Quickly... the stories that are still waiting to break.
Mats Sundin
If only Mats Sundin played football, then he would be on the cover of every sport section and sports website like Brett Favre. Next to Hossa Mats was probably number 2 on most teams offseason radars... and it showed. Within a day reports were being released that Vancouver had offered Mats a 2 year deal at 10 million per year (WHAT!!!?!?!?!?!??!?!). This pretty effectively removed several teams from the running. It is widely believed that the only two teams still vying for/having the cap space for Mr. Sundin's services are The Canucks and the team the Toronto Spare Parts...er Maple Leafs. Sundin says he will make his decision on August 1. Wherever he ends up, you will want to draft him. Unless he accepts the following deal:
Sundin to his hammock for the rest of his life for future considerations including but not limited to a steady stream of Swedish models.
Joe Sakic
Its Colorado or bust for Burnaby Joe. I have made no secret of my admiration for Sakic. He's a true sportsman. His commitment on the ice (19 seasons with the same organization) and off of it (married to his high school sweetheart with whom he has three kids) is something to be respected and admired. Oh and he's really really freaking good. Did you know Sakic is 9th all time in overall points in the NHL?
If he signs is he still fantasy worthy? God yes. Before his injury Joe was scoring at a point a game pace, and he is only one year removed from a 100 point season.
Brendan Shanahan
Old faithful himself, Shanahan is looking for one more NHL season. The teams interested are rumored to be many but the talk seems to be centering around a return to the Rangers for one final go. I think Shanahan is a fine signing by a team so long as they don't break the bank on him. He'll still chip in about 20 goals and shouldn't take away too much ice time from any young guns that are being developed. You however should be cautious when picking him for your fantasy team. Knee problems will limit the old one's ice time and likely take away his effectiveness on the man advantage. Be warned.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
I Don't Get the Blues
St. Louis Blues
St. Lou is in hardcore rebuilding mode. About all they added this offseason was Nashville's goaltending controversy. Legace will be the number 1 goaltender at the start of the season, and he will put up fine numbers (because Manny Legace is a fine regular season goaltender). He will get hurt though... maybe more then once. That's when Mason will try to assert himself. He may do it. He may not. Either way Mason's arrival basically makes neither of these goaltenders a sure thing. If you're thinking of drafting the Blues goalie then one of three things are true:
1. You think Legace is a really cool name.
2. You missed out on a goalie run or two.
3. Its late in the draft and you want to take a flyer
If you insist on drafting a goalie from the Blues then, like Colorado, you probably need both.
And with that our offseason wrapups are complete. (Exhales).
Stay tuned for Offseason Awards...
St. Lou is in hardcore rebuilding mode. About all they added this offseason was Nashville's goaltending controversy. Legace will be the number 1 goaltender at the start of the season, and he will put up fine numbers (because Manny Legace is a fine regular season goaltender). He will get hurt though... maybe more then once. That's when Mason will try to assert himself. He may do it. He may not. Either way Mason's arrival basically makes neither of these goaltenders a sure thing. If you're thinking of drafting the Blues goalie then one of three things are true:
1. You think Legace is a really cool name.
2. You missed out on a goalie run or two.
3. Its late in the draft and you want to take a flyer
If you insist on drafting a goalie from the Blues then, like Colorado, you probably need both.
And with that our offseason wrapups are complete. (Exhales).
Stay tuned for Offseason Awards...
Predatory Thinking
Nashville Predators
Controversy over Radulov notwithstanding (something I'll address in the team previews once the situation gets a little clearer) Nashville is a team in flux.
They have a lot of talent, more then you probably realize, particularly on D. However the Predators just lack that scoring punch up front. If Steve Sullivan is healthy this year, well that might change things. I'm getting ahead of myself though.
About the only significant things that happened here in the offseason were the resolving of some controversies in goal and on D. By allowing Chris Mason to walk Nashville has made Dan Ellis the presumptive number one goalie. This was the right choice. Ellis was the better of the two goalies for the entire season, winning 23 of his 44 starts and posting a 2.39 GAA and .924 Sv. %. Its unknown whether Ellis will be able to carry these numbers across a full season as last years 44 games make up the majority of his 45 game career. With no significant competition Ellis is definitely the number 1, just beware of a sophmore slump and try to trade him while his value remains high.
Zidlicky's departure also signals a shift to the promotion of the talented young D-corps. Shea Weber and Ryan Suter should both see polite bumps in their production as a result.
Controversy over Radulov notwithstanding (something I'll address in the team previews once the situation gets a little clearer) Nashville is a team in flux.
They have a lot of talent, more then you probably realize, particularly on D. However the Predators just lack that scoring punch up front. If Steve Sullivan is healthy this year, well that might change things. I'm getting ahead of myself though.
About the only significant things that happened here in the offseason were the resolving of some controversies in goal and on D. By allowing Chris Mason to walk Nashville has made Dan Ellis the presumptive number one goalie. This was the right choice. Ellis was the better of the two goalies for the entire season, winning 23 of his 44 starts and posting a 2.39 GAA and .924 Sv. %. Its unknown whether Ellis will be able to carry these numbers across a full season as last years 44 games make up the majority of his 45 game career. With no significant competition Ellis is definitely the number 1, just beware of a sophmore slump and try to trade him while his value remains high.
Zidlicky's departure also signals a shift to the promotion of the talented young D-corps. Shea Weber and Ryan Suter should both see polite bumps in their production as a result.
Marian Hossa and The Winged Wheel of Doom
Detroit Red Wings
Don't look now hockey fans but the team whose only serious competition on the way to the Stanley Cup last year came in the form of the Dallas Stars and Hasek's hip just lost nothing except for the aforementioned Mr. Hasek and added one of the best players in hockey in Mr. Marian Hossa. Why do other GM's even bother?
It doesn't matter who Hossa plays with, he's just good. Hossa had 56 points in 60 with Atlanta last season. In Detroit Hossa will be centered by either Datsyuk or the young and talented Valteri Filpulla. I would expect Detroit will spread its BIG 3 (Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Hossa) across two lines creating one of the following combinations:
Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Holmstrom
Franzen-Filpulla-Hossa
or
Franzen-Datsyuk-Hossa
Zetterberg-Filpulla-Holmstrom
or
Zetterberg-Filpulla-Hossa
Franzen-Datsyuk-Holmstrom
Either way Hossa's numbers should be ridiculous. I think, looking at the above, Filpulla stands to benefit the most from this acquisition (as Zetterberg and Datsyuk are already fantasy superstars). Slight boosts go also to Holmstrom and Franzen. Cleary I think gets the sort end of the stick here as he was starting to show some very good promise the last two seasons and will now spend the majority of his time playing on the third scoring line. Say goodbye to the powerplay unit Dan. Oh god... this powerplay!
A return to the 90 or 100 point arena for Hossa should not only be expected, but I think it would be a disappointment if he scored any less. Also, while Hossa's commitment to the defensive end of the game has been criticized in the past, he now finds himself playing with two of the best defensive forwards in the game in Datsyuk and Zetterberg, and in front of the best defense in the league (Lidstrom, Rafalski, Stuart, Kronwall are you serious!!!). His plus/minus should thus significantly improve.
This team might actually be better than you think. Scary huh?
Don't look now hockey fans but the team whose only serious competition on the way to the Stanley Cup last year came in the form of the Dallas Stars and Hasek's hip just lost nothing except for the aforementioned Mr. Hasek and added one of the best players in hockey in Mr. Marian Hossa. Why do other GM's even bother?
It doesn't matter who Hossa plays with, he's just good. Hossa had 56 points in 60 with Atlanta last season. In Detroit Hossa will be centered by either Datsyuk or the young and talented Valteri Filpulla. I would expect Detroit will spread its BIG 3 (Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Hossa) across two lines creating one of the following combinations:
Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Holmstrom
Franzen-Filpulla-Hossa
or
Franzen-Datsyuk-Hossa
Zetterberg-Filpulla-Holmstrom
or
Zetterberg-Filpulla-Hossa
Franzen-Datsyuk-Holmstrom
Either way Hossa's numbers should be ridiculous. I think, looking at the above, Filpulla stands to benefit the most from this acquisition (as Zetterberg and Datsyuk are already fantasy superstars). Slight boosts go also to Holmstrom and Franzen. Cleary I think gets the sort end of the stick here as he was starting to show some very good promise the last two seasons and will now spend the majority of his time playing on the third scoring line. Say goodbye to the powerplay unit Dan. Oh god... this powerplay!
A return to the 90 or 100 point arena for Hossa should not only be expected, but I think it would be a disappointment if he scored any less. Also, while Hossa's commitment to the defensive end of the game has been criticized in the past, he now finds himself playing with two of the best defensive forwards in the game in Datsyuk and Zetterberg, and in front of the best defense in the league (Lidstrom, Rafalski, Stuart, Kronwall are you serious!!!). His plus/minus should thus significantly improve.
This team might actually be better than you think. Scary huh?
Centers Wanted
"SW LW seeks like-minded young C to assist him. C should be fast, patient and willing to do a lot of the heavy lifting as it relates to moving us forward. High instability, nothing is guaranteed. Must not care about having a night life."
Seriously... why doesn't anyone want to center Rick Nash? I would kill for that job. I think I could have 40 assists playing with this guy. He's a force. But every offseason Columbus goes out in an attempt to fill that spot and every offseason we end up wondering who is going to put the puck on the enigmatic 24 year old's stick.
The Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets gave up on the Zherdev project and added two new ones.
R.J. Umberger, a first round draft pick in 2001, is presumptively going to get the first shot at centering Mr. Nash. This actually a promising acquisition for Columbus. Umberger never quite lived up to his potential in Philadelphia, but Philadelphia was and remains notoriously deep at center, and his ice time suffered as a result. Still, last season, Umberger finished with 13 goals and 37 assists. If Umberger spends the season with Nash I expect those numbers to go up significantly, as should his powerplay output. But since his value is so far tied up in his line mates I don't think Umberger is worth much, even as a sleeper. He's someone to watch early on in the season, and to pay attention to in training camp.
The other big acquisition for the Blue Jackets was Kristian "Horton Hears a" Huselius. And before you ask... yes I desperately wanted Huselius to end up back in Florida this year so that joke would have worked better. Huselius has had the two best seasons of his career in the past two years, scoring 77 and 66 points respectively. Its not that I don't like Huselius... its just that I... don't like him. I wouldn't expect this move to increase his fantasy value. I would expect his +/- to dip back into the negative, and for his point totals to go down to the low 60's. He benefited from having the spotlight off of him in Calgary while still getting to play on the powerplay with Jarome Iginla. Nash is good, but he's no Iginla, and the defense here is nothing compared to Calgary's.
It DID get better though. Mike Commodore is a very good stay at home defenseman and should help the team win some tighter games. Backman... well having watched him last season I don't believe he's much of anything. Tyutin though will help on the point at the powerplay and was developing into a decent defensive d-man towards the end of last season. None of these defenseman will make up for the offensive output lost with the departure of Hainsey, but they will improve the team defensively. That should help Leclaire's already sterling numbers, assuming Leclaire can stay healthy.
So...defensively improved, offensively treading water. Another long season for Blue Jackets fans and Pacal Leclaire is in the forecast.
Seriously... why doesn't anyone want to center Rick Nash? I would kill for that job. I think I could have 40 assists playing with this guy. He's a force. But every offseason Columbus goes out in an attempt to fill that spot and every offseason we end up wondering who is going to put the puck on the enigmatic 24 year old's stick.
The Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets gave up on the Zherdev project and added two new ones.
R.J. Umberger, a first round draft pick in 2001, is presumptively going to get the first shot at centering Mr. Nash. This actually a promising acquisition for Columbus. Umberger never quite lived up to his potential in Philadelphia, but Philadelphia was and remains notoriously deep at center, and his ice time suffered as a result. Still, last season, Umberger finished with 13 goals and 37 assists. If Umberger spends the season with Nash I expect those numbers to go up significantly, as should his powerplay output. But since his value is so far tied up in his line mates I don't think Umberger is worth much, even as a sleeper. He's someone to watch early on in the season, and to pay attention to in training camp.
The other big acquisition for the Blue Jackets was Kristian "Horton Hears a" Huselius. And before you ask... yes I desperately wanted Huselius to end up back in Florida this year so that joke would have worked better. Huselius has had the two best seasons of his career in the past two years, scoring 77 and 66 points respectively. Its not that I don't like Huselius... its just that I... don't like him. I wouldn't expect this move to increase his fantasy value. I would expect his +/- to dip back into the negative, and for his point totals to go down to the low 60's. He benefited from having the spotlight off of him in Calgary while still getting to play on the powerplay with Jarome Iginla. Nash is good, but he's no Iginla, and the defense here is nothing compared to Calgary's.
It DID get better though. Mike Commodore is a very good stay at home defenseman and should help the team win some tighter games. Backman... well having watched him last season I don't believe he's much of anything. Tyutin though will help on the point at the powerplay and was developing into a decent defensive d-man towards the end of last season. None of these defenseman will make up for the offensive output lost with the departure of Hainsey, but they will improve the team defensively. That should help Leclaire's already sterling numbers, assuming Leclaire can stay healthy.
