ADD'EM: IN DESHARNAIS WE TRUST

This week’s crop of worthy fantasy waiver-wire additions features an emerging scoring center in Montreal who  is fighting off the dreaded sophomore jinx, a power-play specialist fighting for fantasy relevance, and a young defender rising in the ranks for Nashville. Enjoy and allow us to help you better your fortunes in fantasy as you adjust to the ups and downs of player production in 2012/13.

1. DAVID DESHARNAIS     C-  MONTREAL  

THE FACTS: The 26-year old pivot is coming off a career year for Montreal, where he recorded 60 points (16G/ 44 A) in 82 games.. He has scored five points- 3G/2A- in his last three games, including the game-winner last night.

THE VERDICT:  The Desharnais line is providing the bulk of the scoring now and with the addition of hot-shot Brendan Gallagher on the top unit, look for the points to keep coming. Still flying under the radar, Desharnais is not a household name, but fantasy owners should use that to their advantage and pick him up pronto if he is available on the waiver wire. A must-add for those in need of offense.

2. JONATHAN HUBERDEAU  C- FLORIDA

THE FACTS: His two-goal effort against Carolina snapped a five-game streak with no points.. The 19-year old now has 15 points (10G/5A) in 22 games.

THE VERDICT: Last season, it was the Weiss-Fleischmann- Versteeg line dominating the scoring for the Panthers. Everything has changed in 2013, as the rookies such as “Hubie” and Drew Shore have stepped up and stolen the show. Huberdeau’s keeper league upside is huge, but the youngster has developed quicker than anyone had thought. It’s very realistic that he can finish scoring at a .70 point-per-game scoring pace, then take a bigger jump next season. If you need some goals for your fantasy team, Huberdeau could be your guy.

3. ROMAN JOSI  D- NASHVILLE

THE FACTS:   The 22-year old defender has collected 7 points in 22 games, including a monster 4-point effort (2G/2A) against Dallas last week… He has replaced the departed Ryan Suter on the primary defensive pairing, both even-strength and on the man advantage.

THE VERDICT: With the talented Ryan Ellis poised to run the Nashville power play in the near future, we weren’t sure where that left Josi in regard to his fantasy worth. Well, with over 20 games into the season, Josi has stayed ahead of Ellis on the depth chart and continues to get big minutes alongside workhorse Shea Weber. While 4 of his 7 points came in one game, he has shown glimpse of his vast offensive potential and should be just a matter of time before he becomes a more consistent point contributor. He is worth adding in standard 10-12 team leagues, but with more value in keeper leagues.

4. MARC-ANDRE BERGERON  D, TAMPA BAY 

THE FACTS: The 32-year old blueliner recorded 24 points (4G/20A) in 43 games last season for Tampa Bay.. He set career highs with goals (15) and points (35) in 2005/06 for Edmonton..He has played for 6 teams in his NHL career.

THE VERDICT: Yes, he is a huge defensive liability on the ice, but there is no denying his  ability to run a power play and rack up points. With the injury to Sami Salo, an opportunity has arisen for Bergeron to gain more playing time, but mostly on the man advantage. Also, keep in mind that Bergeron scores points in bunches, as was made evident by his 20 points in the first 24 games last season. He could be a solid short-term  waiver option.

5. JAKUB MARKSTROM  G, FLORIDA

THE FACTS:  The talented Swede is 0-2 with a 3.15 GAA for the Panthers after being called up from the AHL. He played in 7 games in 2011/12, compiling a 2-4 record with a 2.66 GAA and a .923 SP.

THE VERDICT: Viewed more of a long-term fantasy solution, an injury to starter Jose Theodore opens the door again for the talented Markstrom to take the starting job again. Let’s face it- neither Theodore or Clemmensen have been the answer in net, so why not turn to their goalie of the future? The Panther have shown signs of turning things around, so maybe Markstrom can have some fantasy relevance if he becomes the starter. He is worth taking a flier on in deeper leagues.