SITE NEWS
For those of you coming here for the weekly two minute minor I have some bad news. Nick, our intrepid columnist, is out on assignment this week and will not be delivering a two minute minor for you avid trap-o-philes. The good news... he'll be back next week with a HUGE HUGE update. Trust me... it will be worth the wait.
BET UPDATE:
Last night, in what shall from this point forward be referred to as The Futility Bowl, the Tampa Bay Lightning met up with the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto and something resembling a hockey game broke out. The Lightning dominated the play for much of the game, that is until the third period when the Maple Leafs brought it hard. The Leafs and Lightning both play an "attack first" strategy so it was an entertaining game to watch but the Leafs were outmatched by the Lightning's ability to field NHL caliber players on more then one line. What's that? Yes... I watched a large portion of this game (What I didn't watch I missed because I was watching other games). That's how seriously I take my obligation to you people.
Some fantasy notes from the game:
-Mike Smith made 37 saves giving him .942 Sv% on a team that is just now hitting its stride. Thats pretty solid. If Tampa Bay can start winning Smith will really gain some value in fantasy leagues.
- Stamkos got his first point... on the powerplay no less. It wasn't MUCH of an assist but later on he very nearly scored his first goal on a nasty wraparound. For some odd reason Melrose is still only giving Stamkos about 13 minutes a night (can his defense possibly be that bad) but he's showing signs of being able to spin whats being handed to him into gold. If you aren't already watching Stamkos... its time to start.
- Lecavalier woke up last night. Both of his goals were gorgeous. I'd say that shoulder is at about 72%.
- Hey... so... uh... Mike Van Ryn... scored his second powerplay goal last night. Someone has to fill in for McCabe. I just assumed it would be Kaberle or Kubina but maybe its Mike. Van Ryn has 4 points in the last 4 games.
Some Other Notes:
- Good gutsy win for Calgary last night. Hard hitting game, hard fought win. Calgary has to win those games if they are going to be a contender this year.
- The Sharks are off to an unbelievable start but you want proof that they are for real? They held the Pittsburgh Penguins to 11 shots last night. Crosby had 1 shot. Malkin had 2. Scary right?
- Tim Thomas has two consecutive shutouts. NEVER BET AGAINST TIM THOMAS. Take that everyone that thought Manny Fernandez was going to unseat him this year.
- Did you listen to me about Jofrey Lupul? Of course you didn't and as a result you missed 2 goals. Yes it was Atlanta. Yes they are terrible but Philly took full advantage of it. Philly is now wide awake.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Shooting Percentage: Breaking the Slump Does Just That? ALSO! Goalies and Stuff
WTF Breaking the Slump?
The life of a fantasy blogger is unpredictable. Some weeks you have a shooting percentage like Mike Ribiero's last year (an insane 25.2) and sometimes... well sometimes you tell people to bench an entire team the same day that that team finally breaks out of a season long slump.
So... let me start by saying that I'm sorry and that I too believe that ...
Breaking the Slump Last Week Was An Unmitigated Disaster:
I told you to drop Mike Ribiero... the same day that he scored 5 points. To be fair though I probably did less damage by telling you to drop him then I would have by telling you to bench him. Why you ask? Well let me explain.
BTS went up before rosters would have locked for the night, so if I told you to bench him you would have missed out on those points. However, if I told you to drop him THAT CHANGE wouldn't have been reflected in your line up until the next day... so instead of missing Ribiero's five point night you would have gotten a nice farewell present.
So for now I've backed down from my suggestion of dropping him, HOWEVER I do think that there are better options likely on your waiver wire as we speak. Mikko Koivu, Patrice Bergeron and Andy McDonald are all players who will put up similar numbers, if not better ones, to Ribiero while taking more shots and, in some cases, scoring more goals. Don't be married to the roster you drafted. It will come back to bite you.
As to the Ducks... well I told you to bench their stars the weekend they all finally broke out. You could take this two ways. One you could be very mad at me for telling you to miss those points...OR... you can be thankful that my harsh words broke them out of their slump. I'll be on the lookout for your torches and pitchforks.
Cristo-BAD!
I said this about Huet when I ranked him 13th among NHL netminders for this season "I want to put him higher, because I believe that he is a starter and not a member of a platoon. However, all of the rhetoric coming out of the windy city... well I guess not all of it but all of the hockey related rhetoric... suggests otherwise. I expect that Khabibulin will be moved at some point this year, but until he is Huet will be at least splitting some time with the Bulin Sieve." There are so many things wrong with that statement that I don't know where to begin.
That Platoon thing looks like a reality now. In fact, Huet owners will be lucky if he doesn't lose the job to Khabibulin altogether. Whatever the case Chicago HAS to move a goalie before the end of the year, and sooner rather then later. Cam Barker, who was also the source of many pre-season trade rumors, made his first appearance of the season last night for the big club so perhaps they are trying to showcase him as well.
In almost certainly completely unrelated news... I'm hearing a lot of things out of Ottawa about a possible move involving Spezza...
Hey I'm a Psychic!
When I ranked Manny Legace 22nd amongst NHL netminders the very first line of my ranking was "Manny is going to get hurt." Now could I have predicted that he'd do this tripping over a carpet put out for Vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin? No... we should check Nostradamus and see if that's one of the signs of the apocalypse though "And lo an Icy Mother shall come and injure the Keeper of the Twine, the Minder in the Mask, the Legace of Manny."
While on the subject of goalies I pretty much called another situation going on right now. In ranking Alex Auld 35th amongst NHL starters I said "I feel like he has the best combination of talent and situation. You can win the starters job away from Gerber as long as you have a pair of pads and a pulse (so tell your Mom to go buy some pads!)." And last night there he was, starting his second consecutive game against what WAS one of the two teams that had yet to suffer a regulation loss. This is not the end of Ottawa's problems (Witness: Buffalo started former-Senator Goat Patrick Lalime against them) but its a decent start and a nice story.
Then again...
Mike Modano continued to be hot this week scoring another goal and adding three assists and while I remain "Anti-Miettinen" he's now up to 6 goals and 3 assists and spending time on the powerplay, despite the return of Pierre Marc Bouchard.
So... it wasn't the best week for my predictions, though my pre-season stuff is still looking like it will hold up. The rest of it... well... tough week. Here's what I recommend. Do you have a fantasy player that you want desperately to break out of a slump? E-mail me at breakingthetrap@gmail.com and I will tell everyone to drop him in Breaking The Slump thus causing his spectacular break out. Sigh...
BTT Injury Update 10/28/08
- As reported here yesterday Danny Briere (who, mystifyingly, overnight went from Daniel to Danny in all official press) will miss the next month recovering from surgery to repair two tears in his abdominal wall. What this means for you fantasy wise is uncertain. Philly was just starting to roll so how they will respond to Briere's abscence is anyone's guess. If you are a Jeff Carter owner rejoice as he is likely to see more ice time both at even strength on the powerplay.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have now officially placed Pascal Leclaire on the Injured Reserve with an ankle injury. Leclaire has a history of ankle problems, and consequently a history of bouncing back from them. I'm not the biggest Fredrik Norenna fan in the world but he filled in adequately for Leclaire last year and is only two seasons removed from a 24 win year. Don't pick him up for SV% or GAA, but he's a decent stop gap if there are no other options in your league.
- Joni Pitkanen will miss a month as a result of a knee injury suffered in the Hurricanes game against the Islanders on Saturday. That wasn't the most concerning injury of the evening. What was you ask? Um... that'd be this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhepQWlvQKs.
Anybody get the number of that Doug Weight? Seriously I thought Weight was kind of a fancy lad when it came to the rough stuff. To me that looked like a hit with intent to injure but I digress. The good news is that Brandon Sutter is out of the hospital. The bad news is that he suffered a concussion... at the age of 19. You never like to see anyone get injured but this kind of injury to such a young player is heart breaking. As we all know from watching guys like Pat LaFontaine and Eric Lindross each concussion shaves years off of your career. Here's hoping Sutter is back on the ice soon.
- Marian Gaborik was officially placed on the Injured Reserve over the weekend. Worried yet Gaborik owners? You should be if your league doesn't have an IR spot. If it does let him hang out there until Minny finds some space on their roster. I wouldn't be surprised if, given their recent success, Minny lets Gaborik sweat it out for a while when he's once again healthy enough to play. He'll be great when he's healthy... but even Daniel Alfredsson went from being a consistent injury disappointment to an Iron Man eventually. What is it gonna be Maid Marian? Miehtinen is playing great isn't he?
- Manny Legace did this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nyFkdyjM8c. So Legace owners and Blues fans will officially all be voting Obama on the 4th. Tough to say what to do here. St. Louis' options in net aren't spectacular with Legace out unless they bring Chris Mason up from the minors. If Mason comes up look for him to make a play for the starting job. None of St. Louis' other options in net are particularly attractive however. Afer all its not like its been the goaltending that has gotten St. Louis off to its current start.
That's all for now. Today's shooting percentage, in which I debate whether I should be allowed to write Breaking the Slump anymore, should be available a little after lunch time.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have now officially placed Pascal Leclaire on the Injured Reserve with an ankle injury. Leclaire has a history of ankle problems, and consequently a history of bouncing back from them. I'm not the biggest Fredrik Norenna fan in the world but he filled in adequately for Leclaire last year and is only two seasons removed from a 24 win year. Don't pick him up for SV% or GAA, but he's a decent stop gap if there are no other options in your league.
- Joni Pitkanen will miss a month as a result of a knee injury suffered in the Hurricanes game against the Islanders on Saturday. That wasn't the most concerning injury of the evening. What was you ask? Um... that'd be this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhepQWlvQKs.
Anybody get the number of that Doug Weight? Seriously I thought Weight was kind of a fancy lad when it came to the rough stuff. To me that looked like a hit with intent to injure but I digress. The good news is that Brandon Sutter is out of the hospital. The bad news is that he suffered a concussion... at the age of 19. You never like to see anyone get injured but this kind of injury to such a young player is heart breaking. As we all know from watching guys like Pat LaFontaine and Eric Lindross each concussion shaves years off of your career. Here's hoping Sutter is back on the ice soon.
- Marian Gaborik was officially placed on the Injured Reserve over the weekend. Worried yet Gaborik owners? You should be if your league doesn't have an IR spot. If it does let him hang out there until Minny finds some space on their roster. I wouldn't be surprised if, given their recent success, Minny lets Gaborik sweat it out for a while when he's once again healthy enough to play. He'll be great when he's healthy... but even Daniel Alfredsson went from being a consistent injury disappointment to an Iron Man eventually. What is it gonna be Maid Marian? Miehtinen is playing great isn't he?
- Manny Legace did this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nyFkdyjM8c. So Legace owners and Blues fans will officially all be voting Obama on the 4th. Tough to say what to do here. St. Louis' options in net aren't spectacular with Legace out unless they bring Chris Mason up from the minors. If Mason comes up look for him to make a play for the starting job. None of St. Louis' other options in net are particularly attractive however. Afer all its not like its been the goaltending that has gotten St. Louis off to its current start.
That's all for now. Today's shooting percentage, in which I debate whether I should be allowed to write Breaking the Slump anymore, should be available a little after lunch time.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Oh God... I cursed Philly
Danny Briere to miss 3-4 weeks with 2 abdominal tears which required surgery. OUCH. Thats a tough one for the Flyers to swallow I would imagine. They are deep at center but Briere has been a key piece of their rebuilding.
More on this tomorrow in the BTT injury update but some other news and notes of interest:
- Alexander Ovechkin has returned to Russia to be with his ailing grandfather. He will miss at least one game.
- As mentioned earlier Joni Pitkanen will miss 3-4 weeks with a knee injury. Hurricanes players are dropping like... well Hurricanes players.
- The New Jersey Devils continue to be without Brian Rolston, Jamie Langenbrunner and Bobby Holik. Of the three, Langenbrunner is the only one who could be ready for the Devils next game.
More on this tomorrow in the BTT injury update but some other news and notes of interest:
- Alexander Ovechkin has returned to Russia to be with his ailing grandfather. He will miss at least one game.
- As mentioned earlier Joni Pitkanen will miss 3-4 weeks with a knee injury. Hurricanes players are dropping like... well Hurricanes players.
- The New Jersey Devils continue to be without Brian Rolston, Jamie Langenbrunner and Bobby Holik. Of the three, Langenbrunner is the only one who could be ready for the Devils next game.
Ice Fishing: Don't Look Now But Here Comes Philly
Well if this keeps up teams should start paying me to write about their stars in Breaking The Slump. In my Thursday column "Breaking the Slump" I discussed Mike Ribiero, Jonatahn Toews and Nicklas Backstrom. Of the three I gave the strongest chastising to Mr. Ribiero... who responded with a 5 point night against the Islanders.
