So it looks like Dany Heatley will get a shot on the top line with Getzlaf and Perry.

Axeman's Grind

Honestly, I think it's a good match. Heater can score and with Getzlaf dishing out the taters, he should score a bunch. If Getzlaf can bring Dustin Penner back from the dead, surely he can do the same for, as Steve Laidlaw likes to refer to him as, Heatley's corpse, who is a better option on that top line. I think Heatley still has gas in the tank and has something to prove. Let's not forget, these three have played together in the past with success (2010 Olympics). If you took a chance on him and grabbed him off the waiver wire (which is probably where he was until he signed with Anaheim) then I expect him to reward you, especially when he is only costing you 1M towards your cap hit in your leagues. Father time's catching up with Heatley so this will be his best shot to snag one last payday.

Go get 'em Heater!

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As far as pre-season cuts this year go, no one has caused the buzz for fantasy owners as much as Jacob Markstrom this past week.

Axeman's Grind

Even under new management, the Canucks have found a new way to create an old problem; a goalie controversy.  After signing Miller this off-season, that left the Canucks with three goalies signed to one way deals so it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out another tough decision was once again looming. Markstrom was the odd man out, not that there should have been any surprise there, so he was placed on waivers and sent to Utica. The surprise came when he actually managed to pass through waivers despite rumors that at least four teams were interested in the young Swede.

I have never really been a big Markstrom fan and have never really bought into the hype that’s surrounded him. Since coming to North America, he has never played more than 37 professional games in any one season and his record, be it in the NHL or AHL, is barely 0.500. I still think the hype was more Junior fed than professionally fed. Not to mention he has struggled with different injuries in his pro career which has probably stunted his development a tad. I have steered clear of Markstrom in any and all of my fantasy leagues. Plain and simple, the kid needs to play and find a way to stay healthy. I am not saying I would completely write him off at this point, but I think he still has a long way to go before becoming a legit NHL goalie.  Obviously the four teams who were supposedly interested in him felt the same and weren’t quite ready to pay him 1.4M this year either. Now he heads to Utica and will battle with Joacim Eriksson for crease time. Not an envious position in itself as Eriksson is a good young goalie trying to work his way up the chain and won’t give up playing time without a fight.

Good luck Jacob. I think you are going to need it.

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Lastly, I saw Ryan Ellis finally signed a long term deal with the Predators this week; five years at a total of 12.5M.

Axeman's Grind

For fantasy owners, this is a nice contract to deal with in cap leagues. I am not really a big Ellis fan. As long as he is in Nashville he will fight for ice time with better defencemen who play a better two way game. Sure, Ellis is a nice fantasy option who has the ability to put up some nice numbers for your squad but he will constantly be fighting for quality ice time behind the big three.

As I say, the price is right for your fantasy team but even with an offensively minded coach coming in, my expectations are tempered.

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Well, those are the Axes I am going to grind this week. Thanks for taking the time to read my simple thoughts. As always, comments are welcome and encouraged. Good, bad or ugly, I read them all.