January 12, 2015
steve laidlaw
2015-01-12
The Mid-Season Guide is out today, Rakell pays tribute to Selanne, Byfuglien sticking on D and more…
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Laidlaw here, checking in for Dobber while the big man puts the finishing touches on the Mid-Season Guide due out later today. Yes, today!
Excited? You should be. We've packed this thing full of revised projections, with tons of insight on which players to buy, sell and hold. If you want to secure your championship you'll be hard pressed to find a better resource. If you haven't made your purchase yet, now is the time. Only $9.99.
We have 1 PM EST as an estimated release time.
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Breaking News: The Leafs have apparently recalled William Nylander from Modo of the SHL to play for the Marlies. With him now in North America and just a stone’s throw away, the Leafs can call him up as needed. But I think (and this is Dobber with the quick update) that he could be earmarked for the big club as a replacement for the injured Joffrey Lupul on a scoring line (but maybe not – see below for update on this note) . The Leafs are out west for four games so Nylander will have a week or two to show his stuff at the AHL level (in a playoff race). And when the Leafs return, I think you’ll see the move is made.
Nylander’s points-per -game average (20 points, 21 games) as an 18-year-old is better than what Mats Sundin’s was at that age. Also better than Peter Forsberg’s and both of the Sedin twins. That’s not to say that he’s a slam-dunk NHL-ready player, or that he won’t get crunched by a 220-pound freight train in his first shift… but it’s promising because the SEL is a league of men.
When he does finally get to the NHL the potential is vast, but the difference between the high-end immediate potential and the low-end immediate potential is similarly vast. On one hand, he could make a splash similar to Johnny Gaudreau. Like Gaudreau, it may take him eight games or so to find his mojo, but then he could really take off. Or on the other hand, he could impact like a Sam Reinhart – looks good, but with just a point in nine or 10 games he’d see a decline in ice time and be sent down.
The SHL season is done in about seven weeks and Modo was sitting tied for last in the league. They are out of the playoff running and saw no need to hold onto him when the Leafs came calling. Nylander could get into a few games with the big club at some point this season. If he looks ready, he stays. If not, he’ll go back to the Marlies and help them fight for a playoff spot there. Either way, it’s better than playing “nothing” games for a last-place Modo team.
Nylander is worthing picking up in your one-year leagues right away, and stashing on your bench. He won’t be stashed for long – I’m thinking two weeks before he’s up. But he is a far better option than the other names available in most league settings. He’s not guarantee, but he’s the best option you’ll have unless your league is a shallow one. (- Dobber) Update: Based on Damien Cox’s report on Twitter that the Leafs do not plan to call him up from the Marlies this season “much like Connor Brown”, it is best to be in “wait and see” mode with him.
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It was Teemu Selanne night in Anaheim last night as the Finnish Flash had his number retired by the Ducks.
Rickard Rakell decided to celebrate the occasion with his best Selanne impersonation scoring two goals (including the tying goal late in the third) and two assists and eventually knocking one in during the shootout. I like Rakell as a prospect but please don't take this outburst as an excuse to go grab him. He was centering the third line and skating on the second power play unit. Not ideal circumstances, even in Anaheim.
Thank goodness for that second power play unit though as it contributed both of Anaheim's special-teams goals last night. With Ryan Kesler and Sami Vatanen on board I actually wonder if that isn't the Ducks' best unit.
Kesler managed nine SOG last night, by the way.
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If you don't think I was rooting for Anaheim to knock off the Jets once they forced overtime then you don't know me very well. Just for the pure Schadenfreude of Ondrej Pavelec blowing another one to lose his fourth straight four-goal game, I was rooting for the Ducks.
Plus, what better way to grind the analytics community than for Anaheim to snag another one-goal win? Heck, that's really a no-goal win. These guys are tied for the best record in the league but have a goal differential of plus-three.
In any case, Pavelec sucks again if you haven't caught on.
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The Jets got a bunch of guys back this weekend with Evander Kane, Zach Bogosian and Tobias Enstrom all returning. All three got points last night too.
Mark Stuart also returned but he's only relevant in hits/blocks leagues. Plus, Stuart only skated 14 minutes last night so he's hardly at full strength.
Even with three defensemen returning the Jets kept Dustin Byfuglien back on defense. Thumbs up from this guy. I thought that Byfuglien might become a terror playing at forward for the Jets back when I dreamed up a potential move for him almost two years ago. Clearly that hasn't worked out so let's keep him on defense where he's most comfortable.
Byfuglien taking care of business:
Kane spent most of his shifts centering the third line with Adam Lowry and Matt Halischuk. Far from ideal but he did manage a goal last night. Any hopes of Kane becoming a top line guy with the Jets are just fantasies anyhow. He isn't leaping past Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little or Blake Wheeler any time soon. Even if he has the talent.
I think it's time to start shopping Mathieu Perreault. He notched another assist last night, which means he'll still look attractive to prospective buyers but it's only a matter of time before Enstrom shuffles him off the top power play unit. We saw a little bit of it last night already.
Perreault will still remain a member of an intriguing second line with Mark Scheifele and Michael Frolik but that group maxes out at around 40 points and Perreault has been producing at a higher level than that these past few weeks. That's why it's time to sell.
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You hate to say it but last night was like the perfect game for Oilers fans. The team gives a genuine effort at both ends of the ice, playing a competitive game and having a shot at winning but ultimately losing. It shows improvements are being made but keeps the team in the driver's seat for McDavid.
Nail Yakupov has played some of his best hockey of late and it's little surprise that he has done so with his most frequent linemates from this season now gone. I don't actually think that David Perron leaving has much to do with this. He was a good player and a hard worker but he's been ably replaced by Benoit Pouliot returning from injury. More important has been Derek Roy replacing the Leon Draisaitl/Mark Arcobello combination, neither of whom should have been playing in the NHL this season.
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