So the first few days of NHL action have brought with them some surprises (St. Louis and Toronto can score), some things that were expected (St. Louis and Toronto can't play defense) and a few disappointments (Chicago, Calgary and Anaheim... I'm looking squarely at you). So with a few games under most team's belts who looks worthy of being added and who needs to be dropped? Lets have a look.
Pickups of the Week:
Keith Tkachuk:
LW, St. Louis
Apparently Keith has a reserve tank in there somewhere because here we are at the beginning of the third season that was supposed to be the one where he finally petered out and Tkachuk has 4 goals (all of them on the powerplay) through 3 games. The St. Louis Powerplay is absolutely tearing it up right now and if Paul Kariya or Brad Boyes are still available in your leagues you should grab them as well.
David Booth:
LW, Florida
Long expected to be entering "a breakout campaign" Booth is showing early signs that this may actually be the year. He and fellow first linemates Nathan Horton and Stephen Weiss have accounted for 9 points through 2 games. Booth is the hottest of the trio with 3 goals and one assist. Booth is the only one getting the mention here as Horton is already owned in most leagues and Weiss doesn't generally take enough shots to penetrate the depth at center. All 3 are worth a look but Booth is the most interesting.
Devin Setoguchi:
RW, San Jose
Setoguchi is enjoying his time on Joe Thornton's wing. With 2 goals, 1 assist and 12 shots through 2 games he is an attractive pickup, particularly at the low-depth RW position. My only concern is his lack of powerplay time. If that changes he could be a stud.
Keep an Eye On:
Kyle Turris:
C, Phoenix
The forgotten candidate for rookie of the year preseason put in a strong "for your consideration" bid in his first weekend of NHL action. In two games Turris has a goal and 2 assists and 2 PP points. Turris is not a shooter, yet, but as his ice time and powerplay time expands he could increase in value. Keeper leaguers should grab him now, all other leagues should definitely take note.
Steve Bernier:
RW, Vancouver
Bernier IS the third wheel on the Sedin line and will accumulate points just by being on the ice with them. Bernier also has 7 PIM through 3 games. His potential for performing across many fantasy categories depends upon his continued presence on this line however. As a result I'm still preaching caution.
Don't Believe the Hype:
Sergei Kostitsyn:
LW, Montreal
It was a strange night against Toronto, with Tanguay and Kostitsyn the lesser cleaning up on the powerplay. I preach caution for now as Montreal's expected scorers have really yet to get rolling, and S. Kostitsyn only managed 1 shot on goal in Montreal other game, a 2-1 loss to Buffalo.
Filip Kuba:
D, Ottawa
I see tough times ahead for the Ottawa Senators. 2 weeks without their captain and spiritual leader Daniel Alfredsson could make times very difficult on the offense. While Kuba DOES appear to be the heir apparent to the powerplay throne, his plus/minus could more then offset any offensive gains he gets for you. Don't rush on this one.'
News and Notes:
Rick Dipietro continues to dress as the backup for the New York Islanders, however they are opting to start Joey MacDonald right now as Dipietro continues to have swelling and liquid buildup around his surgically repaired left knee. Don't worry Islander fans, if he misses the season you'll get to draft John Tavares! Its probably the best thing he could do for the organization actually
The Buffalo Sabres have had a strong start to the season, defeating Montreal 2-1 and, at the time of this writing, dominating the New York Islanders 7-1 through 2 and 3/4 minutes of play. Star players, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek are all rolling, and they are getting strong play from the supporting cast members like Ales Kotalik and Maxim Afinogenov. If you are looking for causes of concern though the injuries are already starting to pile up. Tim Connoly has officially missed his first game with a hairline fracture to one of his vertebrae and Jochen Hecht left today's game with an undisclosed "upper body injury."
Manny Legace appears to be the starting goalie for the St. Louis Blues. He has looked good so far but not great. If you need wins he may not be a bad option. That said Monday's win against the Maple Leafs was one of the most entertaining games of all time as both team's offenses were playing run and gun for the entirety of the 60 minute tilt. Be aware, there will be blowouts.
Finally, on a sad note, our condolences to the family of New York Rangers prospect Alexei Cherepanov. The 19 year old died of a heart attack while sitting on the bench in a game for his KHL squad Avangard Omsk. Cherepanov was selected 17th overall by the Rangers in the 2007 draft and had more points in his rookie season in the KHL then Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Ilya Kovalchuk.
