As the quarterback of one of the league's best power plays, there is a place for Filip Kuba in every fantasy league.

Alright we’re finally playing some hockey.  There were only 2 teams playing two games each in Europe over the weekend but it’s a start! However, with the remaining teams setting roles and refining rosters, there are some players whose value may be unnoticed or under valued. Both will work to your advantage.

Before we start right into the pick-ups, please note I’ll to try and highlight a few defensemen who can you get points on a weekly basis.  Why?  Because most people usually never have a strong core of defenseman out of the draft.  Why is that you ask?  Because often times most are focused on getting solid goaltending and 40-goal forwards and dismiss defensemen altogether.  Is this a good strategy?  Tough to say.  From experience, I try to draft at least one #1 defenseman.  After, that I stick to best available player looking for sleeper defenseman.  Usually you’ll find a few palatable D-men at the ends of the draft who a) people don’t realize are the main beneficiary of power play minutes or b) have enough upside to take a gamble on given the rounds you’re in.  Just remember that power play points are an individual category in most leagues.  Pay close attention to who is getting the big minutes on the power play!  Its sounds obvious but then why are some of these players available?

Defensemen

Filip Kuba – Senators

Kuba is here based more on role than anything.  He’s not an exceptional talent by any means but he’s quarterbacking what has the potential to be one of the best power plays in the league.  With Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson on the 1^st line together and on the main power play unit, Ottawa should see a ton of offensive chances.  Kuba defaults to the #1 defenseman with Wade Redden leaving via free agency to the Rangers.   He also stands to benefit from the success of this team’s offense. He should not be on your waiver wire in essentially any league.

Craig Rivet – Sabres

Ok so Rivet isn’t playing with on the power play with Joe Thornton anymore.  He’s now part of an equally talented, if not more balanced scoring team’s power play unit in Buffalo.  He’s not a skill player per se, but he will get you 80 + penalty minutes and score in the area of 40 points on the season.  These coupled with being in the mix for power play minutes make him a commodity.  He’s more of a 3^rd or 4^th defenseman in the fantasy world but that means he should not be on the waiver wire. Be warned, there is very little upside with Rivet.  What you see is what you get.

Paul Martin – Devils

You can choose to ignore Martin.  Really, he’s pretty boring.  Not a real goon who’ll get you over 100 penalty minutes.  He’s not a super skilled skater in an ominous offensive system either.  So then why am I bothering to waste your time by mentioning him here?  Martin is the main power play defensemen in Jersey and most people don’t realize this or disregard him due to his relatively average 2007 numbers.  As with Rivet, Martin is more a case of his role than his ability.  He might top out at 40 points but a third or more of those points will be on the power play.  He has a chance to be a solid plus player as well having Martin Brodeur as his goalie and the trapping system they play in the Swamp.  Don’t put too much weight into his plus/minus though.  This tends to be hard statistic to forecast from year to year.  Get Martin for his power play contributions and a small amount of upside, as he’s still a young player.

Alex Goligoski – Penguins

Again I don’t like to repeat myself from previous articles but you should have Goligoski on your radar, if not on your roster.  I’d say right now that he’s more of a deeper league option but if you’re they type that likes to keep high upside guys on your bench in shallower leagues, the Pittsburgh defenseman makes perfect sense.  He had a stellar numbers in the AHL last season.  He will likely have ample opportunity on the top power play unit in Pittsburgh which like Kris Letang, should get him points by default.  It doesn’t hurt Golgoski’s chances that he’s a top prospect or that Ryan Whitney and Sergei Gonchar won’t be back on the ice any time soon.

Wingers and Forwards

I don’t like recommending injury prone players. Given the NHL season has yet to really get going full flight, I’ve got a few wingers I feel are under rated.  They might be on your wire in case you’re in need of a decent back up or possibly starting winger,

Cory Stillman – LW – Panthers

You can’t ignore Stillman who is a proven scorer, just on a poor team. What to expect?  Some goals, some solid power play numbers as he’s still one of the Panthers top scoring options and respectable point totals while he stays healthy.   Stillman comes with warning due to his age.  Not only does he get injured quite frequently but he’s getting up there at 34 years of age.  He’s also on a pretty poor team in Florida; so don’t expect an outstanding plus minus.  There’s limited upside here.  Either way, a top line forward should not be on the waiver wire especially one capable of point per game as he has done in the past.

Tuomo Ruuto – LW – Hurricanes

Ruuto is another player who has a long history of injuries.  As I write this he’s nursing a groin injury, which for hockey players is like a sore shoulder in baseball.    However, what makes Ruuto a worthy gamble is he’s still young and was supposed to be a superstar based on his talent.  Ruuto could be huge in fantasy circles because of his offensive potential and his propensity for getting in the penalty box.  He’s under valued this year because he annually gets injured for extended periods of time.  Again, no risk, no reward but he should be on somebody’s bench in deeper leagues.

Sergei Samsonov – RW - Hurricanes

Samsonov is an annual disappointment.  He also has a lot of potential and good hands.  He should be a better goal scorer than his statistics have shown.  This is totally a line based call.  If he ends up playing beside anybody Staal, I’d ignore him.  Staal, like other elite players in the league has a way of making lesser players better statistically.

Scott Sullivan - RW – Predators

Free agent pick-ups sometimes come with a bit of a risk.  An injury history is Sullivan’s main issue as well.  He is still a considerable talent and could make for a nice point getting right-winger.  Again, I’d take this risk and pick him up if you have a player to drop or an open injured reserve spot (or both).  He should be rostered in most leagues based on skill set and that’s he almost a point a game player when healthy.

Keeper Corner

Steve Stamkos – C- Lightning

Stamkos is a pretty obvious choice in keeper leagues and he’s not really sleeper material.  He won’t be on any free agent wires unless you’re playing in a two team league. So why I am I listing a highly regarded well known player here?  Mainly because I didn’t mention him at all in the last keeper section and felt he was worth at least a mention.  The #1 pick overall is likely untouchable in most keeper formats, unless he stumbles out the gate.  If he does, I’d advise you to throw out a trade offer, as he should have a strong career.  Stamkos is a scorer who could find himself in 80-90 point range quite easily in future season, possibly even this one.  This is mostly due to his talent but it is worth noting that he should share some power play time with Vincent Lecavalier.  Either way, he’s the pre-season favorite for the Calder Trophy (aka The Rookie of the Year).

Nikita Filatov – Blue Jackets

I mentioned Filatov last week, but felt he deserved mentioning again.  He’s young (18) and should be rostered in most keeper leagues.  Canadian talent does seem to get more press than Russian ones coming into the NHL draft hence Filatov getting relatively ignored in most one-year fantasy leagues (where did Stamkos go in your draft? Bet Filatov is on your league’s free agent wire!).  He was the 6^th overall pick but the teams in front of him had large holes on defence to fill within their organizations.  Just bear in mind, that Canadian OHL stars, like American College standouts in basketball tend to get more press.  If you look at the NBA, you’ll note that a lot of European players have been drafted by teams later and ended up being top talent.  This tends to make Canadian prospects slightly overrated in fantasy leagues.  A final note: Filatov did not make the Blue Jackets but he will be back before long.