Looking Ahead 2015: Week 22
Mike Schmidt
2015-03-06
Looking ahead at the best and worst schedules in the league over the next week.
Experienced or not, every fantasy hockey enthusiast is biased toward certain players. Certain guys end up on certain poolies' rosters year in and year out. It's important to recognize when you hold a certain player in higher regard than others do. With that being said, it's confession time. Here are the five guys I can't help but target in drafts or try to acquire via trade…
David Backes, C/RW, St. Louis – I've owned Inglorious Backes in at least one multi-category league every season since the 2008-09 campaign. Afterthe first few rounds of a draft are complete, I tend to target the longtime St. Louis Blue because of his ability to provide hits, blocks and penalty minutes while still finding a way to provide at least adequate offensive production. Backes has eclipsed 20 goals, 30 assists and 60 penalty minutes every season since 2009-10. He'll never be an elite fantasy option, but Backes has been an above-average one for a long, long time. That's a comforting thought to any owner trying to build a championship-caliber squad.
Mikko Koivu, C, Minnesota – Yes, his best days are behind him. The Minnesota Wild captain was a scrumtrulescent fantasy centerman from 2008-2011, but nagging injuries ever since have prevented Koivu from breaking the 55-point barrier again. I still love him in leagues where faceoffs won are a category (he has 784 through 63 games this season), and improvements to his surrounding cast allowed him to stave off a significant decline in production as he entered his thirties. Saku's younger brother has always been better in real life than in fantasy, but that fact hasn't stopped me from targeting and acquiring him in my leagues most years.
Evander Kane, LW, Buffalo – I'd just like to point out Kane scored 30 goals… for a middling Winnipeg Jets squad… in his age-20 season. I owned him in a multi-cat league that season, and it was an absolute blast. So it's been alarming to see the former fourth overall selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft struggle (and ultimately fail) to match that level of production ever since. That being said, it's difficult to imagine a so-called top-six power forward perform at a high level when his shooting percentage has hovered between 7.5 percent and 8 percent over his last 100 games in the NHL. Now Kane's a Buffalo Sabre and is out for the remainder of the 2014-15 campaign while he recovers from shoulder surgery. Will all of this prevent yours truly from drafting him again this coming fall? Probably not…
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D, Arizona – At just 23 years of age, this Arizona Coyotes defenseman already has three double-digit-goal seasons on his resume. Oh, and he's still getting better. Ekman-Larsson has seen his shot attempts, shooting percentage and go up since the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign.
|
Year |
Games Played |
Goals |
Shots On Goal |
Shooting Percentage |
|
2012-13 |
48 |
3 |
101 |
3.0% |
|
2013-14 |
80 |
15 |
199 |
7.5% |
|
2014-15 |
64 |
17 |
205 |
8.3% |
He's somewhere between a 40-point defenseman and a 50-point defenseman at this point in his career, leaving him just shy of elite status. I love taking him as a slightly more cost-effective option than fellow blueliners like Nashville's Shea Weber and Chicago's Duncan Keith. Don't penalize him too much for being the best player on a rebuilding Arizona squad that currently lacks impact talent on both ends of the ice. I sure don't.
Brian Elliott, G, St. Louis – The former Wisconsin Badger has been an above-average goaltender for the vast majority of his time in St. Louis (save for 24 appearances during the abbreviated 2012-13 season, one which he registered an underwhelming .907 save percentage). It seems like every year Elliott is overlooked as a quality fantasy goaltender. It's probably because he always finds himself in a timeshare (usually with another goaltender he out-produces). Elliott hasn't seen 50-plus starts since 2010-11, and that was a season where he posted a goals-against average of 3.34 and a save percentage of .893. But has he not been the perfect No. 2 fantasy goaltender since he joined St. Louis?
|
Year |
Games Started |
Wins |
Save Percentage |
Goals-Allowed-Average |
|
2011-12 |
36 |
23 |
.940 |
1.56 |
|
2012-13 |
20 |
14 |
.907 |
2.28 |
|
2013-14 |
25 |
18 |
.922 |
1.96 |
|
2014-15 |
33 |
20 |
.921 |
2.20 |
If only he would play more…
Now let's take a look ahead at some teams to lean on or avoid in the coming week or so:
Boston 4.15 – four games – PHI, DET, OTT and TBL
Columbus 3.99 – four games – NJD, COL, CAR and DET
Steer Clear
Florida 2.26 – two games – NYI and WPG
Washington 2.26 – two games – BUF and NYR
Vancouver 2.74 – three games – SJS, ANA and LAK
New York Rangers 2.76 – three games – all on road
Calgary 2.89 – three games – DET, OTT and ANA
Saturday, March 7 to Friday, March 13
Best Bets
Toronto 4.35 – four games – STL, NYI, BUF and CGY
New York Islanders 4.19 – four games – FLA, TOR, NYR and OTT
