Fantasy Fools

Datsyuk's next career?

2011-10-18T14:49:00.000-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UllHjrQKf00

Hall scores a hatty

2011-10-15T22:51:00.001-05:00

@BizNasty2point0Paul Bissonnette

Took Ryan Nugent-Hopkins a little less then 3 games to tie my career number in goals. #4thLineProblems

Thoughts for the Day - 10-14

2011-10-13T23:42:00.001-05:00

The biggest news of the day yesterday was the news that Crosby had been cleared for contact. That will have HUGE ramifications. Many were concerned that he would not come back until much later in the season and have much less of an effect. AS it stands right now, I can see Crosby coming back on either Oct 27 v the Islanders or Oct 29 @ Toronto. The biggest issue that I have with him coming back on the 27th is all of the bad blood from last season boiling over and them targeting Crosby again. If they wait until the 29th, they bring him back at the beginning of not only a road trip but a road trip that takes them out West. The last date that I see as a possibility is Nov 11 when they play Dallas at home. Best of luck Sid. Let’s hope (for the sake of every single one of my teams this season) that you come back and never look back.

Nystrom practiced with the Stars today and is expected to be in the lineup on Saturday. I don’t see him making a big impact. He was brought in to bring an edge to the game of the Stars and provide energy throughout the game. At 3-1-0, the Stars are off to a great start and hopefully this will help them continue that.

Senators looked HORRIBLE tonight. They started off well, taking the lead for the first time this season when Michalek scored on the Power Play but it went downhill from there until finally losing 7-1. Not sure if you can put everything on Anderson here. Watching the game, as good as Karlsson is, and he is on FIRE right now, he is a liability on the defensive side of the puck. But who on the Senators blueline is all that much better?

Highlighting the good real quick for Karlsson, in 4 games, he has 6 assists. 5 of those assists are on the PP. And to think that I tried to trade this guy to three different managers in the offseason and no one bit. Boy, thank god for small miracles. I’m happy to take the small +/- hit if it means I get this kind of production from him.

Martin Erat was placed on IR prior to Nashvilles home opener tonight. Reports indicate that it was not related to his back injury from last season but there is no timetable for his return. He will be out a minimum of 7 games.

As for the actual game, Nashville looked bad. They went down 3-0 in the first period and for a while, I thought that Pho was going to get the SO. Without Erat up front, the defense looked like they had no one to pass to. I love the depth on the blueline that Nashville has but without a true forward up front, Nashville could be in for a long season and have some explaining to do at the end of the season when Rinne and Suter become UFA’s

Shane Doan on the other hand had a great looking game. A goal and an assist in just under 18 minutes of ice time. He looks a lot better this year (5 points in 3 games) than at any point last year. If you have him, now would be a good time to sell high because I do not believe that he is going to be able to keep this up on this team without some help.

I was incredibly impressed with Vokoun tonight in the absence of Neuvirth. He held his own and answered a lot of questions after his shaky start to the season. 39 saves on 41 shots after coming off that horrible game? He definitely earned this victory.

Malkin came back like a man possessed tonight. He was all over the ice and imparting his will on those on the ice. Love to see this. Looks like his LBI was really not that bad. He looks primed for a BIG season. If you can still get him in your league, do so immediately. It is only a matter of time before his price goes sky high.

I think we are seeing the last of Bruce Boudreau on the bench for the Capitals. The team is just not responding to him anymore and there is WAY too much talent on this team to barely squeak by against a backup goalie in Brent Johnson. Not to take anything away from Brent Johnson but take the handcuffs off this team and let them play. 19 shots on a backup goalie when you have Backstrom, OV and Semin is just not even close to where you need to be BB.

Khabibulin looked solid against Minnesota last night. 34 saves in a shootout victory. I think he may have earned himself another start. Khabibulin has always thrived on competition. Is Dubyuk going to give him the competition that he needs to reach that next level.

Setoguchi with 6 sog tonight. But again, I’d like to point out, he had 3 hits. Like I said before, the more he hits, the better he plays. If he had gotten that 4th hit, maybe he would have scored on one of those 6 shots. LOL. Seriously though, he is in a very good place right now. Ride this hot streak but realize it will come to an end.

Heatley also chipped in with 4 sog. I think both these guys might be trying to prove a little something since they were traded from the Sharks. Good for them.

42 years young yesterday and the Islanders decided to give Roloson a birthday present. 4 goals in the first period was more than he ever could have asked for. Tampa left their gift of defense and puck control at the airport. Too bad for Rolo

The top line for the Islanders was Moulson-Tavares-Parenteau and they looked awesome. Tavares himself had 2 goals and 2 assists. I expect big things out of this line but I think this spells out a bad story for Okposo, especially those that were hoping that Okposo would play on the same line as Tavares. He did have an assist tonight and someone is going to get to play with Nino when he comes back but for right now, that top line is SOLID.

