torts

Fantasy Impact: The Vancouver Canucks have fired head coach John Tortorella and assistant coach Mike Sullivan.

The Vancouver Canucks have cleaned house. After GM Mike Gillis got the axe, new team president Trevor Linden swung it again. John Tortorella is fired despite being just one year into a $10 million deal.

Fantasy Players Impacted: Well, new coaches will always impact every player to a certain degree, but the players the fantasy owners are most interested in are:

Daniel and Henrik Sedin – if one improves, then the other will improve. So will they improve? The twins were seeing one to two minutes of ice time per game more than they were accustomed to. They were also playing with a different linemate every shift – and that kinda sucks. So yes, the numbers will improve. By a lot? Well, look what we’re comparing them to. So yes, a lot. But back to their 80-point ways? That depends on the coach. If it’s Barry Trotz, then nope. Most other coaches would probably coax 70 points out of each of them. A select few coaches could probably get them back to 80. We’ll need to wait and see. In the meantime, the value increases just from Torts being gone.

Ryan Kesler – Kesler is still recovering from several serious injuries and is really just trying to find his rhythm again. He was going to improve in 2014-15 regardless – I don’t think a new coach will change that.

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Alex Edler – Edler can be counted on to produce between 0.50 and 0.60 points per game. But under Tortorella he dipped to 0.35. I’m confident that he can get back into his usual range. Less certain – how healthy he can remain. He really struggled with injuries last season. And three years ago he also struggled with injuries.

Alexandre Burrows – A new coach almost has to put Burrows back on the Sedin line, doesn’t he? Let’s assume so, and that makes Burrows an excellent ‘buy low’ player right now.

Other players – Zack Kassian, Shawn Matthias, Jannik Hansen, Jordan Schroeder, Dan Hamhuis, Chris Higgins, Kevin Bieksa, Jason Garrison have some fantasy interest. But the only player here that I see being impacted by a new coach significantly is Hamhuis. He flourished offensively under Alain Vigneault, but suffered under Tortorella.

Goaltenders – this would depend on the new coach. If it’s Barry Trotz, then Eddie Lack is your new superstar.

Fantasy Players this helps, in order:

1. The Sedins

2. Burrows

3. Edler

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4. Hamhuis

Fantasy Players this hurts, in order:

None really. Maybe Nicklas Jensen, who played very well on the Sedin line under Torts.