9 – Marc Savard – In my opinion the most under rated player in the NHL, Savard is off to a typical start. With 6 goals and 10 assists early on this year, Savard has more then a point a game. When you draft Savard you expect him to tally a lot of assists, but at this current pace he will have more then 30 goals this season. Marc plays on a solid team with solid wingers and I would expect his numbers to remain around this level all year long. The biggest reason Savard is so high on my list is because of his penalty minutes, don’t look for those numbers to remain high.

8 – Ryan Clowe – The first major surprise on this list, Clowe is off to a career best start. Early on this year Ryan has 9 goals and 14 points, to go along with 21 penalty minutes. Out of all the players on this list, Clowe would be the one I am most skeptical about, and might think of trading while his value is high. Ryan is on pace to smash all his career marks, maybe by the half way point on the season. Clowe also has 8 power play points and a game winning goal this season.

7 – Jerome Iginla - Jerome is one of the best fantasy players you can have, he is off to a bit of a slow start, but is still number 7 on my list. With 9 goals and 19 points, Iginla is on pace to get the numbers he always gets. Currently the biggest problem having Jerome is that he is a minus 4 and he seems to be very streaky early on. You can over look the plus / minus for his 11 power play points and 50 plus shots so far. In my opinion Iginla has no where to go, but up on this list.

6 – Marian Hossa - Hossa has enjoyed his time with the Red Wings and Pavel Datsyuk so far this season. With 8 goals including 2 game winners, Hossa has been a top fantasy performer thus far. Marian has 17 points and over 50 shots, but his best stat is his plus 9 ranking, which is among the league leaders. Hossa is off to a fine start, but as he starts to get more familiar with is teammates is Detroit his numbers will improve.

5 – Ryan Getzlaf - Anaheim has been on fire as of late and Getzlaf’s numbers have been excellent. Ryan has 19 points in just 16 games and is playing on the top line in Anaheim. Getzlaf will provide you with goals and points, but he will also give you penalty minutes with 25 so far this year. Look for Getzlaf to improve his numbers on the power play and continue to put up good numbers all year long. Getzlaf is a great player and his value is high right now, if you need to he could anchor a trade for your fantasy team.

4 – Thomas Vanek – Finally showing his super star ability, Vanek is off to the best start of his career. With 12 goals in just 14 games, Thomas is on pace to put up insane numbers this year. He has stuffed the fantasy stats so far this year with 60 plus shots, 2 game winning goals and short handed points. Vanek and Buffalo are off to great starts, but it is hard to believe he can keep this goal pace up. He is a point a game player in this league, but his value will probably never be higher then it is right now.

3 – Corey Perry - Hopefully you didn’t panic when Perry got off to a slow start, because he is now one of the best in the league. Perry has 18 points, 29 penalty minutes and 60 plus shots so far this season. This is the fastest turn around I have ever seen in fantasy hockey, through 6 games this year Perry had 1 point and was a minus 5 and in just 11 games increased his numbers to where they are now. Perry’s biggest value is his ability to get good numbers across the board goals, points, power play and penalty minutes.

2 – Evgeni Malkin - He is a true super star in this league and hasn’t disappointed early on this season.  He leads the league in assists with 18, points with 22 and power points with 11. He is also a plus 4 with a shorthanded point thus far. Malkin has been getting some ice time with Crosby and the 2 of them have been very productive. Look for Malkin to compete for the points title all year, he will start to score more goals eventually.

1 – Alexander Semin – Semin is off to the best start of his career and has filled up the fantasy stats thus far this season. 11 goals, 10 assists, an amazing plus 11, 2 shorthanded points and 2 game winning goals. Semin has always been highly talented and when he is motivated he will put up big numbers. Alexander’s value may never be higher then it I right now and if he was on my fantasy team I might consider trading him for a player you know will keep it up all year long. There is no denying he has been the best fantasy player so far in this NHL season.

