Radim Vrbata (PHO-RW) (last 16 GP: 9 G, 7 A, 8 PIMs, 2 PPP, 3 GWG, 57 SOG, +6)

Jake Gardiner (TOR-D) (last 12 GP: 2 G, 6 A, 1 PPP, 16 blocked shots, 16 SOG, +11)

and Evgeni Nabokov (NYI-G) (last 9 GS: 7-2-0, 1.33 GAA, .955 SV%, 2 SO)

For Radim Vrbata, he is on a career pace. He is currently on track to blow by his previous career high 56 points in a season with 45 already in only 54 games played. He, alongside other aging veterans Ray Whitney and Shane Doan, are leading the charge for the fan-less Coyotes and helping them stand ground as a competitive team in the West.

Although those numbers for Jake Gardiner are nothing quite eye-popping, it is however quite decent for a defenseman ranked 599th overall in Yahoo!’s original rankings at the beginning of the season. Gardiner is also contributing in the areas that often do not matter in fantasy hockey and helping anchor the Leafs back-end for their forwards continue to score at will.

What a ride it has been over the last 2 years for Evgeni Nabokov. He spent the first half of the 2010-11 season in the KHL and in the second half he was claimed by the Islanders only to be suspended for the remainder of the season for not reporting to the team. Considering the turmoil the Islanders goal-tending situation started off as at the beginning of the season, Nabokov has settled into a starting role and is playing like he was years back with the Sharks. And if Nabokov continues to play the way he has been over the last month-and-half for the Islanders, he will only need Tavares instead of a whole team trying to score.

Stay tuned for “Trending Up” for 2 more unlikely heroes…

TRADE OF THE WEEK

***Ilya Kovalchuk for Eric Staal and Ray Whitney***

Kovalchuk is hotter than Wayne Gretzky’s daughter right now and this is normally the time of year when he tends to shine. He has 20 (10-10) points, 9 PIMs, 8 PPP, 4 SHP and 2 GWG with a +5 plus/minus rating in his last 14 games. Nice to see the Kovalchuk of old having some consistent play.

We all are aware of the hardships Eric Staal has went through this season and although he has not nearly been as bad as he was earlier in the year, he still has disappointed overall but does still have time to redeem himself as the Canes still fight for a possible playoff spot. And as mentioned earlier, Ray Whitney is having an outstanding year for the old-timer he is. He has 49 points on the year and does not appear to be showing any signs of holding off on the score sheet for the ‘Yotes. So where do you stand in this trade? Does the surprise of Whitney ease the disappointment of Eric Staal to take that side of the trade? Or do you believe in Kovalchuk continuing to be a dominate force for the remainder of the season?

Send us your thoughts on twitter @2ForBoarding or @DBraemer, send us a message on Facebook on the 2ForBoarding page or in the comments section below.

TRENDING DOWN

I promised you a continuation of unexpected heroes and I promise to deliver.

David Clarkson has been quite the surprise for the Devils this year and can offer stat-stuffing in both point and PIMs categories. In Clarkson’s last 9 games he has 11 (6-5) points, 16 PIMs, 5 PPP, 1 GWG and a +3 plus/minus rating. It seems as if Kovalchuk’s play is rubbing off on Clarkson and fantasy owners are loving every second of it. Clarkson is nothing more than a waiver pickup and is on pace to nearly double his career high in goals set back in 08-09 when he potted 17. That year in 82 games he recorded 32 (17-15) points (6 on powerplay), so far this year in 53 games, Clarkson already has 30 (21-9) points (12 on powerplay). Clarkson is not a must add for the long haul but for right now he is one of the hottest fantasy players in the league and comes at a price for next to nothing. Pick him up off of waivers and enjoy the multi-category production.

The next unpredictable hero hails from the city that Gretzky built. The Edmonton Oilers may be suffering from injuries to their younger stars and are struggling to consistently win games, but when it comes to Sam Gagner, Edmonton fans and fantasy owners do not mind if continues to do what he is doing.

Gagner was not doing much up until the 5-game point streak he is currently on. In that streak Gagner’s numbers are staggering (15 (8-7) points, 4 (2-2) PPP and a +6 plus/minus rating). Although the majority of those points came the night he torched the Blackhawks for 4 goals and 4 assists.

Nonetheless, he has been able to continue his scoring output and is definitely worth a pickup for the time being, at least until he cools off. He may not be able to provide your team with PIMs or short-handed points, he has proven he can accumulate points in bunches and does have the talent around him to keep it going at a steady pace. This improved play should also earn him some consideration for some more time on the powerplay. Pick him up if you have the spot.

