Lighting the Lamp: Gonchar out 4-6 months, Campoli injured, and Khabi update

D-Liver Us!: Top Two Penguin Defenders Out Until '09

ESPN is reporting that Sergei Gonchar has elected to have surgery on his injured shoulder (the one he injured on the first shift of the first preseason game of the year) which would put him out for 4-6 months.

Gonchar is a top flight d-man, but this kind of injury makes him nearly useless on your fantasy team. If you already have him stash him on your IR and start scouring the waivers. If you haven't drafted yet then he is a LATE round pick at best... again to stash on your IR and then replace with someone else.

The other interesting storyline here is who will pick up the powerplay slack. The first week of the season should be very illuminating on this point.

Camp Woes: Campoli Injured in Preseason as Well

The Islanders defensive prospect Chris Campoli, who showed some nice improvement last season, was also injured in the preseason. The exact nature of the injury and the time he will miss is, at this point, unknown. Streit will now have no competition on the powerplay.

UPDATE:

ESPN is now also reporting the earlier reported story that Nikolai Khabibulin has been placed on waivers so I'd say thats not so much of a rumor anymore. I wouldn't expect Khabibulin to be taken off of waivers (The nearly 7 million dollar contract might cause a bit of a problem) but I really do think that something will get done with either LA or Ottawa before the season starts, whether it be via re-entry waivers or a trade.

Lighting the Lamp: Selanne Signs two year deal, Khabibulin rumors

Selanne to Ducks Until His Next Retirement:

Teemu Selanne signed a two year deal with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks over the weekend, which was the obvious outcome of the Schneider Shenanigans. Burke got a little certainty for all his hard work at least with that two year deal. Now he knows he won't have to go through this crap all over again next offseason. Oh wait, Niedermayer is going to be a free agent... sigh.

I think this makes Anaheim a VERY dangerous team going into this season. Anaheim had the best record in the league after Niedermayer returned last season. The Ducks were hurting for scoring for most of last year. Selanne played the last 26 games with the team and had 23 points. this gives the Ducks two SOLID scoring lines and one of the best powerplays in the league. The question is who is hurt and helped by this fantasy wise? Perry might take a bit of a dive if Selanne gets moved to the first line. Brendan Morrison likely stands to benefit the most from this as he will now have a quality winger (be it Perry or Selanne). Should be interesting.

Khabibulin on waivers?

Khabibulin has been the source of speculation for the entire summer. Now hockeybuzz.com is reporting that it has heard from several sources that Khabibulin has been placed on waivers thanks to the strong play of Anti Niemi, one of their goaltending prospects.

In the short term I think this vastly increases Huet's value. In the long term... well who knows. If this plays out the way the Schnieder situation did (ie Bulin clears waivers and is eventually dealt) I would love to see who the Hawks get back. They are team lacking depth up front and really anything would help. That first line is going to be pretty taxed this year, but they should get strong defense and goaltending.

Teams (off the top of my head) that could use the Bulin Wall's services:
Ottawa
LA
Boston
Tampa
Atlanta (as a reliable expensive backup to Lehtonen)

More on this as it develops.

Breaking The Trap: Top 150

Going into the regular season these are your top 150 players. Taken into account here are: last year's performance, this year's projections, facts we have been able to glean from training camp and... of course... position scarcity.

This is just a list. If you want more information on any of these players, or an idea of how each player ranks within their own position, that information can be viewed by following this link:
http://breakingthetrap.blogspot.com/search/label/Player%20Rankings This links to every article relevant to the player rankings, starting with this one and going all the way back to the top 40 centers.

If you are observant, you might notice that some players' rankings have changed between this article and the earlier postional rankings. There could be several reasons for this, none of which are my lack of attention to detail.

Notable moves due to injury concerns include Sergei Gonchar, Sergei Zubov, Alexei Kovalev, Erik Johnson and Justin Williams.

Schnieder's trade gave a boost to himself but also to Enstrom and Kovalchuk while it downgraded Hainsey (As he will now likely only see time on the second (abysmal) Atlanta unit). Selanne has also moved up as a result of the trade as he will now be signed by Anaheim and play most if not all of the season.

That reminds me, he didn't make the list but you might want to watch Brendan Morrison with Teemu's arrival... just a hunch.

Finally Mats Sundin took a nose dive as it does not appear that there is any resolution to that situation on the horizon.

Take these with a grain of salt... and enjoy.

