Notepads Out

This week we’ve been treated with a series of impressive performances that make all fantasy owners take note. Here’s a few players to have on your radar:

Josh Bailey, Islanders – With John Tavares scoring just 8 points in his past 20 games, Bailey has taken command of the Islanders offense and has gone on a 14-point, 11-game tear, including 10 points in his last 5 games. Bailey, who was drafted 9th overall in the 2008 draft is on the verging of breaking through last year’s point total (25) in 22 fewer games. He has also made significant improvements to his defensive game, with a +11 rating thus far. Although we don’t expect this streak to continue indefinitely (remember, he plays for the Islanders) he may be worth a ride in deeper leagues and will certainly be a player to watch for in the years to come, as he and Tavares continue to develop.

Mike Brodeur, Senators – After shutting out the Rangers in just the second NHL start of his career, fantasy owners in deep leagues may want to take note of Marty’s distant cousin, Mike Brodeur. You certainly wouldn’t want to jump the gun, but if Brodeur posts another solid start, we may be nearing the start of yet another goaltending controversy in Ottawa. Their goaltending situation has been in a constant state of flux all year, and with Leclaire’s most recent concussion troubles, the door is certainly wide open for Brodeur to show the team what he’s got and make a run for it. So far, Brodeur has struggled in the AHL this year (3.30 GAA, .892 SV%), but had a solid 2008-2009 season (18-13-4, 2.45 GAA, .921 SV%), giving some hope for optimism. Stay tuned.

Cam Ward, Hurricanes – We all knew the Hurricanes weren’t as bad as they appeared early in the season, but even still, nobody wanted to touch them with a ten-foot pole. The team as a whole has been a fantasy disaster, being plagued with injuries and atrocious performances, especially in the plus/minus department. Nonetheless, things are starting to turn around, especially with the play of Cam Ward as of late. In the month of January, Ward is 4-2, with a 1.99 GAA and a .940 SV%. The team overall has won seven of their past 15 games, and is starting to make strides to pull out of the league basement. On offense they are led by Eric Staal, who is finally delivering with the 24th best fantasy performance over the past month. For owners desperate for some goaltending, Cam Ward would make a superb sleeper trade and should be a decent number two goalie for the remainder of the season.

Patric Hornqvist, Predators – After just 10 points in his first 26 games, Hornqvist has put together an impressive streak of 19 points in 20 games, with 3 GWG and a plus-10 rating. Hornqvist has really excelled playing alongside Steve Sullivan on the Predators number two line, and has shown remarkable consistency, scoring points in 12 of his past 15 games. In just his second NHL season, the jury is still out on whether he can sustain such a pace, but given the lack of depth in the right wing position, Hornqvist may be worth a look in moderately sized leagues.

Vincent Lecavalier, Lightning – The ship may already be sailing away on this one, but after struggling the first two months of the season, Vinny Lecavalier is finally starting to piece things back together, with 22 points in his past 21 games. His low-trending scoring percentages are still of concern to fantasy owners (15.3%, 12.6%, 10.0%, 6.9% since 2006-2007), but for the time being he’s seemed to have found a groove. If you’re looking for some scoring depth, you may still be able to pry Vinny away from an owner with an enticing trade, but be cautious not to overpay.

Danny Briere, Flyers – Talk about a poor return for your money – the Flyers invested $52 million over eight years in Danny Briere, only to have him miss 53 games last year with four different injuries. This year however, Briere is slowly rounding back to form and is definitely a player to keep on the watchlist, especially in shallow to moderately sized leagues. Playing on a line with Jeff Carter and Scott Hartnell, he’s scored a very respectable 31 points in 39 games thus far, and has eleven points in his last nine games, four of which are on the powerplay. As an added advantage, Briere has dual eligibility, qualifying at both center and right wing in Yahoo! leagues, making him that much more valuable. He’ll always be an injury risk, but based on his performance the past month, he may be well worth the gamble.