Ok, ok. A little explanation. Every Thursday, we'll check out position players (forwards, defenseman, goalie) that were taken late in drafts and are performing very well within the past week. We'll also look at players who are owned in virtually all leagues yet they are getting cold within the past week. As far as the title goes, that's the best I could come up with tonight and it may or may not change into something involving streaks. Anyhoo...
Drop it like it's HOT
Joffrey Lupul, Maple Leafs - He's is meshing very well in the top line with Phil Kessel (UPDATE: he just did a natural hat trick or three straight goals in a row). Sometimes chemistry has a weird way of working out for some teams. In this case, it's benefiting a team that really needed something, anything, to produce well. He's well worth the pickup if he's somehow available.
Erik Karlsson, Senators - He's benefiting heavily on the success of Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek. There's no question that he's had the capability to do well offensively and he's peppering opposing goalies with 40 shots on goal, it's just that his actual role as a defenseman is still wanting. Keep riding him but be mindful of his +/- since it will tend to drag that stat down if you're not too careful.
Nikolai Khabibulin, Oilers - Probably saw this coming a mile away, right? Right. So, my impression? He's hot. Red hot. So hot that it's...unbelievable. He's practically carried this team on his back and has posted extremely impressive percentages. Considering he's played so well, could this be sustained? Not really, but the more he performs like he has been so far lately, the more he's putting my doubts to rest. He's worth a pickup if he's still available and riding while he's playing like this but don't put your expectations this high for the Bulin Wall.
It's cold. Dang cold. (I paraphrased it)
Zach Parise, Devils - Just found out today that the center experiment for Parise is officially over so perhaps this is a sign to turn things around. I certainly hope so because he hasn't done much for my FHS Alpha League. Yeesh. (UPDATE: Didn't do much good since he got a big, fat goose egg tonight vs. the Maple Leafs in points with a -2 and 2 shots on goal. Yeesh.)
Lubomir Visnovsky, Ducks - I'm sure you drafted Visnovsky to do an output of 4 points and a -6 and 2 power play points, right? Eh, not really. Then again, most of the team is struggling (exception being Teemu Selanne). He's still shooting well so it's not for a lack of trying. Once the team gets humming again, so should Visnovsky.
Ilya Bryzgalov, Flyers - Tomas Vokoun and Henrik Lundqvist were close in this spot but Bryz's struggles are beyond the past several days. At one point, he proclaimed that he had "zero confidence". Fact is that he's still a very talented goalie and has a very strong defense in front of him so these struggles are bound to disappear once he gets into a groove and regains his confidence back. Probably a good time to "buy low" but I'd doubt that if someone invested in Bryz so much that they'd let him go to a different team in your without a fight. Doesn't hurt to try, though.
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