready for the NHL shortly working his way up in the lines as his confidence increases and other roster spots become available.

Tyler Kennedy (Pit), C, Wilkes-Barre

Rookie centre has good offensive tools after four successful seasons with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL, in which he improved on his point totals in each season .. speed is the name of his game as his quick acceleration enables him to pounce on many errand pucks .. he buzzes around, mainly on the outside looking to accept a pass for a shot from a distance .. lacks the strength to carry the puck for prolonged periods of time as he was knocked off of it on a few occasions .. his quick feet allowed him to get inside but he rushed himself and made bad decisions that coughed up the puck as a result .. still rather slender, Kennedy has imagination and healthy offensive tools he will just have to get stronger and more fearless to pay the price to score goals at this level.

Erik Christensen (Pit), C, Wilkes-Barre

Returns for his third AHL season .. an offensive dynamo he currently leads the team in scoring and is fourth in league scoring .. had a brief audition with the Penguins last year but failed to capitalize on his opportunity after playing the better parts of 33 games and registering just six goals .. generates good speed with his long fluid, healthy stride .. rangy player whose limps are everywhere making it very hard to get a read on him, very adept at passing and/or shooting .. made several nice passes when cornered and it was thought he had no options .. can stick handle very well in traffic thus helping him create so much in the offensive zone .. while his offensive instincts and capabilities rarely come into question it is in fact his defensive play that has prohibited him from joining the Penguins .. beaten cleanly on a one-on-one rush as he played the puck not the man which led to a 2 on 1 the other way .. seems a tad confused when the puck is not in his possession .. Penguins will give him a very hard look as he is a capable scorer but he must play on the top two lines to be effective and with the improved play of some younger Penguins it may take him another year to crack the parent club.

Rob Schremp (Edm), C, Wilkes-Barre

OHL wunderkind enters his first season in the AHL amidst wide speculation that he would have gotten a spot on the Oilers .. Edmonton who does not have an AHL affiliate rather loans their players to other AHL teams opted to put Schremp in the best possible position on an offensively loaded Wilkes-Barre team .. the team has many talented line mates and also includes muscle in Cairns and Bonvie should anyone decide to get courageous with their star players .. a mainstay on the PP, he creates and assumes his regular spot on the half boards as he did in the OHL .. the pace is much faster and he is learning to keep up as players are on him considerably faster than he is used too .. light on his feet, his skating is fine and he is able to keep up with other players in the league, however he will need more strength .. invisible in corner battles and was constantly looking over his shoulder if someone was going to line him up, looked very scared on a few shifts .. while he did register an assist early in the contest he was virtually a non-factor the rest of the game .. he has much to learn about the pro game as he will need to move his feet more, become more experienced and most importantly show he is willing to compete in all areas of the ice.

Kyle Brodziak (Edm), C, Wilkes-Barre

Brodziak enters his third AHL season and is playing for his third AHL team .. since the Oilers have been without an AHL affiliate since 04-05, he has played in Edmonton, Iowa and now joins Wilkes-Barre .. posted decent numbers last year with the Stars (55-12-19-31) .. seeing some PP time and manages the point well considering he is a forward .. does not get beaten and although he has an awkward skating style he is rather effective especially in his reverse movement .. he does not give up and is very active in puck pursuit a trait that has not gone unnoticed by the coaching staff .. developing nicely into a conscientious defensive forward who has limited offensive skills.

Tom Gilbert (Edm), D, Wilkes-Barre

Big strapping blue liner joins the AHL after several successful seasons in the NCAA where he won a Frozen Four with the Wisconsin .. shows good defensive ability, did not get fooled by fancy stick handling rather took his assigned player hard into the boards and pinned him there .. he is like mad dog who identifies his man and runs him down .. not the smoothest skaters, his stride is a little choppy and he has heavy feet, his reverse movement is average but his wingspan helps him make up the ice .. his shot is ok but will need to be worked on, did not show much confidence with it .. played the PP and was effective to a degree, did not gamble or take many chances, rather throwing it in deep and always retreating when a play looked to be headed in his direction .. should be able to develop his game nicely at this level and it is not inconceivable to suggest that he may suit up for some NHL games should the Oilers run into some defensive injuries.

Brett Engelhardt (Tor), RW, Toronto

Perhaps not the first name you think of when speaking about Leaf prospects he is however one of the hard working players on the team .. his abrasive style and healthy competitive streak give him time and space to create as he leads the team in PIM's .. good stride, able to produce moderate speed .. has good hands and can finish in front if given a chance .. defensively he has a tendency to get caught up ice and needs to be more aware of his positioning .. a hard nosed player whose style is very reminiscent to that of Darcy Tucker.