Also included in that article was a simple message to the Ducks of Anaheim... "WTF Anaheim." Anaheim, and its stars heard me loud and clear. The Ducks won both of their weekend contests against the underwhelming Senators and the formidable Canadiens, and did so with the following stat lines from their star players:
Kunitz: 1 G, 2A, +1, 4 PIM, 1 PP, 7 SOG
Perry: 1G, 3 A, +2, 7 PIM, 2 PP, 4 SOG
Getzlaf: 2 G, 1A, +2, 4 PIM, 1 PP, 6 SOG
Things are turning around for the Ducks and none too soon, but things are also turning around for the Flyers. Predicted by most pundits to be one of the better teams in the East this year, including this one, the Flyers had an atrocious start, going without a win through their first 6 games, the Flyers finally broke out... unfortunately they did so against my New Jersey Devils. In two very hard fought games (the last of which included the throwing of a LIT smoke bomb in a bottle from somewhere in the crowd... I'm not kidding) the Flyers gained 4 points and put up 9 goals catapulting them to relevance.
They have an uphill battle ahead of them in a tough division but I still firmly believe this is a playoff team. The only teams that have scored more goals then the Flyers are: The Red Wings, The Avalanche (wait ... what???!), and the San Jose Sharks. The Flyers are also tied for first in the East in Goals scored with the New York Rangers who have already played 3 more games then Filthy. Just some stuff to think about as we go into the Adds and Drops for this week:
Grab 'Em
Joffrey Lupul
RW, Phi
About the only one of Philly's big scorers that should be on waivers, Lupul came alive in the last week scoring 3 goals and adding an assist. Lupul is a very good player, particularly when he's on a hot streak. Well... his first hot streak of the year has arrived. Don't miss it.
Phil Kessel
RW, Bos
"But you recommended him last week." Yes I did, and I'm doing it again. If he's out there grab him.
Andy McDonald
C, St. L
Ok... can't ignore it anymore. He has 12 points. If you need assists or powerplay points and can absorb the +/- problems that come when a team scores a million points on the powerplay McDonald is your guy right now. He added another 5 assists last week, 4 of them on the powerplay. Sexy.
Kris Versteeg
RW, Chi
A rookie that's getting overlooked on a very very talented Chicago roster. Versteeg is playing on one of the hottest lines in hockey right now with Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp. Versteeg has 2 goals and 6 assists so far this season and should continue to improve upon that so long as his line combinations remain favorable.
Weigh 'Em
Milan Lucic
LW, Bos
A traditional power forward Lucic had been having a slow start to the season until Saturday's game against the Thrashers in which he recorded a hat trick. Lucic is a second round draft pick and a big lumbering forward. If he gets hot he should be getting you a ton of PIM in addition to scoring some points. Keep an eye on him.
Keith Ballard
D, Fla
Good week for Ballard. Ballard recorded a goal and 3 assists in addition to 18 PIM. I don't think its time to get excited yet. Ballard, an 11th overall pick in 2002, was always expected to be an offensive defensemen but has yet to deliver on that promise. Its a crowded blue line down in Florida but with McCabe still out maybe it will be Ballard that fills that gap.
Sergei Federov
C, Wash
Less of a recommendation and more of a congratulations to Washington center Sergei Federov. Sergei passed Alexander Mogilny over the weekend to become the highest scoring Russian born player in the NHL. Now... Sergei is currently playing with Alexander Ovechkin and has had 3 goals over the last week... so he's worth paying attention to.
Nikolai Khabibulin
G, Chi
Don't look now Huet owners but Khabi is getting the chance to play. He let up five goals against Detroit the other night earning the loss in his second consecutive start... but it was his second consecutive start... and it was against Detroit. If you drafted Huet it might be time to handcuff yourself with the other half of the platoon.
Frederik Norenna
G, Cls
Time to get scared Leclaire owners. Leclaire is out with one of his, sure to be frequent, ankle injuries. Norenna has looked good in limited ice time this season. He's worth considering as a third goalie while Leclaire is hurt.
Toss 'Em Back
Rick Dipietro
G, NYI
Another undisclosed injury for DP. Word is that its a tweak to his surgically repaired knee. If I'm the Islanders brass I already know that this is not going to be a great year for us and I have our "star" player on the long-term contract maybe sit the year out and get healthy. There is no reason to risk further injury to Dipietro this year.
Joni Pitkanen
D, Car
Ouch. Pitkanen, already having a rough start, was injured in this weekends game against the Islanders (who talk about futility put 60 shots on Cam Ward and still lost). He is going to miss a month or so. Drop him or IR him.
Jay Bouwmeester
D, Fla
DO NOT DROP HIM. Just bench him. Jay seems unmotivated this season, contrary to the theory of contract years, and has really yet to click with any of his teammates. Maybe it was the offseason drama, maybe he just lost his taste for it, or maybe he hasn't snapped into season shape yet. Regardless, he's a solid player just... see if there's someone else you can play for right now.
That's all for this week. Check back later for more thoughts and observations on the NHL.
Also included in that article was a simple message to the Ducks of Anaheim... "WTF Anaheim." Anaheim, and its stars heard me loud and clear. The Ducks won both of their weekend contests against the underwhelming Senators and the formidable Canadiens, and did so with the following stat lines from their star players:
Kunitz: 1 G, 2A, +1, 4 PIM, 1 PP, 7 SOG
Perry: 1G, 3 A, +2, 7 PIM, 2 PP, 4 SOG
Getzlaf: 2 G, 1A, +2, 4 PIM, 1 PP, 6 SOG
Things are turning around for the Ducks and none too soon, but things are also turning around for the Flyers. Predicted by most pundits to be one of the better teams in the East this year, including this one, the Flyers had an atrocious start, going without a win through their first 6 games, the Flyers finally broke out... unfortunately they did so against my New Jersey Devils. In two very hard fought games (the last of which included the throwing of a LIT smoke bomb in a bottle from somewhere in the crowd... I'm not kidding) the Flyers gained 4 points and put up 9 goals catapulting them to relevance.
They have an uphill battle ahead of them in a tough division but I still firmly believe this is a playoff team. The only teams that have scored more goals then the Flyers are: The Red Wings, The Avalanche (wait ... what???!), and the San Jose Sharks. The Flyers are also tied for first in the East in Goals scored with the New York Rangers who have already played 3 more games then Filthy. Just some stuff to think about as we go into the Adds and Drops for this week:
Grab 'Em
Joffrey Lupul
RW, Phi
About the only one of Philly's big scorers that should be on waivers, Lupul came alive in the last week scoring 3 goals and adding an assist. Lupul is a very good player, particularly when he's on a hot streak. Well... his first hot streak of the year has arrived. Don't miss it.
Phil Kessel
RW, Bos
"But you recommended him last week." Yes I did, and I'm doing it again. If he's out there grab him.
Andy McDonald
C, St. L
Ok... can't ignore it anymore. He has 12 points. If you need assists or powerplay points and can absorb the +/- problems that come when a team scores a million points on the powerplay McDonald is your guy right now. He added another 5 assists last week, 4 of them on the powerplay. Sexy.
Kris Versteeg
RW, Chi
A rookie that's getting overlooked on a very very talented Chicago roster. Versteeg is playing on one of the hottest lines in hockey right now with Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp. Versteeg has 2 goals and 6 assists so far this season and should continue to improve upon that so long as his line combinations remain favorable.
Weigh 'Em
Milan Lucic
LW, Bos
A traditional power forward Lucic had been having a slow start to the season until Saturday's game against the Thrashers in which he recorded a hat trick. Lucic is a second round draft pick and a big lumbering forward. If he gets hot he should be getting you a ton of PIM in addition to scoring some points. Keep an eye on him.
Keith Ballard
D, Fla
Good week for Ballard. Ballard recorded a goal and 3 assists in addition to 18 PIM. I don't think its time to get excited yet. Ballard, an 11th overall pick in 2002, was always expected to be an offensive defensemen but has yet to deliver on that promise. Its a crowded blue line down in Florida but with McCabe still out maybe it will be Ballard that fills that gap.
Sergei Federov
C, Wash
Less of a recommendation and more of a congratulations to Washington center Sergei Federov. Sergei passed Alexander Mogilny over the weekend to become the highest scoring Russian born player in the NHL. Now... Sergei is currently playing with Alexander Ovechkin and has had 3 goals over the last week... so he's worth paying attention to.
Nikolai Khabibulin
G, Chi
Don't look now Huet owners but Khabi is getting the chance to play. He let up five goals against Detroit the other night earning the loss in his second consecutive start... but it was his second consecutive start... and it was against Detroit. If you drafted Huet it might be time to handcuff yourself with the other half of the platoon.
Frederik Norenna
G, Cls
Time to get scared Leclaire owners. Leclaire is out with one of his, sure to be frequent, ankle injuries. Norenna has looked good in limited ice time this season. He's worth considering as a third goalie while Leclaire is hurt.
Toss 'Em Back
Rick Dipietro
G, NYI
Another undisclosed injury for DP. Word is that its a tweak to his surgically repaired knee. If I'm the Islanders brass I already know that this is not going to be a great year for us and I have our "star" player on the long-term contract maybe sit the year out and get healthy. There is no reason to risk further injury to Dipietro this year.
Joni Pitkanen
D, Car
Ouch. Pitkanen, already having a rough start, was injured in this weekends game against the Islanders (who talk about futility put 60 shots on Cam Ward and still lost). He is going to miss a month or so. Drop him or IR him.
Jay Bouwmeester
D, Fla
DO NOT DROP HIM. Just bench him. Jay seems unmotivated this season, contrary to the theory of contract years, and has really yet to click with any of his teammates. Maybe it was the offseason drama, maybe he just lost his taste for it, or maybe he hasn't snapped into season shape yet. Regardless, he's a solid player just... see if there's someone else you can play for right now.
That's all for this week. Check back later for more thoughts and observations on the NHL.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Breaking the Slump: UPDATE Don't Drop Ribiero!
LOL
OK so through two periods against the abysmal New York Islanders Mike Ribiero has 1 goal and 4 assists. I would like it noted at this point in the conversation that I have the ability to edit old posts but journalistic integrity is important to me and I would never do that.
So the rumor circulating goes like this... Earlier today Sean Avery saw my blog about him. He laughed and when he went to show it to Ribiero I had updated with today's Breaking the Slump column featuring Mikey and the rest is history.
So do I have an updated opinion of Ribiero? Yea. If he's out there on waivers you might want to grab him. I'm not upgrading him to PLAY HIM status yet though because all of the problems mentioned today are still there (with the exception that he appears to be playing with Morrow now). Additionally... this is the only time they play the Islanders this season so another 5 point night is unlikely. Then again... they play Toronto in December...
Upgraded status for Mike Ribiero: BENCH HIM
OK so through two periods against the abysmal New York Islanders Mike Ribiero has 1 goal and 4 assists. I would like it noted at this point in the conversation that I have the ability to edit old posts but journalistic integrity is important to me and I would never do that.
So the rumor circulating goes like this... Earlier today Sean Avery saw my blog about him. He laughed and when he went to show it to Ribiero I had updated with today's Breaking the Slump column featuring Mikey and the rest is history.
So do I have an updated opinion of Ribiero? Yea. If he's out there on waivers you might want to grab him. I'm not upgrading him to PLAY HIM status yet though because all of the problems mentioned today are still there (with the exception that he appears to be playing with Morrow now). Additionally... this is the only time they play the Islanders this season so another 5 point night is unlikely. Then again... they play Toronto in December...
Upgraded status for Mike Ribiero: BENCH HIM
Breaking the Slump: Front and Centers
There are few positions in the game of hockey which require more skill then that of the number one center. The center is expected to, despite being double teamed by the other team's best defenders, carry the puck into the zone, set up the play and then either put one of his linemates in position to score a goal or do so himself.
In fantasy number one centers are even more of a focal point. Center is a notoriously deep position and if your top center isn't scoring 80 points then he better be getting 100 PIM and be a + 20. While you might generally give your wings some slack to find their footing centers are expected to produce right of the gate particularly when in a typical league there are always "good" to "decent" centers on waivers.
So when your high draft pick can't miss center is underperforming, even this early in the season, it is a strong temptation to say "F*** 'em" and pick up this weeks Mikko Koivu or Patrice Bergeron.
I sympathize... I mean in general. I'm not really in the same spot as you, I've got Malkin, Jokinen and Gomez thank you very much, but I get it. So, like the good blogger I am I'm going to address three centers who are performing below expectations and give you my opinion on what to do with them. I'm a saint.
