Check the PDF out.

GMG’s Market Buzz presents…
The Top 100 Roto Keeper Players
April Edition
Vol. 1 / Ed. 3
Table of Contents – April Edition
GMG’s Introduction...................................................................................................................................... 2
PG Advised: Top 100 Roto Keepers ............................................................................................................. 3
GMG’s Market Movers ................................................................................................................................ 8
GMG’s Market Buzz – H2H ........................................................................................................................... 8
Praba’s PG-13 ............................................................................................................................................ 13
DY Trends – Playoff Edition ........................................................................................................................ 15
MetalDude’s Diner ..................................................................................................................................... 20
MetalDude’s Journals – 2010-11 Playoffs, First Round Edition ................................................................ 23
Introduction to the UHL Dynasty League .................................................................................................. 35
PG Advised on DobberHockey ................................................................................................................... 40
GMG’s Introduction – April Edition
First, I would like to congratulate Steve “MetalDude” Laidlaw on landing a writing gig on DobberHockey
with a powerful new series “Cage Match” – well played, well deserved. Check out the Lucic vs. Burrows
match up here.
Now that the playoffs are underway, do you walk away from your post season draft(s) feeling confident?
Taking a look at the DobberHockey Expert’s Panel, whose ‘mind’ were you most alike? It’s always a treat
to have a knowledgeable writer explain their reasoning, and Steve is up to the challenge. Go read his
thoughts starting on page 23. In addition, and as seen in DY’s pre-release, Brendan shares with us some
Spring Kings & Sleeping Giants – who are your playoff gems? Mike Fisher! …kidding… or am I ?!
In other news, the Boston Bruins are now being covered by Gabe “4T2” Welsh and the thread has been
brewing some pretty stellar beantown recipes since the expansion. Speaking of recipes, MD’s fine diner
is back with some of the top selling dishes – feeling hungry? Try some of the Big Buff’s Meatloaf!
New to the edition will be regular recaps of the United Hockey League (UHL) Dynasty League led by the
very dedicated and respected forum member, Garrett “Dyzfunctioned” Matthews. This league has some
major talent and the draft (in progress) shows it. For your amusement, we have attached the first five
rounds with background info on the league, check it out on page 35.
Finally, shout out to Brandon Praba for his continued contributions and thank you Tyler K. for your
contributions as well, much appreciated (to all)! Enjoy the Top 100!
Gates “GMG” Imbeau
@GM_Gates
2
PG Advised – Top 100 Keeper Rotisserie Players
Skater Categories :
M = Monster
P = Profiled Player
Dual Eligibility = Bonus
Month Dud / Month Stud
R = Rebuild / W = Win Now
Full
Half
Faded
Tier 3
Tier 2
Tier 1
30
20
10
60
30
15
Goals
The following lists are GMGates and Praba’s
representations of the Top 100 Roto Keeper
Players. Age, upside, value, team and positional
requirements, among other influences, impact
where players are ranked. As expected, those
who continually hit multiple Roto categories
are favoured and active roster players are the
focus. Salaries and contracts are not in effect.
(Monster = 45 +)
Assists
PG Roto Score:
(Monster = 75 +)
+/-
20
10
0
100
60
30
30
20
10
Players are graded on a three-tier scale based
on their recent achievements, current pace and
two year upside. (See left panel for legend.)
(Monster = 30 +)
PIM
This is not a player to player draft guide simply
because the flow of draft, positions required and
many other needs come into play.
(Monster = 150 +)
PPP
We also chose not to include goaltenders due to
the fact that The Goalie Guild and Dobber’s Top
100 Goaltenders are already great references.
(Monster = 40 +)
SOG
300
200
100
(Monster = 350 +)
GMGates’ Top 100 Skaters
Praba’s Top 100 Skaters
1.
Alex Ovechkin, LW – WSH
M
M M
Sidney Crosby, C – PIT
M
M
2.
Sidney Crosby, C – PIT
M
M
Alex Ovechkin, LW – WSH
M
M M
3.
Evgeny Malkin, C/RW – PIT
M
Evgeny Malkin, C/RW – PIT
4.
Steven Stamkos, C – TBL
M
M
Steven Stamkos, C – TBL
M
M
5.
(P) Daniel Sedin, LW – VAN
M
M
Corey Perry, RW – ANA
M
M
6.
(P) Corey Perry, RW – ANA
M
Daniel Sedin, LW – VAN
M
7.
Zach Parise, LW – NJD
8.
Nicklas Backstrom, C – WSH
9.
Jeff Carter, C/RW – PHI
M
Mike Green, D – WSH
10.
H. Zetterberg, C/LW – DET
M
Jeff Carter, C/RW – PHI
M
M
M
M
3
M
M
Henrik Sedin, C – VAN
M M
Nicklas Backstrom, C – WSH
M
M
M
M
Tier 2
Tier 1
M M
Tier 3
Tier 2
Tier 1
11.
Henrik Sedin, C – VAN
12.
D. Heatley, LW/RW – SJS
(P)
Zach Parise, LW – NJD
13.
Ryan Kesler, C – VAN
(P)
Ryan Getzlaf, C – ANA
14.
Pavel Datsyuk, C – DET
Eric Staal, C – CAR
15.
Mike Green, D – WSH
(P)
16.
A. Burrows, LW/RW – VAN
Alex Semin, LW – WSH
17.
(P) David Backes, RW – STL
D. Heatley, LW/RW – SJS
18.
Patrick Sharp, C/LW – CHI
Bobby Ryan, RW – ANA
19.
Ryan Getzlaf, C – ANA
Patrick Sharp, C/LW – CHI
20.
Ilya Kovalchuk, LW – NJD
21.
Bobby Ryan, RW – ANA
Ryan Kesler, C – VAN
22.
Eric Staal, C – CAR
D. Byfuglien, D/RW – ATL
23.
Alex Semin, LW – WSH
Mike Richards, C – PHI
24.
D. Byfuglien, D/RW – ATL
25.
Daniel Briere, RW – PHI
Brad Richards, C – DAL
26.
Jarome Iginla, RW – CGY
Anze Kopitar, C – LAK
27.
Marian Gaborik, RW – NYR
28.
