It was November 30, 2009. It started out like any other Monday. I was hard at work researching the latest Fantasy Hockey trends on my computer in the standard issue cubicle bestowed upon me by the brass of CBSSports.com.
During my research, I couldn't contain my excitement and blurted out, "Stephen Weiss is on fire!"
Up until last year, Weiss wasn't much of a factor in the Fantasy world. He made his NHL debut the season he was drafted fourth overall (2001-02), but he didn't have his first 40-point season until 2006-07 and didn't break 60 points until last season -- his first under coach Peter DeBoer.
Was Weiss deserving of being a top five draft pick? He is an undersized center at 5-11, 191 pounds, and that is almost a decade after he was drafted. But what made Weiss so appealing back in the day was the fact he excelled in the faceoff circle, something he still does to this day.
When we look at a high-end draft picks these days, we assume he is going to be a must-own Fantasy player down the road. It's just not always the case.
Last year, the Maple Leafs drafted Luke Schenn fifth overall and when it appeared he was going to make the opening night roster, Fantasy owners started drafting him like crazy. Unfortunately, Schenn was lauded for his defensive potential and his offensive skills are still a work in progress.
Weiss did have a little different story. While his defensive skills were advanced for his age, he still had burgeoning offensive talents and projected as an all-around top-line center in the NHL. It just took time for Weiss, who drew comparisons as a youngster to Steve Yzerman and Joe Sakic, to finally live up to the billing.
In 105 games under DeBoer, Weiss has totaled 25 goals and 83 points. In his first 323 games, he had just 61 goals and 163 points.
Weiss' latest run has been a thing of beauty for the Panthers. He has seven goals (including his second career hat trick on Wednesday against the Avalanche) and eight assists in his last 11 games. His latest outburst has been a result of Weiss playing alongside Nathan Horton and rising star Michael Frolik, but maybe this shouldn't be a shock since Weiss has finally elevated to the place he was supposed to be all along -- as a top-line NHL center.
"The game seems a little easier when things are going well. When they're not, it seems like you're carrying someone on your back," Weiss told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "You have to keep these good streaks going as long as you can."
Add 'Em
Carlo Colaiacovo, D, St. Louis
Owned: 24 percent of leagues
Analysis: Colaiacovo missed a few weeks earlier this season with an upper-body injury and is currently day-to-day with a foot ailment, but if we can look past all the injury issues, we see Colaiacovo has been productive when he has been healthy. He has produced nine points (two goals) in 16 games this season. Since coming to St. Louis last season via a trade from Toronto, Colaiacovo has totaled 38 points (five goals) in 79 games with the Blues. He had all of 12 goals and 33 points over six seasons with the Maple Leafs. Much like Weiss, people forget that Colaiacovo was a 2001 first-round pick. He was a burgeoning offensive blueliner as a junior player and in the minors, but never seem to fit in Toronto. Since arriving in St. Louis, the Blues have allowed his offensive skills to develop since they have plenty of defensive-minded blueliners. Colaiacovo hasn't had to play in any short-handed situations since returning from his upper-body injury in mid-November and that has allowed him the extra energy on the power play. He might not be a must-start Fantasy option, but Colaiacovo is a nice low-end buy to start with favorable matchups. Also, the Blues haven't played their best hockey, so Colaiacovo could be a scary player if St. Louis ever settles into an offensive rhythm.
Drop 'Em
Sami Salo, D, Vancouver
Owned: 16 percent of leagues
Analysis: It's time to say goodbye to the Fragile Finn. He has driven Fantasy owners crazy throughout the years because of his many trips to the infirmary, but he always seemed to stick around because he performed very well when healthy. That's no longer the case. Salo has one goal and two assists in 20 games. His playing time has even been reduced by a few minutes per game. It's not that coach Alain Vigneault has any beef with Salo. In fact, he still praises him for his defense. It's just Vancouver doesn't need as many offensive contributions from Salo as in the past. Alexander Edler is an emerging young talent. Mathieu Schneider takes scoring opportunities on the power play. And the arrival of Christian Ehrhoff means Salo's role has been altered in 2009-10.
Erik Cole, LW, Carolina
Owned: 33 percent of leagues
Analysis: It's tough to pinpoint what to make of Cole. Ever since he posted 59 goals and 120 points over a two-season span from 2005-07, Cole's career has suffered a steady decline. He really struggled last season when Carolina shipped him to Edmonton. He started to look like his old self after he was reunited with the Hurricanes at the 2008-09 trade deadline and put back on a line with Eric Staal. While Cole and Staal have both had their injury issues this season, when they have been healthy, neither player has been overly productive. Cole has slumped to the tune of three goals and a minus-9 rating in 17 games. He is only on pace for nine goals in 51 games. We know Cole's slump has been because Staal has struggled, but even if Staal turns his season around that's no guarantee Cole will get on a roll. It definitely looks more and more that Cole's heyday is in the rearview mirror.