Well that's all for now, Check back later today for more team previews (getting silly now I know) and more news, notes and rumors.
Showing posts with label Phoenix Coyotes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phoenix Coyotes. Show all posts
Monday, October 13, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
TEAM PREVIEWS: THE PHOENIX COYOTES
Introduction:
An influx of young talent and the arrival of Olli Jokinen are making Gretzky's desert dogs a popular pre-season surprise candidate. They have a talented goalie, a more talented by the day offense, and a fairly solid defense assuming that Jovanovski can have another healthy season. That said the youngsters on this team are still young, and the Coyotes aren't particularly deep at any position except possibly center.
Bryzgalov, Jokinen and Doan will provide heroics from day 1, and they will be an interesting team to watch as youngsters like Mueller and Turris announce their presence but I think Gretzky still has a few tough years ahead of him as he gets this franchise back on its feet.
Key Departures:
Keith Ballard
Nick Boynton
Radim Vrbata
The Coyotes sacrificed their depth in defensive defenseman in order to obtain a legitimate number 1 center. Ballard and Boynton was on no one's list of fantasy relevant defensemen and Ballard had yet to show the promise as an offensive defensemen that had been projected earlier in his career but their loss hurts Phoenix as a team. With fewer quality D-men, much more pressure will be on Bryzgalov to perform this year.
Gone also is the talented Radim Vrbata. The Coyotes are dry at wing and this move will hurt their depth some. Expect some shuffling of lines as a result this season.
New Faces:
Olli Jokinen
Jokinen is unfairly criticized for never leading a team to the post-season. Here there will be no such expectations placed upon him. Jokinen will also find himself with a supporting cast reminiscent of his time in Florida. A talented power forward of a right winger, a goalie better then his win total would indicate, a few talented d-men and lots of prospects. Same story, different warm weather climate for Jokinen.
The Offense:
You Want to Draft:
Olli Jokinen
Shane Doan
Jokinen had been something of a fantasy god since the lockout. Last season saw a bit of a setback for the talented center as he became a significant minus and scored only 71 points. Jokinen was the center of trade rumors for the entire season and at 29 is too young to have peaked. Expect a return to the 80 point arena, and better +/-. Expect about 70 PIM, 35 powerplay points and 350 shots from the talented and useful center.
FACT: Why do I preach patience with the prospects? Jokinen was drafted 3rd overall by the Los Angeles Kings... and was on his third team by the time he scored thirty goals. We've seen a lot of players step in and be instantly relevant in the last few years, but that still isn't the norm. Be aware of your prospects and be patient with them.
Doan saw his value skyrocket last season as he had his best fantasy season since his 66 point 123 PIM season in 2005-2006. Doan will probably one get you about half of those PIM this year, Gretzky has reigned him in, and expect a slight downgrade on his 78 point season last year as he becomes more of a supporting player with Jokinen's arrival. On the positive side his plus/minus and powerplay numbers should improve.
FACT: Shane Doan is the only player currently on the Coyotes who played with the team when they were still the Winnipeg Jets.
You Want to Keep an Eye On:
Peter Mueller
Kyle Turris
Mueller had a spectacular breakout season last year, scoring 35 of his 54 points in the second half of the year. I think its entirely possible that he sustains that pace but Jokinen's arrival is going to knock down his ice time. Further, if Turris is in fact the Calder trophy candidate many prognosticators believe him to be then Mueller will receive even less ice time as he would suddenly find himself as the third line center. I'm not knocking Mueller, I think he's very talented but unless he switches to the wing he won't see much ice at all as Phoenix is very very deep at center.
FACT: Mueller played in the NHL young stars game last season.
Turris, the third overall selection in 2007, has a lot of people excited and saying words like "Calder." I, for one, believe that is Stamkos' to lose. Turris has been successful at every level he's played at, but he still has to prove that he is NHL ready and will be fighting for playing time at the a DEEP position for the Coyotes. Watch him. Draft him late if you have to, but don't draft him like he's the next Crosby.
FACT: Turris was born on August 14, 1989... the same day the Sega Genesis was released in North America. That's right ...Turris is just as old as the Genesis.
The Defense:
You Want to Draft:
Ed Jovanovski
It has never been a question of talent with Jovo-cop, nor has it been about determination. Jovo's got the skill and the will he just doesn't have the health plan. If Jovo stays healthy he'll be something of a Phaneuf lite for you, getting a little over 50 points, scoring on the powerplay and putting up big PIM numbers... if he doesn't well... have somebody ready to replace him on that bench. Like everyone else who will play with him, Jokinen's arrival should help Jovanovski in the games that he does play. Should he go down look to Derrik Morris or Zbynek Michalek to pick up the slack. Morris has value for PIM while Jovo is healthy. Michalek has value if he finds the next level many believe him capable of.