Mike Richards, C – PHI
Patrick Marleau, C/LW – SJS
29.
(R) Claude Giroux, RW – PHI
(W) M. St. Louis, RW – TBL
30.
Loui Eriksson, LW – DAL
James Neal, LW – PIT
31.
Kris Letang, D – PIT
Dustin Brown, LW – LAK
32.
Dustin Brown, LW – LAK
(R) Claude Giroux, RW – PHI
33.
S. Hartnell, LW – PHI
34.
Brandon Dubinsky, C – NYR
SOG
PPP
PIM
+/A
G
Tier 3
SOG
PPP
PIM
+/A
G
R
M
H. Zetterberg, C/LW – DET
M
M
M
Pavel Datsyuk, C – DET
Jarome Iginla, RW – CGY
M
M
Rick Nash, LW – CBJ
Jonathan Toews, C – CHI
M
(R) Chris Stewart, RW – STL
Zdeno Chara, D – BOS
4
M
M
Tier 2
Tier 1
Tier 3
Tier 2
Tier 1
35.
(W) M. St. Louis, RW – TBL
36.
Brad Richards, C – DAL
37.
(R) Chris Stewart, RW – STL
Alex Burrows, LW/RW – VAN
38.
Keith Yandle, D – PHX
Joe Thornton, C – SJS
39.
Zdeno Chara, D – BOS
Ryane Clowe, LW – SJS
40.
Anze Kopitar, C – LAK
Scott Hartnell, LW – PHI
41.
Patrick Kane, RW – CHI
Patrick Kane, RW – CHI
42.
Milan Lucic, LW - BOS
Daniel Briere, RW – PHI
43.
Patrick Marleau, C/LW – SJS
Keith Yandle, D – PHX
44.
Rick Nash, LW – CBJ
Shea Weber, D – NSH
45.
Joe Thornton, C – SJS
46.
Duncan Keith, D – CHI
(R) Matt Duchene, C – COL
47.
Jonathan Toews, C – CHI
(R) Evander Kane, LW – ATL
48.
(P) Ryane Clowe, LW – SJS
(R) John Tavares, C – NYI
49.
(R) John Tavares, C – NYI
(P)
50.
(R) Matt Duchene, C – COL
Joe Pavelski, C/RW – SJS
51.
Tomas Plekanec, C – MTL
David Backes, RW – STL
52.
Vincent Lecavalier, C – TBL
Thomas Vanek, LW – BUF
53.
James Neal, LW – PIT
Milan Lucic, LW - BOS
54.
Jason Spezza, C – OTT
(R) (P)
55.
(R) Taylor Hall, LW – EDM
Vincent Lecavalier, C – TBL
56.
Mikko Koivu, C – MIN
Mikko Koivu, C – MIN
57.
Marian Hossa, RW – CHI
Tomas Plekanec, C – MTL
M
M
(P)
Ilya Kovalchuk, LW – NJD
(P)
Kris Letang, D – PIT
(R) Jeff Skinner, C – CAR
5
Jason Spezza, C – OTT
Kyle Okposo, RW – NYI
SOG
PPP
PIM
+/A
G
Tier 3
SOG
PPP
PIM
+/A
G
R
M
M
M
Tier 2
Tier 1
Tier 3
Tier 2
Tier 1
58.
Thomas Vanek, LW – BUF
Marian Gaborik, RW – NYR
59.
Shea Weber, D – NSH
Dan Boyle, D – SJS
60.
M. Cammalleri, LW – MTL
(R) Phil Kessel, RW – TOR
61.
(W) Chris Pronger, D – PHI
(R) Taylor Hall, LW – EDM
62.
Paul Stastny, C – COL
(R) Logan Couture, C – SJS
63.
(R) J. Eberle, C/RW – EDM
Johan Franzen, RW – DET
64.
Travis Zajac, C – NJD
M. Cammalleri, LW – MTL
65.
Derek Roy, C – BUF
(R) J. Eberle, C/RW – EDM
66.
(R) Phil Kessel, RW – TOR
67.
Johan Franzen, RW – DET
68.
Drew Doughty, D – LAK
Duncan Keith, D – CHI
69.
Mike Ribeiro, C – DAL
Loui Eriksson, LW – DAL
70.
Joe Pavelski, C/RW – SJS
Drew Doughty, D – LAK
71.
Ryan Malone, LW – TBL
Marian Hossa, RW – CHI
72.
Jamie Benn, LW – DAL
(W) Chris Pronger, D – PHI
73.
Nathan Horton, RW – BOS
Paul Stastny, C – COL
74.
(R) Jeff Skinner, C – CAR
(P)
75.
Justin Williams, RW – LAK
Brandon Dubinsky, C – NYR
76.
(R) Logan Couture, C – SJS
(W) B. Morrow, LW – DAL
77.
Patrice Bergeron, C – BOS
Mikhail Grabovski, C – TOR
78.
(W) Shane Doan, RW – PHX
(P)
79.
Jordan Staal, C – PIT
Derek Roy, C – BUF
80.
(R) Derick Brassard, C – CBJ
(R) P.K. Subban, D – MTL
M
M
Jamie Benn, LW – DAL
Nathan Horton, RW – BOS
6
Ales Hemsky, RW – EDM
Alex Edler, D – VAN
SOG
PPP
PIM
+/A
G
Tier 3
SOG
PPP
PIM
+/A
G
R
M
M
M
Tier 2
Tier 1
Tier 3
Tier 2
Tier 1
81.
(R) Kyle Okposo, RW – NYI
(R)
82.
Rene Bourque, RW – CGY
Patrice Bergeron, C – BOS
83.
Steve Downie, RW – TBL
84.
(R) Evander Kane, LW – ATL
Ryan Malone, LW – TBL
85.
David Krejci, C – BOS
Martin Havlat, RW – MIN
86.
Stephan Weiss, C – FLA
Tobias Enstrom, D – ATL
87.
Tobias Enstrom, D – ATL
(R) Erik Karlsson, D – OTT
88.
Martin Havlat, RW – MIN
(R) Derick Brassard, C – CBJ
89.
Kris Versteeg, LW – PHI
(R)
90.
(R)
91.
Dustin Penner, LW – LAK
Mike Ribeiro, C – DAL
92.
