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Don't nap on these fantasy sleepers

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Posted: Tuesday September 28, 1999 05:12 PM

Philadelphia's Daymond Langkow looks to have a breakout season, especially with the array of talent around him. Vincent Laforet/Allsport

By Pierre McGuire, CNN/SI

1. C Daymond Langkow , Philadelphia. Pugnacious sort who should thrive now that he is in a great hockey environment. Being insulated by Eric Lindros won't hurt the former No. 5 overall pick (1995), either. His speed and sniping ability will make him popular with Coach Roger Neilson .

2. LW Marian Hossa , Ottawa. Last year (15 goals in 60 games as a rookie in 1998-1999) was just a taste of what this big man can do. His strength and size make him comparable to Jaromir Jagr . He has now overcome the serious knee injury that limited his first NHL season. You'll see this guy a lot on the 11 o'clock news packages.

3. C Joe Thornton , Boston. Last half of last season (25 points in his last 33 games including the playoffs) showed that he has what it takes to be overwhelming. Leadership of Raymond Bourque helped show this guy the way. If consistency is there he'll help make the Bruins big-time contenders in the East.

4. D Steve Duchesne , Detroit. Last year (career-low six goals) was a writeoff for him in Los Angeles and Philadelpia. This year he will be running what should be the best power play in the NHL. All he has to do is play and not worry about anything else.

5. C Andrew Cassels , Vancouver. Solid pickup by the Canucks. A smart two-way player who will help Alexander Mogilny generate goals again. Look for Cassels to log serious quality minutes this year.

6. RW Owen Nolan , San Jose. Surrounded with more depth and ready to explode. Nolan's had a whole lot of bad luck the last two seasons, a time over which perhaps no player has hit more crossbars and goalposts. Things will be different this year.

7. D Robert Svehla , Florida. After signing a big long-term contract, last year (eight goals, career-low minus-13) was a disaster for him. This year things should be different as he has better leaders around him and a healthy Pavel Bure to make the power play more reliable.

8. C Matt Cullen , Anaheim. This year should be the time for this 22-year-old kid to start generating more offense. Very few young players in the league have this guy's savvy or smarts. A player who is now physically mature enough to make the next step.

9. C Doug Weight , Edmonton. Health is the only thing that could slow this guy down this year. After playing in only 43 games last season, Weight looks like he has his speed back to go along with his clever playmaking ability. Whether he has Bill Guerin back along side or not, this should be at least an 85-point season for the Captain.

10. D Mathieu Dandenault , Detroit. Shifting back to defense should not hurt his development. His speed and ability to adjust to any situation make him a valuable commodity in the league. He should have his best NHL season to date because the quality minutes are there for him now.

 

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