Capped – A Look at Bargain Right Wingers
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 Dean’s List: Prospect Outlook – 2012 Forward Draft Class
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.
New Jersey trades Brian Rolston to Long Island
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.
Clear Separation, Part III
(Part One)
(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.
Andrei Kostitsyn vs. Max Pacioretty
Over the past several weeks I have used this space to explore my imagination, concocting dream scenarios in which real hockey players do battle in the fantasy realm. The experience has been both wonderful and enlightening but there is potential for so much more. The fact is that NHL players actually do go to battle against each other all the time. Maybe not in a cage, but the conflict is real. I’m not talking about the battle that teams go through each time they square off against one another. I’m talking about the battle that players go through each and every day all season long, fighting for ice time against their own teammates. This week we take Cage Match on the road (figuratively) to preview a battle that will take place this fall (literally) between Andrei Kostitsyn and Max Pacioretty for the final top six spot on the Montreal Canadiens. Now the results of this battle won’t have major ramifications on your pool but since only one of these two can have fantasy relevance the ramifications must be seriously considered.
Earmarked for Success (West 2011): Part Three
For the past couple of seasons, I’ve written a few columns breaking down each of the Western Conference team’s top-six from the bottom-six. I’ll go back to the well once again and give you better insight of each of the Western Conference teams for the upcoming campaign.
Prospects Pulse, Part III
Over the past week, the goaltending scene centered around two teams – Detroit and Buffalo. It started last Tuesday when Chris Osgood, who finished off his career with 401 wins and three Stanley Cups, announced his retirement. Then on Wednesday, Detroit signed Ty Conklin, who promptly replaced Osgood as Jimmy Howard’s new backup.
Dobber Nation: Baicker, Pronman, Katsaros
This month, host Brian Kom chats with Sarah Baicker, Comcast Sportsnet's Flyers' reporter. Kom also catches up with Hockey Prospectus prospects writer Corey Pronman. Rounding out the group is McKeen's pro scouting coordinator Gus Katsaros. Click here to listen to the podcast!