2008 Fantasy Hockey News

 

 

What the Puck? March 4, 2008

The trade deadline has come and passed and I would argue that it was not quite as monumental as many expected. Although Marian Hossa, Brad Richards, and Brian Campbell moved, Olli Jokinen, Alex Tanguay, Michael Ryder, Rob Blake, John Michael-Liles and many other “expected” trades did not occur. Nonetheless, the deadline was full of some surprises and there were definitely many winners and losers, both teams and players, on the deadline. In this edition of What the Puck? I will take a look at some of the winners and losers and the fantasy impact.
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What the Puck? February 15, 2008

With the regular season about 2 months away from finishing, it is time for fantasy hockey owners to start building their teams in preparation for the ever-important March run. The amount of parity in the NHL will benefit fantasy owners as we should not have to worry about players “taking it easy” in preparation for the playoffs as every team (except for Detroit ) is genuinely fighting for a spot or some positional advantage in the playoffs. Therefore, now is the time to start making smart moves off the waiver wire in order to bolster the depth of your squad. In this edition of What the Puck? we will look at some of the higher ranked players on the wire and what great or little benefit they could be to your squad.

 

What the Puck?

The second half/stretch run of the NHL and fantasy hockey season is now underway. As usual at this time of the season, there are many injuries that cripple fantasy owners. This season alone has seen the loss of Dany Heatley, Daniel Alfreddson and the beloved Sidney Crosby for extended periods of time. However, in the second half the season, sleepers tend to emerge into fantasy forces and it is much easier to gauge who will have a consistent impact on your squad through the months of February and March. Here are some players to take a look at that are most likely on the waiver wire in your league.

 

The NHL All Star Weekend in Review

Say what you want about the National Hockey League. Say they’re not doing enough to market the sport. Say they’re not getting the product to the right people. Say they’re not even trying to get more exposure. Rip them up and down for whatever, but you have to give them credit for what they did this past weekend. They put on a great showcase of talent at a perfect time.

 

NHL: Players on the Move

The Christmas trade freeze in the NHL has been lifted. However, with the extremely tight race, particularly in the eastern conference, one should not expect too many major trades, as teams do not want to take many big risks. That is why the biggest trade this season so far took place in the Western Conference with the Anaheim Ducks sending Andy McDonald to the Blues for Doug Weight. Here are some other players that are rumored to be on the block.

 

A Review of the New Years’ Day Classic

First of all, I want to thank the editors of Fantasy Fanatics for not sending me to Ralph Wilson Stadium to watch yesterday's tilt between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres. As much as I loved the concept and the rare attention that (OMG) multiple TV networks gave this game, sitting in the nosebleeds watching two teams I basically hate play in a snowstorm was not my idea of a good time, especially compared with putting my feet up, cracking open a beer (insert Canadian joke here) and watching the game in the 70 degree heat of my house.

 

What the Puck? Hanukkah Edition: December 30, 2008

In the spirit of the season, after a 2-week hiatus, it would be nice for this edition of 'What the Puck?' to reflect on this NHL season in true holiday form. With all the Christmas editions all over the internet, fantasy hockey has yet to have a “Hanukkah” special, so here are 8 presents from this NHL season and some gifts-to-be for the rest of the season or your keeper leagues.

 

Buy Low Christmas Specials

Similar to frenzied Christmas shoppers, fantasy hockey owners are dying to find bargains, either via trade, or if really lucky, the waiver wire. In either case, the fantasy manager is taking a leap of faith that the player in question will somehow overcome his horrific start and make their original owner pay for their lack of faith and patience.

 

Forward Thinking

After months of wondering whether Scott Niedermayer would return, the future first ballot hall of famer announced his return to the Ducks this week. The Ducks defence which already includes Mathieu Schneider, Chris Pronger, and Francois Beauchemin just got really scary with the return of their stud defenceman. The buzz around the league is that Teemu Selanne could be returning in the new year which certainly makes the Ducks a contender once again. On a personal note, congratulations go out to my favourite player Wade Belak for scoring his first goal in 143 games. Wade is one of the great guys in the NHL, and it was good to see him finally put one in. This week in the NHL is jam packed with all but the Rangers playing at least three games this week. The contenders, the pretenders and a whole lot more as we break down another exciting week in the NHL!

