Interesting week that was in the NHL. Some goaltending controversies gained a bit more speed, some lost it. The Anaheim Ducks continued to roll as all of their stars have finally found their mojo and the Edmonton Oilers continued to stall despite strong fantasy play by most of its high profile forwards and defensemen. Toronto and Columbus scored and the Rangers bored. Mats Sundin attended a Vancouver game and Ryan Clowe took his turn as San Jose's scoring winger.
Let's get to the meat of it shall we...
Keep 'em:
Ryan Clowe
LW, San Jose
I figured I put him in the lead in so I might as well end the suspense right away. Unlike Setoguchi, who incidentally still gets my strongest recommendation, Clowe sees powerplay time with this squad. Clowe is tied for fourth on the team in points, behind only the resurgent Patrick Marleau, the spectacular Joe Thornton, and the aforementioned Devin Setoguchi, is third in PIM, and leads the team with 4 powerplay goals. What's not to like?
Chirs Kunitz
LW, Anaheim
He shouldn't be available in your league, but some people had goalie problems early and needed space on their rosters and were really lucky to pick him back up before he tallied 5 assists this last week. Yes I'm talking about myself and no I don't know why you should listen to anything I say beyond that last sentence.
Cam Barker
D, Chicago
We're having a bit of a west coast tip here but this blog is so east-centric that I'm feeling unapologetic right now. Barker has responded to his call up strongly. In 4 games Barker has 2 goals and an assist and 4 PIM. Both goals came on the man advantage. There is some speculation, has been since the preseason, that the Blackhawks are trying to move Barker. So long as that is the case and he's producing expect the Hawks to use him in showcase situations like the point on the man advantage.
Weigh 'Em:
Kris Versteeg:
RW, Chicago
Versteeg put up another two assists this week and is starting to look like a real challenger for the Calder this year. About a week ago Craig Kanelley alerted me to a piece he did on Versteeg over on Hawkey Central. Its a really interesting piece for anyone who would like to know more about the young man that has seemingly come out of nowhere to lead all rookies in scoring through November. Check it out here:
http://hawkeycentral.windycitizen.com/2008/10/29/from-lethbridge-to-chi-town
Jakub Voracek:
RW, Columbus
Notice the large number of wingers this week? You should all be pretty well set on your centers by now, but good wingers can be tough to find. For that you've got to look to surprising sources like overproducing veterans, breakout stars and yes... rookies. Voracek here came on strong in the last week and now has 10 points through 13 games.
Ray Whitney:
LW, Carolina
Oh good... I was starting to get worried that there were no Eastern Conference guys on this list. Whitney had 6 points, 3 goals and 3 assists, in the last week with four of those points coming on the man advantage. The only thing that keeps Wizard from being in the "Keep 'em" section is the fact he was also an atrocious -4 over that same span. You might want to give Tuomo Ruutu a look as well as he also has 6 points over the last week but is a +4. The knock on Ruutu is his lack of powerplay time and shots on goal(3).
Toss 'Em Back:
Kevin Weekes, Frederik Norenna, Joey MacDonald:
G, New Jersey, Columbus, New York Islanders
No. You know why. Weekes will not replace lost production from Brodeur, and you need at least a few games to see what he'll be able to do on this depleted Devils team. Norenna has shown that he is shaky at best right now. Wait for Leclaire. McDonald's numbers are deceptively good. Don't believe them. That Islanders team is atrocious.
Mathieu Garon:
G, Edmonton
Maybe just bench him until the Oil make their way back home. The only way the Oilers seem to be able to win right now is by scoring five goals. Take a hands off approach on this one.
Niklas Hagman:
LW, Toronto
I don't buy it. Toronto had some wild ones this past week and Hagman came out of it with 5 points while recording a stunning +7 over that same period. Wilson is a good coach and Hagman isn't a bad player, I just don't think he's a near point a game player. For the record I've been very very impressed with what Wilson has done with this Maple Leafs squad. I don't know if they are a playoff team but they are a heck of a lot of fun to watch. They better be careful though or they are going to play themselves right out of the Tavares Sweepsteaks.
That's all for now. Expect my report from Rangers v Lightning when I get back tonight as well as news and notes on a busy night in the national hockey league that sees 22 of the 30 teams in action. If I wasn't going to the Rangers game I'd be firing up Edmonton v Pittsburgh on my center ice package with Phoenix at Vancouver being the late game du jour.