So...defensively improved, offensively treading water. Another long season for Blue Jackets fans and Pacal Leclaire is in the forecast.
Don't Toews Me Bro
This entry brought to you by M. Rohr's Coffee House... "Where Coffee is the luxury." Yea... it makes no sense but try telling them that. Furthermore you'll forget about it once you taste one of their amazing house blends (currently drinking Cinnamon Hazelnut Cream). If you ever find yourself on the Upper East Side in New York City, stop in and get yourself a coffee and a homemade pastry. Tell em The Trap sent ya... then when they just stare at you quizzically pay your bill and leave.
Sponsorships out of the way I've got a question that has to be nagging a lot of people: Just how good are Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews? I know... better saved for team previews but I think to properly analyze the offseason acquisitions of the Blackhawks this is something we have to answer.
Two promising young prospects, both high first round draft picks are brought up by a team in the same year. One plays all 82 games, has 26 goals and 41 assists, finishing with 67 points and the Calder trophy for Rookie of the Year. The other gets hurt, only plays 65 games but still finishes with 51 points points, 29 goals and 22 assists, on the season. Many people think that he would have won the Calder if he stayed healthy.
That's what happened in 2001-2002, and those two players were Dany Heatley (the 2nd Overall pick in the 2000 draft) and Ilya Kovalchuk (the first overall pick in 2001) respectively.
Toews (pronounced Taves) and Kane's story isn't so different. Patrick Kane, the first overall draft pick in 2007, and Jonathan Toews, the third overall pick in the 2006, started last season for Chicago as two highly touted prospects and finished it as the teams biggest stars. Kane played in all 82 games, had 72 points, 21 goals and 51 assists, and won the Calder trophy. Toews suffered an injury and played in only 64 games, scoring 24 goals and assisting on 30 to finish his abbreviated season with 54 points. That's right, Kane and Toews outpaced Kovalchuk and Heatley. Nice right?
In year 2 of their NHL careers Kovalchuk showed moderate improvement, putting up 38 goals and 29 assists (67 points) while Heatley lit up the world with 41 goals and 48 assists (89 points). Both would have many 80+ point seasons after that (and will continue to do so).
The same should be expected of Toews and Kane. Toews will break 30 goals this season, probably finishing around 75 points. Kane should touch 80 points; this taking into account that these boys now have a much better supporting cast then Kovalchuk and Heatley did any of the years that they played together in Atlanta.
So the question was how good are they? So good that a comparison to Kovalchuk and Heatley is warranted. Yea. That good. Offseason Previews!
The Chicago Blackhawks
By now you might have guessed that I'm a little bullish on this years Blackhawks team. I am. They are still in a crappy division (minus the absolute best team in hockey who we will talk about in short order) but that has very little to do with why I like them so much. I like this team because they are legitimately good and they are making moves that, perish the thought, address their actual weaknesses.
Despite losing virtually all of their major players to injury for some stretch of time last year and having something of a revolving door in net, Chicago only missed the playoffs by 3 points.
The knocks against Chicago were that they lacked veteran leadership amongst a VERY talented young set of defenseman and their goaltending situation was... er... volatile. Khabibulin, when he played, was actually pretty good. 23 wins in 50 starts with a 2.69 GAA and .909 Sv%. That's not great but its respectable for a team that played the Red Wings 8 times last season. But consistency in net is necessary, not just in fantasy hockey but in the real world (look at Ottawa).
That's why the Huet move is such a huge move for the Blackhawks. Huet has been one of the better goaltenders, statistically speaking, for the last few years. Cristobal won 32 of his 52 starts last year, finishing with a 2.32 GAA and a .920 SV%. I wouldn't expect those numbers, other than wins, to change too much on this team. Skeptical? Huet started 13 games for the Capitals last season, a team which was not short on defensive issues. He won 11 while putting up a 1.63 GAA and .932 Sv%. He won't keep those ridiculous numbers up for the entire year, but he should be more than capable of carrying this team for stretches.
Should the Blackhawks do what everyone expects them to do, and move Khabibulin for some help up front, then Huet's value skyrockets. A season of wins in the high 30's with his other numbers remaining fairly stable is not out of the question. This is a team that is trending up, both offensively and defensively. A big reason for that is their other acquisition, Brian Campbell.
Campbell provides the veteran leadership on defense that this team was dying for all of last season. Duncan Keith is 25 and had 32 points. Brent Seabrook is 23 and had 32 points. Wisniewski is 24 and had 26 points. Finally Cam Barker is only 22... he had 18 points in 45 games. All of these kids were high draft picks and, with the exception of Barker, all of them were significant +'s last season. Campbell will reign all of them in and give them someone to follow. I think this move helps the Hawks tremendously
That said, I think this move actually hurts Campbell's fantasy value. That is a CROWDED and extremely talented blue line attack. I think Campbell will play very well, and will certainly be worth drafting, but I don't think he even sniffs 62 points this season. I would draft Campbell as a player that will get you low-40's in production but be a decent plus and a force on the powerplay. Doing this will likely mean that you don't get to have him. Its ok. If you miss out on him and you really really want a Blackhawks d-man there are plenty to choose from.
Believe the hype.
Sponsorships out of the way I've got a question that has to be nagging a lot of people: Just how good are Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews? I know... better saved for team previews but I think to properly analyze the offseason acquisitions of the Blackhawks this is something we have to answer.
Two promising young prospects, both high first round draft picks are brought up by a team in the same year. One plays all 82 games, has 26 goals and 41 assists, finishing with 67 points and the Calder trophy for Rookie of the Year. The other gets hurt, only plays 65 games but still finishes with 51 points points, 29 goals and 22 assists, on the season. Many people think that he would have won the Calder if he stayed healthy.
That's what happened in 2001-2002, and those two players were Dany Heatley (the 2nd Overall pick in the 2000 draft) and Ilya Kovalchuk (the first overall pick in 2001) respectively.
Toews (pronounced Taves) and Kane's story isn't so different. Patrick Kane, the first overall draft pick in 2007, and Jonathan Toews, the third overall pick in the 2006, started last season for Chicago as two highly touted prospects and finished it as the teams biggest stars. Kane played in all 82 games, had 72 points, 21 goals and 51 assists, and won the Calder trophy. Toews suffered an injury and played in only 64 games, scoring 24 goals and assisting on 30 to finish his abbreviated season with 54 points. That's right, Kane and Toews outpaced Kovalchuk and Heatley. Nice right?
In year 2 of their NHL careers Kovalchuk showed moderate improvement, putting up 38 goals and 29 assists (67 points) while Heatley lit up the world with 41 goals and 48 assists (89 points). Both would have many 80+ point seasons after that (and will continue to do so).
The same should be expected of Toews and Kane. Toews will break 30 goals this season, probably finishing around 75 points. Kane should touch 80 points; this taking into account that these boys now have a much better supporting cast then Kovalchuk and Heatley did any of the years that they played together in Atlanta.
So the question was how good are they? So good that a comparison to Kovalchuk and Heatley is warranted. Yea. That good. Offseason Previews!
The Chicago Blackhawks
By now you might have guessed that I'm a little bullish on this years Blackhawks team. I am. They are still in a crappy division (minus the absolute best team in hockey who we will talk about in short order) but that has very little to do with why I like them so much. I like this team because they are legitimately good and they are making moves that, perish the thought, address their actual weaknesses.
Despite losing virtually all of their major players to injury for some stretch of time last year and having something of a revolving door in net, Chicago only missed the playoffs by 3 points.
The knocks against Chicago were that they lacked veteran leadership amongst a VERY talented young set of defenseman and their goaltending situation was... er... volatile. Khabibulin, when he played, was actually pretty good. 23 wins in 50 starts with a 2.69 GAA and .909 Sv%. That's not great but its respectable for a team that played the Red Wings 8 times last season. But consistency in net is necessary, not just in fantasy hockey but in the real world (look at Ottawa).
That's why the Huet move is such a huge move for the Blackhawks. Huet has been one of the better goaltenders, statistically speaking, for the last few years. Cristobal won 32 of his 52 starts last year, finishing with a 2.32 GAA and a .920 SV%. I wouldn't expect those numbers, other than wins, to change too much on this team. Skeptical? Huet started 13 games for the Capitals last season, a team which was not short on defensive issues. He won 11 while putting up a 1.63 GAA and .932 Sv%. He won't keep those ridiculous numbers up for the entire year, but he should be more than capable of carrying this team for stretches.
Should the Blackhawks do what everyone expects them to do, and move Khabibulin for some help up front, then Huet's value skyrockets. A season of wins in the high 30's with his other numbers remaining fairly stable is not out of the question. This is a team that is trending up, both offensively and defensively. A big reason for that is their other acquisition, Brian Campbell.
Campbell provides the veteran leadership on defense that this team was dying for all of last season. Duncan Keith is 25 and had 32 points. Brent Seabrook is 23 and had 32 points. Wisniewski is 24 and had 26 points. Finally Cam Barker is only 22... he had 18 points in 45 games. All of these kids were high draft picks and, with the exception of Barker, all of them were significant +'s last season. Campbell will reign all of them in and give them someone to follow. I think this move helps the Hawks tremendously
That said, I think this move actually hurts Campbell's fantasy value. That is a CROWDED and extremely talented blue line attack. I think Campbell will play very well, and will certainly be worth drafting, but I don't think he even sniffs 62 points this season. I would draft Campbell as a player that will get you low-40's in production but be a decent plus and a force on the powerplay. Doing this will likely mean that you don't get to have him. Its ok. If you miss out on him and you really really want a Blackhawks d-man there are plenty to choose from.
Believe the hype.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
We've got a second line!!!!!
The Sedin's won't have to do all the scoring this year!
The Vancouver Canucks
At this stage even I can predict this.
Line 1: The Sedins and Bernier
Line 2: Demitra, Wellwood, Shannon
... and if Wellwood or Shannon doesn't work out then look for Ryan Kesler to step in. I feel like I've been hearing about Kesler forever but he's only 23.
Bernier, like Naslund before him, gets the sweet assignment by default as he is the best natural right wing on the team. At 23 this will be his first real shot at significant ice time. Freed from the confines of San Jose, Bernier had 9 points in 17 games with the Sabres last year. I think a 48 to 55 point campaign if he remains on one of the top two lines here is more than fair to expect of him this year.
Demitra is consistently inconsistent except about one thing... YOU KNOW HE IS GOING TO GET HURT. He'll miss at a minimum 14 games... but the games he'll play he'll play at almost a point a game clip. He has done this consistently no matter who his linemates were. He'll do it again. Expect 60 points in 64 games and hope that you can plug someone in for the remaining 18 to get you about 10 and assemble yourself a quality 70 point LW.
Kyle Wellwood is something of a different nut. 45 points in 81 3 years ago. 42 points in 48 2 years ago 21 points in 51 games last year. Wellwood's three seasons are ALL over the map and dependant entirely upon how much time he spent with Mats Sundin. I'm not comfortable making a prediction but judging on his draft position in the 5th round I'm willing to bet that 50 points is about his ceiling. That won't do for a center. Avoid him if possible.
The Vancouver Canucks
At this stage even I can predict this.
Line 1: The Sedins and Bernier
Line 2: Demitra, Wellwood, Shannon
... and if Wellwood or Shannon doesn't work out then look for Ryan Kesler to step in. I feel like I've been hearing about Kesler forever but he's only 23.
Bernier, like Naslund before him, gets the sweet assignment by default as he is the best natural right wing on the team. At 23 this will be his first real shot at significant ice time. Freed from the confines of San Jose, Bernier had 9 points in 17 games with the Sabres last year. I think a 48 to 55 point campaign if he remains on one of the top two lines here is more than fair to expect of him this year.
Demitra is consistently inconsistent except about one thing... YOU KNOW HE IS GOING TO GET HURT. He'll miss at a minimum 14 games... but the games he'll play he'll play at almost a point a game clip. He has done this consistently no matter who his linemates were. He'll do it again. Expect 60 points in 64 games and hope that you can plug someone in for the remaining 18 to get you about 10 and assemble yourself a quality 70 point LW.
Kyle Wellwood is something of a different nut. 45 points in 81 3 years ago. 42 points in 48 2 years ago 21 points in 51 games last year. Wellwood's three seasons are ALL over the map and dependant entirely upon how much time he spent with Mats Sundin. I'm not comfortable making a prediction but judging on his draft position in the 5th round I'm willing to bet that 50 points is about his ceiling. That won't do for a center. Avoid him if possible.
Wildly Alarming
Minnesota Wild
"Oh God what happened? Where's Rolston? Where's Demitra? Oh crap... is that Owen Nolan and Andrew Brunette? Those has beens? Who the heck is James Sheppard? He was on my team all of last year? Huh. Who knew? I'll be right back."
Those were Marian Gaborik's thoughts upon looking at Minnesota's roster. If Doug Wisebrough is found dead tomorrow it was Gaborik with the hockey skate in the Trainer's room. Just an educated guess.
