This article is part of our From the Press Box series.
FROM THE PRESS BOX
Paul Bruno, RotoWire.com
Top surprises of the first half season
As we see the NHL season resume after the All-Star break, there are a number of players who are very likely available in your hockey pools as free agents, who could be in line for a strong second half. We highlight them for you today.
Mike Fisher, Nashville
This veteran center has toiled in relative obscurity since he was traded from Ottawa to Nashville in 2011. He has a new lease on his hockey career this season because the Predators have become a more dynamic offensive team. For his part, Fisher was below the radar because an injury delayed his start to this season. Since his return to active duty in late November he has been vey productive, scoring 18 points in 25 games, while sporting a (+5) rating and logging first line minutes and first unit power play time for a team that is currently second in the overall league standings.
Ryan Strome, NY Islanders
When one key player is injured, it creates an opportunity for other teammates. With an upper body injury expected to sideline first line winger, Kyle Okposo, the Isles are hopeful that someone steps up into that premium role and takes full advantage. The early opportunity looks like it will go to Ryan Strome, a highly regarded player in his own right, who has provided some quality secondary scoring depth this season. With his ninth goal of
FROM THE PRESS BOX
Paul Bruno, RotoWire.com
Top surprises of the first half season
As we see the NHL season resume after the All-Star break, there are a number of players who are very likely available in your hockey pools as free agents, who could be in line for a strong second half. We highlight them for you today.
Mike Fisher, Nashville
This veteran center has toiled in relative obscurity since he was traded from Ottawa to Nashville in 2011. He has a new lease on his hockey career this season because the Predators have become a more dynamic offensive team. For his part, Fisher was below the radar because an injury delayed his start to this season. Since his return to active duty in late November he has been vey productive, scoring 18 points in 25 games, while sporting a (+5) rating and logging first line minutes and first unit power play time for a team that is currently second in the overall league standings.
Ryan Strome, NY Islanders
When one key player is injured, it creates an opportunity for other teammates. With an upper body injury expected to sideline first line winger, Kyle Okposo, the Isles are hopeful that someone steps up into that premium role and takes full advantage. The early opportunity looks like it will go to Ryan Strome, a highly regarded player in his own right, who has provided some quality secondary scoring depth this season. With his ninth goal of the season coming in his debut on that top line and first string power play, the Isles hope that he can at least maintain a scoring pace that has seen him produce 34 points in 47 games played. He may even see a further spike in his productivity with this new profile.
Mark Stone, Ottawa
After getting a taste of the NHL in two prior seasons with the Sens, this big (6'2", 200 lbs.) winger is establishing himself as a bona fide power forward, with a nose for the net. He has improved steadily and gained the confidence of the coaching staff to earn more playing time in each month of the current campaign. After a bit of a tentative start, he has become more willing to fight for space in scoring areas and that has also translated into a better rate of productivity. To underscore that point, he has 26 points in 44 games on the season, but nine of those have come in his 10 games played in January.
Patrick Maroon, Anaheim
In keeping with the theme I introduced last week (the Sidekicks Theory), I always keep an eye out for those players who get a chance to fill out top lines alongside some of the league's top-scoring tandems. In Anaheim the chance to play on a line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry has presented itself to a number of players in recent years. At the moment, Patrick Maroon has earned that chance and he seems to be making the most of it, with seven points in his last six games. That's quite an increase over the 16 points he garnered in 34 games while playing in less prominent roles prior. At 6'3", 230 lbs., he gives this line its most imposing look in a long time.
The Winnipeg Jets are a surprise entry in the Western Conference playoff race this season in spite of a rash of injuries that really should have derailed their season. Part of the injured group was defenseman Jacob Trouba, who was solidifying his place as a quarterback for an improving power play, when he was sidelined with an upper body injury, missed 16 games. He returned to active duty and has produced two points and a (+2) rating, while being able to resume a heavy workload of over 20 minutes per games. He is only 20 years old, but Trouba seems like he is determined to resume the trajectory that he was displaying earlier this season.
When he was drafted by the Predators in the first round (fourth overall) of the 2013 Draft, a number of observers felt that he should have been the first selection. His consolation was the good fortune of landing on a team that preached a commitment to defense first. As a result, he was able to learn from coach Barry Trotz, a superb defensive tactician. Although he has improved from a -23 to a +11 this season, the 6'4" 205 lbs. blueliner has not been able to strut his stuff offensively through much of that learning curve, producing 10 points in the 42 games he played this season. He has suddenly perked up with five points his last four outings and may be ready to play a more prominent role on one of the league's top teams.
The Dallas Stars were built to be a high-scoring club, with strength down the middle, thanks to the acquisitions of Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza. They have struggled at the defensive end and have actually been outscored to date. Klingberg has emerged as an unlikely contributor at both ends of the rink. His consistency throughout this season has seen him cement his role as the power play quarterback here and as such, he should continue to hit the scoresheet with a regularity that could not have been forecast at the beginning of this season. He has a team-high +8 rating, which gives a good indication of his attention to the defensive side of the puck, too.
We have already touched on the surprising Jets, who were expected to rely on their Number One goalie of the last five seasons, Ondrej Pavelec. Well, he has been very good, but when they gave backup Michael Hutchinson a look, they had to be, at least, similarly impressed. All Hutchinson has done is produce a 14-4-2 mark in 21 appearances along with a stellar 1.90 g.a.a. He has certainly elevated his profile beyond any early season forecasts and the current result is that he is splitting starts and has allowed the Jets to explore possible trade options relating his more expensive (re: cap hit) partner in goal.
Peter Mrazek
Just as Hutchinson may have been regarded as a future prospect in goal for the Jets, the same has been said about Mrazek. He entered this season on the Wings depth chart and has followed the path of many other Detroit prospects to Grand Rapids where he was getting plenty of playing time and experience in the ways of the winged wheel. Injuries to Jimmy Howard and Jonas Gustavsson prompted this unexpected promotion to the NHL. He has impressed everyone by posting a 10-3-1 mark in 15 appearances, to go along with a tidy 2.55 g.a.a. and a .9123 save pct. Those numbers, along with the poise he has shown, may be enough to keep him in the mix, even when the others are back and healthy.
An injury to workhorse starter Sergei Bobrovsky, will keep him out of the Jackets lineup for up to six weeks with a groin injury. That has opened the door for McElhinney, a career-long backup goalie to get some regular playing time. The injury continues a season-long trail to the local infirmary in Columbus, but a number of players have come off that list and are primed to make a push toward a playoff spot, that would have been easily attained if not for their lengthy IR list. McElhinney will be well insulated by a big physical team that is also quite a strong-skating team. They should be able to limit opposing forays against McElhinney and allow him to post some reasonable numbers that could be helpful to fantasy owners looking for a stopgap or upgrade in goal.
