Blue Line Buzz: Off To A Great Start

Blue Line Buzz

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It just doesn't end for the Columbus Blue Jackets. After Sergei Bobrovsky made a magnificent return in a 36-save win over the Sharks on Saturday night, the BJ's learned that top penalty killer Fedor Tyutin would be sidelined for a month with a sprained left knee. General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen probably wasn't going to sit through another long stretch without one of his top players, so he promptly acquired Jordan Leopold for a fifth-round pick in 2016.

Leopold wasn't getting much playing time in St. Louis and will certainly get a bigger role in Columbus as a temporary fill-in. After averaging a little over 13 minutes in seven games with the Blues, he played over 17 minutes in his Columbus debut. The 34-year-old Leopold has scored just three goals in his past 74 games so he's of little value in fantasy, but this could mean we could see more of James Wisniewski on the penalty kill, and with his propensity for offense he could be a good source of shorthanded points. The only thing is, Wisniewski has just one shorthanded goal in his career, and that was seven seasons ago.

The trade won't change much for the Blues, who are trading a spare part for a future risk, other than to signify that they're perfectly comfortable going with the six-man group they have now. However, this does mean that Petteri Lindbohm, the Blues' sixth-round pick from 2012, and the recently called up Chris Butler, moves up the depth chart as a seventh defenseman.

Leopold's trade was the second trade to involve a defenseman this week as Sergei Gonchar is off to a good start in Montreal. Like Leopold, Gonchar is getting much more ice time and a bigger role in his new home, going from averaging 13 minutes a game to almost 18 a game after being re-united with Michel Therrien. He has two assists in two games, and it's unlikely he'll keep producing points at this pace, but he's already established some chemistry with Andrei Markov on the power play and Alexei Emelin on even strength. Getting Gonchar does take a little pressure off P.K. Subban as well, though it's in Subban's nature to try and do everything all at once. Though he's still piling up the points, Subban's made some horrendous turnovers this season and is far behind the 53-point pace he set last year. Despite the team's offensive weapons, the Habs power play is clicking at just 14 percent, good for 23rd in the league.

The Stars defense hasn't been particularly very good this year, but general manager Jim Nill is creating some cap room and rolling the dice with prospects Jamie Oleksiak, Kevin Connauton and 2010 fifth-round pick John Klingberg. The Stars are still waiting for Alex Goligoski to get going, who has zero goals and seven assists in 17 games after scoring 42 points in 81 games the previous season. Trevor Daley leads the team with four power play goals, but Goligoski possesses the better offensive instincts and should be the first option. With Gonchar playing uninspiring hockey, perhaps it was a case of addition by subtraction by the Stars. He also barely played on the power play, which means Daley, Goligoski and Klingberg are the top three options.

The Los Angeles Kings continue to acquire former Sabres defensemen, signing Jamie McBain to a one-year contract after acquiring Brayden McNabb last season. An offensive defenseman and a second-round pick in 2006 out of the University of Wisconsin, McBain has struggled to play at a high level consistently and has just 23 points in his past 112 NHL games. The Kings are in a cap crunch and signed McBain as a Band-Aid solution as the Slava Voynov saga drags on, and though McBain should be playing more than the 10 minutes he's averaging right now, he won't be a significant contributor this season. Don't forget the Kings still have 2010 first-round pick Derek Forbort, Nick Ebert, Andrew Bodnarchuk and veteran Jeff Schulz in the AHL, too. Colin Miller, drafted in the fifth round in 2012, currently leads all Manchester Monarchs defensemen in scoring with eight points in 12 games, and he might get a look this season as well.

Korbinian Holzer was one of the more noteworthy call-ups this week as the big German defender made his NHL return after spending the 2013-14 season in the AHL. The Leafs defense is banged up and the righty defenseman will play only on an as-needed basis. Other than penalty minutes and some size, there isn't a whole lot Holzer brings to the table.

Meanwhile, the Coyotes' Dave Schlemko and the Rangers' Mike Kostka were both assigned to the AHL after clearing waivers. Both players were demoted as a result of a roster squeeze. In Arizona, the ever-improving Connor Murphy combined with the emergence of Brandon Gormley offered much more upside than the unspectacular 27-year-old Schlemko, while the return of Dan Boyle and an impending NHL return by Tomas Kaberle pushed Kostka two hours north to Hartford. By clearing waivers, Schlemko and Kostka can be re-called without having to go through them again, and should injuries arise both will likely get first looks. Kostka offers more upside with his skating and puck-moving ability, but he won't have an impact in fantasy if he doesn't play.