Showing posts with label Carolina Hurricanes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carolina Hurricanes. Show all posts
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
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.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Justin Williams tears achilles, will miss 4-6 months. Staal weeps
OUCH!
Justin Williams out 4-6 months with an achilles tendon. We wish Williams the best in his recovery. He's a good, if injury prone, player who has always been underrated by your average hockey watcher.
That said, we're not paying ourselves to express our sympathies. Instead we're paid (not) to report and analyze. This hurts Carolina, a lot. They are fairly deep at forward but lack right wings who have chemistry with their top line center Eric Staal. Staal has shown the most chemistry with Williams and Cole, both of whom are now gone (one to hockey hell... and the other to Edmonton). In a division that got much more competitive this offseason this will be a blow.
What does this mean for you fantasy wise? Well I had Williams ranked 12th in my RW rankings, saying "This will surprise some of you but Williams has quietly been very good for the last three years, scoring in the high 60's low 70's. Expect the same this year on a healthy Hurricanes team." Whoops. I'm going to give Dan Wheeler competition for that nickname. Anyway, the good news is you probably haven't drafted yet so... don't draft Justin Williams. 4 to 6 months is most of the season. If you want to pick him up off of waivers and throw him on your IR that's cool, but don't waste a draft pick.
This also now begs the question... who will be playing on Mr. Staal's wing? I'd say I have a couple of dark horses but looking at the remainder of the Canes options ... well lets say they are all dark horses. Pat Eaves would be my pick, but I'm a Boston College homer. the other intirguing possibility is a man who was invited to training camp... former Cane, former Leaf, former NHL caliber player Jeff O'Neill. I'd say that this news has the biggest potential of being "good" for those two men. Keep your eye on the situation, I know I will be.
Justin Williams out 4-6 months with an achilles tendon. We wish Williams the best in his recovery. He's a good, if injury prone, player who has always been underrated by your average hockey watcher.
That said, we're not paying ourselves to express our sympathies. Instead we're paid (not) to report and analyze. This hurts Carolina, a lot. They are fairly deep at forward but lack right wings who have chemistry with their top line center Eric Staal. Staal has shown the most chemistry with Williams and Cole, both of whom are now gone (one to hockey hell... and the other to Edmonton). In a division that got much more competitive this offseason this will be a blow.
What does this mean for you fantasy wise? Well I had Williams ranked 12th in my RW rankings, saying "This will surprise some of you but Williams has quietly been very good for the last three years, scoring in the high 60's low 70's. Expect the same this year on a healthy Hurricanes team." Whoops. I'm going to give Dan Wheeler competition for that nickname. Anyway, the good news is you probably haven't drafted yet so... don't draft Justin Williams. 4 to 6 months is most of the season. If you want to pick him up off of waivers and throw him on your IR that's cool, but don't waste a draft pick.
This also now begs the question... who will be playing on Mr. Staal's wing? I'd say I have a couple of dark horses but looking at the remainder of the Canes options ... well lets say they are all dark horses. Pat Eaves would be my pick, but I'm a Boston College homer. the other intirguing possibility is a man who was invited to training camp... former Cane, former Leaf, former NHL caliber player Jeff O'Neill. I'd say that this news has the biggest potential of being "good" for those two men. Keep your eye on the situation, I know I will be.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
TEAM PREVIEWS: THE CAROLINA HURRICANES
Introduction:
So I was down in North Carolina a week ago and was privy to the following conversation between my brother and my sister in law:
Katy: "Guess who the Hurricanes invited to training camp."
John: "Not Jeff O'Neill?"
Katy: "Yes."
Both: "Ugh..."
It wasn't quite "Ugh" but that's the closest I can get to the sound defined as "The sound you make when you realize your team is inviting a washed up old star,who has failed everywhere he's been since your team and clearly has his best days behind him, to training camp just to sell a few more tickets." Its the sound Devils fans made when they signed Holik this year.
Hockey in the South is very much alive in North Carolina. This is a DEEP team provided they can stay healthy enough to keep Jeff O'Neill out of the lineup.
