C
Crosby, Stastny
C,W
Nathan Horton
W
Kariya, Rolston, Kane, Pominville, Holmstrom
D
Visnovsky, Zubov, Rivet
G
Brodeur, Budaj, Osgood, Nabokov
I'm finding in the HTH league that it's nice to have extra G. Also, we went with a "W" position instead of LW and RW so there are four W slots and it pays to have spare W.
Players I like who are FA: Spacek, Stillman, Cole, Langkow.
Postscript. AAGH. I cannot stop changing the team. I dropped Rivet and picked up Spacek, a sentamental favorite.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Stats That Should Be In Fantasy Hockey
Fantasy hockey, with its focus on fighting and goal scoring, fails to track which players are truly vital to their team. It also fails to track which players are being harmed by the enforcement of mediocrity, the clutching and grabbing -- and, now, intent to injure -- that goes unpunished or lightly punished in the league. I therefore think the following statistics should be followed by every fantasy league.
1) PIMs drawn
Unless penaties are coincidental, the player who is fouled should get credit for the PIMs the opposition takes. Players like Brind'Amour, Briere, Kariya, Lecavalier, and Dvorak are targets for the opposition and this stat would recognize that.
2) Time on Ice
Ice time is a key measurement of a player's importance to the team, and his coach's opinion of him. A key example is Kurtis Foster, keystone to Minnesota's impressive D, who plays a significant amount of ice time each night. Among forwards, the Tampa Three (Lecavalier, Richards, and St. Louis) play an astonishing amount of ice time.
3) Shots Blocked
The unsung heroes of the NHL include Colin White, who often blocks 8 shots in one night. If Brodeur's save percentage is 92.5, then 8 shots x 7.5 percent goals = 0.6 goals blocked by White in Brodeur's favor. It's not only an important stat, it's also an indication of courage and those players who lead the league in blocked shots deserve recognition.
4) Game Tying and Go Ahead Goals (GTGAG)
Everyone agrees that GWG is a meaningless stat but nobody knows what to replace it with. Obviously, there would be more GTGAG in close games, but that's the point! Close games are great and the back in forth in them deserves recognition.
5) Short Handed, Penalty Shot, and Empty Net Points (SHP) / Penalty Shot Saves
Short Handed Points are too rare to stand alone, as are penalty shots and empty nets, but all are game changing events and deserve recognition. Penalty Shot points and saves in a shootout could count too. The game winning penalty shot, of course, would be the Go Ahead Goal.
Empty Net Points would not count as SHP if the scoring team was on a power play -- they would count as PPP.
6) Hits
WHY ISN'T THIS A STAT!!!!! Because it's unofficial? Folks, fantasy hockey's a game. Let's treat it like one, by including this unofficial but very fun stat.
1) PIMs drawn
Unless penaties are coincidental, the player who is fouled should get credit for the PIMs the opposition takes. Players like Brind'Amour, Briere, Kariya, Lecavalier, and Dvorak are targets for the opposition and this stat would recognize that.
2) Time on Ice
Ice time is a key measurement of a player's importance to the team, and his coach's opinion of him. A key example is Kurtis Foster, keystone to Minnesota's impressive D, who plays a significant amount of ice time each night. Among forwards, the Tampa Three (Lecavalier, Richards, and St. Louis) play an astonishing amount of ice time.
3) Shots Blocked
The unsung heroes of the NHL include Colin White, who often blocks 8 shots in one night. If Brodeur's save percentage is 92.5, then 8 shots x 7.5 percent goals = 0.6 goals blocked by White in Brodeur's favor. It's not only an important stat, it's also an indication of courage and those players who lead the league in blocked shots deserve recognition.
4) Game Tying and Go Ahead Goals (GTGAG)
Everyone agrees that GWG is a meaningless stat but nobody knows what to replace it with. Obviously, there would be more GTGAG in close games, but that's the point! Close games are great and the back in forth in them deserves recognition.
5) Short Handed, Penalty Shot, and Empty Net Points (SHP) / Penalty Shot Saves
Short Handed Points are too rare to stand alone, as are penalty shots and empty nets, but all are game changing events and deserve recognition. Penalty Shot points and saves in a shootout could count too. The game winning penalty shot, of course, would be the Go Ahead Goal.
Empty Net Points would not count as SHP if the scoring team was on a power play -- they would count as PPP.
6) Hits
WHY ISN'T THIS A STAT!!!!! Because it's unofficial? Folks, fantasy hockey's a game. Let's treat it like one, by including this unofficial but very fun stat.
1.8 PPG!
Just a few posts ago I wrote that nobody was breaking 1.5 PPG in the modern era -- I was wrong! Zetterberg is average 1.8 points per game for the astonishing Detroit Red Wings. The Wings are good, and their performance is aided by the decline of regional foe Nashville, but the other NHL Central teams -- Columbus, St. Louis, and Chicago -- are doing very well.
So filter your player rankings by points per game to find hidden gems. Cory Stillman is available in my league and doing well (he missed a few games).
Spacek is due back from a shoulder injury -- we'll see if he regains his point per game performance, which is great for a defenceman.
Crosby tonight had a goal and three assists in a 4-2 win over defense-oriented Minnesota. That's leadership! Malkin did great too, with three points.
Can Carolina keep winning blowouts? If so, Hurricanes players will be valuable in depth. On most teams, only the top few players are worth having (even more so if the leader is a D), but on teams that score a lot of goals (DET, CAR), players who rank lower are worth having. Last year it was ANH -- ANH is not so good this year.
So filter your player rankings by points per game to find hidden gems. Cory Stillman is available in my league and doing well (he missed a few games).
Spacek is due back from a shoulder injury -- we'll see if he regains his point per game performance, which is great for a defenceman.
Crosby tonight had a goal and three assists in a 4-2 win over defense-oriented Minnesota. That's leadership! Malkin did great too, with three points.
Can Carolina keep winning blowouts? If so, Hurricanes players will be valuable in depth. On most teams, only the top few players are worth having (even more so if the leader is a D), but on teams that score a lot of goals (DET, CAR), players who rank lower are worth having. Last year it was ANH -- ANH is not so good this year.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Daniel Briere
I had Daniel Briere in rotisserie last year and I felt pain when I did not get him this year, but I'm glad I did not and maybe Sabres fans shouldn't be too upset about the loss of him too. He's scoring a great deal but too often these days he ends up a net minus. Is he not playing defense? Is the problem his line mate Gagne? Something's wrong there.
The PPG Player
When choosing fantasy hockey players, keep in mind that you don't need a player who has a multi-point night every night. Gretzky retired years ago and Mario was never the same after the cancer (though his metamorphosis from dude into owner has been impressive and his post-hockey career is arguably more impressive than those of Gretz and Mess). These days, a player who averages a point per game is excellent, one who gets 0.75 is good, and one who gets 0.5 is still above average (but few fantasy leagues are deep enough to require you to know you 0.5s).
That average means that you're either looking for a player who gets a point almost every game, or for a streaky player who scores in bunches and then has scoring droughts. So be patient.
A few players appear to be seasonal. Some are famous for starting well and then fading (Satan?) while others come on strong late in the season (Holmstrom).
The most impressive statistical anomaly was Claude Lemieux, who is retired and therefore irrelevant to fantasy hockey players, but he appears to be the only player in hockey history who scored at the same rate (slightly over 0.5 PPG) no matter how intense it got, and as a result he holds one record: career overtime goals. Claude! Devils fans miss you (Avs fans too, I suspect).