Riding the bus to the minors also includes Minnesota's top prospect Christian Folin and Jon Blum, and the Habs' Jarred Tinordi, proving yet again that defense isn't an easy position to play for young players. Folin, a 23-year-old undrafted Swede and UMass-Lowell alum, played eight games and averaged a little over 14 minutes, and despite being relatively older than his rookie peers, will go to Iowa to hone his game. He's considered a good prospect with a solid two-way game, but the Wild opted for some more size and NHL experience after calling up Justin Falk, a 6-foot-5 defenseman who re-signed with the team that drafted him in the 2007 after finishing a short stint with the Rangers. Blum, an offensive defenseman and Nashville's first-round pick in 2007, was also re-assigned to Iowa, and like McBain, has struggled to score consistently in the NHL. Tinordi wasn't playing just 12 minutes a night under Therrien and will play a much bigger role in the AHL with Nathan Bealieu taking the last spot given the addition of Gonchar.

Who's Hot

Cody Franson gets his fair share of jeers in Toronto, but after scoring 33 points in 79 games last year, he's on pace for a 50-point breakout season. Originally drafted by Nashville, a team that is arguably the best at developing defensemen, the 27-year-old is entering his prime and is currently on a seven-game point streak during which he's scored two goals and seven assists in that span. Although he doesn't possess as much raw talent as defensive partner Dion Phaneuf, Franson may be the Leafs' most dangerous offensive weapon the blue line with Jake Gardiner struggling.

Former Leaf Carl Gunnarsson is adjusting to life well in St. Louis after undergoing hip surgery over the summer. An underrated two-way defenseman who can move the puck up the ice with relative ease, Gunnarsson has three points in his past two games after scoring just one assist in his previous eight games. The Blues are deep and still rely heavily on their big three of Alex Pietrangelo, Kevin Shattenkirk and Jay Bouwmeester, but Gunnarsson could excel without feeling the pressure of having to bail out his defensive partner all the time, which was the case in Toronto when he played with Phaneuf.

He was never known for being a slick point producer, so it's both good and bad that first overall pick Aaron Ekblad is leading Florida in scoring and tied for second on the team in goals with just two. It's good that the 18-year-old has made such a seamless transition into the NHL, playing more than 20 minutes on a nightly basis, but that Ekblad leads his team in scoring shows just how much Florida's forwards have struggled this season. Regardless, Ekblad looks like one of the few lottery-pick defensemen who brings fantasy value right away. Nashville's Seth Jones (fourth overall in 2013) posted a minus-23 rating in his first season, Columbus' Ryan Murray (second overall in 2012) is injured and New Jersey's Adam Larsson (fourth overall in 2011) is close to being a bust. Even Victor Hedman (second overall in 2009) took four seasons to establish himself as a bona fide NHL defenseman.

Who's Not

I still have very high hopes for Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba, who has gone pointless in his past four games. An incredible skater who plays an aggressive offensive style, Trouba has just three points in 18 games after collecting 29 points in 65 games in his rookie season. The team is still anchored by Tobias Enstrom and Zach Bogosian, but Trouba is arguably the team's best offensive defenseman and a little more patience would be advised.

There was a time when people thought Alex Edler would be one of a long line of world-class Swedish defensemen, but that dream never quite materialized. He has the size and skill to do everything on the ice but too often lacks the killer instinct that separates the great players from the merely talented. Edler's now gone four games without a single point and posted a minus-3 rating in that span, but not without a lack of effort since he's had four shots on goal in each of his past three games. He's still logging a lot of ice time for the Canucks but he's frustrating for fantasy owners because of his up-and-down play.

Other notes

- Calgary's Mark Giordano extended his point streak to nine games and now has more points (21) than the entire Oilers defense (20). The do-it-all captain also ranks in the top five in blocked shots. When healthy, Giordano is a Norris Trophy-level player and should be able to keep up this pace for the season. Under Bob Hartley the Flames don't quit either, and Giordano's quite the competitive player.

- With a three-point night against Vancouver, a team that he continues to feast on, Arizona's Keith Yandle now has an even plus-minus rating and 14 points in 17 games on the year. He has been one of the most consistent point producers in the NHL since his sophomore year with 270 points in 462 games. He's responded nicely after a tough start to the season along with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, though the latter has yet to start piling on the points.

- He's become a hot commodity recently, and playing in Carolina means you get overlooked sometimes, but Justin Faulk should be owned in every league given his enormous potential. He's only 22 years old and already in the midst of a breakout season with nine points in 15 games. His inclusion to the U.S. Olympic team in 2014 raised eyebrows (when really it was Paul Martin and Brooks Orpik who were the questionable picks), but Faulk's one of the best skating defensemen in the league and should be a lock for the 2018 squad.