F Scottie Upshall, Philadelphia Flyers
After being buried on Nashville’s depth chart, Upshall was traded to Philly last season and finally got a chance to prove he was worthy of the sixth overall pick back in 2002. Upshall didn’t disappoint Philadelphia fans, as he scored 13 points in his first 18 games with the club. With Upshall being a popular sleeper pick this season, it was quite a blow to hear that the forward would be sidelined with a broken wrist for the first month. Since his return, Upshall has fit in perfectly in Philadelphia, scoring four goals and six points in nine games.
Fantasy Take: Upshall could be in for a great second half of the season as it looks like Philly is a perfect fit for him. Expect him to crush his previous career high of 24 points set back in 2005.
F Jeremy Roenick, San Jose Sharks
After producing only 28 points last season, it was widely agreed that Roenick was no longer a reliable fantasy option. Surprisingly, Roenick has turned back the clock in San Jose. Starting off the season slowly, Roenick has come alive this month scoring a point in all but one of San Jose’s nine games. With 13 points on the year, Roenick has picked up the slack where other Sharks have been struggling, as he is currently in second place on San Jose in team scoring. Throw in five game winning goals and the Sharks have got to be happy with their off-season acquisition.
Fantasy Take: If your looking for a low end fantasy option, or an injury replacement, Roenick is your guy. But don’t expect more than 35-40 points from the former Coyote.
G Ilya Bryzgalov, Phoenix Coyotes
Bryzgalov was a decent fantasy option in Anaheim, as he was the starter during the first few weeks while Giguere was sidelined. But since Giguere’s return, the Ducks had no use for Bryzgalov anymore and put him on waivers. Looking for a proven goaltender, Phoenix snatched up Bryzgalov and immediately started him for their next game. Stopping all 28 shots to earn his first shutout of the season, Bryzgalov is on his way to becoming the #1 man in Phoenix. With backups Tellqvist and Auld not getting the job done, expect to see a lot of Bryzgalov for the rest of the season
Fantasy Take: Although Phoenix is a difficult place to play, expect Bryzgalov to put up numbers worthy of a starting spot in most leagues.
F Dainius Zubrus, New Jersey Devils
Zubrus was on his way to having an outstanding season last year, but was eventually traded to Buffalo, where his production suffered a significant drop off. Scoring only eight points in 19 games with the Sabres, Zubrus never panned out in Buffalo and soon found himself on a New Jersey team which lacked offensive weapons. While many fantasy experts were unsure if Zubrus could be a reliable fantasy option without Ovechkin, the former Capital has shown that he can still produce, just not at an elite level. With 12 points in 20 games, Zubrus has been a decent low end fantasy option and nothing more.
Fantasy Take: Zubrus has been very inconsistent this year and should only be starting in deeper leagues. Unless he is traded back to Washington, look for other options.
For Illegal Curve, I’m Jonny Remis
