Nikita Filatov: Russian Off to KHL

Coach Hitchcock strikes again.

Columbus Blue Jackets' winger Nikita Filatov has been loaned to CSKA of the KHL. The 19 year-old scored just 2 goals in 13 games this year for the Jackets, averaging a mere 8:07 minutes of ice-time a game. Columbus did the same thing to the young Russian last year, as he saw limited action in just 8 NHL games while spending most of the year in the AHL - though he did net his first NHL hat trick.

Notorious for bringing along young talent at a snail's pace, Coach Ken Hitchcock refused to give Filatov big minutes to show what he can do - evidenced by his season-high of 14:06 in a 9-1 loss to the Red Wings. Filatov was often lining up on the 4th line and receiving minimal powerplay time. Hitchcock does not like to expose his young talent to big minutes until he feels they are responsible in all three zones. Second year winger Jakub Voracek seems to be miles ahead of Nikita in this field as he is playing in all situations. Hitchcock did the same thing to another teenage star in Gilbert Brule which stunted his offensive development before trading him to Edmonton in the off-season.

Fantasy Impact:

If you own Filatov in a keeper league, this is actually good news. He will go to Russia and get the ice-time he needs to develop his elite offensive skills. Remember, coming out of the 2008 Draft, Filatov was thought to have as much offensive upside, if not more, as #1 pick Steven Stamkos. Filatov will also likely play for Russia at the upcoming WJHC in Saskatoon and should be one of the more dominant players. Lets face it, his game was not developing while getting limited ice-time under Ken Hitchcock. The Jackets realized it and so should you. Hold onto this kid, he could regain his confidence and end up beign the rookie of the year next season.

Chris

Just Fantasy Hockey - Week 2 Rookie Watch

Rookies play an integral part in any pool as well as the NHL. Some players are no brianers to produce in their first year of play, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, but some take a while to get their feet wet and make an impact.

Each season fantasy owners take a stab at drafting a rookie that could help their team immediately or in the near future. Every Tuesday at Just Fantasy Hockey we will have our weekly Rookie Watch segment where we will breakdown the top rookies around the league and how they could impact your team.

Michael Del Zotto (D) – NYR – 3GP, 2G, 1A, 3PTS

Del Zotto is anchoring the Rangers powerplay at this point and should help your fantasy team in the short term. If he is available, pick him up.

James Van Riemsdyk (LW) – PHI – 2GP, 0G, 3A, 3 PTS

JVR is ready for the NHL and is primed to make an impact in his first year. He should be able to fill a depth role on your team and make a run for the Calder Trophy.

John Tavares (C) – NYI – 1GP, 1G, 1A, 2PTS

The number one pick made an impact in his first game. Facing Crosby and Malkin in your first game and walking away with an shootout loss is a big accomplishment. He should be taken in all drafts.

Matt Gilroy (D) - NYR – 3 GP, 1G, 0A, 1PTS

At 25, Gilroy has the poise of a veteran but is lacking the experience. Logging 18:09 minutes of ice-time a game, Gilroy will take time to develop into a fantasy option.

Nikita Filatov (LW) – CLB – 2 GP, 1G, 0A, 1PTS

Filatov is looking to make an impact and impress coach Hitchcock in his first season. With one goal in 2 games and logging a mere 8:29 minutes of ice-time a game, owners of Filatov should take the wait and see approach when dressing him.

Other mentionables: Benn Ferriero is playing on the top 2 lines in San Jose, Evander Kane assisted in his first game in Atlanta playing on the third line, Victor Hedman has one point and logged 26:27 minutes in his first NHL game.

Mark

Blue Jackets Acquire Anton Stralman

The Columbus Blue Jackets acquire defenceman Anton Stralman from the Calgary Flames for a 3 round pick in 2010.

The Blue jackets are in desperate need of a powerplay quarterback and the Jackets are going to give the 23 year old a chance to play regular minutes in the NHL. Stralman continues to have minimal fantasy value in pools but owners should keep an eye on him if he indeed climbs up the depth chart in Columbus.