Key Departures:
Erik Cole
Cole was a fan favorite and was often a catalyst on this team. However he hadn't been the same since he literally broke his neck. Cole's entire game was based around being fearless and going into corners at high speeds. He couldn't do that anymore, even though he often still did. Cole is one injury away from the end of his career and was my niece's favorite player until he was traded. I'm glad she won't have to see that injury first hand.
New Faces:
Joni Pitkanen
Patrick Eaves
Tuomo Ruutu
Joe Corvo
Yes. I know that technically Pitkanen is the only "new" face on this list but Eaves, Corvo and Ruutu were all added late last season, and I think their impact on this team over a full season will be measurable, and thus deserve their own discussion here.
Pitkanen is a young, competent offensive defenseman. That's about all I'm prepared to say about him at this particular moment. He's another Philadelphia high first round draft pick, and the first two seasons after the lockout it was easy to see why. Pitkanen put up two "lights out" offensive, if defensively lacking, seasons before going to Edmonton and crashing. The good news is that Pitkanen is only 24 and has plenty of time to turn it around. He'll be under Corvo's tutelage here.
Eaves is sooooo good, at least he was a long time ago in a galaxy called Boston College. Eaves had 20 goals in his rookie season, which only lasted 58 games, on Ottawa before being wasted on the third line for the remainder of his stint with the Senators. I don't know that he'll receive much better treatment here, but he'll provide some good secondary scoring.
Ruutu is another one of those guys I've been waiting for a breakout season from for years! Ruutu was drafted in the first round in 2001 and has suffered numerous injuries between then and now. A bit of a lumbering power forward some had suggested that perhaps Ruutu was an example of the old NHL not quite translating to the New NHL... but then he scored 11 points in 17 games with Carolina.
Corvo was wasted on Ottawa, which is ironic because they could really use him this year. He had 21 points in 23 games with Carolina last year... yes that's called domination. 13 of those points came on the powerplay, nearly equalling his 15 point powerplay output from the 51 games he played with Ottawa last season. Corvo is exactly what the Canes were missing for most of the season, a d-man that can play the point. He gives them a new look. More on him below.
The Offense:
The problem with the Canes is not a lack of scoring, traditionally its been a lack of HEALTHY scoring. This means the line combinations are always a little screwy, so you should monitor them throughout the season. That said there are a few sure bets that you should target in your draft regardless of line combinations.
You Want to Draft:
Eric Staal
Ray Whitney
Justin Williams
There were about 8 Hurricanes who had a legitimate shot at surpassing 75 points last year if they stayed healthy, which should tell you something about this teams explosiveness. That said, only one of them actually did it; Big Eric Staal. Staal was a point a game, which while somewhat disappointing for him, is still very very good. Staal does everything well, except play defense, and should be drafted as such. When you are drafting Staal you are drafting a guaranteed 75 point scorer with an outside shot at 100.
FACT: Eric Staal's 28 points in the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs lead the Hurricanes in scoring on their way to hoisting the coveted trophy. This was only his second full season in the NHL. Oh did I mention he's only 23?
Ray Whitney is consistently spectacular when he can stay healthy for a full season. Wizard was on his way to another great season last year but lost 16 games to injury. If he had stayed healthy he probably would have finished with around 70 points with over 30 of those coming on the man advantage. Good stuff for a left winger. Draft him as a 70 point player but expect to sub someone in for at least part of the season.
FACT: Ray Whitney has never appeared in 82 games and has only appeared in 81 four times in his 16 year career.
Justin Williams had his first real brush with injury last season when he tore both his MCL and his ACL as a result of a vicious hit. He came back in April but then missed the last two games of the season due to an unrelated back injury. With all this in mind maybe he should be on the, you want to keep an eye on list, but Williams is way too talented for that. If he stays healthy Williams will get you some penalty minutes as well. He doesn't do as much on the powerplay as I would like but he's still a very useful player.
FACT: Williams' two prior seasons saw outputs of 76 and 67 points with 30+ goals in both seasons.
