For a coach that prides himself on having a stout defense, Devils head coach Jacques Lemaire started to feel the heat when he not only lost Paul Martin to an injury but also fellow blueliner Johnny Oduya.
Both players went down in a span of a week in late October and left their head coach scrambling to replace arguably his two most effective defenders.
What seemed like a sure disaster has actually turned into a blessing in disguise. Lemaire has been pleasantly surprised by the depth along his blue line, especially with the play of Andy Greene.
"I have no choice but to have confidence in Andy," Lemaire told NHL.com. "From the start of training camp to right now, he's a totally different player for us -- he's been the player who stands out the most from the start of the season until now. He's good with the puck, makes good plays, is calm on the ice and doesn't get rattled."
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| Andy Greene has been a pleasant surprise for the Devils on the blue line. (US Presswire) |
Greene became the first player in team history to either score or assist on the winning goal in five consecutive games after he had the game winner against the Penguins. Not even some of the Devils greats like Scott Stevens and Patrik Elias accomplished that feat. In fact, the last person to have such a streak was Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson in January 2007.
"It's kind of a weird stat, but it's only a stat, nothing else," Greene told the Newark Star-Ledger. "At any point in a game that can happen. You have to make sure you bear down and put yourself in good positions. Obviously it's something nice to have, but the main thing is we are winning."
Like so many other players we have featured in our Waiver Wire column, Greene has been a skater that has persevered to get where he is today.
The former Miami (Ohio) product was an undrafted free agent who signed with New Jersey in 2006. His previous recalls were primarily injury-related, and when he finally cracked the Devils' roster it was as a rotational defenseman. He started in that same role to begin the 2009-10 campaign, but his recent play has probably guaranteed him a spot on the team's blue line the rest of the season.
Greene came through the ranks as an offensive defenseman, but his size (5-11, 195 pounds) is one of the reasons he was passed over in the draft.
Clearly, he is starting to overcome his so-called disadvantages and only has to look to another former undrafted and undersized Devils blueliner that has overcome the odds to make it big in the NHL -- Brian Rafalski.
"As a kid, you dream to be playing and contributing in (the NHL)," Greene told NHL.com. "The longer you move along in your career, you start to realize it could become a possibility and the first step for me was to get to college. Once I got there, I began to think the NHL was a possibility."
Add 'Em
Maxim Afinogenov, RW, Atlanta
Owned: 65 percent of leagues
Analysis: No longer in coach Lindy Ruff's doghouse in Buffalo, Afinogenov has his career back on track in Atlanta. Afinogenov was one of the Sabres' top players during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons before injuries slowed him down the last two seasons in Buffalo. And when he was healthy, Afinogenov often clashed with Ruff and was even begging to be traded last season. Unfortunately, Buffalo found no takers. Now that he is healthy and happy in Atlanta, Afinogenov is once again a top scoring threat. He has seven goals (two power play) and 17 points in 17 games. A big reason for his success is that he has been situated on a line with fellow Russians Ilya Kovalchuk and Nik Antropov. It is just something about playing with pros that were brought up on the same principles and in similar systems that can make life easy in the NHL. The chemistry of that line is what has brought Afinogenov back to life and a reliable Fantasy option.
Drop 'Em
Victor Hedman, D, Tampa Bay
Owned: 58 percent of leagues
Analysis: Hedman was the most-talked about prospect in this year's draft class outside of No. 1 overall pick John Tavares. It's not hard to see why -- a defenseman that is 6-6, 220 pounds and can skate will be on any scouting report. We are not saying Hedman doesn't have a bright future in the NHL, but Fantasy owners are probably expecting a little too much from the 18-year-old Swede this season. Hedman got off to a blazing start with four assists in his first five games, but he has since gone without a point in 12 straight games. Unlike fellow rookie defensemen Michael Del Zotto, who is experiencing unheard of offensive production in his first full NHL season, Hedman is not on the same track. Hedman had the advantage over Del Zotto of playing pro hockey in the Swedish Elite League, but his offensive game is still not as far advanced. Take a look at the second pick in the 2008 NHL draft -- Drew Doughty. He didn't have an outstanding rookie season, and his numbers were only inflated because he was Los Angeles' top blueliner last season. Hedman is logging a lot of playing time, but the onus is not on him to carry the defensive unit. Rookie defensemen usually struggle in their first year and we expect Hedman to have a rocky campaign..