From what I saw of the Montreal/Calgary game, Montreal definitely had the better game. Montreal doubled up on hits, took quite a few more shots than Calgary and even won more faceoffs. And yet, Calgary still managed to pull it out because at the end of the night, the only stat that matters is the score.

From experience, I can tell you that Borque goes through hot streaks and ice cold streaks and apparently right now, he is on one of his hot streaks. Worth a pick up if he is on the waiver wire.

Broduer landed on his right shoulder during the game on Thursday. Broduer does expect to make the trip on Friday to Nashville but if you have an alternative, you might want to watch this one closely.

Schneider looked damn good in net tonight against the Red Wings despite being on the losing end of a 2-0 score. I’m sure no one wants to say there is a goalie controversy in Vancouver but one goalie is clearly playing better than the other. I’m not going to name names but if your name starts with an L, I would be looking over my shoulder a bit.

Havlet has been ruled out of the game against Anaheim on Friday. He still needs clearance to play but apparently, he does not need to actually be seen by the doctor but instead can be done remotely. To me, this means that he is VERY close to returning.

Niemi has not been ruled out. The Sharks will have three goalies on the plane to keep their options open.

Marleau skated today for the first time in three days and was not 100% but said the he will play on Friday. He still has some muscle aches so it will be interesting how he hold up to 3 games in 4 nights.

So there seems to be a bit of a situation in Philly. The fans there decided to boo the hockey fights cancer ad (posted below). Why would anyone boo a hockey fights cancer ad? Well the three spokemen are Toews (Beat Philly in the 2010 Stanley Cup finals), Ryan Miller (Divisional foe) and Sidney Crosby (Another divisional foe). I don’t blame the Philly fans. In fact, as my buddy was saying, that’s kinda cool. They are not booing the message people. They are so passionate about their team that they are booing any mention of anyone that gets in the way of their ultimate prize. In my opinion, we need more fans like this. Bravo Philly fans. Bravo

If you missed it, check out this fight. Asham DESTROYS Beagle. Hope Beagle gets well soon.

Lastly,
I LOVE this from the ducks blog
"Limited tickets are still available but the game Friday is expected to be a sellout. Some of
that is helped by a busload of Sharks fans coming down from the Bay Area but Carlyle is hoping
for an electric atmosphere at Honda Center."
Come ON Ducks fans. It’s 361 miles AND we have to sit in horrendous LA traffic to watch a game at YOUR house for YOUR season opener and we will STILL be louder than your building. I’ll be at the invasion. I’ll be wearing the Sharks jersey. And I can tell you there will be more than one busload there. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Thoughts for the Day - 10/13

2011-10-13T10:23:00.001-05:00

Mike Brophy is reporting that Sidney Crosby is wearing a regular helmet today at practice. That means he has been cleared for contact. This could be big news and we could see him back on the ice by the end of the month. Awesome for those that own him, sorry to those that do not.

Darren Dreger believes that Cory Schnieder could see more than 30 games this season. Gillis responded to trade talk regarding his goalies by saying that he has no problem rolling with two starters, considering the strain placed on these players by the travel involved in their schedule.

According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, Ryan Kesler should be back into the line up by late next week. This is welcome news for Canuck’s fans and fantasy players, as his addition will make all the players around him better. Vancouver right now is sorely lacking a shutdown forward to line up against the top lines of their opponents, as evidenced by Claude Giroux’s big night tonight.

Word in Toronto is that Cody Franson will suit up for his first NHL game with the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday vs. Calgary. James Mirtle via Twitter predicts that it will be Mike Komisarek who sits. Franson has voiced his frustration over not being a part of the top six in Toronto: “Right now I’m not too thrilled with it. You’ve got to just, I don’t know, stick with it. It’s a tough situation.” Perhaps in related news, 2 Toronto scouts were confirmed to be watching the October 12th Columbus vs. Colorado game, featuring two teams who could use young top six defense help.

Neuvirth was held out of Caps practice on Wednesday with a LBI. It sounds like it was more precautionary than anything but Vokoun is ready to roll if need be. His statistics over the course of his career have not been good for his first game out (3-8-0-1/3.39/.884 in his first starts of the season throughout his career) but he always seems to rebound nicely. Don’t read too much into Vokouns bad start.

Patrick Marleau sat out Sharks practice for the third straight day with flu-like symptoms but he was in the building riding the bike. McLellan threw Havlat on the top line with Thornton and Pavelski which tells me two things. 1. Havlat is still not ready to come back and 2. McLellan is expecting Marleau back for the game on Friday.

Niemi is still day to day but he apparently had his best practice yet on Wednesday. Still no word on who is going to be named the starter for the Sharks on Friday.

