September 24, 2014
Dobber
2014-09-24
J.Staal hurt, Drouin hurt, Datsyuk hurt, camp cuts are starting, my advice on some NHL player props and more …
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Fantasy Guide updated as of today
Jordan Staal’s injury is a broken leg. Ouch! I would imagine recover time is 4-6 weeks. And that’s a lot of ice time to spread around now. And since Skinner, Semin and Eric Staal already get ice time – look for Tlusty, Lindholm and Boychuk to get a boost.
Penguins made some big roster cuts, including goalies Matt Murray, Eric Hartzell, Tristan Jarry, and forwards Anton Zlobin and Tom Kuhnhackl
Derek Stepan was back in practice today after missing time with a foot injury – but was helped off the ice after collapsing in pain holding his knee. Doesn’t look good – UPDATE – broken fibula, out until mid-November. Does any other Fantasy Guide have a Draft List right now that is adjusted based on Stepan’s leg injury? Didn’t think so! Get the edge! Buy it here!
Also, Drouin’s injury (below) is a broken thumb, to be more specific.
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The big news of the day is that most people’s Calder favorite – Jonathan Drouin – is out three-four weeks with a broken hand. Terrible news for Drouin, but it also puts a kink into the plans of fantasy owners. Especially those in one-year leagues. Now where do you draft him? Let’s say he gets back after missing the first seven NHL games. Does Steve Yzerman send him down to junior? Even the patient Yzerman has to admit that junior hockey would be a joke for Drouin. If he was eligible for the AHL, it would make things easier. I’m certain that he’d go there for a couple of months, get used to pro hockey there, and then finish the second half with the Lightning. But because he has to go to junior, I think the team keeps him. They’ll ease him into the lineup, so maybe he’ll play four of the first six games before getting on the roster full time. So the proper play here is to assume 73 games. So in my Fantasy Guide, that means 73 games, 48 points. That would take him out of the Calder race.
– I’m thinking about something small like $20 on Taylor Hall for the Art Ross Trophy at 50/1. It would require Crosby and Malkin injuries, as well as a huge step forward by the entire Edmonton team. Plus a healthy Hall. But it’s only 20 bucks and it pays $1000.
Yes, I’m very high risk when it comes to fantasy hockey, but if it’s real gambling I’m quite conservative. That’s why I spread my ‘play money’ around on the over/under player season projections.
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Ryan Ellis is still pretty far apart in his contract talks. The Preds say that they’re not going to trade him, and have apparently put deals on the table both long term and short term. I’ll give it the weekend before I start tweaking his projection down in the Guide.
That article also reports that Cody Eakin and Brenden Dillon aren’t close with Dallas. But Eakin is one of those guys who is waiver fodder anyway. Dillon, however, is a pretty good own in leagues that count hits. He could flirt with 200 this year if he can get signed quickly.
The situation in Boston reminds me of the one in Toronto last year. You have two players Krug and Smith who will probably sign for fair dollars, but the team is against the cap. So they’ll sign for cheap unless the Bruins move a contract (either Boychuk or Marchand, I’m thinking).
Lebrun also thinks that Jaden Schwartz is probably going to get a contract done sooner rather than later. His agent, unlike Ryan Johansen‘s agent, is being reasonable.
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Darren Helm was enjoying a sweet job in the Datsyuk line, adding his speed as another weapon to defend against. But he broke his nose Monday from a high stick. It won’t cost him any games. But Datsyuk injured his shoulder and will miss what he figures to be a week. It would seem that the hockey gods are preventing the speedy checker Helm from playing with the all-world Datsyuk. When a coach experiments with something, I don’t like seeing anything rock the boat because it tends to not return to the way it was before.
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Sidney Crosby was back skating yesterday and was taking full contact.
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The Hockey Writers takes a look at the Enroth vs. Neuvirth goaltending battle in Buffalo. It’s essentially a battle to see if one of them can get 18 wins this year. THW says that there is no clear-cut favorite, but I tend to think that management would like to see Neuvirth seize the role. I also think he’s the better goaltender. But he’s also the bigger Band-Aid Boy, which makes this a pretty even match.
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Sportsnet’s John Shannon reported just before my posting these ramblings that Jordan Staal left the arena on crutches and had a cast on his lower leg – so ankle or foot. And obviously, it sounds long term. Carolina was the team with the slimmest depth chart in terms of established players. This opens the door for Jeff Skinner to move back to center and for Elias Lindholm to log more ice time. It could also see Chris Terry or Brock McGinn getting a look early on.
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JVR with a pair of mitts here, wow. Mason didn’t even move…