The 2014 games will be played in Russia. Should the NHL shut down for 2 weeks while its best players go halfway around the world to play in the Olympic tournament?
Justin Evans: I'd leave it up to the players.
Tim Daily: Leaving it up to the players is a nice idea, but it will never happen. The owners are well aware of the risks that involve sending their best players halfway around the world for two weeks - jet lag, potential injury in a country where medical care is in question (see Alexei Cherepanov). Even if the players association decided to vote on it, what would that mean? Literally nothing until it's covered in the CBA - and when they renegotiate it I can guarantee you the owners are not going to give the players that kind of power.
I had originally thought we should send them over there, but now I'm almost against it. I want to see the best players in the world play in this tournament but the bottom line is that I will not be watching games at 4 AM...and if I'm not watching, nobody in the United States will be. It would do almost nothing but showcase our best talent for Russia. The only positive I can see coming out of that is giving them the awareness that despite paying some of our stars ridiculous contracts after taxes, NHL players are just that much better. To me that's not worth it.
Andrew Harvey: I agree with Tim. Growing the game in the US is far more important than maintaining the popularity in Europe. Shutting down the league for 2 weeks is not worth it for what would likely add up to a very marginal increase in viewers.
Erik Sundermann: I have a feeling I will be one of, if not the only person, on the side of going. The people who are going to watch every Olympic game are the same people who watch now regardless of time slots. With TiVo a game being at 4:00am really does not matter though one would have to avoid the internet until they watch the game. I know that shutting down the league for two weeks and the travel is a pain in the ass but they have done it twice before so using that as an excuse is weak in my opinion. I also do not mind losing the all-star game because it sucks as it is.
Andrew: No all-star game is the best part of the Olympics.
Nate Wells: In all honesty, there are many reasons for both sides. While it's a great way to showcase the NHL, I think this will be an issue that the NHL owners use as leverage over both the players in the next CBA talks and the KHL (which also holds some cards in this standoff).
Dara Heaps: I'm torn on this issue. I'm for it because I love seeing the best players play against each other and actually care (unlike the all-star game where the players don't give a shit). Players also seem to play even harder in the Olympics, especially the Euro players (see: Pavol Demitra, Pavel Datsyuk giving a shit when Russia scored).
I'm against it because of all the complications involved. I hate shutting the league down for 2 weeks and all the back-to-back games that result from the Olympic freeze. Games will be on at 4:00am and no body will be up to watch them anyway. Its important to grow the league in the US and games at 4AM won't do it (but not participating won't do it either). I hadn't even thought of the medical care in Sochi until Tim mentioned it but that's also an issue but I figure the Olympic committee will have it up to scratch but who knows. In the end, I lean no more than yes.
Chris Mitchell: It'll obviously be the same for the other North American athletes or players from North America, but just think of the toll the time change will have on their bodies. Then when they're finally accustomed to the time change, they go back home.
Anyway, I'm not a huge fan of the NHL being in Sochi. I don't like shutting down the league for two weeks, and yeah, I'll play the selfish card and say that another part of the reason I don't want them there is because I won't be able to actually watch the games live.
Perry Padilla: It's once every 4 years so it doesn't sound like a big deal. But, in a league that is desperate for ratings and fanbase, I think it's an awful idea to stop playing for 2 weeks. Playoff races start to heat up, trade deadline is coming up...it's also so close to the playoffs and you don't want your star players getting hurt.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Fantasy Hockey *Saturday: Boxing Day
By John Cullen
I’ve taken a lot of time in this space to talk about my hatred of what I call “set it and forget it” pools. These are pools often done in offices by people who are otherwise “too busy”(see: not knowledgeable enough) to participate in daily/weekly roster update pools, where the real poolies lie. So oftentimes these pools won’t even have a draft, they won’t meet together at some point during the year to watch a game or three, and most guys won’t even check to see how they’re doing more than once every three or four months. The favorite of the office pool is the “box” pool, where players are divided according to skill into boxes, and you pick one player from each box. Guy with the most points wins. Most box pools will have one “trading day” a year, where you can exchange one or several players for other players within the box, inheriting their points in the process. This is done as a measure to prevent injuries from completely ruining a team, and also to give the teams in the last few places some hope for the new year(even though realistically if you’re not within 30 points of the lead at this point in the season, you’re probably not going to win--sucks but it’s the truth). So today, I’m going to talk about box pool deadline day, the one time a year where you get to manipulate your pool in your favor. I’m not JUST a daily roster player, you know.
There isn’t a whole lot to say about these moves, and most fantasy owners won’t even really care too much, they’ll simply look at which categories they can gain the most points in, and pick those two players. This logic is naturally flawed, and if you don’t take to consider overall output for the season, you’re going to screw yourself and you may end up trading for a player who will fall apart.
Much like when you’re dealing with goalies, trending is the most important thing to look at when you’re trading these players. What I mean to say by that is you need to make sure that the guy you are trading for isn’t simply a hot player, and that his current point total will reflect exactly where he’s going to go for the year. By taking a look into some research and finding out some average point totals for your player over the past few seasons, you’ll give yourself a better understanding of exactly where the player is heading. Some guys have “point ceilings”, or totals where they really can’t achieve too much more over the course of their career. Be aware of these ceilings and make your adjustments accordingly.
The New York Rangers are a prime example of how trending can affect your team negatively. At the beginning of the year in daily update pools, nearly everyone was stumbling over themselves to pick up guys like Ales Kotalik, Michael Del Zotto, Vinny Prospal, etc. The Rangers have been abysmal offensively and in the standings since their initial 7-1 run, and I’ve seen nearly all Rangers get dropped as fast as they were picked up. To pick up a guy because he’s hot in December can crush you, so you need to be sure you’re getting the best value.
As always in box pools, injuries are a huge concern. Many guys will be making a move for Marian Gaborik in their pool, and this is very troubling to me. Unless the guy you have in your box is 20-25 points under Gaborik at this point and heading for a 50-point season, you simply can’t pick up a guy that’s a constant injury worry. Yes, he’s second in the league now, but if he goes down tomorrow and is out for the year, everyone in his box will pass him in points. This goes for every player, of course, but why not stick with a player who has a reputation for durability instead?
And finally, be very wary of exchanging defensemen or goalies. Only the most elite defensemen score over 50 points in a season(last season, only 13 d-men scored 50 or more, with 39 points being enough to get you into the top 30) and the reality is that unless your boxes were made very poorly, the point differential between all the defensive guys in a box might be 10-15 points at the end of the season. Compare that with a forward box where a guy like say, Anze Kopitar, is in with a bunch of chumps based on his last season’s point total, and you could have a point differential between the first and last guy of 40-50 points, which is a ridiculous difference. Sure, Tomas Kaberle might have 15 more points than Chris Pronger right now, but is Kaberle REALLY going to score 70 points this year, and are the Flyers REALLY going to keep being this bad? Not bloody likely in either case.
As for goalies, the same thing applies. Unless your goalie categories are wildly imbalanced or goalie points are applied in silly fashion(1 pt=win, 2 pts=SO is pretty standard), you’re not going to end up with a huge difference between guys and because the goalie stats in these types of pools are geared more towards team quality rather than goalie quality and the boxes usually reflect this, you’re at risk by exchanging goalies unless there’s some major gap in class in the box rankings, and that’s without even considering goalie slumping, which can kill any good box poolie.
So make sure when you head to your trade deadline in the coming weeks that you do with point ceilings, expectations, and team trending in mind, otherwise you could end up wasting your trades on lateral moves and your only chance at gaining any ground in the standings.
The Saturday Slate
Your weekly guide to goalie sits and starts. If my “start” goalies record a win and a peripheral statistic of either 2.00 GAA or less, or .920 save % or higher, I take one point. If they record one of the two, I take a half-point. If my “sit” goalies take a loss and post either a 3.00 GAA or higher or a .900 save % or less, I take one point. If they take either one of the two, I take a half. For the year, I have 18.5 of a possible 32 points, recording at least a half-point in 23 of 32 games thus far. In the event of a starting goalie not playing the game, I will assume their backup’s stats.
Last week: I missed another week, but got back on the board, albeit in small fashion with my only point coming at the hands of Mathieu Garon and the Blue Jackets. Better things ahead in time for Christmas!
START
Ilya Bryzgalov @ Anaheim Both teams will be playing their third game in four nights, but I think that’s more of a problem for the anemic offense of the Ducks, rather than the trap-happy Coyotes. Breezy is putting up career numbers and is making an early bid for a surprise Vezina Trophy nomination. He’s a must-start on any given night, but against the Ducks he has a real shot at a goose-egg.
