Monthly Archives: January 2010

When it comes to young and relatively unknown talent in the NHL, it’s easy for a goalie scout to decipher their upside compared to others because it’s visible with the naked eye. Without even trying, I clearly see Pekka Rinne’s quick hands, Jonas Hiller’s awesome lateral movement and even Jaroslav Halak’s great composure. Although their future is still up in the air, recognizing their unique puck-stopping traits proves they have some tremendous potential.

If you were to look back at every prediction I’ve provided for Dobber Nation over the last eight months regarding prospects, it would be tough to find any that would now be considered completely off base. Well, I did go back over the last week while working on the Mid-Season Guide and found one glaring right back at me. Yes, I was wrong about Jimmy Howard’s ability to win at this level, so allow me to be the first in line for 50 lashings with a rusty nail-studded leather strap - I feel like I deserve it.

Fantasy hockey is all about the numbers. Identifying trends, patterns, and making correct projections is usually the difference between consistently winning and consistently losing hockey pools. I like to look for short-term arbitrage (capitalizing on market imbalances) opportunities in order to maximize player values. I rarely win my pools because of strong drafts alone; it is often with shrewd trading throughout the year at certain times that I am able to move up in the standings.

I posted an article a few weeks ago about using the World Junior Championship to your advantage, and the following strategy is somewhat similar. It involves identifying young players and prospects on struggling teams.