Ryan Smyth, LW – LAK
Patric Hornqvist, RW – NSH
93.
Michael Grabner, RW – NYI
R.J. Umberger, C/LW – CBJ
94.
(W) M. Samuelsson, RW – VAN
(W) Shane Doan, RW – PHX
95.
Dan Boyle, D – SJS
Stephan Weiss, C – FLA
96.
Ales Hemsky, RW – EDM
Rene Bourque, RW – CGY
97.
Jussi Jokinen, LW – CAR
Jordan Staal, C – PIT
98.
Patric Hornqvist, RW – NSH
Michael Grabner, RW – NYI
99.
(W) B. Morrow, LW – DAL
(P)
A. McDonald, C/LW – STL
100.
Mikhail Grabovski, C – TOR
(P)
Travis Zajac, C – NJD
M
J. van Riemsdyk, LW - PHI
Jakub Voracek, RW – CBJ
J. van Riemsdyk, LW - PHI
Justin Williams, RW – LAK
Dustin Penner, LW – LAK
7
SOG
PPP
PIM
+/A
G
Tier 3
SOG
PPP
PIM
+/A
G
R
GMG’s Market Movers
April Edition
Up
Corey Perry
Jeff Carter
Henrik Zetterberg
Martin St. Louis
Keith Yandle
Johnathan Toews
Ryan Clowe
Michael Grabner
8
12
11
39
46
51
54
-
6
9
10
35
38
47
48
New
Down
Nicklas Backstrom
Dany Heatley
Henrik Sedin
Alexander Semin
Duncan Keith
Jason Spezza
Vincent Lecavalier
David Booth
6
9
10
21
35
52
47
94
8
12
11
23
46
54
52
Out
Market Buzz - Head to Head
David Backes VS. Ryane Clowe
Saturday March 26th
Before starting, take a look at the numbers below:
In the March Edition of the Top 100 Roto Players, David Backes found himself in the Top 20, while Ryane
Clowe was sadly sitting out of the Top 50. Worry not, by the end of this article, one of those rankings will
be changed, but for now, let's look at the PG Roto Score and find some trends.
By analyzing the figure above, you will notice that there is added color to the numbers shown, here is
the reason why:
8
Black Bold - The skaters have already hit the given Tier (number) minimum.
Red Bold - The skaters have not yet reached the given Tier minimum, but are expected to.
Blue Bold - The skaters have not yet reached the Tier minimum, and do not expect to hit it either.
If we break down this season's current statistics, both wingers are having fairly similar years. Backes has
a few more goals and shots on goal, while Clowe has several more assists. The biggest difference?
Backes is currently sporting an amazing plus-23, fifteen more than the San Jose forward.
Going forward, expect Backes and Clowe to consistently finish with similar point totals, generally
favouring Clowe. Although, the moment your league settings include plus/minus, penalty minutes,
power play points and shots on goal, Backes will be the one that has your back-es.
See for yourselves:
Clowe's last three Point Total seasons are *57, 57, 52.
Backes' last three Point Total seasons are *54, 48, 54.
Edge: Clowe - two out of three. *current season totals
Clowe's last three Roto Ranked seasons are *17th, 29th, 114th overall.
Backes' last three Roto Ranked seasons are *9th, 67th, 19th overall.
Edge: Backes - two out of three. *current season totals
If you take individual categories into consideration, the only category that is safe to pick Clowe over
Backes, consistently, is assists and now possibly PIMs. All the other categories, especially goals and shots
on goal, will favour Backes. In reference to the Tier system, Clowe has yet to hit 30G, plus-10 or 200 SOG
in a given season, while Backes has only yet to hit 20 PPP - basically three strikes to one.
With the rotisserie statistics and trends above in mind, having the Blues' top power-forward ranked 17th
on the Top 100 Roto list isn't that farfetched. In fact, it is on par with two of Backes' last three seasons!
Expect him to stay status quo, averaging Top 20 finishes or better year after year.
Note that there is still one thing that will be removed from Backes' Roto Score in the April Exclusive
Edition - his Monster PIM status. Why? Not only is he a prime candidate to be named Captain of the
Blues, and we all know what happens to PIM-turned Captain players, but having Cam Janssen, BJ
Combreen and now Chris Stewart in town, definitely does not help the cause. Backes may still continue
to hit 100 penalty minutes in future seasons, keeping him at the Tier Three plateau, but do yourself a
favor and do not expect any 150+ PIM campaigns any time soon.
Finally, for those keeping track, a change was promised earlier in the article and a change is what you
will get - step on up Mr. Clowe! Needless to say, the San Jose playoff workhorse has made a strong case
to join the top 50 club, and that will be reflected in April's release as well.
Until then, good luck during the final stretch of your regular season pools!
9
Market Buzz – Head to Head
Head to Head: Hart to Hart
Wednesday March 30th
A nice debate was started in the forums over which of Corey Perry or Daniel Sedin would be better to
own in rotisserie leagues. Obvious favourite is Perry right? Not so fast!
As of Wednesday March 30th -
In Points Only leagues, even though Corey Perry has four more goals, the edge has to go to Daniel who
will finish the season with roughly ten points more than Perry. Add in the remaining four standard
rotisserie categories and you have a split decision, although looking deeper into the numbers, you have
to ask yourself...
Would you rather have a plus-29 and 30 PIM player or a plus-5 and 100 PIM player?
Would you rather have a 38 PPP and 249 SOG player or a 25 PPP, 263 SOG player?
Knowing you can count on D. Sedin to average around plus-30 every season undoubtedly helps your
team because other than his twin, there just aren't that many players who you can count on that can hit
that average consistently. However, picking up a high PIM player is arguably much easier to do and you
could definitely draft accordingly.
10
When you talk rotisserie, the PIM category does not take precedent over another category. It is not the
first time that it has been said and certainly will not be the last. Poolies need to look at all categories on
even footing. Meaning plus/minus is just as important as PIMs and if you think otherwise, it will be your
loss.
If you were shown the diagram below, which player would you initially pick and build around?
Here are the results from the question above using the Frozen Pool Tools, tagged with Yahoo! Rankings,
Hockey Pool Geek Rankings and the PG Roto Score assigned to them:
11
Take what you want from these results, but three of four rankings favour the Swedish Canuck.
