We've passed the mid-point of the season and there's a little over 30 games left to play. That's a ton of time to make a jump in your pools people! If you follow my advice you'll be able to reap the rewards for those guys who we've written off during the first half of the season. The guys listed here have been asleep the entire first half, but will have started to come around / will come around:
Comment: There's a tricky situation in Toronto. They won't be making a playoff push and will likely struggle for the remainder of the season, but that doesn't mean there won't be any offense. Blake has finally found his groove. And although he won't approach the 40 goals he netted last season, he'll at least creep into the 20s. Blake is third in the league in shots on goal and recently he's been finding the back of the net. He's playing with more confidence, patiently and clicking with new linemates Matt Stajan and Darcy Tucker (two guys who will likely not be traded by the house-cleaning Leafs). Now's the time to trade for him. He won't be too pricey (and you can talk him down to the person selling, saying this might just be a short term surge).
Comment: I don't even know if anybody has this guy on their fantasy squad. He's basically become invisible because of his surprisingly poor start to the season. After recording only five goals and 10 points prior to Jan., Cheechoo has potted six goals and eight points in 13 second half games. That doesn't say much, but most of those came from Jan. 15th onwards. He's finding room on a line with Joe Thornton, and second line center Patrick Marleau has been throwing down some assists as of late. Expect to see Cheechoo make a strong statement to end the season.
Comment: Drury started showing signs of life in Dec. and then promptly faded away in Jan. Don't fret too much though: he has the fire power around him to put his game back on track. The offensively inept Rangers have been a fantasy fen all season long, but expect Drury to finish strong. He should give get you those 65 points you expected when you drafted him.
Comment: It took Elias a while to get rolling. A new coach, a tired body and the pressure of being the go-to guy was too much for Elias to handle in the first half. But man has he turned it on since the new year rolled around. He's tallied eight goals and 15 points in his last 14 games and is showing signs of his former brilliance. The Devils will be mounting a playoff charge, and I wouldn't be surprised if Elias is at the top of the team's stat chart at the end of the season. Buy low for him NOW before his streak gets any hotter.
Comment: Havlat has turned up the heat in Jan. Perfect timing, because Jonathan Toews is on the mend and returning soon. Marty's healthy and when he's good to go you can expect points. He's had a slow year but is getting back into a groove and once he gets Toews skating alongside him he'll be that much better.
Comment: Marleau has cranked up the juice in Jan. and is doing what he should have been doing back in Sept. Bill his sub-standard first half as a contract hangover. He's quickly reverted back into an assist machine and potted the odd goal or two as well. You'll be happy points-wise, but keep in mind his plus / minus rating will remain brutal. When he wasn't scoring, Marleu was in the plus for a good portion of the first half. Since Jan. 3, however, he's a minus-10!
Comment: Ageless Joe has been out since Dec. 1 with a hernia, but is due back mid-February. You'll be either picking him up or trading him just in time for an unexpected final-season fantasy push. Colorado has somehow held steady in Sakic's absence and made some form of a comeback, challenging for the playoffs. Sakic will be arriving just in time for Ryan Smyth and Paul Stastny to help him with the charge. Don't count him out — he has too much heart to listen to his aging body.
Comment: Who knew teaming up with Rod Brind'Amour was all it would take for Samsonov to find his game again? He's likely hanging around the waiver wire right now and he's a hands-down add. If you have an injury and don't want to make a trade, he'll do just fine as a band-aid solution. Sammy has produced more since Dec. ended than he has all season and almost as much as he did all of last season! Carolina will continue to fight for a top spot in the South East, and Samsonov has found his groove again. Fantasy owners can expect him to chip in every other game or so and provide a steady stream of points from here on out.
Comment: This one's cheating a bit because he literally was sleeping for most of the first half. Selanne's return is a great thing for the Ducks and for Fantasy players lucky enough to grab him. He's already notched a two assists and a goal in five games since his return and will continue to post numbers for the Ducks. If you don't have him you can trade low because he hasn't proven anything yet. If he's still somehow available, snatch him up!
As for goalies, you're pretty much stuck with who you have. Nothing will change much from now untill the playoffs other than some shake up in Ottawa between Ray Emery and Martin Gerber. You might see Hannu Toivonen take some more starts from Manny Legace in St. Louis but other than that, keep your eyes out for any big trades. That's the only way some of these underperformers will break away from their recent stinks.
J.P. Del Monte is UPDATE! National Hockey League editor.
JASON BLAKE
Toronto Maple Leafs, LWComment: There's a tricky situation in Toronto. They won't be making a playoff push and will likely struggle for the remainder of the season, but that doesn't mean there won't be any offense. Blake has finally found his groove. And although he won't approach the 40 goals he netted last season, he'll at least creep into the 20s. Blake is third in the league in shots on goal and recently he's been finding the back of the net. He's playing with more confidence, patiently and clicking with new linemates Matt Stajan and Darcy Tucker (two guys who will likely not be traded by the house-cleaning Leafs). Now's the time to trade for him. He won't be too pricey (and you can talk him down to the person selling, saying this might just be a short term surge).
