Frozen Fantasy: Back in Action

I've been missing in action for two weeks. A backyard slip on black ice and subsequent surgery to repair a busted kneecap will do that to a person.

Yes, it hurts. But I will live.

Don't worry about me. I'm just immobilized from hip to ankle and plunked in front of the TV. It's forcing me to slow down and look at things differently. And as frustrating as it is, I am learning a lot. Especially about my preconceived ideas about who's good and who's not when it comes to the NHL.

I've learned the Senators may suck, but man are they fun to watch. So are the Orcas. Who would have thought?

The Flames are relentless. So are the Golden Knights and Sharks. The Pacific is crazy top heavy. The Habs are actually good. And the Bolts aren't just great – they're elite. And they all seem to love to play there. How cool is that for players and fans alike.

But the Maple Leafs have holes. Big ones, especially when Fredrick Andersen is out. And what's up between Mike Babcock and Auston Matthews?

Just saying.

Other things? Brent Burn should never be doubted. Never. Sergei Bobrovsky is talented, but he's acting like a baby.

And Nikita Kucherov is every bit as good as stud pivots like Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid. It's like the guy has fly eyes – he seems to have an almost 360-degree view of the ice. You have no idea if he's going to shoot, pass or deke. And his commitment to two-way play really is Datsyukian.

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to have a lot of time to see hockey in a whole new way. Sure, it comes from being stuck in a chair with my leg propped up. But I think this is going to be good for both of us.

Now let's look at who caught my eye this last while.

Mikael Backlund, C, Calgary (18 percent) - Backlund is back at it. Just like Justin Williams (below), this defense-minded, two-way pivot ends up on my list every year. Last year was a tough year for him, but this season, Backlund's Selke-savvy is in fine form. And he's putting points up in streaks – he has seven points, including four goals, in his last 10 games. And he's plus-10 in that span. Center is deep. And he won't help with special-team points. But he will if you need to shore up your plus-minus. Calgary is hot.

Tony DeAngelo, D, NY Rangers (1 percent) - His talent has never been denied. But DeAngelo's attitude always has. I'm not sure how much he has matured, but I like what I have seen on the ice in the last week. DeAngelo has two goals, one assist, 14 shots and a plus-7 rating in four games heading into Boston on Saturday night. His offensive upside was once considered near elite. Maybe this is the start of something special.

Jordan Eberle, RW/C, NY Islanders (24 percent) - Eberle has had a down season – 23 points in 42 games put him on pace for his worst full season production since his rookie year. But Ebs is starting to wake up – he has 10 points, including five goals, in his last 11 games. Now might be the time to milk this run. His second half has to be better than his first. And the Isles are hot.

Michael Frolik RW, Calgary (8 percent) - Frolik is hot. Sure, his three-game, six-point streak ended Wednesday, but he still has 10 points (four goals, six assists) and a plus-10 in his last 10 games. The Flames are among the class of the West and Frolik is playing with Backlund (above) and stud Matthew Tkachuk, who might just be the best power forward in the game. That's quite a line. I'm banking on Frolik. He might not deliver power-play points, but I need assists. And a nice boost in plus-minus.

Conor Garland, RW, Arizona (7 percent) - Garland is a blast to watch. He's like a super ball, bouncing around the rink hard and fast. Garland drives the net and scores goals by whatever means necessary. Cripes, he scored a goal off his face and cheek last week and was back smiling on the bench by the end of the period. Stitches, black eye and all. Garland's skill is shining through. He had six goals on a four-game streak last week and he picked up a power-play assist Friday – that gives him seven points in his last seven games. And 10 in his last 11. There's real value here. Along with a whole lot of fun!

Andreas Johnsson, RW, Toronto (13 percent) - I've talked about Johnsson before, so you know the talent. Right now, he has been shuffled onto a line with Mitch Marner and John Tavares – just one of the best duos in the game. Johnsson was on a modest three-game, three-point streak that was snapped Friday match. But he'll get points by osmosis playing with those two studs. You might as well take advantage.

Joonas Korpisalo, G, Columbus (14 percent) - Bob the Goalie's recent meltdown wasn't as epic as either of Patrick Roy's, but it's been a hoot to watch and follow. Korpisalo has long been seen as the goalie of the future, but his season has been queasy. Until Bob's meltdown. Korpisalo won three straight, two of which came against Nashville and Washington, prior to Friday's loss to the Habs. Bobrovsky is a free agent at season's end and he's not resigning in Ohio. They need to let him loose, so get in on Korpisalo now. And catch up here on Roy's petulance as a player and in management.

Anders Nilsson, G, Ottawa (8 percent Yahoo owned) - Nilsson's trade to Ottawa at New Year's did two things – it gave the big Swede another shot at actually becoming an NHL goalie AND paved a path for Thatcher Demko's arrival on the West coast. So far, so good on both counts. Demko won his debut Friday night. But more importantly, Nilsson is 4-1 in his last five starts and in the middle of what might be the best 10 days of his career. I missed snapping him up because of the timing of my busted patella. But he's still out there in over 90 percent of leagues. Don't be me (and don't slip on black ice, either, LOL).

Brandon Pirri, LW/C, Vegas (27 percent) - This 27-year-old tweener has been an AHL stud and NHL dud for a lot of years. But like so many, Pirri has found a home in Vegas. And suddenly, his elite touch is shining through. Pirri has eight goals and five assists in 11 games, and he's on a six-game, eight-point streak (four goals, four assists). He's actually producing no matter what line he's on, so Pirri should be in Vegas for good. His ownership is on a rocket – go see if he's still on your wire.

Chris Tierney, C, Ottawa (8 percent) - Tierney's career year continues – he has seven points (two goals, six assists) and is plus-6 in his last six games. I own him and intend to wring our every point I can. The Sens are a fun team and Tierney is really coming into his own in Canada's capital. His 50-55 point pace is filling my forward spot in the Yahoo! Friends and Family league. My team sucks, but it's not on him.

Justin Williams, RW, Carolina (16 percent) - Every year, old man Williams hits my list. He had a seven-game, seven-point (six goal) scoring streak snapped Tuesday. The 38-year-old has always been clutch in big moments and let's just say he's a part of that again. The Canes went 6-1 on his seven-game streak. Williams will be key to the team's drive to toward that last wild card spot. I'm watching … and I might just be investing.

Back to me, for just a sec.

I'm really sorry I haven't been there for you over the last couple weeks. You are so loyal to me. It ate me up that I couldn't connect with you.

But I just didn't trust my own advice – Percocet does bad things with your ability to think.

Things could be a whole lot worse. I am just inconvenienced – there are a lot of people who have things way worse. This is just a busted patella. I do have a lot of respect for what Erik Johnson went through last March. Or the hell that Trevor Van Riemsdyk went through back in 2014.

I'm ready to take on the second half with a vengeance. There's always a silver lining. This is a great opportunity to learn new things about hockey. In between episodes of North Woods Law, Highway Thru Hell and Heavy Rescue: 401 that is.

Yep, I'm a geek. LOL.

Until next week.