If we shift toward keeper leagues, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Most likely, age and future
production, right?
Fact: Corey Perry is five years - and that is attractive. Although, at 30, Daniel Sedin has plenty in the tank
left. In the last Exclusive, praba wrote, "the age of a player is very important in keeper leagues, but in
this case it is not a big enough factor to solely choose between the two. Both players have elite hockey
in them for at least the next five years, which is a big enough window to not consider age when selecting
between the two." - Agreed!
What you need to do is ask yourself where your team is at, rebuild or win now - that alone could sway
you in a certain direction. If you are rebuilding, it might be wiser to lean towards Perry, simply due to
the age factor. Just know that rebuilds in fantasy hockey should only go a maximum of three years anything more will have your team go in the never pleasant, rebuild limbo (see the Trade Fever Archives
for more). On the flip side, if you consider yourself to be a win now team, both Daniel Sedin and Corey
Perry will surely serve you and serve you well for the next three to five years.
End note : If I'm planning to win now, I would choose Daniel as my franchise player, hands down because let's face it, why worry about a drop in production that is at least half a decade away? The
statistics speak for themselves.
Disclaimer : Any other league settings than the Standard "Six" and this could all slant toward either
direction (example: add Short Handed Points and Salary - Perry takes it easily).
12
Praba’s PG-13 – April Edition
This month’s PG-13 will focus on players that can help you next season. The rankings are geared towards
those who are trying to win now without mortgaging their future. Player’s values could rise or fall
depending on your league setup, so make sure you take that into account.
1. Zach Parise (12): Had he not been injured this season, Parise would easily have been in the top
10. In the Top 20 RKM – G/SOG, GMG mentioned that the only player to outshoot Parise last
year was Ovechkin. A player that can score 40+ goals and take 300+ shots is highly valuable
(unless the player’s name is Jason Blake).
2. Ryan Getzlaf (13): Last month I compared Daniel Sedin vs Corey Perry, giving the edge to the
Duck. But what if we compared Henrik Sedin and Ryan Getzlaf? Surprisingly their numbers are
quite similar, yet Henrik is often drafted much higher than Getzlaf. The Swede is still the much
safer choice, since he has played six straight 82 game seasons. Below are their stats using
Getzlaf’s projected pace had he not been injured:
G
A
+/-
PIM
PPP
SOG
Henrik Sedin
19
75
26
40
35
157
Ryan Getzlaf
23
69
17
42
33
143
3. Pavel Datsyuk (15): It seems more and more likely that he will never hit 100 points like so many
thought when he recorded back to back 97 point seasons. However, he is one of 15 players who
finished the season with PPG or more, despite only playing 55 games. He should flirt with
around 90 points next season, barring any injuries.
4. Ilya Kovalchuk (35): There aren’t many players who can achieve 700 points in 700 games.
Kovalchuk would be the picture-perfect example of consistency, had the 2010-2011 season not
occurred. After a brutal start, Kovalchuk managed to hit the 30 goal mark, making his season
look somewhat respectable. With Parise returning to the Devils lineup, look for Kovalchuk to
improve his stats and score at least 40 goals next season.
13
5. Jason Spezza (49): With 23 points in his last 15 games, Spezza is proving he can still put up big
numbers despite playing with quality linemates (Butler with either Michalek/Greening). Good
offseason signings and a new coach should bring Spezza back up to 85-90 points, health
permitting.
6. Ales Hemsky(74): Despite being a Certified Band-aid Boy, Hemsky tends to produce almost PPG
for most of his career. A great player to take a flyer on for next season, providing your league
has IR spots.
7. Kyle Okposo(54): The Islanders are becoming much better with every game they play, and the
addition of a healthy Mark Streit should boost everyone’s numbers. Okposo could easily break
out next season riding shotgun to Tavares, putting up solid numbers across the board.
8. Kris Letang (36): In the first half of the season, Letang tallied 33 points, but managed to only
register 17 points in the second half without Crosby. A 50 point defenseman that can tally 100+
PIM is a great asset to own (although his PIMs were skewed a bit due to the Islanders fiasco),
and his point total should only increase next season with a healthy Crosby.
9. Derek Roy (79): Another player to hit the PPG mark this season, Roy may be undervalued as he
only played in 35 games. A full season next year playing alongside Boyes/Pominville could be
interesting, and should finish with 80+ points and decent peripheral stats.
10. Alex Edler (78): Edler is one of the best roto defensemen, as he is able to put up great numbers
across the board. He was on pace to finish with 53 points, while being plus- 19 with 25 PPP. His
injury may have delayed his untouchable status in keeper leagues by a year, so grab him while
you can.
11. Chris Stewart (33): As mentioned in last month’s edition, Stewart has been on fire since joining
the Blues. His numbers this season are lowered significantly due to his inconsistent play in
Colorado, but next season he should establish himself as one of the league’s best power
forwards.
12. Andy McDonald (99): In a similar situation as Derek Roy, McDonald’s injuries have limited his
stats. He has also proved he can put up near PPG numbers, almost single-handedly winning
matchups for his fantasy owners.
13. Travis Zajac (100): One of the few players that is on the list just because of his linemate. With
Parise on his wing, Zajac has the potential to put up 70+ points while being plus- 20. A great buy
low candidate, as he should be a lock for 60 points and plus-10 next season.
14
DY TRENDS
Playoff Edition: "Spring Kings and Sleeping Giants"
As fantasy poolies make the transition from regular season to playoff action it is important to
revisit players whose performances will change. DY Trends will take the time identify a few
players who have (historically) displayed signs of heroism during the long grinding Stanley Cup
run.
In this edition of DY Trends, you will be presented with five players who traditionally carry their
teams during previous playoffs - known as "Spring Kings". DY Trends will also look at a few
players who could fly under-the-radar but have shown to be clutch performers in the past for
their playoff teams.
SPRING KINGS
The Spring Kings are players of star status and their selections should not surprise anyone.
Their playoff production speaks for itself and the Spring Kings will finish atop their teams'
scoring charts.