Mark

Training Camp Notes: September 23rd

Jakub Voracek (RW) & Nikita Filatov (LW) – CLB – The sophomore and rookie sensations teamed up last night against Boston and tallied 5 points between them. Voracek scored 1 goal and had 2 helpers, while Filatov had 2 assists in the contest. While Voracek has nailed a spot in the top six, Filatov should be an obvious choice to fill another hole and add secondary scoring to a team that needs it. Both players should be drafted in earlier rounds of keeper pools as they both possess great scoring potential.

Claude Giroux (RW) – PHI – The Flyers iced what appeared to be their final roster against a less powerful Red Wings club. Giroux finished the game with 2 assists, +3 in 14:30 minutes of ice-time. The Flyers have a very potent offense loaded with young snipers and a veteran defence that will add a valuable component to a strong team. If you can grab any top 9 Flyers in your pool you will be rewarded with a great season as they appear to be a team that should finish top 3 in their conference.

Jonathan Quick (G) – LAK – The NHL looked towards Kansas City as an untapped market that would be a possible destination for hockey in the future. With the beautiful Sprint Center vacant of any major sports teams, 9,972 fans showed up to watch the NY Islanders battle the LA Kings. Goaltender Jonathan Quick played the entire contest for the Kings and kicked away 17 shots to beat a weakened Islanders team that did not have John Tavares in the line-up. Quick is the number one guy on a young and improving Kings hockey team. He should get the majority of starts and have respectable numbers for the course of the season. He should be on your draft day list as a late round sleeper.

Mark

Training Camp Notes: September 20th

Artem Anisimov, (C) NYR - Anisimov was one of my big sleepers coming into this season. The 6-3 Russian Centre put up 81 points in 80 AHL games last year, as a 20 year-old. He has great offensive insticts and developing speed/power. Head coach John Tortorella has already called Artem out as a candidate for the Blueshirts vacant #1 Centre job. How did he respond? A highlight reel goal and an assist last night in 16:27 of icetime. Take a flyer on Anisimov, he could pay off and become this year's Kris Versteeg.

Brayden Schenn, (C) LA - The "other Schenn" made a big impact last night. The 5th overall selection in June's draft scored two goals for the Kings who beat the Ducks 4-1. Schenn played in all situations last night and has a decent shot at cracking the opening night roster. Maybe the most complete forward coming out of the draft, he could have some fantasy impact if he sticks with the Kings. Don't expect big point totals for another year or two though.

Nick Foligno & Mike Fisher, (LW & C) OTT - Ottawa made the Heatley trade with the hopes of acquiring some scoring depth. Well Foligno and Fisher aren't ready to be demoted to the third line quite yet. The pair combined for 8 points last night, led by Fisher's 3 goals. Both players are capable of producing during stretches but need to find consistency in their game. If he stays healthy (a BIG if), Fisher could lead the Sens 2nd line, surrounded by Alfreddson and one of Cheechoo/Michalek/Foligno. Based on that landscape, he could be primed for a career year of 50+ points. Foligno is out to prove he is more then just a 3rd liner. Look for him to top 20 goals this year and get some time on one of the top 2 lines.

Nikita Filatov, (LW) CLB - Filatov needs to impress this pre-season if he wants to stick with the Big club. Last night did not help his cause. Nikita received 17:05 of ice-time, and led the team in powerplay ice-time. The results, no points, 1 shot. Hitchcock needs more then that if he is going to give the youngster a spot on the top 6. Watch this situation carefully as Filatov has said he would rather go back to Russia then spend another year in the AHL.

Cody Hodgson, (C) VAN - Hodgson scored his first goal of the pre-season last night, though it was an empty-netter. The Canucks gave Hodgson just under 15 minutes of ice-time but over 3 of that was on the powerplay. It looks like Vancouver wants Hodgson to break in on the 3rd or 4th line and work his way up. This could limit his fantasy value this season, but he is still a stud in keeper formats.