Rick Dipietro - The Islanders put a lot of faith in Dipietro signing him to a massive contract, the problem is he keeps getting hurt. Dipietro had knee surgery and he is expected to miss 4 – 6 weeks. Rick only made three starts this year and failed to pick up a win, which no doubt has irritated fantasy owners out there. My suggestion is to get rid of Dipietro depending on how many IR spots you have on your roster. The Islanders are not very good, and even if Dipietro has a successful comeback he might not be worth a roster spot for the next 6 weeks. Hopefully Rick comes back, is healthy and can lead the Islanders to some wins. My advice is to drop him and try and pick him up in 5 weeks or so, or just draft him again next year.

Corey Perry - Perry like many of his Duck teammates got off to a slow start, but has been on fire recently. After recording 3 points in his first 8 games, Perry and the Ducks caught fire and in the next 5 Corey increased his totals in 15 points. Hopefully you had patience with Perry and kept him on your roster. Historically Perry is a great fantasy player with goals, power play points and penalty minutes. My suggestion is to keep Perry unless you get blown away by a deal, you could trade him his value might never be higher then it is right now. If you are going to trade Perry make sure you trade high and get a top 15 player in return. Perry and the Ducks are off and running and his numbers should remain good for the rest of the year.

Brendan Shanahan and Mats Sundin – Rumors are swirling that these veterans are about to return to the NHL. Shanahan is not the player he once was, but depending on where he goes can be productive. If you need shots and power play points, this might be the time to pick up Shanny and take a flyer that he might return. As for Sundin its hard to predict what is going to happen here, but Mats is still a point a game player. Sundin still deserves a roster spot in any fantasy league and depending on where he goes might be a real free agent steal. If you are struggling and need some offensive help take a chance with one of these veterans, what do you have to lose.

Martin Brodeur - Brodeur left the game early Saturday with an apparent elbow injury. He has already been ruled out of Monday night’s game and the full details have not been given. Don’t panic, you need to wait and see what the extent of the injury is. Martin is one of the most durable players in the NHL and hopefully the injury isn’t to serious. Keep your eye on the news, if Brodeur is out for an extended period of time, you will need to pick up a short period replacement.

Alexander Ovechkin is expected to return from Russia for this weeks games. You can hear the sigh of relief from all the fantasy owners out there, and hopefully OV will come back at the top of his game.

Sell High - Every year there are players who get off to great starts and fantasy owners have an opportunity to sell them while there stock is high. By sell I mean trade and get a higher valued player or more talented. The key to this is figuring out which players will keep the numbers going and which ones will fall of the leader boards. Mikko Koivu, has a career high 54 points and is on pace for more then 100 this year. Koivu has been playing great, but it might be a good time to sell while the value is high. Devin Setoguchi , is a second year player with the Sharks averaging a point a game, Filip Kuba has a career high 37 points and is on pace to smash that by getting more then a point a game. As for goalies Tim Thomas and Nikolai Khabibulin are off to great starts and might be able to get some good value. The key to making these kind of deals is trying to figure out whether these numbers will continue. If you can trade these guys for more proven performers do it, while you can.

Buy Low - On the flip side there is always players who get off to slow starts and fantasy owners will give up on them. The biggest case of this so far is Marty Turco, goalie in Dallas. With a save percentage of .837, Marty is definitely off to a horrible start. His numbers will improve as he has a career save percentage of .911 and is one of the most consistent goalies in the league. Forwards you should look at are Derek Roy from Buffalo, Martin St Louis from Tampa, Jonathon Toews from Chicago and RJ Umberger in Columbus. These guys are all of to slow starts and there numbers have no where to go but up.

Fantasy hockey is good for the game, it allows fans to educate themselves and become fans of the entire league not just one team. No matter what your strategy is or what kind of league your in, if you can ride players hot streaks and get great players at low value you will do well in your pool. Have fun, do your homework and enjoy the NHL.

If you missed out on some of the top end goalies and need to find a back up in late rounds here are a few guys you should look at:

Manny Legace – Downfall is that St. Louis isn’t good at all, but Legace is a good goalie and could serve as a backup in most fantasy leagues. He had 5 shutouts last year.