WASHINGTON The decision to include the name "Alex Ovechkin" was a difficult choice his
omission would have been unfair. It would have been nice to select a more uncommon go-to
stud but after examining the statistics, it would be foolish to exclude this poster boy. The
Capitals have faced some deservingly harsh critism about their past playoff performances;
however, the blame should not lie on the shoulders of Ovechkin. Over the past two postseasons, Ovechkin has been a roto-monster. During the Capitals' past two abbreviated postseasons, Ovechkin has averaged the highest goals-per-game in both playoffs (0.79 G/G in 200809; 0.71 G/G in 2009/10) and posted a respectable pace for assists-per-game (0.71 A/G in both
2008-09 and 2009-10). Fantasy poolies need to select AO if you are projecting the Capitals to
advance past the first round.
15
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING Martin St. Louis (RW) continues to get no respect around the NHL. For a
second straight season, Marty finished the regular season with over 90 points and among the NHL's Top
10 scorers. The Laval-native has experienced NHL playoff action four times in his twelve seasons and
hoisted Lord Stanley's cup once. St. Louis has posted over a point-per-game in three of those four postseasons (1.09, 1.04, and 1.33) and nearly attained the pace in the 2005-06 playoffs when he posted 0.80
points-per-game. Do not forget about the undersized engine that runs this Tampa Bay Lightning team
when your playoff drafts begin. Heart-and-soul always rises to the top in post-season action.
DETROIT RED WINGS Henrik Zetterberg enters the
2010-11 playoffs currently sidelined with an injury so his
inclusion comes with a cautious warning. Zetterberg
has been one of the best playoff performers in the past
decade making it impossible to keep him off of this list.
The versatile Red Wing brings everything he has to the
rink each game and kindly fills all of your roto-category
needs. Over Detroit's last two playoff runs, Zetterberg
has averaged 0.53 goals-per-game, 0.62 assists-pergame, 3.66 shots-per-game, recorded 13 powerplay
points and possesses a rating of plus-24. The Red Wings
are always Stanley Cup contenders and if you have
them advancing deep into the playoffs then selecting
Zetterberg will not do you wrong.
Zetterberg Image:
16
ANAHEIM DUCKS Declaring the power-forward Corey Perry as a
"fantasy monster" this season does not do him justice. The
Peterborough-native was the major factor in the Anaheim Ducks'
late season surge into post-season action. Anaheim was once a
playoff outcast in the Western Conference and Perry was able to
withstand the storm and propel the Ducks into fourth place in the
West. The 25-year-old right winger has drastically improved his
fantasy stock this season; however, it's important to recognize
that Corey Perry has been improving each and every year. Perry's
performance this year resulted in him winning the Maurice
"Rocket" Richard Trophy, which adds to his long list of career
accomplishments. Those accomplishments are never ending and
include: OHL Bantam AAA Cup Champion, OHL Cup Champion,
Memorial Cup Champion (CHL), World Junior Champion, Stanley
Cup Champion and Olympic Gold Medallist. The Anaheim Ducks'
last playoff appearance was in 2008-09 and Perry did not deviate
from his multi-cat stud ways. In thirteen games, Perry registered
eight goals ( 0.62 goals-per-game), fourteen points (1.08 pointsper-game), thirty-six penalty minutes and forty-one shots on goal
(3.16 shots-per-game). Corey Perry's Anaheim Ducks will face off
against the Nashville Predators in the first round and their success
rests on the shoulders of Perry and his linemates.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS Daniel Briere's name does
not jump to mind when you mention "studs" but
when playoffs roll around it is difficult to find a
player that will fill your roto-categories better
than Briere. The Philadelphia Flyers most definitely
fall into the category of "playoff contender" and its
roster ices several players who could help your
playoff team - namely Jeff Carter, Mike Richards and
Claude Giroux. However, drafting Briere may be
the best bang-for-your-buck if your league counts
powerplay points, shots-on-goal and penalty minutes. Danny Briere was able to notch some fantastic
playoff statistics in last years' Stanley Cup run. Briere averaged 0.52 goals-per-game, 0.78 assists-pergame and 2.74 shots-on-goal to go along with his plus-9 rating and 18 penalty minutes in 23 games. The
undersized fiesty winger led his Flyers in every roto-category last post-season (except plus-minus where
he finished second to Ville Leino).
17
SLEEPING GIANTS
The Sleeping Giants' selections are players who have a great track record during post-season
action but may be entering the 2010-11 playoffs under-the-radar. Fantasy owners are fickle
individuals at times and their recent memories often influence their decision-making processes.
You would be wise to remember the following names regardless of their recent performances.
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING Simon Gagne has been
playing good hockey over the past month making
him a better-known "sleeper". However, Gagne has
traditionally performed better in the post-season
than in the regular season and he could be easily
forgotten. In the past two post-season Stanley Cup
runs, Gagne has proven to be a pure sniper come
Spring time. Simon recorded 0.47 goals-per-game
in 2009-10 and 0.50 goals-per-game with the Flyers'
during the 2008-09 post-season. Gagne is not only
limited to providing your team with goals he will
also provide your squad with approximately 3 shotsper-game in the post season as well. Gagne has
never recorded a shots-on-goal pace lower than 2
shots-per-game in his playoff career.
MONTREAL CANADIENS' At 5-foot 7-inches, Brian
Gionta is probably the furthest thing from a "giant"
but do not let him know that. Once playoff time
appears, Brian Gionta simply shows up to compete.
Gionta has the playoff experience and accolades
(2002-03 Stanley Cup Champion -New Jersey Devils)
that teams need when crunch time arises. Jaroslav
Halak and Mike Cammalleri were the two heroes for
the Canadiens last spring and that makes it even
more critical to recognize what Gionta can bring to
your roster as he flys under-the- radar. Gionta
finished second to only Cammalleri in goals (9),
points (15) and led the Habs in shots-on-goal (70)
last playoffs. Gionta's contributions do not end
there. The former Boston College star added five
powerplay points and finished with 14 penalty
minutes in 19 post-season games. Gionta brings it
every post-season so let it bring it on your squad.