TRENDING DOWN

Well it looks like Corey Crawford is back on his slide.

His poor play in the new year has finally caught up to him and Ray Emery’s name is being thrown back into the mix and in line to take away some of what would be Crawford’s starts. Crawford’s season has been all over the place, but more often it has been in the dumps. This is not the first time he has been mentioned in this section. In Crawford’s 11 starts in 2012 he is 3-5-3 with a 3.56 GAA and an .887 SV%. Crawford is fortunate he plays on a team with an explosive offense or else there would not even be second thoughts of finding his replacement until he can prove otherwise.

Right now, though, I view Crawford as a Buy-Low candidate. For one, he is a goalie and whenever you have the chance to get a top goalie at a lower price, as long as you are not giving up too much, it is always worth taking the chance. Also, the Blackhawks are destined to come out strong near the end of the regular season and that is when Crawford could make his way back into the winning columns.

SLEEPER ALERT

This week I am going to go off the fantasy board and back into reality for my sleeper alert. This time I am going to nominate a team as a sleeper to make the playoffs with just over a quarter of the season to go. For my choice I will drift over to the West and my fellow collegaues here at 2ForBoarding may frown when they hear my choice — not only because this team has simply just been pretty awful all year long, but also consdiering my “history” with this team and I promise you this, this is purely a business deciosn.

I believe that the Anaheim Ducks will somehow slither their way into the Western Conference playoffs and the road to it begins now. Every year it seems as if the Ducks are on the cusp of not making the playoffs but somehow make their way in with hard-nosed play and extreme production from their top line. So far this year, they have had none of that on top of brutal play between the pipes from Hiller. However, as of late the team seems to be playing with that sense of urgency and Hiller is playing much, MUCH than he was earlier this year. The trade deadline may play a big part in how the Ducks season may finish out but I do believe that if any of the bottom 4 teams in the West will be able to pull off a big run and capture one of those bottom 3 playoff spots, the Ducks are the team to do it.

—–

That concludes this weeks 2FB Fantasy Rundown.

The Rundown will be M.I.A. for the next two weeks as I will be in the M.I.A.. Well, a 3 hour drive away at least. For the next two weeks I am off to Florida for a warm vacation with the family and girlfriend in the Sunshine State.

If plans stick as discussed, I’ll be doing some up-close-and-personal fantasy scouting of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Be sure to check all the other interesting and entertaining pieces here on our website and if you have any fantasy questions in the next two weeks, make sure to send them our way through one of the many social media outlets you can reach the 2ForBoarding crew. Good luck in the next two weeks and as always…

Don’t forget to set your lineups!

Predators proud to call “Partner” friend [USA Today]

Owen Nolan to make announcement today [NHL]

Brian Boyle losses a superbowl bet, dons NY Giants gear [Puck Daddy]

Forget concussions, its the year of coaching injuries [The Star]

The worst hockey profile picture… its a beauty! [Dirty Dangle]

Overcoming Howard’s injury [In The Cage]

Beyond the Clock [Down Goes Brown]

Rick Nash has to want out of Columbus, right? [Dirty Dangle]

Belfour enjoying the outdoors and coaching in retirement [NHL]

Congratulations to Scott Gomez, one whole year without scoring a goal [Puck Daddy]

Miller passes Hasek for most wins for the Sabres [Sabre Noise]

Orpik’s hit of the year [NHL]

In Soviet Russia, goal score you..  [Backhand Shelf]

Man arrested for DUI – on a zamboni [NBC]

Dirty Dangle wastes no time.  Drunk Zamboni Driving [Dirty Dangle]

Carolina sweeps season series with Boston for the first time in franchise history [NHL]

Howe raising funds for Dimentia research [NHL]

Subban destroys Larsson

Watch this video on YouTube.

It all started Thursday night at the All-Star fantasy draft night. I was quite excited for this draft and rightfully so considering how excited I get for my own fantasy drafts four times a year. I am very intrigued with the format of the draft and the fact the it actually has some structure, not just one-for-one, back and forth. The other three major sports could definitely learn a thing or two. But once the broadcast got going, yikes. I know Daniel Alfredsson is a consummate professional and was in his team’s hometown, but good Lord a little life and character would be much appreciated for the sake of those watching. To get straight to the point, he, along with the majority of the other players that took to the microphone, were very awkward and lacked some serious on-camera personality.

