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Fantasy Friday

Dec 30

Posted by Chris in Fantasy | 1 Comment

The Hot List:

Evander Kane (forward): Kane has had a huge week with three goals, one assist and 11 shots on goal. Kane appears to have found his groove and is poised to easily surpass his career point totals and could top out at the 60-point mark. Take a second look at the Winnipeg forward if you need extra scoring help.

Jason Arnott (forward): Two goals and two assists over the past seven days with points in seven of his last 10 games. He now has 20 points in 34 games and will easily surpass his points total from last season. The Blues are trending upward and so is Arnott.

Tyler Kennedy (forward): Kennedy seems to be on a hot streak in the second half of December with seven points in his last five games. He scored a career-high 45 points last season and will likely settle around the 50-point mark long term this year.

Mikko Koivu (forward): Although sidelined for a few games in mid-December, Koivu has 19 points in his last 15 games played – including a streak of points in nine straight contests. He’s owned in 76 percent of Yahoo fantasy hockey leagues. If he’s available in yours, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be on your roster.

The Cold List:

Sergei Gonchar (defenseman): Gonchar has cooled off considerably with only three points in the last 30 days, and none on the power play.

Vinny Prospal (forward): Only one point in his last five games. However, Prospal has 13 shots on goal during that same span, so it’s not for lack of effort.

Between the Pipes:

The Chicago Blackhawks are set on riding the hot hand this season, and the current flavor of the week is Corey Crawford. Winner of two-of-his-past-three, Crawford has allows just four goals on 97 shots in those three games. However, backup netminder Ray Emery had been the winner of five straight before suffering a 3-2 loss against Pittsburgh last week that relinquished his starting duties. Eventually the Blackhawks will need to choose a starter to prepare for a long playoff run. Until then, expect the back and forth to continue.

Crosby Update:

The Penguins finally released an update concerning superstar center Sidney Crosby – and the outlook isn’t good. After exploding for 12 points in eight games after initially returning from a concussion, the team confirmed that Crosby is again sidelined indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms. However, high ranking Penguins officials have privately stated that they do not believe his symptoms are as bad this time around and are confident that he will play again this season. Until then, toss Crosby on the IR and wait patiently for his return.

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Fantasy hockey players who could make an unexpected impact

Oct 7

Posted by Chris in Fantasy | 3 Comments

Looking to make a few tweaks to your Fantasy Hockey lineup or compensate for unexpected injuries? Take a look at your waiver wire to see if some of these players might be available.

Forwards:

Rich Peverley: Peverley (pictured) will skate on a line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Peverley has good hands and the capability to put up good numbers. However, his time in Atlanta allowed him to fly under the radar for most Fantasy owners. He looked good in the season opener and a 50+ point season might not be out of the question if he stays on the second line.

Vinny Prospal: As expected, the veteran winger will start the season on the top line in Columbus with Rick Nash and Jeff Carter. Injuries limited Prospal to just 29 games last season, but he managed to post 23 points in that time with the Rangers. Expect a bounce back season in terms of health and production for Prospal this season – especially if he sticks on the top line with Nash and Carter.

Wojtek Wolski: Wolski was originally slated to start on the top line for the Rangers alongside Brad Richards and Marion Gaborik. However, rumors now predict that Brandon Dubinsky will have the honors, but expect coach John Tortorella to rotate Wolski in there at some point. Dubinsky is a solid second-line center. Remain cautiously optimistic that he eventually finds his way back to that role allowing Wolski to bump up to the top line.

Petr Sykora: After a season away from the NHL, Sykora went from training camp longshot to a roster player for the New Jersey Devils. In fact, Sykora will play on the top line alongside Patrik Elias and Zach Parise. Looking back, Sykora was largely ineffective during his last NHL outing with the Wild (3 points in 14 games), but the Wild played a very defensive-minded system. Sykora put up 20+ goals in each of the three seasons prior to his flirtation with the Wild. Don’t hop on Sykora right away, but monitor his play aggressively to see how he clicks in New Jersey.

Blake Wheeler: Wheeler posted 17 points in 23 games for Winnipeg (formerly Atlanta) last season after getting traded from Boston. An increase in ice time should make Wheeler relevant for Fantasy owners this season.

Rookie Watch:

Gabriel Landeskog: Not only does he have a fun name to say, but he was also largely viewed as the most NHL-ready of all the top draft picks from the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. It’s uncertain exactly where he will fit into Colorado’s lineup this season, but if he sees time in the top-six he could put up solid rookie numbers. Fifty points? Perhaps. Add him to your watch list and wait and see where he fits in.

Ryan Johanson: Johanson will be one of several rookies lacing up for Columbus opening night. He has good size and boasted huge numbers in the WHL last season with 92 points in 63 games. Columbus expects big things from him this year. You should too.

Defenseman:

John Carlson: With rumors swirling that Marc Staal could miss the first month of the season thanks to concussion symptoms, Carlson could be a solid replacement pickup. Carlson posted 37 points last season and was a plus-21. If Washington’s offense gets back up to the level fans are used to, Carlson could post 40+ points this season.