You Want to Keep an Eye On:
Rod Brind'Amour
Sergei Samsonov
Tuomo Ruutu
Patrick Eaves
In Rod they trust. And they should. It looked like Brind'Amour was done prior to the lockout, putting up 38 points in 81 games. Then something miraculous happened. Rod got a year off, got to work through some nagging injuries and the ice freed up. Without the clutch and grab Rod dominated. He put up a 70 point season and then an 82 point season. He was on his way to another 70+ point year before he was finally hit with the injury bug, tearing his ACL. Brind'Amour put up 50 points in 59 games last season, but one has to wonder if at 38 he might finally be done. Watch him, draft him late if you want, he's worth a flyer. His health is incredibly crucial to this team. With him the team is three scoring lines deep, without him... well it gets a little dicey. It's Staal's team but Brindy is still the heart.
FACT: Brind'Amour's shooting percentage remains in the double digits and like all of his other stats has improved from its pre-lockout state.
32 points in 38 games. Thats what Sergei Samsonov did upon his arrival in Carolina. I can't explain it. After two great seasons with Thornton in Boston Sergei blew what appeared to be any number of "last chances" in Boston, Montreal, Edmonton and Chicago before he finally stopped spiraling and started scoring in Carolina. It remains to be seen what he can do over a full year, and you should feel no obligation to draft him but he is a great high risk/high reward candidate.
FACT: Sergei fits in in Carolina in at least one additional way... He hasn't played a full season since 2000-01.
I discussed Ruutu and Eaves above. What I said there holds true down here. If they can stay healthy and find themselves the right linemates (Staal or Brindy) and the rest of the team stays healthy I think they can have pretty big years. Thats a lot of ifs.
FACT: Want a reason to be nervous about Ruutu? He considered retirement in 2006 because he was unsatisfied with his own play.
The Defense:
You Want to Draft:
Joe Corvo
Corvo was almost a point a game after joining Carolina last year! That's ridiculous. Corvo will run the powerplay this year, a spot he'll receive some competition from Pitkanen for, and his numbers should be suitably impressive as a result. He'll get every chance to shine, and should have no problem putting up a 50 point season on this powerplay-centric team but there is at least one reason to be concerned...
FACT: Corvo's average Shooting Percentage is 6.4%... during his tenure with Carolina last season it was 12.4%. Expect him to come back to Earth a bit.
You Want to Watch:
Joni Pitkanen
Pitkanen has yet to live up to the promise of his 2005-06 campaign (46 points in 58 games) but there is no reason to believe that at 24 he never will. Draft him late or watch him early and see if the Carolina Reclamation Projects don't work their usual magic on him.
FACT: Pitkanen was ranked amongst the top 25 defensemen in scoring both of his first two season following the lockout. Last year was a bad year on a bad Edmonton team. He could be a late round steal or a waiver wire bust. I have faith in his talents and the Philadelphia talent scouts though.
The Powerplay:
Eric Staal
Ray Whitney
Justin Williams
Joni Pitkanen
Joe Corvo
If you weren't dead you saw time on the man advantage with this team last year. Hell I think I had two powerplay assists for them. As a result, its difficult to determine what a healthy Carolina powerplay would look like, but my speculation above should be a reasonably close approximation. Pitkanen and Corvo should be trading off time on a Brind'Amour/ Cullen/ Samsonov-centric second unit. Corvo adds a much needed dimension to this team with his ability to quarterback the powerplay. I expect slight improvements in every one's powerplay numbers this year as a result.
The Goalie(s):
Cam Ward is still the man in Carolina. His numbers were not spectacular last year (2.75, .904) or the year before that (2.93, .897) but he still had 37 and 30 wins and already has a Stanley Cup on his resume at the age of 24. He's an all right option as your second goalie and a fantastic option as your third (as you'll be able to spot start him in all those games he's going to play against Atlanta and Florida).
FACT: Ward robbed the Conn Smythe trophy from Eric Staal back in 2006 with an absolutely electric performance in the playoffs. At 24 you have to believe he'll eventually be able to recapture that magic.
The Verdict:
With three playoff caliber teams the Southeast is going to be very competitive this year. If everyone stays healthy though the Canes are the clear favorite to win the division. Draft Staal, Whitney and Corvo with confidence.
So I was down in North Carolina a week ago and was privy to the following conversation between my brother and my sister in law:
Katy: "Guess who the Hurricanes invited to training camp."
John: "Not Jeff O'Neill?"
Katy: "Yes."
Both: "Ugh..."
It wasn't quite "Ugh" but that's the closest I can get to the sound defined as "The sound you make when you realize your team is inviting a washed up old star,who has failed everywhere he's been since your team and clearly has his best days behind him, to training camp just to sell a few more tickets." Its the sound Devils fans made when they signed Holik this year.