That average means that you're either looking for a player who gets a point almost every game, or for a streaky player who scores in bunches and then has scoring droughts. So be patient.
A few players appear to be seasonal. Some are famous for starting well and then fading (Satan?) while others come on strong late in the season (Holmstrom).
The most impressive statistical anomaly was Claude Lemieux, who is retired and therefore irrelevant to fantasy hockey players, but he appears to be the only player in hockey history who scored at the same rate (slightly over 0.5 PPG) no matter how intense it got, and as a result he holds one record: career overtime goals. Claude! Devils fans miss you (Avs fans too, I suspect).
Patrick Kane
Last night, the Blackhawks lost to the Blue Jackets 7-4, but Patrick Kane had 2 goals, 2 assists, and was a +2. Thus, with Kane on the ice, Chicago won 4-2, but the rest of the team participated in a 5-0 loss. In a recent post, I said fantasy hockey players should pay attention to players who do well when their team does not, but I cannot recall as clear a case as this.
In the game between the Rangers and the Penguins there was only one goal: Malikin, assisted by Crosby and Whitney. Those three (plus Gonchar) are the key players of the Penguins. Everyone expects them to start scoring a great deal, especially on the power play, and some people are willing to take peripheral players (I had Jordan Staal for a while). But those four are the key to the team.
Daymond Langkow continues to lead the league in goals. Worth looking at, even though he's a C (I'm not willing to drop Crosby or Stastny but if you have a lesser C, consider him).
In some leagues, Ottawa's D may be available. Also worth noting is this week's pundit's favorite, PHI D Randy Jones.
Pominville has another goal. He's my gf's favorite player, so I had to have him but I'm glad I do. She also liked the kindness and intelligence of Adrian Peterson but who doesn't think their gf has special powers of observation? After all, she picked you, didn't she?
In the game between the Rangers and the Penguins there was only one goal: Malikin, assisted by Crosby and Whitney. Those three (plus Gonchar) are the key players of the Penguins. Everyone expects them to start scoring a great deal, especially on the power play, and some people are willing to take peripheral players (I had Jordan Staal for a while). But those four are the key to the team.
Daymond Langkow continues to lead the league in goals. Worth looking at, even though he's a C (I'm not willing to drop Crosby or Stastny but if you have a lesser C, consider him).
In some leagues, Ottawa's D may be available. Also worth noting is this week's pundit's favorite, PHI D Randy Jones.
Pominville has another goal. He's my gf's favorite player, so I had to have him but I'm glad I do. She also liked the kindness and intelligence of Adrian Peterson but who doesn't think their gf has special powers of observation? After all, she picked you, didn't she?
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Quick notes, Oct 21, 2007
1) The Sabres have recognized reality. The signing of Jochen Hecht before the end of the season is something the team specifically said they wouldn't do last year, and the result was the loss of Drury and Briere.
2) I'm playing an HTH league. I have one (C,W) player (Horton). I have one extra C, two extra W, one extra D, and one extra G.
3) I added Kariya, Kane, and Rivet. Rivet is having an astonishingly good season. On a team with one 0f the best groups of D in the league, it's astonishing to see him emerge, a player who was too slow years ago. He must be smarter than I thought.
2) I'm playing an HTH league. I have one (C,W) player (Horton). I have one extra C, two extra W, one extra D, and one extra G.
3) I added Kariya, Kane, and Rivet. Rivet is having an astonishingly good season. On a team with one 0f the best groups of D in the league, it's astonishing to see him emerge, a player who was too slow years ago. He must be smarter than I thought.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Players of special value in Yahoo! NHL fantasy league
Special note: Nathan Horton is currently eligible for both C and W positions, making him especially valuable.
Horton is currently the highest ranked player eligible for both positions, but Malkin and Parise should rise in the ranks. I'm hoping Jordan Staal also becomes eligible for C,W.
Ales Kotalik of Buffalo has only played in two Buffalo games -- both wins -- and has four points. Keep an eye on him. His performance was irregular last season.
Horton is currently the highest ranked player eligible for both positions, but Malkin and Parise should rise in the ranks. I'm hoping Jordan Staal also becomes eligible for C,W.
Ales Kotalik of Buffalo has only played in two Buffalo games -- both wins -- and has four points. Keep an eye on him. His performance was irregular last season.
My watch list
Players currently not taken in my league, performance so far this season:
| (TB - C)  |  | FA | 195 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 2 | .278 | ||
| (Cgy - C) | | FA | 85 | 21 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | .385 | ||
| (Buf - C)  | | FA | 173 | 38 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | .083 | ||
| (Nsh - C) | | FA | 142 | 44 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 4 | 3 | .250 | ||
| (StL - W) | | FA | 96 | 54 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 2 | .000 | ||
| (Mon - C) | | FA | 162 | 60 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | .250 | ||
| (Cgy - W) | | FA | 101 | 70 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 2 | .000 | ||
| (Nsh - D) | | FA | 341 | 76 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .071 | ||
| (Pit - W) | | FA | 113 | 108 | 1 | 3 | -1 | 2 | 3 | .091 | ||
| (NJ - C) | | FA | 105 | 119 | 2 | 2 | -4 | 0 | 3 | .111 | ||
| (Ott - D) | | FA | 218 | 126 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | .125 | ||
| (Nsh - W) | | FA | 154 | 128 | 3 | 2 | -1 | 4 | 1 | .333 | ||
| (Pit - C,W) | | FA | 138 | 144 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .133 | ||
| (TB - D) | | FA | 365 | 147 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | .000 | ||
| (Cls - D) | | FA | 181 | 155 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .286 | ||
| (Nsh - D) | | FA | 179 | 194 | 0 | 3 | -4 | 2 | 3 | .000 | ||
| (Det - D) | | @LA | FA | 840 | 307 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | .143 | |
| (Was - C) | | FA | 117 | 326 | 0 | 3 | -1 | 0 | 2 | .000 | ||
| (Anh - W) NA | | Min | FA | 149 | 979 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Rankings | Goaltending | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Action | Opp | Owner | |||||||
| (Bos - G) | | FA | 331 | 112 | 2 | 1.34 | .957 | ||
| (Det - G) | | @LA | FA | 388 | 385 | 1 | 2.01 | .905 | |
| (Min - G) | | @Anh | FA | 261 | 412 | - | - | - | |
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Choosing Players
A few simple rules:
1) Every team has a leader
Note that while some teams have a leader that's easy to predict (Sundin, Lecavalier), if you scroll through the ESPN roster, you'll find a few surprises. If you're reading this, Nick, check out Prospal, who's currently tied with Lecavalier.
2) Some players do well even when the team does not.
Commentators have pointed out that Sundin's having a great year even though Toronto is not, on the other hand Pittsburgh appears to require Crosby to do well. In San Jose, Thornton should be scoring more and San Jose is suffering as a result. On the other hand, Dumont and Arnott had a good game during their team's 7-4 loss to Calgary.
Look for players who will produce points even when their team loses.
The one exception is the +/- stat. Your players, especially your Defence, will do well in this stat if the team wins and do poorly if the team loses.
3) The Goalies are particularly dependent on team performance.
Chris Mason is an astonishingly good goalie but his numbers don't always reflect that. Budaj has had a tough time but did well in the Olympics. Lundqvist is a gold medal goalie but the Rangers D is not as good as Team Sweden.
4) Check ice time. A player who is respected by his coach will get good ice time. A player who is not respected by his coach will lose ice time. Ice time -- and especially time on the power play -- are key to a good performance in a fantasy league.