1. Alexander Ovechkin, LW
2. Sidney Crosby, C
3. Evgeni Malkin, C
4. Jarome Iginla, RW
5. Martin Brodeur, G
6. Henrik Zetterberg, LW
7. Dany Heatley, LW
8. Joe Thornton, C
9. Marian Hossa, RW
10. J.S. Giguere, G
11. Roberto Luongo, G
12. Dion Phaneuf, D
13. Pavel Datsyuk, C
14. Olli Jokinen, C
15. Ilya Kovalchuk, LW
16. Marian Gaborik, RW
17. Evgeni Nabakov, G
18. Niklas Backstrom, G
19. Nicklas Lidstrom, D
20. Daniel Alfredsson, RW
21. Vincent Lecavalier, C
22. Ryan Getzlaf, C
23. Jason Spezza, C
24. Brendan Morrow, LW
25. Henrik Lundqvist, G
26. Nathan Horton, RW
27. Eric Staal, C
28. Rick Nash, LW
29. Chris Osgood, G
30. Pascal Leclaire, G
31. Corey Perry, RW
32. Martin St. Louis, RW
33. Mike Richards, C
34. Marc Savard, C
35. Joe Sakic, C
36. Chris Pronger, D
37. Marty Turco, G
38. Ilya Bryzgalov, G
39. Daniel Sedin, LW
40. Mikka Kipprusoff, G
41. Teemu Selanne, RW
42. Patrick Kane, RW
43. Dan Boyle, D
44. Brian Rafalski, D
45. Brad Richards, C
46. Paul Stastny, C
47. Daniel Briere, C
48. Alexander Semin, LW
49. Michael Cammelleri, LW
50. Marc Andre Fleury, G
51. Zdeno Chara, D
52. Mike Green, D
53. Cristobal Huet, G
54. Martin Biron, G
55. Alexei Kovalev, RW
56. Sergei Gonchar, D
57. Jonathan Toews, C
58. Derek Roy, C
59. Thomas Vanek, LW
60. Carey Price, G
61. Thomas Vokoun, G
62. Scott Niedermayer, D
63. Brian Rolston, LW
64. Chris Kunitz, LW
65. Jason Pominville, RW
66. Nikolai Zherdev, RW
67. Paul Kariya, LW
68. Dan Ellis, G
69. Alexander Frolov, LW
70. Zach Parise, LW
71. Daymond Langkow, C
72. Scott Gomez, C
73. Bryan McCabe, D
74. Jonathan Cheechoo, RW
75. Anze Kopitar, C
76. Ryan Smyth, LW
77. Sheldon Souray, D
78. Shea Weber, D
79. Jose Theodore, G
80. Henrik Sedin, C
81. Erik Cole, RW
82. Ales Hemsky, RW
83. Alex Tanguay, LW
84. Patrice Bergeron, C
85. Nicklas Backstrom, C
86. Saku Koviu, C
87. Andrei Markov, D
88. Wade Redden, D
89. Ed Jovonovski, D
90. Milan Michalek, LW
91. Brian Campbell, D
92. Brad Boyes, RW
93. Scott Hartnell, LW
94. Ryan Miller, G
95. Mathieu Garon, G
96. Sergei Zubov, D
97. Joe Corvo, D
98. Philippe Boucher, D
99. Kimmo Timonen, D
100. Lubomir Visnovsky, D
101. Patrik Elias, LW
102. Simon Gagne, LW
103. Mike Ribiero, C
104. Kevin Bieska, D
105. Braydon Coburn, D
106. Markus Naslund, LW
107. Petr Sykora, RW
108. Jay Bouwmeester, D
109. Ray Whitney, LW
110. Kristian Huselius, LW
111. Steve Stamkos, C
112. Jeff Carter, C
113. Mathieu Schnieder, D
114. Jason Arnott, C
115. Tomas Plekanec, C
116. JP Dumont, RW
117. Keith Tkachuk, LW
118. Dustin Brown, RW
119. Manny Legace, G
120. Ty Conklin, G
121. Dennis Wideman, D
122. Mats Sundin, C
123. Pierre-Marc Bouchard, RW
124. Patrick Marleau, C
125. Rob Blake, D
126. Pavel Kubina, D
127. Cam Ward, G
128. Tim Thomas, G
129. Craig Rivet, D
130. Tomas Kaberle, D
131. Andrej Meszaros, D
132. Brent Burns, D
133. Andrei Kostitsyn, LW
134. Rod Brindamour, C
135. Sean Avery, LW
136. John Michael Liles, D
137. Marek Zidlicky, D
138. Kari Lehtonen, G
139. Mike Smith, G
140. Joni Pitkanen, D
141. Joffrey Lupul, RW
142. Milan Hejduk, RW
143. Pavol Demitra, LW
144. Patrick Sharp, LW
145. Brent Seabrook, D
146. Tobias Enstrom, D
147. Brian Gionta, RW
148. Ryan Malone, LW
149. Shawn Horcoff, C
150. Martin Gerber, G

Schneider to Atlanta

Well... I still don't think Atlanta has a lot to offer but Schneider will certainly get his points on this team. Analysis and more in the morning... plus the very first "Breaking the Trap" Big Board.

"So... Do you like American hot dogs?"

Ok... so...

As you know, or may not know if this is your first time here, and incidentally if it is hello and welcome...

Where was I?

Right! When last we left our blogger he was on his way to play at being a journalist at the Rangers v. Lightning Preseason game. It should be noted that I got there a half hour before the doors opened, no one believed me that I was "media" and even fewer people were impressed that I wrote for a blog. Undaunted I read a magazine in a fine restaurant, Roy Rogers, across the street and drank a beverage, diet coke, while I waited for the doors to open.

Eventually I got inside. So, I'm snapping pictures of Stamkos like a Japanese tourist at Disney World and writing things down on my notepad like "speedy" and "adequate puck control" with many exclamation points and little hearts when the people who will be sitting behind me for the evening arrive.

Because they are loud I quickly surmise that they are bankers (go figure that in the middle of one of the worst crises the industry has ever seen these guys have time for a preseason hockey game... but I digress) and that one of them is a female on exchange from Austria. Before you ask I have no idea if she was cute. I only turned around once, to tell the guy that Korpikoski scored the second goal (and that was only because I was tired of the endless Who scored that? Was it Prucha? Shanahan? Superman?) and she wasn't there at that particular moment.

ANYWAY... I guess about halfway through the game she gets a hot dog at which point the banker to my back and right says "So... do you like American hot dogs?" I shared in their uncomfortable silence (if you want to know what I was doing at that moment I was drawing little arrows puncturing Petr Nedved's skull in the hopes that Renny would realize the smoke and mirrors routine ol' Neddy has been putting on this preseason) for what seemed like forever. I could only pray that she hadn't yet gotten the subtleties of the language... and that was only the SECOND most ridiculous thing that guy said all night.

The first?

"The Lightning made the playoffs last year right?"

Is it any wonder that our economy is in trouble kids?

Anyway thoughts and observations from the Rangers v. Lightning preseason game:

The Rangers were rolling with mostly a B squad last night. The B squad, though they lost, still seemed pretty dominant through two periods. Lundqvist would have never given up 2 of the 3 goals the Lightning scored on Valiquette. The third was a FILTHY top shelf backhand by St. Louis.

The real standout of the B-squad for me was defenseman Corey Potter. The Rangers Blue line is crowded (Redden, Rozsival, Kalinin, Mara, Staal) and I would imagine that Girardi has the inside track on the sixth spot, but Potter looks NHL ready to me. He was rarely out of position last night, played the point well and has a good breakout pass. The one time he was pickpocketed, by St. Louis of all people, Perry got back and laid down to block the shot. He will be a good hockey player for this team some day.

Korpikoski scored a goal. It wasn't pretty and was largely the fault of Matt Carle (more on him in a moment) but a goal is a goal. It was really the one "great" thing he did all night. There were several times where he looked unsure of what to do with the puck or like he needed a map to get through the neutral zone. He's going to be good but he needs some more seasoning.

Rissmiller, on the other hand, continues to impress. He should be a fine addition to this team. He had an absolute laser of a pass to Fritsche (who also looked good) which resulted in the Rangers first goal.

Since Tampa was playing most of their A-team (minus the still recovering Lecavalier and still lazy Prospal) there was a lot more to take in.

At this point it seems like the second and third line will look something like this:
Artuykhin - Stamkos - Malone
Vrbata - Gratton - Someone (Bochenski spent most of the game there but was waived after the game... one assumes Jussi Jokinen?)

Lots of thoughts on this. Artuykhin and Malone are both very big boys and they look to be out there to sort of flank Stamkos. Its clear that if anyone wants to go anywhere near the young star they are going to take a hammering... except... well...

