Cam Fowler (1 G, 2 A, 3 SOG, +2) has a career plus/minus rating of -56, ouch! In his rookie season he posted a monster 40 points, but with a terrible -25 rating. He followed with a typically bad sophomore campaign posting just 29 points and a -28 rating on a less than stellar Ducks squad. And then last year, the lockout shortened season, and his season line was flat out awful with just one goal, ten assists, and a -4 rating in 37 games. That’s a tough way for a kid to start his NHL career and it can make fantasy owners flee en masse. Still, amid all those ugly numbers there was hope in the form of 123 shots, exactly, that he poured on net in each of his first two years. He’s back at it again with 51 in 33 games played and he’s on pace for another 40 point year, this time with a +6 rating and counting in the right direction. Not only that, Fowler is a great source of power play points with 11 so far this season while averaging just over 3 minutes per game on the man-advantage. Comparisons to Scott Niedermayer still stick with him and they aren’t unwarranted. Now that he’s maturing and the Ducks offense is one of the best in the league, Fowler is the fantasy gold his rookie season teased he might become. He’s rightly owned in 100% in ESPN leagues but just 61% of Yahoo! Leagues. Yet another player with a massive disparity in ownership between the two fantasy worlds. Thing is, he should be owned everywhere, period. Here’s what else I saw in fantasy hockey yesterday:
Daniel Winnik (3 A, 2 SOG, +2) is the latest Duck to cash in on their offensive buffet this season. He’s owned nowhere, but this rookie is worth being on your radar; he has all the tools to be a successful power forward in the NHL and man, can this kid pass or what?
Corey Perry (2 G, 3 SOG, +1, 2 PIM) upstaged Winnik’s insane pass with a ridiculous goal from his knees. I don’t know that we’ll see a better goal this year. Perry’s hands are unbelievable.
Jonas Hiller (2 GA, 35 SV, W) has his numbers hovering right around his career averages of 2.57 GAA, .913 SV% which means while he’s healthy you should try and trade him, because I don’t see him putting up better numbers than this for the rest of the year. That doesn’t mean he’s not worth owning, or you should trade him just to trade him, but sell high where you can.
Justin Peters (1 GA, 24 SV, L) is getting more starts lately but I doubt he’s going to challenge Cam Ward for the starter’s job straight up. Anton Khudobin still isn’t active, and with Peters getting more time lately it doesn’t help clarify what will happen when he returns. Honestly, Peters’ play has been strong and they’re better off giving him the starts because Ward is made of glass and Peters is more talented than Khudobin. There, problem solved!
Eddie Lack (0 GA, 31 SV, W) feasted on the Canes beating them the last two times he’s faced them, which coincidentally were his last two starts. In 6 starts and 2 relief appearances this year he’s gone 4-2-0, 2.08 GAA, .925 SV%, nice. That being said? He lost three straight (LA, ANA, NYR) until he played the Canes, so that might have something to do with the recent success.
Michael Raffl (1 G, 1 A, 1 SOG, +2, 2 PIM) is only here because he’s part of a long list of no-name rookies that aren’t known for scoring who are scoring lately.
Luke Schenn (1 G, 1 A, 3 SOG, +1) flexed a bit of offensive muscle in a rare showing for the shutdown defensemen. His role will ultimately be to shut down the opposing team’s best players, so this won’t be happening often.
Bobby Ryan (2 A, 6 SOG, even) has to make sure that his goals and assists are always about even; I think he’s OCD about it, frankly. Let’s hope so anyway, he’s on pace for 37 goals, 37 assists, 74 points and the big step forward we’ve all been waiting for.
Clarke MacArthur (2 G, 2 SOG, +1) doesn’t seem like he’s going to stop scoring goals, so you might as well pick him up. I haven’t been a fan of MacArthur, but I’m warming.
Jason Spezza (2 A, 1 SOG, +1) has lots to do centering Bobby Ryan and Clarke MacArthur but still finds time to dish sweet passes out to all his buddies.
Kimmo Timonen (1 G, 1 A, 2 SOG, +1) should retire.
Wayne Simmonds (2 A, 1 SOG, +2) has points in consecutive games now, three to be exact! That whole 28 goal season a few years ago? Yeah, that’s what we in the statistics game like to call an outlier.
John Tavares (1 G, 1 A, 6 SOG) would score sooo many points on a better team. Look what he does with almost nothing on Long Island. He’s a beast and he deserves better. Shame on you, Garth Snow. Shame.
Chris Higgins (2 A, +2) now has five points in his last three yadda yadda fine, pick him up. Damnit, Higgins, don’t you crater now that I’ve caved and recommended you.
Curtis McElhinney (2 GA, 28 SV, L) lost his first game since taking over for the injury Sergei Bobrovsky. He had back-to-back shutouts before this game and he’s allowed three goals on just 16 shots so far against the Devils tonight. He’s 30 and somewhat talented, but he plays for Columbus and he’s a no. 3 fantasy goalie as a starter.
Saku Koivu (1 G, 5 SOG, +1, 2 PIM) his first goal in almost two months last night. He’s been around since I was a kid and even as a Duck he’s marginally ownable at best, so why do 2% of Yahoo! Leagues have an owner for him? Who are you people?
Pascal Dupuis (1 A, 6 SOG, +1) is owned in 91% of ESPN Leagues and 63% of Yahoo! Leagues and frankly I have no idea why. I know he was a big pre-season sleeper candidate, being on the Pens and all, but let’s come back down to earth on that one and drop him, eh?
Craig Anderson (4 GA, 25 SV, W) managed to win despite allowing four goals. Oi, Sens, oi.
Steve Mason (5 GA, 30 SV, L) has allowed a whopping ten goals in his last two starts and his GAA has spiked to 2.33. Is… is that the other shoe I hear dropping?
