Vladimir Sobotka figures to have a much more significant place on the Bruins depth chart after the concussion suffered by Marc Savard. Sobotka is a guy I've always liked and he's shown much more offensive ability at the American League level than in his early NHL career (he scored 30 goals in his first 62 AHL games).  He's more skilled than his pro numbers would indicate to this point and I thought he was very active Tuesday in the game against Toronto. He's currently centering the third line between Milan Lucic, and Miro Satan so he's a guy to watch based on opportunity alone. 

tools and should be the one they turn to in the coming seasons.All you can hope for in leagues this year is that he continues to get comfortable over the rest of the season. The Leafs are a team that will look very different by this time next season.

I did get a couple of emails asking for a fantasy perspective on Flyers C Darroll Powe. His best tool is his skating and he possesses very good speed and quickness. He's also such a competitive player that he can slide onto any of the Flyers lines as needed and not look out of place. If you play in a league with liberal adds and drops he's someone you should be looking at when injury strikes, or when you want to replace a player that's not getting it done.

Washington is shuffling defensemen Kyle Alzner and John Carlson back and forth from their AHL affiliate in Hershey. Both guys are going to be very strong fantasy contributors. Carlson is a guy that I think has a chance to be a huge star. He's just 20, but has every attribute that you could want in a young defenseman with excellent puck skills, size, and solid positional play in his own end. He has enough top end talent to score 60-70 points one day at the NHL level. He's a must target for those in Keeper/Dynasty leagues.

Florida lost a key contributor when Nathan Horton broke his tibia this past week. The player who will be leaned on the most to pick up some of the offensive slack is Corey Stillman. Stillman turned 36 years of age in December but still has enough skill to produce at a 50 point level over a full season. As long as he stays healthy he's going to see more minutes, power play opportunities, and would be a solid fantasy pickup if you lost Horton or need a forward as a short term replacement. He's found himself playing alongside Stephen Weiss and Michael Frolik on the Panthers top line.

Several weeks ago I told you Robbie Schremp was looking like he was going to be a key contributor on Long Island. In his last 10 contests (entering Jan.27) he's potted at least one point in 6 of those games. From a scouting perspective he doesn't look like the same player that had trouble making the Islanders starting lineup. He's much harder to play against as he sets up around the net, seems more willing to bang bodies to get in position to get his shot, and is showing a willingness to take abuse in the high traffic areas to make a play.If you stuck with him to this point he should be in your lineups now to reap some of the benefits of that loyalty.

 

Most times in this column I steer clear of telling you how well somebody like Alexander Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby is playing because you already know those things. I want to open this weeks column though with a note about another star - the Shark's Patrick Marleau. If you're seeing any San Jose games you know this has been their most competitive player night in and night out. He's been downright fierce in his attention to detail with regard to backchecking, and helping out in his own end. At the offensive end he continues to show the same playmaking instincts he's always had, and for the second straight year looks on his way to a career high in goals (had 38 last year, and has 34 already this season). He's going to get some MVP votes and they'll be well deserved because of the well rounded game he's playing.

Boston's Blake Wheeler is an ideal acquisition if you can get him. The combination of size and skills that made him an early pick of the Phoenix Coyotes back in 2004 have converged and we're seeing a glimpse of a player who has the ability to be an annual 70-75 point producer. In the game against Ottawa last week I thought he was the best player on the ice for either club. He's capable of much more than the 21 goals he scored as a rookie one season ago, and as the team continues to look for offense it's a safe bet they'll continue to add to his responsibilities.

Detroit's Darren Helm is the kind of player that really jumps out at you when you watch the game closely but you'd never take a second look at in a skills competition.Turning just 23 years old this coming week, Helm has been given some ice time while the Red Wings struggle of late with injuries (Tomas Holmstrom, Johan Franzen,Jason Williams are all out at the moment). While he once had 41 goals as a Western Hockey Leaguer, he projects as a slightly more skilled Kris Draper type - a third liner with enough skating skills to not look out of place on the second line. Prior to the loss to the Islanders Tuesday, Helm had scored 5 goals in his last 5 games, and is the kind of short term addition you should be looking at when injury or illness strikes your fantasy roster.

 

When Chris Kunitz went down with a significant injury (tear in abdominal wall) the Penguins recalled prospect Luca Caputi from Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton (AHL). Caputi, who is only 21, is expected to play as one of the top six forwards on a Penguin offense that currently ranks 6th in the league. He's at least a year away from full time duty at the NHL level, but his package of skills is such that he'd be a decent short term fill in for you off the waiver wire if you had Kunitz, or if you need an injury/illness replacement.