Brian Elliott v. Minnesota Elliott’s finding his game just in time for Pascal Leclaire’s return and where the job seemed Leclaire’s assuredly only a few weeks ago, Elliott’s put up two donuts in the last 4 games and has won 3 of 4, putting up some very excellent numbers in the process. Mike Brodeur may see his first NHL start here, but I think Cory Clouston will have enough faith in Elliott to roll him on back-to-back nights, and so do I.
SIT
Tomas Vokoun @ Carolina: Carolina’s beginning to find their game again, with Eric Staal back and playing like one of the elite players in the game and their starting goalie Cam Ward back between the pipes. Florida’s been playing some good hockey as of late, but in a B2B situation and against a team that has averaged over 3.0/GPG in their last 10, I like the bench here.
Henrik Lundqvist @ Philadelphia: Case of two teams playing poorly here, and I still feel Philly’s going to find their game under Peter Laviolette, and this afternoon date with the Rangers might just be it. The Rangers will be playing their 3rd game in 4 days against the well-rested Flyers, and I think this is where the Flyers begin their rebound. The King has been known for inconsistency and I think it shows through again here.
I’ve taken a lot of time in this space to talk about my hatred of what I call “set it and forget it” pools. These are pools often done in offices by people who are otherwise “too busy”(see: not knowledgeable enough) to participate in daily/weekly roster update pools, where the real poolies lie. So oftentimes these pools won’t even have a draft, they won’t meet together at some point during the year to watch a game or three, and most guys won’t even check to see how they’re doing more than once every three or four months. The favorite of the office pool is the “box” pool, where players are divided according to skill into boxes, and you pick one player from each box. Guy with the most points wins. Most box pools will have one “trading day” a year, where you can exchange one or several players for other players within the box, inheriting their points in the process. This is done as a measure to prevent injuries from completely ruining a team, and also to give the teams in the last few places some hope for the new year(even though realistically if you’re not within 30 points of the lead at this point in the season, you’re probably not going to win--sucks but it’s the truth). So today, I’m going to talk about box pool deadline day, the one time a year where you get to manipulate your pool in your favor. I’m not JUST a daily roster player, you know.
There isn’t a whole lot to say about these moves, and most fantasy owners won’t even really care too much, they’ll simply look at which categories they can gain the most points in, and pick those two players. This logic is naturally flawed, and if you don’t take to consider overall output for the season, you’re going to screw yourself and you may end up trading for a player who will fall apart.
Much like when you’re dealing with goalies, trending is the most important thing to look at when you’re trading these players. What I mean to say by that is you need to make sure that the guy you are trading for isn’t simply a hot player, and that his current point total will reflect exactly where he’s going to go for the year. By taking a look into some research and finding out some average point totals for your player over the past few seasons, you’ll give yourself a better understanding of exactly where the player is heading. Some guys have “point ceilings”, or totals where they really can’t achieve too much more over the course of their career. Be aware of these ceilings and make your adjustments accordingly.
The New York Rangers are a prime example of how trending can affect your team negatively. At the beginning of the year in daily update pools, nearly everyone was stumbling over themselves to pick up guys like Ales Kotalik, Michael Del Zotto, Vinny Prospal, etc. The Rangers have been abysmal offensively and in the standings since their initial 7-1 run, and I’ve seen nearly all Rangers get dropped as fast as they were picked up. To pick up a guy because he’s hot in December can crush you, so you need to be sure you’re getting the best value.
As always in box pools, injuries are a huge concern. Many guys will be making a move for Marian Gaborik in their pool, and this is very troubling to me. Unless the guy you have in your box is 20-25 points under Gaborik at this point and heading for a 50-point season, you simply can’t pick up a guy that’s a constant injury worry. Yes, he’s second in the league now, but if he goes down tomorrow and is out for the year, everyone in his box will pass him in points. This goes for every player, of course, but why not stick with a player who has a reputation for durability instead?
And finally, be very wary of exchanging defensemen or goalies. Only the most elite defensemen score over 50 points in a season(last season, only 13 d-men scored 50 or more, with 39 points being enough to get you into the top 30) and the reality is that unless your boxes were made very poorly, the point differential between all the defensive guys in a box might be 10-15 points at the end of the season. Compare that with a forward box where a guy like say, Anze Kopitar, is in with a bunch of chumps based on his last season’s point total, and you could have a point differential between the first and last guy of 40-50 points, which is a ridiculous difference. Sure, Tomas Kaberle might have 15 more points than Chris Pronger right now, but is Kaberle REALLY going to score 70 points this year, and are the Flyers REALLY going to keep being this bad? Not bloody likely in either case.
As for goalies, the same thing applies. Unless your goalie categories are wildly imbalanced or goalie points are applied in silly fashion(1 pt=win, 2 pts=SO is pretty standard), you’re not going to end up with a huge difference between guys and because the goalie stats in these types of pools are geared more towards team quality rather than goalie quality and the boxes usually reflect this, you’re at risk by exchanging goalies unless there’s some major gap in class in the box rankings, and that’s without even considering goalie slumping, which can kill any good box poolie.
So make sure when you head to your trade deadline in the coming weeks that you do with point ceilings, expectations, and team trending in mind, otherwise you could end up wasting your trades on lateral moves and your only chance at gaining any ground in the standings.
The Saturday Slate
Your weekly guide to goalie sits and starts. If my “start” goalies record a win and a peripheral statistic of either 2.00 GAA or less, or .920 save % or higher, I take one point. If they record one of the two, I take a half-point. If my “sit” goalies take a loss and post either a 3.00 GAA or higher or a .900 save % or less, I take one point. If they take either one of the two, I take a half. For the year, I have 18.5 of a possible 32 points, recording at least a half-point in 23 of 32 games thus far. In the event of a starting goalie not playing the game, I will assume their backup’s stats.
Last week: I missed another week, but got back on the board, albeit in small fashion with my only point coming at the hands of Mathieu Garon and the Blue Jackets. Better things ahead in time for Christmas!
START
Ilya Bryzgalov @ Anaheim Both teams will be playing their third game in four nights, but I think that’s more of a problem for the anemic offense of the Ducks, rather than the trap-happy Coyotes. Breezy is putting up career numbers and is making an early bid for a surprise Vezina Trophy nomination. He’s a must-start on any given night, but against the Ducks he has a real shot at a goose-egg.
Brian Elliott v. Minnesota Elliott’s finding his game just in time for Pascal Leclaire’s return and where the job seemed Leclaire’s assuredly only a few weeks ago, Elliott’s put up two donuts in the last 4 games and has won 3 of 4, putting up some very excellent numbers in the process. Mike Brodeur may see his first NHL start here, but I think Cory Clouston will have enough faith in Elliott to roll him on back-to-back nights, and so do I.
SIT
Tomas Vokoun @ Carolina: Carolina’s beginning to find their game again, with Eric Staal back and playing like one of the elite players in the game and their starting goalie Cam Ward back between the pipes. Florida’s been playing some good hockey as of late, but in a B2B situation and against a team that has averaged over 3.0/GPG in their last 10, I like the bench here.
Henrik Lundqvist @ Philadelphia: Case of two teams playing poorly here, and I still feel Philly’s going to find their game under Peter Laviolette, and this afternoon date with the Rangers might just be it. The Rangers will be playing their 3rd game in 4 days against the well-rested Flyers, and I think this is where the Flyers begin their rebound. The King has been known for inconsistency and I think it shows through again here.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
NHL Players of the Week: 12/6 through 12/12
By Dara Heaps
1. Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks. Daniel has points in all but 2 games since returning from a broken foot on November 22nd. This week he notched his 3rd career hat trick Thursday and added 2 goals in 2 assists in his other 2 games this week. He and brother Henrik have combined for 14 points this week, which brings me to my 2nd star…
2. Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks. Henrik’s seven points this week all came in the form of assists, pushing him to 4th overall in assists and tied for 2nd in points with Marian Gaborik. Henrik assisted on 4 of brother Daniel’s 5 goals this week and notched his 500th career point with his 3-assist effort Saturday night against the Minnesota Wild.
3. Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings. Howard won 2 of 3 games this week with a sparkling .951 save percentage. The Wings seem to always be looking for goaltending and it looks like they have a replacement for Chris Osgood. The Wings haven’t been the past dominant selves but goaltending seems to be sorted out, for not.