Mike Ribiero
Mikey liked his 83 point season last year. Despite his horrendously low shot total and lack of any history indicating that that number was achievable. We gave Ribiero fairly ambitious point totals in our player rankings but still ranked him as 25th among centers... meaning that unless you are in a 15 team league or somesuch you shouldn't have him as anything higher then your third center. Point totals are a funny thing though, people tend to be blinded by them and not look at anything else.
So for those of you that also liked Mikey's 83 point season here are something things that Mikey, and by extension you, doesn't like:
-being defended like the number one center
-not playing with Brendan Morrow
-playing in front of a defense that hasn't adapted to Zubov's abscence.
Ribiero now has 4 assists through 7 games. That's not terrible... in fact it puts him on pace to finish with about the same number of assists he had last year. The -7 is ugly and so is the lack of powerplay points. If those are your problems then here's the good news. Those will take care of themselves if and when Dallas rights the ship. I'm not saying that's going to happen anytime soon, or even at all, but they aren't specifically Ribiero's fault and they could end up going away.
If, however, you were somehow expecting shot or goal totals worthy or a number 1 or 2 d-man then... well... I think you're out of luck. This is about what Ribiero does. He scored goals in bunches last year ... until he signed a new contract. The assists kept coming but the goals disappeared.
There are better options on waivers in most leagues, and by better options I mean options that will produce at a number 2 center/flex forward level.
My recommendation: DROP HIM
Nicklas Backstrom
This one is tricky. The good news is that Washington is scoring goals and winning games despite poor tending from Theodore. The bad news, Backstrom has had nothing to do with it. Through 6 games he has a grand total of 1 assist. OUCH. Furthermore Ovechkin is slumping, for him, as well and so Ovie has been taken off of Backstrom's wing in an attempt to coax some goals out of the Big Russian. Double Ouch.
That said I'm fairly optimistic. Backstrom was very streaky through his first 12 games last year, notching only 5 assists in that stretch, but still managed to finish the season with 69 points. Backstrom is very talented, and Ovechkin is NOT going to spend the entire season playing with Sergei Federov. This will pass
On the plus side he IS shooting more. I would go get one of the streaking players off of waivers and play him while letting Backstrom ride the pine. He's going to figure this out, he just needs some time.
My recommendation: BENCH HIM
Jonathan Toews
No Western Conference team has received more attention from BTT then the Chicago Blackhawks. Never in any of that coverage did we expect that Toews or Kane would be anything less then spectacular this season. Kane has lived up to that billing so far this season posting 8 points in 7 games. Toews however has been underwhelming, putting up only 4 assists over the same span.
Unlike Backstrom and Ribiero, who should have been drafted as nothing more then a third center/bench player, you probably used a fairly high draft pick to get Toews, reaching pretty significantly in some cases. I've been all over Toews since last year's preseason but in my league he went too high for even me to think about drafting.
Before we go any further I think it might be educational to check out an excellent article posted on this very site back in July comparing Toews and Kane to another dynamic duo, Kovalchuk and Heatley. That article can be found here, http://breakingthetrap.blogspot.com/2008/07/dont-toews-me-bro.html
Heatley, like Kane, was more of an assist guy in his first year before things even out in his second season and he became the 50/50 threat that he is now. Early returns say we are looking at the possibility of a 40/40 season from Kane. Toews, as stated above, has been less exciting in his sophomore season and is looking at a possibly bump in the road. While Kovalchuk's sophomore 67 was hardly a slump, it was certainly under what many expected, and have come to expect, of the talented winger. Toews looks to be following a similar path.
While 70+ points are starting to look a little out of reach for Toews I still believe that he will have an adequate fantasy season for a second or third center. He is having some issues with his new linemates, as he is spending less time with Kane these days, and the coaching turmoil can't be helping anyone (except for Patrick Sharp apparently).
He is going to break out eventually, and you don't want to miss that. I say leave him in. Maybe see if there's someone that can get you number 2 center numbers out on waivers and move him to your flex forward position.
My recommendation: PLAY HIM
BREAKING THE SLUMP BONUS CONTENT
Sometimes you feel very strongly about something. Sometimes its a person and you form an eternal connection with or an everlasting hatred of them. Sometimes its a meal and you seek it out whenever you can. Sometimes its a book. But sometimes... sometimes its a hockey team.
I believe strongly that the Anaheim Ducks are a playoff team. I believe that they have the talent and the personnel to defeat any team in the Western Conference on any given night and while Detroit and San Jose are probably all around better they are definitely one of the top 4 or 5 teams in the league.
So it with that in mind and with a heavy heart that I offer up this very special message from Breaking the Trap to the Not So Mighty Ducks.
WTF ANAHEIM?
Seriously. If you drafted any Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Chris Kunitz, Teemu Selanne, Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger or J.S. Giguere this has to be the number one question on your mind.
FACT: George Parros has more goals then all of the people listed above combined.
FACT: OK, I lied. He's tied with "The Combined Might of the Ducks" as they both have 2 goals.
I am confident that this will pass. It has to. None of those players are one year wonders. If I'm a Selanne owner, and I am, I'm concerned because he may legitimately be over the hill but the rest of them are players in their primes. There is no excuse for this.
Ultimately that's why I believe this will pass. The Ducks are too good to NOT turn this around and stated putting biscuits in baskets. Until then though:
My recommendation: BENCH THEM ALL
That's all for this edition of Breaking the Slump. I might be back later with some random thoughts and rumours... but if not I'll see you all back here tomorrow with the very first "BTT TEAM RANKINGS" of the season.
In fantasy number one centers are even more of a focal point. Center is a notoriously deep position and if your top center isn't scoring 80 points then he better be getting 100 PIM and be a + 20. While you might generally give your wings some slack to find their footing centers are expected to produce right of the gate particularly when in a typical league there are always "good" to "decent" centers on waivers.
So when your high draft pick can't miss center is underperforming, even this early in the season, it is a strong temptation to say "F*** 'em" and pick up this weeks Mikko Koivu or Patrice Bergeron.
I sympathize... I mean in general. I'm not really in the same spot as you, I've got Malkin, Jokinen and Gomez thank you very much, but I get it. So, like the good blogger I am I'm going to address three centers who are performing below expectations and give you my opinion on what to do with them. I'm a saint.
Mike Ribiero
Mikey liked his 83 point season last year. Despite his horrendously low shot total and lack of any history indicating that that number was achievable. We gave Ribiero fairly ambitious point totals in our player rankings but still ranked him as 25th among centers... meaning that unless you are in a 15 team league or somesuch you shouldn't have him as anything higher then your third center. Point totals are a funny thing though, people tend to be blinded by them and not look at anything else.
So for those of you that also liked Mikey's 83 point season here are something things that Mikey, and by extension you, doesn't like:
-being defended like the number one center
-not playing with Brendan Morrow
-playing in front of a defense that hasn't adapted to Zubov's abscence.
Ribiero now has 4 assists through 7 games. That's not terrible... in fact it puts him on pace to finish with about the same number of assists he had last year. The -7 is ugly and so is the lack of powerplay points. If those are your problems then here's the good news. Those will take care of themselves if and when Dallas rights the ship. I'm not saying that's going to happen anytime soon, or even at all, but they aren't specifically Ribiero's fault and they could end up going away.
If, however, you were somehow expecting shot or goal totals worthy or a number 1 or 2 d-man then... well... I think you're out of luck. This is about what Ribiero does. He scored goals in bunches last year ... until he signed a new contract. The assists kept coming but the goals disappeared.
There are better options on waivers in most leagues, and by better options I mean options that will produce at a number 2 center/flex forward level.
My recommendation: DROP HIM
Nicklas Backstrom
This one is tricky. The good news is that Washington is scoring goals and winning games despite poor tending from Theodore. The bad news, Backstrom has had nothing to do with it. Through 6 games he has a grand total of 1 assist. OUCH. Furthermore Ovechkin is slumping, for him, as well and so Ovie has been taken off of Backstrom's wing in an attempt to coax some goals out of the Big Russian. Double Ouch.
That said I'm fairly optimistic. Backstrom was very streaky through his first 12 games last year, notching only 5 assists in that stretch, but still managed to finish the season with 69 points. Backstrom is very talented, and Ovechkin is NOT going to spend the entire season playing with Sergei Federov. This will pass
On the plus side he IS shooting more. I would go get one of the streaking players off of waivers and play him while letting Backstrom ride the pine. He's going to figure this out, he just needs some time.
My recommendation: BENCH HIM
Jonathan Toews
No Western Conference team has received more attention from BTT then the Chicago Blackhawks. Never in any of that coverage did we expect that Toews or Kane would be anything less then spectacular this season. Kane has lived up to that billing so far this season posting 8 points in 7 games. Toews however has been underwhelming, putting up only 4 assists over the same span.
Unlike Backstrom and Ribiero, who should have been drafted as nothing more then a third center/bench player, you probably used a fairly high draft pick to get Toews, reaching pretty significantly in some cases. I've been all over Toews since last year's preseason but in my league he went too high for even me to think about drafting.
Before we go any further I think it might be educational to check out an excellent article posted on this very site back in July comparing Toews and Kane to another dynamic duo, Kovalchuk and Heatley. That article can be found here, http://breakingthetrap.blogspot.com/2008/07/dont-toews-me-bro.html
Heatley, like Kane, was more of an assist guy in his first year before things even out in his second season and he became the 50/50 threat that he is now. Early returns say we are looking at the possibility of a 40/40 season from Kane. Toews, as stated above, has been less exciting in his sophomore season and is looking at a possibly bump in the road. While Kovalchuk's sophomore 67 was hardly a slump, it was certainly under what many expected, and have come to expect, of the talented winger. Toews looks to be following a similar path.
While 70+ points are starting to look a little out of reach for Toews I still believe that he will have an adequate fantasy season for a second or third center. He is having some issues with his new linemates, as he is spending less time with Kane these days, and the coaching turmoil can't be helping anyone (except for Patrick Sharp apparently).
He is going to break out eventually, and you don't want to miss that. I say leave him in. Maybe see if there's someone that can get you number 2 center numbers out on waivers and move him to your flex forward position.
My recommendation: PLAY HIM
BREAKING THE SLUMP BONUS CONTENT
Sometimes you feel very strongly about something. Sometimes its a person and you form an eternal connection with or an everlasting hatred of them. Sometimes its a meal and you seek it out whenever you can. Sometimes its a book. But sometimes... sometimes its a hockey team.
I believe strongly that the Anaheim Ducks are a playoff team. I believe that they have the talent and the personnel to defeat any team in the Western Conference on any given night and while Detroit and San Jose are probably all around better they are definitely one of the top 4 or 5 teams in the league.
So it with that in mind and with a heavy heart that I offer up this very special message from Breaking the Trap to the Not So Mighty Ducks.
WTF ANAHEIM?
Seriously. If you drafted any Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Chris Kunitz, Teemu Selanne, Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger or J.S. Giguere this has to be the number one question on your mind.
FACT: George Parros has more goals then all of the people listed above combined.
FACT: OK, I lied. He's tied with "The Combined Might of the Ducks" as they both have 2 goals.
I am confident that this will pass. It has to. None of those players are one year wonders. If I'm a Selanne owner, and I am, I'm concerned because he may legitimately be over the hill but the rest of them are players in their primes. There is no excuse for this.
Ultimately that's why I believe this will pass. The Ducks are too good to NOT turn this around and stated putting biscuits in baskets. Until then though:
My recommendation: BENCH THEM ALL
That's all for this edition of Breaking the Slump. I might be back later with some random thoughts and rumours... but if not I'll see you all back here tomorrow with the very first "BTT TEAM RANKINGS" of the season.
Pot-ery sucks? A Tale of Two Avery's
You'd think that the Garden Faithful present for Monday night's much hyped matchup between the Dallas Stars and the New York Rangers really hated clay pots if you'd never heard of Sean Avery or understood just how annoying he is when he's no longer wearing your team's jersey.
If you've been following the New York Sports Media you'd know that the biggest soap opera this week has been...
Well Madonna and A-Rod but after that its been... Brett Favre whispering sweet nothings in the Lions' ear about his old buddies the Packers. But after that its been... ok well somewhere on that list was Sean Avery's return to the Big Apple. I actually went to his return to the Garden on Monday. It was an interesting experience.
To begin with I got the sense that Avery was listening to Alanis Morisette's "You Ougtta Know" in the back while staring at a picture of Aaron Voros in a Rangers Jersey but changing the lyrics so it was about him. So, like..."Is he annoying like me, and does he har-ass Mar-ty, can he get rules changed in... the playoffs," or something like that.