Phil Kessel had to be the cream of the crop. He reminded me of the socially awkward kid back in elementary school that had broken English and had trouble reading yet was forced to do a presentation in front of the class. Get used to it Kessel, you will always be under that microscope.

I have no idea what it is with hockey players but they always find a way to be the most awkward on-camera and on the mic. Maybe not Mike Tyson awkward, but definitely regular awkward. All-in-all, I was very disappointed with the overall draft broadcast and was hoping for a turnaround at the skills and All-Star game. Props though to Jason Spezza and obviously Joffrey Lupul for having more than a pinch of humor in their personalities. Yes, Joffrey, we all love booing the Leafs.

Saturday night was the skills challenge and there were definitely some memorable moments created for any highlight reel. Zdeno Chara outdid himself from last year launching the puck in the “Hardest Shot” challenge 108.8 mph. I wonder if he has a mean golf swing…

All the flash was shown in the “Shoot-out Challenge”. Leading the way in the headlines were Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane and Ducks right-winger and reigning MVP, Corey Perry. Perry did something I had never seen before. Halfway towards the net he threw his gloves and stick aside, only to reveal a miniature stick hiding in his gear. He then proceeded to stick handle Brian Elliot out of position and pot the puck in the back of the net. Very unique and incredibly entertaining.

But it was Patrick Kane who stole the show and was the eventual winner of the challenge. Corey Perry’s “Kryptonite” if you will. I would love to sit here and explain what he was able to pull off but that would not serve the creativity of the shot enough justice. So please, enjoy… (Bonus shot at the end)

Patrick “Super-Kent” Kane

To finish the weekends festivities off, the All-Star game took place in the day on Sunday and my favourite part of the game was that select players were mic’d up all game and were even able to conduct interviews with Hughson and Simpson during live play while they were on the bench. Highlight of the night for myself was the first period goal by Henrik Sedin. It started with Kris Letang feeding Scott Hartnell who was sitting beside the net and after a subtle move to put goalie off balance, Hartnell passed it across the crease to Henrik who was able to put it in the back of the net. Hartnell, who was one of the players mic’d up, went on to shout “The Sedin Tripletts! We scored a goal! Tic-tac-toe baby!” And as he is skating back the bench to fist-bump and celebrate with his teammates, he makes sure to take trip past Dion Phaneuf…

Scott Hartnell Antics

Overall it seemed to be a very successful All-Star weekend. The NHL does however need think about implementing a mandatory off-season acting course to help out their players in the areas they lack. to make sure they send their players to mandatory theatre class in the off-season, it can only do good at this point.

Trade of the Week

***Jaromir Jagr for Michael Cammalleri***

Two players that were closely ranked at beginning of the year and are now at far ends of the spectrum coming out of All-Star weekend.

The 38-year-old Jaromir Jagr is playing like he is 28. Sure, he has been slowed a couple of times by injuries but he is playing way beyond what was expected from him and has been a great pick for those that took a shot on him. Cammalleri on the other hand has had a rough season. Struggling along with the entire Canadiens team, he was eventually shipped back to Calgary and is looking a for a much better second half.

Who do you put your faith in for the rest of the season? Will Jagr continue to roll or will his age catch up to him? Will Cammalleri start sniping again or will hgis play in Montreal follow him across country?

Don’t forget to send us your feedback.

Trending Up

Not a large crop to choose from in a short week but looks like John Tavares has not even missed a beat coming off of his first of what will surely be many All-Star appearances.

Tavares is almost beyond “Trending Up” and more along the lines of “Turbo-Jetting Upwards”. Over the 5 weeks John Tavares is arguably the hottest player in the league. In that stretch he has produced 26 (11-15) points, 7 PPP, 5 GWG and a +12 plus/minus rating. Monster numbers for fantasy owners. Not to mention in his first game off of the ASG he scored 4 (2-2) points, 1 PPA, a GWG and was a +2. I would not shy away from making the statement that Tavares will have the best second half of all players and will definitely get some MVP considerations based solely on his numbers and his leadership role with the Islanders at such a young age. Buy for right price if on the block. If you own him, do not let go.

Trending Down

Things are not looking to good for Kenora Mike right now. The Los Angeles Kings have had problems all year scoring goals and Mike Richards struggles are not helping put them in any position to be a legitimate threat come playoff time. Since being activated from the IR in late December, Richards has not been able to find any form of consistent offense.