I don't want to count Minnesota out because, well, I've done it before and this team has always pushed on. Anyway that's not what we're doing here right now. Team previews in August. Tell your friends. Right now... offseason additions!
Zidlicky is the most significant addition. Freed of the crowded blueline in Nashville I'm willing to say that playing point for Gabby nets him 40-ish points this season... that is unless he, like Kim Johnsson before him, has all of his offensive talent sucked away when he puts that Wild jersey on. I think he stands a better chance of prevailing then, say... now journeyman defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron... you know come to think of it maybe this blue line is kinda crowded.
And I know I joked about Brunette... but he'll probably be playing with Gaborik, at least that's what this line combination generator is telling me. ; ) In that position, despite has been status he'll probably be good for close to 60 points like last year... but not close to 83 like the year before.
"Oh God what happened? Where's Rolston? Where's Demitra? Oh crap... is that Owen Nolan and Andrew Brunette? Those has beens? Who the heck is James Sheppard? He was on my team all of last year? Huh. Who knew? I'll be right back."
Those were Marian Gaborik's thoughts upon looking at Minnesota's roster. If Doug Wisebrough is found dead tomorrow it was Gaborik with the hockey skate in the Trainer's room. Just an educated guess.
I don't want to count Minnesota out because, well, I've done it before and this team has always pushed on. Anyway that's not what we're doing here right now. Team previews in August. Tell your friends. Right now... offseason additions!
Zidlicky is the most significant addition. Freed of the crowded blueline in Nashville I'm willing to say that playing point for Gabby nets him 40-ish points this season... that is unless he, like Kim Johnsson before him, has all of his offensive talent sucked away when he puts that Wild jersey on. I think he stands a better chance of prevailing then, say... now journeyman defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron... you know come to think of it maybe this blue line is kinda crowded.
And I know I joked about Brunette... but he'll probably be playing with Gaborik, at least that's what this line combination generator is telling me. ; ) In that position, despite has been status he'll probably be good for close to 60 points like last year... but not close to 83 like the year before.
Retro-fitted for success!
There's a big rumor floating around that the Edmonton Oilers are going to introduce a third jersey this year that is a throwback to the bright orange and blue of The Great One's day. This is great news. Be excited Oiler fans.
The Edmonton Oilers
To the exciting crop of young talent on this team add psuedo vets Erik Cole and Lubomir Visnovsky. Both come with their problems but both are perfectly tailored to Edmonton's style of play.
Cole is fast and fearless. But he's an injury risk and will never get you the points you'll draft him to get you. Cole adds secondary scoring, which is what he was drafted to do, and he'll play with a talented center in either Gagner or Shawn "turn your head and" Horcoff. He will make THEM better by taking attention off of them and creating plays, but he should still top off somewhere in the mid-50's as far as points go.
Visnovsky gives the Oilers a double threat on the point. He and Souray should provide just the right mix of heavy shot and puck movement to improve both of their point totals this year (assuming Souray stays on the ice.) When drafting I would safely assume Visnovsky gets you about 45 points with 25 or so of those coming on the powerplay.
I think Edmonton stands a good chance of being competitive this year, assuming that Gagner is the real deal and Horcoff rebounds and Souray stays healthy and Garon didn't use up all of his magic goalie dust last season and... well I know its a lot of ifs but I had to be positive about SOME Canadian teams didn't I?
The Edmonton Oilers
To the exciting crop of young talent on this team add psuedo vets Erik Cole and Lubomir Visnovsky. Both come with their problems but both are perfectly tailored to Edmonton's style of play.
Cole is fast and fearless. But he's an injury risk and will never get you the points you'll draft him to get you. Cole adds secondary scoring, which is what he was drafted to do, and he'll play with a talented center in either Gagner or Shawn "turn your head and" Horcoff. He will make THEM better by taking attention off of them and creating plays, but he should still top off somewhere in the mid-50's as far as points go.
Visnovsky gives the Oilers a double threat on the point. He and Souray should provide just the right mix of heavy shot and puck movement to improve both of their point totals this year (assuming Souray stays on the ice.) When drafting I would safely assume Visnovsky gets you about 45 points with 25 or so of those coming on the powerplay.
I think Edmonton stands a good chance of being competitive this year, assuming that Gagner is the real deal and Horcoff rebounds and Souray stays healthy and Garon didn't use up all of his magic goalie dust last season and... well I know its a lot of ifs but I had to be positive about SOME Canadian teams didn't I?
Colorado Signs Joe Sakic To a One Year Deal
They will, Forsberg too. They have too much cap space not to. I hear Roy and Bourque might unretire as well. Then they can lose to the Red Wings in five games next May. Sorry.
Mean jokes aside. Sakic should re-sign, I see no reason not to and it certainly seems that Colorado believes he will because they sure have been quiet otherwise.
Colorado Avalanche
While Colorado sits on its thumbs and waits for one of the best centers to ever play the game to make up his mind about next year, they've done little else to improve this team, while crucial pieces of it from last year have fled.
Too many W's Wolski is their biggest signing/re-signing. The kid is only 22 years old and already has a 50 point and 48 point season under his belt.
Darcy Tucker. No. Next.
Kudos to Colorado for not taking any of Jose Theodore's crap. Andrew Raycroft, playing behind the best defense he's ever played for, should be fine in a tandem with Budaj. Raycroft had 37 wins two seasons ago but was abysmal in every other aspect playing for a Toronto team that was experiencing its last gasp of relevance. He's not as bad as his numbers but he's not that good either. I think Budaj remains the better option of the two but if you draft one you almost have to draft the other. If you want to be scared.. Mr. Wolski has as many W's in his name as Raycroft had W's last season (and he started 16 times!). Yikes.
Mean jokes aside. Sakic should re-sign, I see no reason not to and it certainly seems that Colorado believes he will because they sure have been quiet otherwise.
Colorado Avalanche
While Colorado sits on its thumbs and waits for one of the best centers to ever play the game to make up his mind about next year, they've done little else to improve this team, while crucial pieces of it from last year have fled.
Too many W's Wolski is their biggest signing/re-signing. The kid is only 22 years old and already has a 50 point and 48 point season under his belt.
Darcy Tucker. No. Next.
Kudos to Colorado for not taking any of Jose Theodore's crap. Andrew Raycroft, playing behind the best defense he's ever played for, should be fine in a tandem with Budaj. Raycroft had 37 wins two seasons ago but was abysmal in every other aspect playing for a Toronto team that was experiencing its last gasp of relevance. He's not as bad as his numbers but he's not that good either. I think Budaj remains the better option of the two but if you draft one you almost have to draft the other. If you want to be scared.. Mr. Wolski has as many W's in his name as Raycroft had W's last season (and he started 16 times!). Yikes.
Fried Cammalleri
The Calgary Flames
Wow! Calgary was BUSY this offseason.
The biggest move of Calgary's offseason, and the most fantasy relevant, was the trading of draft picks for my boy, and yours, Michael Cammalleri. Cammalleri is a great, young, left wing. Unlike Alex Tanguay, Cammalleri has a scoring touch, having netted 34 goals in 2006-2007. His 2007-2008 was marred by injury but in 63 games he still potted an impressive 47 points. About all Cammalleri won't do for you is get PIM. On a line with Iginla I would give the 26 year old Cammalleri and outside shot at 80 points, with about 30 of those coming on the powerplay. Iginla should ensure that he is a positive in the +/- column as well. This is the most talented player Iginla has been on the same line with in some time. He shouldn't be a sleeper in any league, grab him early.
The other big addition was Big Bert, Todd Bertuzzi. Let's get this out the way, Bertuzzi's best days are behind him. He was signed by Calgary to provide some secondary scoring, likely on a line with Craig Conroy and... um... Moss... Roy... Lundmark? In a similar role on a similarly good team last year Bert managed 40 points and 97 PIM (because thats the important number if you're thinking about drafting him) in 68 games. He's an injury risk, and a nutcase risk, and will probably make you nervous in the way that driving on a one lane road on the side of a mountain makes me nervous, but if you need those PIM and you think your production from other positions is looking good he's not a bad player to have around. don't expect much more then 40-50 points from Todd the Terrible though.
The Flames then populated the team with roll players. Of particular interest amongst those is Jamie Lundmark. I know. He sucks. But I would have said the same thing about Huselius before he came to Calgary. Calgary has a knack for rehabilitating prospects and Lundmark is a former 9th overall pick. I'm not saying draft him, I'm just saying I'm intrigued by the signing.
Wow! Calgary was BUSY this offseason.
The biggest move of Calgary's offseason, and the most fantasy relevant, was the trading of draft picks for my boy, and yours, Michael Cammalleri. Cammalleri is a great, young, left wing. Unlike Alex Tanguay, Cammalleri has a scoring touch, having netted 34 goals in 2006-2007. His 2007-2008 was marred by injury but in 63 games he still potted an impressive 47 points. About all Cammalleri won't do for you is get PIM. On a line with Iginla I would give the 26 year old Cammalleri and outside shot at 80 points, with about 30 of those coming on the powerplay. Iginla should ensure that he is a positive in the +/- column as well. This is the most talented player Iginla has been on the same line with in some time. He shouldn't be a sleeper in any league, grab him early.
The other big addition was Big Bert, Todd Bertuzzi. Let's get this out the way, Bertuzzi's best days are behind him. He was signed by Calgary to provide some secondary scoring, likely on a line with Craig Conroy and... um... Moss... Roy... Lundmark? In a similar role on a similarly good team last year Bert managed 40 points and 97 PIM (because thats the important number if you're thinking about drafting him) in 68 games. He's an injury risk, and a nutcase risk, and will probably make you nervous in the way that driving on a one lane road on the side of a mountain makes me nervous, but if you need those PIM and you think your production from other positions is looking good he's not a bad player to have around. don't expect much more then 40-50 points from Todd the Terrible though.
The Flames then populated the team with roll players. Of particular interest amongst those is Jamie Lundmark. I know. He sucks. But I would have said the same thing about Huselius before he came to Calgary. Calgary has a knack for rehabilitating prospects and Lundmark is a former 9th overall pick. I'm not saying draft him, I'm just saying I'm intrigued by the signing.
Trouble Bruin
Boston Bruins Update
The Boston Bruins have placed Right Wing Glen Murray on waivers. Murray, 35, played in only 63 games last season amassing 17 goals and 13 assists. Murray hasn't played 80 games or more since 2003-2004 and hasn't passed the 50 point mark since 2005-2006, when he had 24 goals and 29 assists in only 63 games. One wonders what Murray would still be capable of were he to somehow get healthy and motivated. The Bruins no longer have to wonder.
This move, assuming someone elects to take Murray off of waivers and/or the Bruins elect not to bring him back to the big club this year, seems to signal a changing of the guard of sorts. Kessel should still be the number one RW in Boston, but Ryder is now virtually guaranteed time on Line 2 which should be centered by Patrice Bergeron. Bergeron, for the record, has apparently been symptom free all summer and is chomping at the bit to return after missing most of last season as a result of a concussion. He was the highest profile victim of Philadelphia's "Kill first get Jersey Numbers Later" strategy last season.
A healthy Bergeron or Savard centering Ryder changes my outlook. A return to the high 50's low 60's is not out of the question for Ryder with a position on the top two lines secured.
This move also seems to signal Blake Wheeler's arrival with the big club. I still say hold off though. Whoops has got wheels but until I see his skills translate at the NHL level I'll remain skeptical. Again... his nickname is Whoops... that can't be good.
The Boston Bruins have placed Right Wing Glen Murray on waivers. Murray, 35, played in only 63 games last season amassing 17 goals and 13 assists. Murray hasn't played 80 games or more since 2003-2004 and hasn't passed the 50 point mark since 2005-2006, when he had 24 goals and 29 assists in only 63 games. One wonders what Murray would still be capable of were he to somehow get healthy and motivated. The Bruins no longer have to wonder.
This move, assuming someone elects to take Murray off of waivers and/or the Bruins elect not to bring him back to the big club this year, seems to signal a changing of the guard of sorts. Kessel should still be the number one RW in Boston, but Ryder is now virtually guaranteed time on Line 2 which should be centered by Patrice Bergeron. Bergeron, for the record, has apparently been symptom free all summer and is chomping at the bit to return after missing most of last season as a result of a concussion. He was the highest profile victim of Philadelphia's "Kill first get Jersey Numbers Later" strategy last season.
A healthy Bergeron or Savard centering Ryder changes my outlook. A return to the high 50's low 60's is not out of the question for Ryder with a position on the top two lines secured.
This move also seems to signal Blake Wheeler's arrival with the big club. I still say hold off though. Whoops has got wheels but until I see his skills translate at the NHL level I'll remain skeptical. Again... his nickname is Whoops... that can't be good.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Offsides!
