When the news broke Wednesday that Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar would miss 4-6 weeks with a broken wrist, the situation felt all too familiar.
This wasn't the first time in 2009-10 that Fantasy owners lost an elite defenseman. Canadiens blueliner Andrei Markov was dealt a devastating blow after he cut a tendon in his ankle during the team's opener. Markov could be sidelined as much as four months.
The Gonchar situation isn't as serious and Pittsburgh will likely persevere for the next month as their All-Star defenseman watches from the press box. But Gonchar's injury got us thinking about the Canadiens. He was injured on the same night (Tuesday) that Marc-Andre Bergeron made his Montreal debut.
Bergeron was the Canadiens' answer to losing Markov, who was an excellent offensive outlet from the blue line. Bergeron remained a free agent until Montreal signed him to a one-year deal on Oct. 6. Since he missed training camp, Bergeron started the season on a conditioning stint with Hamilton of the AHL, which ended up being a raging success. Bergeron had six assists in three games with Hamilton.
Deemed ready for his Montreal debut, the Canadiens recalled Bergeron for Tuesday's game against Atlanta. He took a hooking penalty on his first shift, failed to record a point in 16:55 of ice time and came up dizzy after Colby Armstrong cleaned his clock in the third period, but Bergeron survived to play another day.
"I was hesitant at first, actually I was hesitant pretty much the whole game," Bergeron said after his debut.
The Canadiens can't afford for Bergeron to remain tentative since they need his playmaking skills, especially on the power play. Montreal is 2-for-27 on the power play since Markov went down in the first game. Montreal added Bergeron to provide a boost on the man advantage since 32 of his 62 career goals have come via the power play.
"I'm sure people know that Andrei Markov is a top defenseman in the NHL and he's irreplaceable," Bergeron told The Gazette. "I'm not here to replace Andrei Markov. I want to be myself and do my best to help the team win."
Bergeron is a small defenseman at 5-9, 198 pounds. However, thanks to the post-lockout rules, his size is no longer a hindrance since a premium has been put on his quickness and stick work. Bergeron has 160 points in 340 NHL games and has even shed the label of being a defensive liability. He is at plus-3 in his career.
A new chapter has begun in Bergeron's career, but we hope to see much of the same results. For a player that has managed 14 or more goals in three of his last four seasons, Bergeron is certainly more than just an afterthought.
"I have to bring my own little part to this team," Bergeron said. "I'm not an All-Star defenseman, but I'm good enough to play."
Add 'Em
Justin Williams, RW, Los Angeles
Owned: 64 percent of leagues
Analysis: We have seen just a shade of Williams the past two seasons because injuries have really derailed his career. After a two straight 30-goal campaigns with the Hurricanes, Williams managed just 13 goals in 81 games the last two seasons. Carolina pretty much felt Williams had run his course with the team after he suffered another crippling injury (hand) late last season, which opened the door for teams to start inquiring about the 2000 first-round pick. Even though he was injured, Los Angeles was able to work out a trade for Williams. Unfortunately, Williams didn't make much of a splash with his new squad. He had one goal and four points in 12 games with Los Angeles. Due to his recent decline, the once must-own Fantasy option was hardly a blip on the radar on Draft Day. Now, a few weeks into the season, Williams looks as though the batteries are recharged. He has really clicked on a line with Anze Kopitar and Ryan Smyth, who was a key offseason acquisition. We still worry about then next time Williams takes a trip to IR, but while he is this red hot and flashing serious offensive potential, you would be foolish not to add him to your roster.
Rich Peverley, C, Atlanta
Owned: 54 percent of leagues
Analysis: Peverley is another good story about a player succeeding thanks to a fresh start. The undrafted free agent spent years proving himself in the minors, but never could get a chance to crack the Predators roster. Once he was placed on waivers in 2008-09, Atlanta pounced on the chance to add a rising player like Peverley. He didn't disappoint. Peverley transformed into nearly a point-per-game player, putting up 35 points in 39 games with Atlanta. Unfortunately, there was a little hesitation with concerns to his Fantasy value heading into 2009-10 since Atlanta added Nik Antropov in the offseason to center a line with Ilya Kovalchuk. Peverley did most of his damage last season a line with Kovalchuk, so he had a lot to lose. Not only was he bumped off the top line, but Peverley was demoted to the third line because Todd White was still around. Apparently, that isn't proving to be a big problem. Peverley has eight points in his first six games and is doing a ton of damage on the power play (three goals). He might not be a household name, but Peverley is getting it done for Fantasy owners.
Patrice Bergeron, C, Boston
Owned: 56 percent of leagues
Analysis: Gonchar wasn't the only big name to take a trip to injured reserve Wednesday. Bruins All-Star center Marc Savard joined him due to a broken foot. Savard will be out 4-6 weeks, so this is a perfect proving ground for Bergeron, whose career has fallen off since a vicious hit from Randy Jones in 2007-08 resulted in a serious concussion. Bergeron definitely looked hesitant when he returned to the ice last season and was a far cry from his 30-goal, 70-point potential. However, he has looked rejuvenated in the early going in 2009-10, and Savard's injury is going to open up plenty of scoring chances for the 2003 second-round pick to get his career back on track.