Martin Sagat (Tor), LW, Toronto

Solidly built the Slovakian winger returns for his second season in the AHL after putting on 10 pounds of muscle in the off season .. he is not afraid to throw a check and prefers physical contests in which he can assertive himself .. has nice hands for a player of his size, showed impressive one-on-one stick handling in which he easily got around players, in tight spaces, not just open ice .. taking more chances with the puck and while it has not been reflected on the score sheet he has become more of a difference maker and is a threat to score .. thick long stride but still looks choppy .. has developed faster than expected.

Jeremy Williams (Tor), RW, Toronto

Realized his NHL dream when he played in the final game for the Leafs last season and scored a goal .. a late round pick he has defied all the odds and has become a legitimate player worthy of playing in the NHL however he still needs seasoning .. not off to a hot start in terms of goals as many of his shots have been rebounds that others have scored on .. he does show a natural goal scorers touch and his shot especially his wrister is on the money .. he works hard to get into position to use it and has a sensationally quick release .. a healthy skater, he is light on his skates and is able to change directions quickly .. while it may be a while before he assumes a full time job with the Leafs, Coach Maurice knows what he is capable off and that works well in his favour.

Talented Mr. Roto ICE League Update: (posted 11.05.06)

by Gus Katsaros

Whoever lit a fire under Tomas Kaberle has my gratitude. It took a while for some production, while at the present moment he is the hottest scorer in the league among defensemen. Scoring five goals in the last week and adding two helpers has helped push McKeen's Hockey from 11th spot to 3rd place and holding.

Scoring over the week was 19 goals, 25 assists, with 13 points coming on the power play. Forward units with Andrew Brunette (2-1-3 pts, 2 PIMS 1 power play point), Scott Walker (3-1-4 pts, 2 PIM, 1 power play point), including the 300th goal of his career the same night Joe Sakic scored his 1500th point, Martin Straka (3-1-4 pts, plus-3), Ray Whitney (0-2-2 pts, 2 PIM) and Sidney Crosby's first hat trick of his promising career fueled the rise to near the top.

Wade Redden was finally pulled from the Senators lineup on the weekend and has missed the last two games (Boston and Montreal) due to a groin injury. Losing Redden is hard but with only 1 assist, getting healthy enough to contribute is more important. The rest of the defense is chugging along, led by the smoking hot Tomas Kaberle (see below) and October's third star of the month, Scott Niedermeyer.

The only down side was the performance of Andrew Raycroft against the Ottawa Senators in back-to-back losses, while Dwayne Roloson had a mediocre week. R&R didn't pull through like other players.

Streaking and Stinking

This section is where you will find the best and worst of the period.

Streaking …

Tomas Kaberle, (Tor), D (15-5-4-9)

Is the enigma based on two points in the first 12 games, or the seven point breakout (3-5-2-7) in the last three? The slant used to be on his inability to shoot more, but with five goals in the last three games, the stigma could quickly disappear. Early in the season, coach Paul Maurice implemented a power play that focused the play down low. When the puck did get back to the point, it was intended as a setup for Bryan McCabe, with Kaberle played a support role. He was also hampered by a preseason groin pull limiting his mobility and didn't see the itinerant Kaberle moving the puck or jumping into the play. Over the last few games, he has shown more jump. Don't expect this for the entire season, but it is entirely possible to see him better his career high 11 goals.

Vincent Lecavalier (TBL), C (12-7-5-12)

Scored against the Maple Leafs to extend his goal scoring streak to five games and maintaining his six-game point streak (6-5-3-8). He is doing so playing with Ruslan Fedotenko and Vaclav Prospal but also getting points on the power play. With Brad Richards prolonging the stigma of being a slow starter and Martin St. Louis (8-7-3-10) waking up after going pointless in the first 4 games, Lecavalier has been the best Bolt so far this season. That will not change in the immediate future. He is a mainstay on all rosters.

Brian Rolston (Min), LW (11-9-4-13)

Flint, Michigan native is showing the leadership that he has displayed throughout his career and has made Pierre-Marc Bouchard a better player. He has scored four goals and two assists in the absence of Gaborik and looks to continue the type of game that made him so beneficial to the Wild last season. Another mainstay on any roster.

