Frozen Fantasy: Ovie's Best Yet to Come?

It has taken some time, but Alexander Ovechkin has finally proven his detractors wrong. He's the best. A step above. Better than all the rest. And better than Sidney Crosby.

Gasp. Say it isn't so.

It took Alexander the Gr8 just 777 games to snipe 484 goals and become the top Russian-born NHL goal scorer of all time. It took Sergei Federov -- the previous record holder -- some 476 more games to set the previous record.

The sky really is the limit for Ovie. The same cannot be said for Sid.

Don't get me wrong -- Sidney Crosby is a great player. And I hope I'm wrong. His point-per-game rate (1.336) is better than Ovechkin's (1.174). But Sid's injury history makes him a massive risk. It's hard to know how many games he'll play as he gets older or how many points he'll put up.

But Ovechkin? He's been incredibly durable and might even challenge Gordie Howe's 801 career goals. Or -- banish the thought -- the great Wayne Gretzky's 894. That's a record that most have said would never fall. But if he keeps scoring at his current pace, Ovie will be within a 100 goals of that mark by the time he's 36. Who knows what's possible from there?

I used to think great playmakers were better than elite snipers. And to a small degree, I might still agree. I really do love guys who make goal scorers look good. But years of playing fantasy hockey have proven that goal scorers should go off the fantasy board first, second ... and third.

And that's not just because I drafted Sidney Crosby this season. Yah, I am a little bitter.

Ovechkin already has the NHL record for most seasons (five) with 10-plus game winners. And he was the second-fastest active player to 900 points. But moreover -- and perhaps, most important -- Ovechkin has been all but immune to the massive drop in scoring that has plagued the NHL over the last few seasons.

The great Al Arbour was right -- you can teach a player to check, but you can't teach a player to score. That seems even more important in today's NHL.

Ovechkin is only 30. He lifts people out of their seats. And so far, he's barely missed any time due to injury, a remarkable feat given the physicality of his game.

More than five years have passed since Sid's Golden Goal at the Vancouver Olympics and six since his Cup win. Ovie? I just wonder if his best is yet to come.

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

Kevin Bieksa, D, Anaheim (4 percent Yahoo! owned) - The Caveman is here for one reason and one reason only. And it's not his looks. He's here for his muscle, pure and simple. Bieksa had 20 PIM and 15 hits in four games between last Friday and Thursday. He's actually on pace to set career marks in both categories. He'll provide a cheap, but perhaps not cheerful boost to your PIMs.

Tyler Bozak, C, Toronto (12 percent) - Don't look now, but Bozak looks like he's finally figured out how to exist in the post-Phil/JVR apocalypse. He was held off the score sheet Friday night, but he has been clipping along at a point-per-game pace in the month of November (two goals, eight assists). His line mates P.A. Parenteau and Shawn Matthias have the same talent combined as Phil Kessel has in his left pinky. But the Bozak-Matthias-Parenteau trio now forms a solid, hard working and yes, productive, second line for the Buds. And that trio might just be the most valuable set of second-line players in the league when it comes to the salary cap -- they carry a combined $7 million tag. That's less than 10 percent of the $71.4 million cap. Bozak is worth a look, especially if you need injury help.

Mattias Ekholm, D, Nashville (6 percent) - Ekholm is big, mobile and smart, just like every other defender not named Ellis that comes out of the Nashville blue-line machine. He's been hidden behind the likes of Shea Weber, Roman Josi, Seth Jones and Ryan Ellis, but Ekholm has still put up eight points in 18 games this season. And that includes five points, including two goals, in his last five games heading into the weekend. A powerful back end powers Nashville, so Ekholm may be worth the waiver grab, especially if his game continues to climb.

Dan Girardi, D, NY Rangers (3 percent) - This defensive stud got off to an awful start to the season and he quickly found himself demoted to the Rangers' third pair. It was a big blow for the top-pairing shutdown beast to be looking up at 39-year-old Dan Boyle. Message received. Since the start of November, Girardi has produced at a rate that could be the best of his career. He has six points, including five assists, and a plus-10 rating in the first eight games this month. He won't continue to deliver offence like this, but he'll certainly bolster your plus-minus while chipping in some points, too.

Peter Holland, C, Toronto (2 percent) - Wow -- look what a few games in the doghouse will do to motivate a guy. Big-bodied and smart, Holland looked like the poster child for coach Mike Babcock's system. But he struggled early and there was talk he might even be sent down to the AHL. But four healthy scratches later, he got back into the lineup and hasn't left. His game looks fresh and new, and he has six points in as many games since his return. He's only eligible at center, so that limits his value. But he might deliver low-end value in leagues were he can roll as a forward.

Melker Karlsson, RW/C, San Jose (5 percent) - Hi, I'm Melker. This is my line mate, Joe and my other line mate, Joe. Yep -- Karlsson has hit the jackpot skating with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. And twisted '80s meme aside, Karlsson is a solid add when he hops the boards with those two. I've never been overly impressed with his skillset, per se. But the guy knows how to play with good players (that's different than guys who merely look good playing with good players -- that's called the beer league effect). Karlsson has four points, including a couple of goals, in his last four games heading into weekend play. Take a look at him for a few games and you'll see what I mean. Just don't wait on him long. He's done this before while playing with the Sharks' studs. Someone in your league will remember that soon enough. It might as well be you.

P.A. Parenteau, RW, Toronto (5 percent) - Parenteau joined the Leafs' second line at the start of November and has seen his ice time, confidence and production all take a tick up. He's now the finisher on a line with playmaker Tyler Bozak (above) and crease crasher Shawn Matthias, and this combo has changed his game. And his fantasy outlook. In his first 10 games this season, Parenteau had a goal and two points. But in his next 10, the sniper has five goals and seven points, and his ice time has gone up about three minutes a game. The Leafs have bought in to the Mike Babcock way and while they're not as good as they look right now, they're not as bad as they looked to start the season, either. The Leafs' second line can deliver cheap production for owners in deep leagues.

Tanner Pearson, LW, Los Angeles (6 percent) - So much for That '70s Line, but maybe that's a good thing. In the same way that getting rid of polyester pants and disco was a good thing. Pearson has been skating with Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik on the top line lately and that combo has worked. Well, at least it has for Pearson. Gaborik is another story altogether. Pearson has 11 points in 19 games, but eight of those (two goals, six assists) have come in his last eight games heading into Sunday. That was enough for me to put this former Barrie Colt on my roster. You?

Teddy Purcell, LW/RW, Edmonton (3 percent) - Purcell can be my wingman any time. Earlier in the season, Teddy played Iceman to Connor McDavid's Maverick. But now, he has a new Maverick in Neon Leon Draisaitl and he's once again looking better and better at the bar. Purcell is currently on a three-game, five-point streak (one goal, four assists) heading into Monday and has seven points in his last six games. Draisaitl is in Edmonton to stay, at least until he's traded. He's owned in half of Yahoo leagues and that number is growing exponentially. Purcell is producing at nearly the same rate, but is out there for you right now. Choice? Sometimes the wingman is just as good as the top gun. Just saying.

Back to Ovie.

I used to think he'd head back to the KHL to finish his career and that would mean he'd never seriously challenge many NHL scoring records. But the drop in the Russian ruble makes those big contracts seem tiny, tax break or not.

Ovechkin really is a joy to watch. He enjoys playing the game and it shows. Sid just plays the game differently. And at the end of the day, the decade-old debate about which one is better is becoming pretty clear.

Bring it on. I'm waiting on the hate, LOL.

Until next week.