Fantasy Hockey Analysis

Fantasy Hockey Scouts: The Fantasy Five - Week 14

#1 Give 'em a Look

In a previous life (actually just eight years ago), Tuomo Ruutu was a considered a can’t miss prospect, a former 9th overall pick of Chicago, he seemed to have the full package. Since then, he’s had a lot of issues with injuries and looked like he was going to miss but he seems to have found a home for himself in North Carolina and this year he’s starting to take his game to a new level... he’s had 8+17=25 over his last 25 games and 6+10=16 over his last nine games while clicking on the Canes 2nd line with rookie Jeff Skinner.

Others worth a look: Kris Versteeg (Tor – LW), Drew Stafford (Buf - RW), Jamie Benn (Dal – RW) and Brian Boucher (Phi – G)

I don’t like recommending that you drop Rene Bourque cause I like the guy and think he has a lot of potential but it’s getting to that point for a lot of people as he’s been pretty invisible lately (2+2=4 in his last 15 games) and the Flames look to be in a death spiral. Add to it that Bourque has been pretty fragile over his career (although he’s only missed two games so far this year) and he’s stuck playing on the Flames 3rd line with guys like Morrison & Glencross... and I’m not sure he can get himself out of this.

Others worth a boot: Brook Laich (Wsh – W), Paul Martin (Pit – D), Mike Del Zotto (NYR - D) and Brian Elliott (Ott – G)

The major concern in the fantasy hockey world, and the hockey world for that matter, is with Sidney Crosby’s head. The team originally called it a “mild concussion” and while they thought he’d only miss a week, he’s now missed the last four games and is still said to be suffering from concussion related symptoms. Nobody really knows when something like this will clear up, could be a few days, could be months.

Jose Theodore had been pushing Niklas Backstrom for starts in Minnesota as he had a solid year going and things looked promising when Backstrom went down injured recently and Theodore rang off four straight wins. That caused a bit of a frenzy in the fantasy world as people were scrambling to pick him up thinking that he was on his way to a big 2nd half. Maybe he is but there will always be bumps in the road for this guy as he’s now given up four goals in each of his past two starts (both losses), Backstrom’s injury is not as bad as originally feared (should be back in a week or so) and Theodore is now dealing with an injury of his own (LBI, extent TBD).

This week, just a reminder about the vast amounts of information you can find over at the NHL’s website on their Stats pages… whether you’re looking for the league’s top sniper (Sergei Kostitsyn at 25%), best shootout goalie (Jonathan Quick, 4-0 & stopped 16/19), most PP time (Evgeni Malkin at 5:37/game), or 72nd best even-strength SV% (Marty Brodeur at .890), it’s all right there at your finger-tips.