Alexander Salak was recalled to the Blackhawks. Could this be the opening he needs to get in there and steal the job from Crawford? Is Crawfords injury a little more significant than they are letting on? Right now, I would not touch Crawford with a 10 foot poll.

Troy Bodie has signed a one year, two-way contract with the Ducks. Not much fantasy significance as his best season was 2009-2010 when he score 5 goals, 2 assists with 80 PIM in 44 games but if you are in desperate need of PIMs, he might be someone that you take a flyer on.

Eric Nystrom was traded from Minnesota to Dallas Wednesday for future considerations. Something very odd about this deal. Follow the timeline
Oct 6. Nystrom is waived. Anyone can claim him and they do not have to give up an asset. He goes unclaimed.
Oct 11. Nystrom is placed on re-entry waivers. Anyone can claim him for ½ of his salary ($700k for half) and they would not have to give up anything. He went unclaimed
Oct 12. Dallas trades future considerations for Nystrom.
WHY in the world would Dallas trade for him a day after he could have been had for free at half the price? Two words. Cap Floor. Dallas is responsible for $1.9MM of Sean Avery’s salary. This number counts against the cap, or more importantly for Dallas, it counts against the cap floor. When Avery was waived and reassigned to the AHL, his salary came off the Stars cap number. That put them below the cap floor. Acquiring Nystrom at $700k would not have solved the problem. Acquiring Nystrom at $1.4MM does solve their problem. So Dallas gets a veteran center but more importantly, they get back to the cap floor. Strange how this cap works huh?

Rick DiPietro left practice early on Wednesday after taking a shot from Roloston off the mask. He was evaluated by the medical staff but no news was released. It was only a matter of time before he was injured again. It’s sad to see this much talent go to waste.

Justin Faulk was scratch after going -6 in his first three games with no points and 4 PIM. This kid is still really young. Don’t give up on him. He had an amazing training camp and he will be back sooner rather than later. McBain is back in the lineup. He we -2 last night though so who knows.

Ryan Murphy was sent down to the Kitchener Rangers of the AHL. I like the move a lot. Let’s him get some time in down there and gain confidence.

Derek Stepan was the winner of the Rangers lottery on Wednesday as he got the coveted role of lining up with B.Richards and Gaborik. But Tortorella cautioned that just because he practiced there on Wednesday though does not mean that he is going to be there on Saturday. Not a huge fan of going out and getting a guy because he is on a specific line because lines change so often but if you have him on your team and he clicks, see if you can trade high on this news.

Tim Saunders (Flyers radio play-by-play announcer) commented on NHL Live that Ilya Bryzgalov has made statements along the line that he is facing so few shots as the Philly goaltender that he is not really able to stay warm throughout the game. A little bit different than playing in Phoenix huh Byrz? It seems that a lot of that is due to the overall size of the Philly defense. They are able to block a lot of shots and keep the number of pucks getting through to a minimum.

According to Bob McKenzie, it looks like Winnipeg and Detroit will simply switch places next season in an effort to realign the divisions. This would be horrible for Detroit. Winn is currently in the Southeast division. Geography was never my strong suit in school but I am pretty sure that Detroit is North and on the Western side of the Eastern conference. So Detroit, be careful what you wish for. That would be a pretty epic division though with Detroit, Washington and Tampa Bay. Sort of like the AL East of baseball or the AFC East all of the sudden

Tyler Seguin saw a career high 20+ minutes of TOI last night and he looked pretty good. This kid has a ton of talent and Boston is bringing him along slowly because they can but he is going to be something special. Sorry Toronto fans.

Erik Johnson seems to be taing a step back again this season. Zero points, -2, with 2 hits and 1 blocked shot in 3 games. Small sample size yes, but he had twice as much pp time last night as anyone else. I hope he turns it around.

Varlamov has been a man among boys. Now if only he could stay healthy he would really be worth what Colorado gave up to keep him from Russia

Wild night in Vancouver last night. When are the Canucks going to start giving Luongo some more days off? Like all of them. Schneider is the better goalie up there. Let him show it. I think Luongo is going to miss Ehroff more than anyone else.

Giroux looked all world last night. Every time Phily scored, and it was quite often, if seemed that he was somehow a part of it. He and Jagr have something special going up there. Now if only JvR could come along for the ride.

As Dan pointed out last night, the Sedins are SO good right now. Fantasy gold in points leagues. Quite helpful in roto as well but not nearly as high in the rankings.

Good to see Carolina get its first win last night. Cam Ward is a buy low candidate right now. He has looked very shaky to start the season. Use this to your advantage. A lot of guys do not consider him to be a top tier goalie. Well, he’s not. But he is still a very good #2 guy to have and when he is hot, which he will be, he can be a #1 guy for a while

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Need a new coach?