Avoid 'Em
R.J. Umberger, C, Columbus
Owned: 32 percent of leagues
Analysis: Umberger had his second career hat trick on Monday against the Blues and in just two games in Week 9 already has 22 Fantasy points. He had all of 38 Fantasy points in his first eight Fantasy weeks. Umberger has quietly totaled 21 points in 27 games this season. That output has even shocked me. He is on pace for 27 goals and 63 points in 81 games, but despite his recent outburst, he just doesn't strike me as that type of offensive threat. He had a career-high 26 goals in 2008-09, his first with the Blue Jackets after beginning his career with the Flyers. He has made the move to the wing after failing to impress Columbus' management as a center. Clearly, it hasn't been an entirely bad move. Still, Umberger is a very streaky scorer. He has had plenty of hot and cold streaks in his career. It's not hard to believe Umberger will finish with 40-plus points and the 50-point barrier is a possibility. We just don't believe the Pittsburgh native will be the final answer to what ails your forward rotation.
Mike Rupp, C, Pittsburgh
Owned: 3 percent of leagues
Analysis: Monday seemed like Hat Trick central since Rupp had his first career three-goal game against the Rangers. In one game, Rupp tied his goal totals from the last two seasons with the Devils and set a new career high for goals scored in a season (he is up to eight). What coach Dan Bylsma loves about Rupp is that he can move him from the wing on a scoring line to the pivot on a checking line. Playing with the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin can make any player a better skater, but even Rupp admits he has no offensive goals. He knows his primary role is as a checking presence and has just gotten lucky thus far. Rupp isn't going to win any scoring titles in the near future and is still be used in Fantasy leagues that reward heavily for PIM.
David Legwand, C, Nashville
Owned: 19 percent of leagues
Analysis: Legwand has been another player to rack up a lot of Fantasy points as of late. In his last two weeks, he has 27 Fantasy points after totaling nine in his first six weeks. Legwand had a nice November with five goals and 11 assists in 13 games. He scored once short-handed and had two game winners. He has earned his role as second-line center behind Jason Arnott. Legwand has been a steady contributor for Nashville through the years and that's exactly what we are going to call him at the end of the season again. Despite his November outburst, Legwand is still on pace for just 15 goals and 43 points. He has been a 40-point contributor the last two seasons and it seems as though he will finish in the same range again in 2009-10. He is not going to be the player that wins you a Fantasy championship.
Watch 'Em
Eric Fehr, RW, Washington
Owned: 12 percent of leagues
Analysis: With star players Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin fighting off injuries and suspension as of late, the talk of D.C. has shifted to Fehr, who was taken 18th overall in the 2003 NHL draft. Fehr has been on a tear with five goals and two assists in his last six games. The former first-rounder looks like the kid who was a scoring whiz during his junior hockey days. Fehr had two 50-goal seasons with Brandon of the WHL earlier this decade and then had a couple of 20-goal seasons in the minors with Hershey (AHL). Unfortunately, he wasn't as aggressive offensively in his first few tries with the Capitals. He finally seems to be at ease and the Washington coaching staff is encouraging Fehr to continue to fire on net. However, we wonder what Fehr's numbers will look like once Semin and Mike Knuble return from injury. Also, he still has to compete with the likes of Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, Brendan Morrison and a slew of others for points.
Kris Russell, D, Columbus
Owned: 13 percent of leagues
Analysis: Russell pops up on the Fantasy radar thanks to his back-to-back one-goal, one-assist games to begin Week 9 (Nov. 30-Dec. 6). Russell is another one of those oddities. He has 20 Fantasy points this week after totaling nine Fantasy points in his first eight weeks. Fantasy owners now want to know if this is just a lucky streak or Russell is the real deal? Well, we will admit we aren't sure. Russell is another young player that might finally be rounding into form. He was a skilled offensive blueliner during his junior hockey days, so much so that Columbus immediately brought him to the show when he turned pro in 2007-08. It turned out to be a bad move since Columbus sent Russell down to the AHL for a stint in 2008-09. He performed very well with eight points (three goals) in 14 games for Syracuse. Had Columbus not rushed Russell to the NHL, he might be a reliable Fantasy option or impact player this season. Columbus is looking for some offensive skill players from their blue line. They have gotten quality production from Anton Stralman, but can Russell be another defenseman to step up on offense for Columbus? Only time will tell.
Scott Parse, RW, Los Angeles
Owned: 1 percent of leagues
Analysis: Here is the thing about Parse. While we don't feel he is going to be a player that ends up on a lot of Fantasy rosters by season's end, he is a kid we need to highlight because he might surprise everyone and could definitely be a sleeper player in long-term keeper formats. As a 2004 sixth-round pick, Parse was never a top prospect and many considered the 2009-10 season to be his make-or-break moment. Parse really came out of nowhere after starring at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He was only expected to stay two years in college, but he ended up staying all four and became a school legend. When he finally turned pro in 2006-07, he totaled seven points in his first 10 AHL games. Then, he had an injury-plagued 2007-08 and it took him off the radar. He bounced back in 2008-09 with Manchester to have a good, yet unspectacular season. Not much was expected of Parse this season, but the 25-year-old winger is making people take notice. He had 11 points in seven games with Manchester before Los Angeles recalled him in late October due to a rash of injuries. He was expected to be shipped back shortly after his recall, but the funny thing is that he is still with Los Angeles and has solidified a role on the team's third line alongside Michal Handzus and Wayne Simmonds. In coach Terry Murray's system, the third line is as valuable as the top line, so Parse will have opportunities to impress.
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