NHL Update by Bobby Gottfried

OK, so here we are, just over a month into the NHL season. What do we know? First of all, the top two picks in almost every draft aren't even the top guys on their own teams. Yes, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are being surpassed by teammates Evgeni Malkin and Alexander Semin, respectively. Malkin and Semin are currently in a race for the points lead, with Malkin ahead since Semin was injured last week (although he could return as soon as tomorrow). Semin is also tied with Thomas Vanek for the league lead in goals. Meanwhile both Ovie and Crosby struggled out of the gate, but seem to be getting back on track now.

Speaking of Ovechkin and Semin, if you're in need of help in +/-, try to trade for someone on the Capitals 1^st line. Ovechkin, Semin, and linemate Nicklas Backstrom are all in the top 5 of +/- so far this season, and defenseman Mike Green, who is often on the ice with the other 3, is also in the top 5 (for those doing the math, that's 4 Capitals in the top 5). The line puts up points and doesn't surrender many goals, making them +/- machines.

Final thought on my Capitals homerism before moving on. If you're a Jose Theodore owner, then Brent Johnson has become the must-have goalie handcuff. Even if you don't have Theodore, you may want to look into picking up Johnny. In 8 games this season he's 5-1-2 with a 2.15 GAA and a .931 SV%, both much better than Theodore. He started 5 consecutive games for the Caps, winning the final 4 and going 4-0-1 overall. He also has not allowed an even-strength goal in his last 3 starts. It seemed that Johnny was on his way to stealing the starting gig from Theodore before getting hurt against Carolina. He was healthy enough to back up Theodore the past 2 games, but Johnson says he's 100% again, and coach Bruce Boudreau has not committed to a starter tomorrow at Anaheim. But it seems there will be a timeshare in Washington, so if you own Theodore, you should do everything you can to get your hands on Johnson.

Sticking with goalie handcuffs, another guy who's been performing great is Brian Boucher, filling in for the injured Evgeni Nabokov. Boucher posted shutouts in each of his first two starts this season, and since has continued to look solid as he's started 6 straight games for San Jose, with a GAA under 2, even with one bad performance where he gave up 5 goals. Nabokov is coming back soon, and has shown that he can shoulder the load and stay relatively healthy in his career. But he looked tired in the playoffs last year, and the Sharks have said they want to rest him more. He won't play 94% of the games from here on out like he did last season. Boucher has also earned more playing time, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him spell Nabokov more often, especially in back-to-back games and while he's getting back to 100%. If you're a Nabokov owner and you have room on your roster, Boucher could be a good pickup in case Nabby reinjures himself.

If you need some forward help, see if Milan Lucic is available in your league. He has posted a modest 11 points (5 G, 6 A) through 18 games, and that pace may be about right, or even a little high. But what he doesn't get you in points he gets you elsewhere. He has 43 PIMs through those 18 games. He's also a healthy +7, tied for 23^rd overall in the league. So if you need help in either of those categories, he's a solid pickup who will get you a fair number of points on the side.

On defense, take a look at recent Blackhawks callup Cam Barker. In just 8 games this season he's posted 9 points (3 G, 6 A), 6 of them on the power play. He's also hovering around and above 20 minutes on the ice a game, plenty of time to be productive. Trade rumors are swirling around him as the Blackhawks may look to free up cap space, but he's worth a flyer, and it's also worth it to see where he may land if the rumors prove true.