His penalty minutes have been nothing to shy away from, but you will not have any chance at recording any powerplay minutes if you are spending all of your time in the box. In that time (17 games) Richards has only managed to record 6 (3-3) points, 1 PPG, 0 SHP (a specialty of Mike’s), 35 PIMs and a -1 plus/minus rating.

It sure seems like since being traded from the Flyers, Richards has regressed tremendously. I do not see any sort of drastic turnaround this season especially being on a team that is struggling offensively. The one positive thing I do see out of this is that if this trend keeps going downwards, Richards value come draft day next year will be much lower and he could serve as good value for being drafted in a lower round. Keep watch on his progress.

Sleeper Alert

Bold choice here but I am nominating Michael Neuvirth as the sleeper for the rest of the season.

Neuvirth has had a forgettable season up to this point but all signs point to a much better showing down the stretch for the Washington Capitals goaltender. Looking back at Neuvirth’s performance last year for his final 19 starts of the season, his stats were very strong for a rookie young goaltender going into the playoffs (12-6-0, 2.36 GAA, .919 SV% and 3 SOs). There should be much more of the same this season. Last year he was splitting time with Semyon Varlamov and this year he has played behind Tomas Vokoun for the majority of the season.

Vokoun is no spring chicken and will definitely be looking for some extended rest near the end of the season if the Caps want him at full strength for a playoff run. This means that Neuvirth will be depended on much heavier and it could be his time to steal some valuable time and prove himself as a legit tender. I would not suggest to break the bank for Neuvirth but it would not hurt to stash him on your team and see what happens going forward.

Now is the time where fantasy owners start to separate themselves from the pack and solidify their spot either near the top or bottom half of the standings. Don’t let yourself end up in the that bottom half. Have any questions how to avoid that? Send me your questions and as always I will do my best to help you make a run at your championship. You can find me on Twitter @DBraemer or @2FBoarding, you can also post your Q on the 2FB Facebook page or in the comments section below. And as always…

Don’t forget to set your lineups!

Everybody loves Winnipeg [Sports Illustrated]

Doughty scores GWG with 0.04 seconds left in the third [NHL]

Brewers’ Nyjer Morgan practices with the San Jose Sharks [Puck Daddy]

Backhand Shelf speaks to Team Cherry coach Mark Recchi [Backhand Shelf]

Your new favourite hockey website: That One Sad Guy [ThatOneSadGuy]

In case you missed it, Radulov slashing his coach on the bench

Watch this video on YouTube.

Crosby has a soft-tissue neck injury, no fracture [NHL]

Sad news from the Esposito family.  The daughter of Phil Esposito has passed away [TSN]

Erik Cole: A Giant in Montreal [Dirty Dangle]

Paul Gaustad wants to know where Chara is [Puck Daddy]

Bozak’s questionable disallowed goal

Watch this video on YouTube.

Seidenberg scores the GWG from half against the Senators

Watch this video on YouTube.

Round by Round results of the Fantasy Draft [NHL]

Who will win? [NHL]

Now there are 3 groups interested in buying (and keeping) the Coyotes in Phoenix? [TSN]

Underground attractions at the All Star Fan Fair [Dirty Dangle]

Chara doesn’t understand your North American questioning [The Score]

Panthers send Kennedy to Sharks for Sullivan, in minor league deal [TSN]

Logan Courture is a really good sport [The Score]

I personally do not see what is wrong with Ovechkin pulling out for the reason he has stated. He is serving a 3-game suspension for his hit on Penguins defensemen Zbynek Michalek. The suspension runs through the All-Star game and Ovechkin feels he does not “deserve” to be a part of the game.

I am hearing a lot of people, in and out of the media, saying that this is wrong and that he should not be skipping out. That players that are voted in should be going, apart from injuries, no ifs, ands or buts.

From my point of view, this seems like a very responsible move by a top player in the league that does in fact have a history of “dirty” hits. Yes, this could be a perfect opportunity for Ovechkin to take the easy way out and avoid having to participate but, conspiracies aside, I have no problem with this move from Ovechkin.

TRADE OF THE WEEK

***Tim Thomas for Cam Ward***

I am not going to get much into the whole Tim Thomas political fiasco, but I will make the assumption that the fact that it is so intensely involved in the media that it very well could affect his play down the road for the Bruins.