1) Every team has a leader
Note that while some teams have a leader that's easy to predict (Sundin, Lecavalier), if you scroll through the ESPN roster, you'll find a few surprises. If you're reading this, Nick, check out Prospal, who's currently tied with Lecavalier.
2) Some players do well even when the team does not.
Commentators have pointed out that Sundin's having a great year even though Toronto is not, on the other hand Pittsburgh appears to require Crosby to do well. In San Jose, Thornton should be scoring more and San Jose is suffering as a result. On the other hand, Dumont and Arnott had a good game during their team's 7-4 loss to Calgary.
Look for players who will produce points even when their team loses.
The one exception is the +/- stat. Your players, especially your Defence, will do well in this stat if the team wins and do poorly if the team loses.
3) The Goalies are particularly dependent on team performance.
Chris Mason is an astonishingly good goalie but his numbers don't always reflect that. Budaj has had a tough time but did well in the Olympics. Lundqvist is a gold medal goalie but the Rangers D is not as good as Team Sweden.
4) Check ice time. A player who is respected by his coach will get good ice time. A player who is not respected by his coach will lose ice time. Ice time -- and especially time on the power play -- are key to a good performance in a fantasy league.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
NHL Team Summaries: Southeast
Atlanta Thrashers
What's wrong here? Hossa's hurt, and that's part of it. The goalie isn't posting good numbers, but that's not all of it. Part of the problem may be that the other four teams on this list have improved markedly. I'm not dropping Zhitnik yet, however.
Carolina Hurricanes
This team has rediscovered its Stanley Cup form. The team isn't quite as fast as it was in the postseason of its Stanley Cup year, but the fans are behind it and the team believes. Brind'Amour is a solid leader, Cole and Staal are playing very well, and the second line is as good as most other teams' first lines.
There may be some weakness on defence, but most of the time, so far, Cam Ward, the closest thing this league has to Brodeur after the man himself, is making up for any problems.
Many of these players have injury histories, and we'll have to see how they last as the season continues.
Florida Panthers
I expected this team to be better. I have Nathan Horton. I expected Horton and Weiss to be doing more. To date, this team remains the Olli Jokinen show (although tonight it's the Olesz show),
Vokoun has had a bad season but is playing well tonight. If he's not playing through injury (you never know), he'll be up and down the whole season. The rest of the team is very good. The Panthers are one of the few teams in the NHL with a defence I find adequate. Bouwmeester and Van Ryn are good (Bouwmeeter's overrated but he's still good). Ruslan Salei is one of the most gratuitously nasty players in the NHL, which is useful on D, although I suspect he'll be suspended at some point. I don't know the rest of the Panthers D, but any lineup that cannot find space for Montador and Mezei is impressive.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Vincent Lecavalier -- will history see him as better than Crosby? With the retirement of Teemu Selanne and the return to mediocrity of Jaromir Jagr and the perplexing underperformance of Crosby (and Thornton too), Lecavalier is the best player in the NHL (although Stastny has more points).
This team has won games without their star defenceman, Boyle, who was injured in one of the most bizarre sports incidents I've ever heard of.
I don't understand why the goalie is doing better. I don't know why teams aren't scoring on Tampa Bay. With everyone else so much stronger, I expected this team to start the season with a letdown.
That has not happened.
Washington Capitals
Ovechkin has a sadness and cynicism to him that makes me wonder about his philosophy. This is the guy who tried to destroy Briere last year, who has failed to wor k well with teammates for years, whose puck selfishness is evident in that he usually leads the league in shots.
Olaf Kolzig is a similarly troubled individual, nicknamed "Godzilla" for his temper, famous for breaking golf clubs in the offseason. . .
but the team is winning.
The stats seem to say that Viktor Kozlov deserves much of the credit, but I suspect an upgraded defence featuring Tom Poti is part of the answer. The O may get the credit but the key is the D.
What's wrong here? Hossa's hurt, and that's part of it. The goalie isn't posting good numbers, but that's not all of it. Part of the problem may be that the other four teams on this list have improved markedly. I'm not dropping Zhitnik yet, however.
Carolina Hurricanes
This team has rediscovered its Stanley Cup form. The team isn't quite as fast as it was in the postseason of its Stanley Cup year, but the fans are behind it and the team believes. Brind'Amour is a solid leader, Cole and Staal are playing very well, and the second line is as good as most other teams' first lines.
There may be some weakness on defence, but most of the time, so far, Cam Ward, the closest thing this league has to Brodeur after the man himself, is making up for any problems.
Many of these players have injury histories, and we'll have to see how they last as the season continues.
Florida Panthers
I expected this team to be better. I have Nathan Horton. I expected Horton and Weiss to be doing more. To date, this team remains the Olli Jokinen show (although tonight it's the Olesz show),
Vokoun has had a bad season but is playing well tonight. If he's not playing through injury (you never know), he'll be up and down the whole season. The rest of the team is very good. The Panthers are one of the few teams in the NHL with a defence I find adequate. Bouwmeester and Van Ryn are good (Bouwmeeter's overrated but he's still good). Ruslan Salei is one of the most gratuitously nasty players in the NHL, which is useful on D, although I suspect he'll be suspended at some point. I don't know the rest of the Panthers D, but any lineup that cannot find space for Montador and Mezei is impressive.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Vincent Lecavalier -- will history see him as better than Crosby? With the retirement of Teemu Selanne and the return to mediocrity of Jaromir Jagr and the perplexing underperformance of Crosby (and Thornton too), Lecavalier is the best player in the NHL (although Stastny has more points).
This team has won games without their star defenceman, Boyle, who was injured in one of the most bizarre sports incidents I've ever heard of.
I don't understand why the goalie is doing better. I don't know why teams aren't scoring on Tampa Bay. With everyone else so much stronger, I expected this team to start the season with a letdown.
That has not happened.
Washington Capitals
Ovechkin has a sadness and cynicism to him that makes me wonder about his philosophy. This is the guy who tried to destroy Briere last year, who has failed to wor k well with teammates for years, whose puck selfishness is evident in that he usually leads the league in shots.
Olaf Kolzig is a similarly troubled individual, nicknamed "Godzilla" for his temper, famous for breaking golf clubs in the offseason. . .
but the team is winning.
The stats seem to say that Viktor Kozlov deserves much of the credit, but I suspect an upgraded defence featuring Tom Poti is part of the answer. The O may get the credit but the key is the D.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Pre-draft Rankings
Here's a list of 119 good players. My biases are in favor of Sabres, Devils, Penguins, and Sharks, and against Hurricanes, Senators, Flyers, and Rangers.
I think the Bruins and Oilers and Blue Jackets will have a bad year.
I disliked having a Minnesota goalie last year because the coach pulls his goalie too early and he never says in advance what his plans are.
