When Joe Sacco arrived in Colorado this offseason as the team's replacement for Tony Granato behind the bench, there definitely had to be a comforting feeling as he gazed over the team's roster.
The first-time NHL head coach spent a vast amount of the last few seasons mentoring many of the current Avalanche players at Lake Erie of the American Hockey League, including 2006 first-round pick Chris Stewart.
Stewart only turned pro late during the 2006-07 season after a successful junior stint with Kingston (OHL). He was still a fresh prospect and one Sacco could mold.
Stewart scored 25 goals in his first full pro season with Lake Erie in 2007-08 and totaled 11 points in his first 19 games with Lake Erie in 2008-09 before Colorado brought him to the show.
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| After a wakeup call earlier this season, Stewart seems to be getting it. (US Presswire) |
Stewart was demoted to Lake Erie on Oct. 20 after a run of four games as a healthy scratch. He definitely learned the hard way about the adage, "what have you done for me lately?"
"It definitely was an eye-opener going down to the American League, even if it was only for two days," Stewart told The Denver Post. "It opened my eyes and showed me what I had to do."
Sacco made sure to give Stewart some parting words before leaving for their old stomping grounds.
"Just simplify my game and move my feet," Stewart told NHL.com. "He told me when I had the most success was when I was moving my feet and that’s what I have to do every game."
No one would have been surprised if Stewart blew off Sacco's comments and went about his business. He did quit hockey as a youth player and wouldn't be the only first-round bust in his family. Older brother Anthony was selected 25th overall in 2003 by the Panthers, but he has just 12 points in 105 NHL games and is now lost in the Thrashers' farm system. Only it seems the younger Stewart isn't ready for his NHL dreams to be dashed.
An injury brought Stewart back to the NHL a short time after his October demotion, but he clearly has made the statement he has no intentions of making a return trip to the AHL.
Since David Jones went down with a long-term knee injury, Stewart has had the opportunity to showcase his full repertoire of skills playing as a top-six forward. He has five goals and eight assists in his last 10 games. He also hasn't been afraid to throw his body around, totaling 19 penalty minutes and one fighting major in that span.
"I know it's a long year," Stewart told the Post. "You're only as good as your last game, and I think for the last four or five games, I've shown what I can bring to the table and have made the most of my opportunity."
Add 'Em
Matt Stajan, C, Toronto
Owned: 35 percent of leagues
Analysis: Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson and Stajan have had their battles the last few seasons. Wilson has viewed Stajan as a perennial top-line center, but his inconsistent play has frustrated Toronto's head man to no end. It boiled over to this season when Wilson not only benched Stajan for a game in October, but also demoted him off the scoring lines as well. Stajan was then supposed to center a line with Phil Kessel as soon as Kessel came off injured reserve in November, but Wilson initially gave that honor to John Mitchell. It was a short-lived situation as Stajan was eventually placed alongside Kessel, but it appeared to be another message to Stajan that he had to earn his playing time. Like Stewart, a demotion is exactly what Stajan needed to ignite a fire under him. He has totaled six goals and 15 points in his last 16 games. He has failed to stat in just four of those contests. Stajan had a career-high 40 assists and 55 points in 2008-09. It seems Wilson is pushing all the right buttons because he knows how explosive Stajan can be in his system.
Drop 'Em
Michael Ryder, RW, Boston
Owned: 65 percent of leagues
Analysis: Sticking with the Kessel theme, Ryder was a player Boston intended to count on heavily after shipping Kessel to Toronto. To say he has fallen way short of expectations is an understatement. Ryder has scored only seven times in 29 games and is converting shots at a career-low 10 percent. Ryder was glad to reunite with his former coach, Claude Julien, last season and it showed in his numbers. He had 27 goals after recording a career-low 14 scores in 2007-08 with Montreal. He also had a career best plus-28 rating. However, a lot of Ryder's success came as Boston was dominating the Eastern Conference and David Krejci was making a name for himself. Krejci has struggled coming off major hip surgery and the Bruins rank 27th in offense (2.45 GAA). It seems they are going to win games this season with their defense. Ryder is on pace for 19 goals and 30 points, which definitely doesn't warrant being owned in more than 60 percent of leagues.
Mason Raymond, LW, Vancouver
Owned: 41 percent of leagues
Analysis: All our concerns about adding Raymond have come true. He was on our watch list a few weeks back as he totaled five goals and six assists during a nine-game stretch from Oct. 30-Nov. 20. But that surge had everything to do with Daniel Sedin being out of the lineup with a foot injury. Since Sedin has returned, Raymond has been bumped off the top line, seen his power-play minutes reduced and become non-existent on offense. He has managed only three points in his last eight games and they all came on Nov. 28 against the Oilers. We are also worried about Raymond after he started last season on a roll before disappearing in the second half. We are not sure he is going to take the same nosedive, but as long as Sedin is healthy, Raymond's production won't be as intriguing.
