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Brian Burke told reporters over the past weekend that making the playoffs this season is still his priority.


The Leafs have the 28th most wins in the NHL with 17. Their average offence (2.60 goals per game has them sitting in 18th) is completely overshadowed by an abysmal 3.40 goals against. Heading in to the season, the defence that Burke constructed was supposed to be among the stingiest in the league. However, due in large part to a combination of abysmal goaltending and an unfathomably bad penalty kill, the Leafs simply can’t keep the puck out of their own net.


Sure, we believe you Brian.

Ilya Kovalchuk has been the face of the Atlanta Thrashers since he came into the league close to a decade ago. The Thrashers have seen their share of star players come and go (most notably Dany Heatley and Marian Hossa), but Kovalchuk has been there through thick and (mostly) thin. However, it appears that his time in Atlanta is running out, especially with Bob McKenzie stating last week that he is completely confident that Kovalchuk will get moved at the deadline. When rumour mongers mention Kovalchuk’s name in passing, it doesn’t hold much weight, but Bob McKenzie’s word is about as good as it gets in the hockey world.


What teams could realistically acquire Kovalchuk? What will it take to land the former Rocket Richard winner? How will a potential deal impact the fantasy values of both players on Kovalchuk’s new team?

Of all the topics that surface while discussing goalies, maybe the most intriguing one to ponder is Demeanor. In fact, if I had to give you one piece of solid fantasy scouting advice, it just might be to never underestimate the revealing power a goalie’s demeanor has on their fantasy value.

Welcome to the official DobberHockey Olympic Pool! We have managed to secure some great sponsors to both run the pool and reward the winners at the end! The pool is absolutely free to join, and is being run by our friends over at Armchair Pools. To join the pool, simply click the link here, and register a team name. You will then be asked to pick your players - don’t worry about making your final selections now, you can log back in to the site at any time before the Olympics begin and change your picks.

As for the prizes…

Nashville is the new Detroit.

That statement might be unfair, even considering the current NHL standings, but in at least one respect it rings true, and that might be very good news for your fantasy team.

This is my second year as a part of the Industry Experts League, and once again I find myself in the thick of things as the season progresses. I had been meaning to get this update out sooner, but other articles took priority! The best of the best in the fantasy hockey world are here, from NHL.com to Yahoo! to TSN (among others).

There are very few player-for-player transactions in the NHL these days, thanks in large part to the salary cap. Players are hard – if not impossible – to evaluate on strictly a skill basis, as their attached salary figure usually dictates true value. Last month, Montreal and Minnesota swapped maligned offensive players. Guilliame Latendresse, who was having trouble breaking out of the bottom six in Montreal, was sent packing to Minnesota. In exchange, the Wild traded away Benoit Pouliot; a player picked only three spots after Sidney Crosby in 2005. Almost immediately both players started to pay dividends for their new teams. Latendresse went from playing 11 minutes per night with Montreal to over 16 with the Wild. And instead of skating with Maxim Lapierre, he is lining up with Marty Havlat. Are there other players in the league right now who have the same potential to break out if traded? Why yes, there are!