Saturday Wrap Up

Scott Hartnell - After his last game, I said "If he has one more decent game to follow it up he'll definitely be worth a pick up, if available." Well he followed it up with a goal yesterday. When Hartnell is hot everything he touches seems to find the back of a net. Grab him if you can.

Matt Carle - Returned to the Flyers lineup with a bang, getting the primary assist on two very nice goals. It's been a while since Carle was relevant in fantasy hockey leagues, but he is on his way to getting there again. He's played well in Philly, was seeing powerplay time before his injury, and if he stays healthy he could become a viable option for a fourth defenseman.

Erik Ersberg - I was going to say he's playing better after struggling for a stretch, but looking at the numbers he really has only had one flat out bad game this season, letting in 4 goals VS the Flames last month. Otherwise he's been very consistent all season long and has two straight impressive wins. Why he's only owned in 17% of Yahoo leagues remains a mystery to me.

Patrick O'Sullivan - Assists in 4 straight games, and coming off a strong end to November before going cold for a few games. Patty O shoots a lot and is both C and LW eligible if you're in a league where that would help. He isn't going to turn your season around, but he's available in over half of Yahoo leagues and is good for 50+ points and 200+ SOG.

Simeon Varlamov - Not the Caps' web master that was their back up goaltender for 10 minutes the other night, but the prospect who got there late to replace him. He started his first NHL game last night and looked impressive doing so, stopping 32 of 33 shots. Both Johnson and Theodore have nagging injuries right now so Varlamov might see a handful of starts before being sent back to the minors. In other words, probably not relevant for much playing time this season, but if he's the goalie of the Caps' future, keeper GMs should be aware of him.

RJ Umberger - I like Gumby Umby as much as the next guy, and you know how much the next guy likes RJ. But I don't think he's going to be breaking 50 points again this season.

Michael Ryder - If he's available, it's now or never. The Ryder train is leaving the station, and the next stop is 30 goals. Keep in mind he STILL isn't playing next to Marc Savard. Not that there's any reason for him to with how will he's playing next to Krejci, but still. Keep it in mind.

David Krejci - Yesterday I asked about Brian Gionta "How many other players at a point per game pace are available in almost 40% of Yahoo leagues?" Well Krejci just about falls in that catagory, as he's available in over 50% of leagues and is one point away from a PPG.

Blake Wheeler - Let's take a look at the whole line while we're at it. Blake Wheeler, Calder Trophy winner? It's certainly a possibility. He's 5th in rookie scoring and he's playing better and better as the season goes on.

Martin Gerber - Shuts out the Tampa Bay Lightning. Yawn.

Dan Ellis - Shuts out the Dallas Stars. Whoooo.

Dwayne Roloson - Shuts out the Vancou-alright are you guys seeing a pattern here?

Joel Ward - 2 goals last night. Something tells me he's not related to Cam.

Ed Jovanovski - 1 G, 10 A, -1, 15 PIM, 5 PPP, 22 SOG in his last 10 games. I think his early season slump is just about over.

Shane O'Brien - 17 PIM last night puts him in the league lead with 105 for the season. I've endorsed O'Brien for PIM a few times this season. If you're in a league where the stat counts, it's unlikely that your 4th defenseman is contributing as much as O'Brien will towards your team winning.

BJ Crombeen - 6 goals in his last 5 games. BJ is a grinder, 3rd line type player that would be lucky to hit 20 goals this season. But he's also a RW and isn't afraid to drop the gloves, with 52 PIM this season. In very deep leagues he could be a nice addition compared to what's probably out there on FA at RW.