18
DETROIT RED WINGS Johan Franzen is better known as "the Mule" in the streets of Detroit and
the name becomes evident as the Red Wings make their annual playoff run each year. The
large power-forward normally would not be considered a sleeper but Johan has been especially
quiet in the final few months of the regular season (except that five goal game). Traditionally,
Franzen is a strong second-half performer which usually translates into playoff production as
well. With the injury status of Henrik Zetterberg still very much up in the air, Franzen will take
on a more important playoff role. What can Johan Franzen add to your playoff squad? The
simple answer-everything. In the Red Wings' past three playoffs, Franzen has either finished
first or second in goals scored and has finished above or at a point-per-game pace. The
peripheral categories are not too shabby either. The Mule sits at plus-29 with 190 shots and 21
powerplay points for Detroit in the past three playoffs. The Mule will carry your playoff team as
long as Detroit stays in contention.
Honourable Mentions: Ryan Kesler (VAN), Joe Pavelski (SJS), Tomas Vanek (BUF), Milan Lucic
(BOS), Brandon Dubinsky (NYR), Dustin Brown (LAK), Ray Whitney (PHX), Ryan Suter (NSH),
Jonathon Toews (CHI)
DY Trends recognizes that there are numerous players who could have easily made the lists
above. The players chosen above are players with character and I firmly believe that the
hockey players who play the game with grit and determination are the individuals who cement
themselves as true playoff warriors year after year.
19
Hopefully you are well acquainted with the Fantasy Food Groups column I wrote in last month’s RotoExclusive. If not, I suggest you check that out first to make reading this piece that much easier.
With the 2010-11 regular season ending on Sunday, I figure it would be nice to take a look back at some
of our top selling menu items, here at MD’s Fine Diner. Look out for us over the next few months to
continue to discuss different league configurations for how to cook up the best possible league but until
then enjoy some of these tasty treats!
Campbell’s Vegetable Broth
5G - 22A - plus-28 - 6 PPP - 6 PIM - 28 Hits - 99 BS - 0 SHP - 84 SOG
Look, we aren’t too sure why we offered this weak dish but you’ve only yourself to blame for ordering it.
Oh sure there’s a reasonable helping of veggies so your plus/minus needs are covered, and you might
find some potatoes drowning in that sea of water but it comes with nothing else. And just to make sure
you suffer we’ve refused to even offer you some crackers to go with it. Yes our Campbell’s Vegetable
Broth is easily one of the poorest menu items but people keep buying it, year after year so who are we
to argue?
Baby Backes Ribs
31G - 31A - plus-32 - 15 PPP - 93 PIM - 213 Hits - 40 BS - 1 SHP - 211 SOG
This meal is the total package. We know you like meat, so we’ve procured for you the ribs of three
different animals. Prefer Hits, we got you covered. If PIM are your poison, we’ve got that too. We’ve
even got Major Penalties flown in special, just for you.
Comes with your choice of fries or baked potato, but since we know you want to keep room for the
meat our servings of Blocked Shots small.
20
Also comes with our big salad. You may be a rabid carnivore but everyone needs roughage. Our big salad
will help keep you from crapping your Plus/Minus away.
Comes with a small fruit platter that really puts the PPP in pears, plums and pineapple!
We’ve pulled out all the stops bringing you a diverse condiment rack for this dish. Salt and pepper,
dipping sauces, you name it! We make sure you aren’t wanting for SOG.
Just when you thought that was enough, we roll out the dessert. We give you a whole pecan pie of FOW
you didn’t even ask for from this winger.
Big Buff’s Meatloaf
20G - 33A - minus-1 - 24 PPP - 93 PIM - 137 Hits - 71 BS - 0 SHP - 342 SOG
Oh you wanted meat you say? Well how about our massive loaf filled with your choice of PIM or Hits?
We’ll even mix the two together if you really want. We’re here to please not to ask questions! You won’t
find any vegetables in this loaf. None whatsoever. So you can disregard plus/minus with this dish. You
will however find a healthy layer of fluffy mashed potatoes on top of this loaf that should take care of
your daily requirement of carbs and Blocked Shots.
It does come with a giant fruit platter though because we know you’ve got a sweet tooth. If you are
wanting for PPP after this we call gluttony.
Did we mention that there’s ketchup? Use the whole bottle, seriously. We don’t just recommend it, we
demand it. The last thing we want to hear is, “More ketchup, please!” So we make sure you are
drowning in a pool of SOG. You just never mind if at the end your glass of water (and all the Goals and
Assists that come with it) runs dry. You’ve got that ketchup to carry you through the last half of your
meal.
21
And for those of you with more specific tastes, try the…
Luke Meatloafer
5 G - 17 A - minus-7 - 0 PPP - 34 PIM - 251 Hits - 168 BS - 1 SHP - 128 SOG
You can take this meal to-go because frankly we don’t want to see you eating it. It’s a meatloaf just like
the Big Buff but it comes with only Hits as your choice of meat. We also provide no complementary
water and no fruit platter since we expect you to take this to-go. There is a much larger serving of those
Blocked Shots potatoes to help keep the meat from drying. We do provide you with some ketchup
packets in the doggie bag to add some SOG flavour.
The Lundqvist ‘11
11 Shutouts
Such a fine bottle for those wise enough to recognize it. His seductive
brand of wine will have you pouring glass after glass and before you know
it, you’ll be drunk on Shutouts. And don’t think we didn’t notice the high
comedy of the Lundqvist vineyard putting 11 servings of Shutouts into
their 2011 edition of this fine wine. We certain hope you ordered it from
our cellars.
All You Can Eat Buffet, the Corey Perry Special
50 G - 48 A - plus-9 - 31 PPP - 104 PIM - 64 Hits 41 BS - 5 SHP - 290 SOG
If you like it, we got it. There’s not a person out there who wouldn’t be satisfied with this buffet.
22
MetalDude’s Journals
2010-11 Playoffs – First Round
#1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 New York Rangers
First off can I get a little love for picking the Capitals to finish first in the East? I think that was a pretty
stellar prediction that only a true genius could have made. (Too thick?)
