While Evgeni Malkin, Alexander Ovechkin and Pavel Datsyuk are the three Hart Trophy finalists, Washington's Mike Green was the NHL's best player in terms of the RealGM Ice Impact Counter.
Late round picks in fantasy hockey are just as important as early picks. While looking for production from your late round selections, you must find a player that has the opportunity to succeed.
“It isn’t tennis, I can tell you that much!” xxclaimed one local observer who, out of embarrassment, wished to remain anonymous. “They both just kinda…push the ball over the net, you know?"
RealGM Search
By Michael Sonday
1. Detroit Red Wings- With a 12 point lead in the standings, the Red Wings are running away with the President's Trophy. The Wings, 20-4-2, have the best home record in the NHL.
2. Anaheim Ducks- Pre Scott Niedermayer, the Ducks were 15-15-4; they have a 12-6-2 record with him in the lineup. With the return of Teemu Selanne, the Ducks appear to be putting the pieces in place for another Stanley Cup run.
3. Ottawa Senators- Daniel Alfredsson has stepped up his game since Dany Heatley injured his right shoulder on January 12th. Alfredsson had 7 points, a Senators' record, against the Lightning on January 24th. Alfredsson is second in the NHL with 68 points.
4. Minnesota Wild- The Wild is starting to heat up after an inconsistent first half of the season. Marian Gaborik leads the team with 26 goals and 54 points despite missing five games. The Wild is 21-2-1 when they score first and a perfect 21-0 when leading after two periods.
5. San Jose Sharks- The Sharks have good depth, solid defense, and outstanding goaltending which are all the key ingredients of a Stanley Cup team. The Sharks must improve at home (11-11-4) if they plan on being a contender. Joe Thornton is second in the NHL with 45 assists.
6.Philadelphia Flyers- With the league's top power play (24.6%), teams can not afford to take penalties against the Flyers. The Flyers are 7-2-1 in their last ten games.
7. Dallas Stars- Their play has been inconsistent in 2008, but the Stars still have the talent to take them to the next level. Dallas has an 86.9% penalty kill, tops in the NHL.
8. Montreal Canadiens- The Canadiens are starting to heat up by going 7-2-1 in their last ten games. The Canadiens have the league's second best power play at 23.9%. Veteran Alex Kovalev leads the Canadiens with 22 goals.
9. Pittsburgh Penguins- No Crosby, oh no! Malkin has stepped up his game in the superstars' absence. Ty Conklin has been the unlikely hero posting an 11-3-2 record and an outstanding .934 saves percentage. Defenseman Sergei Gonchar leads the entire NHL with 28 power play points.
10. New Jersey Devils- Thanks to Martin Broudeur, the Devils have yielded the fewest goals against (119) in the Eastern Conference. The Devils are a stellar 14-9-0 at their brand new barn so far this season.
11. Calgary Flames- Jarome Iginla has carried the Flames on his back so far this season scoring 32 goals and adding 32 helpers. The Flames must tighten up defensively to take that next step. Miikka Kiprusoff has zero shutouts in 50 games this year.
12. Vancouver Canucks- When Luongo gets hot, the Canucks are the most dangerous teams in the NHL, making them the team that no one will want to play in the post season. Henrik Sendin leads the Canucks with 52 points.
13. Columbus Blue Jackets- The play of young Nikolai Zherdev has been a pleasant surprise this season. Rick Nash has been the leader of the Jackets; his game winning goal against the Coyotes on January 17th is the play of the year so far. Pascal Leclaire leads the NHL with 8 shutouts.
14. New York Rangers- Due to inconsistent play, the Rangers find themselves near the bottom of the Atlantic Division. Jagr seems to be a shadow of the player he was a few seasons ago. The big free agent signings of Scott Gomez and Chris Drury have not produced the results that Ranger fans have hoped for. Still, this team is too talented to not be in the playoffs.
15. Colorado Avalanche- With the injuries to Joe Sakic, Ryan Smyth, and Paul Stastny, the Avalanche could start to plummet down the rankings. Avalanche must improve on the power play; they have only converted on 13.4% with the man advantage.
16. Phoenix Coyotes- It looks as if the future is now in the desert. Ilya Bryzgalov and the Coyotes' core of young players have brought playoff hopes to Phoenix. The Coyotes have not been to the playoffs since the 2001-2002 season.
17. Boston Bruins- Goalie Tim Thomas has been the star for the Bruins as they battle for a playoff spot. Marc Savard, the most underrated player in the NHL, leads the league in assists with 46.
18. Carolina Hurricanes- The Hurricanes are holding on to first place in the terrible Southeast Division. All-Star MVP Eric Stall leads the Canes with 27 goals.
19. New York Islanders- With Rick Dipietro in net, the Islanders are competitive night in and night out. If the Islanders want to make a push towards the Stanley Cup, they must find a way to score more goals. A trade or prospect Kyle Okposo could be the answer.
20. St. Louis Blues- The Blues must improve their last ranked power play (12.5%) if they plan to make the playoffs. Right winger Brad Boyes has played above expectations, scoring 29 goals in just 49 games this season for the Blues. Manny Legace’s solid play has allowed the Blues to be in the playoff hunt.
21. Atlanta Thrashers- After starting the season 0-6-0, GM Don Waddell fired Bob Hartley and promoted himself as the interim coach. The Thrashers have gone 24-19-4 since, giving the team hope of a return trip to the post season. Ilya Kovalchuk is second in the league in goals with 38.
22. Washington Capitals- The loss of Micheal Nylander will hurt the team’s depth. Alexander Ovechkin leads the NHL in goals (43) and scoring (70). Capital players that do not have the name Ovechkin on the back of there jerseys must contribute more.
23. Nashville Predators- They stay competitive each night but just cannot seem to put together a winning streak. The Predators are 4-18-3 when their opponents score first.
24. Chicago Blackhawks- The loss of Jonathan Towes hurt the Hawks a great deal as they have plummeted down in the standings. Patrick Sharp leads the NHL with 7 short handed goals. The Blackhawks have the longest Stanley Cup drought in the NHL. They have not won it all since 1961, when there were only six teams in the league.
25. Buffalo Sabers- On some nights the Sabers look like last year's team, on other nights they look like the Maple Leafs.
26. Edmonton Oilers- The Oilers are the victim of playing in the league's toughest division. The Oilers have some nice young talent and a sizzling 13-5 record in OT/SO.
27. Florida Panthers- The Panthers are playing below average hockey, but in a city that is home to the Dolphins, Heat, and Marlins, the Panthers seem pretty good.
28. Tampa Bay Lightning- This team should be much better with players such as Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier, and Brad Richards. The goaltending has been weak, and the Lightning lack depth. Look for the Lightning to try to unload Richards.
29. Toronto Maple Leafs- It looks like the Stanley Cup drought will increase by another year. The Leafs are a lousy 7-6-3 when leading after two periods. New GM Cliff Fletcher must decide what he is going to do with Sundin. The Leafs may be interested in trading Mats Sundin in hopes of getting draft picks or prospects in return. Poor Toronto, it is a sad day to be a Leaf fan.
30. Los Angeles Kings- This team's lack of experience starting to show. It looks that the Kings will have the best chance to draft OHL superstar Steven Stamkos, which would make this year a total success.
