With the madness of the NHL Trade Deadline just over a week away, most leagues are likely gearing up for their own deadline as well. Some leagues have it on the exact day as the NHL, while others push it back so it is closer to your playoffs. Whatever the case may base, it’s going to be the last chance you have to make some moves with the opposing managers in your league.
Last week, Part I of this four-part series identified some teams that were desperate for a goaltending upgrade. It looks as if that list has stayed relatively the same over the past week; Chicago is still on a downward spiral, Toronto just barely broke a four-game losing streak last night in Edmonton, the Lightning are just 1-1-1 over the past week, and the Blue Jackets are like the lame kids at lunch trying to trade that gross bologna sandwich known as Steve Mason.
The fifth best salary cap forward to own is an easy pick. Henrik Sedin is a player who could have been ranked anywhere from the second slot up thanks to incredible consistency and point production. It's only a lack of goal production and shots on goal that keep him from ranking in the top two.
The playoffs are just over the horizon and the trade deadline is even closer. What impact will injuries have on both?
The most daunting question in the world of fantasy hockey is: who is the best player in fantasy hockey?
This would have made for a great Cage Match except there is no consensus top two to pit against each other. I am not sure there is even a consensus top four. The field is wide open. The league is booming with young talent and the combination of injuries and parity has the effect of evening out the playing field. To single out just two players would be silly so to do it up right would call for a Royal Rumble of a Cage Match. That would simply be madness. There is only one solution: harness the madness.
With that in mind I am proud to introduce to you the inaugural Cage Match Tournament!
The lowdown on - Viktor Stalberg - If I had a nickel for every Toronto Maple Leafs cast-off that started to blossom for another team, well I’d have a lot of nickels. Viktor Stalberg is one of those players now starting to emerge for the Chicago Blackhawks. After finishing with just 24 points last season, Stalberg is on pace to post 48 this season.
Last week we discussed the art of fantasy trading. This week we’ll take a look at the first instalment of players who could find themselves on a new team come Feb. 27. TSN has pretty good coverage of the Western Conference teams, but it probably lacks a bit of fantasy analysis, so I’ll borrow some of their thoughts, but add that extra dimension to gives you a clearer picture.
It’s no surprise that the Tampa Bay Lightning are strong second half performers, as a team. More specifically, Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos, who are usually paired together, really pave the way for significant fantasy outputs. This year there’s something a little different going on in Tampa though. Sure, the team is poised for another strong late season push, but this time St. Louis and Stamkos are split apart. Let’s take a look at the net result.
Welcome back to An Expert’s Audit. Every month we’ll take a look at a reader’s keeper league team in the hopes of helping him toward a championship. If you’re interested in getting an audit for your own keeper team you can begin the process by emailing Dobber about it.
There were plenty of ups and downs in the last week of fantasy hockey. We assess the best while looking ahead a bit. “Between The Lines” gets down to business headlined by a line that set fantasy leagues on fire.
