Remarkable 2009-10 Fantasy Seasons: Part 1

Matt is covering the forgettable 2009-10 fantasy campaigns, so I am going to look at some guys who really surpassed expectations this season and hopefully helped deliver your team a fantasy title.

Steven Stamkos

O-Rank: 89; Final Rank: 5

Stamkos ended the 2008-09 season strong, scoring 27 points in his final 30 games.  He didn’t let up in 2009-10, and justified his selection as a first overall pick.  He tied Sidney Crosby for the Richard Trophy with 51 goals, and led the league with 24 PPG.  He has established himself as a fantasy stud, and will likely be a top 5 pick next season.  Don’t be surprised if some people take him ahead of Evgeni Malkin.

Alex Burrows

O-Rank: 98; Final Rank: 23

It is scary to think how valuable Burrows could be if the Canucks would give him significant PP time.  In 2008-09 he put up 28 goals and 150 PIM despite a grand total of zero PPP.  This year, he found his niche on the top line, and scored 67 points to go along with 121 PIMS.  Again, this was in limited PP time, as he recorded only 6 PPP.  To put that in perspective, over the last two seasons he has 13 SHP compared to 6 PPP.

Paul Stastny

O-Rank: 200; Final Rank: 42

Everybody and their dog new that Stastny was going to provide great value on draft day, and he more or less lived up to expectations, proving elite no. 2 center stats.  Playing near a point per game pace was never a problem for Stastny; his problem was staying healthy, having missed 43 games from 2007-09.  He stayed on the ice this year, tallying 79 points, 25 of which came on the PP. 

Christian Ehrhoff

O-Rank: 149: Final Rank: 64

Expectations for Ehrhoff were high when he came over to Vancouver in an off-season trade with the Sharks.  Already a decent fantasy option, Ehrhoff took his game to the next level with the Canucks.  He potted 14 goals thanks to a career high 7.7% shooting percentage and ranked third among all blueliners with a +36 rating.

Jimmy Howard

O-Rank: 245: Final Rank: 31

Howard didn’t take over from Chris Osgood permanently until mid-November, but it was worth it.  He rewarded fantasy owners with 37 wins, a 2.26 GAA and .924 SV%.  Expect him to be among the top 10 netminders taken next year.