Daniel Girardi, D, N.Y. Rangers
Owned: 37 percent of leagues
Analysis: Girardi capitalized on the Rangers' hot start by posting three goals and seven points in his first 11 games. He has since managed only one goal and two points in 19 contests. He has no points in his last nine games and is minus-6 in that span. For those hoping Girardi will turn it around, keep dreaming. He has consistently shown in his career to be a fast starter before fizzling out in the second half. Also, he is primarily on the ice for his defensive skills. He plays a lot in short-handed situations and hardly gets on the power play with the emergence of rookie Michael Del Zotto. Girardi is on pace for 25 points, which is pretty much par for the course for him.
Avoid 'Em
Antti Miettinen, RW, Minnesota
Owned: 16 percent of leagues
Analysis: Miettinen has seen a recent rise in ownership thanks to scoring in six of his last eight games. He has seven goals and two assists in that span. He has really benefitted from Minnesota's recent surge under coach Todd Richards and playing on the top line with Mikko Koivu and Andrew Brunette. However, he currently resides in a position that was reserved for Martin Havlat when Minnesota signed the oft-injured forward this offseason. Havlat will likely take that spot once he settles into a rhythm. Also, Miettinen has never managed more than 44 points in a season and isn't known as a lights out scorer. He is having a nice run and might be plugged into the lineup as a stopgap option, but we wouldn't recommend making any drastic roster decisions to get Miettinen on your Fantasy roster.
Martin Erat, RW, Nashville
Owned: 26 percent of leagues
Analysis: Erat is another player that has seen his ownership rise in the last few weeks. He has totaled 43 Fantasy points since the start of Week 8 and is coming off a hat trick on Tuesday against the Canucks. He has five goals and eight points during a four-game point streak and eight goals and 13 points in his last nine appearances. Not bad production at all. However, we do have a few concerns. First, Erat had his hat trick playing on a line with Jason Arnott and Steve Sullivan. It will not be a permanent position since J.P. Dumont usually plays on the top line. Secondly, Erat has scored eight of his last nine goals on home ice. What can we expect when he hits the road? We don't doubt Erat's skills. He has been a real catch for Nashville since they selected him in the seventh round of the 1999 draft. He has 50-plus points the last three seasons and is a solid presence in Nashville. If you want to add Erat as a low-end flier in the deeper formats that is probably a good idea. But he has proven to be a streaky scorer in his career, so you are going to have to follow his trends closely. He is basically a tweener player. Start him while he is hot, but sit him while he is cold. He won't be a guy you can just leave in your lineup.
Watch 'Em
Dmitry Kulikov, D, Florida
Owned: 16 percent of leagues
Analysis: It's time to shine the light a bit on the young Russian blueliner. The 2009 first-round pick (14th overall) really blew away Florida management during the preseason and surprisingly nabbed the final spot on the blue line out of training camp. Florida felt it wouldn't hurt to take a look at Kulikov before deciding to keep him or send him back to junior hockey. Kulikov did enough to leave junior hockey behind and appears to be only getting better with each NHL game. He has two goals and three assists in his last eight games to give him 12 points in 31 contests. The interesting fact is that he has seen increased power-play time over the last few weeks. Kulikov showed last season in his only year of North American hockey to be a developing offensive player. He had 12 goals and 62 points in 57 games with Drummondville (QMJHL). There is no doubt Kulikov is a must-own long-term Fantasy keeper. Unfortunately, his value in seasonal formats remains a mystery because most rookie blueliners hit a wall and tend to have rollercoaster production in their first NHL season.
Prospect Watch
Nathan Gerbe, C, Buffalo
Drafted: Fifth round (142nd) in 2005
Primary 2009-10 team: Portland (AHL)
Owned: 5 percent of leagues
Analysis: The Sabres recalled Gerbe from Portland on Wednesday in hopes he could help spark a struggling offense. Unfortunately, we aren't sure what to make of the recall. Coach Lindy Ruff said after Gerbe's recall that he was disappointed that the tiny forward (5-6, 173 pounds) only had five goals in 23 games with Portland. Gerbe actually embraced the criticism and said he did need to be more aggressive shooting the puck if he wants to break into the NHL. He scored a goal Wednesday against Washington after his recall, so he temporarily provided the lift Ruff wanted. It does seem Gerbe might head back to Portland if he doesn't wow the Buffalo coaching staff in the coming days. But we have to find it encouraging that Gerbe is a coachable player. He developed into a solid scorer in his final two seasons at Boston College and had 30 goals in 57 games last season at Portland.
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