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Ross Devonport

Fantasy Faceoffs: Living in the past

By | Senior Fantasy Writer

Editor's note: Our Ross Devonport and Michael Hurcomb read, write and analyze everything Fantasy Hockey on a daily basis for CBSSports.com. They agree and disagree on a variety of subjects on a weekly basis and will share their opinions on Fantasy-relevant topics each week.

Which player do you feel has too high of an ownership in Fantasy?
Ross Devonport Michael Hurcomb
Ross Devonport I know Bryan McCabe had three nice seasons with Toronto earlier this decade, but before those campaigns he'd only had 40 points once, and now he plays for one of the worst offensive teams in the league. While he's clearly capable of producing OK numbers on a consistent basis for your Fantasy teams, he's not worth his 97 percent ownership by any stretch of the imagination. People are just simply living in the past. Michael Hurcomb Patrik Elias being owned in 96 percent of Fantasy leagues seems a bit extreme to me. He does have 21 points and eight goals in his first 21 games. Elias is on pace for 30 goals and 46 points, which would justify his high ownership. However, he has managed just 70-plus points three times in his career and had only 25 Fantasy points in his first five weeks before exploding for 34 in his last three. It just seems he is a bit unreliable to be viewed as a No. 1 or No. 2 Fantasy forward.
Since the Islanders opted to keep 2008 first-round pick Josh Bailey, what should we expect?
Ross Devonport Michael Hurcomb
Ross Devonport Bailey only has five assists in 10 games this season and has yet to find the back of the net, but I've seen him and his second-line partner Trent Hunter play a few times this season and I've been impressed with their performances, just like coach Scott Gordon. Two things Bailey has going for him: a.) he really has no one threatening him for top-six time in New York, and b.) top-line guys Doug Weight and Bill Guerin are at that age where injuries come a little more frequently, so Bailey might even get some top-line time later this year. I see him more as a keeper option for now, but he does have some value in deeper seasonal formats as a bench guy in case he heats up in the new year. Michael Hurcomb Bailey, who missed the first several weeks of the season due to injury, has impressed first year coach Scott Gordon with his passing ability and vision to find the open scorer. It really didn't really all come together for Bailey until he totaled 96 points last season for Winsdor (OHL). He appears headed down the path as being more of an assist man than scorer. As a top 10 draft pick, obviously the bar is set high. But it's going to be a trying process for Bailey as a rookie with an Eastern Conference bottom feeder. It's hard to imagine him cracking 40 points in 2008-09.
Which rookie goalie do you want on your Fantasy team: Pekka Rinne, Steve Mason or Tobias Stephan?
Ross Devonport Michael Hurcomb
Ross Devonport This is a tough one. Rinne and Mason have upside because of the fact they play for pretty average teams and could definitely get plenty of playing time the rest of this season. Meanwhile, Stephan plays on the Stars, who are undoubtedly better than their 8-11-4 record shows. If he could somehow unseat the ineffective Marty Turco, even over a short period, he would probably pick up wins on a more consistent basis than the other two. I'm going to lean towards Mason though, simply because of his potential to be a superstar in this league at some point. His keeper value is a lot better than his seasonal value, however. Michael Hurcomb The easy choice here would be picking Mason since it seems he is already on his way to becoming Columbus' No. 1 goalie. However, I'm still not ready to consider Pascal Leclaire a backup goalie. Therefore, the guy I'm eyeing is Pekka Rinne. Nashville has shown in recent seasons to have a short leash with their starting goalies (Chris Mason, Tomas Vokoun) and Dan Ellis hasn't been impressive with a 3.06 GAA and .893 save percentage. Rinne is 4-0-0 on the season and starting to get some momentum behind him after Monday's shutout of Buffalo.
Which of the Coyotes' youngsters do you have the most faith in the remainder of the season?
Ross Devonport Michael Hurcomb
Ross Devonport If it wasn't for the awful Senators (52 goals) and Lightning (53), the Coyotes (55) would be the lowest-scoring team in the NHL so far this season. Peter Mueller's lack of offensive output the last few of weeks (no goals, two assists in nine games) has had a lot to do with that, but I think the Minnesota native will turn things around soon. He should get a few more shots on goal with the injured Olli Jokinen not on the ice for the next few weeks, so hopefully he gains some confidence from the extra opportunities and gets back on track. Michael Hurcomb Kyle Turris or Peter Mueller would be the popular picks because of their highly-touted background, but I'm a big fan of Martin Hanzal, who most people forget was a 2005 first-rounder. Hanzal had a solid rookie season in 2007-08 (35 points) as he was getting bypassed by Mueller, who had 54 points. However, Hanzal has settled in nicely as the Coyotes' second-line center and could really shine in the next few weeks with Olli Jokinen sidelined by injury. Hanzal is more of a passer than scorer, but is definitely a developing talent.

