Frozen Fantasy: Subtraction by Addition

Hands up if you'd like to add an established star to your favorite team's lineup? How about a big, point-per-game, playmaking center? Or a perennial 30-goal (or more) power forward? Hang on a second -- before you raise that hand, go check where the Stars and Avs sit in the standings. Then make your choice.

Stink. Stank. Stunk. Just how are the Jason Spezza and Jarome Iginla moves looking right now?

Both the Stars and Avs have a minus-10 goal differential after 14 and 16 games played, respectively. And both have some of the best young offensive talent in the entire league. Cripes, the Stars have the league's third-best scorer in Tyler Seguin. And Jamie Benn, too. The Avs have Nathan MacKinnon, Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog and more.

Unfortunately, stars don't always equal success.

You can't win a playoff spot in the first 15 or 20 games of the season. But you sure can lose one. Each team has won just four games. Just one of Dallas' victories has come on home ice. And only Buffalo (54), Columbus (51) and Edmonton (50) have allowed as many (or more) goals than the 50 given up by these two duds.

When did addition become subtraction?

Today's game has changed dramatically. It's a young man's game. Moreover, it's a speed game. And neither Spezza nor Iginla is either of those things.

Iginla is a notoriously slow starter. But there's something else going on this year. Patrick Roy has paired him with just about every line combo imaginable and there just hasn't been a fit. He's better suited for third-line duty on that squad. And while Spezza is scoring, the Stars seem intent on spreading the wealth around. And that means ripping apart one of the league's most impressive trios in Spezza, Benn and Seguin.

Sometimes the best moves are the ones that aren't made. Or when subtraction really does become addition. The Canucks don't miss Ryan Kesler. Or Roberto Luongo.

Don't get me wrong -- some moves make a ton of sense. Dallas scored large with the Tyler Seguin deal. So did Tampa Bay when it snagged Ben Bishop. But Dallas fans still remember that deal that brought rising young defensive star Alex Goligoski from Pittsburgh.

Ouch. Some pieces really don't fit.

Now let's take a look at who caught my eye this week.

Nathan Gerbe, LW/C, Carolina (1 percent Yahoo! owned): Gerbe belongs to that genus buzzsaw pintsizeous, a subset of the family jerkus hard to play againstem. Cripes, he's so tiny that I'd look him in the eye…when he's wearing skates, no less. But he doesn't let size hold him back. Hey -- I'd never hold a man's height against him if he can deliver me other things. And he does -- SOG, secondary scoring and a little physicality. Clearly, this boy knows how to use his hands and his frame -- he has three points, 16 SOG and plus-6 rating in his last five games. If he can help me, he can help you.

Chris Higgins, LW, Vancouver (7 percent Yahoo! owned): Higgins struggled mightily under the clutches of John Tortorella last season. OK, who's kidding whom -- everyone struggled under Torts. But this year, The Professor seems like a changed man, just like that whole Canucks squad. He's on pace for his best point total since his career mark of 52 in 2007-08. The goal scoring is way down, but points are still points. And a 52-point pace cannot be dismissed. He's not going to get much power-play time, if any, so snag him if you need even-strength numbers. And the goals will likely come, too.

Jakub Kindl, D, Detroit (2 percent Yahoo! owned): Kindl looks the part of a stud defender, but he's never really lived up to that tantalizing package of size and skill. He's big, but also a titch soft. He's a sublime skater, but then there's that issue of his hockey sense. Or non-sense. But the one thing he can do is handle the point on the power play. And that's where he recently found himself, at least on the second unit. The result? Three points, including two goals. Take advantage, but just beware the even-strength mistakes, as his plus/minus might be a drag on your roster. Be sure you can absorb it.