The order is not exact (except perhaps for the top 25):
1. Sidney Crosby
2. Martin Brodeur
3. Roberto Luongo
4. Joe Thornton
5. Vincent Lecavalier
6. Lubomir Visnovsky
7. Ryan Whitney
8. Miikka Kiprusoff
9. Sergei Gonchar
10. Sergei Zubov
11. Evgeni Malkin
12. Marian Hossa
13. Ilya Kovalchuk
14. Marian Gaborik
15. Thomas Vanek
16. Jason Pominville
17. Dan Boyle
18. Ryan Miller
19. Dominik Hasek
20. Evgeni Nabokov
21. Jean-Sebastien Giguere
22. Maxim Afinogenov
23. Martin St. Louis
24. Jarome Iginla
25. Paul Kariya
26. Chris Neil
27. Sean Avery
28. Marc-Andre Fleury
29. Martin Havlat
30. Olli Jokinen
31. Pavel Datsyuk
32. Daniel Briere
33. Tomas Holmstrom
34. Daniel Sedin
35. Jordan Staal
36. Chris Pronger
37. Marc-Andre Bergeron
38. Kevin Bieksa
39. Shane O'Brien
40. Brian Campbell
41. Brian Rolston
42. Joe Sakic
43. Saku Koivu
44. Henrik Sedin
45. Andy McDonald
46. Zach Parise
47. Ryane Clowe
48. Patrik Elias
49. Pavol Demitra
50. Tomas Vokoun
51. Paul Stastny
52. Milan Hejduk
53. Stephen Weiss
54. Robert Lang
55. Patrice Bergeron
56. Philippe Boucher
57. Zdeno Chara
58. Jason Spezza
59. Ian Laperriere
60. Sami Salo
61. Marc Savard
62. Patrick Marleau
63. Keith Tkachuk
64. Andrew Brunette
65. John-Michael Liles
66. Rob Blake
67. Alexander Radulov
68. Teemu Selanne
69. Dion Phaneuf
70. Bryan McCabe
71. Slava Kozlov
72. Brian Rafalski
73. Gary Roberts
74. Nathan Horton
75. Dany Heatley
76. Jaromir Jagr
77. Daniel Alfredsson
78. Henrik Zetterberg
79. Jonathan Cheechoo
80. Kristian Huselius
81. Milan Michalek
82. Simon Gagne
83. Matt Carle
84. Alexei Zhitnik
85. Alexander Ovechkin
86. Tim Connolly
87. J.P. Dumont
88. Christian Ehrhoff
89. Brad Richards
90. Mats Sundin
91. Derek Roy
92. Drew Stafford
93. Joe Pavelski
94. Jason Blake
95. Christopher Higgins
96. David Koci
97. Chris Mason
98. Marty Turco
99. Alexander Frolov
100. Kari Lehtonen
101. Rod Brind'Amour
102. Ryan Getzlaf
103. Brian Gionta
104. Mathieu Schneider
105. Alex Tanguay
106. Chris Kunitz
107. Jamie Langenbrunner
108. Anze Kopitar
109. Peter Budaj
110. Petr Sykora
111. Tomas Kaberle
112. Jason Arnott
113. Scott Niedermayer
114. Sean O'Donnell
115. Nathan Paetsch
116. Niklas Backstrom
117. Mathieu Dandenault
118. Peter Forsberg
119. Roman Hamrlik
Exclude Rankings
Martin Biron
Sheldon Souray
I think the Bruins and Oilers and Blue Jackets will have a bad year.
I disliked having a Minnesota goalie last year because the coach pulls his goalie too early and he never says in advance what his plans are.
The order is not exact (except perhaps for the top 25):
1. Sidney Crosby
2. Martin Brodeur
3. Roberto Luongo
4. Joe Thornton
5. Vincent Lecavalier
6. Lubomir Visnovsky
7. Ryan Whitney
8. Miikka Kiprusoff
9. Sergei Gonchar
10. Sergei Zubov
11. Evgeni Malkin
12. Marian Hossa
13. Ilya Kovalchuk
14. Marian Gaborik
15. Thomas Vanek
16. Jason Pominville
17. Dan Boyle
18. Ryan Miller
19. Dominik Hasek
20. Evgeni Nabokov
21. Jean-Sebastien Giguere
22. Maxim Afinogenov
23. Martin St. Louis
24. Jarome Iginla
25. Paul Kariya
26. Chris Neil
27. Sean Avery
28. Marc-Andre Fleury
29. Martin Havlat
30. Olli Jokinen
31. Pavel Datsyuk
32. Daniel Briere
33. Tomas Holmstrom
34. Daniel Sedin
35. Jordan Staal
36. Chris Pronger
37. Marc-Andre Bergeron
38. Kevin Bieksa
39. Shane O'Brien
40. Brian Campbell
41. Brian Rolston
42. Joe Sakic
43. Saku Koivu
44. Henrik Sedin
45. Andy McDonald
46. Zach Parise
47. Ryane Clowe
48. Patrik Elias
49. Pavol Demitra
50. Tomas Vokoun
51. Paul Stastny
52. Milan Hejduk
53. Stephen Weiss
54. Robert Lang
55. Patrice Bergeron
56. Philippe Boucher
57. Zdeno Chara
58. Jason Spezza
59. Ian Laperriere
60. Sami Salo
61. Marc Savard
62. Patrick Marleau
63. Keith Tkachuk
64. Andrew Brunette
65. John-Michael Liles
66. Rob Blake
67. Alexander Radulov
68. Teemu Selanne
69. Dion Phaneuf
70. Bryan McCabe
71. Slava Kozlov
72. Brian Rafalski
73. Gary Roberts
74. Nathan Horton
75. Dany Heatley
76. Jaromir Jagr
77. Daniel Alfredsson
78. Henrik Zetterberg
79. Jonathan Cheechoo
80. Kristian Huselius
81. Milan Michalek
82. Simon Gagne
83. Matt Carle
84. Alexei Zhitnik
85. Alexander Ovechkin
86. Tim Connolly
87. J.P. Dumont
88. Christian Ehrhoff
89. Brad Richards
90. Mats Sundin
91. Derek Roy
92. Drew Stafford
93. Joe Pavelski
94. Jason Blake
95. Christopher Higgins
96. David Koci
97. Chris Mason
98. Marty Turco
99. Alexander Frolov
100. Kari Lehtonen
101. Rod Brind'Amour
102. Ryan Getzlaf
103. Brian Gionta
104. Mathieu Schneider
105. Alex Tanguay
106. Chris Kunitz
107. Jamie Langenbrunner
108. Anze Kopitar
109. Peter Budaj
110. Petr Sykora
111. Tomas Kaberle
112. Jason Arnott
113. Scott Niedermayer
114. Sean O'Donnell
115. Nathan Paetsch
116. Niklas Backstrom
117. Mathieu Dandenault
118. Peter Forsberg
119. Roman Hamrlik
Exclude Rankings
Martin Biron
Sheldon Souray
Pre-draft Rankings
Here's a list of 120 good players. My biases are in favor of Sabres, Devils, Penguins, and Sharks, and against Hurricanes, Senators, Flyers, and Rangers.
I think the Bruins and Oilers and Blue Jackets will have a bad year.
I disliked having a Minnesota goalie last year because the coach pulls his goalie too early and he never says in advance what his plans are.