 

What the Puck? Week 10

We are well into the NHL season and it is time to take a look at some of those predicted sleepers from the preseason. While some of them have fulfilled expectations, others have done absolutely nothing. We will start with the sleepers that have not yet reached expectations and whether or not they ever will this season.

 

The Fantasy Hockey Update

Hello hockey fans. Thanksgiving has come and we are well on our way through this NHL season. For rotisserie league participants, you can not afford to be be as patient with players anymore as you could risk falling far too behind. In terms of head to head leagues, I am always more of a fan of using the first half to build a solid team in order to dominate the playoffs. Therefore, it is time for roto owners to start selling underperformers and go with who is hot and it is time for H2H players to continue to compile buy-low players. Nonetheless, it is necessary to begin this week’s fantasy hockey forecast by labeling some players that are in the process of breaking out and need to be picked up immediately.

 

Between the Pipes

Fantasy hockey season is in full swing and you probably have a ton of questions about what goaltenders to go after. With that in mind, here is a look at the best of best when it comes to goaltending in fantasy hockey.

 

Forward Thinking

The NHL sure saw its share of turkeys this week. We saw another vicious stick incident when Scott Parker gave Dion Phaneuf a cross check to the face, and rumours are rampant in the Leaf Nation, as coach Paul Maurice could see the same fate as Glen Hanlon did in Washington. This weeks schedule is significantly lighter than last week as only 5 teams 4 games this week. We highlight the teams and the players to watch as we breakdown another exciting week in the NHL!

 

What the Puck? Thanksgiving Edition

Teaser: We are well into the NHL season and many fantasy owners use Thanksgiving time to measure players. If someone has not broken out of their slump by Thanksgiving, there could be some serious issues. Even Glen Murray has broken out a bit by now. Nonetheless, with this week’s What the Puck?, I think it would be appropriate to designate some players that we can all be thankful for this season.

 

It’s all about Offense in Fantasy Hockey

You can’t ignore who’s hot at the beginning of the fantasy hockey season. From Mike Modano to Marco Sturm, here's a look at some of the players on offense who have been getting the job done this season.

 

What the Puck? Week 7

We are well into the NHL season now and it is the appropriate time to look at some Rookies that are here to stay in the NHL. While some of these players can become viable fantasy options as the season progresses, others are not quite ready to make the impact necessary for a fantasy squad. Nonetheless there always fantasy owners that drool over the “potential” of rookies. However, when measuring potential, experts take into account the fact that the reaching of potential takes place over many years, and in a fantasy league, you only have time for one. Nontheless, here is some “What the Puck” analysis of some of the hot rookies in the NHL.

 

A Buy Low, Sell High Guide to Goalies

With October now in the books, it's time to review the most heavily debated position in fantasy hockey - the goalies. With poolies investing so hard in proven stars like New Jersey G Martin Brodeur, Vancouver G Roberto Luongo and Calgary G Mikka Kiprusoff, looking at the stats right now might cause some people some sleepless nights. Here's a glance at some of October's unsung heroes behind the mask.

 

The NHL Block

With many players underperforming this year, the rumor mill is abuzz as teams have specific holes to fill that could propel them to excellence. In terms of fantasy pools, a trade could bring your back to life, or bring an over achiever back down to ice level. Searching the web, you can find rumors about every team and many star players. Starting this week, I am going to attempt to educate fantasy owners about these rumors and the fantasy impact they could have.

 

What the Puck? Week 6

As we go through week 6 of the NHL season, all of our favorite teams are beginning to cope with injuries. Anything from minor injuries such as tweaked knees all the way to concussions are usually looked at as disasters for fantasy owners. However, a lot of these injuries give young players the opportunities to explode on to the fantasy hockey season. Here are some players who are bound to produce for your fantasy team as they receive more playing time.

 

A Grain Of Salt

Goalies have a huge underrated value in fantasy hockey and are underrated on this site as well. The reason...you just don't see fantasy hockey owners snagging goalies in early rounds with the exception of the top 5 or so.