Ilya Kovalchuk (Atl), LW (14-9-8-17)

Watching the first overall pick in the 2001 draft free wheel and create offense is a treat to any hockey fan and Kovalchuk doesn't disappoint. Coach Hartley has given his young stud the green light to cruise the offensive zone looking for open ice to use his potent snap shot, while tying the opposition in knots attempting to corral the sniper. He had an eight game point streak (8-9-6-15)snapped against the Canes, after going the first five games without a goal. Young stud could threaten the 100 point mark for the first time in his young career.

Rod Brind'Amour (Car), C (13-4-14-18)

Started slow with Canes – and not picked in the expert draft until McKeen's claimed him on waivers - scoring nothing for the first four games then went supernova to record 18 points in 9 games. On the season, Rod 'the Bod' contrasts five multiple point games (5-4-12-16) with six contests held without a point. In essence, the 18 points have been scored over seven games. In the last two games (2-2-5-7) playing on a line with Ray Whitney he has shown the form that made him a 30 goal scorer. It's time to get him back on the roster, until Cory Stillman returns.

Stinking …

Craig Conroy (LAK), C (15-0-3-3)

Plagued with inconsistency the 36-year-old snake-bitten winger has seen too many combinations of wingers and is more of a veteran presence at this stage of his career. Youngsters Anze Kopitar and AHL phenom Mike Cammalleri have taken the reigns on offense, relegating Conroy to play with the likes of Dustin Brown and Patrick O'Sullivan as they learn the ropes. At this stage, Conroy doesn't look like he will put up any serious numbers and with a youth movement happening in sunny California, LA will rely on Conroy for leadership, a characteristic that doesn't add up in fantasy hockey. Trade rumors linking up with Iginla in Calgary once again are not a good enough indication to keep Conroy in your lineup. Patience, the virtue, has worn out with Conroy.

Daniel Alfredsson (Ott), RW (11-1-5-6)

After bowing out to a determined Buffalo squad in Round 2 of the 2005-06 Stanley Cup Playoffs, many Senators echoed the sentiment that last season's offensive explosion caused the early exit from the postseason. They blew away the competition and couldn't grind out a win. Wade Redden was vocal about this perception, a factor that hindered the Senators abilities to ink his name to a deal. Bryan Murray and the Sens took measures to implement a system that would make them successful in the playoffs. A consequence of the implementation was the fact that early in the season, winning games would be more difficult – unless they could play the Maple Leafs 82 times a season.

Alfredsson has played within the system to the detriment of early season scoring woes. Jason Spezza (except for one five-point game versus the Leafs) and Dany Heatley both suffered droughts. Lately, Alfie has been looking to stay within the system, but not carrying the puck as much and treating it more like a hot potato and dishing it off as fast as he is receiving it. Prospects for another 100-point season look bleak, with the hopes of playoff success in its stead.

Henrik Zetterberg (Det), LW (12-2-1-3)

Is it time to give up on Zetterberg? Hardly. Yes, he is mired in an eight-game scoring drought, but he is more than capable of busting out of that at any given moment. He is a fantasy stud, only a temporary dud. If he is on your roster, do not reserve or bench him. When the breakout happens, and it will, it would be a shame to miss out simply due to frustration. He is skating and working hard only not getting the little bounces that follow great hockey players. Patience, it's a virtue.

Rob Blake (LAK), D, (15-2-2-4)

The 35-year-old defenseman has averaged 22 minutes of ice time but has not been able to rejuvenate his scoring touch from previous seasons, not exactly living up to a $6 million salary. With the emergence of Brent Sopel (13-4-5-9) and Lubomir Visnovsky (15-3-4-7) as well as the acquisition of Oleg Tverdovsky (9-0-3-3) from the Hurricanes, Blake's role is more in support, rather than in a front line offense. His leadership and experience will help the younger Los Angeles players, but his days as an impact defenseman are seemingly over.

Keep An Eye On

Jan Bulis (Van), LW (12-2-3-5)

From the fourth line with a season low 9:45 time on the ice, into a funk, to 17:20 the next game on a line with Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison. He scored a goal and showed more tenacity. A Prior stint with Morrison earlier in the season didn't work out, while the magical Naslund could be a solid glue to solidify the line. If he remains with them, Bulis could be the recipient of some good fortune, good bounces and points.