I received this email from an apparent trap-o-phile, and personal friend, earlier today:
"So I'm going to sheepishly admit I know NOTHING about any of this "fantasy" realm of sports in any nature - so if/when you have the time and aren't too embarrassed to explain it to the sports-dumb, could we maybe have a tutorial on it? Just broad strokes are cool. :)"
It was at this point that I realized that perhaps I had jumped the gun a bit. I know that at this point my readership is small, and really limited to friends... and that despite spending more than 5 minutes in my company it was possible that I had not adequately explained what exactly is fantasy hockey.
Fantasy Hockey and fantasy sports in general is a game for nerds who always wanted to be jocks or jocks that were secretly kinda nerdy. It is basically a way to take a passion for a game, and find an outlet for it in a way that involves some strategic thinking, mathematical know how and scary level of knowledge about the game... or you know a tremendous amount of luck.
Fantasy hockey is an excuse to stay up and watch the west coast games when all you really want to do is see Joe Sakic skate. Fantasy Hockey is a reason to check EVERY box score of every game that's been played to try and unearth that next sleeper left wing... when really all you are doing is spending way too much time paying way too much attention to a game. Fantasy hockey makes you pay attention to things like ice time, line combinations, minor league statistics and who is on the first vs. the second powerplay unit. It makes you sit up and pay attention when Doc Emerick tells you which college a particular forward went to.
Fantasy hockey gives you a way to take your love and passion for a sport and measure it, apply it to something that is ultimately meaningless except for bragging rights. Its a way to go deeper into the sport. And its a really good topic of conversation amongst other like minded dudes (or dudettes) over a frosty beverage.
But in practical terms Fantasy hockey, and fantasy sports in general, is basically a statistically based game. At the beginning of the season you "draft" a team, usually forming "leagues" of about 10-12 people. How well you do is then judged by how well your players statistically perform in their actual games in the real life NHL (as opposed to a fantasy one with ogres and knights... or french maids and superheroines... if you prefer).
There are Rotisserie leagues (leagues based entirely upon stats as measured across the entire year) and Head to Head leagues (leagues where your stats for the week are measured against another team in your leagues stats for the week).
There are also more complicated leagues. Leagues that use a "salary cap." This means that each player costs a certain amount to draft and you only have X amount of dollars overall to populate your team with. This form of league rewards finding "sleepers" (players whose statistics have not been historically great but who are in line for a 'breakout campaign') even more so then your average league.
There are also keeper leagues. Leagues which stay consistent from year to year and in which you can keep players that you drafted the year before. The rules for these leagues are as many and varied as the participants themselves.
The principal statistics which are used to measure a players performance are:
G: Goals. The number of times a player puts the biscuit in the basket.
A: Assists. Also known as the Adam Oates special.
+/-: The number of times a player is on the ice for a goal for his team at even strength (+) vs. the number of times he is on the ice for a goal against his team at even strength (-). This is largely seen as a measure of a player's defensive abilities, though it may just mean he was playing in front of a crappy goalie or on the ice with crappy defensemen... unless he is a defenseman in which case its probably his fault.
PIM: Penalty Minutes. Why this is a positive for your team is confusing to even me... presumably because hockey has always been a sport that has celebrated its toughness and its enforcers. No team can be successful, even in the current, some say more nancified league, without a little muscle and so your fantasy team needs it as well. Or... you know because its a measurable number.
PPP: Powerplay points. The number of G's or A's your player has while his team is on the man advantage (meaning a player from the other team is getting PIM). Some leagues also measure Shorthanded Goals or points, (SHG and SHP respectively) which are points scored by your players while their team is on the penalty kill
SOG or SH%: Shots on goal or shooting percentage. Usually a league will use one or the other. To use both would, in many instances, cancel the other one out. Which one your league uses may be crucial to which player you select where. For instance Dallas' Mike Ribeiro scored 27 goals on only 107 shots last year. If your league uses Sh% then Ribiero had a phenomenal 25.2% shooting percentage. Ribiero's SH% is actually so good that he is ranked number one in the league, 5 percentage points higher then the next closest skater. In contrast he is ranked an abysmally low 276th in total shots on goal. Ribiero has value in either format but his value skyrockets in a SH% league.
Those are the basics for skaters. For Goaltenders the statistics looked at are:
W: Wins. Self explanatory
GAA: Goals against average. The number of biscuits on average that pass by the goalie and into the basket. As the basket gets fuller so the GAA rises. Here high is bad.
SV%: The percentage of shots faced vs goals allowed. As more goals go in the save percentage goes down. Here high is good.
SO: Shutouts. When the goalie allows no biscuits in the basket... showing no sympathy while the other team to goes hungry.
While there are traditionally fewer goalie categories, good goalies are extremely valuable since there are so few of them (to be discussed later in position scarcity).
A good fantasy team will find a way to balance out all of these statistics (as there are few if any players which will contribute in every category either as forwards or goaltenders).
That's sort of a quick rundown... Any questions class?
"So I'm going to sheepishly admit I know NOTHING about any of this "fantasy" realm of sports in any nature - so if/when you have the time and aren't too embarrassed to explain it to the sports-dumb, could we maybe have a tutorial on it? Just broad strokes are cool. :)"
It was at this point that I realized that perhaps I had jumped the gun a bit. I know that at this point my readership is small, and really limited to friends... and that despite spending more than 5 minutes in my company it was possible that I had not adequately explained what exactly is fantasy hockey.
Fantasy Hockey and fantasy sports in general is a game for nerds who always wanted to be jocks or jocks that were secretly kinda nerdy. It is basically a way to take a passion for a game, and find an outlet for it in a way that involves some strategic thinking, mathematical know how and scary level of knowledge about the game... or you know a tremendous amount of luck.
Fantasy hockey is an excuse to stay up and watch the west coast games when all you really want to do is see Joe Sakic skate. Fantasy Hockey is a reason to check EVERY box score of every game that's been played to try and unearth that next sleeper left wing... when really all you are doing is spending way too much time paying way too much attention to a game. Fantasy hockey makes you pay attention to things like ice time, line combinations, minor league statistics and who is on the first vs. the second powerplay unit. It makes you sit up and pay attention when Doc Emerick tells you which college a particular forward went to.
Fantasy hockey gives you a way to take your love and passion for a sport and measure it, apply it to something that is ultimately meaningless except for bragging rights. Its a way to go deeper into the sport. And its a really good topic of conversation amongst other like minded dudes (or dudettes) over a frosty beverage.
But in practical terms Fantasy hockey, and fantasy sports in general, is basically a statistically based game. At the beginning of the season you "draft" a team, usually forming "leagues" of about 10-12 people. How well you do is then judged by how well your players statistically perform in their actual games in the real life NHL (as opposed to a fantasy one with ogres and knights... or french maids and superheroines... if you prefer).
There are Rotisserie leagues (leagues based entirely upon stats as measured across the entire year) and Head to Head leagues (leagues where your stats for the week are measured against another team in your leagues stats for the week).
There are also more complicated leagues. Leagues that use a "salary cap." This means that each player costs a certain amount to draft and you only have X amount of dollars overall to populate your team with. This form of league rewards finding "sleepers" (players whose statistics have not been historically great but who are in line for a 'breakout campaign') even more so then your average league.
There are also keeper leagues. Leagues which stay consistent from year to year and in which you can keep players that you drafted the year before. The rules for these leagues are as many and varied as the participants themselves.
The principal statistics which are used to measure a players performance are:
G: Goals. The number of times a player puts the biscuit in the basket.
A: Assists. Also known as the Adam Oates special.
+/-: The number of times a player is on the ice for a goal for his team at even strength (+) vs. the number of times he is on the ice for a goal against his team at even strength (-). This is largely seen as a measure of a player's defensive abilities, though it may just mean he was playing in front of a crappy goalie or on the ice with crappy defensemen... unless he is a defenseman in which case its probably his fault.
PIM: Penalty Minutes. Why this is a positive for your team is confusing to even me... presumably because hockey has always been a sport that has celebrated its toughness and its enforcers. No team can be successful, even in the current, some say more nancified league, without a little muscle and so your fantasy team needs it as well. Or... you know because its a measurable number.
PPP: Powerplay points. The number of G's or A's your player has while his team is on the man advantage (meaning a player from the other team is getting PIM). Some leagues also measure Shorthanded Goals or points, (SHG and SHP respectively) which are points scored by your players while their team is on the penalty kill
SOG or SH%: Shots on goal or shooting percentage. Usually a league will use one or the other. To use both would, in many instances, cancel the other one out. Which one your league uses may be crucial to which player you select where. For instance Dallas' Mike Ribeiro scored 27 goals on only 107 shots last year. If your league uses Sh% then Ribiero had a phenomenal 25.2% shooting percentage. Ribiero's SH% is actually so good that he is ranked number one in the league, 5 percentage points higher then the next closest skater. In contrast he is ranked an abysmally low 276th in total shots on goal. Ribiero has value in either format but his value skyrockets in a SH% league.
Those are the basics for skaters. For Goaltenders the statistics looked at are:
W: Wins. Self explanatory
GAA: Goals against average. The number of biscuits on average that pass by the goalie and into the basket. As the basket gets fuller so the GAA rises. Here high is bad.
SV%: The percentage of shots faced vs goals allowed. As more goals go in the save percentage goes down. Here high is good.
SO: Shutouts. When the goalie allows no biscuits in the basket... showing no sympathy while the other team to goes hungry.
While there are traditionally fewer goalie categories, good goalies are extremely valuable since there are so few of them (to be discussed later in position scarcity).
A good fantasy team will find a way to balance out all of these statistics (as there are few if any players which will contribute in every category either as forwards or goaltenders).
That's sort of a quick rundown... Any questions class?
Quick! Boyle and Blake or Campbell and Carle
Which side got the better of the deal when you think about it that way?
San Jose Sharks
The titans of teal took steps to shore up their back line this offseason. Defensive point production was a trouble spot for San Jose for most of last season until the trade deadline acquisition of Brian Campbell. Campbell's presence seemed to reinvigorate Thornton, who scored 12 of his 29 goals in the 20 games after Campbell's arrival.
When it became clear that Campbell would be leaving, San Jose did what it had to do to replace that production. Dan Boyle is a good fantasy option anywhere, but becomes a great one here in San Jose. He does a bit of everything fantasy wise and is a powerplay magician. In San Jose he should add another trick, being a + for the first time since 2003/2004. Low 60's in point production with over 30 points on the powerplay is not at all out of the question for Boyle on this squad. He is fully recovered from the horrific accident that cost him half of last year. So long the equipment guys put safety guards on all the sharp objects in the dressing room I would say Boyle is one of your best options on D not named Lidstrom this year.
Rob Blake is another issue. Blake has continued to put up some pretty good numbers for an old guy. Like Boyle his large - should be erased by his arrival on a much more defensively oriented team. San Jose didn't acquire Blake for his defense, they brought him in for his still booming slapshot. Another 30 + point campaign, 20 or so of those coming on the powerplay, seems likely from the once and future King (they'll retire that jersey... come on... you know it). When you factor in his 90 or so PIM and the potential for 180 or more shots and you've got a recipe for relevance. Injury is my only concern here.
Despite his step back last season, I have faith the Carle will eventually make something of himself, maybe as early as this season (see http://breakingthetrap.blogspot.com/2008/07/mullet-over.html). San Jose wants to win right now and will be aggressive to make sure this happens.
San Jose Sharks
The titans of teal took steps to shore up their back line this offseason. Defensive point production was a trouble spot for San Jose for most of last season until the trade deadline acquisition of Brian Campbell. Campbell's presence seemed to reinvigorate Thornton, who scored 12 of his 29 goals in the 20 games after Campbell's arrival.
When it became clear that Campbell would be leaving, San Jose did what it had to do to replace that production. Dan Boyle is a good fantasy option anywhere, but becomes a great one here in San Jose. He does a bit of everything fantasy wise and is a powerplay magician. In San Jose he should add another trick, being a + for the first time since 2003/2004. Low 60's in point production with over 30 points on the powerplay is not at all out of the question for Boyle on this squad. He is fully recovered from the horrific accident that cost him half of last year. So long the equipment guys put safety guards on all the sharp objects in the dressing room I would say Boyle is one of your best options on D not named Lidstrom this year.
Rob Blake is another issue. Blake has continued to put up some pretty good numbers for an old guy. Like Boyle his large - should be erased by his arrival on a much more defensively oriented team. San Jose didn't acquire Blake for his defense, they brought him in for his still booming slapshot. Another 30 + point campaign, 20 or so of those coming on the powerplay, seems likely from the once and future King (they'll retire that jersey... come on... you know it). When you factor in his 90 or so PIM and the potential for 180 or more shots and you've got a recipe for relevance. Injury is my only concern here.
Despite his step back last season, I have faith the Carle will eventually make something of himself, maybe as early as this season (see http://breakingthetrap.blogspot.com/2008/07/mullet-over.html). San Jose wants to win right now and will be aggressive to make sure this happens.
