Two full weeks are in the books and there are players still out there who can help your team if you pick them up. We’ll give our usual lineup of three forwards, two defensemen and a goaltender to pick up and we’ll start with Matt Frattin.
Forwards
It still defies explanation that Frattin has four goals and two assists in five games and is still available in 96 percent of ESPN leagues. Joffrey Lupul will be out a few more weeks with his broken arm and Frattin has performed nicely filling in for him. Frattin has been seen on a third line with Nazem Kadri and Leo Komarov but hasn’t gotten any time on the power play lately which is his lone knock.
Kyle Palmieri of Anaheim (99% available) is also a player to add if you need help on the front end. Palmieri scored twice in the Ducks’ win over Minnesota, tallied again versus the Kings and he is going to be in a position to score more. He’s on a line with Teemu Selanne and Bobby Ryan so he looks to be in line for right place, right time points. That line combined for six points in a period against the Wild.
Ryan Malone of Tampa (86% available) is in the same boat as Palmieri. When you’re on a line with Cory Conacher and Vincent Lecavalier, the points are bound to come your way. It also helps when you play for the team that’s putting up Nintendo Numbers on the rest of the NHL with 39 goals in eight games. Malone is also getting power play time as well. So go get him and then come back for the defensemen.
Defensemen
Jay Bouwmeester of Calgary (80.3% available) has started to pick it up offensively with two goals and an assist in his last three games. Calgary has flown under a lot of people’s radar to start the season since they have played just six games. (Other teams, like Phoenix, play their 10th tonight.) He’s on that top power-play line and should get his chances to do some damage. The big question surrounding him, and all the Flames, is how well will they play on the road? Of their first six games, only one has been away from the comforts of the Saddledome.
Wade Redden of the Blues (95% available) has two goals in four games since being signed by St. Louis. He’s been getting a healthy 16 minutes of ice time per game and has been on a pairing with Alex Pieterangelo on the top line. He’s not getting much time on the power play since St. Louis is rolling with four forwards on the man advantage but is showing he can still produce a little bit. Also in his favor, the Blues have four home games this week (NSH, DET, ANH, LA).
Goaltender
Jhonas Enroth of Buffalo (99% available) is in line to get at least one start this week with the Sabres playing four games. I wouldn’t be shocked if he got two starts since Ryan Miller has been giving up four goals a game in each of his last four outings. Miller was supposed to be one of the better goaltenders in the league this season but Buffalo has allowed a league-worst 33 goals in nine games. Miller’s stats look bleak with a 3.11 GAA and a save percentage of .906.
With Buffalo being mired in a 1-5-1 slump, Enroth might be able to snag some starts if he shines and Miller continues to falter. Buffalo takes on Ottawa, Montreal, the Islanders and Boston this week. The Sabres sit in the cellar of the Northeast Division three games behind Boston. They need to shake things up defensively and starting Enroth could be the move Buffalo needs to make to try and avoid falling any farther into the basement of the division.
