Chris Pudsey wraps up his team by team look at buy and sell options.

****

Welcome to the sixth and final installment of my annual team by team, buy and sell for your salary capped leagues. 
We are down to the final four teams and down to the last week before the regular season opens.  There has been some excellent feedback from the readers over the weeks of doing this and I appreciate the conversation – it’s been an interesting series to take on. Some teams were easy to find someone to buy and sell, and some teams were not quite as easy to judge. That’s what made for interesting feedback from the readers.

Let’s get on to the final four teams.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Buy:  Nazem Kadri – C, $4.1M, one year remaining

It seems that this year, compared to every other year, Kadri is coming into camp with a new attitude and focus. Most of this change is due to new head coach, Mike Babcock, and the train of thought he brings: a clean slate for everyone. If there was one Maple Leaf who needed this, it was Nazem Kadri. For years, he has been the whipping boy for the franchise and Babcock and his fresh approach is a welcome sight. 

Kadri states that he has trained harder this off-season than any other and expects to be a key player for the Leafs this year, as he works for a new long-term deal. Babcock has already stated that he expects big things from Kadri and is ready to give him the ice time to prove it.

His main competition for the number-1 center role is Tyler Bozak. Bozak held the top position mainly because of his chemistry with Phil Kessel, but with Kessel gone, and a new coach, this is Kadri’s opportunity to seize the limelight, and show he is the future down the middle for the Leafs.

I won’t be surprised to see Kadri have a career year this year. 

Sell:  Jonathan Bernier – G, $4.15M, two years remaining

Let’s be honest, the Leafs are going to be a mediocre team this year, and probably next year too.  Bernier is still considered by many out there to be the starter in Toronto, but if you read between the lines in some of the conversations that Mike Babcock has with the media, he isn’t tied to Bernier to be the clear starter this year. From the sounds of it, he is willing to give James Reimer equal opportunities in playing time as the season progresses.

Can Bernier steal the number one spot outright? I would say he has the ability to do so, and his overall numbers are better than Reimer’s, but that doesn’t mean his numbers are good. Actually, his numbers last year were downright dreary considering the money he makes. Compared to other NHL goalies that played more than 2500 minutes last year, only Jonas Enroth, Kari Lehtonen, Ben Scrivens, and Mike Smith had a worse GAA then Bernier. For the record, there were 29 goalies exceed 2500 minutes played last year.

I don’t mean to pick on one single stat to say that Bernier isn’t a decent goalie option but when you look at the other stats like wins and even save percentage, he was one of the league’s worst options there too. 

The sad fact is that the Leafs are probably a worse team this year than last, so I don’t have much faith in his numbers bouncing back. Sell him to a desperate team needing a starter, or a Leafs fan that plays with his heart and not his head. Your fantasy franchise will thank you.

Vancouver Canucks

Buy:  Jacob Markstrom – G, $1.55M, two years remaining

I won’t lie. Trying to find someone on the Canucks I like to buy wasn’t an easy task. It was easier finding guys I want to sell, but it is what it is.

I do like Jacob Markstrom this year and the opportunity he has in front of him. While the big contract will keep Ryan Miller as the legitimate starter, I can still see Markstrom getting 20-25 starts as a minimum, and that’s assuming Miller stays healthy all season long.

Markstrom has to know that the opportunities are running out for him and this is as good of a chance to prove himself as he has seen in a couple seasons. Coming in as the clear cut back-up with a spot on the big club has to help ease his nerves a bit, especially considering the excellent AHL season he just produced.

I don’t expect Markstrom to steal the starter’s job, but if he plays up to his skillset, he could certainly get into more games than expected.

Sell:  Radim Vrbata – RW, $5M, one year remaining

Vrbata was probably one of the best free agent signings the Canucks have ever had. He came in and put up career highs in points, assists and shots and was voted the Team MVP and Most Exciting Player by his teammates. Most of this came while skating alongside Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. I say most of it because near the end of the year, head coach Willie Desjardins felt it was in the team’s best interest to break up the line to spread out the scoring. He started putting Vrbata alongside Nick Bonino on the second line and while he still put up decent numbers, nothing like the pace he was doing while on the top line.