FACT: Since 2002-03 Jovanovski has missed 109 games to injury.
The Powerplay:
Olli Jokinen
Shane Doan
Peter Mueller
Martin Hanzal
Ed Jovanovski
Instantly better as a result of Jokinen's arrival, the first unit should be far more effective this year. Hanzal's position here is somewhat suspect and could go to Turris or a younger defenseman.
The Goalie(s):
Bryzgalov ends a drought of quality goaltending in the desert. Since being acquired off of waivers last year (welcome to the salary cap NHL) Breezie has single-handedly carried the Coyotes back into relevance, even putting them in the playoff picture for a little while last season. Bryzgalov's Save Percentage should remain relatively spectacular this season. The GAA is going to be what its going to be (anywhere from 2.30 to 2.70 depending on how quickly the D adjusts to the loss of Ballard and Boynton) and Bryzgalov should get you anywhere from 28 to 34 wins. He's a good option, better then most. Save Percentage is the toughest of the predictable categories to draft.
FACT: Bryzgalov currently has the second longest shutout streak in the NHL playoffs having accomplished the feat with three consecutive shutouts in 2005-06.
The Verdict:
The Coyotes, are a couple of years, a couple of wingers, and a shutdown defenseman away from being a real cup contender, but they have made significant strides and should, at the very least, be an entertaining team to watch while they try to get there.
An influx of young talent and the arrival of Olli Jokinen are making Gretzky's desert dogs a popular pre-season surprise candidate. They have a talented goalie, a more talented by the day offense, and a fairly solid defense assuming that Jovanovski can have another healthy season. That said the youngsters on this team are still young, and the Coyotes aren't particularly deep at any position except possibly center.
Bryzgalov, Jokinen and Doan will provide heroics from day 1, and they will be an interesting team to watch as youngsters like Mueller and Turris announce their presence but I think Gretzky still has a few tough years ahead of him as he gets this franchise back on its feet.
Key Departures:
Keith Ballard
Nick Boynton
Radim Vrbata
The Coyotes sacrificed their depth in defensive defenseman in order to obtain a legitimate number 1 center. Ballard and Boynton was on no one's list of fantasy relevant defensemen and Ballard had yet to show the promise as an offensive defensemen that had been projected earlier in his career but their loss hurts Phoenix as a team. With fewer quality D-men, much more pressure will be on Bryzgalov to perform this year.
Gone also is the talented Radim Vrbata. The Coyotes are dry at wing and this move will hurt their depth some. Expect some shuffling of lines as a result this season.
New Faces:
Olli Jokinen
Jokinen is unfairly criticized for never leading a team to the post-season. Here there will be no such expectations placed upon him. Jokinen will also find himself with a supporting cast reminiscent of his time in Florida. A talented power forward of a right winger, a goalie better then his win total would indicate, a few talented d-men and lots of prospects. Same story, different warm weather climate for Jokinen.
The Offense:
You Want to Draft:
Olli Jokinen
Shane Doan
Jokinen had been something of a fantasy god since the lockout. Last season saw a bit of a setback for the talented center as he became a significant minus and scored only 71 points. Jokinen was the center of trade rumors for the entire season and at 29 is too young to have peaked. Expect a return to the 80 point arena, and better +/-. Expect about 70 PIM, 35 powerplay points and 350 shots from the talented and useful center.
FACT: Why do I preach patience with the prospects? Jokinen was drafted 3rd overall by the Los Angeles Kings... and was on his third team by the time he scored thirty goals. We've seen a lot of players step in and be instantly relevant in the last few years, but that still isn't the norm. Be aware of your prospects and be patient with them.
Doan saw his value skyrocket last season as he had his best fantasy season since his 66 point 123 PIM season in 2005-2006. Doan will probably one get you about half of those PIM this year, Gretzky has reigned him in, and expect a slight downgrade on his 78 point season last year as he becomes more of a supporting player with Jokinen's arrival. On the positive side his plus/minus and powerplay numbers should improve.
FACT: Shane Doan is the only player currently on the Coyotes who played with the team when they were still the Winnipeg Jets.
You Want to Keep an Eye On:
Peter Mueller
Kyle Turris
Mueller had a spectacular breakout season last year, scoring 35 of his 54 points in the second half of the year. I think its entirely possible that he sustains that pace but Jokinen's arrival is going to knock down his ice time. Further, if Turris is in fact the Calder trophy candidate many prognosticators believe him to be then Mueller will receive even less ice time as he would suddenly find himself as the third line center. I'm not knocking Mueller, I think he's very talented but unless he switches to the wing he won't see much ice at all as Phoenix is very very deep at center.
FACT: Mueller played in the NHL young stars game last season.
Turris, the third overall selection in 2007, has a lot of people excited and saying words like "Calder." I, for one, believe that is Stamkos' to lose. Turris has been successful at every level he's played at, but he still has to prove that he is NHL ready and will be fighting for playing time at the a DEEP position for the Coyotes. Watch him. Draft him late if you have to, but don't draft him like he's the next Crosby.
FACT: Turris was born on August 14, 1989... the same day the Sega Genesis was released in North America. That's right ...Turris is just as old as the Genesis.
The Defense:
You Want to Draft:
Ed Jovanovski
It has never been a question of talent with Jovo-cop, nor has it been about determination. Jovo's got the skill and the will he just doesn't have the health plan. If Jovo stays healthy he'll be something of a Phaneuf lite for you, getting a little over 50 points, scoring on the powerplay and putting up big PIM numbers... if he doesn't well... have somebody ready to replace him on that bench. Like everyone else who will play with him, Jokinen's arrival should help Jovanovski in the games that he does play. Should he go down look to Derrik Morris or Zbynek Michalek to pick up the slack. Morris has value for PIM while Jovo is healthy. Michalek has value if he finds the next level many believe him capable of.
FACT: Since 2002-03 Jovanovski has missed 109 games to injury.
The Powerplay:
Olli Jokinen
Shane Doan
Peter Mueller
Martin Hanzal
Ed Jovanovski
Instantly better as a result of Jokinen's arrival, the first unit should be far more effective this year. Hanzal's position here is somewhat suspect and could go to Turris or a younger defenseman.
The Goalie(s):
Bryzgalov ends a drought of quality goaltending in the desert. Since being acquired off of waivers last year (welcome to the salary cap NHL) Breezie has single-handedly carried the Coyotes back into relevance, even putting them in the playoff picture for a little while last season. Bryzgalov's Save Percentage should remain relatively spectacular this season. The GAA is going to be what its going to be (anywhere from 2.30 to 2.70 depending on how quickly the D adjusts to the loss of Ballard and Boynton) and Bryzgalov should get you anywhere from 28 to 34 wins. He's a good option, better then most. Save Percentage is the toughest of the predictable categories to draft.
FACT: Bryzgalov currently has the second longest shutout streak in the NHL playoffs having accomplished the feat with three consecutive shutouts in 2005-06.
The Verdict:
The Coyotes, are a couple of years, a couple of wingers, and a shutdown defenseman away from being a real cup contender, but they have made significant strides and should, at the very least, be an entertaining team to watch while they try to get there.
Monday, July 21, 2008
A Jokinen No More
Phoenix Coyotes
Olli Jokinen ended what was starting to look like a career-long purgatory with the Panthers organization this past summer...only to find himself traded to its Western cousin. Don't get me wrong. I think there are a lot of reasons to be excited to be a Coyotes fan right now, not the least of which is Jokinen's acquisition. This is a team that almost made the playoffs last year, a team that Ilya Bryzgalov practically transformed upon his arrival, and a team full of talented young prospects like Peter Mueller, Brett MacLean and Viktor Tikhonov. Jokinen won't hurt any of that and he should receive the benefit of playing with Shane Doan, fresh off the best season of his career.
Jokinen should improve on his 71 points from last year, rising back into the 80 to 90 point range. He should also be a bit less of a defensive liability taking him back into his 5 tool stud status (G, A, SOG, +/-, and PPP). Jokinen is a fantasy stud but you didn't need ME to tell you that.
The question really is who benefits the most from Jokinen's arrival? Tough question and one best addressed in the team previews coming in August. If I had to speculate however I would say that Jokinen's arrival (as well as the departure of Ballard and Boynton) may finally catapult Zybanek Michalek into fantasy relevance. It should also continue the career revitalizations of Shane Doan and Ed Jovonovski.
Jokinen gives this team legitimate star power for the first time in some time. Draft him very very early and with great confidence.
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