A Jokinen No More
Phoenix Coyotes
Olli Jokinen ended what was starting to look like a career-long purgatory with the Panthers organization this past summer...only to find himself traded to its Western cousin. Don't get me wrong. I think there are a lot of reasons to be excited to be a Coyotes fan right now, not the least of which is Jokinen's acquisition. This is a team that almost made the playoffs last year, a team that Ilya Bryzgalov practically transformed upon his arrival, and a team full of talented young prospects like Peter Mueller, Brett MacLean and Viktor Tikhonov. Jokinen won't hurt any of that and he should receive the benefit of playing with Shane Doan, fresh off the best season of his career.
Jokinen should improve on his 71 points from last year, rising back into the 80 to 90 point range. He should also be a bit less of a defensive liability taking him back into his 5 tool stud status (G, A, SOG, +/-, and PPP). Jokinen is a fantasy stud but you didn't need ME to tell you that.
The question really is who benefits the most from Jokinen's arrival? Tough question and one best addressed in the team previews coming in August. If I had to speculate however I would say that Jokinen's arrival (as well as the departure of Ballard and Boynton) may finally catapult Zybanek Michalek into fantasy relevance. It should also continue the career revitalizations of Shane Doan and Ed Jovonovski.
Jokinen gives this team legitimate star power for the first time in some time. Draft him very very early and with great confidence.
The Engine Stoll-ed yesterday
Sorry guys. I totally forgot about the Visnovsky for Stoll trade when I was doing the Kings wrap up yesterday. I guess I was too wrapped up in my NHL 94 memories. So...
Los Angeles Kings... Part 2
The Kings also traded defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky to Edmonton for Jaret Stoll. Stoll is coming off a disappointing season where he managed to score less points (36) in 81 games then he did the season before (39) in only 51 games. Will the real Jarret Stoll please stand up? Stoll's best season was 2005-2006 when he scored 68 points. Stoll is now a full season removed from concussion problems that sidelined him for 30 games in 2006-2007 and could see a pretty good rebound year, he's only 26 after all.
Center is a crowded position in LA however. Kopitar and O'Sullivan are both better prospects then Stoll (likely acquired for his face off proficiency). He's got tremendous upside (despite being a defensive liability) but the risk here is high, and there are better options at center. If you're feeling adventurous Stoll could be a good late round flyer pick. If not I'd watch him for the first couple weeks, see who his linemates are and act accordingly.
Perhaps the bigger fantasy news for fans of aging supermodels in the Los Angeles area is that Stoll will be bringing with him Rachael Hunter, his girlfriend since 2006.
The departure of both Visnovsky and Rob Blake opens doors for LA's young defensive corps. Tom Pressing stands to get the immediate boost and powerplay time, as should Jack Johnson. Preissing's numbers should see a polite bump from last years 24 to a number closer to 06-07's 38. Johnson, who is the real deal, should see a relatively sharp bump as well... though its always difficult to predict when exactly a young defenseman will achieve his potential. Barring any further moves, Johnson will get every shot to do that this season.
Los Angeles Kings... Part 2
The Kings also traded defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky to Edmonton for Jaret Stoll. Stoll is coming off a disappointing season where he managed to score less points (36) in 81 games then he did the season before (39) in only 51 games. Will the real Jarret Stoll please stand up? Stoll's best season was 2005-2006 when he scored 68 points. Stoll is now a full season removed from concussion problems that sidelined him for 30 games in 2006-2007 and could see a pretty good rebound year, he's only 26 after all.
Center is a crowded position in LA however. Kopitar and O'Sullivan are both better prospects then Stoll (likely acquired for his face off proficiency). He's got tremendous upside (despite being a defensive liability) but the risk here is high, and there are better options at center. If you're feeling adventurous Stoll could be a good late round flyer pick. If not I'd watch him for the first couple weeks, see who his linemates are and act accordingly.
Perhaps the bigger fantasy news for fans of aging supermodels in the Los Angeles area is that Stoll will be bringing with him Rachael Hunter, his girlfriend since 2006.
The departure of both Visnovsky and Rob Blake opens doors for LA's young defensive corps. Tom Pressing stands to get the immediate boost and powerplay time, as should Jack Johnson. Preissing's numbers should see a polite bump from last years 24 to a number closer to 06-07's 38. Johnson, who is the real deal, should see a relatively sharp bump as well... though its always difficult to predict when exactly a young defenseman will achieve his potential. Barring any further moves, Johnson will get every shot to do that this season.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
King Me
The Los Angeles Kings
I love the Kings. I have a Kings jersey, and an all star jersey from when the game was played at the Staples Center in 2002. I used to use the Kings in NHL 2001-2004 (we had a no Brodeur/Roy rule). Deadmarsh actually played for my LA Kings and he was good. Jason Allison could skate and Roman Chechmanek wasn't the fraud he turned out to be. The real Kings have been less... well... lucky.
The Kings traded personal favorite, he of too many vowels, Michael Cammallieri to the Calgary Flames (where he is destined for stardom) for their pick in this years draft. They used the picks they gathered to upgrade their defensive prospects. Other than that the Kings have been quiet this offseason.
There's not a whole lot more to report then that at this point in time. If the Khabibulin deal goes down the Kings will lose their best player for the second time this offseason in the form of Kopitar. For Kings-fans sakes I hope that that rumor was just that, a big rumor. Otherwise the Kings will rapidly find themselves being called the Islanders of the Western Conference.
I love the Kings. I have a Kings jersey, and an all star jersey from when the game was played at the Staples Center in 2002. I used to use the Kings in NHL 2001-2004 (we had a no Brodeur/Roy rule). Deadmarsh actually played for my LA Kings and he was good. Jason Allison could skate and Roman Chechmanek wasn't the fraud he turned out to be. The real Kings have been less... well... lucky.
The Kings traded personal favorite, he of too many vowels, Michael Cammallieri to the Calgary Flames (where he is destined for stardom) for their pick in this years draft. They used the picks they gathered to upgrade their defensive prospects. Other than that the Kings have been quiet this offseason.
There's not a whole lot more to report then that at this point in time. If the Khabibulin deal goes down the Kings will lose their best player for the second time this offseason in the form of Kopitar. For Kings-fans sakes I hope that that rumor was just that, a big rumor. Otherwise the Kings will rapidly find themselves being called the Islanders of the Western Conference.
Avery Startling Addition
The Dallas Stars
Two puns in one headline. I'm getting good.
Niklas Hagman departed for Toronto. In his place at left wing you'll find Sean "the Menace" Avery... that is assuming he's recovered from the rupture of his spleen in the second round of the playoffs and that he doesn't sign a long term deal at Vogue upon the completion of his summer internship.
In all seriousness, Sean Avery adds a dimension that this team was lacking. He's also more skilled then his reputation lets on. He is injured often, but when healthy is a very fast, very competent agitator. A healthy Avery could bring your fantasy squad points in the high 40's, particularly on Dallas where he is virtually guaranteed to be with a good center (Richards, Modano or Ribiero). He's also virtually guaranteed 150+ PIM, and should be a plus on this defensively committed team.
You'll hate him or you'll love him, but if you've got scoring elsewhere Avery will get you penalty minutes without hurting you in too many other categories. If you miss out on some of the big power forwards, and bigger power d-men, Avery is a good option.
Two puns in one headline. I'm getting good.
Niklas Hagman departed for Toronto. In his place at left wing you'll find Sean "the Menace" Avery... that is assuming he's recovered from the rupture of his spleen in the second round of the playoffs and that he doesn't sign a long term deal at Vogue upon the completion of his summer internship.
In all seriousness, Sean Avery adds a dimension that this team was lacking. He's also more skilled then his reputation lets on. He is injured often, but when healthy is a very fast, very competent agitator. A healthy Avery could bring your fantasy squad points in the high 40's, particularly on Dallas where he is virtually guaranteed to be with a good center (Richards, Modano or Ribiero). He's also virtually guaranteed 150+ PIM, and should be a plus on this defensively committed team.
You'll hate him or you'll love him, but if you've got scoring elsewhere Avery will get you penalty minutes without hurting you in too many other categories. If you miss out on some of the big power forwards, and bigger power d-men, Avery is a good option.
Perry For Your Thoughts
The Artists Formerly Known as the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and now known as simply as the Anaheim Ducks
As we've seen with several teams so far this offseason, the most important move was not someone that Anaheim gained this offseason but someone they retained.
Corey Perry is an integral piece in Anaheim's future and they absolutely could not afford to let him walk. This team will be built around he and Ryan Getzlaf. Perry had 54 points in 7o games. He also had 108 PIM, 200 shots and was a +12. In short as a RW Perry has the potential to be a fantasy monster for your squad. A season in which Perry finishes in the high 60's would not be unexpected this year. I would expect a slight dip in his PIM, as he becomes more mature, but even if he drops 20-30 PIM Perry is a fantasy force.
The Ducks only big name signing was Brendan Morrison. I like Morrison I always have, but since the days of Bertuzzi, Naslund, Morrison ended he has been pretty consistent in his mediocrity. In 39 games Morrison scored 9 goals and 16 assists, putting him on track for about 18 goals and 32 assists. This would give him almost identical numbers to his 2006-2007 season in which he scored 20 goals and had 31 assists. A 50 point center who isn't defensively responsible, is not frequently penalized and will likely not see any powerplay time is pretty much useless. Don't draft him unless you are in a deep league or you just need someone to keep the bench warm.
This is actually a perfect example of UPSIDE vs. veterans with recognizable names. Perry had 54 points last year but is only 23 and has tremendous upside. Morrison was on pace to score 50, in keeping with his last few seasons. He is now 32 and his best days with famous linemates are behind him. Now I suspect I'm preaching to the choir when I say draft Perry way before Morrison, but there are other less known Corey Perry's. Draft them before Morrison too. There will always be a 50 point center on waivers if you really need one. This, of course, is assuming that Teemu isn't coming back. Because if he is... well then maybe Morrison has some life in him yet.
As we've seen with several teams so far this offseason, the most important move was not someone that Anaheim gained this offseason but someone they retained.
Corey Perry is an integral piece in Anaheim's future and they absolutely could not afford to let him walk. This team will be built around he and Ryan Getzlaf. Perry had 54 points in 7o games. He also had 108 PIM, 200 shots and was a +12. In short as a RW Perry has the potential to be a fantasy monster for your squad. A season in which Perry finishes in the high 60's would not be unexpected this year. I would expect a slight dip in his PIM, as he becomes more mature, but even if he drops 20-30 PIM Perry is a fantasy force.
The Ducks only big name signing was Brendan Morrison. I like Morrison I always have, but since the days of Bertuzzi, Naslund, Morrison ended he has been pretty consistent in his mediocrity. In 39 games Morrison scored 9 goals and 16 assists, putting him on track for about 18 goals and 32 assists. This would give him almost identical numbers to his 2006-2007 season in which he scored 20 goals and had 31 assists. A 50 point center who isn't defensively responsible, is not frequently penalized and will likely not see any powerplay time is pretty much useless. Don't draft him unless you are in a deep league or you just need someone to keep the bench warm.
This is actually a perfect example of UPSIDE vs. veterans with recognizable names. Perry had 54 points last year but is only 23 and has tremendous upside. Morrison was on pace to score 50, in keeping with his last few seasons. He is now 32 and his best days with famous linemates are behind him. Now I suspect I'm preaching to the choir when I say draft Perry way before Morrison, but there are other less known Corey Perry's. Draft them before Morrison too. There will always be a 50 point center on waivers if you really need one. This, of course, is assuming that Teemu isn't coming back. Because if he is... well then maybe Morrison has some life in him yet.
They are going to win ... what... 5 games?
And those are going to be ones that Curtis Joseph starts.
Poor Vesa Toskala.
Toronto Maple Leafs
ROLL CALL!
Darcy Tucker. GONE!
Andrew Raycroft. GONE!
Kyle Wellwood. GONE!
Mats Sundin. Um... who knows?
Who came in? Curtis Joseph should be a serviceable backup goalie and get to retire in the right way in the right town. Thats the only feel good story I see coming out of this team this year.
Jeff Finger somehow made a mint out of a good but not great playoff run. I don't see him having a whole lot of fantasy value as Toronto's already going to be pretty crowded on the blue line with McCabe(probably), Kaberle and Kubina. This didn't stop Toronto from giving him 3.5 million per year for 4years.
Ryan Hollweg comes in as well. He'll provide no fantasy value but he will bring the ultimate "fat guy in a little coat" dance to the Maple Leafs locker room.
Niklas Hagman was also signed, presumably to provide secondary scoring. Hagman had his best season last year, scoring 41 points for Dallas. Unless I'm missing something his potential isn't much higher then that. He isn't particularly prone to commit penalties or take a ton of shots so I don't see Hagman being particularly fantasy relevant either.
The question really is, with Mats Sundin's presumed departure who will be? Ponikarovsky, Bell, Blake, Stajan and Antropov are the best candidates, but all of them have been middling forwards, even with Sundin's presence (Bell excluded... he was in jail).
I predict a long year for the Maple Leafs, and for anyone who finds themselves with too many Leafs on their fantasy squad.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=u88WdovasU0
Poor Vesa Toskala.
Toronto Maple Leafs
ROLL CALL!
