Blue Line Buzz: Replacing Toughness

"Dustin Byfuglien" is the only correct answer when crowning the league's toughest player. He's a juggernaut, unstoppable in full stride and even harder to knock off the puck. He's a big reason why the Winnipeg Jets are one of the most entertaining teams in the league, embodying the physicality and aggression that Paul Maurice pushes his team to play with on a nightly basis.

In truth, Byfuglien already made a name for himself by scoring 20 goals for the Atlanta Thrashers in 2011, but only this season has he really cemented his reputation as a unique and elite player, putting himself in a class of his own. No other player in the league possesses the unique blend of raw strength and scoring ability.

So when Byfuglien was slow to peel off the boards after fighting for the puck against Ottawa's Erik Condra last Wednesday, the entire city of Winnipeg was left bewildered and confused. On the surface, the fight for the puck along the boards looked harmless, but when Maurice announced Byfuglien woud miss the next 2-to-4 weeks with an upper-body injury, it sent shockwaves. Can the Jets hang on to their slim three-point lead for the last wild card spot?

The Jets have been hit hard with injuries at the worst possible time. They're already without Grant Clitsome (back surgery, out for the season), Ben Chiarot (broken hand) and Mark Stuart, who took a puck to the face Friday and has yet to get a return date. This means the team will rely heavily on Jacob Trouba and put the newly-acquired Tyler Myers to the ultimate test, though he has responded brilliantly after toiling in Buffalo. Both players are worth owning due to their high usage and high upside.

Here are how other teams who made moves at the deadline are faring with their new faces on defense:

Tampa Bay Lightning
Braydon Coburn has blocked eight shots and registered six hits in three games with Tampa Bay, doing all the things he's expected to do. With Anton Stralman, Jason Garrison, Victor Hedman and Matt Carle entrenched as the team's top four, Coburn is averaging fewer than 17 minutes per game, a step down from the 20 minutes he was averaging in Philadelphia. Other than peripherals, Coburn's fantasy value is limited because he doesn't score very often, but the Lightning are unbeaten with him in the lineup so far.

Washington Capitals
The Caps must be happy with the dependable Tim Gleason, who has really solidified the team's third pairing. Through four games, Gleason has recorded five hits and three blocked shots, providing a defensive conscious to a team that has been criticized in the past for being unable to defend in key moments. Though he has one assist with the Caps, Gleason's fantasy value is limited because he doesn't score very much. His addition should give defensive partner Mike Green (two assists vs. Buffalo) a little boost, though, and he will be given a longer leash to create on defense with Gleason serving as the safety blanket.

Pittsburgh Penguins
Ben Lovejoy averaged 13 minutes in his previous stint with the Penguins but has eclipsed the 19-minute mark in two of his past three games, demonstrating how much more polished of a player he has become. Other than a surprising 3-1 loss to the Avs, the Pens are winners in six of their past seven, including impressive wins over the Ducks and Kings, with a chance to complete the California sweep Monday against San Jose. Ian Cole has one assist in three games and provides much of the same supporting role he played in St. Louis, though he is more mobile than Robert Bortuzzo. Cole and Lovejoy will be counted on to support Kris Letang, especially if Christian Ehrhoff (concussion, day-to-day) is unable to return.

Chicago Blackhawks
Kimmo Timonen looked pretty good in his first two games of the season, averaging around 16 minutes against Carolina and Edmonton, but it was particularly telling when Timonen played just 10:35 against the Rangers. The speed of the game was an obvious concern since Timonen isn't ready to play significant minutes against such a strong team. The good news is that there are still 20 games left to play, plenty of time for Timonen to get into a groove, and the Hawks are also set to get Johnny Oduya (upper body) back next week, which means David Rundblad will likely be the odd-man out. Timonen has a good reputation but won't provide much value in fantasy with his limited ability and limited minutes. Even with Oduya's impending return, the Hawks' third pairing remains shaky.

Los Angeles Kings
Andrej Sekera was acquired to replace Slava Voynov, but so far Darryl Sutter hasn't shown as much confidence in Sekera yet, who is averaging 19 minutes with zero points scored in five games with Los Angeles. The Kings paid a first-round pick for him, which is a fairly high price for a player whose value was severely inflated after his 44-point campaign the previous season. It's obvious that Sekera isn't quite as good as everyone expected, and Drew Doughty remains the player who stirs the drink in LA. Alec Martinez should be returning soon from a concussion, which should help Sekera if the two are paired together, but don't expect much. The Kings are more of a systems-oriented team, making it tough to predict who will be the hero game-in and game-out.

