Part 2 of 4. Over the next few weeks, I’ll attempt to give you the Eastern Conference low-down on fantasy players broken down by position and team (similar to my Western counter-parts “Fantasy Indicators of Success” series). Last week we looked at goaltenders, this week I’ll cover the defensemen of the Eastern Conference. Statistics include Tuesday night’s games.
Tis the season for fantasy savings. This time of year can be a joyous yet stressful time for you when you are shopping for the right gifts to put under your tree. In this economic environment, it is important to get the most out of your investments. The same holds true for your hockey squad. You may be feeling the heat as your team is underperforming and needs a jolt. This is the perfect time to go shopping for sales for your fantasy team. The right gift bought at the right time can get your team from the cellar to the cup.
We are nearing the Christmas break for the NHL season. We have had plenty of surprises as well as plenty of disappointment, hopefully you have been reading many of the articles that are on the website to help you keep up to date on the latest news that’s happening on the fantasy front.
The goalie’s eyes say it all. A blank stare to the heavens after an innocent shot sneaks through, a piercing glare at their defenseman after a deflection in front, or a vengeful look towards the referee in anticipation of an interference penalty. All of these looks of desperation and helplessness are increasing by the week and no goalie can escape the perils that lie ahead, not even those that have eluded it many times before.
C’est un peu plus compliqué que ceci, mais une vue d’ensemble d’une équipe de hockey qui a du succès nous démontre de bonnes performances de ses gardiens de buts, un défenseur étoile par quatre joueurs d’attaque étoile et une bonne deuxième vague d’attaque. En entrant dans la saison 2008-09, les Bruins avaient Zdeno Chara comme défenseur, Marc Savard comme attaquant-étoile et ils espéraient que Patrice Bergeron allait récupérer de sa commotion afin d’être le deuxième marqueur de l’équipe. Les Bruins espéraient aussi que le duo Tim Thomas et Manny Fernandez allaient les garder dans assez de parties pour qu’ils fassent les séries.
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It’s certainly a lot more complicated than this, but a macro look at a successful hockey team tells us that it has strong goaltending, a stud defenseman four star forwards and strong secondary scoring. Heading into 2008-09, the Boston Bruins had Zdeno Chara as their defenseman, Marc Savard as a star forward, and they hoped that Patrice Bergeron could recover from is concussion to be that second big scorer. The B’s also hoped that the tandem of Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez would keep them in enough games to squeak into the postseason.
I’m not feeling well. When I was younger I always played better when I wasn’t feeling well. Bet the house this week!
The next week or two is probably one of the last times to cash in on any schedule imbalance before it becomes statistically insignificant. By Christmas the Rangers will have played 37 games, the Hurricanes, Ducks, Coyotes, Capitals, and Canucks will have played 35. On the other end the Senators, Oilers and Devils will have only played 32 games and the Blackhawks bringing up the rear with only 31. Those few games might just mean enough difference to turn what appears like an even deal into an advantage for you. On Christmas morning compare two 25 point players, one from the Ranger and one from the Blackhawk. They may look close but over the course of 82 games you are looking at a 55 point player versus a 66 point player.
Welcome once again to “An Expert’s Audit”. This audit will be posted here as well as on my fantasy hockey blog at Hockey Analysis . During the season I do weekly reviews of teams for people who email in to me for a look-see, they’re less indepth but just as much fun. Dobber audits will continue to appear here monthly and if you’re interested in having your keeper team “worked over” then you can begin by emailing Dobber about it BEFORE December 19th.
My column is a couple of days late this week and it’ll be a short one since I just moved into a new house last week and there are a million things to get done. Despite my busy days, I found the time to pull off a huge deal in the Dobber Expert League. An 11-player trade that will have major repercussions on the outcome of the season. One of the most fun aspects of fantasy sports is the opportunity to act like a general manager and to some wheeling and dealing so it’s always a rush when you pull off a huge transaction. Here is the detailed analysis of the trade and how you can achieve such deals in your fantasy league.