Tim Thomas – I don’t know if he is starting in Boston, but the guy always tends to put up numbers. If Fernandez is healthy Thomas will get less time, but might be worth the risk.

Mathieu Garon – Garon is starting in Edmonton and the Oilers are greatly improved. Mathieu isn’t great, but if Edmonton plays well he may put up the wins of a starter.

When picking goalies pay attention to injuries, if a teams starter go’s down you may be able to pick up the back up for his run in a starting position.

Defenseman are commonly picked in later rounds, when choosing D – men look to fill your needs in plus / minus and penalty in minutes. The worst thing you can have is d – man who is minus a lot.

Kris Letang - There is a lot of injuries on Pittsburgh’s blue line and Letang will no doubt have to play more minutes. He played 63 games last year, but look for him to be with Penguins all year.

Craig Rivet - Rivet went to Buffalo in the off season, he is a steady veteran. He won’t put up anything big for you, but he should be a plus player with chance to get 100 penalty minutes.

Shane O’Brien - Penalty minutes is what this guy will offer you, he has had more then 140 minutes in the last two seasons. Tampa is improved and he should be a plus player this year. He is a true sleeper pick and you should be able to get him in the very late rounds.

Brad Stuart - Numbers weren’t very good last year, but after the trade to Detroit they were improved. Detroit’s d – men tend to have big plus numbers and that is what you’ll get out of Stuart.

Mike Komisarek - Not going to light it up offensively for you, but will get penalty minutes. He plays in Montreal so his plus/minus numbers should be good.

Everyone knows that you need great production out of your forwards to have a good fantasy hockey year. Look for some guys to have bounce back years and some young guys who may produce in the coming year in the late rounds.

Johan Franzen - He was great at the end of last season and through the playoffs. If he can ride that success he might be the best sleeper in your pool. Also look for him to possibly play with Marian Hossa. Franzen could score more then 30 goals this year.

Nikolai Zherdev - All the talent in the world, and he should put up a lot of points. Hopefully the change a scenery to New York will help him realize his potential. He’s a risky pick, but he has the talent to be a point a game player.

Miroslav Satan – He’s in Pittsburgh and should play with Sydney Crosby. Satan is a good player, but playing with Crosby might make him put up numbers beyond his skill level maybe a point a game.

Michael Ryder - He is finally out of Montreal and found a home in Boston. He should get a chance to play with a good center, and he has proven he can score in this league. I think Ryder will re-energize his career with Boston, he could score 30 plus goals.

Daniel Carcillo - If penalty minutes count in your pool you want Carcillo. He had over 300 minutes last year playing with Phoenix. Daniel is a good player in a addition to the penalties, he might be able to put up 40 – 50 points this year.

Nik Antropov - Toronto has no depth in there forward lines making Antropov there best offensive option. Somebody has to get goals for the Maple Leafs and Nik will get the chance playing on the top line and on the power play. His plus/minus might drag down your team this year.

Taylor Pyatt - Might be playing on the top line in Vancouver and get a chance to put up some numbers. Look for him to have a career year this season.

R.J. Umberger - He got traded to Columbus in the off season and will get a chance to play with Rick Nash. He had 50 points last season and I would expect those numbers to be way higher this year.

Ruslan Fedotenko – Another guy who might have chance to play with Crosby in Pittsburgh, Syd makes everyone better around him and Fedotenko might get 50 – 60 points this season.

Well sleeper picks can push your fantasy team to greatness. The first couple of rounds are easy pick and all star and move on, but you can win the pool in the later rounds with just a little research. Don’t be fooled by big names new players come in every year and don’t be tricked to pick players who are past there prime. Hope you find the players you are looking for and have a good season.

1 – Alexander Ovechkin - You can expect 50 plus goals and 100 plus points from Alex. Ovechkin had 400 plus shots last season and a very respectable plus 28. The cast around him is getting better and should help his numbers even more. Ovechkin is the best goal scorer in the NHL and you can’t overlook him at the first pick.