 

Fantasy hockey owners want to see their players score goals and rack up points in the traditional manner. Therefore, goalies take a backseat in the draft and are undervalued.

 

Go with a first round stud like Luongo then pick up a left wing. The left wing spot has it's stars, but isn't nearly as stacked throughout the league like right wingers or centers.

 

The flip side...so long as your league doesn't penalize or even disallow your goalies' points due to not meeting the minimum amount of starts mandated by the league, you should be able to pick up a goalie in later rounds who will give you points in the wins category. Also, goalies tend to be streaky and free agency should allow you to make moves throughout the season to fill the gap of not having Martin Brodeur or Roberto Luongo.

 

FIY...I'm not a Hasek fan, but he's a bit of sleeper this year. He's healthy and playing with the Wings who just seem to win a bunch of games every single season.

 

Off Season

 

2008 NHL Draft

 

1. Chicago Patrick Kane

2. Philadelphia James vanRiemsdyk

3. Phoenix Kyle Turris

4. Los Angeles Thomas Hickey

5. Washington Karl Alzner

6. Edmonton Sam Gagner

7. Columbus Jakub Voracek

8. Boston Zach Hamill

9. San Jose (from STL) Logan Couture

10. Florida Keaton Ellerby

11. Carolina Brandon Sutter

12. Montreal Ryan McDonagh

13. St. Louis (from SJ) Lars Eller

14. Colorado Kevin Shattenkirk

15. Edmonton (from NYI) Alex Plante

16. Minnesota (from ANA) Colton Gillies

17. New York Rangers Alexei Cherepanov

18. St. Louis (from CGY) Ian Cole

19. Anaheim (from MIN) Logan MacMillan

20. Pittsburgh Angelo Esposito

21. Edmonton (from PHO) Riley Nash

22. Montreal (from San Jose) Max Pacioretty

23. Nashville (from PHI) Jonathon Blum

24. Calgary (from STL) Mikael Backlund

25. Vancouver Patrick White

26. St. Louis (from NJ/SJ) David Perron

27. Detroit Brendan Smith

28. San Jose (from WAS) Nicholas Petrecki

29. Ottawa James O'Brien

30. Phoenix (from EDM) Nick Ross

 

2008 NHL Mock Draft

 

 

 

1) Chicago Blackhawks- Patrick Kane-RW A smaller winger whos known for his great hands but there are questions about his 5-9 160 lbs. frame but in the new NHL this raises far less of a question than ever before. Leading the OHL in points with 145 helps too. Kane is an offensive stud who has the ability to make opposing players look silly. If he carries over his obvious skill he could become one of the greatest of all-time.

 

2) Philadelphia Flyers- Kyle Turris- C Kyle Turris is a groundbreaking player, deciding to play for the Burnaby Express of the BCHL (British Columbia Hockey League) rather than play Canadian Junior, Turris has had his playmaking ability compared to Joe Sakic one of the all time greats. There were rumours that if the Flyers had won the #1 pick they would take Turris but with the #2 they're surely to take him.

 

3) Phoenix Coyotes- James VanRiemsdyk- LW VanRiemsdyk has great size as a 6-3 190 lbs. winger who led his USA U-18 team in points this season with 63 but to go along with his size he also has fantastic speed and a killer offensive ability. If he really uses his size to his advantage he could become another great power forward.

 

4) Los Angeles Kings- Alexei Cherepanov- RW Cherepanov may have had the chance to go first overall if it wasnt for the fact the NHL and Russia have no agreement for sending players over but Cherepanov still has the skill to be a great NHL player and showed that in the WJC where he scored 8 points in 6 games. Cherepanov also scored 29 points in 47 Russian Super League games which is more than Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, and Malkin all had as a freshman, his 18 goals were also more than Pavel Bure had as a rookie.

 

5) Washington Capitals- Jakub Voracek- RW Ranked #1 by the ISS, Voracek has some serious skill there he managed 86 points in his rookie season with the Halifax Mooseheads. Voracek has one of the hardest shots in the top 5 and is looked at as a solid player who should have no problem evenutally making an NHL roster, whether or not its as a 1st liner or a 3-4 liner he should eventually make it, thanks to his passion for the game and how hard he is always working hes a guy you want on your team.

