Last season was typical of many previous seasons for two different teams. The Columbus Blue Jackets had another sub par year in which expectations were not met. Their record was 33 wins 49 losses. The Devils on the other hand had another spectacular season in which they reached the playoffs. Their overall record was the opposite - 49 wins 33 losses. While it is still early on in the 2007-08 season it seems the two teams have done a role reversal.
Yahoo! Is the most popular fantasy hockey league manager, but they can sometimes be quite slow to reflect the reality of the NHL as far as player position eligibility goes. So it’s important to keep an eye out for changes in that area, because some players can become quite attractive once they gain a new position. Here’s a recap of some recent eligibility changes and how it affects a player’s value.
Many expected the Los Angeles Kings to challenge for a playoff spot this season, but it looks like they are still at least another season away. The Kings have been a nightmare defensively, and decided that getting stud prospect Jonathan Bernier out of town before his development was 'screwed up' was the best idea.
I’m often dead wrong on predictions, but that’s okay because I love when goalies silence their critics and prove to everyone what horrible analysts they really are. Well, before the season started I severely downgraded Manny Legace and Pascal Leclaire due to the tragic meniscus injuries they suffered last season. Two weeks into the season and so much for THAT lousy line of reasoning.
Everyone believes it is coming. It just hasn’t happened yet.
Jeff Carter was one of the premier prospects in the game and when he made the NHL at age 20 he showed enough flashes of brilliance to convince most pundits that somewhere inside that 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame was a star in the making.
He’s been an enigma for years, but every time he showed a flash of a promise, Nik Antropov went down with an injury. It is at the point where fantasy pundits are afraid to predict a breakout year for him. But so far, he is doing exactly that.
Many of them may not make it, but the American Hockey League's list of leading scorers is always an interesting one to say the least. With both future stars (Brett Hull, Jason Spezza, Daniel Briere) and future busts (almost everyone else) cracking the top ten, taking accurate stock of the leaderboard is imperative- lest you find yourself overpaying for the next Peter Sarno
We often use stock market jargon when discussing the game of hockey. A player’s stock is rising or falling, buy low, sell high, blue chip prospect, etc. Not surprisingly, both the NHL and its players frequently refer to hockey as a business.
After Buffalo’s first two games, it seemed as if the doom and gloom predicted by many pundits was coming to pass. Chalk it up to running into an unexpectedly hot – and cohesive – team in the New York Islanders.
Two games later, the outlook is much brighter. With Daniel Briere playing in Philadelphia and Chris Drury now in New York, several players have simply climbed the rungs on what is a very talented ladder.
The start of the fantasy season can be very tricky. Many managers get worried too quickly and make too many moves in the quest to get this season’s hottest players. Often times they give up on a player too soon. Do not be the person who drops a great player, be the person that is patient and smart. Guys like Marian Hossa, Roberto Luongo and Brendan Shanahan will come through eventually. Some players are the real deal, but other players can be nothing but smoke and mirrors. Here is a list of some early notables.