2011-10-12T18:58:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Mr Shanahan

2011-10-12T11:00:00.001-05:00

Courtesy of downgoesbrown.com

The lyrics
You're about to witness hockey in it's most purest,
Most safest form, most securest
One man courtroom: Lawyer, judge, jurist.
Straight from the old school, the rulebook is back.

Looks like Bettman got a new Colie,
Oh God, the Flyers got a real goalie,
Everything's changing, we're fixing problems
No more complaining, I'm here to solve the...

Headshots and elbows, spears, fists, goons
enforcers, (ring ring), Shanny on line two
I'm dropping the gloves on you, play time's done
Hockey's in a full state of 911, so...

So let's cut through the tension
I'm about to start handing out the suspensions
Cause the games being ruined
By the thugs and the goons
They've got to go
And I'm here to end them.

So let's cut through the tension
I'm about to start handing out the suspensions
So expect to do time
If you hit from behind
Like certain Flyers
I could probably mention

Quick gotta move fast, gotta create video,
Saw another cheap hit, so better head for my studio.
Look at all the nonsense that goes on for no reason,
I suspended half the league and it was only pre-season,

So head to the bench while I get the tape queued.
If it's an in-person hearing then you know that you're screwed.
You put him down for the count? Expect a large amount.
And you can find out all the details on my twitter account

And I don't even care if Don Cherry complains
And trashes Grimson and Nilan and screw up their names
He's making it all up, there's no such thing,
Like a Canuck who won't dive and owns a ring

So be on high alert, 'cause if someone gets hurt.
I'll make you disappear faster than Ron Maclean's shirt
When the sentence comes down you're heading straight for the slammer.
Welcome to the era of the Shana-Ban Hammer.

So let's cut through the tension
I'm about to start handing out the suspensions
Cause if you hit a guy wrong
I'll sit you down for so long
That by the end
You'll be collecting a pension

So let's cut through the tension
I'm about to start handing out the suspensions
And I don't wanna name names
But I've got 40 games
Ready to go
For someone on the Penguins

Thoughts of the day - 10/12

2011-10-12T09:39:00.000-05:00

Not going to lie, Heatley looked pretty good last night. He was skating much better than he did last season and had a couple of nice passes and shots. But most importantly, he is clicking with Koivu which is something that he did not do in his two years with Thornton. I was definitely disappointed that he only had 2 SOG though. In his last visit to Ottawa, he had 8 SOG. Still no love loss there.

Setoguchi had a goal but more importantly, he had 6 hits. I don’t see that he will get 6 hits every game but last year, I started to notice that when Setoguchi started to hit, he started to score. Last season, Setoguchi scored in 37 of 90 games played (including playoffs). That is scoring in 41.1% of the contests that he was a part of. However, when he had 4 or more hits, he scored in 6 of 12 games or 50%. So, 3 hits or less, Seto scored 31 times in 78 games (39.7%). Something to keep an eye on because if he does start to hit on a more consistent basis, he could really become a roto stud.

Backstrom looked all world for the first two periods tonight. He was in good position and was able to handle some multi-shot situations. But in the third, he let in a couple of really soft goals. Overall, he has looked a lot better this year than he ever did last year. If you can, I would try to sell high on him.

Erik Karlsson has looked amazing in the short amount of time I have seen him this year. He is not going to help your +/- AT ALL but he is so fun to watch on the PP.

Speaking of +/-, Brian Campbell has been nothing but a model for +/- over the last few years with Chicago. Well, he was a -3 in his game against Pitt. In the last two seasons with Chicago he had exactly zero -3 games. I have a feeling that he is going to take a bit of a hit on his overall +/- this season. I personally am not a big fan of the stat but I know that it is tracked regularly in most roto leagues so it is something to watch for.

Jordan Staal had another point in tonights game. Can you believe that this kid is ONLY 23 years old? It seems like he has been in the league for forever. That makes 4 points in 4 games. I feel like last season was a bit of a blessing in disguise for Staal. Without Malkin or Crosby for the second half of the season, he really had to take things upon himself. I see a bit of a breakout for this kid this year especially when Crosby comes back and Malkin starts to play on his wing.

On that Crosby note, he was scheduled to see a doctor today but did not. Instead he is going to see one sometime this week.

According to comments made by Niemi to the media, he is 50-50 to play on Friday at Anaheim. Griess will be in net until Niemi is ready to come back as Nittymaki is on IR for another couple of months at least. Both Niemi and Havlet are practicing with the team at this point in time but they will continue to be day to day until further notice

Michael Cammalleri will be out for at least a couple of weeks after taking a skate to the thigh in Sundays game against the Jets. Maybe it was karma coming back to bite him because he scored before Winnipeg scored or maybe this is just adding to his band-aid boy lore.