Ok so let me come right out and say it. I don't really like Artuykhin. Watching him play I can see what all the fuss is about. He's big, he can skate and he's got a quick release on his shot and decent enough hands. Those are all good qualities in a player. I know this. Its just his play style reminds me most of Nik Antropov and not in a good way. While I'm insulting the guy I think he hits like Marek Malik. He's a hugger and he takes a lot of dumb penalties because of it. Near the end of the game they tried Vrbata on Stamkos' right and I think that ultimately this would be a better fit. Let Malone and the D provide the protection for Stamkos. Guys are going to figure out that Artuykhin is all height and no muscle pretty quickly.

That said. Wow. Stamkos. The kid can absolutely fly. He doesn't lose the puck easily and, maybe the best thing I can say about him at this stage in his career, he doesn't stand out. He looks like he belongs there. He isn't as silky smooth as St. Louis, yet, but he's really really good. The Calder talk is absolutely warranted. Someone, my bet is Malone, is going to score 30 goals picking up his trash rebounds. The one real knock on the guy at this point is that I'm not sure I saw him win a faceoff all night, on a night when the Rangers top three centers weren't even dressed. Kinda disappointing, but he'll pick that up as they go along. It just means that in big time situations you're going to see a lot of Lecavalier and Gratton.

Vrbata is really really quick, but he'll be wasted on that third line. If he gets some time with Stamkos though... watch out.

Now on to the D. Meszaros looked good all night. Carle did not. I was keeping a tally and Carle was personally responsible for three breakaways and 1 goal. He also got absolutely undressed by Prucha in his own zone but that was more because Prucha put on a sick set of moves then anything else. Carle looked defenisively irresponsible and really didn't have much going offensively until...

Near the end of the game Carle and Meszaros played the point together on the powerplay, with Carle playing the role of pinching d-man and Meszy playing the quarterback. It seemed to work nicely so keep an eye on both of these guys in your draft. I fear for Carle's +/- though.

So those are my observations. Good game for both teams. I think Renny should be able to really narrow down his roster based on that one, and Lightning showed that they are ready to compete this year. One last thing:

Mullet-watch: Melrose appears to have trimmed the mullet considerably. So much for that warrior hair Barry!

NHL 09 Review and Pre-Season Madness

Hey everybody. I will be attending the Rangers/Lightning Pre-season game at the Garden tonight and taking furious notes on what I'm watching so I can bring it back to you later tonight. Any bets on who the next star to go down before the season starts? I'm going to go with Daymond Langkow in a freak "jersey tie" accident.

Until I get back I figured I'd tide you over with a rather lengthy/in depth review of EA Sports' NHL 09 submitted by a friend of the Trap, Nick Giammona. I haven't played EA's game yet this year but my experience with NHL 2k9's demo leads me to believe that when I do get around to purchasing a hockey game this year, it will be this one. So take it away Nick:


Figured my first contribution to your blog (assuming of course that you wanted contributions) should be a review of NHL 09. If you don't want it for your blog, at least read it so you get my take on the game and I know I didn't write it for nothing.

The good: Control is near flawless with huge attention to detail while still being accessible to casual gamers.

The bad: Too many WTF moments!

The ugly: Martin Bordeur's roster photo. (Editor's Note: But you looked din't you?)

If you've been asking yourself the most common question of "Do I get 2k or NHL?" Please allow me to make up your mind for you. You get NHL09. You get it right now.

NHL09 vastly improves on last years complaints. Using the right analog to control your stick was a pain last year with the learning curve being maybe a bit too steep for some of us. It's back this year, but the difference is that it actually works and once you get used to it (it took me about 3 games) you'll find that you have complete control over your stick... and not only when you have the puck. You can also hold the right bumper and use the right analog to sweep your stick to block passes, hold both bumpers to slide to block a pass or shot, or press A to lift an opponent's stick, effectively killing a one timer opportunity or pass reception.

Body checking has been greatly improved from 09 as well, in that you can't use it the way you used to. Games are much more flowing now like a real game. The days of "kill the guy with the puck" are thankfully gone. Body checking is very effective when timed right, however. But if all you do is skate after the man with eh puck trying to deck him, you will find yourself missing him almost constantly as he skates freely into open ice. All the given defensive tools are intended to be used. The poke check might be the most valuable asset this time around and it's very effective against players who try to do it all alone instead of pass to an open man. Checking isn't impossible though. If you do manage to tee someone up and crack him one, you will be rewarded as he is sent flying into the ice or against the boards. Checking is just a defensive tool this year, not the entire defense as it was in the past. Don't be turned off by the fact that almost every button does something. It doesn't take long to start mastering them and using them effectively is very rewarding. It's a great feeling you get after lifting someone's stick and watching their incoming pass miss them and bounce off the boards.

With all the defensive improvements, scoring has become increasingly difficult. I have yet to tally more than 2 goals in a game. But that's not to say that offense is impossible. As many tools as there are on defense, there is an offensive maneuver to counter it. Someone coming straight at you for a poke check? Push the puck forward so you can skate around him and recover it, or hold a to protect the puck and try to skate through his efforts. Did he drop to block your pass? Saucer pass it right over him.

One other feature that works on both offense and defense is the right trigger. It turns your player up ice so you're facing the play. It's really handy in a scenario where on defense you've skated past the player with the puck. It would be useless to have your back to him, so the right trigger would turn you around. On offense, it's great when taking the puck deep. You can turn around behind the net to face the rest of your team and try to make a play. That's just 2 examples, but it's a really useful feature.

Shooting is near flawless in that aiming your shots not only works, but works well. Aiming as always is done with the left analog while shooting is done with the right. Push the stick forward for a wrist shot, pull it back and then forward for a quick snap shot, or pull back and hold to wind up a slapper, aim with the left, and push the right forward to fire away. Using both sticks starts to feel natural quite quickly, so don't fear the learning curve. It's not steep. If you do fear the rigth analog stick, you can switch the controls back to classic, but you lose one or two features when you do that, so it's in your best interest to use the stick. Last but not least on the controls, you can dumb the game down all the way back to 1994 by switching to NHL94 controls" and play the whole game on 2 buttons just like the old days. Of course, you lose all the cool features I just talked about like stick lifts, shot blocking, saucer passes, etc... but it makes the game instantly accessible to anyone.

The graphics are near perfect, especially in HD. But even in SD you can still see that the numbers on the players jerseys are actually stitched on. The arenas are all very accurate, right down the the purple rails in MSG's 100 level and the teal/green of the 200 level. The individual goal horns for each team are included after you score, but if you want your team's specific goal song (or any other song for that matter) you'll have to import it yourself. It might seem like a pain, but if you put about a half hour into it, you can customize the game to play every team's individual goal song when they score at home as well as assign your own music to specific events during the game like intros, penalties, breaks in play, and intermissions. The only drawback is that you have to set it for each individual arena. ...The price you pay for authenticity. Customization is feast or famine here though. Creating a player gives you less than 10 face options, but you can decide whether you tuck your jersey in on the left side, right side, or completely. It's a nice touch, but I'd rather create a player that looks even a little like me.