If Vrbata can find his way back on the top line, he can still put up solid numbers but he will have a hard time reproduce a season like he just had, especially if he sticks on the second line with Brandon Sutter as his center.

His age will make him tougher to sell, but if he starts the year off with Sutter, I don’t expect his offense to flourish like it did last year, making it even tougher to sell him.  Shop him now.  He’s a UFA at the end of this year and like most at his age, won’t be worth the new deal he signs.

Washington Capitals

Buy:  TJ Oshie – RW, $4.175M, two years remaining

Oshie has always been a productive player but while he has played with some good players in Alex Steen and David Backes, neither of those guys will help Oshie’s numbers nearly as much as playing with Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom will. Oshie isn’t afraid to play a gritty game but still has the skillset to score or feed, depending on what the big boys require. The fact that most of the opposition will focus on Ovechkin should open space for Oshie as well. 

His salary is still good for the production he should bring. I won’t be surprised to see career highs for Oshie, assuming he can stay healthy. It’s a good fit for both he and the Capitals. If the Capitals weren’t one of the best PP units last year, adding a guy like Oshie should help push them in that vicinity.

If he can put up the numbers most are expecting, his salary will be a bargain.

Sell:  Justin Williams – RW, $3.25M, two years remaining

The other high profile acquisition for the Capitals this past offseason is Justin Williams. While Williams is as highly regarded on the ice for his leadership and experience, that doesn’t always equate well to fantasy production.

He has seen his offensive production decline in four straight seasons and while he may get a few more opportunities this year in Washington to score, I don’t expect anything spectacular for Williams. He should hopefully be playing with better line-mates in Washington than he had in Los Angeles as well, but that will only get you so far.

I’d be looking to move Williams now while the excitement is still fresh with him coming to Washington. I doubt we will see much of a jump in his production.

He should help the Capitals though, the real ones that is, not the fantasy ones.

Winnipeg Jets

Buy:  Adam Lowry – C/W, $828,333, one year remaining

Lowry’s a big body (6-foot-5, 210 pounds) and that’s something every coach wants in a scoring player in the Western division. He’s been shifted around a bit by head coach Paul Maurice, playing center on the third line this preseason with Nik Ehlers and Matthieu Perreault, but has also seen time on the top line with Andrew Ladd and Bryan Little. The long and short of it, he’s flexible to be moved around and it seems that the head coach likes him in every role he puts him in.

He had 11 goals last year as a rookie and with an increased role in the offense this year you can expect that number to increase.  Whether he ends up on the top line or skating on the third line, the skaters around him are going to be better this year and that normally equates to more production.

Sell:  Alexander Burmistrov – C/W, $1.55M, two years remaining

Another tough one for me as I like most of the skaters on the Jets, especially for the money they are all making. 

I went with Burmistrov simply because I have never been overly high on him, even before he scooted to the KHL. Now that he’s back, he will play with the Jets but could really be anywhere on the roster from the first line down to the third line. His scoring has never really impressed me, although I take KHL scoring with a grain of salt when looking at the numbers.

I am just not sure where he fits in long term and short term with the Jets. They have a solid group of young kids coming up who could easily keep Burmistrov down in the lineup. Thankfully, his salary is cheap enough that he should be easy for you to trade. 

I am sure the Jets are happy to have him back and hope he can fulfill some of the potential he was drafted with but I have to think that the Jets have already looked past him long term for offense with their young guns coming down the pipe. 

I just don’t see the offense in him and that’s his main weapon.

****

So there’s all 30 teams covered in a buy and sell format for your cap league.  If you have missed any of the previous teams covered, go back and give it a read.

As always, comments are encouraged. 

Follow Chris @chrispudsey.

Check out Chris Pudsey’s entire series on his team-by-team buy/sell options here.