David Krejci left practice early on Tuesday and did not travel with the team to Carolina. It appears to be a leg injury of some sort. There is no timetable for his return but after the Bruins play the Canes on Wednesday, they will be traveling to Chicago to play the Hawks on Saturday.

Corey Crawford did not practice on Tuesday. This is the second day in a row that he has not practiced with an apparent LBI. There could be a concern this could be related to the groin issue that he sustained at the end of training camp. Could this eventually lead to an opening for Salak?

Mattias Ohlund had arthroscopic surgery on both knees on Tuesday. He is considered out indefinitely. He is a decent option in leagues that count blocked shots and hits but he in the majority of leagues, he will not help

San Jose Sharks Season Preview

2011-10-11T19:27:00.001-05:00

The Sharks come into the 2011-2012 NHL season in the enviable position of going to the Western Conference Finals two seasons in a row. For a lot of teams, that would be considered an amazing success. As any Sharks fan will tell you, it’s not enough for the Sharks.

Doug Wilson went into the offseason knowing he had to make some changes and boy did he ever. So how was this roster made?

Trades
A day after resigning Devin Setoguchi to a team friendly 3 year deal, Seto, Charlie Coyle and the 2011 1st round pick of the Sharks was shipped to Minnesota for Brent Burns. When this deal went down, looking at it in a bubble, I was very concerned that the Sharks gave up way too much youth for a player who had a history of concussions. But in the grand scheme of things, adding a big offensive defensemen who will eat up minutes is going to change the entire look of the Sharks defensive corps for the better. MUCH better

The second deal Wilson made this summer was to ship out Dany Heatley in exchange for Martin Havlet. Injured or not, the Heatley experiment in SJ was a disaster. The first season, he looked very good in stretches but there were other times (like whenever he was on defense) that he seemed to disappear. But he never really clicked with Thornton. The second year, he hurt the Sharks when he was on the ice. Heatley can do one thing. He has a shot that is lightning fast. But he couldn’t skate, he couldn’t pass or control the puck and if there was a defensive play that had to be made and Heatley was the only person that could make it, one always held their breathe. The fact that Doug Wilson was able to find someone who was willing to eat Heatleys contract is incredible but to get a serviceable Havlet back in return was a coup. Havlet brings a lot of speed and playmaking ability to the Sharks. The knock on him is that he is a bit of a band-aid boy and to start the season, sure enough, he has an injured shoulder but even out of the lineup, he is more valuable to the Sharks than Heatley was at the end.

The third deal was again, with the Minnesota Sharks, I mean Wild. The Sharks acquired James Sheppard for a 2013 third round pick. Sheppard, an early 1st round pick, has been quite the disappointment in Minnesota. But a fresh start might be exactly what the doctor ordered. With Minnesota, the pressure was on from the beginning to produce and help carry the team. In San Jose, it will be the exact opposite. He can grow at his own pace because his production is not going to make or break the Sharks. He can focus on one area and grow into the position. The Sharks have always had a good track record of developing young talent and putting them in a situation where they can excel. Look at the players they have traded away recently. Two prime examples: Michalek and Bernier.
Michalek’s numbers his last season with the Sharks: 23 goals, 34 assists in 77 games = .75 ppg
Michalek’s numbers with the Senators: 22 goals, 12 assists in 66 games = .51 ppg

Bernier’s number with Sharks (last full season) – 15g, 16a in 62 games = .5 ppg
Bernier’s numbers with Vancouver – 15g, 17a in 81 games = .39 ppg
Full disclosure, in the small sample size of his time in Buff, Bernier was at .53 ppg in 17 games

So obviously, the Sharks have to be doing something right. Will the same trend hold true for players coming over to the Sharks?

Offseason signings

Michal Hanzus – This might not have been the sexist of signings but this one was, in my opinion, the best signing the Sharks made all offseason. Hanzus comes in and instantly upgrades the penalty kill, an area of GREAT need for the Sharks. He led the league in shorthanded minutes last season for all forwards. He is very good on the dot and most importantly, they stole him from the Kings so that is one less PK player they have to face in head to head matchups.

Jim Vandermeer – Another signing with an eye toward the PK. He is a big physical guy who is going to get a lot of hits but not a lot of points. At $1MM, the risk is low on this signing but the depth is going to be awesome. With the signing of White, he becomes the 7th defensemen and that is pretty sweet

Colin White – New Jerseys cap losses are San Jose’s gain. This signing is huge for the Sharks defense. He may be slowing down but he consistently plays against the top talent game in and game out and is still able to shut them down. At +80 for his career (and a minus rating only 3 times in his career), the shutdown defensemen is going to help out this defense.

Andy Murray – A fourth line player and help on the PK. Are you sensing a pattern here? His jersey is not going to sell. His name is not going to be cheered with great ferocity. But he is going to make the penalty kill all that much better

Brad Winchester – Brad came in on a tryout to help push the kids and he ended up winning a spot. He is going to provide energy and he is going to fight. And honestly, who doesn’t like a good scrum every now and then?

