From the Press Box: Ten Making The Case

FROM THE PRESS BOX
Paul Bruno, RotoWire.com

We are now just over a month into the new season and a number of players who were not expected to be prominent in your fantasy hockey leagues have built cases for fantasy owners to consider.

Jori Lehtera - He is playing in the shadow of Vladimir Tarasenko, who is one of the star performers of this early season, which has meant fewer headlines for this Finnish import. He is making his NHL debut as a 26-year old who has decided to try his hand in North America after four solid years in the KHL. He has 14 points (six goals) in 14 games and has forced his way up the ladder among a deep and talented pack of forwards in St. Louis. He is owned in just over 50% of this year's pools on CBS.

Carl Soderberg - This third year NHLer is 29 years old and was drafted by St. Louis in 2004, and is coming off a season where he produced 48 points in 73 games with Boston this season. A combination of injuries and defections from the Bruins created a bigger opportunity for this rangy Swede and he has taken advantage to the tune of 13 points in 16 games. He is playing over 16 minutes per game and has even earned time on the power play here. He is now a central figure in the Bruins attack. Somehow, he is still only owned in 67% of the fantasy leagues out there.

Chris Higgins - He is in his 10th NHL season in a career that slid on a downward plane after he broke in with three consecutive 20-goal seasons with Montreal. During his last three years, all with the Canucks, he was limited to a third line role with modest success preventing top six minutes up front. This season he has found a home of the Canucks second forward line and has combined a renewed defensive commitment (+10) with his scoring touch (11 points in 17 games) to become more valuable in the Vancouver game plan. He is owned in only 24% of all fantasy leagues.

Derick Brassard - Much success was expected for Brassard when he was selected sixth overall by Columbus in the 2006 Draft, but he has never hit the 50-point plateau during his first seven years in the NHL. That streak may end this season as he has picked up 13 points in his first 15 contests, while playing an average of 18 minutes per game. If he can continue to produce at this pace, he will continue to play within the top two offensive units, where there is more offensive skill than the Rangers have iced in many seasons. Brassard is owned in 58% of all fantasy leagues.

Justin Faulk - Even amid the wreckage around the poor start of the Hurricanes, there are some quality options. Justin Braun is one of two offensively gifted blueliners in Carolina, but had been overshadowed in that role by Andrej Sekera last season. This year, Braun is at the head of the pack, with 10 points in 14 games, including his current streak of eight points in six games, which coincides with the 'Canes recent hot streak. He seems a cinch to top the 32 points he accumulated last year and is just 22 years old, in this, his fourth NHL season. He's still available in 33% of all fantasy leagues.

Justin Braun - The Sharks have relied heavily on Braun to eat up big minutes (he's up over 20 minutes and as high as 25) and he has responded with the best rate of offensive production in his career. His seven points in 17 games is a stark contrast to the career-high of 17 that he produced last season. He has not seen his defensive side of the game suffer, compiling a +5 rating to boot. The Sharks have played most of their games on the road so far and they have a winning record. With the offseason departure of Dan Boyle, there is room for a defenseman to step up his offensive involvement in San Jose, alongside Brent Burns and Braun is a good candidate right now.

Zach Bogosian - This former first round draft pick (third overall in 2008) is playing over 23 minutes per game in Winnipeg and has six points through 15 games. He is coming off two sub-par seasons but looks like a new man as he is much more physically involved and seems like he is determined to be more difficult to play against. This new attitude and his untapped skill may be poised for a career year. He's worth taking a chance on based on his pedigree.

Frans Nielsen - He tallied 58 points in 80 games last year, but is still available in 42% of the pools out there. This season, the Isles are off and running with an impressive 10-5 start. Nielsen five goals, 10 points and +5 rating reflect all of that. He's also part of a pretty strong power play unit that should go a long way toward padding his stats. Better offensive talent also surrounds him in his second line role. This is a key point because he has rarely played with linemates whose skill level comes close to his own offensive ability.

Mark Stone - He is a big physical winger who only played a limited role during his first two seasons with Ottawa, mainly as a third or fourth liner. This year, he has earned a look at over 14 minutes per game, in a regular third line role. He has responded to this workload by producing five goals and nine points in 14 games played. He fits the profile that Ottawa is trying to build and should continue to see a similar role, with the chance to press for second line minutes and should be sparked by the fact he is starting to earn power play minutes.

Cam Ward - A week ago, a talk show host laughed when I suggested that Cam Ward was a good pickup right now. Well, the smart fantasy owners will note that he has won his last five starts for Carolina and only surrendered seven goals along the way. Now, I am not going to suggest that the 'Canes are going to continue this surprising tear, but I want to remind all of you that he has always been a solid goalie who had an injury- plagued season last year. As long as he is a number one goalie, even in Carolina, he's going to earn his fair share of wins.

James Reimer - This affable goalie is forcing his way back into the battle for playing time in Toronto so far this season. He has actually outperformed his playing partner Jonathan Bernier, with a 2.65 g.a.a. and a .925 save pct. thus far. It seems as though fantasy owners don't believe that he is still capable of a big workload, as he is only owned in 34% of all pools. It is worth noting that coach Randy Carlyle is more ready to give him a fair shot at more game starts than he did last year. In this corner, I believe there is no good reason to overload Bernier and I would be an advocate of a more even split in playing time for Toronto goalies.

Ray Emery - A similar case can be made in Philadelphia, where Ray Emery, the consensus backup to Steve Mason, has outplayed his cohort by posting a 2.74 g.a.a. and a .915 save pct. Based on the numbers, and adding that the battling style of the combative Emery is undoubtedly favored by rabid Flyers fans, their coaching staff should not be overcommitting to Mason at this time. Similarly, he should not be overlooked if you are in the hunt for goalies that may get some steady work. He's a real a real threat to unseat the current number one guy here.