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.