Chris Higgins (Mtl), LW (11-7-5-12)

Twenty-three year old winger is well on his way to a promising career having come out of the gates smashing this season. Scored his seventh (and almost had his eighth seconds later) against the Senators, putting him in a great position to better his 23 goals from last season. Higgins is streaky and went through some long stretches without a goal last season, but the puck is bouncing his way lately. Ride the wave and hope he doesn't go into a funk, because that could last a while.

Paul Stastny (Col), C (12-2-9-11)

Don't look now, but the youngest offspring of the legendary Peter Stastny is making some noise. There was a reason that the Avalanche kept him in the lineup and he is showing that their decision was accurate. Along with Wojtek Wolski, the Avs have a bright future, while both rookies are contributing to the present. In a keeper league, Stastny is gold. In a seasonal league, it's nice to say that I once had a 'Stastny' on the roster.

Taylor Pyatt (Van), LW (12-6-2-8)

Thrown on a line with the Sedins in a game versus Nashville and has more and better quality icetime, quietly scoring four goals in the last five games. Playing with the twins affords the Canucks to address other lines, with Brendan Morrison and Jan Bulis in funks. Has already tied his season high in goals from 2005-06 and looks to be on pace for a breakout campaign. Worth watching and an even more worthwhile addition.

Kyle Wellwood (Tor), LW (9-2-8-10)

Cooling off from the fantastic start, Wellwood is still dazzling defenders with great stick handling and crafty moves, but a word of caution. At the end of the preseason, he indicated he may need some time to play with the likes of Mats Sundin. He played those early games under the cloak of simplicity and was effective. In more recent contests, Wellwood is trying the cutesy pass, the extra play or a lower percentage play, similar reasons the duo of Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza struggled early this season. He is playing with a lot of confidence, but it was the simple plays that garnered point production early on. His confidence is justified, but watch for over-confidence and the underlying destructive effects.

Schedules

4 games - Atlanta, Dallas (all on the road), Washington

3 games - Anaheim, Boston, Calgary, Carolina, Columbus, Edmonton, Los Angeles, New Jersey, NY Islanders, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Jose, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Vancouver

2 games - Buffalo, Colorado, Detroit, Minnesota, Montreal, NY Rangers, St. Louis

1 game - Chicago, Florida, Nashville

Note* These are weekly games Friday-to-Thursday.

My Whipping Boys

These are teams that will struggle this season, whether because of an injury bug tearing through the lineup, or that they are just not competitive enough to string together a few wins.

Chicago hit the wall offensively, but they receive some relief in the schedule with only one game against New Jersey for the week. This gives some time for Martin Havlat to get healthy and return to the lineup.

The St. Louis Blues play two home games, hosting Calgary with a four day break and then Columbus in their only two games this week.

The Blue Jackets Host the Flames, then travel to Detroit the next night, before playing their second road game this week against the St. Louis Blues.

Games of Note

Dallas has a busy schedule with four road games, doing a Western Canada swing. They play in Edmonton, Vancouver and Calgary on consecutive nights and to complete the three games in four nights against Phoenix.

There are five nonconference games this week, with Pittsburgh finishing up a road trip and taking on the Sharks on Saturday and ending the road trip in Anaheim, before returning home to host Tampa Bay.

Edmonton makes an East coast swing visiting Montreal and Detroit on consecutive night. Chicago rounds out the last nonconference game when they visit New Jersey. That is the club's lone game for the week.

Three teams play only once between Friday and Thursday, so bench those Blackhawks, Panthers and Predators.

Stars' AHL Prospect Report: (posted 11.04.06)

by Max Giese

Loui Eriksson (Dal), F, Iowa Stars

Reminds me of a poor man's Marian Hossa .. loves to attack the net with the puck on his stick and can score in a number of ways .. has a dangerous shot that is quickly released and precisely accurate .. a creative finisher with the goal scorer's instincts that you can't coach .. dangerous one on one despite lacking a true separation gear .. swiftly cuts laterally and can dangle the puck even at full arm extension ..uses his body to shield the opposition from the puck remarkably well, making him tough to knock off the puck .. competitive and hard working, he goes in the corners, goes to the front of the net, and finishes his checks .. even plays a good defensive game, was the only man back once on a 2-1 the other way when the Stars were on a power play, showing he doesn't cheat his defensive assignments .. noticeably looks mad after his line is scored on, showing a passion for the team's success .. adequate passer, although he's not a play maker .. doesn't over handle the puck and can find the open man .. should be in the NHL right now.