 

6) Edmonton Oilers- Sam Gagner- C Sam Gagner (son of ex-NHLer Dave Gagner) is another of the playmaking breed along with Turris. Gagner managed 118 points in his rookie season in the OHL, but 81 of those being assists. Hes a very skilled skater and is great at moving the puck around for his team to get a shot on goal. Unfortunetly Gagner was unable to register a single point in the WJC but the fact that he made the team over the likes of Esposito, and Tavares did enough for him.

 

7) Columbus Blue Jackets- Karl Alzner- D Alzner is a exactly what every team needs and thats a defensive defenceman. Hes not going to put up 60-70 points a season but he will be a plus player, he'll be the guy you put out in the last minutes of game 7 in the stanley cup final to make sure you dont give up a goal. With a 6-2 206 lbs body and should be able to add to the weight Alzner is a safe bet to be a good reliable NHL defenceman. Not only that but he is a complete workhorse who averages 30 minutes a game now in the WHL, he's goin places fast.

 

8) Boston Bruins- Logan Couture- C Many have said Couture could have gone #1 in '05 if Tavares hadnt been granted exceptional player status. But he did fall to #12 because of rumours saying he would not report to his team. His point totals have not been that of a #1 pick that is for sure when he scored just 76 poinnts although in just 54 games. He needs to work on some technical skills before he has a chance to become a real impact player but hes a guy whos doing well, he hasnt shown anything spectacular but hes still a very skilled player.

 

9) St. Louis Blues- Angelo Esposito- C The player expected to be a #1 pick this year has fallen thanks to scoring 19 points less in 3 more games this season for the Quebec Remparts and then being cut from the Canadian WJ team which he had almost made as a 16 year old. But because of his obvious skill he may turn out to have the skill of that #1 pick but because of an offseason we've seen him fall to #9. Its unfortunate for Esposito to see his stock fall and toss him almost out of the top 10.

 

10) Florida Panthers- Maxim Mayorov- LW Mayorov is a very flashy player who looks forward to making his opposition look bad. He has plent of tricks up his sleeve. He has been compared to Nashville young russian Alex Radulov. He has the potential to be a first line big time scorer if he can develop and use his 6-2 186 lbs. body more to his advantage.

 

11) Carolina Hurricanes- Keaton Ellerby- D Ellerby has been compared to another big name first round defenceman named Jay Bouwmeester. Ellerby whos a huge 6-4 186 lbs. defenceman but has had serious trouble scoring, he managed 25 points this season but in his previous 2 season he scored 9 points in 128 games played. Ellerby did win the CHL's Hardest Shot at the Prospects game which gives many teams hope that he could become a not only good defensive defenceman but also a good offensive defenceman.

 

12) Montreal Canadiens- Zach Hamill- C Hamill is a complete surprise to me, he led the WHL in scoring with 93 points (the least ever by a WHL scoring champion). He has been compared to the Daniel Briere because of his great playmaking abiliby and how he is able to create scoring oppotunities so willingly and yet because he's not the greatest skater and is 5-10 180 lbs. he will not even be picked in the top 10. Hes bigger than Kane but is not up to that calibur yet but in the new NHL maybe players like Hamill will become more and more valuable.

 

13) Toronto Maple Leafs- COlton Gillies- C Gillies is not the scorer the Saskatoon Blades wanted scoring just 13 goals this season but he has fantastic speed and should be able to generate opportunities in the NHL because of that. Also if he works on his offensive skills. Also being 6-3 and 189 lbs. hes a rock solid player who isnt afraid to punish players. He'll play everywhere for you.

 

14) Colorado Avalanche- Nick Petricki- D Petricki was picked in the first round of the OHL draft by the Plymouth Whalers but decided to play for the Omaha Lancers of the USHL instead. Being 6-3 and 213 lbs. Petricki is looked at as already being NHL size. It has also been pondered that had Petricki gone to the OHL he would be looked at as possible being a much higher pick. Hes a great 2-way talent and will be great at both ends of the ice for whatever team he plays for.