Elias Lindholm, RW/C, Carolina (7 percent Yahoo! owned): Lindholm is a stud. His skills are high-end; his skating is exceptional. And his compete is off the charts. This guy is a difference maker, shift over shift and game over game. And that's exactly what he's been doing of late, to the tune of a six-game, seven-point scoring streak that includes five goals. Lindholm and Nathan Gerbe seem to have remarkable chemistry and this could well be the beginning of the post-Eric Staal era in Carolina. The ascension is beginning. Mark my words.

Victor Rask, C, Carolina (0 percent Yahoo! owned): Rask has skills. And size. But he has holes in his game that start with his feet and migrate to his compete. But in the last week, he has delivered four points, including two goals, and 15 SOG in four games. That doesn't mean those holes are completely filled -- he did start the season on an oh-fer-nine game slump. But he seems to have some rapport with Zach Boychuk. Short term, there may be value in his game if that duo sticks to click.

Brandon Sutter, C, Pittsburgh (5 percent Yahoo! owned): Sutter is a second-line center trapped in a Pittsburgh Penguins jersey. At least that's what new general manager Jim Rutherford sees in him. Yes, Sutter works his butt off just like everyone in that clan. But he also seems to have his poppa's offensive instincts. He put up four points in his last three games and six in his last six, and would have more if he wasn't blocked by those other centers in the CONSOL Energy Center. The Evgeni Malkin trade rumors seem to have died down, but you never, ever know. And Sutter is showing that he could be a rich man's Jordan Staal. Watch and wait.

Dustin Tokarski, G, Montreal (6 percent Yahoo! owned): I've really been impressed with Tokarski. Then again, so have the Habs. Now, Tokarski has never wanted for confidence -- he's always been adamant that he's going to be a No. 1 NHL goalie for a long time. And why should we doubt him? Everything he has touched has turned to gold -- he already has a Memorial Cup, a World Junior gold medal and a Calder Cup as notches on his jock strap. And right now, he's delivering starter-level numbers in a backup role. You can roll him on a matchup basis right now. But the Habs clearly have an asset on their hands and they might just need to trade him for some scoring help up front. You could have a starter on your roster if you stash him now. I did.

Kris Versteeg, LW/RW, Chicago (4 percent Yahoo! owned): Versteeg sure has benefited from the line juggling that has come since Patrick Sharp went down with a knee injury. And as a result, the shifty winger had a pair of two-point games in his last five heading into action Sunday. Versteeg has always had a sniper's hands and the flexibility to adjust to whatever linemates are tossed his way. So he fits right in, regardless if it's Bryan Bickell or Jonathan Toews who's skating beside him. That's a remarkable talent to have and one that will keep him in my fantasy crosshairs for the near future.

Patrick Wiercioch, D, Ottawa (2 percent Yahoo! owned): Wiercioch stumbled out of the gate this season and quickly found himself in the press box. But this giraffe-like defender has started to pick things up offensively since Oct. 30, now that he's seeing some decent playing time. His three points (one goal, two assists) and three minor penalties in a four-game span show off a tantalizing upside. Yes, young Cody Ceci will soon overtake him, but it won't be this year. So, take a look at Wiercioch -- he's still sitting out games here and there, so he's no more than a short-term roll right now. Worst case? Drop him if he slides backwards.

Back to our cellar dwellers.

The Stars and Avs have a long way to climb -- and a lot of good teams to pass -- before they can get back to the postseason. Teams like the Blackhawks, which are on outside looking in right now, too. And the surprising Flames and Jets.

Like I said, you can't make the playoffs in November, but you sure can lose a spot. I think Spezza and the Stars will figure things out long before Iggy and the Avs ever do. The Stars will stop trying to split up Benn, Spezza and Seguin, and that trio will produce the most points in the entire league. And that squad will claw their way back into contention. Especially if Kari Lehtonen plays well.

The Avs may never figure out how to keep Iggy's lack of speed from weighing down the Avs' brand of firewagon hockey. Ditto Brad Stuart and Daniel Briere, the team's other lead-footed offseason signings.

Some pieces really don't fit. And sometimes old is, well, just old.

Until next week.