Vojtech Polak (Dal), F, Iowa Stars

Quick, darty skater who isn't a pure speed burner but can deceptively change gears to get to the outside .. has good lateral quickness as he can shift side to side even at his top speeds .. tricky hand skill, has some creative one on moves .. made a number of slick passes that he didn't even seem to have to look for the open man, just instinctively knew where his teammate was .. lack of strength hurts as he's ineffective in traffic and can be knocked off the puck easily at times .. especially dangerous on the power play when he can operate in the open ice.. needs to continue to work on his commitment to the defensive end of the ice .. no where close to Eriksson at this point but his skill is intriguing.

Mark Fistric (Dal), D, Iowa Stars

Plays a simple, stay at home game .. has a very strong upper body as oncoming checkers just bounce off of him and he can land a nice hit with little momentum thanks to his strong arms .. made the safe play moving the puck, never sprung in offensive chance with one of his passes but didn't turn the puck over either .. an above average physical presence, although I saw Matt Greene with Iowa last year, and he's not close to that kind of a mean though .. mobility is fine, he was never beaten to the outside and had no issue staying with the play .. not pretty, but an effective skater .. held the offensive zone well and would support the play when needed but lacks any resemblance of an offensive touch .. maintains methodical defensive positioning at all times .. just a steady presence on the back end who is accountable every shift.

Nicklas Grossman (Dal), D, Iowa Stars

He will probably play in the NHL at some point but it will likely be no more than a 5th-6th defenseman .. he does nothing flashy .. he's hard to notice on the ice, and that's a good thing considering the kind of game he plays .. a stay at home defenseman with good size, although he could be more physical despite playing the body effectively .. agile in all directions for a big man .. not a fast skater but he's quick in tight and is difficult to skate around .. his defensive positioning his best asset as he's a reliable shut down defenseman at this level .. makes the first pass out of the zone and will come down low in the offensive zone to support the offense but he will never be an offensive defenseman.

Marius Holtet (Dal), F, Iowa Stars

A skilled forward who has impressed me with his abilities and I have seen a noticeable growth to his game this season .. gifted with soft hands .. has soft hands with some tricky moves at full speed .. is dangerous one on one as he has no fear attacking the defenseman .. loves to rush the puck up the ice on his own and is much more proactive in possession this year .. will over handle the puck at times .. adequate finisher .. at times is caught playing on the perimeter and looks for the pretty play instead of just shooting the puck .. needs to work on his defensive habits as at times he can be caught being lazy and doesn't back check hard enough .. could improve his foot speed although his stride is stable and fairly strong .. off to a fast start this season.

Mario Scalzo (Dal), D, Iowa Stars

A good offensive defenseman at this level but I question his ability to be the same at the NHL level despite his impressive stats .. agile skater, has a good top gear, evidence by him catching back up with the opposition after getting caught up the ice to break up the play at the last moment .. first step quickness is just average at best .. has a creative mind on the power play and can make a nice pass to spring an offensive chance .. although he will force a high risk play up the middle on the break out at times .. not hesitant to jump up into the rush offensively and will pinch in down low .. but will get caught up the ice at times .. prone to taking holding and hooking penalties at this level because his defensive positioning is lacking and he needs to add strength as he can be over powered .. has the look of a tweaner to me.

Martin Sertich (Dal), F, Iowa Stars

Smallish, but consistently creates offense .. a gifted play maker, is very creative and has exceptional vision .. can thread the needle with a pass through tight traffic .. protects the puck well for a player of his stature .. has some subtle stick handling moves that are effective .. plays a sound two way game but must add strength to take the next step .. adjusted to the AHL quickly and could be a solid call up later in the year.

Joel Lundqvist (Dal), F, Iowa Stars

Mature two way player with surprising skill is the brother of New York Ranger goaltender Henrik Lundqvist .. wears the "A" on his shoulder .. is dangerous one on one .. creatively stickhandles around the opposition at this level with his twists and turns .. protects the puck well on the cycle .. can be difficult to get the puck away from .. more of a play maker than a finisher .. more of an offensive player than a defensive player at this stage .. a solid depth player who has adjusted to the North American game quickly.

Vadim Khomitski (Dal), D, Iowa Stars

Finally made the trip to North America this season from Russia .. plays a skilled two-way game that focuses more on the offensive end .. plays on the power play .. has a quickly released, accurate point shot that he keeps low and gets it to the net with good velocity .. moves the puck crisply .. makes mature decisions distributing the puck in both zones and shows above average vision of the ice .. has good hand skill .. uses quick escape moves to buy himself more time to pass the puck, however he doesn't rush the puck up the ice on his own .. a smooth skater, swiftly pivots and can skate with his man .. maintains good positioning in his own zone but is hesitant to get physically involved it seems .. solid depth defenseman.

