All poolies are aware of the dreaded sophomore slump. Talented second year players for whatever reason cannot rekindle the magic of their rookie seasons. They struggle with consistency, and over the years have killed many fantasy teams. Many second year players are often overlooked because of this perceived slump, which may allow some talented youngsters to slip down the depth chart.
The first week of the season was full of competitive games and some really wild results. The Blackhawks coming back to defeat the Red Wings in a shootout, Columbus shutting out Anaheim and Washington doing the same to Carolina were just three of many impressive games that transpired in the last five days.
And while some team managers are reaping the rewards of having goalies like Chris Mason, Martin Gerber and Pascal Leclaire in their lineup, others are left feeling like a homicidal maniac perched high atop a bell tower with a trembling and itchy trigger finger, just waiting to drop or trade some of their top two goalies.
Has Ted Nolan done it again? Has he taken a mishmash cast of underachievers and molded them together to form a cohesive, productive unit?
It's barely a week into the season, but some interesting names have shot to the top of their respective leagues. From the Dub to the O to the Q and beyond, here are the prospects enjoying a strong start to the 2007-2008 season, and what you can expect from them when the spotlight inevitably falls off.
What’s in a name? Plenty I say.
There are several NHL players with two first names. Players like Duncan Keith, Chris Simon, Bill Thomas, Bryan Allen, Chris Kelly, Tom Gilbert and Ryan Craig. You would think their parents might have noticed that and given them a unique first name.
Throughout training camp, all eyes in Minnesota were on four youngsters battling for two roster spots. James Sheppard, Benoit Pouliot, Matt Foy and Petr Kalus arrived in camp with one goal in mind: get on that roster.
The NHL season has finally started. Are you ready to get down and dirty? It’s an exciting time for fantasy hockey fans. As you have fun looking at box scores and following your players try to incorporate these...traditionally 'dirty' terms with a fantasy hockey twist.
There’s something primitive and personal that lives, nay, grows inside every single fantasy hockey manager. For as each day of the National Hockey League season turns into night, we slowly morph into a primal animal and become consumed by personal superstitions that wreak havoc on our hockey souls. This creature – this animal – is known as the freedom of choice.
Now that training camps have finally concluded, potential line combinations are beginning to form out west. There were several notable (and a few not-so-notable) rookies making their respective clubs. There were a few surprising cuts, as well.
You can't spell opportunity without the letters I and R. With the NHL regular season opening this morning in London, certain teams have to had to make some last-minute adjustments to deal with some critical last-minute injuries. Here are the kids tapped to fill those spots.
