As they say, if your not first your last and that’s exactly how it goes in fantasy hockey. Hopefully there were some reading and listeners when it came to Ville Husso. He’s a goaltender I’ve kept my eye on for a couple seasons now. They way I saw it and still see it, Binnington’s time is likely up as the starter in St Louis and here’s why.

Well for starters, his demeanour is all wrong when it comes to a goaltender. This is supposed to be your last line of defense and the person who calms the team when things are hot and heavy. A perfect example is Carey Price, he’s the most calming presence between the pipes I’ve ever seen. Binnington is more of a Hextall, he’s a bit of a wild man out there and seems to have hissy fit rages from time to time. These two goaltenders are at different ends of the spectrum, I think that’s something everyone in the hockey world could agree on.

Binnington’s path to the NHL was a crazy one, he even won a cup in that magical journey. Is his journey over? I don’t think so, but I think we’re about to see the Husso show. Ville Husso is the best “ready” backup goaltender in the National Hockey League. He’s also a UFA at season’s end, so this was a big season for him and for the Blues. It’s a show me the goods type season for Husso and he’s cookin’ right now, pure fire! If you are in a keeper pool and need goaltending help, I’d grab Husso right now, before you finish the article. The Blues are a good team, and Husso makes them that much more stable and I think we’ve just seen him officially take over the starter role from Binnington.

Nichushkin has been a player I’ve stayed away from most years. He missed too much time for me and his production was spotty. This season is different for Valeri Nichushkin and he’s been very productive. He’s missed a bit of time, mostly at the start of the season, but he’s looking like a great add. You may get some short handed points to go along with your close to point per game average and on top of that Colorado is an offensive juggernaut.

Dylan Strome, could it be breakout time? He’s coming off a hat trick and four point performance against Detroit, and has eight points in his last seven games. January has been a kind month to Strome, and if he can finish on a high note going into the break he could start turning some heads and really crank up that production. He’s playing alongside Patrick Kane on the top line as well as the first power play. Perhaps he’s still available in your fantasy league, as he could be a good pickup for the rest of the season or at least while he’s still on a roll.

Kahkonen has been looking better and better as this season goes and he’s getting opportunity to prove his worth as Talbot has been missing some time here and there. What was Minnesota thinking anyway? Kahkonen wasn’t even protected and on top of that he’s a young stallion ready to take this team to the next level…Seems a bit odd the whole thing. Regardless, if it’s a keeper league I’m a big fan of Kahkonen, he should take over for Talbot sooner than later. If you’re looking for a goalie, this is your man, he should get some starts until Talbot is fully healthy, but hopefully some more after he continues to impress.

It's been a whirlwind of a start for Mikheyev who asked for a trade out of Toronto last season. Ilya has been flying out there, getting in on the offensive mix for the Leafs and creating another look on the penalty kill and secondary power play. Now Mikheyev has been promoted to the Leafs second line as they are trying to give some new looks to mix into the fray as they prepare for a better performance in the first round. Perhaps a few different options for the Leafs won't hurt and Mikheyev is on a war path to make an impact that lasts.

Happy Friday, thanks for reading I hope you are starting to follow along!

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