Honorable Mentions:
Alex Ovechkin had 3 goals and 4 assists over 4 games this week, including 2 goals in his return game from suspension. … Matt Stajan was solid for the Leafs, scoring 3 goals and 3 assists. … Niclas Bergfors is making a strong case for the Calder so far this season. He scored 3 goals and an assist over 4 games. … Tomas Plekanec is playing for a big extension so far this year. He notched 6 assists in 4 games, including a 3 assist effort against Ottawa. … Ray Whitney scored the game winning goal for Carolina against Pittsburgh Monday night, helping the Canes win their first game of the season on the road. Whitney also scored 2 against Ottawa Saturday. … Semyon Varlamov stopped all 26 shots for his second shutout of the season before sustaining a lower body injury. … After having a career-high 7 game point streak, Eric Fehr hasn’t had a point in 3 straight. … The Edmonton Oilers have won 5 in a row all on the road and goaltender Jeff Drouin-Deslauries has been key in those wins. He’s won all 5 of those games for the Oil. … Colorado netminder Peter Budaj records a shutout against St. Louis Monday night, stopping 35 shots. Wojtek Wolski had 3 assists in the win. … Phoenix goalie Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 28 saves for the Coyotes, earning the shutout against Minnesota Monday night. … Martin Erat notched his 2nd career hat trick Tuesday night against Vancouver. He also had an assists. … The Flyers ended a 5-game losing streak and new head coach Peter Lavoiolette got his first win Tuesday night with a 6-2 win over the Islanders. Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and Claude Giroux each had 2 goals. … Kyle Okposo had 2 assists in every game he played last week (3). Teammate John Tavares had 4 goals in that span. … Jaroslav Halak was stellar Tuesday for the Canadiens, stopping 45 of 46 shots for the win. … Saku Koivu scored 2 goals and 3 assists for the Ducks this week. … Ryan Miller stopped 35 shots for his 4th shutout of the year and 16th of his career Wednesday night against Washington. … Steve Mason played like his Calder-winning self on Wednesday against the Panthers, earning his first shutout of the season. Mason had 10 as a rookie last season. … Blues netminder Ty Conklin stopped 42 shots against his former Detroit team for the shutout. … Did you know Detroit’s opponent has scored first in 21 of 32 games this season? … Henrik Lunqvist was fantastic in the Rangers’ OT loss in Chicago, stopping 39 of 41 shots and posting a .951 save percentage. … Niklas Backstrom stopped all 22 of Colorado’s shots Wednesday for his first shutout of the season. … Ryane Clowe’s career-best 10 game point streak came to an end Friday night. … Did you know Boston’s Tuukka Rask hasn’t lost in regulation since November 16th? … Ottawa netminder Brian Elliott posted his first shutout of the season playing in place of injured started Pascal Leclaire on Thursday, stopping all of Philadelphia’s 23 shots. … Alex Semin scored 5 points this week for the Capitals (2+3). … Patrick Lalime was stellar Friday night stopping 39 of 40 shots for the Buffalo win. … Dustin Penner lead the Oilers to a 5-3 come-from-behind win, scoring a goal and 3 assists on Friday Gilbert Brule had 2 goals and an assist. … Martin Havlat has been solid for the Wild, scoring 2 goals in 3 assists in his past 2 games. … Despite stopping 42 of 44 shots, Evgeni Nabokov’s Sharks couldn’t pull out a win on Friday against Dallas. … Dwayne Roloson made 36 saves for a 3-2 OT win against the Bruins on Saturday night. Roloson does not look like he’s 40. … Alexei Kovalev scored 3 goals against the Canes on Saturday, the second goal being his 400th career goal. … Jonas Hiller got his first win in 4 starts, stopping 35 of 36 shots Columbus threw at him. … Did you know that all 3 of Florida and Pittsburgh’s meeting this year have been 3-2 Pittsburgh wins, all wins in extra time? … Todd Bertuzzi scored 4 goals for Detroit in 2 games this week. … Did you know Dallas has gone to extra time a league-high 14 times this season?
Notes:
-Darren McCarty retired after 15 years in the NHL. McCarty won 4 Stanley Cups, all with the Detroit Red Wings.
-Phoenix defenseman Ed Jovanoski was suspended for 2 games for hitting Andrew Ebbett in the head with his forearm Monday night.
Milestones:
-Martin Brodeur tied Terry Sawchuk’s shutout record at 103 Monday night with a 3-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
-Montreal forward Georges Laraque notched this 100th career assist Monday.
-Leafs forward Lee Stempniak got his 100th carreer assist.
-Radek Dvorak played his 1,000th career game Monday.
-Patrik Bergulind played his 100th career game.
-Darcy Tucker played his 900th career game.
-Chris Pronger earned his 1,500th career penalty minute Tuesday.
-Anaheim forward Dan Sexton scored his first NHL goal Tuesday. He also set a rookie record with 9 shots on goal.
-Matthew Lombardi recorded his 200th NHL point.
-Buffalo forward Nathan Gerbe scored his first NHL goal Wednesday.
-Luke Schenn played his 100th NHL game.
-RJ Umberger recorded his 100th career assist.
-Patrick Sharp scored his 100th career goal with Chicago.
-Jay Bouwmeester played his 373rd consecutive game Friday night, the longest of active players.
-Islanders forward Rob Schremp scored his first NHL goal.
-Patrick Elias scored his 300th career goal Saturday night.
-Jere Lehtinen scored his 500th NHL point.
-Andrew Brunette played in his 900th career game.
Injury Report:
-Alexander Edler (VAN), arm, unknown.
-Eric Brewer (STL), back, 2-4 weeks.
-Ray Emery (PHI), abdomen surgery, 6 weeks.
-Tim Jackman (NYI), unknown.
-Sean Bergenheim (NYI), unknown.
-Paul Mara (MTL), shoulder, unknown.
-Brian Pothier (WSH), undisclosed.
-Erik Cole (CAR), upper body, 3 weeks.
-Chad Larose (CAR), unknown.
-Dan Cleary (DET), shoulder separation, 1 month.
-Derek Dorsset (CJB), hand, unknown.
-Wayne Simmonds (LAK), torn meniscus, 2 months.
-Mike Grier (BUF) has missed 3 games due to the death of his mother.
Rob Scuderi (LAK), Brian Rafalski (DET), Vesa Toskala (TOR), Brendan Morrison (WSH), Peter Mueller (PHX), Jay Pandolfo (NJD), Cam Ward (CAR), Wade Redden (NYR) and Mike Knuble (WSH) all returned from injury.
1. Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks. Daniel has points in all but 2 games since returning from a broken foot on November 22nd. This week he notched his 3rd career hat trick Thursday and added 2 goals in 2 assists in his other 2 games this week. He and brother Henrik have combined for 14 points this week, which brings me to my 2nd star…
2. Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks. Henrik’s seven points this week all came in the form of assists, pushing him to 4th overall in assists and tied for 2nd in points with Marian Gaborik. Henrik assisted on 4 of brother Daniel’s 5 goals this week and notched his 500th career point with his 3-assist effort Saturday night against the Minnesota Wild.
3. Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings. Howard won 2 of 3 games this week with a sparkling .951 save percentage. The Wings seem to always be looking for goaltending and it looks like they have a replacement for Chris Osgood. The Wings haven’t been the past dominant selves but goaltending seems to be sorted out, for not.