Hockey in the South is very much alive in North Carolina. This is a DEEP team provided they can stay healthy enough to keep Jeff O'Neill out of the lineup.
Key Departures:
Erik Cole
Cole was a fan favorite and was often a catalyst on this team. However he hadn't been the same since he literally broke his neck. Cole's entire game was based around being fearless and going into corners at high speeds. He couldn't do that anymore, even though he often still did. Cole is one injury away from the end of his career and was my niece's favorite player until he was traded. I'm glad she won't have to see that injury first hand.
New Faces:
Joni Pitkanen
Patrick Eaves
Tuomo Ruutu
Joe Corvo
Yes. I know that technically Pitkanen is the only "new" face on this list but Eaves, Corvo and Ruutu were all added late last season, and I think their impact on this team over a full season will be measurable, and thus deserve their own discussion here.
Pitkanen is a young, competent offensive defenseman. That's about all I'm prepared to say about him at this particular moment. He's another Philadelphia high first round draft pick, and the first two seasons after the lockout it was easy to see why. Pitkanen put up two "lights out" offensive, if defensively lacking, seasons before going to Edmonton and crashing. The good news is that Pitkanen is only 24 and has plenty of time to turn it around. He'll be under Corvo's tutelage here.
Eaves is sooooo good, at least he was a long time ago in a galaxy called Boston College. Eaves had 20 goals in his rookie season, which only lasted 58 games, on Ottawa before being wasted on the third line for the remainder of his stint with the Senators. I don't know that he'll receive much better treatment here, but he'll provide some good secondary scoring.
Ruutu is another one of those guys I've been waiting for a breakout season from for years! Ruutu was drafted in the first round in 2001 and has suffered numerous injuries between then and now. A bit of a lumbering power forward some had suggested that perhaps Ruutu was an example of the old NHL not quite translating to the New NHL... but then he scored 11 points in 17 games with Carolina.
Corvo was wasted on Ottawa, which is ironic because they could really use him this year. He had 21 points in 23 games with Carolina last year... yes that's called domination. 13 of those points came on the powerplay, nearly equalling his 15 point powerplay output from the 51 games he played with Ottawa last season. Corvo is exactly what the Canes were missing for most of the season, a d-man that can play the point. He gives them a new look. More on him below.
The Offense:
The problem with the Canes is not a lack of scoring, traditionally its been a lack of HEALTHY scoring. This means the line combinations are always a little screwy, so you should monitor them throughout the season. That said there are a few sure bets that you should target in your draft regardless of line combinations.
You Want to Draft:
Eric Staal
Ray Whitney
Justin Williams
There were about 8 Hurricanes who had a legitimate shot at surpassing 75 points last year if they stayed healthy, which should tell you something about this teams explosiveness. That said, only one of them actually did it; Big Eric Staal. Staal was a point a game, which while somewhat disappointing for him, is still very very good. Staal does everything well, except play defense, and should be drafted as such. When you are drafting Staal you are drafting a guaranteed 75 point scorer with an outside shot at 100.
FACT: Eric Staal's 28 points in the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs lead the Hurricanes in scoring on their way to hoisting the coveted trophy. This was only his second full season in the NHL. Oh did I mention he's only 23?
Ray Whitney is consistently spectacular when he can stay healthy for a full season. Wizard was on his way to another great season last year but lost 16 games to injury. If he had stayed healthy he probably would have finished with around 70 points with over 30 of those coming on the man advantage. Good stuff for a left winger. Draft him as a 70 point player but expect to sub someone in for at least part of the season.
FACT: Ray Whitney has never appeared in 82 games and has only appeared in 81 four times in his 16 year career.
Justin Williams had his first real brush with injury last season when he tore both his MCL and his ACL as a result of a vicious hit. He came back in April but then missed the last two games of the season due to an unrelated back injury. With all this in mind maybe he should be on the, you want to keep an eye on list, but Williams is way too talented for that. If he stays healthy Williams will get you some penalty minutes as well. He doesn't do as much on the powerplay as I would like but he's still a very useful player.
FACT: Williams' two prior seasons saw outputs of 76 and 67 points with 30+ goals in both seasons.
