Thoughts on Derek Roy and how he’ll do elsewhere; Is Kevin Connauton emerging? And more…

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Breaking: Evander Kane is out until early February with a lower-body injury. My guess is that he’s been playing through it for the past several weeks. How else to explain the ugly production?

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Waiver update: Derek Roy has cleared waivers. Edmonton claimed Matt Fraser – and I think that was a good claim. He is a solid, NHL-ready, third-line winger who can chip in some points.

It looks like Magnus Paajarvi, Dany Heatley and Matt Hackett were each placed on today’s waiver wire.

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Can’t say enough about the Nashville Predators and the team’s turnaround. Yes, they always seem to exceed expectations but this year is different. Usually they exceed expectations with strong team play and excellent coaching. This year, the coach is completely different – from a defensive specialist to an offensive one. The Preds sit in the middle of the pack – almost exactly in the middle, actually – when it comes to scoring goals. They’re an even better team with Mike Fisher on board, and I also love it when the coach foregoes politics for the betterment of the team. Derek Roy is still a big name in hockey circles, despite the last three years. And Viktor Stalberg was a massive (overpaid) signing just 17 months ago. But Roy has been put on waivers and Stalberg sent to the minors. Even though just $900,000 comes off the cap in the Stalberg move, it wasn’t done for the savings. It was done for the betterment of the team. Right now Taylor Beck needs ice time. So does Calle Jarnkrok and Gabriel Bourque. And to take even one minute per game off of Filip Forsberg‘s ice time would be a crime against humanity.

So get rid of the baggage.

On some teams, Stalberg could be a 55-point player. On others he’d be 35 points. And on Nashville he’s a minor leaguer.

As for Roy, I think he’ll get plucked today. You’ll hear soon enough (noon EST), but his $1 million cap hit and ability to still be (at least) a 35-point experienced leader on the third line is appealing to a few teams. And with favorable ice time and the right linemates, even 45 points is doable. Roy had three points in the first three games this year, but those games were three of his highest ice time game and included power-play time. The young guns have chipped away at those things and without the favorable minutes and linemates, Roy was struggling just to get in the lineup.

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The points streak continues for Anze Kopitar. Five straight games now and 12 points in that span. And nine of those points have come on the power play. So gee, I wonder where he’s found his comfort zone?

His pace is now 60 points. Well that didn’t take long.

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I wish I knew what was going on with Dustin Brown. When he got 14 points in the postseason, it showed me that he wasn’t washed up after all. But the first half of this season has been brutal. And in the one league that I own him – a points-only keeper that counts postseason – he’s no longer worth keeping. I may have to drop him in the midseason draft, which is shocking. He gave me 14 playoff points last year, which helped win me some money. But this kind of baggage taking up a roster spot just for what I hope will be 10 playoff points this year is too much. Especially when he’s looking more and more like he’ll struggle just to get five or six rather than the 10 I hope for.