This is a re-match of a couple years back when the Capitals finished second in the East and once
again the Rangers barely clawed into the playoffs. The Rangers almost shocked the Caps in that series
behind some stellar goaltending from Henrik Lundvist and the opportunistic shelling of then Capitals
starter Jose Theodore, who was in way over his head. The Caps then turned to rookie netminder
Semyon Varlamov and he rescued them from being upset. The Capitals will once again turn to a rookie,
this time it will be Michal Neuvirth who is battle tested having won two AHL championships. And if he
falters they do still have Varlamov or even another rookie, AHL goaltender Brayden Holtby, that they can
turn to if need be.
The Capitals are just extremely unpredictable this season. Who would’ve thunk it that Ovechkin
wouldn’t be top ten in goal scoring or would fail to break 90 points for the first time in his career?
The Capitals completely changed their identity hoping that they’d now be better prepared for
the rigors of playoff hockey. Things got so bad mid-season that some, maybe even myself (I really can’t
remember) were calling for the head coach, Bruce Boudreau, to be fired. It all seems to have worked
itself out but the true test is now. Can their defensive style translate to better success come playoff
time?
To be completely fair, I’m not even sure their style was that much more defensive than it was in
the past, I just think their players had a down year, particularly star defenseman Mike Green, who
missed half the season with injuries and spent the other half battling them. He just wasn’t the same.
There’s no doubt Boudreau threw the shackles on him a bit to slow things down but he wasn’t the same
at all. He’s their offensive catalyst though (even more than Ovechkin), particularly on the powerplay
where his instincts and vision are invaluable. That helps to explain their miserable powerplay, which in
turn explains the lack of scoring.
23
So the real question is not so much whether or not the new style will translate but rather will
Green be back and if so, will he be ready? He’s expected back but I’ve no idea if he’s ready to play at his
usual level. That might not even matter though. For one, Ovechkin is on fire coming into the postseason, having scored 34 points in his last 27 games. The Capitals themselves are also scorching, going
19-7-1 over that same 27 game span. They are peaking at the right time while the Rangers should just be
happy to have gotten in.
Of course, one must always be weary of the low seeded team that barely makes the playoffs.
The eighth seed has won three of ten playoff rounds against first seeds since the lockout, an astonishing
rate of success. And we can’t have forgotten how last season the seventh and eighth seeded teams in
the East met in the Conference Finals.
The Rangers could be yet another eight seed primed for an upset. They fared very well against
the Capitals this season boasting a 3-1 record against them, including to huge shutout/blowouts (7-0
and 6-0 respectively).
They also possess the sort of game stealing goaltender that a team needs to pull off an upset.
Henrik Lundqvist, as mentioned earlier, led the league in shutouts this season, with 11. He boasts an 116-2 all time record against the Capitals, which will surely give him some sort of mental edge.
Working against the Rangers, however, is the injury bug. They lost hardnosed winger, Ryan
Callahan, to a broken ankle earlier this week. They will have team captain, Chris Drury, back from injury
but having played but the one game down the stretch I find it extremely unlikely he’ll have an impact on
the ice. Instead it will be up to their young defense-corps to band together and continue to provide the
stellar defending and shot blocking they have all season while the hope is they can grind out just enough
scoring to get by.
The Rangers were actually a very well balanced scoring team this season and in fact scored more
than the Capitals and also had a better goals for/goals against ratio. They’ll need to replace Callahan’s 23
goals somehow but they have four other 20 goal scorers who can pick up the slack. The big problem is
going to be getting more out of superstar forward, Marian Gaborik, who has really struggled this season
with only 48 points. Without Gaborik’s scoring, the Rangers stand little chance in this series.
I think the Rangers stand a very good chance of pulling off an upset here but I just can’t bet
against the Capitals. You can tell they want it. I don’t know where they’d go from here if they lost again.
They’d just have to blow up the team and start over. Trade Ovechkin, trade Backstrom, trade Semin and
fire Boudreau and start up from scratch. This has to work and they are playing with that sort of urgency.
You never want to go up against cornered animal like the Capitals seem to be right now. I won’t blame
you if you want to take the Rangers here but I’ve got the Capitals in six hard fought games.
24
#2 Philadelphia Flyers vs. #7 Buffalo Sabres
The Flyers are a tale of two teams right now. You have the 31-14-5 Flyers that led the East most of the
season with veteran Chris Pronger in the lineup and then you have the 16-9-7 Flyers, who are barely a
.500 team without Pronger. Pronger is expected back in time for the playoffs later this week but can we
really expect that this is switch that can simply be flipped?
The Flyers much talked about goaltending situation is dangerously volatile. While I expect they’ll
have little issues with goaltending so long as they have Pronger’s presence in the lineup, the potential
for him to be out of it is too great to count on them. At his age, Pronger is hardly the impact player he
once was but just by being there he makes the Flyers better. Pronger exudes a certain arrogance that
can only come from playing 15+ years in the league. He instils confidence in his teammates that allows
them play calmly in their own end and his presence in and around the net makes opposing forwards
think twice about crashing the crease.
He absolutely needs to be in the lineup for the Flyers to go far. This is especially true when you
consider how abysmal the Flyers’ powerplay has been this season. Their powerplay success was a huge
reason they were able to overcome substandard goaltending on the way to the Stanley Cup Final last
season but this year it’s been a real sore spot. Their powerplay ranks just 19th in the league at 16.6%.
That simply isn’t going to cut it. And with all those weapons I can’t imagine why they aren’t performing
better. We know the Flyers can’t keep pucks out of the net having secured no shutouts this season so
they will absolutely need to score multiple goals to win games and with scoring tightening up in the
playoffs they’ll need their powerplay more than ever.
The Flyers hold no edge over the Sabres this season having split the season series, with the
Sabres actually having won the last two meetings. The Sabres also hold a tenable edge over the Flyers
on special teams. Their penalty kills are virtually the same but the Sabres powerplay is very good ranking
in the top ten at 19.8%. The Sabres key to winning this series will definitely be from exploiting special
teams play.
25
They’ll also need starting goaltender, Ryan Miller to get back into the lineup after missing time
with a shoulder injury of sorts. Like Lundqvist in the previous series, Miller gives the underdogs a
punchers chance with his ability to steal games. He hasn’t played at the same level he did last season,
when he won the Vezina, but his play really picked up late in the season (2.45 GAA, .920 Save% since the
All-Star game), helping push the Sabres into the playoffs.
