After Christmas Break Fantasy Advice
A little something from our friend Trevor Bosma:
So it has been two weeks since the NHL Christmas Freeze and a lot has changed. Like I said before the Christmas Freeze Jeff Cater was going to turn things around in 2010 and has he ever. Carter is one of the hottest players in the NHL the past 2 weeks. 4 goals, 6 assists and 29 shots in the past 8 games, this is a big change from his first 36 games. Carter had only 12 goals and 13 assists before Christmas and is now on pace to put up 15 goals and 30 assists in the last 30 games of the season. The Flyers must be loving this kid getting hot right now. Philly will continue to roll and will most definitely, in my mind, make the post season. Any rumors you hear about Jeff Carter in a trade, wash them away and have a laugh. Carter will not be leaving the Flyers and he will continue to put up big points for the rest of the season. If you can get him, Hartnell or Brier( Flyers second line) in your fantasy league.
Buffalo is still on a roll. Of course they are with Miller in between the pipes. The guy is amazing this season. A definite Vezina candidate, Miller is putting up a career season and Buffalo is looking great. Thomas Vanek has not put up the numbers I thought he would after the break but he did get put on a line Saturday night with Derek Roy and Drew Stafford. What did Vanek do on that line, his first shift with them? He scored. Maybe Lindy Ruff is going back to the lines from the start of the year? If you have Vanek you can only hope. If he plays with Derek Roy we all have seen what those two can do (36 goals in 2007 and 40 goals in 2008 for Vanek). Watch Buffalo closely because they are finally looking like a team that could contend.
The Edmonton Oilers… As an Oiler faithful I hate to say this but I can’t even watch their games anymore. I hear rumors about Souray not being good trade bait because of his 5.4 million dollar contract and two years remaining on it. Sorry but I really think Souray will be a huge asset to a lot of teams. If you can grab Souray I would recommend it cause most likely, if he’s traded, he’s going to a California team (this is where his family is located). The Oilers will be big sellers at the trade deadline, I think, and this could mean a few more painful years of watching youth get experience and just come up short to make the post season. Stay far away from any and all Oilers that may be free agents in your fantasy pools.
Lastly again is the San Jose Sharks. We all know what the Sharks can do and they prove this night in and night out. Dominate first and second line, which has moved Heatley to the second line and Setoguchi up to the first line. Nabokov has been a bit off lately but when your team has 4-5 players capable of 30 goal seasons he can have an off night and they will win him games. They also have a solid defensive core that features Douglas Murray, Rob Blake, Dan Boyle and Marc Edward Vlasic. SJ is a solid bet for the cup and will continue to roll so keep them in your line up as much as possible. Oh I almost forgot, Setoguchi is going to get hot….well at least I think he will. How can he not (Thorton and Marleau on his line)?
Take care all and hope the start of 2010 has been as good for all of you as it has been for me.