You Want to Keep an Eye On:
Rod Brind'Amour
Sergei Samsonov
Tuomo Ruutu
Patrick Eaves
In Rod they trust. And they should. It looked like Brind'Amour was done prior to the lockout, putting up 38 points in 81 games. Then something miraculous happened. Rod got a year off, got to work through some nagging injuries and the ice freed up. Without the clutch and grab Rod dominated. He put up a 70 point season and then an 82 point season. He was on his way to another 70+ point year before he was finally hit with the injury bug, tearing his ACL. Brind'Amour put up 50 points in 59 games last season, but one has to wonder if at 38 he might finally be done. Watch him, draft him late if you want, he's worth a flyer. His health is incredibly crucial to this team. With him the team is three scoring lines deep, without him... well it gets a little dicey. It's Staal's team but Brindy is still the heart.
FACT: Brind'Amour's shooting percentage remains in the double digits and like all of his other stats has improved from its pre-lockout state.
32 points in 38 games. Thats what Sergei Samsonov did upon his arrival in Carolina. I can't explain it. After two great seasons with Thornton in Boston Sergei blew what appeared to be any number of "last chances" in Boston, Montreal, Edmonton and Chicago before he finally stopped spiraling and started scoring in Carolina. It remains to be seen what he can do over a full year, and you should feel no obligation to draft him but he is a great high risk/high reward candidate.
FACT: Sergei fits in in Carolina in at least one additional way... He hasn't played a full season since 2000-01.
I discussed Ruutu and Eaves above. What I said there holds true down here. If they can stay healthy and find themselves the right linemates (Staal or Brindy) and the rest of the team stays healthy I think they can have pretty big years. Thats a lot of ifs.
FACT: Want a reason to be nervous about Ruutu? He considered retirement in 2006 because he was unsatisfied with his own play.
The Defense:
You Want to Draft:
Joe Corvo
Corvo was almost a point a game after joining Carolina last year! That's ridiculous. Corvo will run the powerplay this year, a spot he'll receive some competition from Pitkanen for, and his numbers should be suitably impressive as a result. He'll get every chance to shine, and should have no problem putting up a 50 point season on this powerplay-centric team but there is at least one reason to be concerned...
FACT: Corvo's average Shooting Percentage is 6.4%... during his tenure with Carolina last season it was 12.4%. Expect him to come back to Earth a bit.
You Want to Watch:
Joni Pitkanen
Pitkanen has yet to live up to the promise of his 2005-06 campaign (46 points in 58 games) but there is no reason to believe that at 24 he never will. Draft him late or watch him early and see if the Carolina Reclamation Projects don't work their usual magic on him.
FACT: Pitkanen was ranked amongst the top 25 defensemen in scoring both of his first two season following the lockout. Last year was a bad year on a bad Edmonton team. He could be a late round steal or a waiver wire bust. I have faith in his talents and the Philadelphia talent scouts though.
The Powerplay:
Eric Staal
Ray Whitney
Justin Williams
Joni Pitkanen
Joe Corvo
If you weren't dead you saw time on the man advantage with this team last year. Hell I think I had two powerplay assists for them. As a result, its difficult to determine what a healthy Carolina powerplay would look like, but my speculation above should be a reasonably close approximation. Pitkanen and Corvo should be trading off time on a Brind'Amour/ Cullen/ Samsonov-centric second unit. Corvo adds a much needed dimension to this team with his ability to quarterback the powerplay. I expect slight improvements in every one's powerplay numbers this year as a result.
The Goalie(s):
Cam Ward is still the man in Carolina. His numbers were not spectacular last year (2.75, .904) or the year before that (2.93, .897) but he still had 37 and 30 wins and already has a Stanley Cup on his resume at the age of 24. He's an all right option as your second goalie and a fantastic option as your third (as you'll be able to spot start him in all those games he's going to play against Atlanta and Florida).
FACT: Ward robbed the Conn Smythe trophy from Eric Staal back in 2006 with an absolutely electric performance in the playoffs. At 24 you have to believe he'll eventually be able to recapture that magic.
The Verdict:
With three playoff caliber teams the Southeast is going to be very competitive this year. If everyone stays healthy though the Canes are the clear favorite to win the division. Draft Staal, Whitney and Corvo with confidence.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Here I Am...
ROCK YOU LIKE THE...
