Fantasy Hockey Rundown: Superstars and the Teammates Who Love Them

How many superstars did you draft in your fantasy hockey league this year? If the answer is two or more, chances are that at least one of them has disappointed you.

So what should you do? Bailout now or keep hoping for a turnaround?

Starting the success stories of the year, Shane Doan has been fantastic through the first five or so weeks of the season. With 15 points, tons of shots, penalty minutes, and five power-play points, he's done every single thing possible to reward the owners who drafted him highly.

And yet, as great as Doan has been, it's unlikely he will continue to post numbers at this clip. Trading him now is a pretty darn good idea.

Despite Detroit's meltdown loss to Pittsburgh last night, Marian Hossa has been stellar, posting a team-leading 19 points, while going plus-seven and putting up eight of his points on the power play. Coming into the season, expectations were tempered because of the extreme depth at forward in Hockeytown, but alas, the bar is high again. Owners should expect Hossa to continue playing well—but not expect his numbers to maintain this pace.

While Hossa has been rock-solid, teammate and starting netminder Chris Osgood has been simply awful. Part of the problem is that Detroit seems to be a focusing a little more on offense, but Osgood has allowed plenty of soft goals. The Wings are said to be looking for a change in net soon, so owners should have other options in mind for the future.

Sidney Crosby has been drafted as a No. 1 fantasy pick for the past three years, and is posting worthwhile numbers yet again. His 19 points—eight on the power play—56 shots on goal, and 14 penalty minutes are all rather solid, but not amazing. The best part about "Sid the Kid" is his consistency—his numbers are sustainable and he will probably end up with a nice 110 points and over 200 shots on net.

Speaking of superstars from Pittsburgh, has anyone noticed that Geno Malkin is again leading the league in scoring? He's posting good to great numbers in every category with the exception of penalty minutes. The only thing capable of slowing him down is a freak injury.

Jarome Iginla is one of the only true five-tool players in the league, and although not a leading scorer, he consistently helps owners out across the board. This year is no exception. With 10 goals and 21 points already, Iginla is looking to break the 100-point barrier for the first time in his career. If you have Iginla, enjoy it. If not, don't bother trying to trade for him.

And while we're on the subject of well-rounded players, what's up with Vinny Lecavalier? He's posting very modest numbers at this point, with no turnaround in sight. The real problem is the huge mess in Tampa Bay. Barry Melrose is already on the hot seat, and the new owners may be running low on money. Keep an eye on Vinny and company for the time being.

Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane has 18 points already, and seems to be entirely legitimate as a No. 2 fantasy forward. Expect his numbers to stay even or rise as soon as Jonathan Toews comes back into form.

Speaking of Toews, he now has goals in back-to-back games after going an eternity without one. He will almost certainly continue scoring in the near future. If you're in need of a center, Toews is attainable and a heck of a value.

Defenseman Dan Boyle of San Jose has enjoyed a resurgence with the Sharks, with 11 points so far. He's seeing a ton of ice time and is the Sharks power-play quarterback these days. Fellow defenseman Dion Phaneuf is also posting great numbers—with 13 points and shots on goal galore.

On the opposite end of the spectrum however is Zdeno Chara. Expectations for the renowned strongman were so high coming into this season, anything below 50 points would've been seen as a massive disappointment. And yet through 14 games, he has just four points. The silver lining in this cloud is that Chara recently scored his first goal of the year. He will indeed have a turnaround—and is reachable, if you offer something decent in return.

Speaking of the Bruins, Tim Thomas looks like an early-eason Hart and Vezina trophy candidate, making save after save. Whoever drafted him early on is now looking particularly savvy. Franchise center Marc Savard has a point per game so far, but no teammates to help him shoulder the offensive load. However, the situation may get better as Chuck Kobasew has recently returned from injury.

The Hurricanes are a complete mess right now, and it's really killing their corps of forwards. Eric Staal has only nine points thus far, and Rod Brindamour is minus-13. The only good news is that Ray Whitney has been a pleasant surprise with 13 points.

They also have a problem in net, as Michael Leighton has been routinely taking starts away from the again disappointing and often highly-drafted Cam Ward.

The Wild are another a team in transition, as Marian Gaborik is still out with an undisclosed lower-body (groin) injury and no clear return date in sight. This has hurt several of Marian's teammates, including Marek Zidlicky and Andrew Brunette. The only good news is that Gabby has again resumed skating and will hopefully be able to return within a couple of weeks.

Brendan Morrow has been up and down so far this season, but still has 13 points and 47 penalty minutes. On the other hand, Marty Turco has been beyond pathetic. A GAA of 3.75 is just awful, and the lack of defense has led to a lack of wins. This, in turn, has lead to turmoil in the dressing room—and may lead to a roster shakeup. Everyone should keep an eye on them at this point.

Speaking of teams trying to shake their inner demons, the Thrashers' struggles come to mind. The teams top offseason acquisition, Mathieu Schnieder, has been horrific, with just four points and a minus-11 rating. He's been fighting an injury to boot.

Teammate Ilya Kovalchuk continues to be hit and miss as the season goes along. He may soon be traded—but until he is, youngster Bryan Little is spending every minute on ice with him, and has the numbers to prove it. Little is a nice short-term solution for anyone in a pinch.

The Washington Capitals can only go as far as Alex Ovechkin can take them, right? Well, maybe not. Alexander Semin now has 13 goals in five-and-a-half weeks of hockey, and that was with Ovechkin nowhere to be found. Now that Ovechkin is picking it up, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, and company should all enjoy a rise in fantasy value.

The Flyers are yet another club that continues to struggle despite having many high-value players. Mike Richards has 17 points and is a picture of stability, while the other star center in Philly, Daniel Briere, can't stay healthy. Kimmo Timmonen and Braydon Coburn have posted disappointing numbers thus far—thanks in part to issues on the powerplay. And by the way, if you own Jeffrey Lupul, do something about your RW situation now, because he's currently languishing on the team's fourth line.

Speaking of inconsistency, what about the Buffalo Sabres? Superstar Thomas Vanek has 13 goals and 3 assists through 17 games but what about his mates? Derek Roy merely has 10 points, 8 assists, and is -5. Jason Pominville has posted solid numbers thus far with 7 goals and 6 assists but that just about ends the pleasantries. Drew Stafford has been a terrible flop and Tim Connolly is constantly in and out of the line up with injuries. The defenseman have been equally disappointing. Beyond Vanek and Miller, Buffalo is a team with modest fantasy value.