There’s nothing I hate more than sketchy, unstable goaltenders and goalie situations. I’m talking about the Pascal Leclaire, Rick DiPietro, Marty Turco and Nikolai Khabibulin’s of the world. Even though they could easily be key pieces to your fantasy team's puzzle, sheer instincts tell you to stay as far away from them as possible. Why? Because something always seems to go terribly wrong.
There is something especially appealing about drafting a blue chip prospect in the mid or late rounds. The notion that you have stolen something makes the player's success all the more satisfying. The three players discussed below were all drafted by organizations that consistently steal late round talent. These three prospects aren't ready now, but they should be watched very closely next season.
As mentioned in last week’s edition of The Dean’s List, the 2012 Draft Class is littered with franchise calibre defensemen. There are several game-changing rear-guards who could become very good NHL defensemen over the next few years and when we re-visit the 2012 draft it will likely become the “Year of the Defenseman”. The Dean’s List will feature a few defensemen who should be first round selections and could make some noise next season as the NHL Entry Draft approaches next June.
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(Part Two)
Going stride for stride with my Western Conference counterpart, I am providing an Eastern Conference version of Ryan Ma’s Earmarked for Success. As Ryan has cautioned, please do not fret over the line combinations. We are merely separating the top-six players from the bottom-six on each team, which can be applied to potential fantasy success for the upcoming season. Top-six players obviously get the lion’s share of ice time, both at even strength and on the power play.
The Avalanche goaltending situation has been somewhat in disarray since... well Patrick Roy. So it is no wonder that many Avs fans were less than excited about bringing in a fringe goaltender and giving up a 1st and 2nd round pick to boot. Not to mention there is a strong chance that the 1st rounder could be a lottery pick in 2012.
Right wing has taken over from what the left wing position once was, very shallow in the depth pool. In any league, let alone one with a salary cap, finding the right wingers late in your draft can be the difference between a top two finish and battling for a playoff spot. Below are some of the best right wing options who will produce for a fair price. Be aware that the value of these players can be boosted due to how important it is to have flexiblity and the ability to play your highest paid players, in a salary cap league. This means that these types of players are going to be drafted slightly earlier than they would in a typical pool. Don't let these gems slip you by, but don't draft them too early either, as it tends to be easier to trade for the "filler" players rather than the big names. Consider a typical roto-league that count G/A/P/PPP/PIM/SOG and plus/minus. The focus will be on the very affordable players.
The 2012 NHL draft class is quickly emerging as one of the best groups in recent years. Highlighted by a slew of first round talent defensemen, the 2012 draft is shaping up to bring a little bit of everything from elite forwards to skilled agitators. While the defensive depth will likely become what the 2012 draft is known for, there are also several skilled forwards who have the potential to become elite NHL stars. The top three forward candidates make things even more intriguing as each of them are Russian talents and NHL GM’s surely couldn’t pass on all three of them because of their “Russian Factor”. Could they? In its DobberHockey debut, The Dean’s List will take a look a few forward skaters who are likely to be selected in the first round of next year’s NHL Entry Draft.
Fantasy Impact: The Devils have cleared some cap space, trading Brian Rolston away for winger Trent Hunter. Rolston's cap hit this season is $5 million (free agent next summer), while Hunter is scheduled to make $2 million each season for two more.