The order is not exact (except perhaps for the top 25):
1. Sidney Crosby
2. Martin Brodeur
3. Roberto Luongo
4. Joe Thornton
5. Vincent Lecavalier
6. Lubomir Visnovsky
7. Ryan Whitney
8. Miikka Kiprusoff
9. Sergei Gonchar
10. Sergei Zubov
11. Evgeni Malkin
12. Marian Hossa
13. Ilya Kovalchuk
14. Marian Gaborik
15. Thomas Vanek
16. Jason Pominville
17. Dan Boyle
18. Ryan Miller
19. Dominik Hasek
20. Evgeni Nabokov
21. Jean-Sebastien Giguere
22. Maxim Afinogenov
23. Martin St. Louis
24. Jarome Iginla
25. Paul Kariya
26. Chris Neil
27. Sean Avery
28. Marc-Andre Fleury
29. Martin Havlat
30. Olli Jokinen
31. Pavel Datsyuk
32. Daniel Briere
33. Tomas Holmstrom
34. Daniel Sedin
35. Jordan Staal
36. Chris Pronger
37. Marc-Andre Bergeron
38. Kevin Bieksa
39. Shane O'Brien
40. Brian Campbell
41. Brian Rolston
42. Joe Sakic
43. Saku Koivu
44. Henrik Sedin
45. Andy McDonald
46. Zach Parise
47. Ryane Clowe
48. Patrik Elias
49. Pavol Demitra
50. Tomas Vokoun
51. Paul Stastny
52. Milan Hejduk
53. Stephen Weiss
54. Robert Lang
55. Patrice Bergeron
56. Philippe Boucher
57. Zdeno Chara
58. Jason Spezza
59. Ian Laperriere
60. Sami Salo
61. Marc Savard
62. Patrick Marleau
63. Keith Tkachuk
64. Andrew Brunette
65. John-Michael Liles
66. Rob Blake
67. Alexander Radulov
68. Teemu Selanne
69. Dion Phaneuf
70. Bryan McCabe
71. Slava Kozlov
72. Brian Rafalski
73. Gary Roberts
74. Nathan Horton
75. Dany Heatley
76. Jaromir Jagr
77. Daniel Alfredsson
78. Henrik Zetterberg
79. Jonathan Cheechoo
80. Kristian Huselius
81. Milan Michalek
82. Simon Gagne
83. Matt Carle
84. Alexei Zhitnik
85. Alexander Ovechkin
86. Tim Connolly
87. J.P. Dumont
88. Christian Ehrhoff
89. Brad Richards
90. Mats Sundin
91. Derek Roy
92. Drew Stafford
93. Joe Pavelski
94. Jason Blake
95. Christopher Higgins
96. David Koci
97. Chris Mason
98. Marty Turco
99. Alexander Frolov
100. Kari Lehtonen
101. Rod Brind'Amour
102. Ryan Getzlaf
103. Brian Gionta
104. Mathieu Schneider
105. Alex Tanguay
106. Chris Kunitz
107. Jamie Langenbrunner
108. Anze Kopitar
109. Peter Budaj
110. Petr Sykora
111. Tomas Kaberle
112. Jason Arnott
113. Scott Niedermayer
114. Sean O'Donnell
115. Nathan Paetsch
116. Niklas Backstrom
117. Mathieu Dandenault
118. Peter Forsberg
119. Roman Hamrlik
Exclude Rankings
Martin Biron
Sheldon Souray
I think the Bruins and Oilers and Blue Jackets will have a bad year.
I disliked having a Minnesota goalie last year because the coach pulls his goalie too early and he never says in advance what his plans are.
The order is not exact (except perhaps for the top 25):
1. Sidney Crosby
2. Martin Brodeur
3. Roberto Luongo
4. Joe Thornton
5. Vincent Lecavalier
6. Lubomir Visnovsky
7. Ryan Whitney
8. Miikka Kiprusoff
9. Sergei Gonchar
10. Sergei Zubov
11. Evgeni Malkin
12. Marian Hossa
13. Ilya Kovalchuk
14. Marian Gaborik
15. Thomas Vanek
16. Jason Pominville
17. Dan Boyle
18. Ryan Miller
19. Dominik Hasek
20. Evgeni Nabokov
21. Jean-Sebastien Giguere
22. Maxim Afinogenov
23. Martin St. Louis
24. Jarome Iginla
25. Paul Kariya
26. Chris Neil
27. Sean Avery
28. Marc-Andre Fleury
29. Martin Havlat
30. Olli Jokinen
31. Pavel Datsyuk
32. Daniel Briere
33. Tomas Holmstrom
34. Daniel Sedin
35. Jordan Staal
36. Chris Pronger
37. Marc-Andre Bergeron
38. Kevin Bieksa
39. Shane O'Brien
40. Brian Campbell
41. Brian Rolston
42. Joe Sakic
43. Saku Koivu
44. Henrik Sedin
45. Andy McDonald
46. Zach Parise
47. Ryane Clowe
48. Patrik Elias
49. Pavol Demitra
50. Tomas Vokoun
51. Paul Stastny
52. Milan Hejduk
53. Stephen Weiss
54. Robert Lang
55. Patrice Bergeron
56. Philippe Boucher
57. Zdeno Chara
58. Jason Spezza
59. Ian Laperriere
60. Sami Salo
61. Marc Savard
62. Patrick Marleau
63. Keith Tkachuk
64. Andrew Brunette
65. John-Michael Liles
66. Rob Blake
67. Alexander Radulov
68. Teemu Selanne
69. Dion Phaneuf
70. Bryan McCabe
71. Slava Kozlov
72. Brian Rafalski
73. Gary Roberts
74. Nathan Horton
75. Dany Heatley
76. Jaromir Jagr
77. Daniel Alfredsson
78. Henrik Zetterberg
79. Jonathan Cheechoo
80. Kristian Huselius
81. Milan Michalek
82. Simon Gagne
83. Matt Carle
84. Alexei Zhitnik
85. Alexander Ovechkin
86. Tim Connolly
87. J.P. Dumont
88. Christian Ehrhoff
89. Brad Richards
90. Mats Sundin
91. Derek Roy
92. Drew Stafford
93. Joe Pavelski
94. Jason Blake
95. Christopher Higgins
96. David Koci
97. Chris Mason
98. Marty Turco
99. Alexander Frolov
100. Kari Lehtonen
101. Rod Brind'Amour
102. Ryan Getzlaf
103. Brian Gionta
104. Mathieu Schneider
105. Alex Tanguay
106. Chris Kunitz
107. Jamie Langenbrunner
108. Anze Kopitar
109. Peter Budaj
110. Petr Sykora
111. Tomas Kaberle
112. Jason Arnott
113. Scott Niedermayer
114. Sean O'Donnell
115. Nathan Paetsch
116. Niklas Backstrom
117. Mathieu Dandenault
118. Peter Forsberg
119. Roman Hamrlik
Exclude Rankings
Martin Biron
Sheldon Souray
NHL Fantasy Draft
Here's how our draft went:
Round 1
1. Sidney Crosby Bolts!
2. Dany Heatley Macabi NYC
3. Roberto Luongo Wolverines
4. Martin Brodeur Crosby's Con...
5. Jaromir Jagr Red Army
6. Joe Thornton FiveForSlacking
7. Henrik Lundqvist Won't Be Las...
8. Jarome Iginla notsureyet
Round 2
1. Evgeni Malkin notsureyet
2. Miikka Kiprusoff Won't Be Las...
3. Alexander Ovechkin FiveForSlacking
4. Ryan Miller Red Army
5. Vincent Lecavalier Crosby's Con...
6. Martin St. Louis Wolverines
7. Marian Hossa Macabi NYC
8. Jason Spezza Bolts!
Round 3
1. Henrik Zetterberg Bolts!
2. Daniel Alfredsson Macabi NYC
3. Pavel Datsyuk Wolverines
4. Evgeni Nabokov Crosby's Con...
5. Ilya Kovalchuk Red Army
6. Marian Gaborik FiveForSlacking
7. Jonathan Cheechoo Won't Be Las...
8. Dominik Hasek notsureyet
Round 4
1. Jean-Sebastien Giguere notsureyet
2. Chris Pronger Won't Be Las...
3. Niklas Backstrom FiveForSlacking
4. Scott Gomez Red Army
5. Nicklas Lidstrom Crosby's Con...
6. Dion Phaneuf Wolverines
7. Daniel Sedin Macabi NYC
8. Ryan Whitney Bolts!
Round 5
1. Maxim Afinogenov Bolts!
2. Daniel Briere Macabi NYC
3. Ryan Smyth Wolverines
4. Lubomir Visnovsky Crosby's Con...
5. Tomas Vokoun Red Army
6. Olli Jokinen FiveForSlacking
7. Thomas Vanek Won't Be Las...
8. Marc Savard notsureyet
Round 6
1. Milan Hejduk notsureyet
2. Joe Sakic Won't Be Las...
3. Marty Turco FiveForSlacking
4. Sheldon Souray Red Army
5. Sergei Zubov Crosby's Con...
6. Ray Emery Wolverines
7. Sergei Gonchar Macabi NYC
8. Milan Michalek Bolts!
Round 7
1. Pavol Demitra Bolts!
2. Marc-Andre Fleury Macabi NYC
3. Simon Gagne Wolverines
4. Jason Pominville Crosby's Con...
5. Chris Drury Red Army
6. Kristian Huselius FiveForSlacking
7. Slava Kozlov Won't Be Las...
8. Patrick Marleau notsureyet
Round 8
1. Dan Boyle notsureyet
2. Scott Niedermayer Won't Be Las...
3. Alexander Frolov FiveForSlacking
4. Bryan McCabe Red Army
5. Chris Neil Crosby's Con...
6. Zach Parise Wolverines
7. Henrik Sedin Macabi NYC
8. Chris Mason Bolts!
Round 9
1. Alexei Zhitnik Bolts!
2. Matt Carle Macabi NYC
3. Ryan Getzlaf Wolverines
4. Sean Avery Crosby's Con...
5. Mathieu Schneider Red Army
6. Philippe Boucher FiveForSlacking
7. Martin Havlat Won't Be Las...
8. Rick Nash notsureyet
Round 10
1. Zdeno Chara notsureyet
2. Tomas Kaberle Won't Be Las...
3. Jay Bouwmeester FiveForSlacking
4. Steve Sullivan Red Army
5. Paul Kariya Crosby's Con...
6. Kevin Bieksa Wolverines
7. Kari Lehtonen Macabi NYC
8. Rick DiPietro Bolts!
Round 11
1. Brian Rafalski Bolts!
2. John-Michael Liles Macabi NYC
3. Keith Tkachuk Wolverines
4. Paul Stastny Crosby's Con...
5. Markus Naslund Red Army
6. Rob Blake FiveForSlacking
7. Alexander Semin Won't Be Las...
8. Wade Redden notsureyet
Round 12
1. Mats Sundin notsureyet
2. Martin Straka Won't Be Las...
3. Brad Richards FiveForSlacking
4. Eric Staal Red Army
5. Peter Budaj Crosby's Con...
6. Brian Campbell Wolverines
7. Andy McDonald Macabi NYC
8. Andrew Brunette Bolts!
Round 13
1. Michael Cammalleri Bolts!
2. Jason Blake Macabi NYC
3. Martin Biron Wolverines
4. Marc-Andre Bergeron Crosby's Con...
5. Michael Nylander Red Army
6. Justin Williams FiveForSlacking
7. Derek Roy Won't Be Las...
8. Brian Gionta notsureyet
Round 14
1. Olaf Kolzig notsureyet
2. Christian Ehrhoff Won't Be Las...
3. Nikolai Khabibulin FiveForSlacking
4. Cristobal Huet Red Army
5. Brian Rolston Crosby's Con...
6. Anze Kopitar Wolverines
7. Manny Legace Macabi NYC
8. Cam Ward Bolts!
Round 15
1. Shea Weber Bolts!
2. Ed Jovanovski Macabi NYC
3. Kimmo Timonen Wolverines
4. Jordan Staal Crosby's Con...
5. Alex Tanguay Red Army
6. Adrian Aucoin FiveForSlacking
7. Vesa Toskala Won't Be Las...
8. Brett Clark notsureyet
Round 1
1. Sidney Crosby Bolts!
2. Dany Heatley Macabi NYC
3. Roberto Luongo Wolverines
4. Martin Brodeur Crosby's Con...
5. Jaromir Jagr Red Army
6. Joe Thornton FiveForSlacking
7. Henrik Lundqvist Won't Be Las...
8. Jarome Iginla notsureyet
Round 2
1. Evgeni Malkin notsureyet
2. Miikka Kiprusoff Won't Be Las...
3. Alexander Ovechkin FiveForSlacking
4. Ryan Miller Red Army
5. Vincent Lecavalier Crosby's Con...
6. Martin St. Louis Wolverines
7. Marian Hossa Macabi NYC
8. Jason Spezza Bolts!
Round 3
1. Henrik Zetterberg Bolts!
2. Daniel Alfredsson Macabi NYC
3. Pavel Datsyuk Wolverines
4. Evgeni Nabokov Crosby's Con...
5. Ilya Kovalchuk Red Army
6. Marian Gaborik FiveForSlacking
7. Jonathan Cheechoo Won't Be Las...
8. Dominik Hasek notsureyet
Round 4
1. Jean-Sebastien Giguere notsureyet
2. Chris Pronger Won't Be Las...
3. Niklas Backstrom FiveForSlacking
4. Scott Gomez Red Army
5. Nicklas Lidstrom Crosby's Con...
6. Dion Phaneuf Wolverines
7. Daniel Sedin Macabi NYC
8. Ryan Whitney Bolts!
Round 5
1. Maxim Afinogenov Bolts!
2. Daniel Briere Macabi NYC
3. Ryan Smyth Wolverines
4. Lubomir Visnovsky Crosby's Con...
5. Tomas Vokoun Red Army
6. Olli Jokinen FiveForSlacking
7. Thomas Vanek Won't Be Las...
8. Marc Savard notsureyet
Round 6
1. Milan Hejduk notsureyet
2. Joe Sakic Won't Be Las...
3. Marty Turco FiveForSlacking
4. Sheldon Souray Red Army
5. Sergei Zubov Crosby's Con...
6. Ray Emery Wolverines
7. Sergei Gonchar Macabi NYC
8. Milan Michalek Bolts!
Round 7
1. Pavol Demitra Bolts!
2. Marc-Andre Fleury Macabi NYC
3. Simon Gagne Wolverines
4. Jason Pominville Crosby's Con...
5. Chris Drury Red Army
6. Kristian Huselius FiveForSlacking
7. Slava Kozlov Won't Be Las...
8. Patrick Marleau notsureyet
Round 8
1. Dan Boyle notsureyet
2. Scott Niedermayer Won't Be Las...
3. Alexander Frolov FiveForSlacking
4. Bryan McCabe Red Army
5. Chris Neil Crosby's Con...
6. Zach Parise Wolverines
7. Henrik Sedin Macabi NYC
8. Chris Mason Bolts!
Round 9
1. Alexei Zhitnik Bolts!
2. Matt Carle Macabi NYC
3. Ryan Getzlaf Wolverines
4. Sean Avery Crosby's Con...
5. Mathieu Schneider Red Army
6. Philippe Boucher FiveForSlacking
7. Martin Havlat Won't Be Las...
8. Rick Nash notsureyet
Round 10
1. Zdeno Chara notsureyet
2. Tomas Kaberle Won't Be Las...
3. Jay Bouwmeester FiveForSlacking
4. Steve Sullivan Red Army
5. Paul Kariya Crosby's Con...
6. Kevin Bieksa Wolverines
7. Kari Lehtonen Macabi NYC
8. Rick DiPietro Bolts!
Round 11
1. Brian Rafalski Bolts!
2. John-Michael Liles Macabi NYC
3. Keith Tkachuk Wolverines
4. Paul Stastny Crosby's Con...
5. Markus Naslund Red Army
6. Rob Blake FiveForSlacking
7. Alexander Semin Won't Be Las...
8. Wade Redden notsureyet
Round 12
1. Mats Sundin notsureyet
2. Martin Straka Won't Be Las...
3. Brad Richards FiveForSlacking
4. Eric Staal Red Army
5. Peter Budaj Crosby's Con...
6. Brian Campbell Wolverines
7. Andy McDonald Macabi NYC
8. Andrew Brunette Bolts!
Round 13
1. Michael Cammalleri Bolts!
2. Jason Blake Macabi NYC
3. Martin Biron Wolverines
4. Marc-Andre Bergeron Crosby's Con...
5. Michael Nylander Red Army
6. Justin Williams FiveForSlacking
7. Derek Roy Won't Be Las...
8. Brian Gionta notsureyet
Round 14
1. Olaf Kolzig notsureyet
2. Christian Ehrhoff Won't Be Las...
3. Nikolai Khabibulin FiveForSlacking
4. Cristobal Huet Red Army
5. Brian Rolston Crosby's Con...
6. Anze Kopitar Wolverines
7. Manny Legace Macabi NYC
8. Cam Ward Bolts!
Round 15
1. Shea Weber Bolts!
2. Ed Jovanovski Macabi NYC
3. Kimmo Timonen Wolverines
4. Jordan Staal Crosby's Con...
5. Alex Tanguay Red Army
6. Adrian Aucoin FiveForSlacking
7. Vesa Toskala Won't Be Las...
8. Brett Clark notsureyet