Quick rundown of the remaining players on the active roster

Joe Thornton – The playmaker of the team. He is not going to shoot but he can create with the best of them. Last season, he really started to change his game to become a force on defense and ended up leading the league in take-aways. It did help that Datsyuk was hurt for a while but who cares about that.

Patrick Marleau – Marleau has become a fixture on the left side for Thornton. He has been the model of consistency there and as a hybrid shooter/playmaker, he and Thornton work very well together in the puck possession cycle.

Joe Pavelski – With the departure of Setoguchi and Heatley, a huge hole opens up on that first line. What that line needs is someone who is just going to shoot the puck. Someone who is going to get in front of the net and cause havoc. Someone who is not afraid to get dirty. Enter The Big Pavelski as he is affectionately called in San Jose known for his big game play. He led the team in sog last season and if he does indeed stick on that top line, I can only see things getting better for him.

Logan Couture – You can take this to the bank. This kid will be the best player on the Sharks within the next 3 years. But this kid is so unassuming and so easy going, he is not going to try and take control of the team to satisfy his ego. He is quite happy with letting the old guys run the team and stepping up to lead when he needs to. His presence makes everyone around him better and that is the mark of a good player. He could play with anyone on the team or even a traffic cone and make them better.

Ryane Clowe – Clowe has really come on strong over the last couple of years and his chemistry with Couture is a sight to behold. Last year, these two lined up with Heatley for quite a bit the second half of the year and on the PP and it really hurt them because they had to make up for Heatley’s lackluster play. This season, with an actual third player on their line, I can see Clowe taking a big step forward.

Torrey Mitchell – You want speed? Mitchell has speed. A few years ago, Mitchell broke his leg in training camp and it took over a year and a half to heal. At the end of last season, you could see his speed was really starting to come back. He played on the top line a couple of times and when he did, you could see him pushing Thornton to speed up his game and it really made a considerable difference. I had a chance to see him in training camp and I have to say, he looked AMAZING. I expect a breakout year from him this year.

Jamie McGinn – There have always been high hopes for this kid but he really took a step back last season with 1 goal and 5 assists in 49 games. He likes to skate hard and can be very physical. In deep leagues that count hits, this is a kid that you should definitely be looking to take a chance on. If he can hold down that third line duty, you could see a mini-breakout out of him.

Andrew Dejardins – Young kid that came into the playoffs last season and really impressed the coaching staff basically winning the 4th line center position and making Nichol expendable. He’s not going to light up the score sheet but he is going to give the team a shot of energy and play a smart, responsible game with a goal or two here and there.

Dan Boyle – He’s been the heart and soul of this team since he came over from Tampa Bay running the PP and leading the team in minutes year in and year out. He was second in the NHL in TOI last season and I really think that the additional of Burns is going to help him out tremendously. It will reduce his minutes and let him focus on being the offensive force on the blue line he was born to be. He is getting up there in age but I still believe he has a couple of very good years in him.

Douglas Murray – Hits leader and prototypical stay at home defensemen. He’s not going to score (6 goals in his career) but he is going to allow Boyle to roam which is exactly what he needs to do on that line.

Marc-Edward Vlasic – The first year that Blake played with Vlasic, Pickles took a huge step forward. Blake allowed Vlasic to play his game. He will be solid defensively, he’s great with his stick and when the opportunity presents itself, he will move up and take a chance on offense. Since that first year, Vlasic has had to shoulder much too much of the load of the second line. He has pressed and his play has shown that. Well the addition of Burns is going to be like the weight of the world lifted off his shoulders. He could even see a little time on the 2nd PP. Look for a good season from this 23 year old kid.

Jason Demers – In the year and a half that Demers has been playing in the NHL, he has taken some significant steps forward. He is not the best defensive player but his offensive skills project to being a PP QB someday. He has great vision and will help with the breakout because of his ability to find that breakout pass. He will be on the 2nd PP unit.

Antti Niemi – My strength is not in evaluating goalies but Niemi certainly grew on my this last season. He has the ability to get nuclear hot for long stretches at a time and stop absolutely everything. He is great at making the spectacular saves but the knock on him is that he gives up the soft goals that he should have no problem with. Look for a better season out of him now that the defense in front of him is that much stronger

The kids that can help

Tommy Wingles – This kid has impressed the coaching staff for the last two seasons during the preseason so much so, that he has earned a spot on the roster both times. Last year, his play tailed off considerably when the season started but he brings a lot of hustle and isn’t afraid to get dirty. He is going to get the opportunity of a lifetime to start the season since Havlet will miss the season opener and get to play with Couture and Clowe. After that, all bets are off. Long term, this kid could be a third line player and a force on the PK.

