By JIMMY D / Tonight on Leino! Pick him off waiver wire | Jimmy's archive

Everyone noticed Henrik Zetterberg’s huge new contract last week, but few people noticed what happened shortly thereafter that may have implications for your fantasy hockey roster.

Zetterberg sat out a game with a minor injury, and a 25-year-old Finnish rookie named Ville Leino was called up. While Jimmy is never one to get too excited about rookies who score in their first game, not even when it’s a highlight-reel, toe-drag special, this could be different.

Leino made the team in training camp but went to the AHL in a numbers crunch with the deep Red Wings. He was a point-per-game skater in the AHL with Grand Rapids.

Coach Mike Babcock threw him on the top line with Pavel Datsyuk and Marian Hossa, prompting Jimmy to scoop him off waivers (throwing back slumping Anze Kopitar).

No team is more adept at locating brilliant Euro talent in free agent circles than the Wings and no team is better at integrating them successfully with the big team.
Keeper leaguers should take note as well as Top 6 forwards in Detroit are often money in the fantasy bank.

The week after the All-Star break also saw several other emerging skaters and another player hitting the injured list. Some have likely been scooped up, but check the waiver wire if you are looking for a hot hand.

Rich Peverley, Thrashers – Another beneficiary of surprise top-line duty, a trio of three-point games since Jan. 16 playing with Ilya Kovalchuk and Bryan Little. Things are not going well in Atlanta, who recalled minor-league forwards Colin Stuart and Joe Motzko.

Kyle Okposo, Islanders – Burly winger has scored in four straight games and the Islanders have three wins and an OT loss in those games (on the heels of an ugly seven-game losing streak). He has been clicking on a line with Blake Comeau and 2008 first-rounder Josh Bailey.

Chris Mason, Blues – Inconsistent backstop did his best brick wall impersonation of late, snagging shutouts in two of his past three starts (on the road at Chicago and home with 36 saves against the Flyers). Need depth or a sudden burst of goalie stats? Check him out.

Tim Connolly, Sabres – Yes, he’s fragile and he’s one shoulder to the jaw away from retirement, but when he’s healthy, Connolly is a reliable point producer. He has scored five of his past six games and has 16 points in 16 games for the improving Sabres. He might still be skating under the radar in your league.

Tomas Kaberle, Leafs – Defenseman will be shelved for a month after breaking a bone in his hand, meaning you need to grab some blueline help. It also puts a crimp in Toronto’s expected plan to peddle him at the trade deadline.

Harrison upsets Super Bowl contest

Jimmy did not win the Super Bowl props contest he entered Sunday and he blames James Harrison, the NFL’s defensive player of the year for it.
Harrison’s Super-Bowl-record interception return for a score on the final play of the first half was enough to turn the tide in the contest.

Sure it was a wildly exciting play, but it also doomed Jimmy’s pick that the longest TD score of the game would be less than 47.5 yards long. It also ruined Jimmy’s call that there would not be a defensive or special teams TD in the game.

And after such a promising start where Jimmy sagely picked Heads in the coin toss and pegged the Cardinals to win (making it 12 Super Bowl coin toss wins in a row). Thanks to Bowmans.net for putting on the game and putting up $5,000 in prizes.

jpoole@herald.ca