Detroit Red Wings
Marek Zidlicky was a great buy for a third-round pick and Ken Holland has come out looking like a genius yet again. In three games with Detroit, Zidlicky has already scored twice, including the game-winner Wednesday against the Rangers. The 38-year-old right-shooting defenseman is exactly what the Wings needed, and what's more impressive is that Zidlicky has done this playing only 17 minutes on the third pairing alongside the notoriously-inconsistent Brendan Smith. The Wings have lost two straight but aren't in danger of losing their playoff spot. Zidlicky had 23 points in 63 games for New Jersey, and even with less ice time in Detroit, should provide the same amount of offense, if not more. He is the second power-play option behind Niklas Kronwall and is a worthy add in all formats.

Montreal Canadiens
The Habs lost three straight games right after acquiring Jeff Petry, who has yet to score a point for the bleu, blanc et rouge, but the 27-year-old seems to fit in quite nicely. With Alexei Emelin (shoulder) set to return next week, Petry might see his ice time with the Habs (22:17) reduced to what he averaged with the Oilers (20:57), but he's undoubtedly considered one of the team's top four. Oilers fans decried how little the team received (a second-round and conditional fifth-round pick) for Petry when players such as Coburn and Sekera were netting first-round picks. The Habs' offense has struggled recently, an area Petry should be able to help, but they have tough tests ahead, facing the Lightning twice, the Islanders and the Andrew Hammond-led Sens. It shouldn't be long until Petry finds the score sheet but it may not come until next week when the Habs face easier opponents. Either way, fantasy owners should keep an eye on Petry for some late-season help.

New York Rangers
The Rangers made the biggest splash by landing Keith Yandle, but in three games the former long-time Coyote has yet to get settled, registering zero points and a minus-1 rating. Averaging nearly 24 minutes per game in the desert, Yandle's ice time has been cut back to under 20 minutes per game while playing with Kevin Klein on the team's third pairing. The good news is that Yandle's still the team's top power-play quarterback, averaging 3:24 with the Rangers. It's about 40 seconds shy of what he was averaging in Arizona, but the Rangers are deeper and need to spread the ice time around a little more. It's becoming evident that Alain Vigneault, who is like a chess master in his match-ups and zone starts, will use Yandle more as an offensive specialist until he can trust him with more even strength time. Only time will tell if Yandle is a good fit in Manhattan, but once he and the Rangers' forwards start clicking, he should pile up points in a hurry, as originally expected. This may be a case of a player coming into a new team and trying to be a good teammate by passing the puck, but in Yandle's case he's passing it too often and giving up prime scoring chances for himself.

Nashville Predators
The Predators' six-game losing streak can be attributed to a lack of scoring, with one of the league's most potent offenses managing to average a little over two goals per game during that time. Cody Franson has played a key supporting role but has yet to score in his second stint with Nashville with only two assists in nine games. Franson is a good offensive defenseman and scored 32 points in 55 games with Toronto, but a lesser role in Nashville means fewer opportunities to score. It's highly unlikely Franson will score at the same pace as he did in Toronto, and it would make sense for fantasy owners to cut him loose for another defenseman on the waiver wire who may not have as much upside but plays a larger role on his team. The Devils' Adam Larsson, who has played 20-26 minutes per game since January and has scored two points in his past five games, would be a good replacement. Nashville's best fantasy options on defense remain Shea Weber and Roman Josi.

St. Louis Blues
Zbynek Michalek hasn't dressed for the Blues yet, but did take the ice Friday with Kevin Shattenkirk, which means their returns are imminent. Jay Bouwmeester didn't play Saturday against Toronto either, but his bout with an illness should be very short-term. Robert Bortuzzo had a very strong game against Toronto but will become the odd man out once Shattenkirk and Michalek return, and he will also have to compete with Chris Butler and maybe Petteri Lindbohm for the seventh spot. Michalek's fantasy value is limited too since he will likely play a defensive role for the Blues, but Shattenkirk's return should provide an offensive boost. Fantasy owners should continue to roll with Alex Pietrangelo (four points in the past 10 games) while keeping an eye on Shattenkirk's status.

Hot

Anton Stralman, Lightning – A darling of advanced stats geeks, Stralman continues his strong play this year with four points in his past four games, including two goals. He has 34 points and a plus-22 rating on the season.

Kris Russell, Flames – He's doing all he can to get the Flames into the playoffs with three assists in his past three games. He's been an indispensible player for Calgary and arguably the league's best shot blocker.

Cold

Shea Weber, Predators – It's been a rough stretch for the Preds and Weber, who has gone four games without a point and scored just one goal in his past 10 games. His minus-9 rating in the midst of a six-game losing streak is an eyesore.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Coyotes – The talented Swede was going through a dry spell before Yandle left, but even as the Coyotes' undisputed No. 1 defenseman, he's struggled with just two assists in his past eight games. It won't get much better with a depleted roster, so look forward to next year.

As a final note for this week's Blue Line Buzz, congratulations are due to the Capitals' newest defenseman, Tyler Lewington, who recently signed his rookie contract. The seventh-round pick from 2013 is a strong two-way player for the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers with 38 points and 93 PIM in 63 games this season.