Honorable Mentions:
Alex Ovechkin had 3 goals and 4 assists over 4 games this week, including 2 goals in his return game from suspension. … Matt Stajan was solid for the Leafs, scoring 3 goals and 3 assists. … Niclas Bergfors is making a strong case for the Calder so far this season. He scored 3 goals and an assist over 4 games. … Tomas Plekanec is playing for a big extension so far this year. He notched 6 assists in 4 games, including a 3 assist effort against Ottawa. … Ray Whitney scored the game winning goal for Carolina against Pittsburgh Monday night, helping the Canes win their first game of the season on the road. Whitney also scored 2 against Ottawa Saturday. … Semyon Varlamov stopped all 26 shots for his second shutout of the season before sustaining a lower body injury. … After having a career-high 7 game point streak, Eric Fehr hasn’t had a point in 3 straight. … The Edmonton Oilers have won 5 in a row all on the road and goaltender Jeff Drouin-Deslauries has been key in those wins. He’s won all 5 of those games for the Oil. … Colorado netminder Peter Budaj records a shutout against St. Louis Monday night, stopping 35 shots. Wojtek Wolski had 3 assists in the win. … Phoenix goalie Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 28 saves for the Coyotes, earning the shutout against Minnesota Monday night. … Martin Erat notched his 2nd career hat trick Tuesday night against Vancouver. He also had an assists. … The Flyers ended a 5-game losing streak and new head coach Peter Lavoiolette got his first win Tuesday night with a 6-2 win over the Islanders. Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and Claude Giroux each had 2 goals. … Kyle Okposo had 2 assists in every game he played last week (3). Teammate John Tavares had 4 goals in that span. … Jaroslav Halak was stellar Tuesday for the Canadiens, stopping 45 of 46 shots for the win. … Saku Koivu scored 2 goals and 3 assists for the Ducks this week. … Ryan Miller stopped 35 shots for his 4th shutout of the year and 16th of his career Wednesday night against Washington. … Steve Mason played like his Calder-winning self on Wednesday against the Panthers, earning his first shutout of the season. Mason had 10 as a rookie last season. … Blues netminder Ty Conklin stopped 42 shots against his former Detroit team for the shutout. … Did you know Detroit’s opponent has scored first in 21 of 32 games this season? … Henrik Lunqvist was fantastic in the Rangers’ OT loss in Chicago, stopping 39 of 41 shots and posting a .951 save percentage. … Niklas Backstrom stopped all 22 of Colorado’s shots Wednesday for his first shutout of the season. … Ryane Clowe’s career-best 10 game point streak came to an end Friday night. … Did you know Boston’s Tuukka Rask hasn’t lost in regulation since November 16th? … Ottawa netminder Brian Elliott posted his first shutout of the season playing in place of injured started Pascal Leclaire on Thursday, stopping all of Philadelphia’s 23 shots. … Alex Semin scored 5 points this week for the Capitals (2+3). … Patrick Lalime was stellar Friday night stopping 39 of 40 shots for the Buffalo win. … Dustin Penner lead the Oilers to a 5-3 come-from-behind win, scoring a goal and 3 assists on Friday Gilbert Brule had 2 goals and an assist. … Martin Havlat has been solid for the Wild, scoring 2 goals in 3 assists in his past 2 games. … Despite stopping 42 of 44 shots, Evgeni Nabokov’s Sharks couldn’t pull out a win on Friday against Dallas. … Dwayne Roloson made 36 saves for a 3-2 OT win against the Bruins on Saturday night. Roloson does not look like he’s 40. … Alexei Kovalev scored 3 goals against the Canes on Saturday, the second goal being his 400th career goal. … Jonas Hiller got his first win in 4 starts, stopping 35 of 36 shots Columbus threw at him. … Did you know that all 3 of Florida and Pittsburgh’s meeting this year have been 3-2 Pittsburgh wins, all wins in extra time? … Todd Bertuzzi scored 4 goals for Detroit in 2 games this week. … Did you know Dallas has gone to extra time a league-high 14 times this season?
Notes:
-Darren McCarty retired after 15 years in the NHL. McCarty won 4 Stanley Cups, all with the Detroit Red Wings.
-Phoenix defenseman Ed Jovanoski was suspended for 2 games for hitting Andrew Ebbett in the head with his forearm Monday night.
Milestones:
-Martin Brodeur tied Terry Sawchuk’s shutout record at 103 Monday night with a 3-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
-Montreal forward Georges Laraque notched this 100th career assist Monday.
-Leafs forward Lee Stempniak got his 100th carreer assist.
-Radek Dvorak played his 1,000th career game Monday.
-Patrik Bergulind played his 100th career game.
-Darcy Tucker played his 900th career game.
-Chris Pronger earned his 1,500th career penalty minute Tuesday.
-Anaheim forward Dan Sexton scored his first NHL goal Tuesday. He also set a rookie record with 9 shots on goal.
-Matthew Lombardi recorded his 200th NHL point.
-Buffalo forward Nathan Gerbe scored his first NHL goal Wednesday.
-Luke Schenn played his 100th NHL game.
-RJ Umberger recorded his 100th career assist.
-Patrick Sharp scored his 100th career goal with Chicago.
-Jay Bouwmeester played his 373rd consecutive game Friday night, the longest of active players.
-Islanders forward Rob Schremp scored his first NHL goal.
-Patrick Elias scored his 300th career goal Saturday night.
-Jere Lehtinen scored his 500th NHL point.
-Andrew Brunette played in his 900th career game.
Injury Report:
-Alexander Edler (VAN), arm, unknown.
-Eric Brewer (STL), back, 2-4 weeks.
-Ray Emery (PHI), abdomen surgery, 6 weeks.
-Tim Jackman (NYI), unknown.
-Sean Bergenheim (NYI), unknown.
-Paul Mara (MTL), shoulder, unknown.
-Brian Pothier (WSH), undisclosed.
-Erik Cole (CAR), upper body, 3 weeks.
-Chad Larose (CAR), unknown.
-Dan Cleary (DET), shoulder separation, 1 month.
-Derek Dorsset (CJB), hand, unknown.
-Wayne Simmonds (LAK), torn meniscus, 2 months.
-Mike Grier (BUF) has missed 3 games due to the death of his mother.
Rob Scuderi (LAK), Brian Rafalski (DET), Vesa Toskala (TOR), Brendan Morrison (WSH), Peter Mueller (PHX), Jay Pandolfo (NJD), Cam Ward (CAR), Wade Redden (NYR) and Mike Knuble (WSH) all returned from injury.
Monday, December 7, 2009
NHL Players of the Week: 11/29 through 12/5
1. Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames. Kiprusoff followed a 40-save shutout performance with 22 saves against Nashville Monday night, earning his second straight shutout and third of the year for the Flames. Kiprusoff only allowed 3 goals in the 2 following games, ending the week with a .969 save percentage. His stellar November combined with captain Jarome Iginla’s propelled the Flames to first in their division and third in the Western Conference. Kiprusoff also entered this save into contention for Save of the Year. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69yO4ORf-c0
2. Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins. Fleury has been fantastic all season long for the Pens and this week was no exception. In 3 games, Fleury has 2 wins and an overtime loss (to the Blackhawks in one exciting game) and a .936 save percentage. He’s also tied for league leader in wins at 17 (with none other than his childhood idol, Martin Brodeur).
3. Andrew Brunette, Minnesota Wild. The Wild have won 5 straight and Brunette has been instrumental in the past 3. Brunette has 7 points in 3 games (1+6) and +4 rating. The Wild have been dealing with their share of injuries and have struggled accordingly but the return of Martin Havlat and Antti Miettinen should help the Wild continue to win.
Honorable Mentions:
Players with hat tricks. Seven different players had hat tricks this week: Pittsburgh’s Mike Rupp (first career), Columbus’s RJ Umberger (second career), Florida’s Stephen Weiss (second career), the Islanders’ Matt Moulson (first career), Montreal’s Mike Cammalleri (in Montreal’s Centennial game; fourth career, second of the season), Carolina’s Erik Cole (sixth career) and Boston’s Marc Savard (third career). … Sidney Crosby played 2 games last week and scored 3 points in each (2+1). … Ryan Miller won 2/3 games last week, including a 38 shutout save performance against Toronoto Monday. … Miller’s teammate Jason Pominville had a good week, scoring 2 goals and 4 assists in 3 games. … Brenden Morrow is currently riding a 7-game point streak, scoring 5 goals and 2 assists in that span. … Craig Anderson earned his 3rd shutout of the season Monday night against Tampa Bay. Anderson had help up front from rookie Matt Duchene who scored two goals. … Paul Stastny had a fantastic week for his Avs, scoring a goal and 5 assists, 4 of those points coming against Florida (1+3). … Daniel Sedin notched 4 points in 4 games, including a goal and assist against the Devils. … Roberto Luongo stopped 38 shots Thursday against Philadelphia for his second shutout of the year. … Alex Semin made his return to the Capitals lineup and has scored 6 points in two games (2+4). … Did you know Phil Kessel has 10 goals in his past 14 games? … Dany Heatley may have only scored one goal and two assists this week but in 4 games, he has 20 shots on goal, including 7 in the first period against St. Louis. … Heatley’s teammate Ryan Clowe is riding a 9-game point streak … The Penguins were the first team to reach 20 wins with their victory over Colorado Thursday. Evgeni Malkin had 3 assists in the win. … Washington’s Eric Fehr is riding a 6 game point streak. … Carey Price was solid for the Habs in their Centennial game, only allowing one goal on 38 shots. Cammalleri’s hat trick helped propel the Canadiens to a 5-1 win. The Habs honored their past greats with former players Guy Lafleur, Jean Beliveau and Patrick Roy in attendance. … Did you know Martin St. Louis has played in 336 consecutive games? … Mikko Koivu and Antti Miettinen each had 2 goals and an assists against Anaheim Friday night. Joffery Lupul and Bobby Ryan each had 2 goals for the Ducks as the Wild won in a shootout. … The Capitals routed the Flyers 8-2 on Saturday. Nicklas Backstrom scored a goal and 4 assists, Mike Green had 2 goals and 2 assists and Tomas Fleischmann had 2 goals for the Caps. … Wayne Simmonds’ 2 assists against St. Louis extended his point streak to 6 games. … Mike Smith stopped 30 shots for the shutout on Saturday night.
