September 21, 2013

Dobber Sports

2013-09-21

You can pick up the Fantasy Guide for $9.99. It's an online pdf that you can download along with an excel spreadsheet. It was last updated on September 18th.

 

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Many people have expressed the opinion that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was paid too much money this week with his new contract, but that's only looking at it from one angle. As I've mentioned before with Nazem Kadri's situation this summer, signing a young player to a longer-term deal instead of a bridge contract is a gamble, but one that could save you money in the long run.

 

I always refer to the P.K. Subban and John Tavares contract situations as examples of both sides. Montreal went with a bridge deal on Subban prior to last season, and the blueliner promptly won a Norris Trophy. Now he's a free agent again next summer and Montreal will have to dish out way more for a long-term deal than they would have had to prior to this season. However, as Steve Laidlaw mentioned yesterday, the Canadiens used the money they didn't spend on Subban to sign Daniel Briere.

 

The Islanders signed Tavares to a very cap friendly contract after his entry-level deal expired with a cap-hit of $5.5M over six years. Now granted, Tavares was more established when he signed his deal than Nugent-Hopkins, but if the Oilers believe he is a 70-80 point guy and he can stay healthy, then this deal might look like a bargain down the road.

 

As it stands now, players like Milan Michalek, Ryan O'Reilly, Paul Stastny, Mike Cammalleri, and Mikko Koivu all have cap hits equal to or greater than Nugent-Hopkins new deal. So it's a little too early to say if Edmonton paid too much, but time will tell.

 

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What in the world was Nazem Kadri doing getting anywhere close to blocking a shot in a preseason game? Kadri took one off the hand on Thursday night in Ottawa and it could have easily been a disaster, instead of just a bruise. He also got into a needless scuffle with Jean-Gabriel Pageau that could have led to injury. On a completely unrelated note, there are way too many preseason games.

 

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Matt Dumba really stood out for the Wild in their game against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. Dumba played over 24 minutes and potted a goal, while finishing as a plus-2. He's still going to have a tough time cracking the squad this year though, since the Wild already have seven defensemen under contract and six of those are one-way deals. The one two-way deal is Jonas Brodin, who is unlikely to get sent down. Dumba's situation is similar to Toronto Maple Leafs blueliner Morgan Rielly, as both are ineligible to play for their squad's AHL affiliates this year. If they don't make the team their only option is to go back to their respective junior clubs. However, whether spending another year in the WHL will be beneficial for Dumba is up for debate, so Minnesota has a tough call on their hands.

 

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Staying with that same game, Evander Kane was impressive despite going minus-3. The speedy forward put up seven shots and a whopping 10 hits on Thursday. In fact, Kane finished second to Alexander Ovechkin last season in shots and 14th overall when it came to hits. Factor in his 33 points in 48 games in 2013, and there is tremendous value and upside for Kane going into this year. Offseason acquisitions Michael Frolik and Devin Setoguchi should add some secondary scoring and take a bit of the pressure off Kane this season.

 

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Brandon Saad could very well find himself at center on Chicago's second line this upcoming season. He's been spending time there during training camp in-between Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa. Last year Saad was on the wing with Jonathan Toews and Hossa, and his numbers benefited because of it. If he does end up at center in 2013-14, his offensive totals might take a bit of a hit, not because of his linemates, but because of the more responsibility center entails. Saad is going to have to be much more defensively responsible than he was at wing and he will also have to take the majority of the draws. Playing with Toews last year also helped him to a plus-17 rating, but those numbers may drop slightly this year without him.

 

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Calgary named Mark Giordano their new captain on Friday. That's a nice accomplishment for a guy who had to head to the KHL a few years back to prove he deserved a one-way NHL deal. Giordano should actually have some decent fantasy value this year with the Flames roster being so thin. He and Dennis Wideman should get the bulk of the power play minutes on the back end for the Flames and in his last full season in 2011-12, Giordano posted a solid 43 points and 67 PIM.

 

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The big thing I took away from John Tortorella's press conference last week; the new Canucks coach is a fan of walking.

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Brenden Morrow apparently is considering a few offers at the moment. Morrow's body is worn down at this point in his career, but if he's able to stay healthy he could be a valuable addition to a third line somewhere. Carolina was rumoured to be interested in Morrow earlier in the summer.

 

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Philadelphia signed Matt Read to a four-year contract extension on Friday worth $14.5M. Read had 24 goals in 2011-12 and was on pace for similar numbers last year. He should be fighting for top-six minutes all year long in Philly, but with the depth the Flyers have up front he will likely be destined for third line duties. 

 

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It looks like the Washington Capitals will be hosting the 2015 Winter Classic. There is no official word yet on who they will be playing or where the game will be held, but the Philadelphia Flyers and Nationals Park seem to be the likely options.

 

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Patrice Bergeron will see his first preseason action on Saturday. You might remember from last year's playoffs that Bergeron suffered a slew of ailments and redefined the term 'upper-body injury.'

 

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Nicklas Lidstrom will play in the alumni game at the Winter Classic this year. I believe that's what you call a ringer.  

 

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There's a slim chance Ryan Callahan could be ready for the Rangers opener.

 

 

 

Michael Amato is an Associate Editor for DobberHockey and a News Editor for theScore. You can follow him on Twitter at @amato_mike

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