Friday, October 5, 2007
NHL Team Summaries: Atlantic
New Jersey Devils:
This team starts with Martin Brodeur, but the real questions are about the people who play right in front of him. Brodeur had such good communication with defencemen Stevens and Niedermeyer that it looked like telepathy. The group that's there now does not.
Rookies Zach Parise (forward) and his goalkeeper older brother Jordon (goalie) could be the future of the franchise.
Johnny Oduya is vastly underrated because rather than being excellent at any one defensive skill, he's very good at everything.
Among the stars that remain, there are huge questions about Elias -- will he be healthy this year? Everyone expects big things from Gionta again. Langenbrunner's injury will hurt the team.
Madden and Pandolfo are a huge part of the team's defensive success, but the Devils have to avoid giving up short handed goals this year.
New York Islanders
The Islanders are playing their first game tonight in Buffalo and the team came out motivated. That's great, but they've also come out a little sloppy. Sillinger will take more penalties than he needs to. The defense seems to sleep occasionally. The Islanders are doing well because the Sabres also seem to be a little sleepy, with passes missing and pucks hopping over sticks. The comentators say it's due in part to unseasonably warm weather in Buffalo.
DiPietro looks very good. Perhaps his irregular performance last year was due more to a team that didn't play every night.
HAT TRICK FOR MIKE COMRIE. That guy is looking excellent tonight. Keep an eye on him. I can see the opening sentance of tomorrow's articles: The Islanders played the Sabres last night but it took a Senator to win. Former Senator Mike Comrie led the Islanders with a hat trick. . . of course, the Sabres have this tendancy to fall behind and win in the third period. That meshes well with the Islanders' tendency to lose games they should win (though the problem is bigger with the Rangers).
The Islanders are built more for the playoffs than the regular season and should do well whatever position (even 8th) they enter the playoffs.
New York Rangers
All that cash seems to be paying dividends. Drury had a great night, and Gomez will do well in a defensive role, if that's what the Rangers want him to do. Jagr remains one of the best players in the world, although for a time in Washington he lacked motivation. Shanahan remains a leader. Lundqvist won a gold medal for Sweden and could win a Stanley Cup. But the Swedish national team's defence is far better than the Rangers'.
The Rangers need a better defence, but if they can keep scoring five goals, as they did in their opener, perhaps they won't need a defence. Rangers Islanders games could see more goals that we've seen since Gretzky left the Oilers.
One more thing: the Rangers don't really have a backup who can replace Lundqvist.
Philadelphia Flyers
Bobby Clarke hates goalies. Playing in Philly has ruined more goalies than I can count on two hands. We'll see how Biron survives the pressure. He's started off well.
The list of new players in Philadelphia is as impressive as it's ever been, but we've seen lists like this fail before. So far, one part that won't fail is clear: the Gagne-Briere-Knuble line, two skill plus one brute who can skate with them, will do well.
The questions here are about defence. Kimmo Timonen captained Nashville last year and was one of the best all-around. Derian Hatcher can still KO opponents, but that's a skill that's more valuable in the postseason, and Philadelphia has to get there.
I have no idea how well this team will do this year. It could be anything from bottom of the barrel to top of the heap.
Given the number of ex-Nashville and ex-Buffalo players on the Flyers this year, games against those two will be particularly interesting.
Pittsburgh Penguins
In their opening game, the Penguins are not doing well. But there are new players in the mix, and perhaps they'll need some time to learn to work together. Sydor was a great defensive addition, but Petr Sykora, brought in from Edmonton, hasn't been the same since Hatcher elbowed his head to the ice in the 2000 Stanley Cup Finals. The Devils brought the Stanley Cup to his hospital bed that night, as he fought off the concussion. I'd like to see him succeed.
Another jinxed player is Mark Eaton. Nobody had a worse season last year. He broke his wrist, he accidentally put the puck in his own net, he was injured for most of the season. But Eaton has a lot of potential and could become one of the best defencemen in the league -- if he survives this season long enough to play. Eaton took the first hit of the season in the opening night game.
Last year, the Penguins mixed up lines a great deal. With everybody gunning for Crosby (a potential Crosby injury makes the title of this blog) the Penguins have to protect him.
The Penguins have other extremely young stars: the goalie Fleury, the phenom Malkin, and the defensive forward Jordan Staal. I have both Staal and Crosby and at the moment they're on the same line, which should work well some nights even though it's not a good thing tonight. But I don't expect Staal to play every shift with Crosby this year.
If the rookies don't get this team going, the veterans who were on the team last year, Gonchar, Recchi, and Roberts, will have to start things up.
This team starts with Martin Brodeur, but the real questions are about the people who play right in front of him. Brodeur had such good communication with defencemen Stevens and Niedermeyer that it looked like telepathy. The group that's there now does not.
Rookies Zach Parise (forward) and his goalkeeper older brother Jordon (goalie) could be the future of the franchise.
Johnny Oduya is vastly underrated because rather than being excellent at any one defensive skill, he's very good at everything.
Among the stars that remain, there are huge questions about Elias -- will he be healthy this year? Everyone expects big things from Gionta again. Langenbrunner's injury will hurt the team.
Madden and Pandolfo are a huge part of the team's defensive success, but the Devils have to avoid giving up short handed goals this year.
New York Islanders
The Islanders are playing their first game tonight in Buffalo and the team came out motivated. That's great, but they've also come out a little sloppy. Sillinger will take more penalties than he needs to. The defense seems to sleep occasionally. The Islanders are doing well because the Sabres also seem to be a little sleepy, with passes missing and pucks hopping over sticks. The comentators say it's due in part to unseasonably warm weather in Buffalo.
DiPietro looks very good. Perhaps his irregular performance last year was due more to a team that didn't play every night.
HAT TRICK FOR MIKE COMRIE. That guy is looking excellent tonight. Keep an eye on him. I can see the opening sentance of tomorrow's articles: The Islanders played the Sabres last night but it took a Senator to win. Former Senator Mike Comrie led the Islanders with a hat trick. . . of course, the Sabres have this tendancy to fall behind and win in the third period. That meshes well with the Islanders' tendency to lose games they should win (though the problem is bigger with the Rangers).