Do you agree with Ross or Michael? Send your thoughts to DMFantasyPucks@cbs.com and we'll post the best responses. Be sure to put Attn: Fantasy Faceoff in the subject field. Include your full name, hometown and state.

 
 
 
Player News
Cal Clutterbuck
Wild's Clutterbuck Misses Practice
Cal Clutterbuck, RW, MIN
9:53 AM
News: Cal Clutterbuck, who left Saturday's loss to Columbus due to a lower body injury, was not present for Monday's practice, the Wild's official site reports.
Analysis: As a result, Cal Clutterbuck is looking iffy for Tuesday's game against the Ducks.

Thomas Greiss
Sharks' Greiss To Start Monday
Thomas Greiss, G, SJ
9:31 AM
News: Thomas Greiss will get the start Monday night as the Sharks face the Capitals, David Pollack of the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Analysis: Thomas Greiss has been playing well this season and is maintaining a 1.98 GAA with a .925 save percentage in his backup role for the Sharks.

Michal Neuvirth
Caps Could Stick With Neuvirth Monday
Michal Neuvirth, G, WAS
9:11 AM
News: It appears likely that Michal Neuvirth will get the start against the Sharks on Monday, according to Katie Carrera of the Washington Post.
Analysis: Michal Neuvirth got the start on Sunday against the Rangers after Tomas Vokoun fell ill with the flu. While Coach Dale Hunter wouldn't commit to Neuvirth on Monday, it seems logical for the team to give Vokoun some added time to recover, with the team not playing again (after Monday) until Friday.

Mikael Backlund
Flames' Backlund Likely To Miss Time
Mikael Backlund, C, CGY
9:06 AM
News: TSN's Bob McKenzie speculates that Mikael Backlund, who had his arm in a sling Sunday, will be out at least a month.
Analysis: We'll await further info Monday, but it looks like the team's forward depth is about to take a hit. Mikael Backlund has 11 points and a minus-13 rating in 41 games to date though, numbers which reflect his marginal fantasy utility.

Jonas Gustavsson
Gustavsson Likely Tuesday Starter
Jonas Gustavsson, G, TOR
8:40 AM
News: Jonas Gustavsson is likely to start Tuesday's game against the Flames, according to James Mirtle of The Globe and Mail.
Analysis: Jonas Gustavsson relieved starter James Reimer to start the third period Saturday against Montreal and it looks like the Leafs will roll with him Tuesday, which would mark his first start since Feb 7.

Simon Despres
Despres Activated And Sent To AHL
Simon Despres, D, PIT
8:19 AM
News: The Penguins have activated Simon Despres (knee) from IR and re-assigned him to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Penguins.NHL.com reports.
Analysis: Simon Despres, who has been sidelined since Jan. 10, has played in 14 NHL games this season, recording four points. Once he's back up to speed, he figures to be back with the big club at some point down the road.

Andrew Bodnarchuk
Bruins Recall Bodnarchuk
Andrew Bodnarchuk, D, BOS
8:13 AM
News: The Bruins have recalled Andrew Bodnarchuk from AHL Providence, the team's official site reports.
Analysis: Andrew Bodnarchuk, who went scoreless in five NHL games in 2009-100, has 11 points in 47 games for Providence this season. He has some puck-moving ability, but he slots in as the B's No. 7 defenseman at the moment, so his fantasy upside is minimal.

Carey Price
Streaking Price Gets Monday Start
Carey Price, G, MON
8:07 AM
News: Carey Price will start Monday's game against the Hurricanes, Renaud Lavoie of RDS.ca reports.
Analysis: Carey Price, who has won four straight, including a 5-0 blanking of the Leafs on Friday, will get a crack Monday at a Carolina team that has lost two straight contests.

Marco Scandella
Wild's Scandella Recalled From AHL
Marco Scandella, D, MIN
7:39 AM
News: Marco Scandella was recalled from Houston of the AHL, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Analysis: He has five points in nine games since being sent back to the AHL. Marco Scandella has potential on offense, but needs to get consistent ice time.

Rhett Rakhshani
Islanders' Rakhshani Sent Down
Rhett Rakhshani, RW, NYI
7:30 AM
News: The Islanders have sent Rhett Rakhshani back on loan to AHL Bridgeport, the Islanders' official site reports.
Analysis: Rhett Rakhshani played in five games with the Islanders this year. He has 25 points this season with AHL Bridgeport.

 
 
 
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