Notes:
-The Philadelphia Flyers fired head coach John Stevens Friday, replacing him with 2006 Cup winner Peter Laviolette.
-The Chicago Blackhawks announced the extensions of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith on Thursday. Toews and Kane will make $31.5 million over 5 years ($6.3mm cap hit) and Keith will make $72 million over 13 years ($5.52mm cap hit).
-Alex Ovechkin got handed his first career suspension for his knee-on-knee hit with Tim Gleason. Ovechkin was given 2 games.
-Florida defenseman Keith Ballard injured his own goalie by swinging his stick at the goalpost, missing and hitting netminder Tomas Vokoun in the head. Later in the week, he injured former teammate Craig Anderson by running into him in the crease.
Injury Report:
-Alex Ovechkin (WSH), knee, day-to-day.
-Jonas Gustavsson (TOR), second ablation heart procedure, indefinitely.
-Sidney Crosby (PIT), groin, day-to-day.
-Teemu Selanne (ANA), broken bone in hand, surgery, 4-6 weeks.
-Alexandre Picard (OTT), upper body injury, DTD.
-Brian Rafalski (DET), back injury, unknown.
-Patrick Eaves (DET), ankle, unknown.
-Mike Comrie (EDM) mononucleosis, indefinitely.
-Paul Gaustad (BUF), knee, unknown.
-Rostislav Klesla (CBJ), torn groin, 6 weeks.
-Jussi Jokinen, Chad LaRoase, (CAR), lower body injuries, unknown.
-Joe Corvo (CAR), leg laceration, 8-12 weeks.
-Jay McKee (PIT), Brian Sutherby (DAL), Martin Havlat (MIN), Antti Miettinen (MIN), Rob Niedermayer (NJD), Alexander Semin (WSH), Rene Bourque (CGY), Milan Hejduk (COL), Robert Nilsson (EDM), Scott Walker (CAR), Johnny Oduya (NJD) and Ed Jovanoski (PHX) all returned from injury or illness.
Milestones:
-Montreal Canadiens celebrated their 100th year Friday.
-Corey Perry (ANA) set a new franchise record point streak at 19 games. The streak ended Thursday.
-Chicago coach Joel Quenneville won his 500th game as coach in a shootout win against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
-Sidney Crosby (PIT) scored his 150th career goal Thursday against the Avalanche.
-Ryan Whitney (ANA) played his 300th career game on Thursday.
-Jakub Kindl made his NHL debut for Detroit.
-Jordan Staal (PIT) played his 250th consecutive game Saturday. He scored the game-tying goal in a 2-1 OT loss to Chicago.
-Aaron Ward (CAR) notched his 100th career assist Saturday when the Canes took on the Canucks.
-Victor Hedman (TBL) scored his first NHL goal.
-Play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn called his 1,000th game for the Sharks Saturday night.
2. Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins. Fleury has been fantastic all season long for the Pens and this week was no exception. In 3 games, Fleury has 2 wins and an overtime loss (to the Blackhawks in one exciting game) and a .936 save percentage. He’s also tied for league leader in wins at 17 (with none other than his childhood idol, Martin Brodeur).
3. Andrew Brunette, Minnesota Wild. The Wild have won 5 straight and Brunette has been instrumental in the past 3. Brunette has 7 points in 3 games (1+6) and +4 rating. The Wild have been dealing with their share of injuries and have struggled accordingly but the return of Martin Havlat and Antti Miettinen should help the Wild continue to win.
Honorable Mentions:
Players with hat tricks. Seven different players had hat tricks this week: Pittsburgh’s Mike Rupp (first career), Columbus’s RJ Umberger (second career), Florida’s Stephen Weiss (second career), the Islanders’ Matt Moulson (first career), Montreal’s Mike Cammalleri (in Montreal’s Centennial game; fourth career, second of the season), Carolina’s Erik Cole (sixth career) and Boston’s Marc Savard (third career). … Sidney Crosby played 2 games last week and scored 3 points in each (2+1). … Ryan Miller won 2/3 games last week, including a 38 shutout save performance against Toronoto Monday. … Miller’s teammate Jason Pominville had a good week, scoring 2 goals and 4 assists in 3 games. … Brenden Morrow is currently riding a 7-game point streak, scoring 5 goals and 2 assists in that span. … Craig Anderson earned his 3rd shutout of the season Monday night against Tampa Bay. Anderson had help up front from rookie Matt Duchene who scored two goals. … Paul Stastny had a fantastic week for his Avs, scoring a goal and 5 assists, 4 of those points coming against Florida (1+3). … Daniel Sedin notched 4 points in 4 games, including a goal and assist against the Devils. … Roberto Luongo stopped 38 shots Thursday against Philadelphia for his second shutout of the year. … Alex Semin made his return to the Capitals lineup and has scored 6 points in two games (2+4). … Did you know Phil Kessel has 10 goals in his past 14 games? … Dany Heatley may have only scored one goal and two assists this week but in 4 games, he has 20 shots on goal, including 7 in the first period against St. Louis. … Heatley’s teammate Ryan Clowe is riding a 9-game point streak … The Penguins were the first team to reach 20 wins with their victory over Colorado Thursday. Evgeni Malkin had 3 assists in the win. … Washington’s Eric Fehr is riding a 6 game point streak. … Carey Price was solid for the Habs in their Centennial game, only allowing one goal on 38 shots. Cammalleri’s hat trick helped propel the Canadiens to a 5-1 win. The Habs honored their past greats with former players Guy Lafleur, Jean Beliveau and Patrick Roy in attendance. … Did you know Martin St. Louis has played in 336 consecutive games? … Mikko Koivu and Antti Miettinen each had 2 goals and an assists against Anaheim Friday night. Joffery Lupul and Bobby Ryan each had 2 goals for the Ducks as the Wild won in a shootout. … The Capitals routed the Flyers 8-2 on Saturday. Nicklas Backstrom scored a goal and 4 assists, Mike Green had 2 goals and 2 assists and Tomas Fleischmann had 2 goals for the Caps. … Wayne Simmonds’ 2 assists against St. Louis extended his point streak to 6 games. … Mike Smith stopped 30 shots for the shutout on Saturday night.
Notes:
-The Philadelphia Flyers fired head coach John Stevens Friday, replacing him with 2006 Cup winner Peter Laviolette.
-The Chicago Blackhawks announced the extensions of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith on Thursday. Toews and Kane will make $31.5 million over 5 years ($6.3mm cap hit) and Keith will make $72 million over 13 years ($5.52mm cap hit).
-Alex Ovechkin got handed his first career suspension for his knee-on-knee hit with Tim Gleason. Ovechkin was given 2 games.
-Florida defenseman Keith Ballard injured his own goalie by swinging his stick at the goalpost, missing and hitting netminder Tomas Vokoun in the head. Later in the week, he injured former teammate Craig Anderson by running into him in the crease.
Injury Report:
-Alex Ovechkin (WSH), knee, day-to-day.
-Jonas Gustavsson (TOR), second ablation heart procedure, indefinitely.
-Sidney Crosby (PIT), groin, day-to-day.
-Teemu Selanne (ANA), broken bone in hand, surgery, 4-6 weeks.
-Alexandre Picard (OTT), upper body injury, DTD.
-Brian Rafalski (DET), back injury, unknown.
-Patrick Eaves (DET), ankle, unknown.
-Mike Comrie (EDM) mononucleosis, indefinitely.
-Paul Gaustad (BUF), knee, unknown.
-Rostislav Klesla (CBJ), torn groin, 6 weeks.
-Jussi Jokinen, Chad LaRoase, (CAR), lower body injuries, unknown.
-Joe Corvo (CAR), leg laceration, 8-12 weeks.