The commentary is as good as can be expected these days. It's not great, but it certainly gets the job done. In the past, they would start talking about something, you'd make a huge play, and there would be no mention of it because the cpu commentary is saying something else already. This year, it will interrupt itself if you do something note-worthy while it's babbling on about Ovechkin's ridiculousness. So if you don't want to hear Bill Clement ramble on about Sidney Crosby's whatever it is this time, just make a nice one timer on goal and Gary Thorne will yell right over him. That being said, the commentary tends to ignore some events which would cause a real life commentator to shout uncontrollably. I watched the puck drift lazily across the crease behind Martin Brodeur, inches from the goal line. It didn't go in, but Brodeur had no idea it was there. Had that been a real game, the crowd would have reacted LOUDLY along with anyone calling the game. It went unnoticed by the crowd or Thorne or Clement in my game.

All the new 2009 alternate uniforms are here, but they are locked since not all the teams have revealed them. Once all the teams release their new designs, EA will release a code, unlocking all the alternates for use in the game. The last feature I'll mention is one I haven't spent much time with, but I already know to be very innovative and undoubtedly immersive. The Be A Pro mode literally puts you in the game. You create your player and choose where you want to start (already in the NHL or in the minors, working your way up). You then play games from your players perspective, so you can't change players during a game. You have to learn to play your position and if you suck at it, your coach will yell at you and you'll never make it off the 4th line. You can also choose to take this mode as far as you want, even going so far as to only play your players shifts, watching the rest of the game unfold from the bench. Or you can lock it to just the position and play the shift of every player on the team that shares your players position. So if you are a left winger, you'll be playing left wing the whole game whether your player is on the ice or not. The third setting is to play the game normally, but you are still responsible for what your player does when you're not controlling him. The feedback from the coach doesn't always seem accurate though. He wasn't impressed with my lack of hustle despite a goal, an assist, 4 hits and a blocked shot. But the next game when I contributed nothing more than 3 shots on goal, he was patting me on the back for my efforts. Most of the time it's good, but occasionally you'll wonder if the coach was watching the same game as you. It's a new way to go through the yearly task of winning the Stanley Cup.

Because some of you like number ratings, here you go on a scale of 1-10:

Graphics: 10 Gorgeous visuals and an extreme attention to detail easily outshine 2K.

Sound: 7 The sound is very very good, but it seems like EA didn't know whether they wanted it to sound like you were at the game, or watching it on TV. In the end, you hear things you wouldn't hear on TV if you were home, and wouldn't hear at the arena if you were there. Commentary isn't perfect, but it is firmly on par with any other sports game out there.

Control: 8 It's almost perfect. Emphasis on the "almost." Every stick feature has it's own button which can lead to some button mashing if you're not careful. Once you remember what every single button does, the control scores a 10.

Glitch/WTF frequency: 5 Things tend to occur that will make you shout WTF at your screen. Goalies will stop the most brilliant plays and dekes you can come up with, but will let up goals from the blue line. The cpu is guaranteed good for a goal or two in the last 2 minutes (regardless of the current score) so tighten up the defense with your coach controls in the 3rd. Fights look unrealistic and end with 2 slowly animated punches.

If you want a hockey game, NHL09 delivers and it delivers HUGE. It will be your favorite hockey video game yet released. Go get it right now!

(Stay tuned for my less than favorable review of NHL 2K9 for the Wii!)

Drafting Your Defense Just Got Tougher

A couple of quick injury notes:

Erik Johnson to miss entire season with torn ligaments. Golf Carts To Be Hunted as Criminals in St. Louis.

Erik Johnson, THE future of the St. Louis Blues tore the ligaments in his knee stepping out of a golf cart at a team sponsored event. Holy shit. That has to rival Theodore injuring himself slipping on a patch of ice outside of his house... not in the irony department but definitely in the randomness one. St. Louis President John Davidson when asked for a comment said, "Whoa Baby!" We agree John. This one hurts.

Johnson is expected to miss the entire season so obviously don't draft him unless you like having inactive players on your bench. I don't know maybe you're weird. Masochists play fantasy game too right? In fact it's arguable whether anyone BUT masochists play fantasy games but...

Sergei Gonchar dislocates shoulder... recovery time uncertain.

It now appears that Gonchar's mysterious injury in the Penguins first preseason game was a dislocated shoulder. The Penguins have been quiet about it up until now as there was too much swelling to determine whether surgery would or would not be necessary. Now according to Pens GM Ray Shero, Gonchar is considering surgery. A dislocated shoulder is a strange injury in the NHL. Malkin missed just four game from a dislocated shoulder in the preseason last year... but Malkin was 20 and Gonchar is well into his 30's. Of course it all depends upon the severity. I would move Gonchar down several spots in your draft. He will miss the beginning of the season even under the best case scenario and could be out until December under the worst.

With Whitney out until at least December the Pens powerplay situation becomes murky at best. Expect everyone with a pulse on that team to be trying their hand at the point for the first few games of the season. The early edge looks to go to Daryl Sydor (experience) or Alex Goligoski (potential).

This is a gut check for Pittsburgh. Their depth is being tested ad every weakness is being exploited. Rememer this is still the team that held onto their division lead without Crosby... but with Hossa... and Malone... and Whitney and Gonchar. Uh oh. I'd say the Rangers and Flyers odds in Vegas just went up. In related news this is apparently video of the most recent Penguins practice http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0paUfGmB-Q

Burgeoning Talent

PATRICE! Bergeron lit it up in his return last night. I know its preseason and I know we shouldn't get excited about preseason (preseason so far wrapup coming thursday night) but Bergeron looked healthy, and more than that, ready for serious competition. The reason I'm taking the time out to highlight Bergeron, other then it being a great story, is that Bergeron is not a prospect. No one is waiting around to see whether he'll make the team. Bergeron's story is different. Many "experts were waiting to see whether or not he'd be capable of playing the game at the same level. With a four point performance in his first game back Bergeron has answered those questions with a resounding, "Yes I can."

Bergeron already has a 70 and 73 point season under his belt. If he remains healthy this season I expect he will be hovering somewhere in the high 70's low 80's. He is a concern to be a minus, particularly with the questions swirling around the Bruins net and the absence (for how long?) of Zdeno Chara.

I had Bergeron ranked at 29 in my preseason rankings for centers. I would move him up to at least 21 (right below Gomez) based upon his performance last night.

Sorry... the rest of the D-men

Serious computer issues got in the way of this post. My apologies.