 

The Bruins just added free agent Miroslav Satan to their lineup for the balance of the 2009/10 season to try and boost their offense. Satan who is 35-years old has scored 59 points (29 goals,30 assists) per 82 games for his career (entering 2009/10), but at this point after struggling to score even 40 points while in Pittsburgh he should only be a consideration for you if your league has depleted your forward options on the waiver wire when you need to make a short term replacement.

 

The Islanders Robbie Schremp is showing signs of life for an Islanders team desperate for goals. He has points in three of his last four games played, and maybe more importantly has  been a minus player (plus/minus rating) only once in the last nine games. The scoring skills are still there but the desire has been lacking. Watch him closely as maybe he's finally realized that if he doesn't make the most of this chance there might not be another one.

 

Speaking of the Islanders, the team is expected to get netminder Rick DiPietro back from injury on the current road trip. After seeing Dwayne Roloson win three of four recently while allowing only six goals in that span, I still think Roloson will get his share of the starts. If the team was to move him someplace via trade his fantasy/roto value would skyrocket as he's been a very steadying influence on a club that averages right around 2.4 goals a contest. Roloson has been underrated for fantasy in the season's first half.

 

Colorado prospect T.J. Hensick has been tearing it up at the American Hockey League level and should get another chance in the Avalanche lineup very soon. He was the AHL player of the month for December scoring at least one point in 12 of the 13 contests Lake Erie played. Hensick has the skills to be an annual 55-65 point player, but a lack of size and strength has slowed his adjustment as an NHL player. His next opportunity is coming.

 

Another AHL standout who did get recalled and will play at the big league level at least for a short audition is Calgary C Jason Jaffray called up when Craig Conroy was unable to play with a lower body injury. At Abbotsford Jaffray was leading the team in goals (13) assists (17),and plus minus(+11). If Jaffray starts to show up in the boxscore he'd be worth an add for this year only as he's already 28 and is no longer a prospect but might be able to help you depending on where the Flames place him in their lineup. 

 

The player whose name is on everyone's lips following the thrilling conclusion of the World Junior Championships early this week is Canada's Jordan Eberle. An Oilers prospect, Eberle had eight goals and five assists for Team Canada, and earned the tournament's Most Valuable Player. He'll return to Regina (Western Hockey League) where he'll need to continue to add some strength and refine his play without the puck. He has excellent goal scorers hands, and will try and force his way into the Oilers lineup next fall at training camp when he'll still be just 20 years of age. Keeper leaguers should definitely have him on their radar as he'll have an easier time breaking into the Edmonton lineup than he would in some other places. He's a future 35-40 goal man at the NHL level.

 

With a .940 save percentage, and 2.01 Goals against Average at Manchester, the time is drawing nearer when the Kings should give super prospect Jonathan Bernier a chance to be their #1 stopper. Jonathan Quick the team's current #1 has been right around the middle of the league in Goals Against Average while ranking closer to the bottom in Save Percentage. It's not that Quick has been particularly bad, it's just that Bernier has a much greater upside and the team has been waiting for this kind of performance at the American Hockey League level before rewarding the youngster with a callup. I've seen Bernier a few times this season and he's playing a controlled, smart style that the Kings front office will be pleased with. He's a smaller goalie (5-11, 180 or so) so he doesn't have the size to make up for a lack of fundamentals.

 

The Blues are a team to watch now that they have replaced coach Andy Murray with the younger and more player development friendly Davis Payne who was coaching the teams American Hockey League affiliate at Peoria. Specifically, I'll be watching to see if the play of Erik Johnson, Patrick Berglund,and TJ Oshie picks up. All three are elite level talents who encountered difficulty earlier this year when they fell into Murray's doghouse at different times. Overall, the Blues have disappointed this season. Heading into the second half of 09/10 watch this space for updates on what I'm seeing from one of the league's younger, more exciting teams.

 

A couple of readers last week have asked how high a price they should pay in order to secure Anaheim's Bobby Ryan in trade. My answer has been that for those in Keeper/ Dynasty leagues he should fall right in the second tier below the Ovechkin/Crosby/Malkin group at the top. He should be valued similar to Anze Kopitar, Zach Parise, or Steve Stamkos. I traded Dustin Penner for him in one league (keeper),and Mikko Koivu for him in a single year contest.

 

If you have start/sit questions, trade questions, or anything else hockey or fantasy hockey related please email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . I'd love to hear from you.

The Ducks Dan Sexton burst onto the scene with 4 goals in his first 5 contests at the NHL level. Sexton who started the year in the East Coast Hockey League before playing 5 games with Manitoba (AHL) has landed on the second line in Anaheim alongside Saku Koivu, and Bobby Ryan. He's a 22 year old, smallish right winger who is showing goal scorers hands at the game's highest level. If he continues to produce he'll get minutes with Teemu Selanne (hand) out for an extended period. I've added him to a couple of my teams and you should too if you have the space and need an upside play.