Michal Neuvirth, (G) WAS - Neuvirth, the other goaltender picked high in the 06 draft (Varlamov was selected in the 1st, Neuvirth early 2nd), played a strong game last night against the Hawks. He gave up two goals in 26 shots and made several big saves. Varlamov enters the season as the #1 goalie but the rookie still has some flaws in his game. Neuvirth could surprise many and be the Caps #1 goalie by mid-season. Watch him closely and grab him if Varlamov stumbles.

Chris

Central Division Sleepers

Chicago – Kris Versteeg (RW) – The rookie burst onto the scene last year and immediately made an impact. On a young and talented team, Versteeg did not look out of place last year. With 53 points in 78 games, Versteeg is once again penciled in to play on the top line in Chicago.

FEARLESS FORECAST – 80 GP – 23 G – 33 A – 56 PTS

Columbus – Derick Brassard (C) – The talented centerman was unable to complete his first full season in the NHL. Brassard suffered a season ending injury after playing in 31 games where he tallied 25 points. Playing a full season with snipe Rick Nash will only increase Brassard’s value. Look for him to be close to a point per game pace this season.

FEARLESS FORECAST – 77 GP – 25 G – 46 A – 71 PTS

Detroit – Jason Williams (C) – Signed in the off-season by the Wings because of the loss of key players, Williams will get every opportunity to play with all-star center Pavel Datsyuk. In 80 games last season, Williams split time between Atlanta and Columbus, scoring 47 points. He should be able to increase those totals on a more talented Red Wings club.

FEARLESS FORECAST – 82 GP – 21 G – 32 A – 53 PTS

Nashville – Ryan Suter (D) – This development of Suter has taken a surprisingly good turn. The young defenseman is now a staple on the Predators blueline and helps anchor the top powerplay unit. Suter tallied 45 points in 82 games and at 24 years old will only get better. A repeat of his numbers from last season may be a stretch but hitting 40 points should be no problem.

FEARLESS FORECAST – 82 GP – 7 G – 38 A – 42 PTS

St. Louis – Carlo Colaiacovo (D) – Often thought he was made of glass in Toronto, Colaiacovo was traded to St. Louis halfway through the season and thrived on the powerplay. Though the Blues blueline seems to be deep, they have a lot of defensemen that are also injury plagued or too inexperienced. Colaiacovo scored 30 points in 73 games and should surpass those numbers this year.

FEARLESS FORECAST – 76 GP – 5 G – 27 A – 32 PTS

Mark

An Eight Year Pact

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed 25 year old superstar, Rick Nash, to a 8 year, $62.5 Million dollar contract.

The ownership of the Blue Jackets have made a clear statement that Rick Nash will lead the team into the prime years of his career. Nash, a natural goal scorer, possesses tremendous finishing ability and has led the Blue Jackets in goals the past five seasons. Nash is a four time NHL all-star, Canadian Olympic athlete and was tied for the NHL lead in goals in the 2003-04 season.

In 78 games last season, Nash had 79 points with 40 of those being goals. He excels in every category and should be a first round selection in all drafts and an easy selection as a keeper. Look for Nash to surpass his 79 points next season as Columbus surrounds him with young talent.

Derick Brassard will be one of those young beneficiaries that should play with Nash all season. Playing in 31 games last season, Brassard amassed 25 points and valuable chemistry playing with Nash. The duo should form a dynamic pair next season and propel Columbus into playoff contention yet again.

Mark

Re-tooling the Habs D

The Montreal Canadians have signed Jaroslav Spacek to a 3 year, $11.5 Million deal and Paul Mara to a 1 year, $1.675 Million deal.

Jaroslav Spacek

Montreal jumped all over Spacek on

July 1st as they envision him as an affordable number 2 Defenceman that can play with Andrei Markov on the Powerplay. The 35 year-old Spacek matched his career high with 45 points last year in Buffalo. He brings a good transition game and a steady defensive presence.

