The Journey

Victor Nuno pens The Journey every Saturday for DobberHockey. He is also an editor for DobberProspects, as well as a co-host of the Fantasy Hockey Life podcast.

The Journey: Prospects With Plenty to Prove in 2026-27, Part 2

By |2026-10-10T06:28:23-04:00October 10th, 2026|The Journey|

Not every prospect has something to prove because of his talent. Sometimes the question is opportunity. Sometimes it's health. Sometimes an organization's depth chart changes around a player. And sometimes a prospect simply reaches the point where being promising isn't enough anymore. That's the group we're looking at this week. These players haven't necessarily disappointed, [...]

The Journey: Prospects With Plenty to Prove in 2026-27, Part I

By |2026-10-02T20:51:06-04:00October 3rd, 2026|The Journey|

Proving the Upside Prospect evaluation is built on projection. We watch teenagers dominate junior hockey, college, or European leagues and try to imagine what those skills will eventually look like in the NHL. But eventually projection has to become production. That's where this group finds itself entering 2026-27. None of these players is an established [...]

The Journey: Prospect Training Camp Storylines to Watch Heading into 2026-27

By |2026-09-26T00:01:08-04:00September 26th, 2026|The Journey|

Training camp can create some of the fastest changes in prospect value. A strong September doesn’t necessarily change a player’s long-term ceiling, but opportunity matters. Making an NHL roster, earning top-six minutes, landing on a power-play unit, or simply moving ahead of another prospect on the organizational depth chart can dramatically accelerate a prospect’s fantasy [...]

The Journey: Sorting Through the Dynasty Goalie Pipeline Heading into 2026-27

By |2026-09-17T20:26:28-04:00September 19th, 2026|The Journey|

Few positions test dynasty managers’ patience like goaltender. Unlike skaters, goalie development is rarely linear, with prospects capable of rising, stalling, and rebounding quickly. That makes Dobber’s annual August goalie audit particularly useful. Rather than focusing on established NHL starters, I’m looking at younger goalies whose dynasty value is still developing and asking whether significant [...]

The Journey: Dobber’s Prospect Defense Rankings – The Biggest Risers and Fallers Heading Into 2026-27

By |2026-09-11T21:17:38-04:00September 12th, 2026|The Journey|

Last week, we looked at the biggest risers and fallers in Dobber’s forward prospect rankings. This week, we turn to the defensemen, where there was much less movement from July to September. Most of the larger changes since June came from the addition of the 2026 draft class, so context matters. As always, we’ll look [...]

The Journey: Dobber’s Prospect Forward Rankings – The Biggest Risers and Fallers Heading Into 2026-27

By |2026-09-05T00:25:36-04:00September 5th, 2026|The Journey|

Prospect rankings are never static. Every month brings new information, whether it's a breakout performance, a trade, a signing, a change in organizational depth, or simply another prospect making a stronger case to move ahead. That's what makes following prospects so much fun in dynasty leagues. Dobber's latest Top 200 Fantasy Prospect Forwards gives us [...]

The Journey: Dynasty Strategy – Rebuilding vs. Contending, Knowing When to Pivot

By |2026-08-28T18:51:10-04:00August 29th, 2026|The Journey|

One of the hardest decisions in dynasty hockey isn't deciding whether to rebuild or contend. Usually, that part is relatively obvious. The harder decision is recognizing when it's time to stop doing one and start doing the other. Dynasty managers tend to become attached not only to players, but to strategies. Once we decide we're [...]

The Journey: Dynasty Strategy – Common Mistakes That Cost Managers Championships

By |2026-08-20T19:46:40-04:00August 22nd, 2026|The Journey|

One of my favorite parts of dynasty hockey is that there isn't one "correct" way to build a championship team. Some managers build almost entirely through the draft, others constantly work the trade market, and some are aggressive every season while others patiently accumulate young talent before making their move. Despite those different philosophies, I've [...]

The Journey: Meet the 2027 NHL Draft Class, The Names to Know After the Hlinka Gretzky Cup

By |2026-08-15T12:56:34-04:00August 15th, 2026|The Journey|

Every NHL Draft season has a beginning, and for many prospect followers, the Hlinka Gretzky Cup is it. Held each summer, the tournament brings together many of the world's best under-18 players and provides one of our first opportunities to see the next draft class compete against one another in a best-on-best international environment. The [...]

The Journey: Stock Up and Stock Down at the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase

By |2026-08-07T19:39:17-04:00August 8th, 2026|The Journey|

Held each summer, the World Junior Summer Showcase (WJSS) brings together many of the top under-20 players from Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Finland for a week of practices and exhibition games. More evaluation camp than tournament, it serves as an early audition for the IIHF World Junior Championship, held each December and January. [...]

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