Deep into the NHL season, only one word that can sum up my fantasy hockey team so far — sucky.
Fifth out of 12 teams isn't bad, but considering that I had the first overall pick in the draft and tons of expectations to meet when questioned about my abilities to draft a fantasy winner, I'm disappointed.
A huge reason for inconsistences is injuries. Atlanta Thrashers forward Peter Bondra was scheduled to return to the lineup Tuesday but was a huge loss in scoring for my fantasy team. Los Angeles forward Pavol Demitra is still listed day to day with injury, and that hasn't been helping the matter either.
And you want to know what really grinds my gears? I got my first shutout last week when Chris Osgood blanked the Blue Jackets. I realize that this is the new NHL with more scoring, but I never thought I would get my first goaltender shutout in January.
To compensate for injuries, I picked Nashville center Paul Kariya off the waivers. Surprisingly, he hadn't been already taken. To help with goaltending, I added Vancouver's Alex Auld, who will be getting the starting nod from now on since Dan Cloutier suffered a season-ending injury.
Some other players to snatch off waivers if your team has been hit with the injury bug are New Jersey forward Jamie Langenbrunner, Rangers winger Petr Sykora and Edmonton defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron.
Don't read this next section if you're sick of me whining about my inconsistent team because the following players have helped contribute to my fantasy woes. These players are certainly keepers:
• Eric Staal: This Carolina forward has 31 goals and 64 points on the season and has been dynamite.
• Alexander Ovechkin: He has proven himself to be the best rookie in the league (with all due respect to Sidney Crosby). His 62 points lead the Capitals and his consistency makes him the current front-runner to win Rookie of the Year.
• John-Michael Liles: The former Spartan is on a roll with Colorado in his second NHL season. His 35 points have already surpassed his totals from 2003-04, and although he might not be one of your big-name defensemen, this guy is a soon-to-be star in the big leagues.