Carolina Hurricanes
What an interesting club this continues to be. Missing the playoffs by the finest of margins after a season that was plagued by injury and uncertainty, the Hurricanes have gone out and... well... made some decent moves.
Gone is the quick, popular, fearless and severly injury prone Eric Cole. I'll cover Cole when we get to Edmonton but this is a player that I was always happy to see someone else take in a fantasy draft. Cole is good, bordering on great, when he's healthy, which is almost never.
The only MAJOR addition, fantasy wise, this offseason was Joni Pitkanen. Pitkanen didn't have a great year, though his 26 points across 63 games is a bit deceptive. Edmonton is also a FAR less offensively minded team then this Hurricanes squad, when healthy. Pitkanen is only two seasons removed from scoring 46 points in 56 games back on 05-06. Some of that can be attributed to the Peter Forsberg factor, but a good chunk of that has to be talent. Pitkanen is only 24 and joining a squad with real promise for the first time since 05-06. I would say he is a very good candidate as a sleeper pick in most fantasy drafts.
Pitkanen's chief competition for powerplay time will be late season addition Joe Corvo. Corvo was already having a good year when he arrived in Carolina last year... then proceeded to blow the doors off the place scoring 21 points in 23 games (see why I'm excited about Pitkanen?!?). I think both are very viable fantasy options.
There are a lot of players to talk about on this team. Players that I think will be undervalued in your upcoming drafts because of injuries sustained last year or shifting line combinations, but since this is really meant to be a discussion of offseason moves I'll hold back on that for now. If you want a preview my two best candidates for huge "bounceback" years have last names that start with the letter W.
A quick note. This is a prediction that no one will remember. If it comes true I'll say I told you so though, so don't worry. I don't expect anyone to draft him but Patrick Eaves is too good not to eventually surprise us all by performing up to his pedigree. Maybe its just my Boston College pride, but Eaves has the tools and the talent to score 30 if he gets the ice time. Remember, this is a guy Ottawa auditioned on its first line for a while and drafted in the first round back in '03. He's only 24 so give him time. I really do think the kid is going to be good, and this year he should get the ice time and the line mates to prove it.
Carolina Hurricanes
What an interesting club this continues to be. Missing the playoffs by the finest of margins after a season that was plagued by injury and uncertainty, the Hurricanes have gone out and... well... made some decent moves.
Gone is the quick, popular, fearless and severly injury prone Eric Cole. I'll cover Cole when we get to Edmonton but this is a player that I was always happy to see someone else take in a fantasy draft. Cole is good, bordering on great, when he's healthy, which is almost never.
The only MAJOR addition, fantasy wise, this offseason was Joni Pitkanen. Pitkanen didn't have a great year, though his 26 points across 63 games is a bit deceptive. Edmonton is also a FAR less offensively minded team then this Hurricanes squad, when healthy. Pitkanen is only two seasons removed from scoring 46 points in 56 games back on 05-06. Some of that can be attributed to the Peter Forsberg factor, but a good chunk of that has to be talent. Pitkanen is only 24 and joining a squad with real promise for the first time since 05-06. I would say he is a very good candidate as a sleeper pick in most fantasy drafts.
Pitkanen's chief competition for powerplay time will be late season addition Joe Corvo. Corvo was already having a good year when he arrived in Carolina last year... then proceeded to blow the doors off the place scoring 21 points in 23 games (see why I'm excited about Pitkanen?!?). I think both are very viable fantasy options.
There are a lot of players to talk about on this team. Players that I think will be undervalued in your upcoming drafts because of injuries sustained last year or shifting line combinations, but since this is really meant to be a discussion of offseason moves I'll hold back on that for now. If you want a preview my two best candidates for huge "bounceback" years have last names that start with the letter W.
A quick note. This is a prediction that no one will remember. If it comes true I'll say I told you so though, so don't worry. I don't expect anyone to draft him but Patrick Eaves is too good not to eventually surprise us all by performing up to his pedigree. Maybe its just my Boston College pride, but Eaves has the tools and the talent to score 30 if he gets the ice time. Remember, this is a guy Ottawa auditioned on its first line for a while and drafted in the first round back in '03. He's only 24 so give him time. I really do think the kid is going to be good, and this year he should get the ice time and the line mates to prove it.
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