Many expected the Los Angeles Kings to challenge for a playoff spot this season, but it looks like they are still at least another season away. The Kings have been a nightmare defensively, and decided that getting stud prospect Jonathan Bernier out of town before his development was 'screwed up' was the best idea.
Five wins, three of them by shutout. Only four goals allowed. The Minnesota Wild have absolutely rocketed out of the gates this season, thanks to sublime goaltending, rock-solid defense, and timely offense. They have also amassed an undefeated record with only small contributions from star forwards Marian Gaborik and Pavol Demitra. Once Gaborik gets his offensive game on track, watch out.
All poolies are aware of the dreaded sophomore slump. Talented second year players for whatever reason cannot rekindle the magic of their rookie seasons. They struggle with consistency, and over the years have killed many fantasy teams. Many second year players are often overlooked because of this perceived slump, which may allow some talented youngsters to slip down the depth chart.
Now that training camps have finally concluded, potential line combinations are beginning to form out west. There were several notable (and a few not-so-notable) rookies making their respective clubs. There were a few surprising cuts, as well.
The players on this list are generally not the most liked among hockey fans. This often leads to them slipping later on in fantasy leagues, as a lot of people pick their favourite players over other skaters who may be more beneficial to their fantasy squad. Break the trend, and take a look at these guys come draft day (or if that has already passed, on the waiver wire)!
Welcome back to the Wild West, appearing every Tuesday on DobberHockey, and I look forward to dissecting the big and breaking news from the Western Conference. Looking forward to helping DobberHockey grow even more and hope you are ready to come along for the ride.
Baseball playoffs are starting. Who cares? Football is back. Big whoop! The best sport in the world is getting ready to start in about two weeks, and that means that most fantasy drafts have already been completed. While you may be kicking yourself for passing on a certain player, there are plenty of options left on the waiver wire. Here are a few guys getting some big opportunities in training camp so far:
There is no shortage of players to talk about in the Western Conference for this upcoming season. There are several notable rookies, injury-prone stars, and aging superstars that could be the key to you winning your pool. Here are 10 to keep in mind on draft day (in no order):
To those of you ready to hand Lord Stanley over to the Rangers, think back to when a certain team landed Kariya and Selanne a few summers back. Cups are not won or lost in July, although the chance to hoist the Cup can change drastically.
Here is the second of three articles on the goaltending of the 15 Western Conference clubs. Covered in this article are Dallas, Minnesota, Calgary, Colorado, and St. Louis.
Over the next few weeks, let's break down the goaltending situations for each of the 15 Western Conference teams. Some situations are crystal clear (Vancouver, Calgary), while others remain question marks (Los Angeles, San Jose, Anaheim). Might as well start at the top…
