In the weekly piece “Eastern Edge”, TJ Branson breaks down the latest fantasy information from the standpoint of the Eastern Conference – the streaks, the slumps, the line combinations and much more.
With the buzz of the NHL All Star game wearing off, we enter the final stretch of our fantasy hockey seasons. Since themost talented players in the game were just showcased, I’ll stick with that theme and take a closer look at some of thehottest scorers since December 25.
By this point in the season, fantasy GM’s should be focused on the playoffs. If you’re in contention, you want to make sure you’re building a team that has the best possible chance to win. To do so, it’s important to not just look to get the “best” players, but really focus on your weakest statistics. Last week we took a look at some goal scorers who might be helpful additions, and this week we’ll look at some assist-heavy performers.
Let’s say you want some goal scoring infused into your lineup. One quick look at the top leaders in the Eastern Conference and you’ll see some of the usual suspects – Stamkos, Kessel, Gaborik, etc. Simply looking at standard goal totals might not actually help your squad though. Each year players get hot, cold, go on long stretches of strong or poor performance, or perform differently based on the situations around them. This week I’ll take a deeper look at goal scorers in the Eastern Conference and I’ll follow up with the same analysis in terms of playmakers next week.
Just a few short years ago, Kyle Turris was ranked as the top North American skater heading into the 2007 NHL draft. Taken third overall, Turris was still perceived to be a bit of a project, but one who would ultimately pay hefty dividends. Fast forward to today and it’s safe to say that Turris has had a rough start to his professional career.
Greetings from Philadelphia! It was just two days ago that we saw legends from both the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers take the ice. Eric Lindros was welcomed back to Philadelphia with style skating with Bobby Clarke, and Bernie Parent received a standing ovation for his five-minute performance. Mark Messier and Brian Leetch reminded us how talented they are, and Glenn Anderson scored the lone goal for the blue shirts.
Last week I wrote about how the NHL realignment will affect the Eastern Conferences goalies and it is important to note that the realignment will affect some teams much more than others. For example, the existing Atlantic Division teams currently play the other four members 24 times throughout the year, which will not change. Washington and Carolina however, will now face three of the Southeastern Division teams (WPG, FLA, TB) only six times a year instead of the 18 they are accustomed to. In contrast, they previously faced the five teams that make up the Atlantic Division a total of 20 times, but will now face them 30 times. This translates to a more mild transition for someone like Claude Giroux than Eric Staal.
Although it still needs to be approved by the NHLPA, it looks as though the NHL realignment is just about finalized for the 2012-13 season. My good buddy Rhys Richards from The Hockey Guys posted a great read on how this affects the NHL, in particular the Detroit Red Wings. With the new schedule in mind, I decided to take a look at how the goaltenders of the former Eastern Conference will be affected.
Heading into the 2009 NHL entry draft, the top North American ranked skaters were John Tavares and Matt Duchene. As it turns out, these two and the top-ranked European skater (Victor Hedman) occupied the first three picks in the draft. At number four overall, the Atlanta Thrashers would select Vancouver native Evander Kane. Kane had just wrapped up a 96-point performance in 61 games for the Vancouver Giants of the WHL and would turn pro the very next season.
Last week we looked at some quality players who are either hot or heating up who are worth keeping on your roster. This week we’ll take a look at a few Eastern Conference players who might be better off on your opponent’s roster. Let’s take a look and keep in mind, these comments are for one-year leagues.
Trying to gauge the talent of the players on your fantasy roster is not always an easy task. Of the hot players, which will continue their dominance? On the flip side, which cold players are going to turn things around? Which players may have already turned their season around without everyone else realizing it? While I can’t delve into each and every situation, I’ll take a look at a handful of Eastern Conference players below.
