The first month of the professional hockey season has provided us with the usual handful of surprises at the goaltender position. More importantly however, a larger than normal contingent of highly drafted prospects from the past couple of years have emerged � especially helping to turn around the fortunes of teams such as Tampa Bay as well as the four most recent expansion teams. Here is a quick look at the top ten point scorers so far this year for the CDM Fantasy Hockey Game�
1. Kevin Weekes (G/CAR/93.4/2520000) � After carrying the load for a portion of the Canes unlikely playoff run last season, his emergence is not a total surprise. But with some health problems occuring (seizure) during training camp it appeared that Weekes would do well just to be able to backup Veteran Arturs Irbe again this season. But Weekes got an early call, and has gone on to start 13 of 15 games compiling a 7-3-2 record along with a 1.78 GAA and a .940 save pct. Better yet, Irbe has come out to publicly demand a trade within the past week. Thus look for Archie to eventually be dealt and for Weekes to become the #1 netminder for good.
2. Jocelyn Thibault (G/CHI/90.6/4360000) � Came into this season as maligned as ever, and there was even talk of backup Steve Passmore getting more playing time. However, T-BO has been just as impressive as Weekes with an 8-4 record along with a 1.75 GAA/.931 save pct. A league-leading three shutouts has also helped to elevate T-BO to the #2 position. A recent spectacular game-saving stop on Tampa Bay�s Vincent LeCavalier is just one of the highlights so far. With Weekes and Thibault playing comparably, Weekes would be the current choice for CDM due to the cheaper salary.
3. Mario Lemieux (C/PIT/88.6/3860000) � Has exceeded even his top-end projections for this year leading the league with 22 assists and 30 points in just 14 games. That puts Mario on pace for an incredible 170 point season. Obviously #66 will still be rested occasionally, so will finish somewhere between 120-150 points. But when healthy, you can not go wrong even in weeks where Pittsburgh plays only two games.
4. Marty Turco (G/DAL/80/2050000) � Most saavy CDM players had Marty pegged from opening night due to his new starting status for a quality team and cheap salary. And Turco has proved to be just as strong a sleeper as advertised with a 6-4-2 record, 1.78 GAA and .932 save pct.
5. Martin St. Louis (W/TB/79/1110000) � A fringe player prior to this season, St. Louis was far from a fantasy consideration. However, Martin hit the lottery landing on what is suddenly one of the league�s hottest lines along with Vinny LeCavavalier, and has exploded with 22 points in just 15 games. At his rock-bottom salary an obvious must at this point.
6. Joe Sakic (C/COL/78.1/5020000) � The Avalanche are not off to a strong start with a 4-7-3 record, and have not even won once at home (0-5-3). However, Joe seems to be back to his MVP form of two years ago with 10 goals and 19 points in 15 games, and has even managed a +8 even with Colorado�s bad start. If Sakic�s teammates start clicking, look out!!!!!
7. Nikolai Khabibulin (G/TB/76.2/340000) � Great value, especially with Tampa�s turnaround. Has started every one of the Lightning�s 14 contests, compiling an 8-4-2 record along with a 2.40 GAA and a shutout.
8. Marian Gaborik (W/MN/75.6/3040000) � The first of the expansion studs (although TB players could be thrown into the same category. Marian already has a hat trick, along with a six-point night to his credit � part of a league-leading 11 goals and 20 points in 16 games. His legions in CDM grow by the minute.
9. Marc Denis (G/CBJ/75/1820000) � One-time Patrick Roy prot�g� has started all 14 BlueJacket contests, leading the team to a 7-6-1 start. I am not as sold on Columbus as with Tampa Bay or Minnesota � and you can also look for the backup to start being utilized in the weeks to come. On the plus side, Denis has been getting plenty of offensive support (45 in 14 games) and you can�t beat the salary or PT.
10. Alexei Kovalev (W/PIT/72.9/4530000) � Just to prove that plus/minus is not nearly as important under the new CDM point system, Kovalev cracks the top ten despite compiling a -7. The new system greatly rewards goal scorers, and Kovalev has capitalized on his role as a Lemieux linemate to the tune of ten goals and 20 points in 14 games. A great scorer without any help, Kovalev is a prime candidate to win the goal scoring title should Mario remain healthy all season.
Just missing the cut, but very worthy of the top ten is�
Vincent LeCavalier (C/TB/72.75/2690000) � Only missing two games early on has kept Vinny from cracking not only the top ten, but possibly top five. Vinny has 9 goals and 18 points in just 13 contests. Even more impressive, LeCavalier checks in already with a +9, after seasons of -19, -25, -26, and -18. The long-awaited breakout season is here � and Vinny must be had at once.
That puts three Lightning, a Wild, and even a BlueJacket among the top eleven � along with throwing in a Blackhawk and a Hurricane. Notice no Red Wings and just one Avalanche crack the list. Just a little over a month into the season, it is crystal clear the landscape is headed for a massive adjustment.
Other players worth noting early on�
Nicklas Lidstrom (D/DET/4310000) � The best defenseman in the game came into this weekend ranked among the top-ten CDM�s skaters. Nick has seven goals and 14 points in 14 games, along with a +8. Lidstrom now even separates himself from the likes of Rob Blake as far as scoring rearguards are concerned.
Dan Boyle (D/TB/1000000) � Need even more Tampa players??? This D-man has 11 points and a +8 in 15 games, and you can't beat the price.