Darcy Tucker. GONE!
Andrew Raycroft. GONE!
Kyle Wellwood. GONE!
Mats Sundin. Um... who knows?
Who came in? Curtis Joseph should be a serviceable backup goalie and get to retire in the right way in the right town. Thats the only feel good story I see coming out of this team this year.
Jeff Finger somehow made a mint out of a good but not great playoff run. I don't see him having a whole lot of fantasy value as Toronto's already going to be pretty crowded on the blue line with McCabe(probably), Kaberle and Kubina. This didn't stop Toronto from giving him 3.5 million per year for 4years.
Ryan Hollweg comes in as well. He'll provide no fantasy value but he will bring the ultimate "fat guy in a little coat" dance to the Maple Leafs locker room.
Niklas Hagman was also signed, presumably to provide secondary scoring. Hagman had his best season last year, scoring 41 points for Dallas. Unless I'm missing something his potential isn't much higher then that. He isn't particularly prone to commit penalties or take a ton of shots so I don't see Hagman being particularly fantasy relevant either.
The question really is, with Mats Sundin's presumed departure who will be? Ponikarovsky, Bell, Blake, Stajan and Antropov are the best candidates, but all of them have been middling forwards, even with Sundin's presence (Bell excluded... he was in jail).
I predict a long year for the Maple Leafs, and for anyone who finds themselves with too many Leafs on their fantasy squad.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=u88WdovasU0
Otta-whaaaaa?
The Ottawa Senators
I don't know that I understand this team. At the beginning of last season they were poised to dominate the East. For the first half of the season they did just that. Despite concerns that goaltender Ray Emery would miss significant time, Martin Gerber put up a 1.99 GAA and an astounding .940 Sv%. This rapidly went to hell. November was all right but then well...
The off ice antics, which were more of a soap opera then the hockey soap opera "MVP" derailed what was looking like a historic season. Ray Emery, in full on Erica Kane mode, seemed to steadily destroy the team from within, or so the papers would have you believe. Officially deemed a clubhouse cancer Emery has been shipped off to Russia where he'll either prove himself NHL worthy or develop a substance abuse problem.
Ottawa also lost Mike Commodore, a solid defensive defenseman, to Columbus. Commodore failed to impress in his short tenure as did Cory Stillman who is cooling his skates in Florida. The biggest loss comes in the form of Wade Redden, for whom no adequate replacement has been acquired. Furthermore, no one on Ottawa's roster appears ready to replace his production. Andrej Meszaros will receive the biggest boost in powerplay time and most likely fantasy value from Redden's departure.
In their places Ottawa has brought in Jarko Ruutu, Shean Donovan and Jason Smith. Smith more than replaces Commodore. He is a solid stay at home defenseman, perhaps the best that was available this offseason. Donovan has no fantasy value. Ruutu is a decent enforcer, and will help the top two lines do what they do best.
Alex Auld will fix Ottawa's goaltending problem. After that Auld will be elected emperor of the universe and defeat Chuck Norris in hand to hand combat. No but really, Auld has been run out of every city he's ever played in, having been routinely lit up throughout his career. in 9 games with Phoenix last year he had three wins, putting up a 3.54 GAA and .889 Sv% before being waived. He DID, it should be noted, make a pretty spectacular cameo in Boston when Tim Thomas was injured. Auld started 20 games, winning 9 of them and putting up a respectable 2.32 GAA and .919 Sv%.
Auld is not the answer, but he is showing signs of maturing and MAY be able to fill in during Gerber's many cold streaks. As fantasy value goes I think his signing is bad for both he and Gerber. The possibility is strong that Auld will play just well enough to create a goaltending controversy in Ottawa, and that both he and Gerber will be be mediocre enough to make neither fantasy relevant. I would shy away from both if at all possible.
If the earlier mentioned Khabibulin rumors turn out to be true (Gerber and Meszaros to LA, Kopitar to Chicago, Seabrook/Barker and Khabi to Ottawa) I will revise my outlook.
I don't know that I understand this team. At the beginning of last season they were poised to dominate the East. For the first half of the season they did just that. Despite concerns that goaltender Ray Emery would miss significant time, Martin Gerber put up a 1.99 GAA and an astounding .940 Sv%. This rapidly went to hell. November was all right but then well...
The off ice antics, which were more of a soap opera then the hockey soap opera "MVP" derailed what was looking like a historic season. Ray Emery, in full on Erica Kane mode, seemed to steadily destroy the team from within, or so the papers would have you believe. Officially deemed a clubhouse cancer Emery has been shipped off to Russia where he'll either prove himself NHL worthy or develop a substance abuse problem.
Ottawa also lost Mike Commodore, a solid defensive defenseman, to Columbus. Commodore failed to impress in his short tenure as did Cory Stillman who is cooling his skates in Florida. The biggest loss comes in the form of Wade Redden, for whom no adequate replacement has been acquired. Furthermore, no one on Ottawa's roster appears ready to replace his production. Andrej Meszaros will receive the biggest boost in powerplay time and most likely fantasy value from Redden's departure.
In their places Ottawa has brought in Jarko Ruutu, Shean Donovan and Jason Smith. Smith more than replaces Commodore. He is a solid stay at home defenseman, perhaps the best that was available this offseason. Donovan has no fantasy value. Ruutu is a decent enforcer, and will help the top two lines do what they do best.
Alex Auld will fix Ottawa's goaltending problem. After that Auld will be elected emperor of the universe and defeat Chuck Norris in hand to hand combat. No but really, Auld has been run out of every city he's ever played in, having been routinely lit up throughout his career. in 9 games with Phoenix last year he had three wins, putting up a 3.54 GAA and .889 Sv% before being waived. He DID, it should be noted, make a pretty spectacular cameo in Boston when Tim Thomas was injured. Auld started 20 games, winning 9 of them and putting up a respectable 2.32 GAA and .919 Sv%.
Auld is not the answer, but he is showing signs of maturing and MAY be able to fill in during Gerber's many cold streaks. As fantasy value goes I think his signing is bad for both he and Gerber. The possibility is strong that Auld will play just well enough to create a goaltending controversy in Ottawa, and that both he and Gerber will be be mediocre enough to make neither fantasy relevant. I would shy away from both if at all possible.
If the earlier mentioned Khabibulin rumors turn out to be true (Gerber and Meszaros to LA, Kopitar to Chicago, Seabrook/Barker and Khabi to Ottawa) I will revise my outlook.
Montreal Wrap up
I don't want to offend Canadian readers any more then I have to, and I will have to when I preview Toronto a little later on, so that's the reason for the uh... reserved title above.
The Montreal Canadiens
The owners of the best record in the Eastern Conference last season, Montreal did little to its composition in the offseason. It shipped off Michael Ryder, brought back Andrei "I'm better then Sergei" Kostitsyn and brought in assist-machine Alex Tanguay.
Tanguay is an interesting acquisition. He seems to have been brought in to add to the team's secondary scoring. He comes in at a position at which Montreal is fairly deep, already boasting the aforementioned Andrei Kostitsyn, Sergei "for now the lesser but prettier" Kostitsyn, and Christopher Higgins, who has continued to show promise. After Andrei's huge leap forward last year I would guess that Higgins is the one that gets the short end of the stick here. I believe he's spent some time at center so a conversion could be in order, but that position is no less crowded on this team.
Tanguay had a bit of an off year last year, only netting 58 points. That should change this year as he will be working with a talented center, no matter where he ends up, and likely Alexei Kovalev. At 28, Tanguay is too young and talented to not have a bounce back season. That said, the high 70's are probably a little unreachable for him. Tanguay should end up somewhere in the high 60's with 45 or more of those points being assists. Draft accordingly.
The only other offseason moves of note so far are the re-signing of goalie Jaroslav Halak and acquisition of goaltender Marc Denis. This has all happened a little under the radar but says a lot about Montreal's faith, at this time in their presumptive number 1. I know that Carey Price is a national hero in Canada and already has monuments erected to him in town squares but these signings indicate to me a lack of faith in the young netminder and perhaps a bit of "trader's remorse" as it relates to Cristobal Huet.
I like Halak. He's been good when he's been called on to play. I like Denis significantly less. I see him as a buffer signing. He will be the backup to whomever wins the starting role, both so the loser, either Halak or Price, can get more seasoning in the minors and so that they don't feel threatened by the presence of the other.
Don't get me wrong. I believe Price has the tools, but perhaps has not yet acquired the necessary focus. This is a complicated situation that probably won't be resolved even after training camp. As such it deserves your attention on draft day. Carey Price may be the next Patrick Roy, but for at least this year he might be proving that in a tandem. Be wary.
The Montreal Canadiens
The owners of the best record in the Eastern Conference last season, Montreal did little to its composition in the offseason. It shipped off Michael Ryder, brought back Andrei "I'm better then Sergei" Kostitsyn and brought in assist-machine Alex Tanguay.
Tanguay is an interesting acquisition. He seems to have been brought in to add to the team's secondary scoring. He comes in at a position at which Montreal is fairly deep, already boasting the aforementioned Andrei Kostitsyn, Sergei "for now the lesser but prettier" Kostitsyn, and Christopher Higgins, who has continued to show promise. After Andrei's huge leap forward last year I would guess that Higgins is the one that gets the short end of the stick here. I believe he's spent some time at center so a conversion could be in order, but that position is no less crowded on this team.
Tanguay had a bit of an off year last year, only netting 58 points. That should change this year as he will be working with a talented center, no matter where he ends up, and likely Alexei Kovalev. At 28, Tanguay is too young and talented to not have a bounce back season. That said, the high 70's are probably a little unreachable for him. Tanguay should end up somewhere in the high 60's with 45 or more of those points being assists. Draft accordingly.
The only other offseason moves of note so far are the re-signing of goalie Jaroslav Halak and acquisition of goaltender Marc Denis. This has all happened a little under the radar but says a lot about Montreal's faith, at this time in their presumptive number 1. I know that Carey Price is a national hero in Canada and already has monuments erected to him in town squares but these signings indicate to me a lack of faith in the young netminder and perhaps a bit of "trader's remorse" as it relates to Cristobal Huet.
I like Halak. He's been good when he's been called on to play. I like Denis significantly less. I see him as a buffer signing. He will be the backup to whomever wins the starting role, both so the loser, either Halak or Price, can get more seasoning in the minors and so that they don't feel threatened by the presence of the other.
Don't get me wrong. I believe Price has the tools, but perhaps has not yet acquired the necessary focus. This is a complicated situation that probably won't be resolved even after training camp. As such it deserves your attention on draft day. Carey Price may be the next Patrick Roy, but for at least this year he might be proving that in a tandem. Be wary.
Sabre-metrics
The Buffalo Sabres
Yes I realize that the Sabres jerseys are a darker blue. But this is the Blue of the Sabres jerseys that I like. Bring it back!
Jersey-envy aside, nothing ever seems to go right for the Buffalo Sabres. They get a GREAT season out of Pominville and Roy and Vanek and Afinogenov fall of the map, Connolly gets hurt (repeatedly) and Brian Campbell makes it clear that he doesn't want to come back, forcing a trade for less then his value as one of the better puck moving d-men in the league. It was a tough year for Sabre fans, caused entirely by the Sabre-metrics. Buffalo's Sabre-metrics, defined here as the number crunching/head office ineptitude, has thusfar seen three crucial pieces of the Sabres run to the Eastern Conference finals two seasons ago walk straight out the door; two to other teams in the same Conference.
The Sabre-metrics continue. Pominville remains unsigned; presumably because he scored more than 80 points last year and was an integral part of the team. No one was brought in to replace Campbell's production; putting a heavy burden on Craig Rivet and Jaroslav Spacek. No help was addes at forward either though that area is not the trouble spot that the team's D remains.
Red flags flew everywhere when the Sabres signed former Senator fall-guy, Patrick Lalime. It seemed to signal that the Sabres were expecting to not be able to re-sign young phenom, and former Hobey Baker award winner, Ryan Miller. Marvin the Martian stuffed animals were burned in effigy throughout upstate New York until this past week, when Miller signed a five year deal with Buffalo. Sighs of relief were exhaled and Lalime's family was taken off high alert.
The Buffalo team that will take the ice at this moment looks much like the team that took the ice last year. Expect more of the same.
Yes I realize that the Sabres jerseys are a darker blue. But this is the Blue of the Sabres jerseys that I like. Bring it back!
Jersey-envy aside, nothing ever seems to go right for the Buffalo Sabres. They get a GREAT season out of Pominville and Roy and Vanek and Afinogenov fall of the map, Connolly gets hurt (repeatedly) and Brian Campbell makes it clear that he doesn't want to come back, forcing a trade for less then his value as one of the better puck moving d-men in the league. It was a tough year for Sabre fans, caused entirely by the Sabre-metrics. Buffalo's Sabre-metrics, defined here as the number crunching/head office ineptitude, has thusfar seen three crucial pieces of the Sabres run to the Eastern Conference finals two seasons ago walk straight out the door; two to other teams in the same Conference.
