NHL Players in the Olympics

The title says it all.  This article will be no more than a comprehensive list of NHL (and some other players owned by NHL teams) players set to participate in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

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NHLHS Endorsed Pickups

NHLHS Endorsed Pickups is a weekly column where we discuss players worthy of your fantasy team.  We hold no responsibility over the outcome of your roster, however, if you view past articles you will find a pretty successful track record.  Any player written about is under 50 percent owned in Yahoo! leagues.

This week we will go over some promotions to the top lines and analyze the longevity of their value.  In addition, some players elevated their games following an Olympic selection, so there are a number of exciting topics to go over on this weeks edition of NHLHS Endorsed Pickups.

Here are today’s picks:

C: Erik Christensen, New York Rangers –  Would you believe me if I told you in August Erik Christensen would be the Rangers number one center?  The latest pivot for Marian Gaborik recently put together a modest 3 game point streak, putting in two goals and two assists.  A waiver flier from the Rangers earlier in the year seems to thrive in the offensive system of coach John Tortorella so as long as the kid stays healthy, he should be productive.  The 26-year-old showed past success playing in the Atlantic Division playing with the Penguins before leaving for Atlanta in the storied Marian Hossa swap.

Prognosis: Ride him while he is hot.  A good streaking option for at least five more games.

What Will Washington Do…

…with all that cap room?

With the loan of Michael Nylander to Grand Rapids of the NHL, the Capitals gained financial flexibility which should allow them to acquire some help in areas they deem necessary.  As of this writing, the Caps 24 wins lead the League making the average fan ask: How can they possibly get better?

Corey Masisak of The Washington Times lists five speculative picks that would bolster this team as they prepare for a lengthy playoff campaign.  As the team stands there is little need for improvement but one could make a case for another top defender.

As we know from our history watching the playoffs, depth is key.  The team’s current construction has featured numerous players shifting up and down the teams forward lines as coach Bruce Boudreau dealt with injuries and juggling in order to find the proper mix.  Still Masisak believes the most glaring need is this top defenseman. His solution: Scott Niedermayer.

Niedermayer currently captains the Anaheim Ducks and has lead them, as well as his former team the New Jersey Devils, to the Stanley Cup.  In addition, this may be the last year in the NHL for the 36-year-old.  Although he only has three goals on the season, he would become a powerful weapon on the Washington powerplay, something dreams are made of.  He along with Mike Green would give them two elite puck-moving defensemen which would be incredibly dangerous for this already powerful offense.

Hungry Preds Avoid Injury Bug

So far in this season of the National Hockey League, injuries have been a plenty. Across the board every NHL team featured a substantial injury or two.

However, there has been one team able to avoid the issue of a long term injury to a key player or players.  That team is the Nashville Predators.

Aside from the team being one of the hottest teams in hockey as of late, they have been gifted by the hockey gods. Up to today, the Predators lost a total of 60 man-games due to injury or illness, one of the lowest number of man-games lost in the entire league.

The list:

Jason Arnott – Missed from October 21st to October 31st

Wade Belak – Missed from November 14th to November 19th

J.P. Dumont – Missed from October 8th to October 14th and then missed November 5th to November 10th.