-Jay McKee (PIT), Brian Sutherby (DAL), Martin Havlat (MIN), Antti Miettinen (MIN), Rob Niedermayer (NJD), Alexander Semin (WSH), Rene Bourque (CGY), Milan Hejduk (COL), Robert Nilsson (EDM), Scott Walker (CAR), Johnny Oduya (NJD) and Ed Jovanoski (PHX) all returned from injury or illness.
Milestones:
-Montreal Canadiens celebrated their 100th year Friday.
-Corey Perry (ANA) set a new franchise record point streak at 19 games. The streak ended Thursday.
-Chicago coach Joel Quenneville won his 500th game as coach in a shootout win against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
-Sidney Crosby (PIT) scored his 150th career goal Thursday against the Avalanche.
-Ryan Whitney (ANA) played his 300th career game on Thursday.
-Jakub Kindl made his NHL debut for Detroit.
-Jordan Staal (PIT) played his 250th consecutive game Saturday. He scored the game-tying goal in a 2-1 OT loss to Chicago.
-Aaron Ward (CAR) notched his 100th career assist Saturday when the Canes took on the Canucks.
-Victor Hedman (TBL) scored his first NHL goal.
-Play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn called his 1,000th game for the Sharks Saturday night.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Fantasy Hockey Friday: Trading Places
By John Cullen
Being in a pool with your buddies has its many benefits: bragging rights at the end of the season, getting together for a big game or two, draft night, and the ability to see first-hand just how much that egotistical friend of yours ACTUALLY knows about hockey. One of the major downsides to trying to pool with your friends, despite being one of the more fun aspects of pools, is trying to make trades. I’ve been in pools with both random people and my best friends, and it can often be very difficult for anyone to make a trade with a friend, who can prove to be more of a stickler than your average NHL GM. So how do you make trades work? What is the best route to go?
We’re approaching that time of year where teams start to look at their line-up, look at the waiver wire which has now been picked drier than the Christmas bird, and wonder just how they’re going to mount a charge up the standings. What are some things to think about before you wade into the trade market? Trades can be very difficult to pull off because everyone involved in a deal wants to do the best for their team and especially if you’re pooling with your friends, who’d rather be caught dead than offer you any kind of a steal.
The first thing to do when you approach any deal is assess your needs. There’s no sense in making a lateral move because trading is really only in place to improve your squad. Straight elite player-for-elite player deals don’t often have a huge impact on a pool and there really isn’t any point in breaking out the “propose trade” function for those deals unless you’re addressing a positional need. Positional need SHOULD be the number-one reason you make a deal, as poolies will often end up with a glut of good players at one position, especially if they’re new to a pool and didn’t have a draft strategy to cope with the various positions often required by pools. When you sit down to consider a trade, make sure you’re not going to leave yourself in a deep hole at any position either--this is the time of year where people get really smart to all the fantasy resources available to them(like this column) and the waiver wire begins to resemble a graveyard, so giving up your best player at a position you’re shallow at to strengthen another position can be your death knell, as the limited starts you get at each position won’t allow you to maximize your new asset’s potential. For example, in one pool, I have Mike Richards, Joe Thornton, Steve Stamkos, and Derek Roy at centre. It’s definitely a position most people would envy, but the problem is that on nights when I have all 4 playing, Derek Roy--a guy who is a C1 for a lot of fantasy teams--sits on the bench. Making a move that might deplete one position to build another can spell the end.
Another thing to consider is just the plain number of assets you’re getting. Any fantasy owner worth his salt knows that a 3-for-2 deal favors the guy getting 2 players every time. I know what you’re thinking: “wait a minute, the guy getting MORE players loses?! WHAT?!” But in almost every case, the guy getting 3 players has to drop someone. The guy getting 2 players gets a free spot to fill with a guy from the waiver wire, or, if he’s even smarter, times the deal when he has a key player returning from the IR, so it’s almost as though he makes the trade for free. Having Marian Hossa come off my IR in one of my pools actually gave me MORE flexibility for a trade, because I was able to make a 3-for-2 deal and maybe give up a little bit more because I had an elite player coming my way for free. Unless you have a total plug on your roster or you’re getting 3 amazing players, you need to be wary of any deal that comes your way with a lopsided number of players involved.
Finally, propose trades that work for everyone, most especially if you’re pooling with your friends. Sending trade offers that even a monkey with a typewriter wouldn’t accept serves no purpose aside from pissing your fellow poolies off and wasting your time. Guys are not as stupid as you think, and I’ve seen the classic poolie who offers you a different trade every 3-5 days, all of them equally terrible and all of them based off “name value”. If you’re a relatively smart poolie, most of the trades you will make or see in your pool will be considered fair deals. The only time a truly lopsided deal will come through the wire is when one poolie foolishly trades away a sure thing based on a player’s past performance or his name value. Be careful before you ever hit the “accept” button that you’re having a look at how that player is truly performing(we are a quarter of the way through the season now, which is a decent yardstick if you ask me) and you’re not just excited at the shiny name on the back of his sweater, because if there’s anything your friends will kill you for, it’s excitement over shiny things.
The Saturday Slate
Your weekly guide to goalie sits and starts. If my “start” goalies record a win and a peripheral statistic of either 2.00 GAA or less, or .920 save % or higher, I take one point. If they record one of the two, I take a half-point. If my “sit” goalies take a loss and post either a 3.00 GAA or higher or a .900 save % or less, I take one point. If they take either one of the two, I take a half. For the year, I have 16.5 of a possible 28 points, recording at least a half-point in 20 of 28 games thus far. In the event of a starting goalie not playing the game, I will assume their backup’s stats.
Last week: I missed last week, but it figures that the week after I start doing the “last week” feature I lay my first egg, going a disturbing 0-fer on my picks, striking out on all 4 match-ups. Not even a half-point! Recovery starts now.
START
Jon Quick v. St. Louis: St. Louis continues to struggle and with a recent dry spell when it comes to scheduling, they should be ripe for the picking, playing only their second game in a week. While L.A. hasn’t done much to allay their recent struggles, I like this play.
Ray Emery v. Washington: It’s never a good idea to recommend a goalie who is slumping, and even worse form when it’s against one of the league’s top offensive squads. That said, AO is sitting this one out as part of his kneeing suspension and Emery will look for a bounce-back at Wachovia. Philly always plays Washington very close and I think Rayzor shows his form here.
SIT
Mason/Garon v. Colorado: Colorado, despite their struggles of late, are still averaging more than 3 goals per game, and have put up 5 twice in the last two weeks. Mason and Garon haven’t exactly lit the world on fire and have given up 6 to the Leafs and lost an 11-round shootout to Chicago in the last week, causing the home fans in Columbus to actually BOO the Jackets after the loss to the Buds. Bench both these guys until some sign of life appears.
Miikka Kiprusoff @ San Jose: Playing another one of my “reverse streaks” here, as Kipper has allowed only 2 goals in the last 3 games, including 2 shutouts during that same time. It’s bound to end sometime, and for a goalie as consistent as the Kipper, it’s hard to give him a start against one of the league’s offensive dynamos and the current hottest line in the league in the form of the Money Line. Bench Kipper and save yourself the trouble.
Being in a pool with your buddies has its many benefits: bragging rights at the end of the season, getting together for a big game or two, draft night, and the ability to see first-hand just how much that egotistical friend of yours ACTUALLY knows about hockey. One of the major downsides to trying to pool with your friends, despite being one of the more fun aspects of pools, is trying to make trades. I’ve been in pools with both random people and my best friends, and it can often be very difficult for anyone to make a trade with a friend, who can prove to be more of a stickler than your average NHL GM. So how do you make trades work? What is the best route to go?
We’re approaching that time of year where teams start to look at their line-up, look at the waiver wire which has now been picked drier than the Christmas bird, and wonder just how they’re going to mount a charge up the standings. What are some things to think about before you wade into the trade market? Trades can be very difficult to pull off because everyone involved in a deal wants to do the best for their team and especially if you’re pooling with your friends, who’d rather be caught dead than offer you any kind of a steal.