Tier 6:

43. Nicklas Kronwall, Det
Projected Stats: 8 G, 28 A, +21, 54 PIM, 10 PP, 154 SOG

Kronwall would make a great number 1 defenseman somewhere. He has the skills. He has the physicality, but here he is a number three at best. Draft him late if you need plus minus.

44. Duncan Keith, Chi
Projected Stats: 9 G, 22, A, + 18, 68 PIM, 5 PP, 142 SOG

Keith scored most of his points at even strength last year, so Campbell's arrival shouldn't affect him much. Again if you need +/- late in teh draft Keith isn't a bad place to look.

45. Ville Koistinen, Nsh
Projected Stats: 8 G, 26 A, +16, 32 PIM, 18 PP, 104 SOG

Koistinen showed a lot of potential in limited time this year. He is a great sleeper pick but will have to fight through a very very deep Nashville D for playing time. I'd take him higher if he were anywhere else... other then maybe Detroit and Chicago.

46. Ryan Suter, Nsh
Projected Stats: 9 G, 24 A, +4, 68 PIM, 12 PP, 140 SOG

I guess which Nashville D-man you like better depends on what you need at this point of the draft and your tolerance for risk. Koistinen, in my opinion, has a higher upside, but Suter has been consistently good for a couple of years now. If you need PIM absolutley take him over Koistinen. If you don't I think its a tougher call.

47. Erik Johnson, StL
Projected Stats: 8 G, 30 A, -10, 32 PIM, 20 PP, 125 SOG

Johnson's status has been placed in doubt recently with his "Freak Golf Cart Accident" that injured his knee over the weekend. He's worth the risk this late as Johnson showed flashes of brilliance last year.

48. Sami Salo, Van
Projected Stats: 10 G, 24 A, +8, 34 PIM, 18 PP, 133 SOG

Salo is an injury risk to be sure, like most of the Vancouver D, but he is pretty consistently adequate. Jeez... that sounds like the job evaluation from hell.

49. Paul Martin, NJ
Projected Stats: 5 G, 26 A, + 15, 20 PIM, 15 PP, 101 SOG

See its not that I hate Paul Martin. I think he is a solid number 2 or 3 d-man on any NHL team... but he's not the Devils' number 2 or 3 he is their undisputed number 1. Sigh.

50. Matt Carle, TB
Projected Stats: 10 G, 27 A, -2, 32 PIM, 22 PP, 120 SOG

I still think he is going to have a nice bounceback season, even with Meszaros. At Mr. Insignificant he's a fine home run swing. Don't take him much higher then here though.

Some other considerations:

Number 1: Someone has to play point for Ottawa on the powerplay

So... who are the candidates?

Filip Kuba, Brian Lee, Cristoph Schubert, Alexandre Picard

In the preseason Picard and Lee have been seeing a fair amount of time on the point, but really that could mean anything. Lee is widely believed to be the heir apparent, but no one thought that he'd be taking the mantle quite so soon. Kuba has done it, with mixed results, for stretches of the last two seasons in Tampa. Schubert might end up a forward altogehter. This is something you really want to keep an eye on and you might want to pick your candidate and take a swing in the draft. Whoever is playing point for Heatly/Spezza/Alfie is very very valuable. If I had a gun to my head I would take Lee.

Number 2: Ok so other then Lee who are your sleepers?

Drew Doughty on Los Angeles, Kris Russell on Columbus (someone has to quarterback that powerplay now that Hainsey is gone), Cam Barker on Chicago (going to break out eventually, but still too low on the depth chart), Marc Staal on the New York Rangers (similar depth issues), Chris Campoli on the New York Islanders, Jack Johnson on Los Angeles (who will be good eventually I just don't know if this team can make anyone fantasy relevant), and Alex Goligoski on Pittsburgh (someone has to eat up Whitney's minutes).

Number 3: Speaking of Whitney where the hell is he on your list?

I'm glad you asked Put him in that last tier if you want. He had surgery in the offseason that will see him out until January. You never know how a player is going to be after surgery, particularly defeders... particularly offensive ones who if they lose a half a step lose all of their fantasy value. But draft him if what you are really looking for is a half a season from a guy that had one really really good one.

Number 4: Who just missed the list?

Jaroslav Spacek, Dan Hamhuis, Shane O'Brien, Fracois Beauchemin, and Tom Poti.

That concludes our pre-draft rankings.

Quick hits before the conclusion of D-men

Zubov has surgery on knee

OK so... er... Zubov had arthoscopic knee surgery and is going to be inactive for the next month... meaning he'll probably miss a week or two of the regular season. Given this news I would move Wade Redden, Jovanovski and Brain Campbell ahead of him on your depth charts and knock Zubov down to somewhere between 17 and 20. Thats my first adjustment.

Schneider trade "imminent":

Matieu Schneider will not be attending the Ducks camp this weekend as his agent says "we have been told that something is imminent." Depending upon where Schneider ends up I may have to adjust his ranking. the rumor is LA but I'm not really sure if that would be good or bad for Schneider. The Ducks are making no secret that the move is designed to create cap space so that they can sign Teemu Selanne who they signed to a "pro tryout" contract so that he could skate with the team during camp. All of these funny little things you need to do now to navigate the salary cap or mystifying to me. Way to be a trailblazer Brian Burke!

Player Rankings: Tier 5 D-men

Tier 5:

31. Andrej Meszaros, TB
Projected Stats: 10 G, 34 A, -4, 68 PIM, 32 PP, 167 SOG

Meszaros found a willing buyer in Tampa. He goes from one great powerplay situation to another is the likely heir apparent to Dan Boyle's powerplay throne. He will, I suspect, receive stiff competition from Carle, but should start the season dishing it from the point.

32. Brent Burns, Minn
Projected Stats: 13 G, 30 A, +10, 74 PIM, 21 PP, 148 SOG

Wow. Before Zidlicky? Yes. But Espn ranks... I KNOW WHERE ESPN RANKS HIM. Espn takes points too highly at this position though. Burns does a lot of everything and he was a high first round draft pick by Minnesota. He is only going to get better. Zidlicky's arrival DOES raise some questions about Burns' ice time however which is why he didn't make Tier 4.

33. John-Michael Liles, Col
Projected Stats: 9 G, 34 A, +4, 24 PIM, 29 PP, 172 SOG

JM cannot possibly be as useless as he was last year... can he? Liles, like the rest of the team suffered without Stasny and Sakic. Everyone is healthy to start the season, expect a slight bump in his numbers as a result.

