A tough decision can be made easier with these charts showing you the best five and worst five schedules for upcoming seven-day periods. Some of you used them last year but for the benefit of new readers here is a refresher. The number next to the team indicates the 'multiplier' to use on a player's point-per-game pace to give you an idea how many points to expect for that week.
Fantasy Impact: The Blue Jackets traded defenseman Kris Russell in exchange for defenseman Nikita Nikitin.
Some people say I’m too optimistic, that I think every goalie will do amazing things if they simply get the chance. At times, this is true. It is my nature to see the best in pro-level goalies, so I tend to give them the benefit of the doubt. More often than not, they prove me right (Ray Emery, Brian Elliott, Al Montoya, Josh Harding, Kari Lehtonen).
Finding the balance between youth and experience is a difficult process in any keeper league. GM's, for whatever reason, tend to put too much value into owning young potential superstars, which can disrupt the main goal of winning your pool. A salary cap league is no different, but there is a rather large benefit in finding that 18 or 19 year old that can step directly into the NHL and make an instant impact.
This article was originally published at the Canucks Army. It also was submitted to the Province newspaper for their writing contest this month - please go to this link and give it a thumbs up.
How many franchise defensemen are there in the league right now? I count five (Zdeno Chara, Nick Lidstrom, Duncan Keith, Shea Weber, and Chris Pronger). There are a few more right on the cusp, like Drew Doughty, Keith Yandle, and Kris Letang. Each of the 30 NHL clubs carries anywhere from six to eight defensemen, meaning there are approximately 200-220 defensemen in the NHL at any given time. Less than three percent of the total defensemen are by my definition franchise material at this moment in time.
Fantasy Impact: The Pittsburgh Penguins have traded Mark Letestu to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a fourth round draft pick.
Last week, you were all witnesses to me losing my cherry. As awkward as it was to have you all there during my deflowering, I enjoyed the experience immensely. My initial article covered the basics of using a handful of Frozen Pool tools to dig up early season talent. Once November arrives, those gems are no longer flying under the radar. Your competitors have long uncovered them and have the edge on your team. It’s time to pan the waiver wire and concentrate on short-term flyers!
The fantasy value of a blue-liner can easily be identified by interpreting two main stats: PP ice-time and SOG. The reasoning behind it is very simple. PP ice-time usually separates players who are offensive-minded from those that are defensive-oriented. The more PP time they receive usually equates to more opportunities they’ll have to score with an offensive advantage. On a similar note, SOG usually maintains a similar line of thought. The more a defenseman shoots, the higher the chance it goes into the net or creating offensive chances. The opposite also holds true, the less a defenseman shoots, the lower the chance that the puck has of going into the net and the lower point production. Now that we’ve established clear indicators on determining the fantasy value of defenseman, let’s take a closer look the defenseman from the Western Conference.
A year ago, the Leafs’ best offensive line was the one consisting of Clarke MacArthur, Mikhail Grabovski, and Nikolai Kulemin. Phil Kessel’s line was always considered the first line, but the offense from that line was sporadic at best. This year, Kessel is scoring at a superhuman rate (tops in league scoring). The chemistry he has formed with Joffrey Lupul (who is tied for fourth in NHL scoring) is unmistakable and the result has the Toronto Maple Leafs tied for second place in the NHL standings. With the strong play of Kessel and Lupul continuing, it is easy for fantasy owners to focus on that line, but the MacArthur, Grabovski, and Kulemin line should certainly not be ignored.
Mondays are days that give the feeling of “it is time to go back to work”. For fantasy owners, it is the day of the week that begins with some hope. Line combinations are the fabric of what can make or break your fantasy league experience. Week 5 is now upon us and with the first month gone, it is time to begin digging deeper into those combinations that can cause an uptick in your production. Making the wrong choice can bring one even more fantasy pain however. Choosing wisely is key heading into the beginning of a stretch that has teams playing more often.