I didn't know what to expect walking in and neither did most of the fans I talked to. The guy sitting in front of me, who had no reason to suspect that I was a Devils fan, turned around and asked "Hey you gonna cheer Avery or boo him when he comes out." I almost laughed but held it in check and matter-of-factly replied, "I'm going to boo him." He nodded and said "Yea I don't know. I think I'm gonna cheer him. I liked the guy." He would later participate in an Avery Sucks chant.... the first of which happened 45 seconds into the game and was almost immediately followed by the Rangers famous Potvin sucks chant during which half of the Garden substituted Avery for old Denis Potvin, creating the puzzling "Pottery Sucks" chant referenced in the title. I bet he enjoyed that.
Avery was working hard to get on the crowds' nerves early. He jawed with Orr during warmups (quick aside, I would love to know the etymology of this colloquialism. I mean it means to talk angrily but... why jawed?) and then absolutely harassed Dubinsky on his first shift, leading to a penalty for Dubes and increased attention from Voros and Orr for the remainder of the game.
A passive observer would think Avery was being relatively quiet... he wasn't. He was all over Gomez, sticking him in the face at least once, he refused to fight Colton Orr more than once, and he smacked Lundqvist in the head with his stick when the ref wasn't looking. That was all in the first ten minutes of the game. The effect was instant. The Rangers were out to kill Avery every time he was on the ice. The result, a distracted 2-1 loss to one of the worst teams in the Western Conference. Avery probably laughed over Cigars and Apple-tini's with his Vogue friends the entire night.
Last night at "The Rock" was a completely different story. To begin with it was a different Sean Avery. The Sean Avery that came to the Prudential Center last night was the one who rarely shows up... Sean Avery the skill player. Avery nearly doubled his season total for shots on goal, taking four on the night, two of which were absolutely beautiful scoring chances.
He attracted attention but not from Zajac, Parise or any of the Devils other talented youngsters. No offense to David Clarkson but his job is to harass guys like Avery, and harass he did. Avery was once again not interested in dropping the gloves, refusing the opportunity to tangle with Clarkson twice.
That's not to say that Devils fans didn't get their retribution. Avery skated into the zone with his head down in the second and was absolutely leveled by Bryce Salvador. Marty also got some payback, cross checking Avery in the ear while he was trying to screen him on the powerplay and shooting a puck AT HIM when Avery was on the forecheck.
And for those Rangers fans that like to talk about Marty's dives like he's the only goalie in the NHL who does it; I offer up Marty Turco's absolute flop in the first period. He dove in slow motion... like he got shot in the Matrix and then complained that Clarkson clocked him.
So whats the verdict? The Devils, treating Avery like the sideshow he is and not making him the focus of their game were able to earn Marty his second shutout of the season (putting him 6 away from passing Terry Sawchuk) in defeating the Dallas Stars 5-0. Instead of his, and he's my favorite player, embarassing childishness in the playoffs that made Marty a joke, his gritty play last night was compared to Billy Smith's, particularly to Smith's noted rivalry with Bobby Clarke. I'd say thats a nice improvement.
So instead of a demoralizing loss last night turned into a meaningless win in October against a team thats 2-3-1. Dallas is in trouble... which is a nice segue to my today's BREAKING THE SLUMP, up later today. It will feature a trio of Centers: Mike Ribiero, Jonathan Toews and Nicklas Backstrom. Until then..."Does he know how you told him you'd love me until you died, but you're still alive and I'm here to remind you..."
If you've been following the New York Sports Media you'd know that the biggest soap opera this week has been...
Well Madonna and A-Rod but after that its been... Brett Favre whispering sweet nothings in the Lions' ear about his old buddies the Packers. But after that its been... ok well somewhere on that list was Sean Avery's return to the Big Apple. I actually went to his return to the Garden on Monday. It was an interesting experience.
To begin with I got the sense that Avery was listening to Alanis Morisette's "You Ougtta Know" in the back while staring at a picture of Aaron Voros in a Rangers Jersey but changing the lyrics so it was about him. So, like..."Is he annoying like me, and does he har-ass Mar-ty, can he get rules changed in... the playoffs," or something like that.
I didn't know what to expect walking in and neither did most of the fans I talked to. The guy sitting in front of me, who had no reason to suspect that I was a Devils fan, turned around and asked "Hey you gonna cheer Avery or boo him when he comes out." I almost laughed but held it in check and matter-of-factly replied, "I'm going to boo him." He nodded and said "Yea I don't know. I think I'm gonna cheer him. I liked the guy." He would later participate in an Avery Sucks chant.... the first of which happened 45 seconds into the game and was almost immediately followed by the Rangers famous Potvin sucks chant during which half of the Garden substituted Avery for old Denis Potvin, creating the puzzling "Pottery Sucks" chant referenced in the title. I bet he enjoyed that.
Avery was working hard to get on the crowds' nerves early. He jawed with Orr during warmups (quick aside, I would love to know the etymology of this colloquialism. I mean it means to talk angrily but... why jawed?) and then absolutely harassed Dubinsky on his first shift, leading to a penalty for Dubes and increased attention from Voros and Orr for the remainder of the game.
A passive observer would think Avery was being relatively quiet... he wasn't. He was all over Gomez, sticking him in the face at least once, he refused to fight Colton Orr more than once, and he smacked Lundqvist in the head with his stick when the ref wasn't looking. That was all in the first ten minutes of the game. The effect was instant. The Rangers were out to kill Avery every time he was on the ice. The result, a distracted 2-1 loss to one of the worst teams in the Western Conference. Avery probably laughed over Cigars and Apple-tini's with his Vogue friends the entire night.
Last night at "The Rock" was a completely different story. To begin with it was a different Sean Avery. The Sean Avery that came to the Prudential Center last night was the one who rarely shows up... Sean Avery the skill player. Avery nearly doubled his season total for shots on goal, taking four on the night, two of which were absolutely beautiful scoring chances.
He attracted attention but not from Zajac, Parise or any of the Devils other talented youngsters. No offense to David Clarkson but his job is to harass guys like Avery, and harass he did. Avery was once again not interested in dropping the gloves, refusing the opportunity to tangle with Clarkson twice.
That's not to say that Devils fans didn't get their retribution. Avery skated into the zone with his head down in the second and was absolutely leveled by Bryce Salvador. Marty also got some payback, cross checking Avery in the ear while he was trying to screen him on the powerplay and shooting a puck AT HIM when Avery was on the forecheck.
And for those Rangers fans that like to talk about Marty's dives like he's the only goalie in the NHL who does it; I offer up Marty Turco's absolute flop in the first period. He dove in slow motion... like he got shot in the Matrix and then complained that Clarkson clocked him.
So whats the verdict? The Devils, treating Avery like the sideshow he is and not making him the focus of their game were able to earn Marty his second shutout of the season (putting him 6 away from passing Terry Sawchuk) in defeating the Dallas Stars 5-0. Instead of his, and he's my favorite player, embarassing childishness in the playoffs that made Marty a joke, his gritty play last night was compared to Billy Smith's, particularly to Smith's noted rivalry with Bobby Clarke. I'd say thats a nice improvement.
So instead of a demoralizing loss last night turned into a meaningless win in October against a team thats 2-3-1. Dallas is in trouble... which is a nice segue to my today's BREAKING THE SLUMP, up later today. It will feature a trio of Centers: Mike Ribiero, Jonathan Toews and Nicklas Backstrom. Until then..."Does he know how you told him you'd love me until you died, but you're still alive and I'm here to remind you..."
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Two Minute Minor: Regarding Toronto
Nick here again, bringing you another Wednesday 2 Minute Minor. This week’s 2MM was to focus on Tampa and how laughably disgusting a team they are. As it turns out, the Flyers might actually be worse. But none of that matters because this week I’m all about Toronto. Before you read any further, scroll down and read the Rich’s official BTT Toronto season preview. (if you haven’t already.) Reading that will make this post a little more significant to you.
(Editor's Note: For ease, and because I like it when you read my stuff here is a link to the Toronto Team Preview http://breakingthetrap.blogspot.com/2008/10/team-previews-toronto-maple-leafs.html)
The Bet:
So there’s this funny little bet I have going with Rich right now and it’s quite simple. Rich is absolutely, 100% convinced that the Leafs will finish worst in the league. I am not. I’m saying Tampa, the Islanders, or LA will rise up and grab that brass ring of failure. But he is SO confident in the Leafs potential for epic failure that he gave me the entire league. All I wanted was LAK, NYI and TBL, but he’s confident enough to go all in. The official bet is as follows: If any team in the entire NHL finishes the regular season with less points than the Leafs, I get lunch. Toronto finishes last, Rich gets lunch. I’d tell you where if that particular fast food chain would like to contribute sponsorship dollars to this site. Otherwise let’s just say it’s something like “MacDougal’s.”
Anyway, leave some comments regarding the bet. We’d both love to hear some other opinions on it! We will also be tracking the progress of the bet (which sadly means tracking the “progress” of the Leafs) periodically here at BTT either in the form of a 2MM, Breaking the Slump (which is impossible for Toronto. It’s not a slump if you just plain suck.), random entries, polls, etc....
The following 2MM has been inspired by our friendly bet. It is a friendly bet. Neither of us cares who wins. We both completely agree Toronto is awful. The bet pertains to our disagreement of to what degree will they suck? Will it be a lot? Enough to be the worst? Or will it be just enough? Just enough to not be the worst. We’ll see. As a preview to how bad one team can be, here is my team preview for Toronto. I think it will help you manage your fantasy team as my insight is both informative, stimulating, and completely useless. Enjoy.
Team Previews: The Toronto Maple Leafs (Revisited)
Introduction:
The Leafs can be a legitimate contender this season if they work hard to improve in some key areas. The first area in need of improvement is their relationship with alien species. Having a good relationship with an alien species could mean the potential granting of super powers from said species and could lead to a decisive advantage on the ice. A little telekinesis can go a long way and would greatly improve their scoring chances. Alien friends are also great for abducting star players of opposing teams. Sidney Crosby: MISSING? Leafs say “IDK.” Mind control could make an opposing player turn against their own goaltender, or make their goaltender leave the net altogether and just wander idly around the ice. All of that still wouldn’t be enough to give Toronto a winning record this year.
Another area they need to work on is their magical powers. Without the ability to turn opposing players to stone, turn them into chickens, or summon an evil Snarlaxx to destroy them, I just don’t see the Leafs being a threat. A simple fire spell to melt the ice in the goal crease would severely limit an opposing goaltender’s movement and surely lead to more scoring chances. I still have to wonder… would that be enough help?
The third area the Leafs should be looking to improve on this year is their entire ability to play the game of ice hockey. I’ve seen them play and… they’re not good. If you happened to see them play the Rangers last week, then what you saw was one team (that was unable to score) get completely and utterly dominated by another team (that coincidently also was unable to score). Toronto looked pathetic and was saved by Toskala who decided to show up that night. If he could only convince the rest of the team to all show up on the same night, they might have something. They’d still need magic and alien assistance though cause this team doesn’t stand a chance.
Key Departures:
Anyone who’s hockey card you’d want to keep
Leafs trading cards will definitely be the number 1 card found in bicycle spokes this year.(Islanders tickets are too flimsy and don’t provide the same noise. Sure, they’re easier to get, but they cost more.) No kid in his or her right mind would put a Sundin in his spokes, but I’ll tell you what; a Luke Schenn and an Alex Steen sounds just like a real motorcycle! Maybe I shouldn’t have said that as I seem to have just added value to their cards which is not my intention at all.
Yes, it’s true. Every player who’s jersey a Leafs fan might have wished to own, is gone. It’s sad too because how silly will they sound having to say “Let me get that sweet Hagman jersey?”
New Faces:
Curtis Joseph
Ryan Hollweg (I think)
Is Hollweg on the team? I changed the channel real quick during the St. Louis game and got distracted. Due to the entertainment value Bob Ross seems to have when directly compared to a TOR v. STL game, I almost forgot to put the game back on. It was the one where he paints the mountain. But I digress, when I put the game back on, Hollweg was gone and I haven’t seen him since. And he wasn’t even in the previous game. Who is this Ryan Hollweg everyone is talking about?
Ok, just kidding. Hollweg is a jackass who keeps getting thrown out of games and consequently suspended for boarding. It’s a really serious offense and he’s lucky he hasn’t given someone a career ending, life altering spinal injury yet. My advice to Toronto (and I feel the need to clarify this as sound advice and not a joke) is just release him. Let him go. He’s not going to help your team (and trust me, all your team needs right now is help) unless he knows some cool aliens with the ability to grant telekinetic powers to humans. Then keep him around, but release him after the entire team can teleport the puck into the net for a goal.