34. Marek Zidlicky, Minn
Projected Stats: 7 G, 36 A, +7, 66 PIM, 24 PP, 122 SOG

"We are no longer the knights who say Ni we are now the knights who say icky icky icky Marek Zidlicky" Look... if he explodes then I'm sorry. But every talented d-man that has ever gone to Minnesota to play point almost immediately disappears into Lemaire's system. Minnesota, where if you want to play offense you have to risk being fired. Zids should be fine, but if his points take dip then, like Kaberle, there isn't a whole lot of interest here.

35. Joni Pitkanen, Car
Projected Stats: 9 G, 38 A, +2, 72 PIM, 26 PP, 100 SOG

Pity about the last couple seasons... sigh. Pitkanen had a great rookie campaign and has yet to deliver on that promise. The plus side... he's only 24 and will be competing for powerplay time with Joe Corvo, if not sharing it. Pitkanen has a lot of potential and should be drafted as such.

36. Brent Seabrook, Chi
Projected Stats: 9 G, 27 A, +15, 94 PIM, 18 PP, 154 SOG

No powerplay time and lower point totals aside, Seabrook is the future of this Blackhawks team, along with Cam Barker, on the blue line. Campbell is the present though. Seabrook is a good 4th D-man until he starts getting serious powerplay minutes.

37. Michal Rozsival, NYR
Projected Stats: 11 G, 27 A, +7, 84 PIM, 18 PP, 133 SOG

Is he better without Jaromir Jagr? Or did a lot of his value just run off to Russia? Time will tell.

38. Ron Hainsey, Atl
Projected Stats: 9 G, 32 A, -8, 54 PIM, 28 PP, 170 SOG

From one bad team to another, Hainsey will steal away some of Enstrom's powerplay time and/or they will play together (more likely) and mutually benefit each other. I can't stress how bad this Atlanta team is though. Really. Its horrendous.

39. Mattias Ohlund, Van
Projected Stats: 11 G, 22 A, -4, 102 PIM, 19 PP, 172 SOG

Oft-injured but always useful, Ohlund doesn't do much outside of PIM and SOG but at this stage of the draft those are harder and harder to get in the same package.

40. Adrian Aucoin, Cgy
Projected Stats: 10 G, 24 A, +12, 46 PIM, 20 PP, 135 SOG

Case in point. Aucoin had a really solid comeback season last year. It should continue this year as he is still the second best option in Calgary.

41. Tobias Enstrom, Atl
Projected Stats: 6 G, 33 A, -4, 48 PIM, 28 PP, 124 SOG

Call it the Kovalchuk factor. Enstrom had a very impressive rookie campaign, and while I think Hainsey is the safe bet on this team Enstrom is one of the best "Upside" picks late in this draft. Prepare for the "Atlanta-factor" though which roughly translates to bad plus-minus.

42. Mark Streit, NYI
Projected Stats: 8 G, 38 A, -15, 24 PIM, 26 PP, 140 SOG

Yes he had 62 points last year. Why am I knocking him down so far? The Islanders leading scorer had 49 points last year. Yea. Its like that. Streit isn't Bobby Orr and he's just been signed by one of the worst offensive teams in the game. Adjust his value accordingly. I did.

Player Rankings: Tier 4 D-men

Tier 4:

22. Kevin Bieska, Van
Projected Stats: 11 G, 27 A, -3, 140 PIM, 24 PP, 176 SOG

Let me get this part out of the way. I don't believe in Kevin Bieska. He had an out of nowhere season two years ago and then got injured last year, along with every other defenseman on Vancouver, before we could find out what he was. That said, there isn't a whole lot else on this team. He'll get points, and the PIM shouldn't be a problem either. He's probably a decent grab at this stage.

23. Jay Bouwmeester, Fla
Projected Stats: 14 G, 29 A, +3, 70 PIM, 22 PP, 180 SOG

He's going to be looking up points to warrant the big money he is going to be seeking in the offseason. McCabe's arrival means he might not get it as it will diminish his role on the powerplay a bit. Keep that in mind. All the talent in the world though...

24. Braydon Coburn, Phi
Projected Stats: 9 G, 32 A, +16, 88 PIM, 28 PP, 165 SOG

We're starting with the guys with upside in this tier. For the record the ranks get a little fuzzy after this point. There are "groups" of guys with similar value... you might think of them as tiers. Tier 4 is where "ranks" kind of stop to have meaning. Its all about what you need and who you believe in from this point forward. Coburn had a fantastic start with the Flyers this year. He'll see more ice time and first unit powerplay time this year. Great upside.

25. Dennis Wideman, Bos
Projected Stats: 13 G, 27 A, +6, 72 PIM, 22 PP, 178 SOG

Wideman broke out last year on Boston. I skeptical of many of the people wearing the spoked B this year but perhaps none more then Wideman. Nevertheless Wideman was all around good last season. He's worth the risk.

26. Rob Blake, SJ
Projected Stats: 10 G, 26 A, +4, 90 PIM, 21 PP, 162 SOG

Blake is getting on in years but he still takes shots on the powerplay and still punches people when he's had enough. The plus/minus (his biggest issue last season) shouldn't be a problem on this team. He's a safe bet.

27. Mathieu Schnieder, uh...
Projected Stats: 12 G, 32 A, ..., 64 PIM, ..., 160-180 SOG

OK so I don't know where he's going... and that significantly affects the plus/minus, powerplay points and Shots on goal... but this is about where he should go in any event unless he somehow stays on Anaheim... then move him down. Niedermayer and Pronger are just too much to overcome as it relates to ice time.

28. Pavel Kubina, Tor
Projected Stats: 10 G, 27 A, -2, 118 PIM, 22 PP, 142 SOG

Tough call here between Kubina and Kaberle for who will survive/benefit the exodus in Toronto. I'm betting that Kubina will still get "some" points and even if he doesn't he does enough of the other things to not be a total waste on your roster.

29. Craig Rivet, Buff
Projected Stats: 6 G, 30 A, +10, 102 PIM, 22 PP, 115 SOG

Not a lot of points or shots but everything else looks good. Rivet is one of the last defenders you should be able to grab that will get you PIM while still delivering in most every other category.

30. Tomas Kaberle, Tor
Projected Stats: 6 G, 40 A, -10, 24 PIM, 26 PP, 130 SOG

Inverse Rivet. Kubina has the potential to get you quite a few points, but will likely be hurt by the absence of, well, everyone on Toronto. Be cautious. He doesn't get Kubina's PIM so if his points drop off he is virtually useless to you.

Player Rankings: Tier 3 D-men

With the Mathieu Schneider thing not looking like it will clear up anytime soon (rumors of several trades are in the air) I decided that I couldn't wait any longer to post the rest of the d-men rankings. Burke came out and admitted that he is trying to get Teemu signed so I guess go ahead and move him up in your right wing rankings (though I still like him where he is) and that he had rejected several offers for Schneider before putting him on waivers. It will be interesting to see how this plays out from both a fantasy hockey perspective and a real world one. OK...