2 – Sydney Crosby - Injured last year, but look for “Syd the Kid” to get back to 100 points this year. Crosby might be the best player in hockey and if anyone will put up a crazy amount of points it might be him. If Syd is healthy mark down 35 goals and at least 100 points. In a lot pools Crosby might even go 1st overall.

3 – Martin Brodeur – The first goalie on the board, Brodeur can be counted on for 40 plus wins. He may not have the best numbers for a goalie at year end, but he is the safest goalie pick. Brodeur plays almost every game for New Jersey, and you can look for him to have a goals against average in the low twos.

4 – Evgeni Malkin – Proved last year that he is a true MVP like player in the NHL. I am not sure his year will be as good as it was last year, but he has the ability to score 50 goals and get 100 points. Malkin had 40 points on the power play last year and look for the numbers to be around the same.

5 – Jerome Iginla - After Ovechkin, Iginla is the best goal scorer in hockey. He can have 50 goals easy this year and 90 plus points. Jerome had 9 game winning goals last year and leads Calgary on the power play. Iginla is a solid pick at 5, but don’t be tempted to take him any earlier then that.

6 – Henrik Zetterberg - Conn Smythe trophy winner last season, Henrik has the ability to score 50 goals for the Red Wings. Zetterberg is a good pick at 6 because he plays in all situation for the Wings, he will get you power play points and some short handed goals. His plus minus will be high, Zetterberg might the most consistent fantasy player in all categories.

7 – Dany Heatley - Had some injury problems last season, but Dany is a pure goal scorer. Last season 82 points in just 71 games, a healthy Heatley scores 50 this season. Ottawa should play an offensive game this year, and Dany should get the opportunity to rack up the points on the power play.

8 – Henrik Lundqvist – The Rangers are good and Lundqvist should get 70 plus starts this year. He led the league with 10 shutouts last season, and should post more then 40 wins this year. If Lundqvist gets close to 10 shutouts again this year he will be an excellent pick at number 8.

9 – Pavel Datsyuk – Like Zetterberg, Datsyuk will play in all situations for the Wings. Pavel can easily get 30 goals and may lead the league in assists this year. His plus / minus is always near the top of the league and he will record more then 30 power play points. Datsyuk may not score you a lot of goals, but is a great pick if can get him at 9.

10 – Vincent Lecavalier – The Lightning have improved, and that will only make Vinny’s numbers better. Lecavalier performed well short handed last season and will easily put up 30 plus power play points this year. 300 plus shots and 40 plus goals should be expected out of Vinny this season.

11 – Daniel Alfredsson - The Senators captain will not have the most points for you, but the biggest perk of picking Alfredsson is his shorthanded production. He had 9 shorthanded points last season and will produce on the power play as well.

12 – Joe Thornton - If you need assists Thornton is your man. In a lot of pools he will be picked inside the top 10, so you might get good value if you can get him at 12. Joe led the league with 67 assists last year, but he did manage to score 5 game winning goals. Don’t be tempted to pick him to early 12 is a good spot for Thornton to go.

13 – Roberto Luongo – Don’t expect Luongo to last until pick 13, but if he does pick him. Roberto is a work horse and will play almost every game in Vancouver, the problem is Vancouver isn’t very good. The wins might be down this year, but he should get 5 plus shutouts and have a good save percentage.

14 – Ilya Kovalchuk - Pure goal scorer, but that’s it, expect 50 goals, but not a lot of assists. Atlanta is a bad team therefore his plus / minus will struggle. He will be great value at the 14th pick, but no doubt someone in your pool will pick him earlier then this. He can contribute a good amount of power play points.

15 – Nicklas Lidstrom – The Red Wings captain has to be the 1st defenseman taken in any fantasy draft. He will be plus 40 or better and get you the power play points that most good forwards would. Nick can easily get a point a game and will be a great pick if you can get him at 15.

That’s the first 15 picks has I see them, good luck with your fantasy season.