CuJo is good but he’s going to need more help than he currently has… which I’ll reiterate is NONE. It comes right back to those areas of improvement I already talked about. The ability for CuJo to summon a snarlaxx on opposing players is completely insufficient right now considering that he can’t summon a snarlaxx at all. It’s the only chance he has without Sundin & friends.
The Offense:
Since Toronto doesn’t have an offense to speak of, please accept the following alternative content:
The State of Wyoming is a sparsely populated state in the western region of the United States. The majority of the state is dominated by the mountain ranges and rangelands of the Rocky Mountain West, while the easternmost section of the state is a high altitude prairie region known as the High Plains. While the tenth largest U.S. state by size, Wyoming is the least populous, with a U.S. Census estimated population of 522,830 in 2007, a 5.9% increase since 2000. The capital and the most populous city of Wyoming is Cheyenne.
I’m sorry, what were we talking about? Oh right, Toronto. Alright so here’s my suggestion for Toronto’s defense vs. their current pairings. Proposition the league to allow obstacles instead of players for the defense. So start Carlton the Bear, Alexander Ovechkin cutout, and the strongest looking hotdog vendor from section 312 as your forwards and then like, a bear trap in the neutral zone and a box held up by a stick with some cheese under it in the slot as the defense. It would work if dumb Carlton stayed away from the bear trap.
You Should Be Happy You Drafted:
Bear Trap
Box Held Up By Stick With Cheese Under It
Bear trap is a good pickup and he’ll definitely get you some PIM as he is good for at least 3 holding and/or interference penalties per game. Watch out if he breaks the skin though as he may be liable for misconducts for intent to injure. You don’t want your fantasy players getting suspended.
FACT: Bear traps hurt like hell.
(Editor's Note: For ease, and because I like it when you read my stuff here is a link to the Toronto Team Preview http://breakingthetrap.blogspot.com/2008/10/team-previews-toronto-maple-leafs.html)
The Bet:
So there’s this funny little bet I have going with Rich right now and it’s quite simple. Rich is absolutely, 100% convinced that the Leafs will finish worst in the league. I am not. I’m saying Tampa, the Islanders, or LA will rise up and grab that brass ring of failure. But he is SO confident in the Leafs potential for epic failure that he gave me the entire league. All I wanted was LAK, NYI and TBL, but he’s confident enough to go all in. The official bet is as follows: If any team in the entire NHL finishes the regular season with less points than the Leafs, I get lunch. Toronto finishes last, Rich gets lunch. I’d tell you where if that particular fast food chain would like to contribute sponsorship dollars to this site. Otherwise let’s just say it’s something like “MacDougal’s.”
Anyway, leave some comments regarding the bet. We’d both love to hear some other opinions on it! We will also be tracking the progress of the bet (which sadly means tracking the “progress” of the Leafs) periodically here at BTT either in the form of a 2MM, Breaking the Slump (which is impossible for Toronto. It’s not a slump if you just plain suck.), random entries, polls, etc....
The following 2MM has been inspired by our friendly bet. It is a friendly bet. Neither of us cares who wins. We both completely agree Toronto is awful. The bet pertains to our disagreement of to what degree will they suck? Will it be a lot? Enough to be the worst? Or will it be just enough? Just enough to not be the worst. We’ll see. As a preview to how bad one team can be, here is my team preview for Toronto. I think it will help you manage your fantasy team as my insight is both informative, stimulating, and completely useless. Enjoy.
Team Previews: The Toronto Maple Leafs (Revisited)
Introduction:
The Leafs can be a legitimate contender this season if they work hard to improve in some key areas. The first area in need of improvement is their relationship with alien species. Having a good relationship with an alien species could mean the potential granting of super powers from said species and could lead to a decisive advantage on the ice. A little telekinesis can go a long way and would greatly improve their scoring chances. Alien friends are also great for abducting star players of opposing teams. Sidney Crosby: MISSING? Leafs say “IDK.” Mind control could make an opposing player turn against their own goaltender, or make their goaltender leave the net altogether and just wander idly around the ice. All of that still wouldn’t be enough to give Toronto a winning record this year.
Another area they need to work on is their magical powers. Without the ability to turn opposing players to stone, turn them into chickens, or summon an evil Snarlaxx to destroy them, I just don’t see the Leafs being a threat. A simple fire spell to melt the ice in the goal crease would severely limit an opposing goaltender’s movement and surely lead to more scoring chances. I still have to wonder… would that be enough help?
The third area the Leafs should be looking to improve on this year is their entire ability to play the game of ice hockey. I’ve seen them play and… they’re not good. If you happened to see them play the Rangers last week, then what you saw was one team (that was unable to score) get completely and utterly dominated by another team (that coincidently also was unable to score). Toronto looked pathetic and was saved by Toskala who decided to show up that night. If he could only convince the rest of the team to all show up on the same night, they might have something. They’d still need magic and alien assistance though cause this team doesn’t stand a chance.
Key Departures:
Anyone who’s hockey card you’d want to keep
Leafs trading cards will definitely be the number 1 card found in bicycle spokes this year.(Islanders tickets are too flimsy and don’t provide the same noise. Sure, they’re easier to get, but they cost more.) No kid in his or her right mind would put a Sundin in his spokes, but I’ll tell you what; a Luke Schenn and an Alex Steen sounds just like a real motorcycle! Maybe I shouldn’t have said that as I seem to have just added value to their cards which is not my intention at all.
Yes, it’s true. Every player who’s jersey a Leafs fan might have wished to own, is gone. It’s sad too because how silly will they sound having to say “Let me get that sweet Hagman jersey?”
New Faces:
Curtis Joseph
Ryan Hollweg (I think)
Is Hollweg on the team? I changed the channel real quick during the St. Louis game and got distracted. Due to the entertainment value Bob Ross seems to have when directly compared to a TOR v. STL game, I almost forgot to put the game back on. It was the one where he paints the mountain. But I digress, when I put the game back on, Hollweg was gone and I haven’t seen him since. And he wasn’t even in the previous game. Who is this Ryan Hollweg everyone is talking about?
Ok, just kidding. Hollweg is a jackass who keeps getting thrown out of games and consequently suspended for boarding. It’s a really serious offense and he’s lucky he hasn’t given someone a career ending, life altering spinal injury yet. My advice to Toronto (and I feel the need to clarify this as sound advice and not a joke) is just release him. Let him go. He’s not going to help your team (and trust me, all your team needs right now is help) unless he knows some cool aliens with the ability to grant telekinetic powers to humans. Then keep him around, but release him after the entire team can teleport the puck into the net for a goal.
CuJo is good but he’s going to need more help than he currently has… which I’ll reiterate is NONE. It comes right back to those areas of improvement I already talked about. The ability for CuJo to summon a snarlaxx on opposing players is completely insufficient right now considering that he can’t summon a snarlaxx at all. It’s the only chance he has without Sundin & friends.
The Offense:
Since Toronto doesn’t have an offense to speak of, please accept the following alternative content:
The State of Wyoming is a sparsely populated state in the western region of the United States. The majority of the state is dominated by the mountain ranges and rangelands of the Rocky Mountain West, while the easternmost section of the state is a high altitude prairie region known as the High Plains. While the tenth largest U.S. state by size, Wyoming is the least populous, with a U.S. Census estimated population of 522,830 in 2007, a 5.9% increase since 2000. The capital and the most populous city of Wyoming is Cheyenne.
You Should Be Happy You Drafted:
Players from other teams
THERE'S NO ONE ON THIS TEAM WORTH DRAFTING for a fantasy team unless your goal is to finish last in your league. I wouldn’t draft one of these guys on a fantasy dish washing team. Hollweg would just break them all anyway. I have no need for any of these players in any capacity. I wouldn’t let them park my car at a valet. Hollweg would just drive it into things. I can go on, I got a million of these.
FACT: 522,830 people lived in Wyoming in 2007. Any one of them is good enough to play for the Leafs this year.
You Want to Be Prepared to Snag:
Carlton the Bear
Put a stick in his hand and let him go. Who knows, he might get you some points in a category or two. Look, I can’t make this clear enough. I would sooner draft a garbage can as my goalie and a cardboard cutout of Ovechkin before I would consider a Leaf. If someone skated behind the cutout and pushed it along the ice, it might score a goal. It is Oveckin after all. I can hear it now, “Carlton moves in, looking to pass…can’t…finds Ovechkin cutout…around the backside of the net now…Ovechkin cutout feeds to Carlton HE SCORES!!!!!!!!” Even better would be about 30 seconds later, “Maple Leafs goal scored by Carlton the Bear. Assisted by Alexander Ovechkin cutout. Time of the goal 3:14 in the 2nd period.”
FACT: Did you know polar bears have nothing to do with maple leafs?
I’m sorry, what were we talking about? Oh right, Toronto. Alright so here’s my suggestion for Toronto’s defense vs. their current pairings. Proposition the league to allow obstacles instead of players for the defense. So start Carlton the Bear, Alexander Ovechkin cutout, and the strongest looking hotdog vendor from section 312 as your forwards and then like, a bear trap in the neutral zone and a box held up by a stick with some cheese under it in the slot as the defense. It would work if dumb Carlton stayed away from the bear trap.
You Should Be Happy You Drafted:
Bear Trap
Box Held Up By Stick With Cheese Under It
Bear trap is a good pickup and he’ll definitely get you some PIM as he is good for at least 3 holding and/or interference penalties per game. Watch out if he breaks the skin though as he may be liable for misconducts for intent to injure. You don’t want your fantasy players getting suspended.
FACT: Bear traps hurt like hell.
Box Held Up By Stick With Cheese Under It is much cleaner defensively than Bear Trap and due to his permanent location in the slot tends to rack up blocked shot after blocked shot. He also takes a lot of skaters right out of the play because some lesser paid players simply can not resist free cheese. Be ready to grab him if no one snagged him in your draft.
FACT: Free Cheese!
You Want to Be Prepared to Snag:
Other Bear Trap
Other Bear Trap can have a breakout year if he works a little harder. He’s smaller than Bear Trap and doesn’t latch on to ankles as effectively. But this could be a plus as he will still break up plays by slowing players down instead of completely stopping them. Both are effective methods and if anything, Other Bear Trap will take the occasional tripping call, but will ultimately take less penalties than Bear Trap. If you have a good feeling about Other Bear Trap, go with it!
FACT: Other Bear Trap was an absolute beast in the AHL leading the league in forced turnovers and scoring a miraculous shorthanded goal despite having no arms to hold a stick or legs to skate with or ability to move or think freely. It’s just a bear trap.
FACT: Did you know that bear traps are inanimate objects that can not really play sports because they can not move or think?
FACT: Did you know I am fully aware of my implications that an inanimate object would make a better defense than that which Toronto already has?
The Powerplay:
Who cares?
Shuffling the same crap around on the ice just because you have one more guy than the other team isn’t going to make a difference. Everyone knows the Leafs need a 13 man advantage with an empty net to score goals anyway so who cares which variation of crap they put out on the ice for a powerplay?
The Goalie(s):
CuJo
Toskala
Garbage Can
The Leafs have a shot if Garbage Can can stay healthy. He’s a huge fan favorite, he’s been with the team for years. Everyone loves his story of starting out, collecting trash after games and then working his way up to backup and then starting goaltender. It’s a great feel good story, great for the team, great for hockey!
FACT: Garbage can once lit a fire inside himself as a joke to scare Ovechkin Cutout. Ovechkin Cutout didn’t find it funny and the two didn’t speak for a month.
FACT: Ovechkin Cutout is made of cardboard and does not like fire.
The Verdict:
Toronto wins the cup. The Islanders have the highest attendance in the league, Tampa is a good team, Gary Betteman has never made a bad decision, and the glowing puck was a good idea… you know, as long as we’re making stuff up. Do I even need to say it? Toronto STINKS! But… they’re still not going to finish last. Philly is looking exceptionally disgusting, LA is an eastern conference team stuck in the west, and Barry Melrose is powerless without his mullet. A lot of things can happen. Don’t get me wrong, this team is bad. The Leafs v. Alexander Ovechkin (the real one) and Garbage Can would actually be a close game. My money would still be on Ovechkin.
Bear Trap, Ovechkin Cutout, Carlton the Bear, Other Bear Trap, Garbage Can and Box Held Up By Stick With Cheese Under It are all solid fantasy picks. Consider yourself lucky if you have one of them and if any of them are unclaimed in your league, jump on them immediately. As for the real Leafs… (expletive deleted) ‘em!