The first thing to do when you approach any deal is assess your needs. There’s no sense in making a lateral move because trading is really only in place to improve your squad. Straight elite player-for-elite player deals don’t often have a huge impact on a pool and there really isn’t any point in breaking out the “propose trade” function for those deals unless you’re addressing a positional need. Positional need SHOULD be the number-one reason you make a deal, as poolies will often end up with a glut of good players at one position, especially if they’re new to a pool and didn’t have a draft strategy to cope with the various positions often required by pools. When you sit down to consider a trade, make sure you’re not going to leave yourself in a deep hole at any position either--this is the time of year where people get really smart to all the fantasy resources available to them(like this column) and the waiver wire begins to resemble a graveyard, so giving up your best player at a position you’re shallow at to strengthen another position can be your death knell, as the limited starts you get at each position won’t allow you to maximize your new asset’s potential. For example, in one pool, I have Mike Richards, Joe Thornton, Steve Stamkos, and Derek Roy at centre. It’s definitely a position most people would envy, but the problem is that on nights when I have all 4 playing, Derek Roy--a guy who is a C1 for a lot of fantasy teams--sits on the bench. Making a move that might deplete one position to build another can spell the end.
Another thing to consider is just the plain number of assets you’re getting. Any fantasy owner worth his salt knows that a 3-for-2 deal favors the guy getting 2 players every time. I know what you’re thinking: “wait a minute, the guy getting MORE players loses?! WHAT?!” But in almost every case, the guy getting 3 players has to drop someone. The guy getting 2 players gets a free spot to fill with a guy from the waiver wire, or, if he’s even smarter, times the deal when he has a key player returning from the IR, so it’s almost as though he makes the trade for free. Having Marian Hossa come off my IR in one of my pools actually gave me MORE flexibility for a trade, because I was able to make a 3-for-2 deal and maybe give up a little bit more because I had an elite player coming my way for free. Unless you have a total plug on your roster or you’re getting 3 amazing players, you need to be wary of any deal that comes your way with a lopsided number of players involved.
Finally, propose trades that work for everyone, most especially if you’re pooling with your friends. Sending trade offers that even a monkey with a typewriter wouldn’t accept serves no purpose aside from pissing your fellow poolies off and wasting your time. Guys are not as stupid as you think, and I’ve seen the classic poolie who offers you a different trade every 3-5 days, all of them equally terrible and all of them based off “name value”. If you’re a relatively smart poolie, most of the trades you will make or see in your pool will be considered fair deals. The only time a truly lopsided deal will come through the wire is when one poolie foolishly trades away a sure thing based on a player’s past performance or his name value. Be careful before you ever hit the “accept” button that you’re having a look at how that player is truly performing(we are a quarter of the way through the season now, which is a decent yardstick if you ask me) and you’re not just excited at the shiny name on the back of his sweater, because if there’s anything your friends will kill you for, it’s excitement over shiny things.
The Saturday Slate
Your weekly guide to goalie sits and starts. If my “start” goalies record a win and a peripheral statistic of either 2.00 GAA or less, or .920 save % or higher, I take one point. If they record one of the two, I take a half-point. If my “sit” goalies take a loss and post either a 3.00 GAA or higher or a .900 save % or less, I take one point. If they take either one of the two, I take a half. For the year, I have 16.5 of a possible 28 points, recording at least a half-point in 20 of 28 games thus far. In the event of a starting goalie not playing the game, I will assume their backup’s stats.
Last week: I missed last week, but it figures that the week after I start doing the “last week” feature I lay my first egg, going a disturbing 0-fer on my picks, striking out on all 4 match-ups. Not even a half-point! Recovery starts now.
START
Jon Quick v. St. Louis: St. Louis continues to struggle and with a recent dry spell when it comes to scheduling, they should be ripe for the picking, playing only their second game in a week. While L.A. hasn’t done much to allay their recent struggles, I like this play.
Ray Emery v. Washington: It’s never a good idea to recommend a goalie who is slumping, and even worse form when it’s against one of the league’s top offensive squads. That said, AO is sitting this one out as part of his kneeing suspension and Emery will look for a bounce-back at Wachovia. Philly always plays Washington very close and I think Rayzor shows his form here.
SIT
Mason/Garon v. Colorado: Colorado, despite their struggles of late, are still averaging more than 3 goals per game, and have put up 5 twice in the last two weeks. Mason and Garon haven’t exactly lit the world on fire and have given up 6 to the Leafs and lost an 11-round shootout to Chicago in the last week, causing the home fans in Columbus to actually BOO the Jackets after the loss to the Buds. Bench both these guys until some sign of life appears.
Miikka Kiprusoff @ San Jose: Playing another one of my “reverse streaks” here, as Kipper has allowed only 2 goals in the last 3 games, including 2 shutouts during that same time. It’s bound to end sometime, and for a goalie as consistent as the Kipper, it’s hard to give him a start against one of the league’s offensive dynamos and the current hottest line in the league in the form of the Money Line. Bench Kipper and save yourself the trouble.
Monday, November 30, 2009
NHL Players of the Week: 11/22 through 11/28
1. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins. Crosby had 8 (5+3) points in 4 games last week, including his 4th career hat trick and second of the season plus two assists against the New York Rangers (41 points in 30 career games against the Rangers).
2. Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils. Three games, three wins. In those 3 games, Brodeur only allowed one goal per game. Brodeur ended the week with a .963 save percentage and a new record. Marty broke Patrick Roy’s minutes played record Friday night, achieving 60,235 minutes played in his career. Not a bad week.
3. Jean-Sebastian Giguere, Anaheim Ducks. Giguere won the starting job off of Jonas Hiller and has been solid for the Ducks. In 4 games last week, he won 3 and lost another in overtime and had a .943 save percentage.
Injury Report:
-Pascal Leclaire (OTT), fractured cheek, 4 weeks.
-Wade Redden (NYR), shoulder, 1 week.
-Brent Burns (MIN), concussion, indefinitely.
-Pierre-Marc Bouchard (MIN), concussion, indefinitely.
-Martin Havlat (MIN), hamstring, indefinitely.
-Milan Lucic (BOS), high-ankle sprain, 4 weeks.
-Chris Neil (OTT), knee, 2 weeks.
-David Clarkson (NJD), fractured bone above ankle, 4-6 weeks.
-Ales Hemksy (EDM), shoulder surgery, done for the season.
Notable returns:
Daniel Sedin (VAN), Marc Savard (BOS), Chris Drury (NYR), Eric Staal (CAR), Marian Hossa (CHI, two goals in debut game), Zbynek Michalek (PHX), Kris Letang (PIT), Alex Goligoski (PIT), Tyler Kennedy (PIT)
2. Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils. Three games, three wins. In those 3 games, Brodeur only allowed one goal per game. Brodeur ended the week with a .963 save percentage and a new record. Marty broke Patrick Roy’s minutes played record Friday night, achieving 60,235 minutes played in his career. Not a bad week.
3. Jean-Sebastian Giguere, Anaheim Ducks. Giguere won the starting job off of Jonas Hiller and has been solid for the Ducks. In 4 games last week, he won 3 and lost another in overtime and had a .943 save percentage.
Injury Report:
-Pascal Leclaire (OTT), fractured cheek, 4 weeks.
-Wade Redden (NYR), shoulder, 1 week.
-Brent Burns (MIN), concussion, indefinitely.
-Pierre-Marc Bouchard (MIN), concussion, indefinitely.
-Martin Havlat (MIN), hamstring, indefinitely.
-Milan Lucic (BOS), high-ankle sprain, 4 weeks.
-Chris Neil (OTT), knee, 2 weeks.
-David Clarkson (NJD), fractured bone above ankle, 4-6 weeks.
-Ales Hemksy (EDM), shoulder surgery, done for the season.
Notable returns:
Daniel Sedin (VAN), Marc Savard (BOS), Chris Drury (NYR), Eric Staal (CAR), Marian Hossa (CHI, two goals in debut game), Zbynek Michalek (PHX), Kris Letang (PIT), Alex Goligoski (PIT), Tyler Kennedy (PIT)
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Discussion: NHL's Best/Worst Offseason Signings
Brandon Femia: Best signing was Craig Anderson by Colorado Avalanche. When the Avs signed Anderson this past July, no one really thought twice about it even though Anderson had a solid season last year for the Panthers. However, his impact has been greatly noticed as he is 3rd in the league in save percentage and tied for the league lead in wins with 12. The Avs knew they had to shore up their goaltending situation but I don't think in their wildest dreams they would have expected Anderson to step in and play as well as he has. Anderson has filled the #1 role nicely and has made himself an early candidate for the Vezina trophy, which is not bad for a guy making under $2 million a year.