Ian White: Another defensive replacement, White scored the golden ticket this offseason by signing with Detroit and then getting paired with Nicklas Lidstrom. White was strong on the power play in the preseason and could post career highs in points. Expect big power play numbers this year.

Goaltender:

Tuukka Rask: Bruins coach Claude Julien stated earlier this week that the Bruins don’t have a number one goalie – they have two. Basically, to cut through the coach-speak, expect Julien to use Thomas a tad more sparingly this season in order to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Rinne will benefit and see more games this year and could see spurts of consecutive starts if he gets hot. He would be a solid addition to any Fantasy lineup if he’s available.

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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Columbus Blue Jackets

Sep 27

Posted by Eddie in Season Previews | No Comments

Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson (L) is banking the success of the team on the signing of Jeff Carter (R).

Offseason Losses: Jakub Voracek, Nikita Filatov, Scottie Upshall, Mathieu Garon, Jan Hejda, Mike Commodore, Sami Lepisto

Offseason Additions: Jeff Carter, Vinny Prospal, James Wisniewski, Radek Martinek

Last Season Ranking: 13th in the West

Offense: Jeff Carter coming to Columbus will give the Blue Jackets their first 1-2 offensive punch in franchise history Carter will join Rick Nash and R.J. Umberger on the top line. This will be the primary offense and special teams line as there isn’t much depth beyond the top six. With Carter and Nash, only players with the names of Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, Iginla and Heatley have scored more goals than Carter and Nash over the last four seasons. Pretty impressive to have two of the top six goal scorers during that span are on the same line playing together. They will be worth a look in the early rounds of your fantasy draft if you aren’t too concerned about plus-minus because of whom they have playing behind them.

19-year-old top prospect Ryan Johansen is expected to begin the season centering the third line, but could get bumped up to the second line should he perform well and Antoine Vermette struggle. Various preseason lines have different players playing different positions and on different lines, but the combination of Vermette, Kristian Huselius, Antoine Vermette and newcomer Vinny Prospal to compete on the second and third lines. They have to find a way to succeed and qualify for the playoffs in the difficult Central division with a warming seat underneath GM Scott Howson, and head coach Scott Arniel. Not to mention Nationwide Arena has had more empty seats than filled ones in the last couple seasons since making the playoffs in 2009. Last year they were 27th of 30 in attendance with an average attendance of 13,658.

Defense: The best signing they made this off-season besides bringing in Carter was signing James Wisniewski. He is a young, offensive-minded blue liner who will see time on the first power play unit to create offensive and scoring for a squad that was second from last on the power play last season. If they want to make the playoffs, a 14 percent success rate won’t cut it. They also signed Radek Martinek who didn’t do a whole lot on Long Island last season. Look for 20-year-old David Savard to contend for the third defensive pairing coming out of training camp. If you compare his stats with Springfield of the AHL last season to the rest of the team, he was second behind Wisniewski in goals and points.

Goaltending: With Mathieu Garon departing for Tampa Bay, it is all on the shoulders of Steve Mason. He won 33 games in 2009 before crashing back to Earth in 2010. He played better in 2011 and it could give him confidence going into this season. It could fall in a line of young goalies such as Carey Price and Cam Ward who struggled while they were young before coming around and being a solid No. 1 goalie after a few years of experience.

The Jackets left fans scratching their head when they not only handed Mason the starting job again, but decided against signing a proven backup and will hand the No. 2 reins to Mark Dekanich. They signed him to a 1-way contract despite having 50 minutes of NHL experience under his belt. It is a huge risk to take especially for a team that needs to win to keep the fan base interested.

Playoff Prediction: In the playoffs, but just barely. It all rides on the play of Mason in goal. They did enough up front with the addition of Carter and Prospal and bringing in Wisniewski to anchor the blue line. While Detroit and Chicago are clearly better than them in the division, they will have to contend with Nashville to finish third in the division and to fight for the last playoff spot.

 

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Who’s Injured?

Oct 8

Posted by Matt in Fantasy, News | 2 Comments

Unfortunately, for a number of players, it seems like the injuries are piling on heavy right as the season gets underway. Here’s a look at some of the bigger names who will be missing time to start the season:

Brian Campbell – A sprained knee will keep Campbell out well into November. He was injured in the pre-season against the Penguins.

Marc Savard – Savard is experiencing post-concussion syndrome and there’s no telling when he will return. He’s been doing some light lifting and bike riding, but no high intensity work as of yet.

Jordan Staal -Suffering from an infection on his foot after having surgery late last season to repair a torn tendon. He’s had multiple procedures done to try to get things going, but was recently placed on long term injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least 10 games.

Kyle Okposo -Had successful shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. He suffered the injury during a practice where fans could attend, and will be out 2-3 months. Expect him back sometime in December.

Vinny Prospal – Prospal is out with a sore right knee. His injury was originally thought to be short term, but no progress has been made. He has yet to start skating again, and will likely be out until the end of October.

