December 03 2014
Dobber
2014-12-03
The over/under on Brodeur, thoughts on Huberdeau, Girgensons, Jimmy Hayes and more …
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It turns out that it was the Ducks that signed Bryzgalov. It’s a tryout contract, which makes it a game-by-game thing. All he wants is a game or two – a great showing would generate interest from teams like the Oilers. How he played in Minnesota down the stretch last season, I can’t believe he’s had such a difficult time finding a contract. But good on him for sticking with it.
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Brendan Ross with another beauty of a prospects ramblings. Check it out here
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Both Boychuk and Visnovsky were placed on IR and the Isles recalled Griffin Reinhart. But I like Calvin de Haan the most as a result of these changes. I think he’s worth a flier or worth watching
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Early afternoon updates – Crawford’s injury is to his foot and he is out two to three weeks. Injury was suffered leaving a concert (!). As much as Darling impressed last time, I think Raanta gets a chance this time and he’ll get back on track – a chance of running the table here, and he’d be the guy I would go with. Yes, I could be wrong. I’m just sharing what I would do. I’ve been a Raanta fan, as you know, since Chicago signed him.
Brian Dumoulin was recalled by the Penguins, not Pouliot. Both defensemen earned it – the Penguins are in a good spot with their young blue liners.
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So I’m gonna set the over/under on Marty Brodeur games played this season at 8.5. Where do you weigh in? Over or under?
With Joffrey Lupul back on the lineup, Mike Santorelli is really rolling. Santorelli has seven points in his last four games with three last night. And I guess we know why he was struggling to get into the Florida lineup his last year. He feeds off quality linemates. Sure, he can go it alone for a game or two and produce, but leave him with Jimmy Stonehands and Tommy Cantshoot for an extended period and he’ll put up a lot of goose eggs.
Nazem Kadri, too. Kadri had a three-point game and has five in his last three.
This is alarming. Alex Goligoski was buried on the second PP unit, seeing just 1:14 in a game in which he tallied two even strength points. Playing a righty on the blue line is so important to Lindy Ruff that he would put out a second-rate puck mover in Jason Demers (who saw 3:49 on the PP) over Goligoski. Sure, I can see playing John Klingberg over Goli, since he’s been on a tear.
I remember when Cody Franson started the season on the shelf with a knee injury. He was ready to go in the second game but Randy Carlyle didn’t put him in. It just seemed that for the first few games of the season, Carlyle was almost …I don’t know… trying to find a reason to scratch him? I just got that vibe, nothing of substance to base that one. He has 14 points in his last 13 games.
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Stephen Weiss – six points in five games since his return. What are you waiting for? I had him recommended in my Puck Daddy last Friday. His ice time is inching upwards now and he’s seeing some PP time as well. Sure, I’m not sold that he’s back for good – but that’s what the waiver wire is for. Just go back in a couple of weeks if he cools off. But I think the hot hand will continue for now.
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Jonathan Huberdeau. As a keeper league owner who doesn’t own him – I’m loving the modest point totals. You can bet I’ll be targeting him in the summer and I don’t care if he ends the season with 35 points. I still believe he’ll be a star – you’ll just have to wait until the top Florida scorers get more than 45 points. So he’s a ‘buy low’ after this season, and getting ‘lower’. And that suits me just fine.
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Market corrections. If something seems to crazy, it usually is. So while Filip Forsberg is a star already and I already noted in the last Ramblings that I figure he’ll finish in the 60s – for that to happen he needed a market correction. He has one point in his last six games and has finally slipped under a point per game. He was one of the fastest risers in my Fantasy Player Rankings that I posted yesterday.
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This battle for leading scorer on the Hurricanes – why is it a battle? I mean, Eric Staal vs. … Riley Nash vs. Justin Faulk? Yikes. All three tied at 15 points right now. I’m not high on the upside of Nash and Faulk at all. Offensively speaking. As two-way guys I think they’re great.
I was so sure about Andrej Sekera this year. So certain. I can’t believe he’s fallen so far. He even started the year off fine. But his PP ice time is down to the second unit. Liles and even Michal Jordan is seeing more. New coaches, man. They always screw up what you think will happen…
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John Carlson has six points in his last three games. We’re only 24 games in but how long have we waited on these kinds of numbers? He’s already just about halfway to his career high of 37 points.
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If you’re dying for a goaltender, apparently Ilya Bryzgalov is close to signing with a mystery team that seems to be the Oilers. I’m a fan of him getting a shot in the NHL but not a fan of Edmonton doing this. As I’ve said here before over the past week, their woes are not in net. Maybe they were in the first month. Okay, definitely they were. But last game aside, Viktor Fasth has been playing great. I consider Bryzgalov about equal to Fasth and Scrivens, so I’m not sure what good a three-headed monster will do. For this to work, Bryzgalov would have to come in and dominate. I guess it’s a “nothing to lose” mentality.
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Some Penguins injury news – Chris Kunitz is out for ” a couple of weeks” with a fractured foot. That one strikes me as more than a couple of weeks and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him out until after the Christmas break but we’ll see. Here were the Pittsburgh line combos without Kunitz:
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23.69% |
EV |
87 CROSBY,SIDNEY – 72 HORNQVIST,PATRIC – 13 SPALING,NICK |
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18.47% |
EV |
17 COMEAU,BLAKE – 71 MALKIN,EVGENI – 59 MEGNA,JAYSON |
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5.22% |
EV |
23 DOWNIE,STEVE – 25 EBBETT,ANDREW – 16 SUTTER,BRANDON |
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4.82% |
EV |
23 DOWNIE,STEVE – 16 SUTTER,BRANDON – 43 WILSON,SCOTT |
As you can see, Horny is back up with Sid. Spaling too, for that matter. And Megna slots in with Malkin. They combined on the only goal. I guess if you’re in a daily league and need a winger (deep league of course), Megna will provide temporary help.
And Kris Letang is back on the IR, this time for a groin injury. Ehrhoff is now seeing power-play time in his absence.
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Checking in on the AHL – just some quick one-offs as I scroll through some prospects I’m interested in tracking, as well as the top scorers…
Derrick Pouliot is still rolling, with 13 points in 16 games. With the Letang move to IR, I wonder if Pouliot gets the call…
Detroit prospect Teemu Pulkkinen and Montreal prospect Charles Hudon are tied for the AHL lead in scoring with 23 points. With Hudon it’s impressive because not only is he a rookie-pro, but he’s also a former fifth-round draft pick. For a deeper pick to make this kind of a splash it’s impressive.
Minnesota summer Euro signee Michael Keranen has 16 points in 21 games.
Mikhail Grigorenko has 15 points in 21 contests, squeaking into the Top 50 AHL scorers.
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Jaromir Jagr left the game after taking this hit: