Lehtonen Busy on Thursday

Don't know if any of you noticed this on the CBS live scoring, but check out how many saves Kari Lehtonen made on Thursday night.

Too bad CBS corrected the error and Lehtonen ended up getting tagged with the loss. Lehtonen has been solid for fantasy teams this season with a 2.49 GAA and .919 SV% this season, but he has tailed off recently in allowing at least three goals in each of his last four games.

Bryzgalov Back, Stamkos Out

Because Ilya Bryzgalov happened to sign in Edmonton, you may have seen this clip dragged from the archives about his thoughts on the snow and cold there by now.

But it's a coincidence that on the same weekend that I took my son to the space centre, Ilya Bryzgalov has finally found a team, since I think this clip is actually his greatest hit and thanks to 24/7, what put him on the map as the league's flakiest goalie.

The past two seasons, however, Flyers fans and Bryzgalov owners haven't had anything to laugh about, as Bryzgalov failed to meet the pressure cooker expectations of his nine-year, $51 million contract. Speaking of contracts, those in a salary cap or auction format would have probably issued contracts relative to the one that the Flyers issued. For example, one league member paid $10 million on a four-year contract for Bryzgalov's services back in 2010 (which I am assuming was bought out - I couldn't find the information on that, though). When news of his Edmonton signing broke, I bid (and won) Bryzgalov for $750,000 on a one-year contract. There's a major difference in expectations between paying $10 million for something and paying $750,000 for something.

With that in mind, fantasy owners should take a flyer on Bryzgalov because there is not much to lose by doing so. At worst, he will be a timeshare option for the Oilers alongside the struggling Devan Dubnyk (3.92 GAA, .876 SV%). I am not naïve enough to suggest that Bryzgalov will save the Oilers' season. In fact, he could struggle even more than he did in Philly, given the Oilers' "junior hockey style of play" (according to Lars Eller). But also remember that he is not far off from some successful years in Phoenix; in fact, he averaged a 2.40 GAA and a .920 SV% in his last two seasons there. In other words, when making fantasy hockey roster decisions, look at the entire picture, not just what happened recently.

Switching gears, Steven Stamkos' broken leg on Monday will be a devastating blow for Lightning fans, his fantasy owners, and even possibly Team Canada. Can a broken tibia heal in three months, which is when the Olympics will start? If you take the word of Tampa Bay Rays orthopedist Koco Eaton, Stamkos won't be ready for the Olympics and could even be out for the season.

Rays team orthopedist Koco Eaton says, generally, rehab from surgery to repair a broken tibia can be as long as 6 to 9 months.
— Damian Cristodero (@LightningTimes) November 11, 2013

With that in mind, I'm going to provide my two cents' worth. In Grade 9 (ninth grade to my American readers), I fractured the exact same bone as Stamkos (on the same leg too!) in gym class playing soccer (a sport that I never played much nor was ever particularly good at). I had surgery that day, was in a cast for nearly two months, and was advised not to participate in gym class for three months (yay, got to miss square dancing!) Unless Stamkos' fractured tibia is worse than mine (or unless this uberfit NHLer is a slower healer than a skinny teenager), then in my estimation he would be back on skates within three months, given the medical technologies that an NHL team would possess in order to fast track their star player back into the lineup. Of course, I'm no doctor and my name is not Will Carroll, but I hope my experience will give us an idea on what Stamkos will face. For the NHL's sake, let's hope he is back on the ice soon.

In the meantime, his owners will have to make do somehow. The bad news is that there is no one on the waiver wire that will replicate Stamkos' production. The good news is that the center position is the deepest in all of fantasy hockey, so there's a good chance there's at least a player or two on your waiver wire that are fantasy roster ready. One such center who should benefit from Stamkos' absence is Valtteri Filppula, who is owned in less than half of Yahoo leagues (but owned in about two-thirds of CBS leagues). With 23 minutes of icetime in Monday's game against Boston, Filppula has already proven that he stands to receive the top-line minutes with Martin St. Louis. With 12 points in 17 games, Filppula should already be owned in most leagues, but you'll want to grab him right away if he isn't owned in yours.

Players I Have Added...

... at least since the last Players I Have Added article... in no particular order...

Mike Cammalleri, C, CGY
Being sidelined for the first few weeks of the NHL season meant that Cammalleri was left for dead in many leagues. However, he has returned with a vengeance, scoring four goals and three assists in the seven games since his return. The Flames have fallen back to earth after a scorching start, but remember that there is even fantasy value on the rebuilding teams. Cammalleri will continue to average at least 20 minutes of icetime, given the Flames' lack of NHL scoring options.

Carter Hutton, G, NSH
The Preds seem committed to Hutton as long as Pekka Rinne is sidelined, as Hutton has reeled off five consecutive starts. His numbers seem respectable (3-1-1-, 2.76 GAA, .914 SV%), so you could certainly do a lot worse if looking for a goalie from the waiver wire. Like as in, say, Cam Ward's replacement Justin Peters (0-5-0, 3.49 GAA, .890 SV%), a goalie I have avoided. For the record, Hutton's "backup" Magnus Hellberg has yet to make a start this season.

Jason Pominville, RW, MIN
I couldn't believe my luck when I saw Pominville, the NHL's First Star for the past week, there for the taking on my league's waiver wire. Six goals and eight points in his past four games made Pominville look very Ovechkin-like, whereas his current stat line makes him very Cy Young-like (see my tweet below from a few days ago - his record is now at 10-2).

Jason Pominville is an early Cy Young candidate (9-1).
— Ian Gooding (@Ian_Gooding) November 2, 2013

Robin Lehner, G, OTT
Lehner is only a short-term add as long as Craig Anderson is sidelined with a sore neck. He is confirmed to start Tuesday against Columbus (Goalie Post), so it only made sense that I handcuff him to Anderson. The good news for Anderson owners is that the injury doesn't seem to be as bad as it looked (watch below).

Dennis Wideman, D, CGY
True, the Flames don't have a ton of offense, so perhaps it makes sense that Wideman is third in team scoring with 10 points in 14 games. Plus how about this stat: Wideman is second in the NHL to only Ryan Suter with just over 28 minutes of icetime per game. These were the kind of minutes that Jay Bouwmeester was receiving before he was traded to St. Louis.

J.S. Giguere, G, COL
There are more important things in life than hockey, and for that matter, fantasy hockey. So would it not make sense for the Avalanche to let Semyon Varlamov take some time off and deal with his recent legal matter? If nothing else, the play of Giguere would allow the Avs to be in good hands while Patrick Roy's star pupil is away from the team. When he has been given the opportunity, Jiggy has found his old Mighty Ducks of Anaheim playoff form, posting an incredible 4-0-0 record with a 0.75 GAA and .977 SV%. Get him in whenever he plays and while the Avs are this hot.

Mika Zibanejad, C, OTT
We're starting to get into deep league pickup territory here. Zibanejad, the sixth pick overall in 2011 and one of the most difficult names to spell in the NHL, has points in four of six games since his callup from the AHL. Icetime may be an issue (14 minutes per game) playing behind centers Jason Spezza and Kyle Turris, but he's worth a flyer in anything bigger than a standard-sized league.

Tommy Wingels, C/RW, SJ
He has a name that sounds like an irritating cartoon character, but Wingels has been your friend if you're one of the few that has added him. A depth forward in San Jose with just under 15 minutes of icetime per game, Wingels already has ten points and a +8 this season, including points in each of his last three games. Wingels falls into the "don't expect this to last, but use him while he's hot" category.

Chris Higgins, LW, VAN
Injuries to numerous Canucks forwards have forced Higgins to a permanent role on the Canucks' top 6. With that, Higgins has averaged nearly 20 minutes of icetime with a very respectable five goals and three assists. Higgins is a marginal fantasy performer at best, but he makes a decent injury replacement for someone like Jeff Skinner or Teemu Selanne.

Have there been any other players that you have added that have helped you to early-season glory? Are there any players that I should have added to my team? Let us know below.

Quick Fantasy Take: Vanek for Moulson

An interesting stat pulled up by John Shannon of Sportsnet regarding the Matt Moulson/Thomas Vanek trade.

By the way, since joining the NYI in 2009, Moulson has 118 reg season goals...over that same time in Buffalo, Vanek has 110 Goals.
— John Shannon (@JSportsnet) October 28, 2013

I've read a number of different perspectives on the above trade, although I'll stick to evaluating it from a fantasy perspective. My initial reaction was that the trade will increase Vanek's value but will decrease Moulson's value, simply because one player will be playing alongside John Tavares and the other player won't be anymore.

That being said, it's possible that these locations won't be the final landing spots for both players this season. It's well-known that Vanek is on the final year of his contract, so he may wait for the offseason to have his pick of teams if the Islanders don't suit him. If he stays long-term on the Island/Brooklyn, this trade could be what catapults Vanek back up to the 40-goal mark.

Meanwhile, you might not need to feel sorry for Moulson for too long for being traded to Buffalo. He could become a very tempting trade piece for the obviously rebuilding Sabres as Darcy Regier attempts to save his job by stockpiling draft picks for the future. Moulson will demonstrate if he truly was a fluke if he can't find a way to reach 30 goals with Cody Hodgson or Tyler Ennis feeding him passes instead of Tavares, who is now a top-5 fantasy center.

Overall, I might suggest to attempt to trade Moulson while attempting to trade for Vanek.

My Fantasy Team Is More Injured Than Your Fantasy Team

Have a look below, in particular the number of players listed as injured.

 

... and now Cam Ward will be out 3 - 4 weeks with an upper-body injury. Great. Throw my arms up in the air. When will this end? Count 'em up, that's now eight injured players on my roster (although Kris Letang is expected to come off IR tomorrow and make his season debut.

 

Speaking of Ward, part of my strategy to hedge from injuries was to pick up the backups for Ward and Kari Lehtonen. I was forced to use Dan Ellis for about a week and a half while Lehtonen was injured, but at least I had a goalie at the ready. What do you do if the starter AND the backup (Anton Khudobin) are injured? Add third and fourth-stringers Justin Peters and Mike Murphy? Hey, those two are available. So are Carter Hutton and Magnus Hellberg in Nashville, now that Pekka Rinne is out a few weeks.

 

The craziest part? This team is not only 3-0 in head-to-head competition this season, but it is also winning this week. (The non-goalie starters for this team are showing below. To get the team all in one picture meant that the picture would be small and blurry. Maybe I need to take a Photoshop class or something.)

 

I am a little fortunate, though. My opponent this week has his own injury woes, as he has lost the services of Rinne and Loui Eriksson for the rest of the week and perhaps awhile longer.  

Players I Have Dropped Since the Start of the Season (Or At Least Am Thinking About Dropping)

Similar to the list of players that I have added since the start of the season, this is by no means a comprehensive list of droppable players. Who to drop depends on a host of factors, including the depth of your league and other players available. At the very least, here are a few players who have stumbled out of the gate, clearly not meeting expectations in some way, shape, or form.

Tim Thomas, G, FLA
I had added Timmy in the late rounds of one of my drafts, thinking there was a chance that he could recreate his 2011 magic. However, the Panthers are not even ten games into the season and already Thomas has been injured twice. It's not as if Thomas' numbers have been great anyway (2-3, 3.36 GAA, .901 SV%). Granted, it was just two short seasons ago that Thomas had one of the finest seasons that a goaltender can have, and there was no way that the Bruins would have won the Stanley Cup that season without him. However, taking a year off is not advisable for a 39-year-old goalie, and now we are seeing why. Moving from Boston to Florida isn't helping the cause either.

Tyson Barrie, D, COL
I haven't dropped Barrie, based on the league format that I employ him in. However, his league ownership in many leagues has to be sinking like a stone based on how Patrick Roy is using him (in other words, not using him). Barrie, a trendy blueline sleeper pick, has not seen action for the past five games dating back to October 10. As long as the surprising 8-1-0 Avs keep winning, Roy won't see any need to change his lineup, which means that relative unknowns Andre Benoit and Nate Guenin will continue to suit up instead of Barrie. I mean, how long can the Avs continue to dominate with Jan Hejda as the kingpin of their blueline?

Matt Read, RW, PHI
We go from a team on the top of the world to a team that has seen nothing go right this season. On a team that often draws attention to itself because of underachieving personnel, Read has quietly provided modest fantasy totals that can help you fill out your lineup. However, Read has yet to hit the scoresheet and is a -6 in eight games this season. Things have to improve; after all, Read is still averaging nearly 20 minutes of icetime per game. But playing on the Flyers' top 6 isn't holding the same value that it used to, given the Flyers' lack of scoring depth this season. By the way, over those eight games, the now Craig Berube-led Flyers have scored just 11 goals - that's right, ELEVEN goals - this season. That is tied for dead last in the NHL with the now Alain Vigneault-led Rangers.

Mikhail Grigorenko, C, BUF
The Sabres don't have a whole lot to laugh about themselves this season, having scored just one more goal than each of the Flyers and Rangers. In fact, the Sabres appear to be a serious contender for the first overall pick in the 2014 entry draft. So when you're a fourth-line player averaging ten minutes of icetime per game on a team headed nowhere, your fantasy prospects might appear dim. In the Experts League, I haven't dropped the pointless Grigorenko... yet. But come March when the Sabres trade Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller and start playing for pride and jobs next season, don't be surprised to see the Sabres hand Grigorenko a little more icetime to see what they have.

Are there any players that you are ecstatic about kicking to the curb? Did I miss anyone obvious? Let us know in the comments below.

Players I Have Added Since the Start of the Season

Time can sure pass quickly in an NHL season. Since I last added something to this blog, some teams have already played ten games. What this means is that you can determine with some degree of certainty where your fantasy hockey team stands. In fact, you probably already have, assuming that you have made a trip to the waiver wire at least once, as most astute fantasy hockey leaguers have.

Perhaps the easiest way for me to write a fantasy hockey article is to write about what is happening on my own teams - in other words, what I have noticed with my own eyes. So this list of players that I have added is by no means a comprehensive list of players that were not on draft cheatsheets and have since been universally added in fantasy leagues everywhere.

Tomas Hertl, C, SJ
Yes, Hertl of the four-goal game. Yes, Hertl of the sick goal that everyone was talking about and some thought "broke the code." After that hat trick plus one, fantasy owners nearly crashed their league IT systems as they scrambled to add Hertl, assuming that another four-goal performance would soon follow. But the important thing here is, what has Hertl accomplished since that breakout performance? How about a more modest goal and two assists in six games. That's still enough for Hertl to be tied for the league lead in goals (7) with four other players. In spite of the return to reality, Hertl is still worth rostering in all formats.

Kevin Bieksa, D, VAN
I'm not just saying this as a Canucks fan, but I'm surprised that Bieksa is not owned in more fantasy leagues. His offense (four assists in ten games) hasn't been that great, but he picked up three of those helpers in an impressive game on Saturday against Pittsburgh. But he has a solid +7, and may lead your fantasy team in hits (22). In addition, the John Tortorella mandate to block every shot directed at a Canucks goalie will also help Bieksa in that department. But as a Canucks fan, I also worry that all these blocked shots will lead to more injuries to the Canucks' more physical players such as Bieksa and Ryan Kesler.

Lars Eller, C, MON
The man burdened with the pressure of being the player in return for Jaroslav Halak is finally starting to come through. Eller currently leads the Habs with five goals and is second on the team with eight points with a +5. With injuries to Daniel Briere and Max Pacioretty, expect Eller to continue to receive top-6 minutes. He has found great chemistry with Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk on what looks like the Habs' top line of the future.

Teemu Selanne, RW, ANA
I have to love Yahoo this season. They have finally allowed fantasy owners to deal with the dreaded "day-to-day" roster designations from teams. If a player was not placed on IR by his team, a fantasy owner could not move the player to IR and had to keep a valuable roster spot open for that player - dead weight in daily leagues in particular. But thanks to the IR+ designation, I'm able to replace the concussed Lubomir Visnovsky and concussed (I think) Dan Boyle with healthy bodies - one of which is Selanne. Yeah, I knew I'd eventually get to the ageless wonder here. He is proving for fantasy owners that he still has something in the tank, scoring goals in three consecutive games for the scorching-hot-out-of-the-gate Ducks.

Jason Demers, D, SJ
Speaking of injuries to the defense, can you believe that I have Boyle, Visnovsky, and Kris Letang all on one team? And that that very same team is also 3-0 in head-to-head play? Yes, said team is becoming extremely thin on defense, so I was forced to add whatever defenseman I could on Sunday, the day that we are allowed to bid on players. I lost out on Letang injury beneficiary Matt Niskanen, who has already recorded six points and a +9 in the nine games Letang has been out. But I was able to add Demers, who has five assists and a +5 in nine games of his own. In a similar spot to Niskanen, Demers is currently receiving first-unit power-play time with Boyle sidelined. But once the first-string power-play QB returns for both Pittsburgh and San Jose, expect the values of both Niskanen and Demers to drop.

Mike Ribeiro, C, PHX
Ribeiro is a perfect example of why you should not be too impatient with a player, particularly in the early going. After being held off the scoresheet in his first three games, Ribs is currently running a six-game point streak, with his last game being a two-goal effort on Saturday against the Wings. Every so often one of these kinds of players is dropped in a league, and you have to be the first one to pounce on the opportunity.

Have there been any other players that you have added that have helped you to early-season glory? Are there any players that I should have added to my team (even though I must say that I'm faring extremely well in my leagues right now, unlike my fantasy football teams)? Let me know below.

Some More Yahoo Rankings

I finally found a bit of time to go onto the Yahoo site last night to set some pre-draft rankings. In my last post, I was looking strictly at players way down the list that could provide much higher payoffs than their rankings would project. This time, I'm going to focus on the early-round picks: both players that should be ranked higher or lower. After all, remember the year when Yahoo ranked Bobby Ryan #9? I mean, Ryan is a good player and all, but he has never done anything to justify that ranking. (In case you're wondering, Yahoo has the new Senator ranked at #41 this season, a ranking that I believe is fair.)

Raise them up

Claude Giroux, C/RW, PHI (16): If Giroux is able to return from his freak hand injury as early as Tuesday (still the preseason), shouldn't you bump him up a little? If he starts the season on time, the point-per-game scorer is easily worth a top 10 pick. (Philly.com)

Corey Perry, RW, ANA (23): Perry was a top-10 pick and 50-goal scorer not so long ago. Although I'm not saying he will reach those number again this season, he should be counted on for at least 30 goals and 100 penalty minutes again. That should at least move him up a little.

Erik Karlsson, D, OTT (32): If P.K. Subban is ranked #17, shouldn't Karlsson be ranked higher? I'm not necessarily saying Subban should be ranked lower. The last two Norris Trophy winners, who you can count on for near point-per-game numbers, should be ranked a little closer together. Like Giroux, an injury pushes Karlsson down the rankings. For the same reason, perhaps Kris Letang (35) could be ranked higher too.

Roberto Luongo, G, VAN (50): All you 7uongo fans will laugh at me, I'm sure. But Luongo's regular season numbers are always better than his playoff numbers. In addition, he won't be challenged for starts by anyone this season. I'd certainly rank him higher than Braden Holtby or Marc-Andre Fleury, which Yahoo has not done.

Logan Couture, C/LW, SJ (81): Couture is the future franchise player for the Sharks. Scoring 21 goals in 48 games is a notable accomplishment. Left wing is the thinnest of the forward positions, so he is valuable if he holds onto that eligibility.

Lower them down

Craig Anderson, G, OTT (21): I loved picking Anderson when he was ranked something like 140. On that note, picking him at that spot helped me win the Experts League last season. But I get the feeling that he will only disappoint if you draft him this high. Like he does every year, he will probably face a million shots, and you'll have to hope that only a few of them go in.

Sergei Bobrovsky, G, CBJ (24): Remember that it wasn't so long ago that it was wrong to go near any Columbus goalie in fantasy? I guess I'm not quite as big a fan of Bobrovsky as Jay Onrait. He will probably get drafted this high anyway, since the goalie run in most drafts starts fairly early.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C, EDM (63): The latest news on the Nuge is the seven-year contract that he signed with the Oils. However, don't forget that he is expected to miss the first month of the season following offseason shoulder surgery.

Derek Stepan, C, NYR (72): I usually lower contract holdout players for the same reason that I lower injured players. Although Stepan was a near point-per-game scorer last season (44 points), Darren Dreger doesn't seem to think that the contract will be ready in time for the season opener.

Did I miss any players? Do you agree/disagree with my choices? Feel free to comment below.

Mining the Yahoo Rankings

Compared to previous years, I believe Yahoo has done a much better job this season with its rankings. I can remember entering some drafts with a list of players that I felt were severely undervalued, as injuries and unusually poor seasons had pushed players down too far. Even last year, I targeted Pavel Datsyuk and Marian Gaborik because I felt that the Yahoo rankers had not done them justice as proven NHL scorers. We can probably credit Yahoo's new association with Rotoworld in not just hockey, but also football, in its improvement in tracking the true values of players at each position. Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments below.

That being said, there are a few players a little too low in Yahoo's rankings which could be players to target in the later rounds of your draft. After all, remember that it's not the early-round picks that win or lose fantasy seasons. (Hey! Look at me! I'm a genius! I knew to select Sidney Crosby first overall!) In one of my earlier blog entries, I mentioned Jarome Iginla (123) and Vincent Lecavalier (124) as players who had probably never experienced rankings this low and could probably be nudged a little higher. So I plan to start at 150 and work my way down. Remember, the further down the rankings the player, the greater the hidden gem that could benefit your team.

Cody Hodgson, C/RW, BUF (171): It pains me to say this as a Canucks fan, but Cody could be in line for a breakout season if the Sabres don't go into fire sale mode. Hodgson will probably center the Sabres' top line alongside sniper Thomas Vanek; that is, if the Sabres don't trade Vanek.

Jaromir Jagr, RW, NJ (193): I might be reaching with the over-40 future Hall of Famers (see Selanne below), but Jagr scored a very respectable 35 points in 45 games last season. He's sure to receive top-6 minutes in scoring-starved New Jersey this season.

Teemu Selanne, RW, ANA (204): If fantasy hockey rankings were equivalent to a player's popularity, Selanne's ranking would be off the charts. As it stands, Selanne has scored at least 25 goals in each of his last four full seasons (not counting last season). There's probably something left, considering where you'll get him.

Alex Burrows, LW/RW, VAN (242): Burrows was on and off the Sedin line last season, and he may start the season on Ryan Kesler's wing and not with the Sedins. Like Selanne, however, he had scored at least 25 goals in each of his last four full seasons (not counting last season). If new coach John Tortorella moves Burr back to the top line, his value will be much higher than it is now.

Shane Doan, LW/RW (244) and Radim Vrbata, RW, PHX (247): Are the Coyotes that hard up for scoring that their two top scorers from last season are ranked this low? Bringing in a playmaker like Mike Ribeiro could especially help a sniper like Vrbata, who recorded 28 points in an injury-shortened 34 games last season and scored 35 goals the year before.

Ray Emery, G, PHI (252): Somebody has to be the starter in the goalie graveyard that is Philly. A 1.94 GAA and .922 SV% in backup duty for the Blackhawks last season is difficult to overlook. Do you really have faith in Steve Mason?

Nathan McKinnon, C, COL (253): Don't expect him to light the world on fire this season. But if you're a keeper leaguer, now you know where to find him.

Ray Whitney, LW, DAL (271): Another member of the Father Time club, Whitney was practically a point-per-game scorer last season with 29 points in 32 games. The funny thing is that he continues to produce in spite of being written off year after year after year.

Filip Forsberg, C/RW, NSH (276): The Predators might have performed highway robbery in acquiring Forsberg from the Capitals at the deadline last season. You just might do the same if you make him one of your last few picks this season.

David Clarkson, RW, TOR (291): Leaf fans must be infuriated that their free agent frenzy prize is ranked this low. Even those without the Leaf-colored glasses should notice this too. In case you don't have a Leafs fan within your circle to remind you, Clarkson is a fantasy hockey power forward - a great source of goals and penalty minutes.

Bryan Bickell, LW, CHI (331): If this playoff hero is good enough to receive a four-year extension from the Stanley Cup champions, he should be good enough for a spot in mid-sized to deeper leagues. Remember that he scored nine goals and 17 points in 23 playoff games during the playoffs. The 6'4", 233 lb. Bickell has the tools to be a solid power forward in fantasy hockey.

Vinny Prospal, LW, CBJ (332): I have to laugh because one of my friends mentioned him in conversation awhile ago as a player who has been around nearly forever and has played for just about every team. What you also have is a consistent scorer who led the Blue Jackets in scoring this season (30 points in 48 games). If he's not drafted in your league, I'd be willing to bet that someone will add him off the waiver wire at some point.

Zack Kassian, RW, VAN (336): Guess what? Kassian is starting training camp on the Sedin line. Don't forget that Torts loves young players almost as much as he hates Twitter, so Kassassin could be there for awhile. Kassian had some success on that line last season before Alain Vigneault, who at times seemed like the Dusty Baker of the NHL for his aversion for playing youngsters (note what happened to the above-mentioned Hodgson), split them up for whatever reason.

Danny Briere, C/RW, PHI (337): Remember when Briere could score? It actually wasn't that long ago. He's totally hidden in this spot, considering he is back in his home province and not dealing with the pressures of trying to live up to a large contract.

Valeri Nishushkin, RW, DAL (342): As mentioned before, if this first-rounder makes the club, he could see some time on the Stars' top line alongside Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. Keep an eye on the training camp reports.

Tim Thomas, G, ??? (349): Don't laugh. It was two short years ago that he led the Bruins to the Stanley Cup in one of the best seasons that a goalie has had in recent memory. Thomas appears ready to emerge from his apocalypse bunker and play somewhere this season, perhaps Florida (where at least you won't have to worry about him embarrassing his team and not showing up at the White House for a Stanley Cup visit). Until then, he's a decent stash and save.

I'll end it at 400, although I'll probably do some more looking later. But if you can find any other interesting names, be sure to let me know.

Choosing Between Two Knights

I play in a 12-team keeper league in which the offseason can be just as busy a time as the regular season. Players can be subject to salary arbitration and free agency bidding according to very specific guidelines that only someone with a law or finance degree could have created (hello, Jack!) In addition, the league contains an entry draft in which each team is allowed one first-round pick from the players chosen in the recent draft.

Based on my fourth-place finish last season, I received the ninth overall pick. I had several available players ranked, but the two players on the top of my list both happened to play on the same junior team last season: Bo Horvat and Max Domi of the London Knights.

Given that I have bled Canucks black/yellow/red/dark blue/blue/green for about the past 30 years, this might seem like the perfect time for me to choose Horvat, the player Canucks fans have entrusted to have at least as successful a career as Cory Schneider. However, my fantasy hockey policy has always been to never choose a player just because they play for the team I pull for. (For that, I once missed out on a four-goal game from Daniel Sedin back in 2004 because he was on my bench.) So I had to compare the numbers between Horvat and Domi, who happened to be chosen three spots after Horvat by the Phoenix Coyotes.

2012-13 regular season:
Horvat: 67 GP, 33 G, 28 A, 61 PTS, 29 PIM
Domi: 64 GP, 39 G, 48 A, 87 PTS, 71 PIM

The previous season's (2011-12) stats also show Domi to be the higher scorer at 49 points to 30 points. Based strictly on the numbers, it would seem as though Domi shows the greater fantasy upside, which is why I chose him instead of Horvat at that spot.

So why would the Canucks, with such an important pick and the only return for Schneider, choose Horvat? Until recently with Henrik Sedin and a healthy Ryan Kesler, the Canucks have traditionally been weak at the center position. Once he is NHL-ready, Horvat should provide the Canucks with at least adequate scoring along with an effective two-way presence and the ability to win faceoffs. Domi is a smaller playmaker who doesn't quite have the size (5'9", 185 lbs.) that scouts drool over on draft day. The penalty minute totals suggest that he may hold a little of the mean streak of his father (Tie Domi), but Max is a very different and considerably more naturally talented player than his dad.

By the way, Horvat was selected two picks after I had picked Domi. The player selected immediately after Domi? Another Canuck pick in Hunter Shinkaruk, who is an interesting choice given that he wasn't selected until #24 in the NHL draft. Shinkaruk has racked up some amazing numbers in the WHL (91 points in 2011-12, 86 points in 2012-13). Like Domi, the size factor perhaps knocks him down a little (5'10", 181 lbs.), but from all accounts Shinkaruk impressed on the Canucks' prospects team at the recent Young Stars tournament in Penticton, BC. Don't expect Shinkaruk to make the Canucks this season, but Horvat and Domi will probably be given a long look by their respective clubs.

Bearing Down on the Fantasy Hockey Season

Well, I'm back, it's been awhile. I've been too busy with work and being a father and more work and more being a father. It's funny how I finally get caught up here on, of all weekends, Labour Day.

So what has happened since then? Not a whole lot in the hockey world, except that fantasy hockey leagues are officially opening up again. In only one short month, the puck will drop on the NHL season. I don't know if I'm as ready as I have been in previous seasons. My leaguemates will be thrilled to read that, no doubt. After all, I can remember spending much of July and August preparing the draft guide for fantasyhockey.com in hopes that it would be ready at the start of September.

I did say in my last posting that I would mention the Boston Bruins in my next posting. Since that time, I was able to stumble upon an article from SLAM! Sports about Milan Lucic reaching out to his new teammate Jarome Iginla during the recent Team Canada orientation camp. The article mentioned that Lucic and Iginla would likely be centered by David Krejci on the Bruins' top line, which got me thinking about what the Bruins' top six would likely look like.

Milan Lucic - David Krejci - Jarome Iginla
Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - Loui Eriksson

Honestly, I can't see the proposed second line differing much from the top line in terms of icetime.

Given that time does not take it easy on aging power forwards, Iginla's production would have to be considered less than point-per-game, which we caught a glimpse of last season (33 points in 44 games). In other words, let him slide at least a round or two later than you've picked him in previous seasons, even if he is now on a better team and on that team's first line. You probably will anyway, given that Yahoo has Iggy ranked at a surprisingly low 123. I mean, c'mon, nudge him up just a little. But not to the top 50. (Interesting footnote: Vincent Lecavalier is ranked right next to Iggy at 124. Remember this dandy from the 2004 finals? Bob Cole called the game, and he likes the word "dandy," although I don't think he and Harry Neale thought that the two superstars fighting was a dandy idea.)

Lucic is an interesting case. A host on the local sports talk radio station here in Vancouver called Lucic "an elite player," something that I'd have to disagree with given his output last season. I know that a lot of players were messed up by the shortened season, but seven goals in 46 games, including a 15-game goalless drought, is what you'd expect from Dustin Penner, not an elite player. Having said that, Looch was a 60-point and 100-penalty minute player the previous two seasons, and you should probably draft him that way. (By the way, click on my friend Chris Wassel's interesting article on fantasy categories that should possibly go the way of the tie game.)

Since I mentioned how Tyler Seguin's fantasy value would be affected by the move to Dallas, I should probably also write about the player coming the other way. As listed above, Eriksson figures to play on a line with two-way player extraordinaire Patrice Bergeron and little rat extraordinaire Brad Marchand, a line that will probably pile up the plus/minus by combining air-tight defensive play with solid offensive production. (Hey, there's that article again about fantasy categories that might one day fly away like the Atlanta Thrashers.) Eriksson's numbers dipped a little with the shortened season (29 points in 48 games), but remember that he was a 25-goal, 70-point guy in each of the previous three seasons.

I'm sure you won't need to wait nearly as long for my next posting.

Trading Tyler

The recent blockbuster trade that sent Tyler Seguin to the Dallas Stars should be viewed as somewhat of a surprise, considering that the former second overall pick had just completed only his third NHL season with the Boston Bruins. That being said, Seguin's alleged hard-partying ways and social media irresponsibility didn't sit well with the Bruins' disciplined off-ice system. Trading Seguin makes sense to a degree for the contending Bruins, who haven't been forced to rush Seguin to the NHL the same way the rebuilding Oilers have with their recent first overall picks. With that in mind, it's a wonder Seguin was able to score 67 points (29g-38a) in his sophomore season while averaging under 17 minutes of icetime per game.

Perhaps a slight decline in production played a role in Seguin's departure, as he would have averaged only 55 points if the NHL played a full season last season, plus an underwhelming 8 points in 22 playoff games. However, with Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci firmly entrenched as the Bruins' top two centers, Seguin's only hope of top-6 minutes would rest on a move to the right side, away from his natural center position. The good news about the move to Dallas is that Seguin is expected to move back to center, with natural winger Jamie Benn moving away from the center position. Expect new Stars' coach Lindy Ruff to match Seguin and Benn together on the Stars' top line, possibly alongside this year's first-round pick Valeri Nichushkin (provided he doesn't summon his inner Ilya Kovalchuk by staying in Russia).

Considering that Seguin never averaged more than 17 minutes of icetime per game in his three seasons with Boston, he seems ready for a huge boost in icetime with his new team. Increased minutes mean the potential for more points plus more power-play points (24 PPP over his three seasons in Boston), but his double-digit plus/minus (+57 over his last two seasons) seems unlikely for a Stars team that will probably be a bubble playoff team yet again. A total of 60 points over a full season seems like a strong bet, with the upside for a lot more if he and Benn find the right chemistry. Seguin still has significant keeper value, although for purely selfish reasons I'll be praying that Ruff experiments with him enough at the thinner RW position in order to maintain eligibility at that position (I already have an abundance of centers on my keeper team).

Would a rebound season in Dallas mean that the Bruins gave up too soon? If so, expect the Joe Thornton references to resurface, not to mention rumblings from Leafland that they in fact won the Phil Kessel trade. But can a team be rewarded by being patient with a talented yet immature player? Look no further than the results Patrick Kane and P.K. Subban last season. This trade could come back to haunt the Bruins if they fail to hoist a Stanley Cup sometime over the next few seasons.

Next, I'll look at the Seguin trade from a Boston perspective and also attempt to describe what the addition of Jarome Iginla could mean for the Bruins.

Kovy Shocker Short

Hey, I know I said I would write about Tyler Seguin in my next entry, and I will get to him shortly... later this summer (underpromise, overdeliver). But this Ilya Kovalchuk "retirement" announcement came out of nowhere, so I have to say something about it. Should it have really been that much of a surprise, given the rumblings prior to the shortened season that he wanted to stay in Russia? Like many of the hockey experts have said, expect him to sign in Russia in a matter of days for more rubles than the entire economy of Siberia (a warm hello to my readers in Russia - Google tells me I have a few).

If Kovalchuk was a pillar of your fantasy keeper team, I feel your pain. At least he'll likely be the first overall pick in KHL drafts, if you happen to participate in one of those leagues. On the bright side, he could be back in 2 or 3 years (think Jaromir Jagr), which might make him worth keeping in leagues that have plenty of reserve slots. His departure could also make some keeper decisions easier - there's always that. But who am I kidding - this sucks, especially if you used significant dollars or a high pick in your fantasy league.

As for my friends who are Devils fans, at least you have two solid starting goalies (see my previous entry). You can expect newly signed Michael Ryder and Ryane Clowe to see a ton of minutes; in fact, we shouldn't have to wait nearly as long for Clowe to score his first goal of the season. In addition, the Devils might pursue some additional scoring with all the money they save by not paying Kovalchuk, although whatever options are left will not nearly replace Kovalchuk. A great deal of the scoring load will now fall on the now 37-year-old Patrik Elias, but at least he's signed for another three years for a number that is way more cap-friendly.

Lastly, it has to sting Devils fans to lose Zach Parise, David Clarkson, and now Kovalchuk from the team that made the Stanley Cup Final just one short year ago.

A Devil of a Goaltending Situation

Even the most biased of Vancouver Canucks supporters will tell you that the New Jersey Devils clearly won the draft-day deal that saw Cory Schneider somewhat unexpectedly sent to the Devils for the ninth overall pick that the Canucks used to select Bo Horvat. After all, no one knows what kind of NHLer Horvat will be, while Schneider has established himself as a number one goalie during the abbreviated season that just ended. But looking immediately ahead, the fact that Schneider has been a starting goalie doesn't matter as much as whether he will be the starting goalie for the Devils this season.

According to Devils' GM Lou Lamoriello, Martin Brodeur is "still a number one goalie" with the "question of how much he can play" (CBS Sports). Although this statement doesn't mean that Brodeur will still be the number one goalie, it didn't exactly mean that the Devils will attempt to ease their 19-year starting goalie into retirement next season. Brodeur has accomplished everything that an NHL goalie can accomplish over his career, yet he appears intent on continuing his career as long as he can. The dropoff has already begun, as Brodeur recorded just a .901 SV% while the Devils unexpectedly missed the playoffs. However, don't expect Lamoriello to alienate the future Hall of Famer by implying that he is the backup, a mistake that Canucks management made last season with Roberto Luongo.

What this all means is that with the trade, Schneider's fantasy value could decline, at least short-term. Given the Devils' track record of stifling defense, this move should turn out very for Schneider following Brodeur's departure if the Devils stick to what they've always been known for. (Note that I use the word "departure" instead of "retirement", since Brodeur may not necessarily retire a Devil. Case in point: Daniel Alfredsson. Just thought I'd get that in.) Just how many starts each will receive remains to be seen, but we do know that Brodeur's days of 70 starts per season are done. We also know that the two goalies should split back-to-back games, since Brodeur and Johan Hedberg have done so the past few seasons. If you then split the difference, then this situation has many of the characteristics of a timeshare arrangement.

Unless further information develops over the summer and in training camp, both goalies will likely be outside of the top 10 to target on draft day. Schneider could be one to consider after the first run of goalies has come and gone, while Brodeur is probably only a mid-rounder in average-sized leagues at this point in his career. With the recent trade, Schneider's keeper value probably shouldn't change, but hopefully he won't have already celebrated his 30th birthday before he settles in as a full-time NHL goalie.

Just to provide you with a reason to check back, my next blog will be on another player that my friends and I have discussed at length on Twitter recently: Tyler Seguin.

Roberto Luongo Staying Put?

Roberto Luongo in pre-game concentration

If you're reading this, you probably don't need a refresher on the Roberto Luongo situation. Expected to finally be traded this offseason, Canucks GM Mike Gillis threw a curveball out of desperation and instead traded Cory Schneider to New Jersey. And you thought that would be the end of the goaltending problems in Van City, right? Not so fast, according to Ren Lavoie of RDS.

This being a fantasy hockey blog, I'll attempt to discuss the fantasy implications of Luongo staying in Vancouver, but those implications also hinge on the probability that he remains a Canuck for the coming season.

Let's start with the probability. Unless the Canucks can attempt a creative maneuver with another club, Luongo and his contract have already been deemed untradeable. In other words, if Lu wants his money, he'll need to report to the Canucks in September. There's always the chance that he holds out based on the principle that his hard feelings toward the club are irreparable, though, which would within an offseason transform the Canucks from a team with two starting goalies to a team with no starting goalie. It would be entertaining just to see Gillis put his usual spin on that one.

Now let's assume that he reports on time and without incident. Based on his track record, Luongo has the potential to be a top-10 - perhaps even a top-5 - fantasy goalie option. Lu would be primed to start 60+ games as he did earlier in his Canucks career, back when his only competition was the likes of Dany Sabourin, Curtis Sanford, Jason LaBarbera, and Andrew Raycroft. This coming season, his only competition would come from unproven Swedes Eddie Lack and Joacim Eriksson, as Gillis stated on the TEAM 1040 today that he doesn't plan to bring in an experienced backup.  Add to this the shot-blocking, defense-first philosophy of new coach John Tortorella, and Lu could be in for a very good season. If the Canucks are anything close to the perennial Northwest Division champions they have been the past few seasons, Luongo could very well return to form as one of fantasy hockey's top goaltending options.

But what about his state of mind? According to the Vancouver Province, Canucks owner and Luongo-whisperer-in-training Francesco Aquilini has jetted to Florida recently to mend fences with Luongo, with Gillis soon to follow. Assuming Luongo returns, what will his motivation be to play for a team that told the world for over a year that they were going to trade him? In addition, how receptive will Luongo be to playing for the temperamental Tortorella? Lu joked about wanting to stay just for the press conferences (@strombone1), but that was before the Schneider deal changed the context of everything. For what it's worth, Torts has said all the right things so far (NHL.com). We all no doubt remember the playoff meltdowns against Boston and Chicago and perhaps the regular-season finale against Edmonton - would those games be weighing in on his mind? On a night when the Canucks' defense is out to lunch, will Lu throw his arms in the air and blemish his fantasy owners with eight goals allowed in a game, past blowouts weighing heavily on his mind?

One other minor issue is the Olympics. If you are a Canadian hockey fan, which goalie would you want starting in the Olympics? Don't forget that Luongo was Canada's gold-medal winning goalie in 2010, and Canada doesn't seem to have a goalie that is a clear preference right now. Marc-Andre Fleury? Carey Price? Cam Ward? Maybe even Corey Crawford or Martin Brodeur? Lu's participation in the Olympics could be both good and bad for his fantasy value. Of course, his confidence will be at an all-time high if he is once again selected as the team's starting goalie. But an extra 2 - 3 weeks of season, the long flight to and from Russia, and the emotional letdown of having to play regular season games following pressure-packed Olympic games could mean that his play falls off during the final few weeks of the regular season - the all-important fantasy playoffs.

At least you won't have to make a decision on this today. But we definitely haven't heard the last of this story either. And don't worry, Devils' fans, my next blog post will be about how the Schneider deal affects the Devils' goaltending situation.

Welcome

It's the middle of summer, about 25 degrees Celsius outside (close to 80 for my American friends), and I'm starting a fantasy hockey blog. But I know what you're saying: it's like the season is still going, with the draft just completed and free agent frenzy just around the corner. That's why the timing of this blog actually makes perfect sense.

Why a new fantasy hockey blog? Well, this blog might not just be about fantasy hockey at times, but at the very least I can promise you that it will be about fantasy hockey. But a blog like this provides me with the flexibility to make things interesting and more personal on a number of levels.

You can follow me on Twitter (@Ian_Gooding), where I'll provide links to my articles as they are posted. I'll try to provide something on here as often as possible, although with a job and two young sons, I can't promise how often that will be.

If you've stumbled upon this and don't know who I am, I was the former content manager of fantasyhockey.com and more recently have written for Kukla's Korner. I also play in numerous fantasy hockey leagues, and surprisingly only won the one aptly known as the Experts League. I guess that means I usually sink to the level of intelligence of those around me. Just kidding, I play against solid competition in every one of my leagues.

Anyway, welcome to what I hope will be the first of many interesting posts that I hope you will enjoy. For those of you who know me, I will no doubt be providing fantasy analysis of some offseason transactions, including one involving a certain goalie being surprisingly moved from the team I have followed as a long-suffering fan for over 30 years.

- Ian