Tier 3:

10. Bryan McCabe, Fla
Projected Stats: 12 G, 36 A, +3, 124 PIM, 28 PP, 175 SOG

McCabe's breakout didn't really happen until he came to Toronto. Now there are two theories on this. The popular theory is what I like to call the "Duh... Mats Sundin" theory. I think it pretty much explains itself. The other theory, my theory, is that in 01-02 when McCabe really broke out he was 25... which is prime time for a d-man. I've said it before and I'll say it again, it takes defensemen a while to develop in this league. Anyway depending on which theory you subscribe to, McCabe's move to South Florida is either a good one or a bad one for his fantasy value. I think he and Bouwmeester will be a deadly combination on the point this year. Also they can pair McCabe with any number of responsible defensemen at even strength. He's a steal if he falls much below this.

11. Sheldon Souray, Edm
Projected Stats: 15 G, 30 A, -8, 128 PIM, 32 PP, 214 SOG

Hey remember how awesome Souray was that one year when he was playing on the point with Markov in Montreal and how he like scored a billion goals and all of them were on the powerplay and other then his big fat minus he was a really solid fantasy d-man. Who do you think is better? Markov or Visnovsky? Just saying.

12. Shea Weber, Nash
Projected Stats: 15 G, 35 A, +8, 62 PIM, 31 PP, 222 SOG

I'm ranking Weber fairly ambitiously here. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Weber put up similar numbers two seasons ago (scoring more goals but getting fewer assists) without powerplay time. With Zidlicky and Timonen departing since then the way seems to be clear for Weber to own the point. He and the other talented Nashville d-men (Suter, Koistitsyn, and Hamhuis to just name the ones that will make this list) will compete for it all season. Ultimately I think it will be Koistitsyn's and Weber's to lose. Shots seem high to you? Weber was averaging three shots a game last season. That's what that looks like when you project it out over 82 games.

13. Andrei Markov, Mon
Projected Stats: 13 G, 41 A, +1, 54 PIM, 28 PP, 142 SOG

Even with the "Montreal Discount" I've been applying liberally this offseason, because of my assumption that the powerplay can't possibly be as good as last season, Markov is a solid number 2 d-man. The goals are a relatively new addition for Markov but the assists have been there for a season or 2 now. If anything is going down it will be his tally's, both even strength and on the powerplay. His helpers should stay pretty constant though.

14. Sergei Zubov, Dal
Projected Stats: 9 G, 46 A, +12, 31 PIM, 31 PP, 162 SOG

Zubov, at 38, was on pace for his best season ever last year before going down to injury. He is still the best option on the point for Dallas, and he's still very very good. He's been a very healthy player throughout his career and should rebound nicely this season. He's only this low because of his lack of PIM.

15. Wade Redden, NYR
Projected Stats: 11 G, 40 A, +13, 66 PIM, 33 PP, 168 SOG

I think that's Redden's floor this year. You'll probably be able to get him lower then this since the entire hockey world except for the Rangers seemed to think that Brian Campbell was better then him this offseason. Expect a great year for this former second overall pick. He's out of the soap opera of Ottawa and under the spotlight of New York. I think he'll fit in just fine.

16. Ed Jovanovski, Pho
Projected Stats: 12 G, 37 A, +2, 76 PIM, 29 PP, 210 SOG

Jovo-cop had the kind of season that everyone has always believed him capable. With Jokinen in Phoenix things are looking up for the talented two way defender... but can he stay healthy two season in a row?

17. Brian Campbell, Chi
Projected Stats: 9 G, 49 A, +8, 22 PIM, 34 PP, 154 SOG

Campbell will eventually have a lot of competition for powerplay time on this young but talented team. It won't be coming this season though. Campbell's principle value lies in assists and powerplay points. He is underwhelming in every other category but is a solid choice as a second defenseman if you take care of PIM elsewhere.

18. Joe Corvo, Car
Projected Stats: 13 G, 36 A, +9, 38 PIM, 30 PP, 183 SOG

Really? Joe Corvo? Yes. Really. Pitkanen's arrival in Carolina casts a little doubt on Corvo's role but these stats don't: 21 points in 23 games in Carolina last season. Yea, he was that good a fit on this team. Take him here anticipating the stats above but hope for more.

19. Philippe Boucher, Dal
Projected Stats: 12 G, 30 A, +5, 96 PIM, 22 PP, 189 SOG

Boucher had been excellent since the lockout... before he missed half of last season to injury. If healthy he gets you a little bit of everything. He might go higher then this but he also could fly under the radar due to his low totals last season. One major concern. Even though he only played 38 games he still had a painfully low 3 points on the man advantage. Just... be aware.

20. Kimmo Timonen, Phi
Projected Stats: 10 G, 36 A, +2, 58 PIM, 31 PP, 144 SOG

Time for a couple of upside picks. Timonen had a "good" year but one that's not quite up to his usual standards. He will share the point with Coburn this year (who could have a GREAT year) but he is still a solid number 2 d-man. Philly is the team that made the Eastern Conference finals last year and not the one that struggled to make the playoffs.

21. Lubomir Visnovsky, Edm
Projected Stats: 12 G, 38 A, -8, 26 PIM, 31 PP, 145 SOG

The Breaking the Trap bounceback candidate of the year. Visnovsky had a bad year in LA. So did everyone else. Edmonton is a team poised for awesome-itude (TM BtT enterprises 2008) and the teaming of Souray and Visnovsky on the point is a big part of that. Again, the above is what I believe to Visnovsky's absolute floor. He's kind of useless outside of the offensive categories and I tend to like to get either shots or PIM out of my D-men but his potential for close to hit the high 50's or low 60's in points more than makes up for it.

Justin Williams tears achilles, will miss 4-6 months. Staal weeps

OUCH!

Justin Williams out 4-6 months with an achilles tendon. We wish Williams the best in his recovery. He's a good, if injury prone, player who has always been underrated by your average hockey watcher.

That said, we're not paying ourselves to express our sympathies. Instead we're paid (not) to report and analyze. This hurts Carolina, a lot. They are fairly deep at forward but lack right wings who have chemistry with their top line center Eric Staal. Staal has shown the most chemistry with Williams and Cole, both of whom are now gone (one to hockey hell... and the other to Edmonton). In a division that got much more competitive this offseason this will be a blow.