Worst is Marian Hossa by the Blackhawks. This is sort of a to be continued type of thing, since Hossa has only played one game as a member of the Blackhawks. However, on a team thats already going to be right up against the cap, many have to wonder if this signing was even necessary, especially since the Blackhawks were one of the final 4 teams remaining in the playoffs last season. Chicago is almost definitely going to be forced to trade one of its core players because of the Hossa deal. They better hope that the injury he had/has is not something that will stick with him long term because he will be around for awhile
Pat Andrzejewski: Well thanks Brandon for basically saying exactly what I was going to say, haha. If I had to choose 2 others:
Best: Vinny Prospal, New York Rangers. Prospal was signed for dirt cheap ($1.1m) and has developed instant chemistry with Marian Gaborik.
Worst: Martin Havlat, Minnesota Wild. Havlat's contract may not actually be that terrible, but I don't think he fits that system in Minnesota and his numbers are suffering because of it.
Andrew Harvey: Taking value into account I think you have to look at Prospal as the most bang for your buck right now. Martin Biron for the money is really good too because of how movable his contract is and how many teams will likely overpay for a competent and proven goalie. Derek Morris is also proving to be a very good signing by Boston, he is a guy that was kind of an afterthought the last few years but is quickly regaining his form and he is legitimate first pairing dman.
Martin Havlat is overpaid and underacheiving (its not a contract year) as is Francois Beauchemin who has been dreadful for the Leafs.
The best off season move belongs to the Flyers bringing in Chris Pronger. If the season was over today Id give him the Norris and he instantly turned Matt Carle into a reliable player instead of the defensive disaster he usually is.
Tim Daily: I agree with Harv, Prospal is definitely looking like the best value...but the addition of Pronger to that Philadelphia blueline was a huge boost. There were some other great signings though, like Mike Knuble to the Caps. Knuble brings net presence to an already potent power play and makes the team better because he creates traffic for Washington's snipers. You also have to throw Gaborik into the discussion as well, despite the expectation that he will inevitably go down. He produces and is usually the best player on the ice. The skating is what is most impressive, and he has one of the premier shots in the game.
I'm not a big fan of either the Kovalev or Havlat signings, although at the time a $5m hit for a player with Havlat's potential seemed worth it. Kovalev seems like he'd rather fly planes than play hockey.
Corey Sznjader: Best is either Craig Anderson and Chris Pronger. I also think Brendan Morrison was a really good signing for the Capitals. He played the point very well while Ovechkin was injured. He's also been great on faceoffs and given us more depth to our top 6.
Mike Knuble was a good one as well with how he generates pressure in front of the yet and along the boards. The Rangers bringing in Marian Gaborik and Vaclav Prospal has also helped them out a lot. The Jackets bringing in Garon to backup Mason was a really good signing, too.
Worst: Right now, I'd say Francois Beauchemin. He's been awful for the Leafs. Not playing with Niedermeyer and Pronger has affected his play a lot. Havlat is also showing to be a major bust in Minnesota considering what they're paying him. Also, what about Saku Koivu? I (and many others) was expecting him and Selanne to put up a lot of points this year.
Beth Krumholtz: For best signings, Gaborik was one of the first to pop into mind. He has only missed one game so far this season when players are getting hurt left and right and has been amazing for the Rangers. Also, I agree with Craig Anderson. Can't really give an opinion on the worst off-season signing because I haven't really watched that many games, but I agree with Havlat.
Nate Wells: I agree with Pat on the two snapshot choices, although it'd probably be more the Prospal/Gaborik combination than just Prospal. I still don't think Havlat was a bad deal and believe it will pay off in the long run once the team gets built around him and Fletcher/Richards' philosophy [it also doesn't help when you're a playmaker to have most of a top-six sidelined with injuries and don't mesh with the only other top-forward left]; however for someone who was paid to replace Marian Gaborik in scoring goals, only having two goals at this point in the season is unacceptable. It really wouldn't have surprised me if he's been injured since the beginning of the year and hopefully taking off these next couple games will help.
Dara Heaps: Best signing: Craig Anderson. He has been the main reason the Avs are where they are. Marian Gaborik has also been great for the Rangers. He's providing the offense they've been sorely lacking so they're no longer relying on Lundqvist to steal games.
Worst signing: Marian Hossa. Even though he has yet to lace up the skates, it was an unnecessary signing by the Hawks. He's eating up cap space they could be giving to Kane, Toews, Keith and eventually Versteeg.
Worst is Marian Hossa by the Blackhawks. This is sort of a to be continued type of thing, since Hossa has only played one game as a member of the Blackhawks. However, on a team thats already going to be right up against the cap, many have to wonder if this signing was even necessary, especially since the Blackhawks were one of the final 4 teams remaining in the playoffs last season. Chicago is almost definitely going to be forced to trade one of its core players because of the Hossa deal. They better hope that the injury he had/has is not something that will stick with him long term because he will be around for awhile
Pat Andrzejewski: Well thanks Brandon for basically saying exactly what I was going to say, haha. If I had to choose 2 others:
Best: Vinny Prospal, New York Rangers. Prospal was signed for dirt cheap ($1.1m) and has developed instant chemistry with Marian Gaborik.
Worst: Martin Havlat, Minnesota Wild. Havlat's contract may not actually be that terrible, but I don't think he fits that system in Minnesota and his numbers are suffering because of it.
Andrew Harvey: Taking value into account I think you have to look at Prospal as the most bang for your buck right now. Martin Biron for the money is really good too because of how movable his contract is and how many teams will likely overpay for a competent and proven goalie. Derek Morris is also proving to be a very good signing by Boston, he is a guy that was kind of an afterthought the last few years but is quickly regaining his form and he is legitimate first pairing dman.
Martin Havlat is overpaid and underacheiving (its not a contract year) as is Francois Beauchemin who has been dreadful for the Leafs.
The best off season move belongs to the Flyers bringing in Chris Pronger. If the season was over today Id give him the Norris and he instantly turned Matt Carle into a reliable player instead of the defensive disaster he usually is.
Tim Daily: I agree with Harv, Prospal is definitely looking like the best value...but the addition of Pronger to that Philadelphia blueline was a huge boost. There were some other great signings though, like Mike Knuble to the Caps. Knuble brings net presence to an already potent power play and makes the team better because he creates traffic for Washington's snipers. You also have to throw Gaborik into the discussion as well, despite the expectation that he will inevitably go down. He produces and is usually the best player on the ice. The skating is what is most impressive, and he has one of the premier shots in the game.
I'm not a big fan of either the Kovalev or Havlat signings, although at the time a $5m hit for a player with Havlat's potential seemed worth it. Kovalev seems like he'd rather fly planes than play hockey.
Corey Sznjader: Best is either Craig Anderson and Chris Pronger. I also think Brendan Morrison was a really good signing for the Capitals. He played the point very well while Ovechkin was injured. He's also been great on faceoffs and given us more depth to our top 6.
Mike Knuble was a good one as well with how he generates pressure in front of the yet and along the boards. The Rangers bringing in Marian Gaborik and Vaclav Prospal has also helped them out a lot. The Jackets bringing in Garon to backup Mason was a really good signing, too.
Worst: Right now, I'd say Francois Beauchemin. He's been awful for the Leafs. Not playing with Niedermeyer and Pronger has affected his play a lot. Havlat is also showing to be a major bust in Minnesota considering what they're paying him. Also, what about Saku Koivu? I (and many others) was expecting him and Selanne to put up a lot of points this year.
Beth Krumholtz: For best signings, Gaborik was one of the first to pop into mind. He has only missed one game so far this season when players are getting hurt left and right and has been amazing for the Rangers. Also, I agree with Craig Anderson. Can't really give an opinion on the worst off-season signing because I haven't really watched that many games, but I agree with Havlat.
Nate Wells: I agree with Pat on the two snapshot choices, although it'd probably be more the Prospal/Gaborik combination than just Prospal. I still don't think Havlat was a bad deal and believe it will pay off in the long run once the team gets built around him and Fletcher/Richards' philosophy [it also doesn't help when you're a playmaker to have most of a top-six sidelined with injuries and don't mesh with the only other top-forward left]; however for someone who was paid to replace Marian Gaborik in scoring goals, only having two goals at this point in the season is unacceptable. It really wouldn't have surprised me if he's been injured since the beginning of the year and hopefully taking off these next couple games will help.
Dara Heaps: Best signing: Craig Anderson. He has been the main reason the Avs are where they are. Marian Gaborik has also been great for the Rangers. He's providing the offense they've been sorely lacking so they're no longer relying on Lundqvist to steal games.
Worst signing: Marian Hossa. Even though he has yet to lace up the skates, it was an unnecessary signing by the Hawks. He's eating up cap space they could be giving to Kane, Toews, Keith and eventually Versteeg.
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