Drop 'Em
Chris Campoli, D, Ottawa
Owned: 44 percent of leagues
Analysis: Campoli's outlook in Ottawa has dramatically changed since he first arrived in late February. Coach Cory Clouston was in dire need of a puck-moving blueliner when he took over for Craig Hartsburg last season. His wishes came true when Ottawa pulled off a trade for Campoli shortly after Clouston's hire. Campoli immediately paid dividends for Ottawa with four assists in his first four games. He finished with 13 points (five goals) in 25 games with the Senators. Campoli wasn't going anywhere in the offseason and was expected to continue his progress in 2009-10. Unfortunately, he has been a different player this season. He has no points in his first seven games and has taken just four shots in that span. Campoli is still logging a ton of power-play time, but is definitely seeing some of his scoring chances go to the rookie Erik Karlsson, who was drafted in 2008 because of his burgeoning offensive skills. Karlsson is being groomed as the future point man on the power play for Ottawa, which spells bad news for Campoli, who is in the final year of his contract.
Avoid 'Em
Ryan Vesce, RW, San Jose
Owned: 6 percent of leagues
Analysis: The Sharks recalled Vesce after a hot start in the minors (three points in three games). He has so far been a smash hit on the team's top line alongside Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley by scoring a goal in each of his first two games. Vesce is a proven scorer in the minors and was even a solid player when he was in Finland during the 2007-08 season. However, Vesce doesn't have a ton of NHL experience and that's why we aren't buying the undrafted free agent. He is bound to hit a wall once he starts popping up on the opposition's scouting report and we can't expect him to remain on the top line all season. Devin Setoguchi is bound to return to the team's top scoring line, and Vesce could very well head back to the minors or become a lower-line option.
Ales Kotalik, RW, N.Y. Rangers
Owned: 48 percent of leagues
Analysis: A lot of folks, including Fantasy owners, have been excited about the Rangers' hot start. How can you not? They are clicking in all facets of the game and have become serious contenders in the Eastern Conference. The Rangers' surge has even put Kotalik on the map as a point-per-game threat, but he is unfortunately not that type of player. Kotalik has a heavy shot and is a huge power-play threat. But he has had just one season in his first seven years with more than 50 points and is still logging most of his time on the Rangers' third line. Kotalik is going to pick up a lot of power-play points, but he is still not that well-rounded of an offensive player and we are likely to see his numbers level out.
Watch 'Em
Tyler Myers, D, Buffalo
Owned: 33 percent of leagues
Analysis: What's not to like about Myers? He is a towering presence at 6-8, 222 pounds and definitely looks like he belongs in the NHL. But the best part is that Myers can skate very well and is a developing offensive player from the blue line. When Buffalo lost Jaroslav Spacek in the offseason, Buffalo looked to Chris Butler as one player to help fill the void and then started to toy with the idea of bringing up Myers, the team's 2008 first-round pick. They figured to give him a look in the preseason to see if he was mature enough for the NHL and Myers passed with flying colors. He is still doing well to begin the season with five points (two goals) in seven games and is not making costly defensive mistakes either. It definitely looks as though Myers will be sticking around the NHL. However, our concern is that rookie defensemen usually don't have a lot of offensive success, especially if they are making the jump from the junior level. On the flip side, Myers could be very much be like 2008 draftee Michael Del Zotto and be ready to set a new trend.
Gilbert Brule, C, Edmonton
Owned: 27 percent of leagues
Analysis: Brule definitely falls under the category of late bloomer. There was a time that Brule was considered the second-best prospect behind Sidney Crosby in the 2005 NHL draft, but the Edmonton native fell to sixth that year. Columbus was happy to draft Brule and felt they landed a steal. Too bad Brule turned out to be a bust. He never really developed with the Blue Jackets and was eventually traded to his hometown Oilers in the summer of 2008. Brule spent most of the season working on his game in the minors, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Brule suffered because he made the jump from junior hockey to the NHL. In the minors, he was able to work on his game and regain his confidence. Brule has definitely looked like a different player in 2009-10 under first-year coach Pat Quinn. Our hesitation remains that Brule is still centering the team's fourth line and isn't getting much time on the power play. He is pretty much going to have to make the most of his playing time until Edmonton moves him up the depth chart.
Michael Grabner, RW, Vancouver
Owned: 7 percent of leagues
Analysis: Grabner went in the first round a year after Brule was drafted, and much like his Western Conference counterpart, Grabner has been slow to reach his potential. But unlike Brule, Vancouver didn't rush Grabner to the NHL. They allowed him to develop in the minors and that could be key to his NHL development. Grabner was one of the final cuts in training camp, but was recalled after Daniel Sedin broke his foot. Thanks to a late-season surge in 2008-09 with Manitoba (AHL) and a fast start this season, Vancouver not only promoted Grabner but put him in Sedin's spot on the top line. He also nabbed a spot on the team's second power-play unit. Grabner's forte is scoring goals and he has a golden opportunity to prove himself while Sedin is out. If he makes a splash, Vancouver could keep him around as a potential top-six forward the rest of the season.
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