Final words… they’re bad, but they won’t be the worst. It won’t be their fault though. Another team will just find a way to out-suck the Leafs. Maybe through ritual suicide or something, cause that might be what it takes to finish worse. But I will win the bet! Lunch is mine!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Shooting Percentage: Why I hate Thomas Vanek and love Shea Weber
Shooting Percentage is a new weekly feature on Breaking the Trap. Here I will do the one thing that most fantasy forecasters never do, admit when I'm wrong, and the thing that they are best at, brag about how right I was.
I WAS WRONG ABOUT VANEK... HE'S BETTER THEN CAMMALLERI
Thomas Vanek and I have a bit of a rocky history. Back in 2005, when I was just obsessed with hockey and not writing about it, Thomas Vanek was on my radar. Everyone was talking about Ovechkin and Crosby but I was looking for the under the radar pick. I found him in Buffalo's 2003 5th overal pick Thomas Vanek. He had good size and scouts said he had good speed and hands and a head for the game. I knew he wasn't someone worth drafting that season, per se, but I put him on my watch list and I think even had him on my team for a few stretches here and there.
The next season. I drafted him as the third to last pick. My very own Mr. Insignificant. Vanek would go on to have an amazing season notching 43 goals and adding 41 assists while being an astounding +46. He still wasn't shooting the puck enough or getting the powerplay time he deserved but Vanek was a legitimate fantasy superstar. There was only one problem... I dropped him less then two weeks into the season after watching the Sabres dominat the New York Rangers. Vanek notched only 1 shot on goal in the Sabres 7 goal outburst, wasn't receiving much ice time and had only a 1 goal and two assists through 5 games. I got jumpy and second guessed myself and dropped him for a player I refuse to name in this space. To my chagrin, he turned it on almost immediately, scoring 4 points in his next game. I went to pick him up but found that I was too late. My brother had already snagged him.
The next year I wouldn't be deterred. Though I knew Vanek would dip some as a result of the loss of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere I drafted him in the 4th round, thinking it a steal. After half a season of mediocre play I traded Vanek at a loss... at which time he proceeded to turn it on again and finished the season with respectable numbers.
I MAY have underestimated Vanek in my player rankings. Looking back he certainly should have been above Michael Cammalleri, who isn't playing with Iginla and isn't getting powerplay time by the by, and perhaps Semin and Sedin as well. Ovechkin, Zetterberg, Heatley, Morrow, Nash, and Kovalchuk however I refuse to believe won't finish ahead of Vanek in fantasy value. That said... I was wrong about Thomas Vanek. He's having an incredible start to this season and for the sake of you Vanek owners I hope it continues.
FACT: Now that I have gushed about Vanek he will stop scoring.
BUT WHAT ABOUT SHEA WEBER!!!?!!!?!
You guys that listened to me and drafted Shea Weber high, and or waited until late and snaked him like I did, have to be pretty happy with that pick right about now huh? 3 goals, 4 assists, +4, 8 PIM, 1 PPP and 15 shots on goal through 6 games!!! As of this morning Shea Weber was ranked third amongst all defensemen on Yahoo sports behind only Andrei Markov and Mike Green. While I think the likes of Phaneuf, Pronger, Lidstrom, et al will eventually pass him his BTT ranking of 12th is looking pretty solid.
I WAS WRONG ABOUT VANEK... HE'S BETTER THEN CAMMALLERI
Thomas Vanek and I have a bit of a rocky history. Back in 2005, when I was just obsessed with hockey and not writing about it, Thomas Vanek was on my radar. Everyone was talking about Ovechkin and Crosby but I was looking for the under the radar pick. I found him in Buffalo's 2003 5th overal pick Thomas Vanek. He had good size and scouts said he had good speed and hands and a head for the game. I knew he wasn't someone worth drafting that season, per se, but I put him on my watch list and I think even had him on my team for a few stretches here and there.
The next season. I drafted him as the third to last pick. My very own Mr. Insignificant. Vanek would go on to have an amazing season notching 43 goals and adding 41 assists while being an astounding +46. He still wasn't shooting the puck enough or getting the powerplay time he deserved but Vanek was a legitimate fantasy superstar. There was only one problem... I dropped him less then two weeks into the season after watching the Sabres dominat the New York Rangers. Vanek notched only 1 shot on goal in the Sabres 7 goal outburst, wasn't receiving much ice time and had only a 1 goal and two assists through 5 games. I got jumpy and second guessed myself and dropped him for a player I refuse to name in this space. To my chagrin, he turned it on almost immediately, scoring 4 points in his next game. I went to pick him up but found that I was too late. My brother had already snagged him.
The next year I wouldn't be deterred. Though I knew Vanek would dip some as a result of the loss of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere I drafted him in the 4th round, thinking it a steal. After half a season of mediocre play I traded Vanek at a loss... at which time he proceeded to turn it on again and finished the season with respectable numbers.
I MAY have underestimated Vanek in my player rankings. Looking back he certainly should have been above Michael Cammalleri, who isn't playing with Iginla and isn't getting powerplay time by the by, and perhaps Semin and Sedin as well. Ovechkin, Zetterberg, Heatley, Morrow, Nash, and Kovalchuk however I refuse to believe won't finish ahead of Vanek in fantasy value. That said... I was wrong about Thomas Vanek. He's having an incredible start to this season and for the sake of you Vanek owners I hope it continues.
FACT: Now that I have gushed about Vanek he will stop scoring.
BUT WHAT ABOUT SHEA WEBER!!!?!!!?!
You guys that listened to me and drafted Shea Weber high, and or waited until late and snaked him like I did, have to be pretty happy with that pick right about now huh? 3 goals, 4 assists, +4, 8 PIM, 1 PPP and 15 shots on goal through 6 games!!! As of this morning Shea Weber was ranked third amongst all defensemen on Yahoo sports behind only Andrei Markov and Mike Green. While I think the likes of Phaneuf, Pronger, Lidstrom, et al will eventually pass him his BTT ranking of 12th is looking pretty solid.
BTT Injury Roundup
Just a few quick injury updates. I'll be doing this every Tuesday:
-Daniel Alfredsson is a fast healer and has already played two games since recovering from his knee injury. Though it was originally expeccted that Alfredsson would miss two weeks after doctors removed a bone chip from his knee Alfredsson was on the ice less then a week later. In his first two games back he has 1 goal and 2 assists.
-Marian Gaborik has missed the last two games with a "lower body injury" which we specualte is code for "wonky groin." Gaborik has had groin problems in the past and usually misses 10-20 games a year because of it... and yet Minnesota is reportedly offering him 8 million per. Keep him on your bench for now unless you have open roster spots.
-Kevin Bieska is ready to return the Vancouver lineup after suffering a bout of "Back spasms." And so the first Vancouver lost d-man games have occurred. Can they beat their NHL record 144 last season?
-Henrik Zetterberg, who missed the last two days with a sore groin says he should be ready to play in Wednesday's game. On a side note... isn't this silly? There must be something we can do to stop this. More and more players go down with groin injuries every year? Is it the skates or are the collissions just that much harder now?
-The Florida Panthers have placed Bryan McCabe on the injured reserve. It is expected that he will miss at least another week with a back injury.
-Brian Rolston had a scary moment on Thursday when he went skate first into the boards after losing an edge and came up holding his right ankle. Apparently there was no break revealed by an MRI and X-ray taken over the weekend and Rolston will sit while he recovers from a sprain. Ankle sprains are tricky business and Rolston could miss a month or more if this one is severe enough.
-Daniel Alfredsson is a fast healer and has already played two games since recovering from his knee injury. Though it was originally expeccted that Alfredsson would miss two weeks after doctors removed a bone chip from his knee Alfredsson was on the ice less then a week later. In his first two games back he has 1 goal and 2 assists.
-Marian Gaborik has missed the last two games with a "lower body injury" which we specualte is code for "wonky groin." Gaborik has had groin problems in the past and usually misses 10-20 games a year because of it... and yet Minnesota is reportedly offering him 8 million per. Keep him on your bench for now unless you have open roster spots.
-Kevin Bieska is ready to return the Vancouver lineup after suffering a bout of "Back spasms." And so the first Vancouver lost d-man games have occurred. Can they beat their NHL record 144 last season?
-Henrik Zetterberg, who missed the last two days with a sore groin says he should be ready to play in Wednesday's game. On a side note... isn't this silly? There must be something we can do to stop this. More and more players go down with groin injuries every year? Is it the skates or are the collissions just that much harder now?
-The Florida Panthers have placed Bryan McCabe on the injured reserve. It is expected that he will miss at least another week with a back injury.
-Brian Rolston had a scary moment on Thursday when he went skate first into the boards after losing an edge and came up holding his right ankle. Apparently there was no break revealed by an MRI and X-ray taken over the weekend and Rolston will sit while he recovers from a sprain. Ankle sprains are tricky business and Rolston could miss a month or more if this one is severe enough.
Ice Fishing: Keepers and Tossers of the Week
Let me come right out and apologize for not getting this up yesterday. I sustained a severe Rock Band 2 injury(my GM has asked me not to disclose the specifics but I am allowed to say that it is an upper left hand injury) and my typing was suffering as a result. I'm still not at 100% but the swelling has subsided enough that I've been cleared to surf the net and engage in some short article typing. I'm a gamer though so I'm going to bring it to you today until I literally cannot do it anymore.
You'll notice the title of the add/drop column has changed to a slightly more creative and undeniably more fanciful title. I like it. The content is the same however. Let's have a look at which players are good pickups this week in your fantasy hockey league, and which you should just throw back.
Grab 'em:
Todd Bertuzzi
LW, Calgary
Don't look now but big Bert is scoring goals again. His shot totals and +/- are ugly but his 10 PIM and 5 goals in 5 games make up for it. He's also seeing significant powerplay time. I'm not sure if this is going to keep up but for now Bert's a good add.
Milan Hejduk
RW, Colorado
Holy crap is it 2001 in here this week? Well, looking at Hejduk's career this WOULD be the time for him to have a 70+ point season. Hejduk is also seeing powerplay time, 3 PP goals in 6 games, and has been the biggest beneficiary of a healthy Paul Stasny so far this season. The Stasny/Hejduk/Smyth line is red hot and Hejduk is probably the only one on it who MIGHT have gone undrafted. If you are in need of a RW, or if you just want to bench Selanne for a while, he's worth a look.
Mikko Koivu
C, Minnesota
Minny is red hot right now as well, undefeated through their first four. They are scoring an uncharacteristic number of goals without Marian Gaborik's services. This won't last but I suspect that Koivu is the real deal. Think of him as a short term addition or a bench player for now, but if this keeps up you don't want to be the guy who passed on him.
Phil Kessel
RW, Bos
Kessel was the Bruins 5th overall pick in 2006. Translation he's supposed to be good. Kessel had some early setbacks in his career when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Translation he's overcome adversity. Despite all of that Kessel continued to play a gritty game upon his return. This season he is logging more ice time and has moved up to the second line with Marc Savard, who, we can all agree, dishesthe puck like few others. When I recommend guys I like to recommend guys that are supposed to be as good as they look. Kessel was always supposed to be THIS good. Enjoy him, even if he is from Boston.
Alexander Edler
D, Vancouver
He's doing a little bit of everything for the Canucks right now. In the last game he logged 20:34 of ice time. That was second only to Sami Salo. He leads the team with a +6, which is spectacular when you consider that the Canucks have only won three of their six games, giving up 20 goals and only scoring 21. Edler is playing solid D, taking shots, getting PIM and seeing powerplay time. If you are short a D-man Edler is worth a roster spot. Its only going to get better in Vancouver.
Weigh 'em:
Aaron Voros
LW, New York Rangers
9 points in 9 games is nothing to sneeze at, particularly from a big guy that will get you some PIM as well. That said he owes all of that to Dubinsky and Zherdev. Also all of those points were scored at a time when the Gomez line and the Naslund line were not clicking. Voros will slow down. (crosses fingers) Another thing to remember... the numbers may look impressive but the Rangers have played almost twice as many games as everyone in the league.
Mike Modano
C, Dallas
Modano has 6 points through Dallas' first six games. He is also playing point on Dallas' number 1 power play unit (at least until Zubov comes back) and looks comfortable in that role. Its hard to hate on a guy that literally put USA hockey on the map but Modano's time is coming to a close. He will have several bursts like this throughout the season but he is, now, a glorified third line center.
Ales Kotalik
RW, Buffalo
Buffalo is red hot. No one is hotter then Thomas Vanek. But a close second to Vanek is Ales Kotalik who has 4 goals, 3 assists, and 6 PPP to start the season. Kotalik's success is underscored by the relatively quiet seasons that are being had by Jason Pominville and Derek Roy, Buffalo's 80 point players of a year ago. Maybe Buffalo is going to trade that mantle back and forth between lines each year, but more likely Buffalo's second line is stepping up while the first line adjusts to new defenses.