 

15) Edmonton Oilers- Alex Plante- D Plante is not the most offensive defenseman but he plays a very well rounded style. Hes not the most spectacular in any one particular area but he gets the job done as ugly as it may appear. He appears to be a player who will be a character defenseman who will be out in key situations and isnt afraid to get his nose dirty with his huge 6-3 225 lbs frame you better watch out when hes coming at you.

 

16) Anaheim Ducks- Trevor Cann- G Cann became the starting goalie for the Peterburough Petes this season after David Shantz graduated. Cann also won gold with the Canadian U-18 team as the starter. Although the Petes season did not go as well as they'd hoped Cann managed 23-32-1 record with 4 shutouts. Cann also has great size in the net and is great with his angles.

 

17) New York Rangers- Jonathon Blum- D Blum isnt the biggest defenceman but he's great with the puck. Blum is a little more risky than the likes of Plante and Petricki but if he can add some weight to his current 160 lbs he may have a better chance of becoming a good NHL player. Right now its hard to say whether Blum is going to become and NHLer or not but the potential is there its just whether or not he can find it.

 

18) Calgary Flames- Oscar Moller- RW Moller showed fantastic abilitly on a very poor Chilliwack Bruins team. Moller manahed 69 points in 68 games as a rookie. Moller plays well on both sides of the ice and knows what to do when hes out on the ice. There are questions about his skating and skooting abilities, those are things he needs to be able to improve at if he wants to become an impact player in the NHL.

 

19) Minnesota Wild- Joakim Andersson- C Andersson is not expected to be a prolific scorer but is expected to be a skilled defensive forward. Hes not the fastest nor does he have fantastic skill but his hockey sence is one of the greatest, he understands the game and is very smart. He wont cost you bad goals but want teams want to see from him is to have a well rounded game style.

 

20) Pittsburgh Penguins- Brett MacLean- LW MacLean played alongside stud OHL scorer John Tavares which made some teams question his 100 point season. Yet he was still able to score 47 times thats something a player does manly from his own skill. His skating does like something to be desired but theres no doubt, this kid knows how to put the puck in the net and move it around.

 

21) Phoenix Coyotes- Mike Hoeffel- LW Hoeffel missed most of this season with a knee injury but still scored 23 points in 44 games with the USA U-18 team. Hoeffel is set to go to the U of Minnesota next year. Hoeffel is not expected to be a big scorer but hes a great skater but there are questions about his general hockey sense and that scares some teams. Hoeffel will be a definate roll playing forward but hopfully he'll begin to understand the game a little better.

 

22) Montreal Canadiens- Thomas Hickey- D Hickey is a very smooth skater who moves the puck up well. One problem is his size (5-10 182 lbs.) There are alot of similar defenceman in the early rounds but his offensive abilitly is something others are not quite as developed at. Hickey scored 50 points this season with the Seattle Thunderbirds and thats something thats always nice to see from a defenceman.

 

23) Philadelphia Flyers- Brandon Sutter- C Sutter (son of ex-NHLer Brent Sutter, also his coach at Red Deer) whos a big kid at 6-2 170 lbs. is a great physical player but his offensive abilitly is something that needs work. Managing only 57 points in 71 games this season his offensive output is something that needs to be looked at. But defensively Brandon is great and isnt afraid to knock guys around to get the puck. If he can show more offensive abilitly he'llbe a great 2-way talent to have.

 

24) St.Louis Blues- Kevin Shattenkirk- D Shattenkirk is known for his leadership as he was the captain of the USA U-18 team. Hes a good offensive defenseman and is perfect for the new NHL. At 5-11 190 lbs. Shattenkirk isnt big but he isnt small either. He attacks loose pucks and is a great competitor. Hes a truly solid defenseman.

 

25) Vancouver Canucks- Dana Tyrell- C Tyrell isnt the most skilled forward but he has fantastic leadership qualities. He did manage to score 56 points for a poor Prince George team. He's a very competitive player and thats something that could transform him into a great player in the NHL.

 

26) St. Louis Blues- David Perron- RW Perron has great offensive skill and is great at stickhandling and is very quick. He isn't very strong and thats something he needs to work at so he wont be physically overpowered in the next level. Perron has the offensive skill to play in the new NHL but he does need to work some more on his physical strenght.

 

27) TBD 28) Washington Capitals 29) TBD 30) TBD