Matt Stajan – A separated shoulder, which occurred September 21st, will keep Stajan from playing. Expect a return towards the end of October.

Joffrey Lupul – After missing much of last season with a herniated disc in his back, Lupul will have to sit out a bit longer. He had surgery in December, and hoped to be ready for this season. During his off-season training, Lupul was found to have a blood infection in his back. He’s been placed on injured reserve, and there is no timetable for his return.

Andrei Markov -Markov is recovering from surgery after tearing his ACL late last season. His successful surgery was in the middle of May, and recovery is expected to take 6 months. This places Markov with an expected return sometime in November, depending on recovery.

Michael Leighton – A bulging disc in his back will keep Leighton out for about a month.

Chris Pronger -Pronger is still recovering from off-season surgery on his right knee. He has began skating, but has said he needs to gain more strength before he can return to the lineup.

Mark Streit – A torn left labrum and rotator cuff will keep Mark Streit sidelined for quite a while. His injury occurred during an intersquad scrimmage. After taking a hit from Matt Moulson, Streit fell hard into the boards. Unfortunately for the Islanders, he could be on the shelf for up to 6 months.

Alexandre Burrows -The Canucks winger was placed on injured reserve after having surgery to repair a torn labrum. He’s expected to be out approximately two months.

Peter Meuller – The Avs will be without Mueller indefinitely as he recovers from a concussion suffered during the preseason. There’s a bit of controversy behind this as Mueller was supposed to be wearing the new Cascade M11 helmet, but was not due to fitting issues. The Denver Post blog “All Things Avs” explains it in full detail.

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Hockey World Blog Season Previews 2010 – New York Rangers

Sep 5

Posted by Chris in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Losses: Alex Auld, Olli Jokinen, Corey Potter, Jodi Shelley

Key Offseason Additions: Alexander Frolov, Martin Biron, Todd White, Derek Boogaard, Tim Kennedy

Last Season Ranking: 9th in East

Offense:

The New York Rangers lost out on a postseason bid last year in the final game of the regular season. This year the team hopes to turn it all around and lock in a postseason appearance well before the end of the season with some key offseason additions.

Much of the team’s success will again depend on the health of Marian Gaborik. With 42 goals last season for 86 points in 76 games, Gaborik was a stud for the Rangers, but questions about his health continue to linger as Gaborik has had several injury-shortened seasons in his brief NHL career. Vinny Prospal, the team’s second highest scorer last season, will return for his second year with the Rangers. With 58 points last year, Prospal quietly puts together solid campaigns and will be expected to continue contributing on the top two lines. Recent trade acquisition Todd White will fight for a spot as a top-six forward and could be a great fit centering Gaborik on the first line. White is capable of anywhere between 50 and 70 points and will bring offensive depth and a veteran presence to the lineup.

*Dec 14 - 00:05*Alexander Frolov may be the biggest name coming to the Big Apple this season. Frolov showed flashes of brilliance in Los Angeles but never really became a huge impact player. Frolov is capable of producing 70 or more points if he can work hard and keep his attitude in check.

The team will also look for center Brandon Dubinski to keep taking steps forward and become a huge part of the team’s offense. Young players like Tim Kennedy, Erik Christensen and Artem Anisimov will certainly get their chance to contribute as secondary scorers as well.

Defense:

Marc Staal is considered by many to be the prolific defenseman of the organization but remains unsigned by the team. Assuming that Staal comes back, the Rangers will look for him to continue to lead the way on the blue line for the blue shirts. But at plus-11 last season, Staal had the best plus/minus of any New York defenseman while Michael Del Zotto had a team-worst minus-20. Still, Del Zotto tallied 37 points in 80 games last season. If he can be better in his own zone, Del Zotto could be a difference maker for the Rangers this year. Michael Rozsival is also capable of being much better than the 23 points and plus-3 he exhibited last year. The Rangers definitely need to play better defense this season if they intend to compete.

Goaltending:

Henrik Lundquist was a workhorse last season for the Rangers where he played in 73 games, tallied 35 wins and had a 2.38 goals against average. In fact, Lundquist has started in 70 or more games in each of his past four NHL seasons and has never had a goals against average higher than 2.43. However, now that the team has a suitable backup goaltender in Martin Biron, expect Lundquist to work less – possibly in the range of 55-60 starts, but still exhibit the same level of top-notch play.

Season Outlook:

The Rangers made some good additions in the offseason and certainly added some depth on offense, but a lot of their success hinges on health and attitude. If Gaborik can stay healthy and if Frolov can ditch his prima donna attitude then the Rangers could really make some big strides this season. Todd White is a very versatile player and could turn a lot of heads if he gets time on the top line with Gaborik. Lundquist is constantly a stud in net for the Rangers but adding Biron into the mix will help keep Lundquist fresh and healthy for the postseason. But as a whole, the Rangers need to play much better defense this year in order to stay competitive in the East. A playoff spot isn’t out of the picture, but it’s a long season and there are still a lot of “ifs” for the Rangers this season.

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