Justin Braun – He is not making the team to start the season but that’s only because Todd McLellan does not want his skills to erode by sitting on the bench. He wants this kid to get 20-25 minutes a night and be the leader down in Worcester. He is going to be a good one. When Braun first came up last season, he looked overmatched on defense but his shot always seemed to make it through traffic and get on net. Well within a couple of games, he made adjustments and was a serviceable defensemen so give him a little more time to marinade at Worcester and I believe that he could be very useful for this team.

So how is this all going to line up you ask? Well, wonder no more
Marleau – Thornton – Pavelski
Clowe – Couture – Wingles
McGinn – Hanzus – Mitchell
Winchester – Dejardins – Murray
Havlet
Boyle – Murray
Burns – Vlasic
Demers – White
Braun - Vandermeer

PP Units
Marleau – Thornton – Pavelski – Boyle – Burns
Clowe – Couture – Wingles – Boyle - Vlasic

A couple of notes here
1. Havlet will slot onto the second line with Clowe and Couture (and PP2) once he is cleared to play which will be any day now. Those top two lines are built extremely similar to each other and I believe that they will succeed. They both have a speed threat (Marleau and Havlet), they both have a playmaker who loves to pass (Thornton and Havlet). They both have a guy to get in front of the net and take a ton of shots (Pavelski and Clowe) and they both have a hybrid playmaker/shooter (Marleau/Couture)
2.Looking at the defensive pairings, each pair has a stay at home guy and someone who is not afraid to go all offense on the other team. That second unit is going to be leaned on a lot more heavily this year rather than tiring out Boyle.
3. With the quality of the defensemen that the Sharks have (is there a better 1-6 in the league?), I can see the Sharks rolling out 7 defensemen quite regularly during the regular season and especially into the playoffs. Burns used to be a forward so that will give McLellan a lot of flexibility.

So wrapping this up, we are going to look at the team leaders in each category
Goals – Skating on a line with Thornton and Marleau, I can see Pavelski getting 40-45 goals this season. Marleau will not be far behind with 35-40
Assists – Look for Thornton to lead the team yet again with 65-70 assists this season
+/- - All of the Sharks look good but if I had to pick one, it would be Couture. Thornton forces a lot of passes so they lead to odd man rushes at times and that leads to goals
PIM – Of the regulars, Clowe is going to be the guy that is going to get you tons of PIMs (100+)
Power Play Points – This one is going to be Thornton again at 35-40. Marleau, Pavelski and Couture are going to be up there in goals at around 12-15 but Thornton is going to get 30-35 assists.
SOG – Pavelski will break 300 sog this season. Marleau will be around 260-280.
Hits – Murray is your guy with 200 hits
GWG – Marleau/ Pavelski/Couture are each going to have 8-10 GWG a piece.
Blocks – Look for Vlasic and Murray to both be in the neighborhood of 150-160 blocks with Boyle right behind them at 120-130 blocks.

That’s all folks. Hope this helps

Lets not give up on Vokoun

2011-10-11T13:19:00.002-05:00

@JapersRink
JapersRink
Coming into tonight, Vokoun was 3-8-0-1/3.39/.884 in his first starts of the season throughout his career. Always ended up fine. Worry not.
18 hours ago via web
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Kuznetsov dekes out half of Russia, scores

2011-10-11T01:27:00.001-05:00

Draft Alert!

2011-10-11T00:31:00.001-05:00

TSNBobMcKenzie Bob McKenzie

John Tavares looks REALLY good for NYI. His quickness has really improved. No wonder Ken Hitchcock raved about JT after World Championships.

If you haven't drafted yet for this season, or are looking to make a big splash on your team by acquiring a top C, consider Bob McKenzie's tweet from tonight. I believe he speaks what many of us who have seen John play this year are thinking.

Time to pick up Neuvirth?

2011-10-11T00:17:00.002-05:00

@Real_ESPNLeBrunPierre LeBrun

Vokoun just called his performance "ugly" and thanked his teammates for bailing him out.

Tough start for a goalie who was believed to be on the cusp of an elite fantasy season.

This is only one game, and Vokoun showed us last year that his age has not been a detriment to his game (posting a %.922 on a bottom feeding Florida Panthers club). Don't overreact and start trying to deal him for Mike Smith just yet.

