The once vaunted trio of Markus Naslund, Brendan Morrison, and Todd Bertuzzi are now all located on different NHL clubs – none of them being Vancouver. From 2002-2004, they dominated the Western Conference and the rest of the NHL on a nightly basis. All three are coming off disappointing seasons and are looking to rebound in new environments. Will it happen? Read on…
Having run out of interesting title names with reference to the Dallas Stars, this title (and article) will be all meat and potatoes. Here is a look at Dallas from a fantasy and an on-ice perspective, at all three positions.
The Boston Bruins are definitely a team to watch this coming season. They are young, fast, and deep at forward – helped by the return of Patrice Bergeron, and are solid on the back end. Tim Thomas proved last year that he is a legitimate NHL goalie. He has one year left on his deal in Boston, which will coincide nicely with the debut of heavily touted Tuukka Rask in 2009-2010. What can be expected from Boston this season? Read on…
Shawn Horcoff was on pace for a career season in 2007-2008, but it was unfortunately cut short due to injury. His numbers were much different than his career totals. His goal total for 53 games was 21, only one off of his career high – which he set in 79 games in 2005-2006. Does he have the talent to build off of those numbers, or was it an aberration?
While Steven Stamkos is the odds-on favorite to win the Calder, he will have to beat out a fantastic rookie crop to join Kane as back-to-back top pick winners. Here are some more of the other rookies...
Patrick Kane winning the Calder last year was not much of a surprise, as the Black Hawks didn’t hesitate to make him the first overall selection in 2007. Many are predicting the same outcome this year with first-overall pick Steven Stamkos in Tampa Bay. While Stamkos is the odds-on favorite to win the Calder, he will have to beat out a fantastic rookie crop to join Kane as back-to-back top pick winners. Here are some of the other rookies...
Jack Johnson has gone from promising rookie to “the man” on Los Angeles’ back end without even playing a game. The Kings have parted ways with Rob Blake (signed by San Jose), and Lubomir Visnovsky (traded to Edmonton), who were both above Johnson on the defensive depth chart. He is now positioned as the top defenseman in Los Angeles. What does that mean for his fantasy value?
Blue Jackets General Manager Scott Howson has had a very busy off-season so far. He has made a big splash on both the free agent market and the trade front. Rick Nash finally has some legitimate linemates to play with, and Nash has shown what he can do with good linemates while playing internationally. It is put up or shut up time for the potential 50-goal scorer.
Now that the dust from the UFA season has pretty much settled, many of the rosters around the league are beginning to take form. There is still one big fish left in the open market (Mats Sundin), but who knows when he will decide whether he wants to eat poutine or sushi next season. There are numerous players whose fantasy values have risen and fallen based on what has happened since July 1st. Here are a few of the players who will benefit from new situations or teammates.
There always has been (and always will be) an ongoing debate about who is the best player in the league. Gretzky and Lemieux battled over the title for a long time, and after them it was the likes of Jagr, Sakic, Forsberg, and Fedorov. Lately it has included Iginla, Thornton and Lecavalier, but the future is really about three players. Crosby, Ovechkin, and Malkin. This article is about my take on the battle for NHL supremacy.
