Fantasy Spin

Corvo lands his dream job; Stillman gets fresh start; Ladd gets an opportunity; Jagr can't kick his funk; Whitney responds to criticism; some recent call-ups to keep an eye on; and more...

KEEPER CORNER  Kostitsyn Photos: Getty Images PROSPECTS ARE CALLED up and down from the minors all the time. Here are a few that were recalled over the last several weeks that have made a strong impression during their cups of coffee in the NHL. These guys have bright futures and judging by their recent showing, it could be as early as next year... Sergei Kostitsyn, RW Montreal Canadiens T.J. Hensick, C Colorado Avalanche Colin Stuart, LW  Atlanta Thrashers Ryan Shannon, RW/C  Vancouver Canucks Robert Earl, LW Toronto Maple Leafs Eric Fehr, RW  Washington Capitals Brian Boyle, C/D Los Angeles Kings Derick Brassard, C Columbus Blue Jackets Teddy Purcell, RW Los Angeles Kings

 STOCK Watch 

AFTER BEGINNING THE 2007-08 campaign at a torrid pace, Cory Stillman hit a wall in 2008. The 34-year-old veteran started off the season with 34 points in 26 games for Carolina before hitting the skids and garnering just 12 in his next 29. His recent trade to Ottawa (see analysis here... >>>) immediately pushes his value back up to where it was. As with most players who are traded to a new team, Stillman will have an initial surge in production for a handful of games before coming down to earth. He already has one point in one game with his new team. The prospect of his possible presence on the top line with Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza is also very enticing for fantasy junkies.

IT HAS BEEN two-plus seasons for the youngster and Andrew Ladd (pictured, top), as well as the fantasy leaguers who own him, was starting to wonder when he would finally start seeing more than a few shifts on the third and fourth line. When will the door finally open? It's looking as if the door opened when the Hurricanes shipped Stillman to the Senators. The very next game, the 22-year-old saw over 16 minutes of ice time (the second most that he has seen this season) and he scored a pair of goals. Given his new role with the team, fantasy leaguers should finally start to see some of the second-line potential that he has.

THE COACH CALLED and he responded. At least, that is what Ryan Whitney's fantasy owners are hoping for. Whitney has been a bit of a disappointment this season, not just from a fantasy standpoint but in actuality. Pens' coach Michel Therrien dressed him down a little through the media and it seemed to serve as a wake-up call. The 24-year-old responded with three points against the Islanders on February 7 and then with another point on February 9 against the Kings. As one of the power-play quarterbacks on a high-scoring team like the Penguins, fantasy junkies were expecting upwards of 70 points this season. Hopefully he has turned the corner and there are some signs that he has done just that.

ALL ABOARD THE Cheechoo train! Fantasy owners have been increasingly diving off the sinking ship that has been Jonathan Cheechoo this season. The San Jose Sharks' winger is a former 93-point scorer who, at 27, is just entering his prime. More was expected of him than the miserable 14 points in 41 contests to start the year. However, he's back on a line with his buddy Joe Thornton and the pair seems to be clicking once again. Cheechoo has nine points in his last eight games and if he continues to show his old chemistry with Thornton, he could still salvage a 50-point season.

THE HORRENDOUS SEASON just doesn't want to turn around for Jaromir Jagr. Just when the aging superstar seemed to be coming out of his funk with 24 points in 18 games from December 18 to January 20, he hit another wall. With just one point--an assist--in his last nine games, Jagr is well on his way to his lowest output since his rookie season. Currently on pace for 65 points, the 35-year-old has produced more points than that each season since 1990-91 when he was a freshman. He had 57 points that year. Even in the shortened 48-game season of 1994-95, Jagr still managed 70 points. Yikes!

 SLEEPING Giant 

Joe Corvo, Carolina Hurricanes
At the other side of the Carolina-Ottawa deal is Corvo, who now finds himself not only in a situation where he will see some more ice time but, suddenly, he finds himself as the power-play quarterback for the Hurricanes. His ice time with the man advantage will rise dramatically with his new team and so will his production. In his first game with the 'Canes, he played over 19 minutes and saw the second-most ice time with the man advantage on the team. He picked up an assist in the contest and the team expects to see a lot more of that from the 30-year-old over the next two-plus seasons. Corvo is signed through the 2009-10 campaign.

 INJURY Update 

SAN JOSE PIVOT PATRICK MARLEAU missed his first game of the season Tuesday with what was described as a "groin tweak". The 27-year-old second-line center is receiving treatment and should only miss another game or two at the most. The problem with groin injuries is that not only are they difficult to predict the down time but they are also the type that can re-occur at any point during the season. They just don't seem to go away. Buffalo's Maxim Afinogenov is another example: He has been close to returning to the lineup on two separate occasions, only to aggravate the injury and suffer a setback. 
 

TOP 5   Scorers from January 11 to February 11... 1. Evgeni Malkin, Penguins (25 points) 2. Alexander Ovechkin, Capitals (24) 3. Jean-Pierre Dumont, Predators ( 20) 4. Peter Mueller (left), Coyotes (19)                                                      5. Jason Spezza, Senators (19)