Summer Sleeper Series – Rich Peverley

Jeff Angus

2009-07-22

 

Every Wednesday this summer, I will bring you a sleeper to watch for the 2009-2010 season (and potentially beyond). Released in no particular order, I will refrain from picking sleepers that have already shown glimpse of breaking out in the past – the obvious candidates. Time to go beneath the surface for some sleepers that you may have not thought about…

Fantasy hockey is all about trends. Certain players play better on certain days of the week, months of the year, and parts of the season. Certain players perform better in certain situations, certain positions, and on certain teams. Identifying these trends is usually the difference between winning your pool and simply staying afloat. Rich Peverley, once a castoff in the Nashville Predators organization, broke out in a big way after joining Atlanta mid-way through the 2008-09 season. He did the one thing that any center must do in Atlanta – establish chemistry with Ilya Kovalchuk. Peverley torched score sheets (relatively, at least) down the stretch, finishing the season with 13 goals and 35 points in 39 games for the Thrashers. In 27 games with Nashville earlier in the season, he only had a measly two goals and nine points. What was the reason for this dramatic increase in production?

The obvious answer is Kovalchuk. Peverley played the majority of his shifts with Kovalchuk. His linemates also included Colby Armstrong, Slava Kozlov, and Marty Reasoner. His ice time jumped significantly – opportunity number two. He averaged just over 12 minutes a game in Nashville, but was close to 19 minutes a game in Atlanta. Peverley wasn't just scoring and not contributing, either. After his arrival, the Thrashers were a solid .500 hockey club, and even went on a six-game winning streak in March. Lots of players that have been scoring stars in the ECHL and AHL never get opportunities to play in scoring roles in the NHL. However, lots do and don't take advantage of it. Peverley is a shining example of a scoring star that toiled in the minors for numerous seasons, and capitalizing on an opportunity.

What does this mean for the future? The Thrashers are much improved this off-season. They signed underrated Nik Antropov, traded for top-four defenseman Pavol Kubina, and will have a full season from phenom Zach Bogosian. Perhaps the key player to watch for is Kari Lehtonen, who has done little with his immense talent up to this point. Conditioning has always been an issue with him, but the Thrashers believe they have that figured out. If Lehtonen can stay healthy, he is a top five goalie.

 

📢 advertisement:

Getting back to Peverley, expect his scoring to continue. The Thrashers love the line of Kozlov, Bryan Little, and Todd White. They also want Antropov to play with Kovalchuk, to open up some space for his lethal shot. Peverley will fit like a glove between the two hulking wingers. Expect 50-60 points, and do not be shocked if Peverley hits 70. The coaching staff likes him, and Kovalchuk likes playing with him. As a fantasy hockey owner, what else could you ask for?

 

Leave A Comment

UPCOMING GAMES

Jun 04 - 20:06 EDM vs FLA

Starting Goalies

Top Skater Views

  Players Team
ALEKSANDER BARKOV FLA
MARCO ROSSI MIN
JASON ROBERTSON DAL
YANNI GOURDE T.B
JACK HUGHES L.A

Top Goalie Profile Views

  Players Team
SERGEI IVANOV CBJ
YAROSLAV ASKAROV S.J
THATCHER DEMKO VAN
SPENCER KNIGHT CHI
KEVIN LANKINEN VAN

LINE COMBOS

  Frequency CHI Players
24.2 ILYA MIKHEYEV RYAN DONATO CONNOR BEDARD
21.0 JOE VELENO LANDON SLAGGERT LUKAS REICHEL
21.0 TEUVO TERAVAINEN FRANK NAZAR TYLER BERTUZZI

DobberHockey Podcasts

Fantasy Hockey Life: Emma Lingan on the Nashville Predators

Emma Lingan of the Hockey News is here to report on the Nashville Predators. Jesse and Victor interview Emma about returning pros Filip Forsberg, Jonathan Marchessault, Ryan O’Reilly, Steven Stamkos, Luke Evangelista, Michael Bunting, Zachary L’Heureux, Joakim Kemell, Roman Josi, Brady Skjei, Ryan Ufko, Juuse Saros, and Justus Annunen.. In Cat’s Instincts, Cat Silverman of […]

Fantasy Hockey Life: Pittsburgh Penguins with Josh Yohe

Josh Yohe is here to report on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jesse and Victor interview Josh about returning pros Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, Evgeni Malkin, Tommy Novak, Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, Erik Karlsson, Matt Grzelcyk, Kris Letang, Owen Pickering, Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic. In Cat’s Instincts, Cat Silverman of InGoal mag breaks down […]

Fantasy Hockey Life: Seattle Kraken with RJ Eskanos

RJ Eskanos of Emerald City Hockey is here to report on the Seattle Kraken. Jesse and Victor interview RJ about returning pros Jared McCann, Chandler Stephenson, Jaden Schwartz, Jordan Eberle, Kaapo Kakko, Shane Wright, Matty Beniers, Andre Burakovsky, Eeli Tolvanen, Jani Nyman, Vince Dunn, Brandon Montour, Ryker Evans, Joey Daccord, and Philipp Grubauer. In Cat’s […]

Keeping Karlsson: KK Leagues Report – 2025 Champs!

Derrick talks to the big winners of the various Keeping Karlsson leagues from this past season. He’s first joined by the new KKUPFL Ultimate Champion Ian and the reigning fast-track winner Alec. Then Derrick is joined by the year 1 KK Dynasty League champions Ian (different Ian), Saqib, and Brett, aka the “Good ol’ Ottawa Boys”.

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

📢 advertisement: