There are some hockey players that never seem to leave the spotlight. Take Islanders rookie John Tavares.
Here is a player that popped up on scouting reports as a burgeoning junior hockey player. The hype followed him all the way until he was taken first overall in the 2009 draft by the Islanders. And the press bombardment hasn't stopped since he took his first skate as a pro.
Even linemate Matt Moulson was in the spotlight some until his breakout campaign this season, and he was even a ninth-round draft pick in 2003.
Then, there are players like Dan Sexton, who only recently stepped into the limelight after fighting for respect as a hockey player.
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| Rookie Dan Sexton has four goals in his first six NHL games. (Getty Images) |
"This time last year I had never talked to an NHL team," Sexton told NHL.com. "I was really in the dark about everything, which was probably good for me because I didn't worry about anything."
Sexton, an undrafted free agent, envisioned he probably would have to spend four years in college before even getting a sniff from the NHL. But when he broke out with 17 goals and 39 points in 38 games for the Falcons in 2008-09, the Ducks responded quickly. Sexton was signed to an entry-level deal on April 7 and shipped to Bakersfield of the ECHL.
As promising a prospect Sexton was, there were still some issues -- particularly his build. At 5-10, 170 pounds, the scouts had their concerns about how Sexton would hold up in the pros. He pretty much looks and has the frame of a teenager, and he was about to clash with defenders who feast on smaller opponents.
Most players who start out in the ECHL have a long, arduous road to the NHL. However, it was a challenge Sexton eventually welcomed, especially watching ECHL alum Alexandre Burrows carry his way from what is essentially Double-A hockey to the top line in the NHL.
"It's been a good little ladder process up to the NHL," Sexton said. "It was pretty necessary. Even though I didn't want to be in the ECHL, at the time it was a blessing in disguise to be there and get my confidence up before I got thrown into the AHL. Who knows what would have happened? I might not be here if I didn't take those steps."
Sexton came to the NHL in early December after the Ducks found out Teemu Selanne would miss at least a month with a broken hand. Anaheim could have looked elsewhere for help, but they gave Sexton the nod after he totaled 26 points (13 goals) in 18 games with Bakersfield and then three points (one goal) in five games after a promotion to Mantioba of the AHL.
Sexton didn't get much of an adjustment period as Anaheim would soon lose another forward in Joffrey Lupul, but it clearly hasn't been an issue. He had his first multi-goal game on Dec. 8 against the Stars and has seven points in his first six NHL games.
"All he's doing is doing what he does best," coach Randy Carlyle told NHL.com. "He's a player who reads situations and hasn't been intimidated by the NHL, first coming from the ECHL and then the AHL and getting the opportunity to play with Saku Koivu and Bobby Ryan. He's a young player and he's learning as we go forward. But he's throwing the puck on net and it's finding a way to get through goalies. If it's not broken, don't try and fix it. Do what you do best, kid."
It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks for Sexton, who has thrust himself into the mix for Rookie of the Year (Calder) only a few games into his NHL career.
He agrees he is fortunate for the opportunity to be a top-six forward this early in his career and learning from wily veterans like Koivu. Sexton said he would "have never seen it coming a year ago," and knows if he wants to stick around, then the learning process must continue.
"I don't take any day for granted," Sexton said. "Every day I'm here, I really appreciate it. I really try to make the most of it. Every day I wake up, I'm just so thrilled to be here that I just want to go work my butt off every day."
Add 'Em
Jason Blake, LW, Toronto
Owned: 59 percent of leagues
Analysis: Blake's ownership to begin the season peaked at 87 percent. How could owners not be excited after Blake had 53 points in his final 59 games in 2008-09? Blake was fully recovered after a bout of leukemia and finally settled into coach Ron Wilson's system. Our only concern coming into this season was how Blake would respond without Dominic Moore, who he had most of his success playing alongside in '08-09. Unfortunately, we learned the hard way that Blake needed an adjustment period. Well, it now appears Blake could have another second-half run like he did in '08-09. He is settled in playing alongside Matt Stajan and Phil Kessel. Blake is having his finest month to date with four goals, seven points and a plus-3 rating in nine December games. He is converting shots at 11.4 percent in December after being below three percent in the first two months. The Maple Leafs have a top-line combo that works and it is paying huge dividends for Blake.
Drop 'Em
Ryan O'Reilly, C, Colorado
Owned: 36 percent of leagues
Analysis: The dreaded "rookie wall" has finally struck the 2009 second-round pick O'Reilly. He has not scored in 19 games and has only tallied three assists in that span. O'Reilly definitely took the hockey world by storm after making the cut out of Avalanche training camp and posting 11 points and a plus-10 rating in his first month in the NHL. In today's age, we are starting to see more first-round picks make the jump from junior hockey to the NHL immediately after they are drafted, but it is usually unheard of for a second or lower-round pick to make the jump. O'Reilly really benefited from the Avalanche's early-season surge and not being on the opposing team's scouting report. But once the league started to take notice, they have figured out ways to minimize the 18-year-old's impact. It also doesn't help O'Reilly's cause for Fantasy purposes that he has pretty much been removed from the power play. If you need the roster spot in seasonal formats, then consider dumping O'Reilly because we are likely to see erratic performances the rest of the way as a rookie skater.
Patrick O' Sullivan, C, Edmonton
Owned: 33 percent of leagues
Analysis: It seems like we are picking on players with Irish heritage, but it's really just an opportune time to bring to light some troubles O'Reilly and O'Sullivan are having. It's purely coincidental. O'Sullivan has been a player that has bounced in-and-out of coach Pat Quinn's doghouse this season. He started the season with two goals and seven points in his first eight games. But he is clearly back in the doghouse after being benched in the third period on Tuesday against the Kings. O'Sullivan has scored only twice in his last 11 games and both goals came in one contest on Dec. 3. Even then Quinn seemed skeptical because he said O'Sullivan needed to play more consistently outside of one breakout performance. It seems his head coach was gazing into a crystal ball. O'Sullivan has been mired in a career slump since missing preseason camp last season due to a contract holdout with the Kings. Even when he arrived in Edmonton last season via a deadline deal trade, his offense was spotty. He has a real golden chance to step up with Ales Hemsky (shoulder) gone for the season, but we aren't sure a breakout run is coming.
Avoid 'Em
Colby Armstrong, RW, Atlanta
Owned: 9 percent of leagues
Analysis: Armstrong had one of the best scoring streaks of his career when he tallied a goal in four straight games before the Panthers ended his run on Wednesday. However, we need to remind you that Armstrong had all of three goals in his first 26 games. He is coming off a season in which he tallied a career-high 22 goals and isn't over the hill at 27 years old. Still, he is a checking-line forward that is an opportune scorer. He has no power-play goals this season and has only played on the man advantage in two games. In fact, he has yet to take more than three shots in any game in 2009-10. Armstrong does his job well from the Thrashers' third line, but he is definitely one of those players more important to his real team than Fantasy owners.
Brad Richardson, C, Los Angeles
Owned: 1 percent of leagues
Analysis: Richardson has returned from the NHL graveyard to resurrect his career. He arrived in Los Angeles last season and missed a good chunk of the 2008-09 campaign due to injury. When he was healthy, he spent a lot of time in the press box because coach Terry Murray lacked confidence in him. It seemed to be the right motivational tool since Richardson has been a regular in 2009-10. In fact, he has worked his way up from the fourth line due to a rash of injuries and even dressed on Tuesday against the Oilers as a second-line forward. The added playing time has given Richardson an opportunity to contribute four goals and seven points in nine December games. While Richardson is back in the good graces of his coach, this hot stretch likely won't last. Los Angeles is going to get healthy at some point and Richardson still isn't logging any power-play time. There is only so much offense to go around during even-strength hockey.
Watch 'Em
Andrei Kostitsyn, LW, Montreal
Owned: 42 percent of leagues
Analysis: We are sure at some point this season we have already written about Kostitsyn and the disappointment he brought to Fantasy owners. We doubt he reads our columns, but it seems he is tired of hearing the boo birds from the Montreal faithful. Kostitsyn has points in nine of his last 11 games. He has seven goals (including two multi-goal games and three power-play scores) and seven assists in that span. It has been his best stretch of games since his breakout season in 2007-08. He is doing a ton of damage alongside Tomas Plekanec and Mike Cammalleri. Kostitsyn finally seems in an ideal situation, but we still have some reservations. He played with Plekanec and Cammalleri earlier this season and wasn't this productive. Also, he has never managed more than 53 points in a season and is only on pace for 19 goals and 45 points. It seems this hot streak could just be an aberration and not the real deal.
Ryan Jones, RW, Nashville
Owned: 1 percent of leagues
Analysis: Jones has scored in each of his last three games after going without a goal in his first 12 contests. It is clearly the best run of his young NHL career (61 games) and a reason why he pops up on our radar. The former Miami (Ohio) product was a key part of the Marek Zidlicky trade in the summer of 2008 as Nashville was in search of a scoring presence on the right side to replace Alexander Radulov, who unexpectedly fled for the KHL (Russia). Nashville figured with all of his college experience, Jones would fit right in and be an instant success. It didn't pan out that way. Jones spent a great deal of time bouncing between the AHL and NHL last season. He didn't really start to come into his own until late in the season. That gave Nashville hope for this season. Still, Jones has split time between the two levels, but he finally is making a case to stay on a permanent basis. Jones had so much success in college because he stationed himself in front of the net and cleaned up the garbage. He is doing that again and it is showing up in the stat column. Nashville is taking notice and putting Jones on the power play. Now, he just needs to keep the momentum and work his way onto the scoring lines.
Prospect Watch
Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, LW, Edmonton
Drafted: First round (10th overall) in 2009
Primary 2009-10 team: Timra IK of the Swedish Elite League
Owned: 8 percent of leagues
Analysis: His name is so long that it won't fit into our database and Paajarvi-Svensson is not short on talent either. His greatest asset is his speed. It allows him to get by defenders and score some spectacular goals. The biggest knock on Paajarvi-Svensson has always been his unwillingness to play defense and fight for the puck, but he is working hard in those areas and is improving as a two-way player. The quicker he develops in that area, the quicker he makes it to the NHL. Paajarvi-Svensson, who is 6-1, 200 pounds, has nine goals and 20 points with Timra IK this season. He has been playing in the SEL since 2007-08 and that is definitely going to help him when he joins the NHL ranks. This Swedish scorer is definitely someone to own in long-term keeper formats.
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