Fantasy Outlook: At 35, Spacek can't be relied upon for big-time minutes in Montreal. He should immediately help their Powerplay and continue to put up decent points. Look for him in the late rounds to shore up your Defence depth.

Fearless Forecast: 75GP, 9G, 31A, 40PTS

Paul Mara

A former 7th overall pick by Tampa in 1997, Mara has great size, decent skill and moves well. After a career high of 47 points with Phoenix in 2005-2006, Mara looked to be one of the bright young Dmen in the league. Since then, Mara has travelled to Boston and New York where he has struggled to stay healthy. He reached 21 points last season which was his highest since his days in the desert. Has this former 1st rounder lost his offensive game with his confidence or can he bounce back in Montreal?

Fantasy Outlook:

Mara heads into Montreal with low expectations. They hope he can be a top 4 Dman who can play some PP time. This could be a great environment for Mara to get his game back. Don't draft him but keep an eye on him through the waiver wire as he could surprise with some decent points and PIMS.

Fearless Forecast: 75GP, 7G, 22A, 29PTS, 105PIMS

Chris

Straight Jackets

Overall, the Blue Jackets season was a huge success. There were some big surprises that popped out of their roster of mainly depth players. Playing a defensive system, winger Rick Nash continued scoring phenomenal goals and rookie goaltender Steve mason lead the league in shutouts. Columbus is a young team that continues to build toward the future and with their first successful season under their belt, they should only be going up from here.

Rick Nash – The only superstar that plays on the Jackets. He is a top flight talent and a gifted goal scorer. The only question it comes to Nash is will he ever break the 80 point mark? Draft him in rounds 2-3 as he is and elite, young keeper.

Kristian Huselius – After having a career year in Calgary, Huselius took a step back last year. He is a great depth player that can play on the top line but is too streaky to rely on. A great mid round pick.
Jason Williams – After a trade from the Thrashers, Williams started accumulating points on a regular basis. He has the ability to put up 60 points in a season and owners should look at him as a very late round pick or a waiver claim.

R.J. Umberger – A great depth center with a bit of an edge to him. Umberger had the opportunity to play on the top line and gather valuable experience. With point totals similar to his years in Philly, Umberger should be looked at as a late round pick in a draft as he is not the top guy on the depth chart.

Antoine Vermette – A trade deadline acquisition, Vermette looked to fit right in on the second line in Columbus. Not looked upon as a point producer, Vermette is one of the best utility guys in the league. He is a great depth player especially in a roto format.

Jakub Voracek – His rookie champagne had its ups and downs. Managing 38 points in 80 games, Voracek should have a great season next year given the opportunity to play on the top two lines. Owners should draft him in middle rounds in a keeper format and a little later in other formats.

Fedor Tyutin – having played in every game last year, Tyutin had a career year. He was a valuable waiver pickup for any GM that grabbed him. Look at Tyutin to put up similar numbers next season and be the powerplay quarterback.

Derick Brassard – Limited to a mere 31 games last season, Brassard managed 25 points playing on the top line. Brassard looks to be the top pivot in Columbus and play with Nash. He should be looked at as an asset in next year’s draft, especially if Nash resigns long term. Brassard is a keeper now and should be drafted as such.

Kris Russell – Increased his point totals in his second year, Russell has offensive talent as a defenseman. Look for his totals to increase next season as you will be able to steal him in late rounds or on the waiver wire.

Jared Boll – One of the teams enforcers, Boll is strictly a penalty machine. He will be available on the waiver wire but keep an eye on him if you need PIMS.

Nikita Filatov – The highly touted prospect was limited to just 8 games last season managing 4 goals. Look for Filatov to play half the season in the AHL again and he will only be rushed to the big league if he hits his stride. Filatov should be looked at as a top prospect and long term keeper.

Steve Mason – An outstanding season, Mason was one of reasons the Jackets reached the playoffs for the first time. Most likely winner of the Calder trophy, Mason is a keeper and the top guy in Columbus now. Don’t let him slip to far in the draft as other GM’s will try and get him in later rounds.

Mark