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From Jamie Fitzpatrick,
Your Guide to Hockey.
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Dec. 1/03-

Fantasy hockey players know about Jaromir Jagr and Jarome Iginla, big stars who are not showing big numbers. Let's look at some of the other disappointments on this season's fantasy hockey circuit.

Aleksey Morozov, forward, Pittsburgh Penguins.
5 goals-4 assists in 21 games.

Morozov made headlines in the September as a leading candidate in the Potential Mario Linemate Sweepstakes. With or without Lemieux, he isn’t scaring anybody. He was a health scratch for Saturday’s game against Carolina.

Dan Boyle, defenseman, Tampa Bay Lightning.
2 goals-9 assists in 20 games.

Tampa Bay’s best start ever should have meant great things for Boyle, whose 53 points ranked fifth among all NHL defensemen last season. But he is behind last year’s pace, despite leading the team in ice time. Boyle didn’t have a goal until last weekend, when he scored in consecutive games.

Krys Kolanos, forward, Phoenix Coyotes.
2 goals-2 assists in 21 games.

Finally healthy after nearly a season-and-a-half lost to concussion problems, Kolanos was expected to resume developing as a top young centerman. But it’s obviously a long road back. He was sent to the minors on Saturday.

Peter Sejna, forward, St. Louis Blues.
2 goals-2 assists in 18 games.

Recommended by many as a dark horse fantasy pick, Sejna was a team-worst minus-8 when he was sent to the minors last week. Like many NCAA scoring stars, he’s having trouble with the leap to pro hockey.

Miroslav Satan, forward, Buffalo Sabres.
7 goals-4 assists in 25 games.

One of the league’s most reliable forwards (66-to-75 points in each of the last five seasons), Satan got off to an okay start this year. But he disappeared in November. Could last week’s two-goal performance against Washington – his first points in 11 games – mark a reawakening?

Tuomo Ruutu, forward, Chicago Blackhawks.
1 goals-3 assists in 25 games.

The pre-season favorite for rookie of the year is having a tough time. So is everyone in Chicago. The Blackhawk have not provided quality linemates to ease Ruutu’s transition into the NHL, nor does there appear to be anyone to act as a mentor. But surely he’s capable of more than this.

Jiri Hudler, forward, Detroit Red Wings.
0 goals-1 assist in 7 games.

A reminder that the idle speculation of training camp must be taken with a grain of salt. The story in September was that Steve Yzerman would move to the wing to save his gimpy knees, opening up big minutes at center for the 19-year-old Hudler. Today, Yzerman is third in team scoring while Hudler has done most of his work in the minors. The lesson? Don’t draft teenaged rookies.

Scott Young, forward, Dallas Stars.
2 goals-2 assists in 20 games.

Pierre Turgeon is often held up as an example of free agent money wasted in Dallas. But Young, who gave the Stars a respectable 42 points last season, is looking like a bust this year. He makes nearly $3.5-million, has a no-trade clause, and was scratched from the lineup for the last five games.

Kenny Jonsson, defenseman, New York Islanders.
0 goals-2 assists in 22 games.

For the past six seasons, Jonsson has been an ultra-reliable 25-30 point defenseman. Yet another sign that the Islanders are challenging the Capitals and Blackhawks for the title of Most Screwed Up NHL Team.

Mike Sillinger, forward, Phoenix Coyotes.
2 goals-3 assist in 18 games.

Like Jonsson, Sillinger has an unspectacular but consistent history: 40-to-50 points per season. The Coyotes have plenty of centermen, which may be the problem. But Sillinger can still win faceoffs, and he managed a couple of points in Sunday's tie with Boston. So perhaps there's hope.

Marian Gaborik, forward, Minnesota Wild.
2 goals-3 assist in 12 games.

Like so many before him, Gaborik has been thrown off his game by an extended contract holdout. He’s getting plenty of shots on goal, so we’ll continue to give him the benefit of the doubt for a while.

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