GOALIE STATS
			TOTAL	SV%	TOI
WASHINGTON ›	29	T. VOKOUN (W)	23 - 28	.821	64:57

Legendary Moves: October 10th Edition

2011-10-10T22:49:00.003-05:00

Everyone wants to be that GM who makes an amazing waiver wire grab or lopsided trade which propels their team from mediocrity to dynasty. Our Legendary Moves column is like a map which helps lead you to the Fantasy Promised Land.

cbc.ca

Here are this weekends

1. Mike Ribeiro (DAL)
2GP - 0G - 1A - +0 - 0PIM - 0PPP - 4SOG - 4HIT - 1BLK
C

There's no question Ribeiro had a slow weekend. This low production (especially for a C), along with news that he will be playing with Ryder and Morrow and not Eriksson or Benn have caused some shockwaves in the fantasy world, allowing Ribeiro to fall through the fissures. Don't be fooled by stats, however. Ribeiro, Ryder and Morrow looked like a line ready to make an impact in those 2 games. The speed of Ribeiro and Ryder caused a panicked buzzing in the offensive zone which led to multiple quality chances. I expect Ribeiro, more so than the streaky Ryder, to have a strong season, and to at least match last season's total of 71 points. Benn gives the Stars a second line for teams to play their top defensive players against, spreading out the offensive talent and offering Ribeiro a chance to brighten up the post-Richards gloom in Dallas.

2. James Wisniewski (CLS)
0GP
D

The Wiz was dropped by fantasy teams more than any other player this week (Yahoo) except Mike Cammalleri. This may be nice for the short term gain, or for teams with no bench/utility positions, however Wiz will be back after 10 games. We are not suggesing you go and drop a useful player right now for him; however do keep in mind that after those 10 games, Wiz will be the #1 offensive defenseman on the Columbus Blue Jacks, and will be very valuable in any league.

3. Dion Phaneuf (TOR)
2GP - 1G - 2A - +4 - 4PIM - 1PPP - 7SOG - 2HIT - 3BLK
D

Coming into the season, Phaneuf was ranked 82nd by Yahoo. Many believed that Phaneuf no longer possessed the offensive qualities necessary for a #1 defenseman, and his reputation suffered. However, this may be to your benefit. Dion came into this season with memories of a late season push fresh in his mind, and he seems to have carried over the high level of play which made him dangerous last year. In a league where dumb penalties are actually advantageous to the owner, Dion provides a team with a "multicat" (multi-category) stud, who may not lead any specific category, but will contribute positively to all of the categories each week.

4. Milan Michalek (OTT)
2GP - 2G - 1A - +1 - 0PIM - 10SOG - 1HIT - 1BLK
LW/RW

Michalek was likely a depth pick in any somewhat deep draft, and a non factor in drafts with fewer than 3 sets of wings. However, if your wings (either, Michalek has LW and RW eligibility on Yahoo) need a boost, someone to come in off the bench or support your primary point getters, consider Michalek. Michalek was a productive player in San Jose (63pts, 24 goals) before being traded to Ottawa. Injuries have plagued his stay in the capital of Canada, yet his goal scoring numbers have stayed somewhat consistent. Michalek has started this season strong, and looks like a healthy player, one who will benefit from the presence of recently added players Mika Zibanejad and David Runblad. Expect a rise in production this season, with more goals, powerplay points and SOG than in his last 3 seasons.

5. Tyler Kennedy (PIT)
3GP - 1G - 1A - 0+ - 2PIM - 1PPP - 9SOG - 1HIT - 0BLK
LW/RW

In a deep league, LW/RW eligibility is a valuable attribute for a player to have, to ensure that the owner can ice the most effective players at each position with some flexibility. Kennedy has this eligibility, and he also has so much more to consider. In leagues with 3 of each wing or forward slots, Kennedy can be be a very productive multicat player. Kennedy will see more icetime next to Pittsburgh's high octane offensive forwards and will benefit from this, likely improving on last season's 21 goal effort.

Hockey Futures releases prospect rankings, ranked 21-50

2011-10-10T19:48:00.000-05:00

Hockey Futures Rankings

A few surprises - Ryan Strome behind Nazem Kadri, Ryan Murphy outside the top 30?

What do you think?

Fantasy Owners Should Buy Low on Micheal Ryder

2011-10-10T18:21:00.001-05:00

MORROW - RIBEIRO - RYDER
VINCOUR - BENN - ERIKSSON

To all of those in fantasy leagues who are looking for RW depth, consider Micheal Ryder. Ryder has been a solid depth contributor to deep fantasy leagues, especially considering his goal totals. Here are Ryder's stats from last season:

18 goals, 23 assists, -1, 26 PIMS, 14 Powerplay Points, 165 SOG, 70 Hits, 19 blocks.

These stats put him on the same fantasy tier as RW players Jordan Eberle (1 year leagues), Blake Wheeler, Brad Boyes and Joffery Lupul. However, Ryder played as a 3rd line RW in Boston last year, where he and Patrice Bergeron had the repsonsibility of playing against the leagues best lines.

This year, Ryder has started this season on the Dallas Stars top line, centred by Mike Ribeiro with Brendan Morrow on the LW. Ryder has looked faster and far more dangerous in this role. Expect a big year, with more Powerplay Points, Goals, Assists, but perhaps a lower +/-.