JONATHAN CHEECHOO
San Jose Sharks, RWComment: I don't even know if anybody has this guy on their fantasy squad. He's basically become invisible because of his surprisingly poor start to the season. After recording only five goals and 10 points prior to Jan., Cheechoo has potted six goals and eight points in 13 second half games. That doesn't say much, but most of those came from Jan. 15th onwards. He's finding room on a line with Joe Thornton, and second line center Patrick Marleau has been throwing down some assists as of late. Expect to see Cheechoo make a strong statement to end the season.
CHRIS DRURY
New York Rangers, CComment: Drury started showing signs of life in Dec. and then promptly faded away in Jan. Don't fret too much though: he has the fire power around him to put his game back on track. The offensively inept Rangers have been a fantasy fen all season long, but expect Drury to finish strong. He should give get you those 65 points you expected when you drafted him.
PATRIK ELIAS
New Jersey Devils, LWComment: It took Elias a while to get rolling. A new coach, a tired body and the pressure of being the go-to guy was too much for Elias to handle in the first half. But man has he turned it on since the new year rolled around. He's tallied eight goals and 15 points in his last 14 games and is showing signs of his former brilliance. The Devils will be mounting a playoff charge, and I wouldn't be surprised if Elias is at the top of the team's stat chart at the end of the season. Buy low for him NOW before his streak gets any hotter.
MARTIN HAVLAT
Chicago Blackhawks, RWComment: Havlat has turned up the heat in Jan. Perfect timing, because Jonathan Toews is on the mend and returning soon. Marty's healthy and when he's good to go you can expect points. He's had a slow year but is getting back into a groove and once he gets Toews skating alongside him he'll be that much better.
PATRICK MARLEAU
San Jose Sharks, CComment: Marleau has cranked up the juice in Jan. and is doing what he should have been doing back in Sept. Bill his sub-standard first half as a contract hangover. He's quickly reverted back into an assist machine and potted the odd goal or two as well. You'll be happy points-wise, but keep in mind his plus / minus rating will remain brutal. When he wasn't scoring, Marleu was in the plus for a good portion of the first half. Since Jan. 3, however, he's a minus-10!
JOE SAKIC
Colorado Avalanche, CComment: Ageless Joe has been out since Dec. 1 with a hernia, but is due back mid-February. You'll be either picking him up or trading him just in time for an unexpected final-season fantasy push. Colorado has somehow held steady in Sakic's absence and made some form of a comeback, challenging for the playoffs. Sakic will be arriving just in time for Ryan Smyth and Paul Stastny to help him with the charge. Don't count him out — he has too much heart to listen to his aging body.
SERGEI SAMSONOV
Carolina Hurricanes, LWComment: Who knew teaming up with Rod Brind'Amour was all it would take for Samsonov to find his game again? He's likely hanging around the waiver wire right now and he's a hands-down add. If you have an injury and don't want to make a trade, he'll do just fine as a band-aid solution. Sammy has produced more since Dec. ended than he has all season and almost as much as he did all of last season! Carolina will continue to fight for a top spot in the South East, and Samsonov has found his groove again. Fantasy owners can expect him to chip in every other game or so and provide a steady stream of points from here on out.
TEEMU SELANNE
Anaheim Ducks, RWComment: This one's cheating a bit because he literally was sleeping for most of the first half. Selanne's return is a great thing for the Ducks and for Fantasy players lucky enough to grab him. He's already notched a two assists and a goal in five games since his return and will continue to post numbers for the Ducks. If you don't have him you can trade low because he hasn't proven anything yet. If he's still somehow available, snatch him up!
DEFENSE / GOALTENDING
Comment: You won't see a big jump from a lot of guys in these positions. Guys like Jay Bouwmeester and Rob Blake played some decent hockey in the first half but they didn't put up fantasy-stud numbers. That should change this half, as Bouwmeester is already proving. Blake is on the IR but should return soon, and with the trade deadline approaching he and fellow injury-plagued blueliner Dan Boyle could potentially be traded to a contender. That spikes their value up big time. These are guys who can perform when healthy and are traditionally at their best as the season grows long.As for goalies, you're pretty much stuck with who you have. Nothing will change much from now untill the playoffs other than some shake up in Ottawa between Ray Emery and Martin Gerber. You might see Hannu Toivonen take some more starts from Manny Legace in St. Louis but other than that, keep your eyes out for any big trades. That's the only way some of these underperformers will break away from their recent stinks.
J.P. Del Monte is UPDATE! National Hockey League editor.