Thomas already has been slumping for the month of January, whereas Cam Ward has put his early season ugly play in the past and has been outstanding for the Canes lately. (Do I sense a “Trending Up” contender?) It’s safe to assume that Boston will remain a strong contender heading into the playoffs and that the Hurricanes are in rebuilding mode. But does that translate to these two goalies swapping roles and statistics for the second half of the season?

What do you the readers think? Be sure to let us know on Twitter @2ForBoarding or @DBraemer, on our Facebook page or in the comments section below.

TRENDING UP

I will be completely honest here, earlier this season, I never would have thought I would be choosing the likes of Cam Ward and Jonas Hiller for the “Trending Up” section but, the day has come.

Continuing on with the Hurricanes, goaltender Cam Ward has been extremely impressive lately for his team between the pipes. Ward was nothing more than an average goaltender for most of the season, not something you would expect from a Conn Smythe Stanley Cup champion goalie.

However, dating back to December 23rd, Ward has turned his game around tremendously and is helping the Hurricanes make an attempt at a playoff push. Since December 23rd Ward is 8-3-3 with a 1.96 GAA, .936 SV% and 1 shut-out. To further explain his excellence, since January 6th, he is 5-2-2 with a 1.55 GAA, .953 SV% and 1 shut-out. Ward is turning it on at the right time and hopefully those of you that drafted him did not unload him too soon and for those the capitalized on Ward’s poor play and buy-low status, good for you. Right now Cam Ward is a definite Sell-High candidate.

Jonas Hiller. Wow, what a long way he has come (Refer to HERE and HERE for some really bad Hiller statistics). As you can see Hiller’s season has been quite the forgettable one but the Ducks netminder is doing everything in his power to salvage what he can out of this season and help his team do what they need to to sneak in the backdoor of the playoffs.

The month of January sure has been a kind one to those who struggled in the beginning of the 2011-2012 season and Hiller further backs this claim. In the 10 games Hiller has started in January he his 6-2-1 with a 1.73 GAA, .942 SV% and 1 shut-out. This is exactly what Ducks have been lacking and Hiller very could be the spark to help ignite the turnaround in their season. Hiller is on a roll right now and if the team can score the way we know they are capable of, Hiller could be in line for many more wins. Buy Responsibly.

TRENDING DOWN

At some point in time, Patrick Marleau will go through a stretch of games where he is abysmal. It seems as if this fact has just come to be accepted by the public. And for the benefit of this fantasy rundown, it could not of come at a better time.

Marleau has been the furthest thing from elite as of late. He is pointless in his last 6 games and has only 1 (G) point in his last 8 games. And as far as fantasy related terms go, that’s just about all Marleau has done for his owners. In those 8 games he has 2 PIMs and a +1 plus/minus rating. Normally when the Sharks struggle, they struggle as a team. But when they decide to be the scoring machine they are very capable above, having a slew of Sharks players on your team is not a bad idea.

That being said, I suggest going out and Buying Low on Marleau and any other Sharks players for that matter that are in a mid-season slump. Times like these may be hard to tread through but more often than not you can expect guys like Marleau to come out lighting the scoreboard up and making his owners very pleased.

SLEEPER ALERT

Andrew Shaw could easily become the automatic beneficiary of Jonathan Toews winding up on the IR.

Shaw will definitely be in line for one much more playing time. It also helps his cause greatly considering how well he had been playing as of late. In Shaw’s 11 career games played in the NHL, all this year, he has 7 (5-2) points, 9 PIMs, 1 PPP and a +1 plus/minus rating. These are great well-rounded statistics if you are looking to make a name for yourself in the fantasy world. Shaw is certainly not any form of replacement for Jonathan Toews, but with the way he has been playing for the Blackhawks, he could very quickly make his name relevant in the big leagues.

I cannot speak for everyone on the 2FB team but I am incredibly excited for tonight’s all-star draft. Fantasy Sports brought into reality, it cannot get much better.

A lot of the initial stars have pulled out due to personal reasons or injuries but that still does not for one second take away the excitement of this live draft for myself. Anyone have any predictions?

Share your thoughts with the 2FB team here on our website, on our Facebook page or send us a tweet. Enjoy the draft and All-Star weekend and as always…

Don’t forget to set your lineups!

The Habs CRUSH the Red Wings [TSN]

NHL All Star Fantasy Draft Rules [NHL]

Breaking down possible NHL trade bait [PHT]

Roenick thinks the ASG needs Ovi [World According to JR]

Can the Habs get through to P.K. Subban? [PHT]

Oh Mike Babcock [Twitter]