Every Sunday, this is a segment where I'll review what's happened in the past week and point out who's hot, who's not, who's injured and some suggestions on what to do for each player.
Mikael Samuelsson - Canucks
Right out of the gate from the All-Star break, Samuelsson's done quite well. In the past three games, he's amassed 6 points (2 G, 4 A) and 2 PP Goals. Most of the success has been from his skating time with the top two lines in Vancouver. Anytime you get plugged with the likes of the Sedin twins, you're bound to get better but it sounds like this might stick. He's likely available in your FA pool since he only produced 1 goal and 2 assists in the month before the ASB. Go get him and plug him in your lineup.
More after the jump...
Phil Kessel - Maple Leafs
Kessel has been shooting like a mad man averaging over 4 shots a game but his production in the rest of the board has been horrid. He's had no points at all in the past 10 games and in fact, he's had only 5 goals and 4 assists and a -8 in the past month. For a guy you probably drafted in the mid-rounds, this is a terrible slump to be in. However, there is no injury to speak of and as I said, he's shooting like crazy so he's bound to break out of his slump soon. I say he's a good buy low candidate if the owner is nervous enough about this prolonged slump.
Ilya Kovalchuk - Devils
The Devils as a whole are starting to heat up but the one of the two guys their success has hinged on is still lagging a bit (the other being Brodeur). After the ASB, Kovalchuk has (as of writing this) amassed 2 goals and 2 assists in the past 4 games. Much like Kessel, Kovalchuk has been making some shots but he's just too talented to be in this slump for much longer. The time to buy the lowest on Kovalchuk during the ASB has passed but there's still some room to have a shot at trading for him, even if you have to pay a little extra relative to his current value since goals are so hard to come by for any team.
Evgeni Malkin - Penguins
At the risk of rehashing news from yesterday, Malkin is out for the rest of the year and perhaps some of 2011-12 by injuring both his MCL and ACL on his right knee Friday night. This is a tough decision to make for those who own Malkin in keeper formats whether he's worth keeping or not. In any way you look at it, it's a huge blow for a guy who was drafted in the 1st round. However, whether you own Malkin or not, Jordan Staal is a good pickup right about now since he's the only true Center the Pens have that's not injured. Crosby will return sometime soon but for the time being, it's Staal's time to shine now that the C1/C2 reins have been handed to him.
Mike Green - Capitals
Well I WAS going to talk about how Green's done a good job getting 2 assists in three games and shooting quite well but as of writing this, it seems he took a slapshot to the side of his face and it knocked him pretty good. Initially, it sounds like he'll be out for 2-3 games and is on a Day To Day basis but keep a close eye on the news to see if he may be out longer after he's examined. It can't seem to get any worse for the 1st rounder when things seemed like they were looking up for the D-man after the ASB.
Jonas Hiller - Ducks
I hate to toot my own horn here but it seems that the workload the Ducks have given Hiller has finally caught up to him. After letting in 3 goals in the 1st period on Thursday's game, they let him take a couple of games off to get rid of his fatigue and lightheadedness. Curtis McElhinney has been filling in and has done a great job so at least the Ducks looks solid behind the net. Those who own Hiller can try McElhinney for now if you've got the space. As I pointed out in a previous post, it's time to sell high on him but now that he's sidelined, that sell high window's shut for the time being. Hang tight for now and hope for the best, Hiller owners.
Kevin Poulin - Islanders
As I said in a previous post, avoid the Islanders' goalie situation until things settle down. However, keep your eye on Poulin who started against the Sens and did a great job against them. The backup, Mikko Koskinen, was called up and apparently doesn't have much experience so it would seem that Poulin is the #1 for now. Not saying go grab him now but see what Poulin does in the next two to three games to gauge whether he's worth the pickup as a spare goalie if desperation calls for it.