Legendary Moves: October 10th Edition

Everyone wants to be that GM who makes an amazing waiver wire grab or lopsided trade which propels their team from mediocrity to dynasty. Our Legendary Moves column is like a map which helps lead you to the Fantasy Promised Land.



   cbc.ca

Here are this weekends

1. Mike Ribeiro (DAL)
2GP - 0G - 1A - +0 - 0PIM - 0PPP - 4SOG - 4HIT - 1BLK
C

There's no question Ribeiro had a slow weekend. This low production (especially for a C), along with news that he will be playing with Ryder and Morrow and not Eriksson or Benn have caused some shockwaves in the fantasy world, allowing Ribeiro to fall through the fissures. Don't be fooled by stats, however. Ribeiro, Ryder and Morrow looked like a line ready to make an impact in those 2 games. The speed of Ribeiro and Ryder caused a panicked buzzing in the offensive zone which led to multiple quality chances. I expect Ribeiro, more so than the streaky Ryder, to have a strong season, and to at least match last season's total of 71 points. Benn gives the Stars a second line for teams to play their top defensive players against, spreading out the offensive talent and offering Ribeiro a chance to brighten up the post-Richards gloom in Dallas.

2. James Wisniewski (CLS)
0GP
D

The Wiz was dropped by fantasy teams more than any other player this week (Yahoo) except Mike Cammalleri. This may be nice for the short term gain, or for teams with no bench/utility positions, however Wiz will be back after 10 games. We are not suggesing you go and drop a useful player right now for him; however do keep in mind that after those 10 games, Wiz will be the #1 offensive defenseman on the Columbus Blue Jacks, and will be very valuable in any league.


3. Dion Phaneuf (TOR)
2GP - 1G - 2A - +4 - 4PIM - 1PPP - 7SOG - 2HIT - 3BLK
D

Coming into the season, Phaneuf was ranked 82nd by Yahoo. Many believed that Phaneuf no longer possessed the offensive qualities necessary for a #1 defenseman, and his reputation suffered. However, this may be to your benefit. Dion came into this season with memories of a late season push fresh in his mind, and he seems to have carried over the high level of play which made him dangerous last year. In a league where dumb penalties are actually advantageous to the owner, Dion provides a team with a "multicat" (multi-category) stud, who may not lead any specific category, but will contribute positively to all of the categories each week.

4. Milan Michalek (OTT)
2GP - 2G - 1A - +1 - 0PIM - 10SOG - 1HIT - 1BLK
LW/RW

Michalek was likely a depth pick in any somewhat deep draft, and a non factor in drafts with fewer than 3 sets of wings. However, if your wings (either, Michalek has LW and RW eligibility on Yahoo) need a boost, someone to come in off the bench or support your primary point getters, consider Michalek. Michalek was a productive player in San Jose (63pts, 24 goals) before being traded to Ottawa. Injuries have plagued his stay in the capital of Canada, yet his goal scoring numbers have stayed somewhat consistent. Michalek has started this season strong, and looks like a healthy player, one who will benefit from the presence of recently added players Mika Zibanejad and David Runblad. Expect a rise in production this season, with more goals, powerplay points and SOG than in his last 3 seasons.

5. Tyler Kennedy (PIT)
3GP - 1G - 1A - 0+ - 2PIM - 1PPP - 9SOG - 1HIT - 0BLK
LW/RW

In a deep league, LW/RW eligibility is a valuable attribute for a player to have, to ensure that the owner can ice the most effective players at each position with some flexibility. Kennedy has this eligibility, and he also has so much more to consider. In leagues with 3 of each wing or forward slots, Kennedy can be be a very productive multicat player. Kennedy will see more icetime next to Pittsburgh's high octane offensive forwards and will benefit from this, likely improving on last season's 21 goal effort.