By JIMMY D / NHL Fantasy All-Stars, Obama in Washington | Jimmy's archive

Mike Komisarek will be a surprise starter in the NHL All-Star Game this weekend, but he’s nowhere to be found on Jimmy’s list of NHL Surprise Fantasy All-Stars.

Jimmy rewards players grabbed in the middle or late rounds (or scooped off waiver wires during the year) for some props in his annual mid-season awards column.

Evgeni Malkin – OK, OK, Jimmy’s prognostications of his demise as a fantasy stud were wrong. Potting 69 points in 47 games to lead the past two MVPs in scoring - Sid Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin – earns him reluctant Jimmy kudos. It was a surprise to Jimmy, if nobody else.

Jeff Carter – You probably got him in the middle rounds of your draft and have laughed all the way to the bank in your league. With 30 goals and a league-leading four shorties, along with nine power-play goals, he earns a spot.

David Krejci – Was this guy even taken in your initial draft back in September? Try 48 points and +25 with only 13 power-play points on for size. What’s gonna happen when the Bruins wise up and give this dude some PP time?

Todd White – Jimmy gave up on White after he bounced from Ottawa to Minnesota to Atlanta in recent years, seldom threatening the 40-point barrier. But he’s on a point-per-game pace for the Thrashers and has been a terrific surprise with nine power-play goals.

Ryane Clowe – Hard-working Newfie (is there any other kind?) has 11 power-play goals in San Jose and is a key piece of sandpaper that keeps the Sharks biting. For reference sake, he has more production than Jason Spezza, Jiri Hudler and Ales Hemsky.

Michael Ryder – Another surprise from The Rock, did anyone else figure Ryder was riding off into the sunset? He had 31 points in a sad final year in Montreal and already has 32 this year. And his combined -29 from two seasons as Hab has been replaced by an inexplicable +21 in Beantown.

Scott Clemmenson – Hopeless Devil backup to Marty Brodeur has given hope that Jersey will make the playoffs after all. If he had bombed, the Devils could have been forced into a trade, which might have upset the excellent chemistry here in The Swamp.

Ty Conklin – Keeps getting passed from team to team (mainly so he can play in the New Year’s Classic each year) and keeps putting up amazing numbers. The Wings brought him in to back up Chris Osgood, but Conklin has five shutouts and a 16-5-1 record.

Steve Mason – Jimmy has bragged up this Blue Jacket rookie since the week he got called up. He effectively rendered Pascal Leclaire irrelevant in Columbus
Plenty of NHLers have put up better fantasy numbers, but few did so from such low draft positions. And none have provided more value for your teams.

Jimmy has a dream….

A black man in the White House and the Cardinals in the Super Bowl? It’s hard to imagine which seemed more of a longshot back in 1963 when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke about his ‘dream’ for America.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day was bookended by Sunday’s NFC title game win by the Cardinals and Barack Obama’s inauguration as President of the United States today. Obviously, the latter carries far more significance and hopefully ushers in an era of economic renewal and racial harmony in the USA which spills over to Canada and the rest of the world.

Heck, the 9-7 Cardinals are heading to the Super Bowl – anything is possible. And yes, hecklers, the Philadelphia Eagles are NOT going to the Super Bowl, thanks for reminding poor Jimmy.

Jimmy D

jpoole@herald.ca