The Islanders are built more for the playoffs than the regular season and should do well whatever position (even 8th) they enter the playoffs.
New York Rangers
All that cash seems to be paying dividends. Drury had a great night, and Gomez will do well in a defensive role, if that's what the Rangers want him to do. Jagr remains one of the best players in the world, although for a time in Washington he lacked motivation. Shanahan remains a leader. Lundqvist won a gold medal for Sweden and could win a Stanley Cup. But the Swedish national team's defence is far better than the Rangers'.
The Rangers need a better defence, but if they can keep scoring five goals, as they did in their opener, perhaps they won't need a defence. Rangers Islanders games could see more goals that we've seen since Gretzky left the Oilers.
One more thing: the Rangers don't really have a backup who can replace Lundqvist.
Philadelphia Flyers
Bobby Clarke hates goalies. Playing in Philly has ruined more goalies than I can count on two hands. We'll see how Biron survives the pressure. He's started off well.
The list of new players in Philadelphia is as impressive as it's ever been, but we've seen lists like this fail before. So far, one part that won't fail is clear: the Gagne-Briere-Knuble line, two skill plus one brute who can skate with them, will do well.
The questions here are about defence. Kimmo Timonen captained Nashville last year and was one of the best all-around. Derian Hatcher can still KO opponents, but that's a skill that's more valuable in the postseason, and Philadelphia has to get there.
I have no idea how well this team will do this year. It could be anything from bottom of the barrel to top of the heap.
Given the number of ex-Nashville and ex-Buffalo players on the Flyers this year, games against those two will be particularly interesting.
Pittsburgh Penguins
In their opening game, the Penguins are not doing well. But there are new players in the mix, and perhaps they'll need some time to learn to work together. Sydor was a great defensive addition, but Petr Sykora, brought in from Edmonton, hasn't been the same since Hatcher elbowed his head to the ice in the 2000 Stanley Cup Finals. The Devils brought the Stanley Cup to his hospital bed that night, as he fought off the concussion. I'd like to see him succeed.
Another jinxed player is Mark Eaton. Nobody had a worse season last year. He broke his wrist, he accidentally put the puck in his own net, he was injured for most of the season. But Eaton has a lot of potential and could become one of the best defencemen in the league -- if he survives this season long enough to play. Eaton took the first hit of the season in the opening night game.
Last year, the Penguins mixed up lines a great deal. With everybody gunning for Crosby (a potential Crosby injury makes the title of this blog) the Penguins have to protect him.
The Penguins have other extremely young stars: the goalie Fleury, the phenom Malkin, and the defensive forward Jordan Staal. I have both Staal and Crosby and at the moment they're on the same line, which should work well some nights even though it's not a good thing tonight. But I don't expect Staal to play every shift with Crosby this year.
If the rookies don't get this team going, the veterans who were on the team last year, Gonchar, Recchi, and Roberts, will have to start things up.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
NHL Team Summaries: Northeast
This will be very freeform but here goes:
Boston Bruins:
Give up now! Manny Fernandez may make this team better, but he won't make it good enough.
Buffalo Sabres:
The pundits are wrong! They have written off this team before the season started but young players like Paetsch and Stafford will have an impact this season.
The power play has to improve, but the five forward power play is a great idea.
http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/sabresnhl/story/173901.html
I told Nick, who picked Afinogenov for his fantasy team:
Tim Connolly could make a huge difference this year. He played one regular season game and then had 9 assists (no goals) in 16 postseason games for Buffalo.
And Buffalo is the new hockeytown. The fans are rabid and awesome. It's pretty close to Canada.
Montreal Canadiens
I watched the Montreal-Carolina game tonight on the free NHL Center Ice preview, which rocks. "Puck" is "le rondeau" in French. The Canadiens have a powerful offense when Koivu is on his game, but the defense is weak. They won tonight but I'm still not adding Koivu to my team (though I'll keep an eye on him).
The Canadiens are underrated because they do so poorly against Ottawa and Toronto but they are a very good team.
Ottawa Senators
This year is Ottawa's to lose. The team is in place (although goaltending could be a problem). The defence is hot. The scorers are hot. This team is lucky in addition to being good. Opponents have to realize that even a two goal lead is no security against them.
Opponents will not underestimate this team. They will face a lot of fights, and are already hated in Buffalo.
Starting the season, this is the best team in the East, but I don't like them at all.
Tornto Maple Leafs
What's wrong with Maple Leafs fans? This is a good team but its fans treat it like it's St. Louis. One Canadian guy told me, "people just feel we need a Canadian captain." To which I replied, "like Koivu and Alfreddson?"
Mats Sundin is a bona fide superstar and has always been. The head office has been unable to match him up with equally talented players. The team should get more Swedes, but Jason Blake, who looks Swedish and plays very well, is a good start.
Wellwood's story is compelling http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=burnside_scott&id=2823486 but he might be better off in a town where he would be less well known. I think he'll flourish if traded to, say, Florida.
Last year, this team was hurt by injuries and goaltending uncertainty. Will Toskala play in goal? Would that help?
Boston Bruins:
Give up now! Manny Fernandez may make this team better, but he won't make it good enough.
Buffalo Sabres:
The pundits are wrong! They have written off this team before the season started but young players like Paetsch and Stafford will have an impact this season.
The power play has to improve, but the five forward power play is a great idea.
http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/sabresnhl/story/173901.html
I told Nick, who picked Afinogenov for his fantasy team:
If you have a chance to see a Sabres game on TV, watch it just to see Afinogenov in action. Whereas Crosby and Lecavalier project calm leadership on the ice, Afinogenov projects asshole. Every move is a challenge to opponents to keep up with him. He'll juggle the puck under their noses because he can. He's wonderful to watch.
Tim Connolly could make a huge difference this year. He played one regular season game and then had 9 assists (no goals) in 16 postseason games for Buffalo.
And Buffalo is the new hockeytown. The fans are rabid and awesome. It's pretty close to Canada.
Montreal Canadiens
I watched the Montreal-Carolina game tonight on the free NHL Center Ice preview, which rocks. "Puck" is "le rondeau" in French. The Canadiens have a powerful offense when Koivu is on his game, but the defense is weak. They won tonight but I'm still not adding Koivu to my team (though I'll keep an eye on him).
The Canadiens are underrated because they do so poorly against Ottawa and Toronto but they are a very good team.
Ottawa Senators
This year is Ottawa's to lose. The team is in place (although goaltending could be a problem). The defence is hot. The scorers are hot. This team is lucky in addition to being good. Opponents have to realize that even a two goal lead is no security against them.
Opponents will not underestimate this team. They will face a lot of fights, and are already hated in Buffalo.
Starting the season, this is the best team in the East, but I don't like them at all.
Tornto Maple Leafs
What's wrong with Maple Leafs fans? This is a good team but its fans treat it like it's St. Louis. One Canadian guy told me, "people just feel we need a Canadian captain." To which I replied, "like Koivu and Alfreddson?"
Mats Sundin is a bona fide superstar and has always been. The head office has been unable to match him up with equally talented players. The team should get more Swedes, but Jason Blake, who looks Swedish and plays very well, is a good start.
Wellwood's story is compelling http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=burnside_scott&id=2823486 but he might be better off in a town where he would be less well known. I think he'll flourish if traded to, say, Florida.
Last year, this team was hurt by injuries and goaltending uncertainty. Will Toskala play in goal? Would that help?