Avoid 'Em
Trent Hunter, RW, N.Y. Islanders
Owned: 9 percent of leagues
Analysis: When Hunter hasn't been on injured reserve this season, he has been quite productive. He has scored in four of six games and is averaging a point per game. Hunter has always been an efficient player for the Islanders, but never broken the threshold of elite scorer. Despite his fast start, Hunter isn't going to break the mold this season either. Especially not with rising stars like John Tavares and Kyle Okposo on the roster. It's great Hunter is logging a ton of power-play time, but he has always been a streaky offensive player, so you are going to spend a lot of time guessing when to start him in Fantasy.
Mathieu Perreault, C, Washington
Owned: 6 percent of leagues
Analysis: Perrault has really impressed with his play since his recall from Hershey of the AHL. He totaled two assists in his first NHL game and has five points (two goals) in seven appearances. He also has a plus-5 rating and is making a lot of smart defensive plays. That definitely has caught the attention of head coach Bruce Boudreau. Doing what he has done for a top contender has put Perreault on the Fantasy radar, but this is a blip that is likely going to disappear. Similar to Hunter's situation -- how much damage can Perreault do with so many other contributors in Washington? He hasn't played more than 14 minutes in a game this season and has logged just 1:04 of power-play time. The 2006 sixth-round draft pick has come a long way in his career and has had a successful run down in the minors. He was a scoring star as a junior player in the QMJHL, recording 100-plus points twice, but we just don't like Perreault at this stage in his career because of the complexion of the Capitals roster.
Watch 'Em
Randy Jones, D, Los Angeles
Owned: 10 percent of leagues
Analysis: The Kings have given Jones a second lease on life in the NHL after he became a castoff in Philadelphia. Injuries were the downfall of Jones' time with the Flyers after he posted a career-high 31 points in 2007-08. When Philly brought in players like Chris Pronger and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen in the offseason, it was pretty much writing on the wall for Jones, who was eventually sent to the AHL. Los Angeles then snagged him off re-entry waivers in late October and bolstered an already solid blue line. Jones has four points (two goals) in his first four games with Los Angeles and has even seen time in the top pairing with Drew Doughty. He has quickly moved up the depth chart, but our biggest concern will be can he stay there? Outside of Doughty, Jack Johnson, Matt Greene and Rob Scuderi, the last two spots are up for grabs between Jones, Davis Drewiske and Sean O'Donnell. All three players have clearly shown coach Terry Murray they fit well into his system, so now it is up to Jones to fend off the competition.
Brandon Sutter, C, Carolina
Owned: 11 percent of leagues
Analysis: It seems all Sutter needed was a bit of tough love for him to realize that he needed to step up his game. Carolina has always held the 2007 first-round pick (11th overall) in high regard. His bloodlines run deep and they wouldn't have wasted such a high draft pick on Sutter if they didn't think he had a future in the NHL. But maybe the expectations were a little high when Carolina brought Sutter up to the NHL last season. He really didn't thrive as a fourth-line center and that bone-crushing hit from Doug Weight in October 2008 had a profound effect on his development as well. He also had to deal with the midseason coaching change. Sutter had to open the 2009-10 season in the minors because he didn't meet the challenge set forth by coach Paul Maurice. But it seems it was a good wake-up call. Since his recall in late October, Sutter has been one of the Hurricanes' most efficient players. He has five goals and eight points in 11 games. He has done so well that he is currently centering the team's top line with Eric Staal on the mend. Our only concerns are how will Sutter fit into the equation once Staal is healthy and is this offensive outburst really his hockey makeup? Sutter came through the ranks as a solid two-way player and not as a standout scorer.
Michael Frolik, RW, Florida
Owned: 47 percent of leagues
Analysis: We are on the verge of putting Frolik on the Add 'Em list since it appears he could be following a similar track from his rookie season. Last year, Frolik had only two goals and four points in his first 20 games before finally getting hot and finishing the season with 21 goals. This season, Frolik had a down October with two goals and five points in 12 games. However, he has four goals in his last five games and is starting to play well as the Panthers are putting wins on the board. But that is where we find our quandary. Frolik had 15 goals and 34 points in 40 Florida wins last season. He has four goals and six points in eight Florida wins this season. Florida is not expected to be a top contender in the Eastern Conference, so unless Frolik can bridge the gap, he might just be a player to start in stretches when he is on a roll.
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