Ottawa 4.15 – four games – CGY, BOS, MTL and NYI
Boston 4.15 – four games – PHI, DET, OTT and TBL
Columbus 4.05 – four games – COL, CAR, DET and EDM
Steer Clear
Buffalo 1.95 – two games – both on road
Chicago 2.04 – two games – NYR and ARI
Florida 2.26 – two games – NYI and WPG
Vancouver 2.74 – three games – SJS, ANA and LAK
New York Rangers 2.76 – three games – all on road
Sunday, March 8 to Saturday, March 14
Best Bets
Toronto 4.50 – four games – NYI, BUF, CGY and VAN
Carolina 4.36 – four games – all at home
Colorado 4.21 – four games – MIN, LAK, NJD and CGY
New York Islanders 4.20 – four games – TOR, NYR, OTT and MTL
Ottawa 4.15 – four games – CGY, BOS, MTL and NYI
Steer Clear
Buffalo 2.00 – two games – TOR and NYR
Washington 2.05 – two games – NYR and DAL
Florida 2.15 – two games – WPG and CAR
Nashville 2.76 – three games – all on road
Winnipeg 2.85 – three games – all on road
Monday, March 9 to Sunday, March 15
Best Bets
Toronto 4.50 – four games – NYI, BUF, CGY and VAN
New York Rangers 4.30 – four games – NYI, WAS, BUF and FLA
St. Louis 4.21 – four games – WPG, PHI, MIN and DAL
New York Rangers 4.20 – four games – TOR, NYR, OTT and MTL
Anaheim 4.19 – four games – VAN, CGY, MIN and NSH
Steer Clear
Edmonton 2.71 – three games – all on road
Chicago 1.95 – two games – both on road
Winnipeg 2.85 – three games – all on road
Buffalo 2.00 – two games – TOR and NYR
New Jersey 2.90 – three games – all on road
Tuesday, March 10 to Monday, March 16
Best Bets
Toronto 4.40 – four games – BUF, CGY, VAN and EDM
St. Louis 4.21 – four games – WPG, PHI, MIN and DAL
Los Angeles 4.21 – four games – COL, VAN, NSH and ARI
New York Rangers 4.30 – four games – NYI, WAS, BUF and FLA
Carolina 4.16 – four games – CBJx2, DAL and FLA
Steer Clear
Chicago 1.95 – two games -both on road
San Jose 2.00 – two games – NSH and CHI
Vancouver 2.00 – two games – LAK and TOR
Nashville 2.57 – three games – all on road
Detroit 2.80 – three games – CBJ, PHI and PIT
Wednesday, March 11 to Tuesday, March 17
Best Bets
Toronto 4.40 – four games – BUF, CGY, VAN and EDM
Carolina 4.26 – four games – DAL, FLA, CBJ and OTT
Florida 4.16 – four games – WPG, CAR, NYR and MTL
St. Louis 4.14 – four games – PHI, MIN, DAL and CGY
Pittsburgh 4.14 – four games – EDM, BOS, DET and NJD
Steer Clear
Colorado 2.36 – two games – NJD and CGY
Minnesota 2.75 – three games – ANA, STL and NSH
Detroit 2.80 – three games – CBJ, PHI and PIT
Dallas 2.84 – three games – CAR, WAS and STL
Arizona 2.86 – three games – CHI, NJD and LAK
Thursday, March 12 to Wednesday, March 18
Best Bets
Carolina 4.26 – four games – DAL, FLA, CBJ and OTT
Los Angeles 4.16 – four games – VAN, NSH, ARI and ANA
Florida 4.16 – four games – WPG, CAR, NYR and MTL
Columbus 4.15- four games – DET, EDMx2 and CAR
St. Louis 4.14 – four games – PHI, MIN and DAL and CGY
Steer Clear
Colorado 2.36 – two games – NJD and CGY
Minnesota 2.75 – three games – ANA, STL and NSH
Detroit 2.80 – three games – CBJ, PHI and PIT
Dallas 2.84 – three games – CAR, WAS and STL
Arizona 2.86 – three games – CHI, NJD and LAK
Related Posts
UPCOMING GAMES
PIT
WPG
ANA
BUFStarting Goalies
Top Skater Views
DAL
CBJ
S.J
COLTop Goalie Profile Views
CGY
CAR
DET
LINE COMBOS
| Frequency |
 PHI Players
| |
|---|---|---|
| 16.6 | MATVEI MICHKOV JOEL FARABEE NOAH CATES | |
| 16.3 | OWEN TIPPETT TRAVIS KONECNY SEAN COUTURIER | |
| 14.7 | RYAN POEHLING GARNET HATHAWAY TYSON FOERSTER | |
DobberHockey Podcasts
Keeping Karlsson Short Shifts – Regicide
Jeremy and Shams are here to break down all the new injuries and update timelines as well. After all the injury news they close out the show covering all the cold Kings players giving actionable fantasy advice on each one. Lastly, they close out the show the latest hot Russian forward for Columbus that is only 1% rostered on Yahoo right now.
Keeping Karlsson: Marchment Madness
Elan and Brian look at who comes out on top the Avalanche return to health, opine on the likelihood of complementary top six players in Toronto, Los Angeles and Edmonton remaining relevant, and consider giving up on underachievers in Chicago, Dallas and Philadelphia.
Fantasy Hockey Life: Corey Sznajder
Corey Sznajder of allthreezones.com joins the show to talk about how he tracks microstats and identifies a couple of players they might help them assess. Have a listen! Our show is part of the Dobber Podcast Network and sponsored by Fantrax.com. Email [email protected] and ask to join our free discord. Join our Patreon at Patreon.com/fantasyhockeylife […]
Keeping Karlsson: Matchup Maximizer Week 7
Jeremy subs in to look at the schedule for the upcoming week of NHL action and recommends some players with good schedules that you should consider streaming in to win your head to head matchups.
Keeping Karlsson Short Shifts – Permission To Cut
Jeremy and Shams cover the usual headlines and injuries but get your permission slips out as the second half of the show they cover a litany of suggested players from the Patreon community to give their input on whether it’s ok to cut that big name player off your fantasy team.