What does this mean for you fantasy wise? Well I had Williams ranked 12th in my RW rankings, saying "This will surprise some of you but Williams has quietly been very good for the last three years, scoring in the high 60's low 70's. Expect the same this year on a healthy Hurricanes team." Whoops. I'm going to give Dan Wheeler competition for that nickname. Anyway, the good news is you probably haven't drafted yet so... don't draft Justin Williams. 4 to 6 months is most of the season. If you want to pick him up off of waivers and throw him on your IR that's cool, but don't waste a draft pick.

This also now begs the question... who will be playing on Mr. Staal's wing? I'd say I have a couple of dark horses but looking at the remainder of the Canes options ... well lets say they are all dark horses. Pat Eaves would be my pick, but I'm a Boston College homer. the other intirguing possibility is a man who was invited to training camp... former Cane, former Leaf, former NHL caliber player Jeff O'Neill. I'd say that this news has the biggest potential of being "good" for those two men. Keep your eye on the situation, I know I will be.

Wow Schneider cleared waivers!

Player Rankings: Tier 1 & 2 D-men

I said I was going to do it. D-men get very um... common after the top 20 or so. Most leagues are going to make you play 4-5 depending upon size so unfortunately you need to really mine this particular position for every last speck of worth.

There are a couple of solid strategies for dealing with d-men. One strategy is to focus all of your attention on the top guys. Draft defensemen early and often and then fill in your forward slots with talented lower tier forwards. At Center three isn't a WHOLE lot of difference between the 15-25 guys as compared to the 25-35 guys. So, you can afford to wait a while to draft you second center. Once you get past the top 20 or so right wings, as you saw, it gets scary. Left wings are a bit deeper though the difference between the top ten and the rest of the pack is striking. However, there will always be forwards out there... quality forwards.

Another strategy is to use them to roster plug, essentially draft high quality forwards throughout the draft and try to use the defenseman to fill in categories you aren't getting like +/- and PIM. This is an all right strategy but will almost guarantee that you will place low in powerplay points. There are only so many d-men that quarterback the powerplay and once they are gone they're gone. Rarely will a D-man take that role over mid-season unless there is a catastrophic injury or they come from out of nowhere.

You will generally not be able to to get a 60 point d-man off of waivers. There is usually one exception to this rule per year. Last year it was Mike Green. this year... I don't know... maybe Kris Russel in Columbus or Brian Lee in Ottawa.

Every D-man is going to get you somewhere between 4 and 18 goalies. That's nothing. The real differences come in powerplay points, +/-, PIM, and Shots on goal. Essentially the defense slot becomes where you differentiate yourself in the secondary categories, particularly in the new NHL. This is why the second strategy above is so tempting... however it comes with risks.

So what are you looking for in a good d-man? Your absolute best option is a defenseman on a good team that runs the powerplay and isn't afraid to mix it up a little. There aren't very many of these. The 9 listed below are the absolute best at what they do. The rest will follow as soon as a decision is made on Schneider's future.

Breaking the Trap Presents:

Top Defensemen (By Tier) for the 2008-2009 FHL Season

Tier 1 (should be drafted between the 2nd and 4th round in a 10 team league):

1. Dion Phaneuf, Cgy

Projected Stats: 18 G, 41 A, +15, 143 PIM, 35 PP, 258 SOG

The phrase "took the league by storm" hardly seems adequate to describe what Phaneuf has done in the last three years. He scores (20 goals in his rookie campaign!!), He hits (182 PIM last season!!!) he makes plays (33 powerplay points last season!!!!) and he does all this without being a defensive liability (+27 over his three year career!!!!!). He is the most versatile option at this position.

2. Nicklas Lidstrom, Det

Projected Stats: 14 G, 58 A, +40, 42 PIM, 33 PP, 183 SOG

Second by a nose hair, Lidstrom is the premier d-man in the NHL. Drafting him almost assures that you are competitive in assists, powerplay points and +/-. He isn't the physical presence of some of the other top defensemen in the league but he more then makes up for that with every other aspect of his game.

3. Chris Pronger, Ana

Projected Stats: 13 G, 38 A, +24, 116 PIM, 34 PP, 182 SOG

Think of him as Phaneuf lite at this stage of his career. The return of Niedermayer for a full season should help. Pronger is a mean bastard with a goal scorers touch. After Lidstrom and Phaneuf he is the best of the rest.

Tier 2 (should be drafted between the 4th and 7th round in a ten team league)

4. Sergei Gonchar, Pitt

Projected Stats: 12 G, 54 A, +9, 72 PIM, 41 PP, 185 SOG

He almost makes tier 1 but misses slightly because of my concerns about his plus/minus and his PIM which have been decreasing steadily over the past few season. Gonchar is the only one qualified to run the powerplay in Pittsburgh, particularly with Ryan Whitney being out until January (hence his exclusion from this list). Pittsburgh powerplay should be ... heh... pretty good too. That's what I'm hearing anyway.

5. Dan Boyle, SJ

Projected Stats: 17 G, 41 A, +11, 68 PIM, 36 PP, 192 SOG

The general of what should be another wildly successful powerplay this season, Boyle instantly improves San Jose offense. The Sharks, in turn, instantly improve Boyle's plus/minus. A top tier offensive defenseman with concerns just had his edges smoothed out. Enjoy him.

6. Brian Rafalski, Det

Projected Stats: 12 G, 43 A, +27, 36 PIM, 34 PP, 172 SOG

Think of Rafalski as Lidstrom lite. What I made that joke already? Ah well. He does everything except get you PIM but he does what he does very very well.

7. Zdeno Chara, Bos

Projected Stats: 13 G, 34 A, +9, 108 PIM, 24 PP, 202 SOG

Someone finally remembered that Chara has a CANNON of a shot and let him open up on the powerplay. Chara had off-season shoulder surgery and may miss a few games at the start of the season. That and the fact that he still plays for Boston are the only reason he isn't higher on this list.

8. Mike Green, Wash

Projected Stats: 19 G, 38 A, +7, 58 PIM, 26 PP, 233 SOG

I think the above represents the absolute floor for most of Green's stats this year (except for goals which might be a tad optimistic). Green scored most of his points at even strength last year which is nice for plus minus but not so nice for powerplay points. Lets see what this year brings before we go crazy.

9. Scott Niedermayer, Ana

Projected Stats: 14 G, 38 A, +8, 64 PIM, 35 PP, 165 SOG

Oh yea... that guy. Niedermayer took most of the season to decide whether he was going to honor his contract last year after fulfilling his life-long goal of winning a Stanley Cup with his brother. That indecision, and Teemu's, is what led Anaheim to the funky cap problems necessitating the waiving of Mathieu Schneider this year and Ilya Bryzgalov last year. Questions of heart aside Anaheim had the best record in the NHL after Niedermayer's return. Their D is rivaled only by Detroit's. There may be more grey in Scott's playoff beard then there used to be but he is still a top ten pick at D.