Ben Clymer (D/TB/100000) � This year�s Mathieu Dandenault prospect, as was made a speculative selection by many CDM players due to his conversion to right wing. Clymer does have three goals, but only four points overall. Unless Clymer suddenly winds up on the LeCavalier line (unlikely) grab Boyle instead.
Byron DaFoe (Free Agent Goalie) � Reports over the weekend have the Atlanta Thrashers being the surprise winner of the DaFoe sweepstakes. If true, that is a huge coup for the organization, as no NHL team could use a quality netminder more at this point. Hopefully, this will be the first steps in making the A-T-L respectable, much as Khabibulin was an important link in the development of TB. I would not recommend Lord Byron for CDM, but his presence would help the likes of�
FEELIN' LIKE GARY CHEEVERS - FOR NOW...
Dany Heatley (W/ATL/1880000) � His offensive development has continued with five goals and 14 points in 13 games, but currently at the cost of a -7.
Ilya Kovalchuk (W/ATL/1790000) � An even bigger minus machine, with a horrible -15 in just twelve games!!! Ilya�s defensive deficiencies have even resulted in a couple of early healthy scratches. But as was the case with LeCavalier, that has the potential to correct itself overnight, if not later this year then in 2003-�04.
Steve Shields (G/BOS/2300000) � Has thus far successfully filled the void of Byron Dafoe with a 5-1-2 record and 2.30 GAA. However, the threat of the Bruins making a move to acquire Arturs Irbe or other comparable veteran starting netminder will probably not go away.
Aleksey Morozov (W/PIT/1860000) � Many have used their first CDM purchases this year on the current third member of the Lemieux line. A 21.9 shooting percentage pops off the stat page, along with seven goals and 17 points. At the breakout age of 25, you cannot go wrong with Morozov especially as long as he remains on the top line.
Martin Straka (W/PIT/2560000) � Returned from over a year�s layoff last week, missing most of last season with a broken leg then nearly seeing his career end with a disastrous off-season weightlifting accident. Straka has four points in his first three games, but has only taken one shot � which he scored on. Not currently on the top line, but has seen time on the power play with Lemieux.
Justin Williams (W/PHI/2370000) � Like fellow youngster Simon Gagne, this 21-year old�s development continues with 12 points in his first 14 games. Meanwhile, the fears of the Flyers offense being handcuffed by the coaching tendencies of Ken Hitchcock have gone unfounded, with the team scoring 45 goals thus far.
Eric Lindros (C/NYR/4130000) � Only health seemed to be the only possible roadblock to a huge season playing alongside Pavel Bure this year. But Bure and Lindros are proving to be the biggest disappointment this side of Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss. In particular, Lindros has only three points in his last twelve games. It looks like another typical under whelming for the Blueshirts while Flyers GM Bobby Clarke must be giggling behind closed doors (or maybe even in front of them).
Fred Brathwaite (G/STL/2510000) � After finally getting healthy, got a stretch of games between the pipes, and responded with a 6-1 record and a shutout for the white-hot Blues. But as usual, Freddie does not appear to be a long-term prospect. The spate of injuries with STL�s goaltending corps forced the team to sign veteran Tom Barasso, who will be worked in at some point. Also, #1 netminder Brent Johnson is due back from a high-ankle sprain in the next couple of weeks. At that point, not only will Freddie be back on the bench, but possibly in the press box and on the trading block.
Manny Fernandez (G/MN/2290000) � Wild goaltender has a 6-3 record along with a 2.02/.933, but continues to rotate with Dwayne Roloson, if the workload just increased to two out of every three games Manny would be one the best goaltender values.
Now for some injury notes pertinent to fantasy hockey�
The tradition of popular players being injured (or the disclosure of their injuries) coming to light on Friday, after CDM�s weekly deadline, has continued this season. Zigmund Palffy missed three games with a pulled groin recently, but returned for a Wednesday game even scoring a point and appeared to be fine. But Ziggy had a �setback� that Friday � and would go on to miss three of LA�s four games for the following week. Also, St. Louis� Keith Tkachuk was struck in the foot during the third period of a recent Wednesday game. Tkachuk had to leave the arena immediately after that game for his wife had just gone into labor. That delayed a subsequent MRI until the next day, where a fracture was found and not reported until Friday. That cost many owners who had T-Chuk written in for the Blues� four-game week. The other recent major injury in fantasy hocky was a torn MCL/sprained ACL suffered by LA�s Jason Allison, which will keep him out two to three months and will also damage the value of Zigmund Palffy.
I close by listing the top starting plays of the top 250 CDM Hockey contestants for games beginning the week of November 8�
GOALIES � Turco 241, Cloutier 138, Khabibulin 137, Nabokov 99, Cechmanek 59, Lalime 56, Giguere 56, Fernandez 38, Roy 33, Shields 27
CENTERS � Lemieux 216, Forsberg 211, Thornton 111, Sakic 84, Modano 83, Comrie 60, Lindros 46, Sundin 23, Briere 22, Morrison 20
WINGERS � Bertuzzi 176, St. Louis 117, Gaborik 109, Morozov 103, Kovalev 101, Guerin 96, Bure 94, Kariya 93, Naslund 69, Iginla 69, Jagr 51, Kovalchuk 48, Hejduk 34, Palffy 33, Drury 25
DEFENSE � Boynton 139, Boyle 120, Clymer 77, Delmore 76, Morris 74, Berard 68, Poti 65, Brewer 58, Johnsson 51, Chara 50, Boucher 49, Jillson 46, Rathje 43, Jovanovski 38, Zubov 37