The Sabre-metrics continue. Pominville remains unsigned; presumably because he scored more than 80 points last year and was an integral part of the team. No one was brought in to replace Campbell's production; putting a heavy burden on Craig Rivet and Jaroslav Spacek. No help was addes at forward either though that area is not the trouble spot that the team's D remains.
Red flags flew everywhere when the Sabres signed former Senator fall-guy, Patrick Lalime. It seemed to signal that the Sabres were expecting to not be able to re-sign young phenom, and former Hobey Baker award winner, Ryan Miller. Marvin the Martian stuffed animals were burned in effigy throughout upstate New York until this past week, when Miller signed a five year deal with Buffalo. Sighs of relief were exhaled and Lalime's family was taken off high alert.
The Buffalo team that will take the ice at this moment looks much like the team that took the ice last year. Expect more of the same.
Number 4, Bobby "The Dark Knight" Orr
Sorry for the lack of posts since Thursday. Its been a very geeky weekend over here at Breaking The Trap. Between the brilliance of "The Dark Knight" and the arrival of a new book by my favorite author there have been a lot of distractions in Trap-central. I aim to remedy that today.
Let me first put my review of the Dark Knight in hockey terms. Its the cinematic equivalent of Bobby Orr. Just as Orr was absolutely the best person to play his position ever the Dark Knight is, without a doubt, the best superhero movie ever committed to celluloid. Like Orr it has also thrown down the gauntlet for all movies to follow it in its particular genre, including its inevitable sequel. ALSO like Orr it will never get the respect that it really deserves. Orr is both the best defensemen AND quite possibly the best PERSON to ever play the game at any position. Likewise the Dark Knight is a truly, truly great film in any genre. However because of the genre it plays in it will likely never be considered a great film. Bobby Orr is better than Mario Lemieux AND Sidney Crosby AND The Rocket. Fact. Similarly The Dark Knight is a great achievement in cinema. Tell everyone you know, even those that don't like superhero movies to see it immediately.
OK... back to the business of blogging
First up we'll go through the offseason changes thus far in the North East division. Seeing as this should be relatively easy, the North East has been quiet in comparison to most of the rest of the league, I also hope to get through at least one division in the west, likely the Pacific or the Northwest. Mandate laid down, lets get right to it shall we?
Since I invoked his Orr-ness lets start with the team that has never quite recovered from his loss...
The Boston Bruins
Yes. They made the playoffs.
Yes. They took what appeared to be a very good Montreal team throughout most of the regular season to the limit. I think both were a little bit of a mirage though. Montreal's point totals, and to a degree the Bruins', were a bit inflated. This division, which as recently as two years ago, was one of the most competitive in the game is starting to dwindle a bit. The weakening of the Sabres and the continued atrophy of the Senators and the Leafs, has seen to that. Nevertheless this was a playoff team last year and that can't be ignored
The Bruins took few steps to improve their team in the offseason. I suppose Tim Thomas can actually be considered the real deal now, though I can't believe I'm saying that. So, it should come as no surprise that they weren't involved in the goalie market this summer. They are probably still reeling a little bit from the contract they gave to Manny "What me work?" Fernandez. If I was between the pipes for the Bruins I would have liked to see a little bit of work done on our back end. But the defense market was fairly dry this summer, with what was available receiving ungodly, read non-Bruins-like, contracts.
The Bruins made two significant additions to their team; Michael "Easy" Ryder and Blake Wheeler. Great line nicknames that could come out of this pairing aside; Ryder had the worst season of his career last year, putting up 14 goals and 17 assists in 70 games. This can be explained in a couple of ways. First, he was very unhappy in Montreal, this unhappiness either stemmed from or led to his receiving far less ice time last season and being demoted from the first line. Less ice time + lower quality line mates = less production.
This situation may not improve in Boston. Boston's right wing corps boasts Glen Murray, Phil Kessel, Chuck Kobasew and the aforementioned Mr. Wheeler. Of those 5, 4 are former first round picks. Want to guess which one isn't? Ryder. After seeing what Ribiero did in Dallas last year, its even concievable that Ryder was holding Ribiero back all of these years. Just food for thought.
Wheeler is something of enigma. Wheeler, owner of the ominous nickname "Whoops", was drafted 5th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2004 out of high school. Wheeler elected to play College hockey with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers where he had 96 points points in 127 games. Whoops is 6'4" but apparently has a set of...er... Wheelers on him. Phoenix offered him a maximum contract for entry level players which he turned down and elected instead to pursue free agency. There were rumors for a while that the Rangers were interested in his services but he eventually found his way to the Bruins, likely because of the crowded nature of the Rangers system at this juncture. I wouldn't let Wheeler enter your draft plans this year, as I'm not even sure he'll see ice time on this squad this year, but I would keep your eye on him in the future.
While right wing seems pretty well sewn up, the Bruins face many questions up front, not the least of which is the long term health of Patrice Bergeron. Those will be addressed in the team previews, coming your way in August.
So, in closing, I think Ryder is an interesting reclamation project and someone worth grabbing in a late round in your draft if you're looking for a 50 point winger. Ryder's shown that he's capable of that and I think he'll find his ice time, and linemates much more to his liking in Boston. Watch Wheeler but don't draft him. He's young and talented and probably at least a year away from making any kind of significant impact.
Let me first put my review of the Dark Knight in hockey terms. Its the cinematic equivalent of Bobby Orr. Just as Orr was absolutely the best person to play his position ever the Dark Knight is, without a doubt, the best superhero movie ever committed to celluloid. Like Orr it has also thrown down the gauntlet for all movies to follow it in its particular genre, including its inevitable sequel. ALSO like Orr it will never get the respect that it really deserves. Orr is both the best defensemen AND quite possibly the best PERSON to ever play the game at any position. Likewise the Dark Knight is a truly, truly great film in any genre. However because of the genre it plays in it will likely never be considered a great film. Bobby Orr is better than Mario Lemieux AND Sidney Crosby AND The Rocket. Fact. Similarly The Dark Knight is a great achievement in cinema. Tell everyone you know, even those that don't like superhero movies to see it immediately.
OK... back to the business of blogging
First up we'll go through the offseason changes thus far in the North East division. Seeing as this should be relatively easy, the North East has been quiet in comparison to most of the rest of the league, I also hope to get through at least one division in the west, likely the Pacific or the Northwest. Mandate laid down, lets get right to it shall we?
Since I invoked his Orr-ness lets start with the team that has never quite recovered from his loss...
The Boston Bruins
Yes. They made the playoffs.
Yes. They took what appeared to be a very good Montreal team throughout most of the regular season to the limit. I think both were a little bit of a mirage though. Montreal's point totals, and to a degree the Bruins', were a bit inflated. This division, which as recently as two years ago, was one of the most competitive in the game is starting to dwindle a bit. The weakening of the Sabres and the continued atrophy of the Senators and the Leafs, has seen to that. Nevertheless this was a playoff team last year and that can't be ignored
The Bruins took few steps to improve their team in the offseason. I suppose Tim Thomas can actually be considered the real deal now, though I can't believe I'm saying that. So, it should come as no surprise that they weren't involved in the goalie market this summer. They are probably still reeling a little bit from the contract they gave to Manny "What me work?" Fernandez. If I was between the pipes for the Bruins I would have liked to see a little bit of work done on our back end. But the defense market was fairly dry this summer, with what was available receiving ungodly, read non-Bruins-like, contracts.
The Bruins made two significant additions to their team; Michael "Easy" Ryder and Blake Wheeler. Great line nicknames that could come out of this pairing aside; Ryder had the worst season of his career last year, putting up 14 goals and 17 assists in 70 games. This can be explained in a couple of ways. First, he was very unhappy in Montreal, this unhappiness either stemmed from or led to his receiving far less ice time last season and being demoted from the first line. Less ice time + lower quality line mates = less production.
This situation may not improve in Boston. Boston's right wing corps boasts Glen Murray, Phil Kessel, Chuck Kobasew and the aforementioned Mr. Wheeler. Of those 5, 4 are former first round picks. Want to guess which one isn't? Ryder. After seeing what Ribiero did in Dallas last year, its even concievable that Ryder was holding Ribiero back all of these years. Just food for thought.
Wheeler is something of enigma. Wheeler, owner of the ominous nickname "Whoops", was drafted 5th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2004 out of high school. Wheeler elected to play College hockey with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers where he had 96 points points in 127 games. Whoops is 6'4" but apparently has a set of...er... Wheelers on him. Phoenix offered him a maximum contract for entry level players which he turned down and elected instead to pursue free agency. There were rumors for a while that the Rangers were interested in his services but he eventually found his way to the Bruins, likely because of the crowded nature of the Rangers system at this juncture. I wouldn't let Wheeler enter your draft plans this year, as I'm not even sure he'll see ice time on this squad this year, but I would keep your eye on him in the future.
While right wing seems pretty well sewn up, the Bruins face many questions up front, not the least of which is the long term health of Patrice Bergeron. Those will be addressed in the team previews, coming your way in August.
So, in closing, I think Ryder is an interesting reclamation project and someone worth grabbing in a late round in your draft if you're looking for a 50 point winger. Ryder's shown that he's capable of that and I think he'll find his ice time, and linemates much more to his liking in Boston. Watch Wheeler but don't draft him. He's young and talented and probably at least a year away from making any kind of significant impact.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Cap's Lock
Washington Capitals
The most important thing the Caps did this offseason was NOT let Mike Green walk. Green had a stunning breakout season with 18 goals and 38 assists. What a way for the 22 year old to announce his arrival. Will he have a 56 point year this year? I think he's the real deal so I'm going to say yes, that or better.
This is a team thats built for the future. With Green, Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin they have a good young nucleus which they've successfully surrounded with some solid veterans.
Unfortunately they weren't able to hang onto to Cristobal Huet. Huet was the best option available in net this offseason, and while Jose Theodore is still better then say Olaf Kolzig, he's too streaky for my liking. Theodore really turned it on after the all star break last year but then collapsed in the playoffs. Granted that wasn't a particularly good Colorado team, but neither is this an exceptionally good Washington team. The good news, for Jose, is that the Southeast Division isn't AS competitive (I expect an earful on this one ) as the Northwest, which last year was the toughest division in hockey when you weren't playing the Oilers. I would expect Theodore to be a decent 2nd goaltender on most fantasy squads.
Mullet Over
Tampa Bay Lightning
I'm going to skip straight to what Tampa added this offseason.
Ryan Malone: 27 goals 24 assists 51 points +14 103 PIM 16 PPP 159 SOG
Radim Vrbata: 27 goals 29 assists 56 points +6 14 PIM 13 PPP 246 SOG
Vaclav Prospal: 33 goals 38 assists 71 points even 45 PIM 19 PPP 215 SOG
Those are the big three. They lost Dan Boyle in a trade to San Jose, but got back Matt Carle, who laid a goose egg on a talented San Jose team last year, but finds himself in a much more wide open system here in Tampa. The former Hobey Baker Award winner is young and only one season removed from a 42 point season. When deciding which Tampa defenseman is going to get the powerplay time keep in mind Paul Ranger and Filip Kuba as well.
Prospal interests me the most of Tampa's foward aquisitions. Why? Because its almost certain that Lecavalier and/or St. Louis asked for his return. 57 of Prospal's points were scored in his 62 games with the Lightning last year. He's got chemistry with these guys. This year Prospal is a slightly under point a game winger. Believe it.
I would say Vrbata's point totals go up. Malone takes the hit for this being an incredibly crowded team and Recchi and Roberts bring experience to the dressing room but not much else to your fantasy squad.
Keep this in mind. Tampa was a bad team last year, and for most of that year they had Dan Boyle and Brad Richards. Even if you believe that all of these additions make up for those losses check out this stat line:
13 games started, 3 won, 10 lost. 2.79 GAA and .893 Sv%.
Those are Mike Smith's numbers as a starting goaltender for Tampa Bay at the end of last season. Despite the addition of Olaf Kolzig, Smith is the presumptive number 1 goaltender. The problems here run deep. Ask yourself, does Barry Melrose fix these, or make them worse.
Why Nathan Horton and Thomas Vokoun Should Fire Their Agents
Or the preview for
The Florida Panthers
The Panthers traded their Captain, hope for the future, all their scoring, and most genuinely exciting player Olli Jokinen. In return they received two solid stay at home defensemen in Nick Boynton and Keith Ballard. Ballard and Boynton are very good Defensemen, but they will only be on your fantasy radars for how they will help Vokoun's numbers... other than wins.
The Panthers only singnificant addition this offseason was Cory Stillman. When healthy and on a good team Stillman has been a high 60 low 70 point player. This however is not a great team. If you want to take a flyer on him I suppose someone has to do the scoring that Nathan Horton, David Booth and Stephen Weiss don't do, and maybe Cory is that guy. Just remember he's 34 and not playing with Eric Staal or Vincent Lecavalier for the first time since 2003.
Thats about all there is to say about the Panthers. While they have been relatively quiet, the next team has been anything but...
