The Avs can’t replace Chris Stewart, but you can
The news broke yesterday that Colorado Avalanche right wing Chris Stewart would miss 4-6 weeks with a broken hand. It comes at a tough time for the team as they are already without TJ Galiardi and now lost arguably their best player in such an unnecessary way (not fighting but fighting with the lead). As fantasy owners we will never complain when our power forward stud decides to drop the gloves, but once again we are reminded of the risks that go with the reward.
Tomas Kopecky – RW, Chicago Blackhawks (18% Yahoo!)
Kopecky has been moved back to the second line, where he showed a much more offensive side earlier in the season. Playing with Patrick Sharp and good friend Marian Hossa should work wonders for his confidence and fantasy value, especially since the team is now starting to win again. Now let’s collectively hope Hossa does not miss extended time after his collision with Nick Boynton during practice.
David Jones – RW, Colorado Avalanche (15% Yahoo!)
Lookup who is the second leading goal scorer in Colorado and the answer might shock you. For the second year in a row Jones finds himself on the left of Paul Stastny, with identical results to last year: scoring goals in bunches. The team probably has no other choice but to keep the 26-year-old on the top line which is great as he is a beneficiary of an elite playmaker.
Teddy Purcell – RW, Tampa Bay Lightning (10% Yahoo!)
Purcell still plays on the second line in Tampa Bay but has managed to still rack up points with Dominic Moore as his pivot. With eight points over his last six games the undrafted winger looks good in all formats and should be even better once Vincent Lecavalier and Simon Gagne return. At this point he may even have some long-term value and push Ryan Malone into more of a grinder role when the team gets back to even strength.
Jiri Hudler – RW, Detroit Red Wings (6% Yahoo!)
When Mike Modano went down, likely for the season, the main beneficiary has been Hudler– who took his spot on the powerplay. The results really have not been they yet but it should only be a matter of time before this talented forward gets back into the groove.
Andreas Nodl, RW, Philadelphia Flyers (2% Yahoo!)
Reggie Yinger told you why to grab Nodl in this week’s Crashing the Net so there is not much use beating a dead horse. He plays with Mike Richards, who is playing probably the best hockey of his career at the moment. In addition, his head coach recently commended the line saying he felt it was the team’s strongest in recent games. Pretty big compliment when you consider just how talented the team surrounding him actually is.
Of course, a couple players I wanted to add to this article don’t qualify for RW eligibility despite playing there basically all year (Erik Cole, Brandon Prust, etc.). Frustrating how slow Yahoo! can be when updating injuries and positions. Shocking Stewart even is on IR; at least they got something right.
Moving forward, do you think Stewart should drop the gloves again? He only has two fighting majors this year and five last year so he isn’t overly pugilistic but it definitely is a good debate.