Thrashers' AHL Prospect Report: (posted 11.02.06)

by Max Giese

Braydon Coburn (Atl), D, Chicago Wolves

Still having a difficult time adjusting to the obstruction crackdown .. doesn't take proper angles on his man and can be beat surprisingly easy one on one, forcing him to grab or hook onto his man and take a bad penalty .. has soft hands with a long reach which allows him to stickhandle out of trouble or rush the puck up the ice on his own somewhat, but he struggles to pass the puck as he takes to long to spot the open man and often will telegraph his pass which should be even more of an issue in the NHL .. is more proactive using his point shot and his confidence seems to be good though .. his exceptional mobility, size and raw ability still stands out but I'm beginning to question if his questionable hockey sense has stunted his development.

Boris Valabik (Atl), D, Chicago Wolves

Adjusted to the AHL quickly .. is already a feared physical presence .. goes out of his way to hit and can deliver a bone rattling check .. grows meaner when the opposition checks him and he will retaliate .. took exception to his teammate being run hard and he stepped in immediately, instigating a fight .. hands are getting softer, doesn't have any moves but isn't fumbling the puck at either .. not gifted with a quarterbacks vision but he makes his reads quickly in his own zone and never passed the puck into harms way, often electing to use the boards .. got an assist when he spotted Jordan Lavallee behind the opposition's defenseman while killing a penalty and sent a nice long range pass to spring him on the breakaway .. not a fast skater like Coburn, but for a big man his agility is good and mobility doesn't seem to be in issue .. fits into the pro game nicely and his development is on the up swing.

Jordan Lavallee (Atl), F, Chicago Wolves

His skating has come a long way and is now strength of his game .. he's quick for a big man and his top end gear is very impressive once he gains a full head of steam ..has soft hands with slick moves, can stickhandle effortlessly in tight spaces and protects the puck well .. difficult to stop when he drives the net .. has a sneaky shot, quickly releases the puck and his shot has good accuracy .. scored his first goal of the season on a pretty play by winning a foot race to the puck which sprung him on a breakaway, where he faked the shot before going back hand to the top shelf .. hard working two-way winger who sees time on the penalty kill .. keeps his feet moving and skates hard every shift, however I would like to see him finish his checks more often to complete the power forward game .. he does cycle the puck well down low though .. has a big, thick frame .. just keeps getting better.

Nathan Oystrick (Atl), D, Chicago Wolves

Really shines when he distributes the puck .. instinctively spots the open man instantly, showing he sees the ice remarkably well .. can quarterback the power play, moves the puck creatively on the point and looks off the opposition before making a pass .. pinches in down low and is a threat to score with a quickly released snap shot that he can pick corners with from the outside.. seems to do just enough to be solid defensively at this level right now .. looks like he was out of position and was going to be beat on a few occasions but he used his deceptive speed to catch back up and uses his stick to break up the play at the last second .. uses his stocky frame to play the body and handled the front of his own net well .. already seeing time on the power play, his puck movement really stands out and the rest of his game has been solid.

Jim Sharrow (Atl), D, Chicago Wolves

Could improve his first step quickness, but overall he's a strong skater .. has a long, elegant stride that gives him a very decent top gear, and his agility is effortless .. surprisingly can be beaten to the outside regularly by speed and much get stronger one on one .. similar skater to Ottawa Senator Tom Preissing .. has a tall, well built into frame that he still neglects to use defensively and must improve his physical game .. has good vision of the ice and moves the puck efficiently .. passes the puck crisply tape to tape, and doesn't turn the puck over with by forcing a risky pass like he did last year .. will pinch in from the point when the opportunity presents itself and did a good job getting his shot to the net .. has the size and skating ability you look for much he needs to improve his defensive play, but as I say that he was a plus two on the night.

Brett Sterling (Atl), F, Chicago Wolves

Does an exceptional job at finding the open ice in the offensive zone and sneaks in undetected on the back door ..has soft hands, catches errant passes easily .. has a good one timer, has a very quick release and his accuracy on his shots stand out .. a quick skater who can win short distance foot races is also agile but his top gear is average .. has some creative stick handling moves and can be slippery one on one .. goes to the net hard and is willing to mix it up in traffic .. a candidate to a call up this year as he's a natural in the offensive zone, especially dangerous on the power play.