NHL Planet:: Under the Radar

by: James Mirtle

Comeback players, rebound candidates, up-and-coming rookies and sophomores – these are the sorts of fantasy all-stars you want to be taking in your pools. And it just so happens we’ve assembled an entire roster of them.

The basis for making the “under the radar” fantasy all-star team is that, quite simply, these players will likely fall further than they should in your draft because they are either (a) unproven, (b) playing for poor teams or (c) coming off bad seasons. But those kinds of gambles are exactly what can win your pool (assuming your competitors aren’t also holding this list, of course).

FORWARDS

Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado

Big Swede simply got better and better as his rookie season wore on, emerging as a dominant forward at 18 years old late in the year and showing every indication he’ll be a perennial star. There’s always the danger of a sophomore slump but with that comes the upside he continues his great second half and hits 65 points or more.

Mikko Koivu, Minnesota

Still one of the more underrated two-way players in the entire league, Koivu is a 75-point talent stuck in an organization that has always struggled to produce a lot of goals. The additions of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter should help immensely there, shining the spotlight on the man in the middle.

Cody Hodgson, Buffalo

Shipped to the Sabres after not getting the playing time he craved in Vancouver, Hodgson’s debut with his new team wasn’t overwhelmingly impressive. It was, however, good enough that they shipped out Derek Roy to create a hole in the middle, and Hodgson has the talent to put up big numbers with quality wingers.

Eric Staal, Carolina

Granted an odd candidate for an under the radar list, but consider the following: Here’s a player who has had seven consecutive 70-point seasons and was absolutely dominant in the second half last year after having some brutal luck in the early going. Staal will be rejuvenated with brother Jordan in the fold and could get even more offensive help as GM Jim Rutherford continues to add. Bet on a point a game and hope for more – because he’s done it before.

Tomas Plekanec, Montreal

Last season was a disaster for pretty much everyone in Montreal, but the good news there is that there’ll be plenty of rebound candidates on the roster. Plekanec’s going to continue to get big minutes and last year’s 52 points should be the low water mark.

Antoine Vermette, Phoenix

Languished in Columbus (along with many others) but looked reborn upon jumping to the Coyotes and will continue to be a favourite of coach Dave Tippett. Vermette could easily slip to the later rounds but is a safe bet for 45 points and has hit 65 in the past. It’s not like he’ll have much competition for playing time, either.

Mike Ribeiro, Washington

Not really a fan favourite around the league given some of his high profile flops, Ribeiro nonetheless has averaged more than 65 points a season the last four years. The Capitals will also not be nearly as defensive as they were under Dale Hunter, meaning Ribeiro will be freelancing out there with Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green at times.

James Van Riemsdyk, Toronto

Let’s try this again. The man known as ‘JVR’ is the only player to make this list both last year and this one, but given the injuries, it’s worth giving him a mulligan. Toronto wasn’t very good last season, but they did score plenty of goals and won’t lose a single piece from that cast up front. Van Riemsdyk will also get plenty of opportunities to prove he can centre the top line, and any time with Phil Kessel is ‘pucks in net’ time.

Kyle Turris, Ottawa

He may not ever be a huge scorer, but he is also in little danger of losing his second line spot and will benefit from playing a full season with the Sens. Turris’s totals of a year ago prorate to 43 points so that’s a good starting point for where he’ll land in a full season. And you always hope for more.

Derek Stepan, NY Rangers

There is a reason Glen Sather considered him an untouchable in summer trade talks: There’s great potential in Stepan, even if he remains far from a household name. Right now, you’re guaranteed at least 45 or 50 points, but you never know when he’ll break out and hit 60 or higher. Hopefully it’s after you’ve picked him.

Mikael Granlund, Minnesota

The first of two wild cards. Granlund is a prospect first and foremost, but on a Wild team hoping to make a huge splash and score far more goals, he could get a first line role. Is he ready for that? Impossible to say for sure, but one of the reasons Zach Parise and Ryan Suter signed on with Minnesota was their prospect depth and Granlund is at the top of that list. Could surprise.

Marcus Foligno, Buffalo

Made a phenomenal jump from junior in having an excellent AHL season and then netted 13 points in 14 NHL games. The Sabres forward lines are crowded and he’s probably stuck in the bottom six, but the team’s brass loves him and will give him plenty of opportunities to succeed. Anywhere from 25 to 55 points is possible so bid accordingly.

Ales Hemsky, Edmonton

A forgotten man given all of the Oilers blossoming young talent, Hemsky could surprise everyone with a big bounce back year if he can just stay healthy. That, of course, is a big if, but he was close to a point a game guy the previous few seasons and should come extra cheap given he had only 36 points while playing through injury. Still not that old, either.

DEFENSEMEN

Alex Goligoski, Dallas

Took a step back last season to just 30 points from 46 the year before but should be the beneficiary of the added firepower Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk added in Derek Roy, Jaromir Jagr and Ray Whitney. Sure, this an old crew, but that’s a good power play crew and Goligoski can get 30-plus points there alone.

Dmitry Kulikov, Florida

No more Jason Garrison with the Panthers should mean a bigger role for young blueliner who everyone continues to wait for a breakout from. The only question is will it come now or will Filip Kuba take a lot of those minutes?

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Phoenix

Unquestionably a future star, he has the misfortune for playing for the super stingy Coyotes, which may hurt his offensive production for the next few years. Still, if you want to grab the next horse on the blueline in a keeper league, here’s a prime opportunity.

Nikita Nikitin, Columbus

Quietly had a terrific breakout season last year on a terrible team and will be entrusted with top four minutes from the get-go this time around. They’re going to load him up with tough minutes, so don’t expect a good plus-minus figure, but Nikitin is one of the better defencemen in the league that no one has heard about.

Jamie McBain, Carolina

Took a small step back as the ‘Canes struggled mightily out of the gate but has plenty of potential and at 24 will continue to take on more and more of a role. Carolina’s offence should improve with the addition of Jordan Staal alone and at some point McBain will hit that 40-point mark and get on poolies’ radar.

Slava Voynov, Los Angeles

So long Jack Johnson. Voynov’s emergence last season was one of the underrated aspects of the Kings championship, as the young Russian went from the minors to playing a regular role in the top four and chipped in offensively, too. He’s a bit buried behind Drew Doughty, but his totals last season prorate to 30 points and that’s with limited power play time. Trending up.

Brendan Smith, Detroit

It’s always very difficult to project young defencemen who have limited NHL experience, but the Red Wings always seem to do an excellent job of working their rookies in slowly and Smith has been apprenticing for this role for ages. Big time potential here – and there’s a hole to fill with Nick Lidstrom’s retirement – but how soon will we see it?

GOALTENDERS

Braden Holtby, Washington

After a star turn in last year’s playoffs, the Capitals are putting their faith in the rookie this season and indications are he should be able to deliver. While Michal Neuvirth is capable of beating him out for a lot of starts, Holtby has the inside track and could end up starting a lot of games for one of the Eastern Conference’s stronger teams.

James Reimer, Toronto

How dangerously do you like to live? If the Leafs go in with Reimer and Ben Scrivens as their tandem, any number of possibilities could unfold, including Reimer regaining his 2010-11 form and excelling as a No. 1 over a prolonged stretch. He won’t get much help from his defence, so buyer beware. (And if you want to really go nuts, take a flier on Scrivens.)

A long-time member of the McKeen’s Hockey team, James Mirtle covers the NHL for The Globe and Mail and is based in Toronto.