The Florida Panthers
The Panthers traded their Captain, hope for the future, all their scoring, and most genuinely exciting player Olli Jokinen. In return they received two solid stay at home defensemen in Nick Boynton and Keith Ballard. Ballard and Boynton are very good Defensemen, but they will only be on your fantasy radars for how they will help Vokoun's numbers... other than wins.
The Panthers only singnificant addition this offseason was Cory Stillman. When healthy and on a good team Stillman has been a high 60 low 70 point player. This however is not a great team. If you want to take a flyer on him I suppose someone has to do the scoring that Nathan Horton, David Booth and Stephen Weiss don't do, and maybe Cory is that guy. Just remember he's 34 and not playing with Eric Staal or Vincent Lecavalier for the first time since 2003.
Thats about all there is to say about the Panthers. While they have been relatively quiet, the next team has been anything but...
Here I Am...
ROCK YOU LIKE THE...
Carolina Hurricanes
What an interesting club this continues to be. Missing the playoffs by the finest of margins after a season that was plagued by injury and uncertainty, the Hurricanes have gone out and... well... made some decent moves.
Gone is the quick, popular, fearless and severly injury prone Eric Cole. I'll cover Cole when we get to Edmonton but this is a player that I was always happy to see someone else take in a fantasy draft. Cole is good, bordering on great, when he's healthy, which is almost never.
The only MAJOR addition, fantasy wise, this offseason was Joni Pitkanen. Pitkanen didn't have a great year, though his 26 points across 63 games is a bit deceptive. Edmonton is also a FAR less offensively minded team then this Hurricanes squad, when healthy. Pitkanen is only two seasons removed from scoring 46 points in 56 games back on 05-06. Some of that can be attributed to the Peter Forsberg factor, but a good chunk of that has to be talent. Pitkanen is only 24 and joining a squad with real promise for the first time since 05-06. I would say he is a very good candidate as a sleeper pick in most fantasy drafts.
Pitkanen's chief competition for powerplay time will be late season addition Joe Corvo. Corvo was already having a good year when he arrived in Carolina last year... then proceeded to blow the doors off the place scoring 21 points in 23 games (see why I'm excited about Pitkanen?!?). I think both are very viable fantasy options.
There are a lot of players to talk about on this team. Players that I think will be undervalued in your upcoming drafts because of injuries sustained last year or shifting line combinations, but since this is really meant to be a discussion of offseason moves I'll hold back on that for now. If you want a preview my two best candidates for huge "bounceback" years have last names that start with the letter W.
A quick note. This is a prediction that no one will remember. If it comes true I'll say I told you so though, so don't worry. I don't expect anyone to draft him but Patrick Eaves is too good not to eventually surprise us all by performing up to his pedigree. Maybe its just my Boston College pride, but Eaves has the tools and the talent to score 30 if he gets the ice time. Remember, this is a guy Ottawa auditioned on its first line for a while and drafted in the first round back in '03. He's only 24 so give him time. I really do think the kid is going to be good, and this year he should get the ice time and the line mates to prove it.
Carolina Hurricanes
What an interesting club this continues to be. Missing the playoffs by the finest of margins after a season that was plagued by injury and uncertainty, the Hurricanes have gone out and... well... made some decent moves.
Gone is the quick, popular, fearless and severly injury prone Eric Cole. I'll cover Cole when we get to Edmonton but this is a player that I was always happy to see someone else take in a fantasy draft. Cole is good, bordering on great, when he's healthy, which is almost never.
The only MAJOR addition, fantasy wise, this offseason was Joni Pitkanen. Pitkanen didn't have a great year, though his 26 points across 63 games is a bit deceptive. Edmonton is also a FAR less offensively minded team then this Hurricanes squad, when healthy. Pitkanen is only two seasons removed from scoring 46 points in 56 games back on 05-06. Some of that can be attributed to the Peter Forsberg factor, but a good chunk of that has to be talent. Pitkanen is only 24 and joining a squad with real promise for the first time since 05-06. I would say he is a very good candidate as a sleeper pick in most fantasy drafts.
Pitkanen's chief competition for powerplay time will be late season addition Joe Corvo. Corvo was already having a good year when he arrived in Carolina last year... then proceeded to blow the doors off the place scoring 21 points in 23 games (see why I'm excited about Pitkanen?!?). I think both are very viable fantasy options.
There are a lot of players to talk about on this team. Players that I think will be undervalued in your upcoming drafts because of injuries sustained last year or shifting line combinations, but since this is really meant to be a discussion of offseason moves I'll hold back on that for now. If you want a preview my two best candidates for huge "bounceback" years have last names that start with the letter W.
A quick note. This is a prediction that no one will remember. If it comes true I'll say I told you so though, so don't worry. I don't expect anyone to draft him but Patrick Eaves is too good not to eventually surprise us all by performing up to his pedigree. Maybe its just my Boston College pride, but Eaves has the tools and the talent to score 30 if he gets the ice time. Remember, this is a guy Ottawa auditioned on its first line for a while and drafted in the first round back in '03. He's only 24 so give him time. I really do think the kid is going to be good, and this year he should get the ice time and the line mates to prove it.
Tonight... the Southeast Division
My original plan was to talk about the Northeast Divisions Offseason score card tonight but that Khabibulin news item from earlier in the day sort of scrambled my eggs a bit. Best laid blog plans right? That same rumor took the Central, and Pacific Divisions out of play. The Northwest is right out as well because I have this sneaking suspicion that neither Calgary nor Vancouver are done yet . So, by default, tonight we discuss the Southeast. Not generally viewed as a hotbed of hockey, it was however, a division that was very active this offseason. I'm going to go team by team tonight because... frankly... my other posts look like novels.
First off we've got...
The Atlanta Thrashers
Its starting to look like the reason they wear that big "Atlanta" on their home jerseys is so the kids can look at their left arm and know whether they are playing with the big club or still languishing in the minors. It probably gets a little confusing with all the back and forth.
The Thrashers made two fantasy relevant moves this offseason. Number one was the aquisition of Jason Williams. Williams, only 27, had been awaiting a breakout year for some time. He still is, but last year he had a break out half year. In 43 games on what in retrospect was a LOADED Blackhawks team Williams managed 36 points. A quick glance at Atlanta's roster says that it will be either Williams or last seasons late addition , Colby Armstrong who will be playing to Mr. Kovalchuk's right.
Now I generally like to tell people to draft the talented guys, rather then the guys that play on a line with the talented guys (which is not to say I haven't occassionally ridden Mr. Cheechoo for all that he's worth). To that end I would be hoping that Williams gets to share the ice time with Kovalchuk. He's got more of the tools, at least at this point, and could see his points reach the high 60's if he spends any significant time with Ilya next season. I think Williams remains fantasy relevant no matter which line he is on next year, but Armstrong only becomes relevant if he plays with Kovalchuk. So keep an eye on this as we head into training camp.
Ron Hainsey was Atlanta's other significant aquisition this offseason. When Atlanta lost the Campbell sweepstakes they went to their second option. That's not to say that Hainsey is on Brian Campbell's level... hell he might not be on Tobias Enstrom's level, but another 30 point plus campaign from Hainsey would not be unheard of. I wouldn't expect much of an upgrade over his current point totals as Atlanta's powerplay is going to stuggle to find its groove starting the season without Hossa, but he should be serviceable on most fantasy teams. Enstrom has more upside though in my view.
First off we've got...
The Atlanta Thrashers
Its starting to look like the reason they wear that big "Atlanta" on their home jerseys is so the kids can look at their left arm and know whether they are playing with the big club or still languishing in the minors. It probably gets a little confusing with all the back and forth.
The Thrashers made two fantasy relevant moves this offseason. Number one was the aquisition of Jason Williams. Williams, only 27, had been awaiting a breakout year for some time. He still is, but last year he had a break out half year. In 43 games on what in retrospect was a LOADED Blackhawks team Williams managed 36 points. A quick glance at Atlanta's roster says that it will be either Williams or last seasons late addition , Colby Armstrong who will be playing to Mr. Kovalchuk's right.
Now I generally like to tell people to draft the talented guys, rather then the guys that play on a line with the talented guys (which is not to say I haven't occassionally ridden Mr. Cheechoo for all that he's worth). To that end I would be hoping that Williams gets to share the ice time with Kovalchuk. He's got more of the tools, at least at this point, and could see his points reach the high 60's if he spends any significant time with Ilya next season. I think Williams remains fantasy relevant no matter which line he is on next year, but Armstrong only becomes relevant if he plays with Kovalchuk. So keep an eye on this as we head into training camp.
Ron Hainsey was Atlanta's other significant aquisition this offseason. When Atlanta lost the Campbell sweepstakes they went to their second option. That's not to say that Hainsey is on Brian Campbell's level... hell he might not be on Tobias Enstrom's level, but another 30 point plus campaign from Hainsey would not be unheard of. I wouldn't expect much of an upgrade over his current point totals as Atlanta's powerplay is going to stuggle to find its groove starting the season without Hossa, but he should be serviceable on most fantasy teams. Enstrom has more upside though in my view.
Readers Fight Back
A trap-o-phile and New York Rangers fan sent me the following email relating to the Rangers moves this offseason and their perspective line combinations coming out of it:
i'd think: i hate those rissmiller voros moves. i want those guys gone, asap. nothing like carrying 15 3rd/4th liners on your team, preventing korpikoski from playing.
Thanks for your thoughts. Here's my reaction.
As to the Rissmiller and Voros moves, I think they are just looking to have the most freedom to move around. This is a team with a serious identity crisis now that Jagr and Straka have Czeched out (see what I did there) and I think that while they have a pretty clear idea of what they want the top two lines to be the rest of the team is kind of in flux.
There's a lot of talk about making dubes a winger... and I don't know why you would do that given your current composition. The kid is a great center and those top two lines are going to be LOADED anyway. Let him develop.
I think the concern though, and its well founded, is that if you put Dawes on a line with Drury or even Gomez its going to look like you've got the mighty mites out there. Dawes is a midget (in hockey terms). This didn't hurt Gionta when he was playing with Gomez, but then again Gionta's production has slowed significantly because of all of the punishment he's endured in front of the net as a result of having no one there to protect him.
Its going to be an interesting season for the Rangers. One I feel like Devils fans have seen before. Lots of production but spread pretty evenly across three lines. Some good puck moving defensemen, some good stay at home defensemen, and a goaltender who keeps you in most games when he isn't do his best Beezer impersonation.
i'd think:
callahan gomez naslund
dawes drury zherdev
prucha dubinsky sjostrom
rissmiller/voros/betts/orr/fritsche/greg moore
Thanks for your thoughts. Here's my reaction.
As to the Rissmiller and Voros moves, I think they are just looking to have the most freedom to move around. This is a team with a serious identity crisis now that Jagr and Straka have Czeched out (see what I did there) and I think that while they have a pretty clear idea of what they want the top two lines to be the rest of the team is kind of in flux.
There's a lot of talk about making dubes a winger... and I don't know why you would do that given your current composition. The kid is a great center and those top two lines are going to be LOADED anyway. Let him develop.
I think the concern though, and its well founded, is that if you put Dawes on a line with Drury or even Gomez its going to look like you've got the mighty mites out there. Dawes is a midget (in hockey terms). This didn't hurt Gionta when he was playing with Gomez, but then again Gionta's production has slowed significantly because of all of the punishment he's endured in front of the net as a result of having no one there to protect him.
Its going to be an interesting season for the Rangers. One I feel like Devils fans have seen before. Lots of production but spread pretty evenly across three lines. Some good puck moving defensemen, some good stay at home defensemen, and a goaltender who keeps you in most games when he isn't do his best Beezer impersonation.
THIS JUST IN
Reports out of Ottawa indicate the possibility of a three way trade between Ottawa, LA and Chicago that would bring former-All Star Nikolai Khabibulin to the Senators along with either Cam Barker or Brent Seabrook. LA would then receive former-goaltender Martin Gerber and Andrej Meszaros from Ottawa and send Anze Kopitar to the Blackhawks.
The rumored trade is discussed in more detail here http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2008/07/16/Khabibulin_Potential_Sen/
Obviously were this deal to go down it would vastly change my opinions on what these three teams have done with their offseason. I don't think its a GREAT move for Ottawa but its not a bad one. This is a disaster for the Kings. For the Blackhawks I think it would be another good move amidst a flurry of them this offseason. It would make both of their signings look brilliant.
Its only rumor for now, but given what we all know about these teams its a rumor that makes a lot of sense. I'll keep you updated and try to work around these divisions/teams in my continuing free agent reports.
The rumored trade is discussed in more detail here http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2008/07/16/Khabibulin_Potential_Sen/
Obviously were this deal to go down it would vastly change my opinions on what these three teams have done with their offseason. I don't think its a GREAT move for Ottawa but its not a bad one. This is a disaster for the Kings. For the Blackhawks I think it would be another good move amidst a flurry of them this offseason. It would make both of their signings look brilliant.
Its only rumor for now, but given what we all know about these teams its a rumor that makes a lot of sense. I'll keep you updated and try to work around these divisions/teams in my continuing free agent reports.
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