Annti Miehtinen
RW, Minnesota
I'm Anti-Miehtinen. Now that I've got that out of the way... I said above that I like to recommend players that are supposed to be as good as they look. I was looking squarely at Annti here when I said that. Minnesota is not a high scoring team, but their stars will obviously do fairly well. Mikko Koivu is one of their stars. Annti Miehtinen... used to play for the Stars. He was drafted in the 7th round. In three seasons he has never put up more then 35 points and that was on Stars teams that needed wingers as badly as Minnesota does. Also, while Miehtinen is receiving top line minutes and powerplay time now, he is usually third on the depth chart to the injured Pierre Marc Bouchard and Marian Gaborik. This too will pass.
Toss 'em Back:
Chris Drury
LW/C New York Rangers
Yes its time to panic. Through nine games Drury has 2 assists. Ouch. He's still a great hockey player and is bound to have a streak or two here and there but Chris is settling into the second half of his career. He's a 60 point player at best now and its starting to look like breaking 50 might be a stretch.
David Booth
LW, Florida
Mea Culpa. Maybe I got carried away on this one. My bad.
Steven Stamkos
C, Tampa Bay
Unless you are in a keeper league, Stamkos looks like he isn't going to have much value this year. Melrose is barely playing the young center, who frequently looks like the best player on the ice and relegating him to third line duty with no ice time on the powerplay. Whether this is a wise move or a foolish one it does seem to be the direction the Mullet is going. So long as that stays as is, Stamkos will be a "keep in mind for next year" kinda guy. Put him back in the pond. Let him grow.
That's all for this week. The BTT injury report and some other random news and notes will be coming your way later on today.
You'll notice the title of the add/drop column has changed to a slightly more creative and undeniably more fanciful title. I like it. The content is the same however. Let's have a look at which players are good pickups this week in your fantasy hockey league, and which you should just throw back.
Grab 'em:
Todd Bertuzzi
LW, Calgary
Don't look now but big Bert is scoring goals again. His shot totals and +/- are ugly but his 10 PIM and 5 goals in 5 games make up for it. He's also seeing significant powerplay time. I'm not sure if this is going to keep up but for now Bert's a good add.
Milan Hejduk
RW, Colorado
Holy crap is it 2001 in here this week? Well, looking at Hejduk's career this WOULD be the time for him to have a 70+ point season. Hejduk is also seeing powerplay time, 3 PP goals in 6 games, and has been the biggest beneficiary of a healthy Paul Stasny so far this season. The Stasny/Hejduk/Smyth line is red hot and Hejduk is probably the only one on it who MIGHT have gone undrafted. If you are in need of a RW, or if you just want to bench Selanne for a while, he's worth a look.
Mikko Koivu
C, Minnesota
Minny is red hot right now as well, undefeated through their first four. They are scoring an uncharacteristic number of goals without Marian Gaborik's services. This won't last but I suspect that Koivu is the real deal. Think of him as a short term addition or a bench player for now, but if this keeps up you don't want to be the guy who passed on him.
Phil Kessel
RW, Bos
Kessel was the Bruins 5th overall pick in 2006. Translation he's supposed to be good. Kessel had some early setbacks in his career when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Translation he's overcome adversity. Despite all of that Kessel continued to play a gritty game upon his return. This season he is logging more ice time and has moved up to the second line with Marc Savard, who, we can all agree, dishesthe puck like few others. When I recommend guys I like to recommend guys that are supposed to be as good as they look. Kessel was always supposed to be THIS good. Enjoy him, even if he is from Boston.
Alexander Edler
D, Vancouver
He's doing a little bit of everything for the Canucks right now. In the last game he logged 20:34 of ice time. That was second only to Sami Salo. He leads the team with a +6, which is spectacular when you consider that the Canucks have only won three of their six games, giving up 20 goals and only scoring 21. Edler is playing solid D, taking shots, getting PIM and seeing powerplay time. If you are short a D-man Edler is worth a roster spot. Its only going to get better in Vancouver.
Weigh 'em:
Aaron Voros
LW, New York Rangers
9 points in 9 games is nothing to sneeze at, particularly from a big guy that will get you some PIM as well. That said he owes all of that to Dubinsky and Zherdev. Also all of those points were scored at a time when the Gomez line and the Naslund line were not clicking. Voros will slow down. (crosses fingers) Another thing to remember... the numbers may look impressive but the Rangers have played almost twice as many games as everyone in the league.
Mike Modano
C, Dallas
Modano has 6 points through Dallas' first six games. He is also playing point on Dallas' number 1 power play unit (at least until Zubov comes back) and looks comfortable in that role. Its hard to hate on a guy that literally put USA hockey on the map but Modano's time is coming to a close. He will have several bursts like this throughout the season but he is, now, a glorified third line center.
Ales Kotalik
RW, Buffalo
Buffalo is red hot. No one is hotter then Thomas Vanek. But a close second to Vanek is Ales Kotalik who has 4 goals, 3 assists, and 6 PPP to start the season. Kotalik's success is underscored by the relatively quiet seasons that are being had by Jason Pominville and Derek Roy, Buffalo's 80 point players of a year ago. Maybe Buffalo is going to trade that mantle back and forth between lines each year, but more likely Buffalo's second line is stepping up while the first line adjusts to new defenses.
Annti Miehtinen
RW, Minnesota
I'm Anti-Miehtinen. Now that I've got that out of the way... I said above that I like to recommend players that are supposed to be as good as they look. I was looking squarely at Annti here when I said that. Minnesota is not a high scoring team, but their stars will obviously do fairly well. Mikko Koivu is one of their stars. Annti Miehtinen... used to play for the Stars. He was drafted in the 7th round. In three seasons he has never put up more then 35 points and that was on Stars teams that needed wingers as badly as Minnesota does. Also, while Miehtinen is receiving top line minutes and powerplay time now, he is usually third on the depth chart to the injured Pierre Marc Bouchard and Marian Gaborik. This too will pass.
Toss 'em Back:
Chris Drury
LW/C New York Rangers
Yes its time to panic. Through nine games Drury has 2 assists. Ouch. He's still a great hockey player and is bound to have a streak or two here and there but Chris is settling into the second half of his career. He's a 60 point player at best now and its starting to look like breaking 50 might be a stretch.
David Booth
LW, Florida
Mea Culpa. Maybe I got carried away on this one. My bad.
Steven Stamkos
C, Tampa Bay
Unless you are in a keeper league, Stamkos looks like he isn't going to have much value this year. Melrose is barely playing the young center, who frequently looks like the best player on the ice and relegating him to third line duty with no ice time on the powerplay. Whether this is a wise move or a foolish one it does seem to be the direction the Mullet is going. So long as that stays as is, Stamkos will be a "keep in mind for next year" kinda guy. Put him back in the pond. Let him grow.
That's all for this week. The BTT injury report and some other random news and notes will be coming your way later on today.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Breaking the Slump: Duck and Cover
"My expectations!"
Its a long season and unless you are coolest of cats in the worst of times then you will, at least once, stare at your star player and shout some obscenity laced diatribe. The words may never be the same but the message will be clear, "Break out of your slump high round draft pick."
When the smoke clears and you've picked up whatever it is that you decided to launch across the room logic will take over and questions will start to creep in. Is this the best I can hope for? Is this just temporary? Should I drop him? Should I let my friends know that he's on my team? If I decide to will they applaud, mock or be jealous of me?
Yes, fantasy sports is an intimate relationship and we here at BTT are your sympathetic ear. Unlike most of your no-good friends, however, our opinion will be informed. Every Thursday (from now on) we'll take a look at a different star player that for whatever reason isn't performing up to expectations. Then we'll tell you whether to keep him in your roster, bench him, or pack up his stuff and kick him to the waiver wire. All that and more in a little feature we like to call:
Breaking the Slump
Back in August we had this to say about J.S. Giguere "The unfortunately nicknamed Giggy has been pretty consistently stellar for the last several years. He tends to have a bit of an injury bug but if he stays healthy he is every bit the elite option in net that Brodeur is." Those of you who know me know that that is no small praise from me. Marty is God and he LETS us watch him play goal.
That said, Giguere is one of the best mortals currently playing the position. But after 5 games his numbers look like this:
1 W, 4 L, 3.27 GAA, .896 Sv%, 13 goals against.
Not exactly the kind of numbers you want out of your answer to Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, et al. Giggy lost his first three appearances 4-1, 4-2, and 6-3 before finally getting his first win of the season, a shutout, against the San Jose Sharks on October 17th.
So on a scale of Gretzky to Daigle where do I rank my level of concern over J.S. Giguere?
Giguere ranks a Jaromir Jagr: I'm upset at his inconsistent play but fully expect that I will get full value by the end of the season.
Here's some facts:
Giguere has been known to have some rough patches. In 2007-2008 Giguere had a stretch of five games started in November without a win. The scores: 5-2, 2-1, 3-1, 5-1 and 1-0. He finished that season with 35 wins a 2.12 GAA and .922 Sv%.
In 2006-2007 Giguere had a string of 6 starts without a win. The scores: 1-0, 4-3, 2-1, 3-1, 3-2, and 3-2. He finished that season with 36 wins, a 2.26 GAA and .918 Sv.%.
There was another goalie in 2007-2008 who lost his first three starts. The scores were 3-1, 4-2, and 3-0. He would win his next two but allowed 5 goals in one and 4 in the other. He then dropped three more decisions, 4-0, 2-0 and 4-1. That goalie would finish with 44 wins, a 2.17 GAA and .920 Sv%. Figured out who I'm talking about yet? Yea that's right, last year's Vezina Trophy winner, Martin Brodeur.
Maybe this would have had more force before the shutout against the Sharks but, if you are a Gigure owner I've got one word for you... relax. Your investment is safe.
Final Verdict: Play Him!
Plenty more good stuff coming your way on BTT. Tomorrow will see the second ice stock of the year as well as news and notes from the weekend's games.
Its a long season and unless you are coolest of cats in the worst of times then you will, at least once, stare at your star player and shout some obscenity laced diatribe. The words may never be the same but the message will be clear, "Break out of your slump high round draft pick."
When the smoke clears and you've picked up whatever it is that you decided to launch across the room logic will take over and questions will start to creep in. Is this the best I can hope for? Is this just temporary? Should I drop him? Should I let my friends know that he's on my team? If I decide to will they applaud, mock or be jealous of me?
Yes, fantasy sports is an intimate relationship and we here at BTT are your sympathetic ear. Unlike most of your no-good friends, however, our opinion will be informed. Every Thursday (from now on) we'll take a look at a different star player that for whatever reason isn't performing up to expectations. Then we'll tell you whether to keep him in your roster, bench him, or pack up his stuff and kick him to the waiver wire. All that and more in a little feature we like to call:
Breaking the Slump
Back in August we had this to say about J.S. Giguere "The unfortunately nicknamed Giggy has been pretty consistently stellar for the last several years. He tends to have a bit of an injury bug but if he stays healthy he is every bit the elite option in net that Brodeur is." Those of you who know me know that that is no small praise from me. Marty is God and he LETS us watch him play goal.
That said, Giguere is one of the best mortals currently playing the position. But after 5 games his numbers look like this:
1 W, 4 L, 3.27 GAA, .896 Sv%, 13 goals against.
Not exactly the kind of numbers you want out of your answer to Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, et al. Giggy lost his first three appearances 4-1, 4-2, and 6-3 before finally getting his first win of the season, a shutout, against the San Jose Sharks on October 17th.
So on a scale of Gretzky to Daigle where do I rank my level of concern over J.S. Giguere?
Giguere ranks a Jaromir Jagr: I'm upset at his inconsistent play but fully expect that I will get full value by the end of the season.
Here's some facts:
Giguere has been known to have some rough patches. In 2007-2008 Giguere had a stretch of five games started in November without a win. The scores: 5-2, 2-1, 3-1, 5-1 and 1-0. He finished that season with 35 wins a 2.12 GAA and .922 Sv%.
In 2006-2007 Giguere had a string of 6 starts without a win. The scores: 1-0, 4-3, 2-1, 3-1, 3-2, and 3-2. He finished that season with 36 wins, a 2.26 GAA and .918 Sv.%.
There was another goalie in 2007-2008 who lost his first three starts. The scores were 3-1, 4-2, and 3-0. He would win his next two but allowed 5 goals in one and 4 in the other. He then dropped three more decisions, 4-0, 2-0 and 4-1. That goalie would finish with 44 wins, a 2.17 GAA and .920 Sv%. Figured out who I'm talking about yet? Yea that's right, last year's Vezina Trophy winner, Martin Brodeur.
Maybe this would have had more force before the shutout against the Sharks but, if you are a Gigure owner I've got one word for you... relax. Your investment is safe.
Final Verdict: Play Him!
Plenty more good stuff coming your way on BTT. Tomorrow will see the second ice stock of the year as well as news and notes from the weekend's games.
TEAM PREVIEWS: THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS
Introduction:
I like the Canucks, but at this point in the season, looking at the Oilers and Minnesota, you have to wonder if the winner of this division is going to have to go undefeated. Edmonton and Minnesota have the benefit have the benefit of icing mostly the same squad that they iced the year before but Vancouver.... well they've changed significantly.
The defense, which missed 174 man-games to injury last season, remains mostly intact and the Canucks still have one of steadiest players in the league in net in their new captain Roberto Luongo so defense shouldn't be much of a problem once they work through early game jitters.
Key Departures:
Brendan Morrison
Markus Naslund
Morrison leaves a gaping hole at second line center that will be competed for all season by Kyle Wellwood (currently on waivers) and Ryan Kesler (currently dominant).
Naslund's defection to New York completes the exodus of the Canucks top line and identity for seasons (Bertuzzi-Morrison-Naslund). As if it wasn't already obvious, this is now definitely the Sedin Twins team.
New Faces:
Steve Bernier
Pavol Demitra
Bernier is a physical presence and relatively fast for a big man. He will be playing the Holmstrom role on the Canucks top line with the Sedins.
Demitra hasn't quite clicked yet with his linemates in Vancouver. Considering that we are five games in that means we are 5 games closer to Demitra's eventual injury. Perhaps this is the year that Demitra finally loses all fantasy value.
The Offense:
There are two givens on this team and then a bunch of question marks. You can't go wrong drafting a Sedin though. Whether they are the team's best option or just a clever marketing gimmick is for another blog to discuss.
You Should Be Happy You Drafted:
Henrik Sedin
Daniel Sedin
Henrik is, in my humble opinion, where all of the skill likes. Daniel scores the goals but Henrik set them up. So do you want to not ever worry about assists? Draft Henrik as your second (or even third in some leagues) center and watch them come rolling in.
FACT: Henrik is the oldest, born five minutes before his brother Daniel.
Daniel is one of the most valuable Left Wings in fantasy hockey. He is goo for between 30 and 40 gaols and 70 and 80 points. He doesn't really get PIM but he takes plenty of shots and is a powerplay monster.
FACT: He may be the youngest but he was selected before Henrik was (by one pick) in the 1999 NHL draft.
You Want to Be Ready to Snag:
Pavol Demitra
Steve Bernier
Ryan Kesler
Though Demitra hasn't played a full season since 2001-2002 he has usually been operating at a point a game pace when he WAS playing. This finally went away last season when Demitra scored only 54 points in 68 games. That's still pretty good, but should be viewed as a sign of Pavol's stock beginning to dip. Keep an eye on him, but don't get excited or expect too much.
FACT: Demitra failed to reach 20 goals last season for the first time since he started playing full seasons in 1997-1998.
Bernier is still young and has all kinds of time to deliver on his potential as a power forward, but until he does you should probably stay away from him. If he continues to play on the Sedin's wing then he could definitely be worth your time. Be patient.
FACT: Many scouts have questioned his endurance, skating ability and commitment. Bernier needs to find the right fit team-wise and the right motivation before he can be a true star in this league.
Ryan Kesler has been the surprise of the season so far, as he and linemate Alex Burrows have combined for 6 goals and 5 assists. This is one of those things that you expect will go away at some point. Should they remain even semi-hot however (I guess warm?) Kesler is an attractive pickup because of his PIM and respectable shot total.
FACT: Did you know that Ryan Kesler scored 21 goals last season? Neither did I.
The Defense:
A fundamentally sound crew that are top to bottom injury risks. There are three players that could have fantasy value, including the consistently underrated Mattias Ohlund and Sami Salo and the consistently overrated Kevin Bieska, and one whom the Canucks seem very high on, Alexander Edler.
You Should Be Happy You Drafted:
Mattias Ohlund
Kevin Bieska
Ohlund has been playing in the NHL for 10 seasons now. He has never scored 40 points or more. So keep that in mind before you get too excited about the 3 point outburst at the beginning of this season. When Ohlund is rolling however he tends to be getting the majority of his points on the powerplay and he is usually good for between 80 and 90 PIM.
FACT: While he has never cracked 40 points, in seasons where he played 70 or more games he has also never failed to reach 30 points.
But... I thought. I said he was consistently overrated, I didn't say he wasn't valuable. He gets points (even last year he was on pace for over 30 before getting injured) while putting up a ton of PIM (last year he was on pace for 180) while still taking an acceptable number of shots. All I've ever said then Bieska is that there are better more reliable options. Considering he has already missed three games to injury this year and hasn't scored a point it would appear I'm right.
FACT: If you are a fan of physical hockey, you'll like this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKXZC4x7hO8.
You Want to Be Ready to Snag:
Sami Salo
Alexander Edler
I think of the two Edler is the guy you want to keep an eye on, but Salo has shown himself to be an offensive threat in the past and both are off to strong starts so far this season. Edler was called up last season to fill in the gaps as various d-men were injured and has performed admirably so far in an expanded role this season.
FACT: Detroit wanted to draft Edler. Thats about all you need to know right?
The Powerplay:
Daniel Sedin
Henrik Sedin
Pavol Demitra
Kevin Bieska
Mattias Ohlund
The point men will rotate between Bieska, Ohlund, Salo and Edler, making it difficult to determine who really has the most fantasy value. Any unit with the Sedin's is a good unit but this one won't start producing until they can find the right combination of players, something Vancouver has been trying to do with the Sedin's for about 5 years now.
The Goalie(s):
Luongo. This team's chances begin and end with Roberto. Thought by many to be the best goalie in the NHL, and in the top 5 by pretty much everyone else, Luongo is going to have his work cut out for him again this season. A top 5 goalie in any fantasy format.
FACT: Luongo was part of the absolutely worst trade in NHL history... no not the Bertuzzi deal. Luongo and Olli Jokinen were traded to the Florida Panthers by the New York Islanders for Oleg Kvasha and Mark Parrish. We make fun of the Islanders a lot in this blog, and now you know why. They are the Keystone Cops of Hockey Franchise Management.
The Verdict:
The Canucks will be competitive but not great. The addition of say... Mats Sundin... could change things literally over night but until something like that happens I will comfortably state that the Canucks will miss the playoffs this year in a heart breaker.
I like the Canucks, but at this point in the season, looking at the Oilers and Minnesota, you have to wonder if the winner of this division is going to have to go undefeated. Edmonton and Minnesota have the benefit have the benefit of icing mostly the same squad that they iced the year before but Vancouver.... well they've changed significantly.
The defense, which missed 174 man-games to injury last season, remains mostly intact and the Canucks still have one of steadiest players in the league in net in their new captain Roberto Luongo so defense shouldn't be much of a problem once they work through early game jitters.
Key Departures:
Brendan Morrison
Markus Naslund
Morrison leaves a gaping hole at second line center that will be competed for all season by Kyle Wellwood (currently on waivers) and Ryan Kesler (currently dominant).
Naslund's defection to New York completes the exodus of the Canucks top line and identity for seasons (Bertuzzi-Morrison-Naslund). As if it wasn't already obvious, this is now definitely the Sedin Twins team.
New Faces:
Steve Bernier
Pavol Demitra
Bernier is a physical presence and relatively fast for a big man. He will be playing the Holmstrom role on the Canucks top line with the Sedins.
Demitra hasn't quite clicked yet with his linemates in Vancouver. Considering that we are five games in that means we are 5 games closer to Demitra's eventual injury. Perhaps this is the year that Demitra finally loses all fantasy value.
The Offense:
There are two givens on this team and then a bunch of question marks. You can't go wrong drafting a Sedin though. Whether they are the team's best option or just a clever marketing gimmick is for another blog to discuss.
You Should Be Happy You Drafted:
Henrik Sedin
Daniel Sedin
Henrik is, in my humble opinion, where all of the skill likes. Daniel scores the goals but Henrik set them up. So do you want to not ever worry about assists? Draft Henrik as your second (or even third in some leagues) center and watch them come rolling in.
FACT: Henrik is the oldest, born five minutes before his brother Daniel.
Daniel is one of the most valuable Left Wings in fantasy hockey. He is goo for between 30 and 40 gaols and 70 and 80 points. He doesn't really get PIM but he takes plenty of shots and is a powerplay monster.
FACT: He may be the youngest but he was selected before Henrik was (by one pick) in the 1999 NHL draft.
You Want to Be Ready to Snag:
Pavol Demitra
Steve Bernier
Ryan Kesler
Though Demitra hasn't played a full season since 2001-2002 he has usually been operating at a point a game pace when he WAS playing. This finally went away last season when Demitra scored only 54 points in 68 games. That's still pretty good, but should be viewed as a sign of Pavol's stock beginning to dip. Keep an eye on him, but don't get excited or expect too much.
FACT: Demitra failed to reach 20 goals last season for the first time since he started playing full seasons in 1997-1998.
Bernier is still young and has all kinds of time to deliver on his potential as a power forward, but until he does you should probably stay away from him. If he continues to play on the Sedin's wing then he could definitely be worth your time. Be patient.
FACT: Many scouts have questioned his endurance, skating ability and commitment. Bernier needs to find the right fit team-wise and the right motivation before he can be a true star in this league.
Ryan Kesler has been the surprise of the season so far, as he and linemate Alex Burrows have combined for 6 goals and 5 assists. This is one of those things that you expect will go away at some point. Should they remain even semi-hot however (I guess warm?) Kesler is an attractive pickup because of his PIM and respectable shot total.
FACT: Did you know that Ryan Kesler scored 21 goals last season? Neither did I.
The Defense:
A fundamentally sound crew that are top to bottom injury risks. There are three players that could have fantasy value, including the consistently underrated Mattias Ohlund and Sami Salo and the consistently overrated Kevin Bieska, and one whom the Canucks seem very high on, Alexander Edler.
You Should Be Happy You Drafted:
Mattias Ohlund
Kevin Bieska
Ohlund has been playing in the NHL for 10 seasons now. He has never scored 40 points or more. So keep that in mind before you get too excited about the 3 point outburst at the beginning of this season. When Ohlund is rolling however he tends to be getting the majority of his points on the powerplay and he is usually good for between 80 and 90 PIM.
FACT: While he has never cracked 40 points, in seasons where he played 70 or more games he has also never failed to reach 30 points.
But... I thought. I said he was consistently overrated, I didn't say he wasn't valuable. He gets points (even last year he was on pace for over 30 before getting injured) while putting up a ton of PIM (last year he was on pace for 180) while still taking an acceptable number of shots. All I've ever said then Bieska is that there are better more reliable options. Considering he has already missed three games to injury this year and hasn't scored a point it would appear I'm right.
FACT: If you are a fan of physical hockey, you'll like this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKXZC4x7hO8.
You Want to Be Ready to Snag:
Sami Salo
Alexander Edler
I think of the two Edler is the guy you want to keep an eye on, but Salo has shown himself to be an offensive threat in the past and both are off to strong starts so far this season. Edler was called up last season to fill in the gaps as various d-men were injured and has performed admirably so far in an expanded role this season.
FACT: Detroit wanted to draft Edler. Thats about all you need to know right?
The Powerplay:
Daniel Sedin
Henrik Sedin
Pavol Demitra
Kevin Bieska
Mattias Ohlund
The point men will rotate between Bieska, Ohlund, Salo and Edler, making it difficult to determine who really has the most fantasy value. Any unit with the Sedin's is a good unit but this one won't start producing until they can find the right combination of players, something Vancouver has been trying to do with the Sedin's for about 5 years now.
The Goalie(s):
Luongo. This team's chances begin and end with Roberto. Thought by many to be the best goalie in the NHL, and in the top 5 by pretty much everyone else, Luongo is going to have his work cut out for him again this season. A top 5 goalie in any fantasy format.
FACT: Luongo was part of the absolutely worst trade in NHL history... no not the Bertuzzi deal. Luongo and Olli Jokinen were traded to the Florida Panthers by the New York Islanders for Oleg Kvasha and Mark Parrish. We make fun of the Islanders a lot in this blog, and now you know why. They are the Keystone Cops of Hockey Franchise Management.
The Verdict:
The Canucks will be competitive but not great. The addition of say... Mats Sundin... could change things literally over night but until something like that happens I will comfortably state that the Canucks will miss the playoffs this year in a heart breaker.
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