The Sabres also come into the playoffs a scorching hot 8-1-1 as compared to the Flyers 3-4-3
limp in that saw them give up the first seed in the East. So if you believe in the Flyers then you have to
believe in Pronger and you have to believe there’s an on/off switch. I’ve seen it go either way in sports
to the point where I don’t know how to judge it but what I do know for sure is that the Buffalo Sabres do
not matchup at all well with the Flyers on paper. There’s no way they should be able to deal with the
Flyers depth, particularly not given the fact that the Flyers run three excellent scoring lines, while I’m
not certain the Sabres have even one defensive pairing that I’d trust in the post-season.
This is enough of a David and Goliath matchup that you want to root for the Sabres and there’s
even enough evidence to believe it’s possible but I still can’t find myself making the prediction.
Somewhere, in some dark backroom, the Flyers are sitting around turning on the proverbial light and
getting ready to play some meaningful hockey for the first time in like two months. With Pronger and
with passionate play there’s no way the Flyers can lose a seven game series to the Sabres. They have
enough players that give a damn that I don’t see them letting down and that’s why I’m taking the Flyers
in five games.
#3 Boston Bruins vs. #6 Montreal Canadiens
It must be fate. This is an excellent matchup for so many reasons. I mean think of all the history, both
late and recent. These are two Original Six teams with a very well established division rivalry that has
gone on for decades. Then there’s the whole Pacioretty-Chara incident and the fact these teams already
didn’t like each other. This is also the third time in four years that these two will play each other in the
first round of the playoffs. This is like the Oilers vs. the Stars back in the 90’s only multiplied by like a
thousand because both can claim they stand a legitimate chance of winning the Cup.
Lost in all the hatred is the fact that these clubs are both remarkably similar. Their biggest
strength comes from the excellent coaching they receive. Claude Julien and Jacques Martin are both
26
easily among the top ten best coaches in the game. They are also both built from the net out, with their
playoff hopes largely resting on their Vezina worthy goaltenders.
Tim Thomas set an NHL record for best single season save percentage stopping 93.8% of all
shots he faced this season. That should be more than enough to win him the Vezina but it may not. For
all his excellent play and stupendous numbers I still have my doubts about his actual game. If you can
set an all-time record for excellence and you still can’t silence your doubters there’s got to be something
wrong with your play. Thomas gives up way too many rebounds and flops too much. It works because he
plays behind one of the best defenses in the game. Chara clears the crease better than anyone,
including Pronger and he has largely the same impact on his teammates.
Price on the other hand is a much more technically sound goalie, relying on his size and
positioning to stop most shots and control rebounds while saving his athleticism for only those
situations where he truly needs it. The question mark beside Price is not about his skills but rather his
endurance.
Price played in a career high 72 games this season, which is 31 more than he played in last
season and 20 more than his previous career high. We’ve seen in recent seasons that workhorse goalies
do not fare well come playoff time. It isn’t beyond Price to quiet the doubters and buck the trends but
they still need to be pointed out because the Canadiens lean so heavily on him. This especially comes
into play when one considers that Thomas comes in well rested having played in just 57 games this
season. It is worth noting, however, that Price’s numbers have actually improved since the All-Star
break, while it is Thomas who is showing signs of fatigue. Thomas’ 2.39 GAA and .922 save percentage
since the All-Star Game are rather human looking compared to his pre-ASG numbers and are actually
worse than Price’s over that stretch.
Furthermore, Price has a huge mental edge in this series. His record against the Bruins is 13-4-2,
while Thomas has a losing record against the Habs at 10-14-4. And don’t think for a second that turning
to Rask is a better option for the Bruins. His 1-5-1 record against the Habs in his career is even worse
than Thomas’.
Of course, there is a lot more to this series than just goaltending but it is extremely difficult to look
beyond what there is between the pipes as both teams possess game (and really, series) changers.
The Bruins are definitely the more dominant team this season as evidenced by their vastly
greater goals for/goals against ratio but the Canadiens hold a 4-2 edge in their season series. The Bruins
were dominant winning their final regular season match 7-0 so much still remains in doubt.
The Bruins hold a massive edge in this series in terms of size. They are absolutely built for the
playoffs with hulking forwards like Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton imposing their will on opponents.
Then there’s their defense-corps, which is absolutely stacked with size. The Bruins will do what they can
to beat on the diminutive Canadiens players to scare them out of the series.
27
The problem is all the Habs players are feisty as hell. It’s like they’ve all got a small guy complex
on steroids. Their lack of size is actually some how a strength, allowing them to muster a will to win
against the odds that no other team can match.
The one area that the Habs possess a definitive edge is on special teams. Their powerplay was
lethal this season, scoring on 19.7% of all man advantages. Likewise, they were also strong on the
penalty kill, killing off 84.4% of their penalties. This gives them a huge edge in post-season play. The
Bruins, on the other hand, ranked 20th and 16th in the league on the powerplay and penalty kill this
season at 16.4% and 82.6% respectively.
If the Habs can make this largely a special teams battle they’ll come out ahead and that’s exactly what
I’m predicting. Give me the Habs in seven, largely because I need an upset but also because I think this is
a dog fight that could go either way.
#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Tampa Bay Lightning
The Penguins actually have one game remaining this season but it matters not. They can’t move
anywhere in the standings after Philly won today. That means the ever intriguing date with the Lightning
is coming true. This is the matchup that is going to puzzle all the prognosticators. Mainly because we
have absolutely no idea if Sidney Crosby is going to play in the series, but also because we have no clue
what the young Tampa Bay Lightning will bring in their return to post-season play. Of course, things are
also compounded by the fact that the teams split their season series 2-2, leaving no obvious victor.
Home ice rarely means much, in the NHL playoffs, any more but I’m thinking in a series like this
one it will be a huge factor. The Penguins have a veteran core that has been on plenty of deep play runs
together before. They’ve won a Cup under head coach Dan Bylsma and after watching them hold strong
despite losing their best two players this season, you know they’ll follow him through thick and thin.
Tampa Bay may trust their head coach, Guy Boucher, as well but, beyond St. Louis and Lecavalier, these
guys have never battled through a playoff series together.
28
So experience will be huge and giving the Penguins home ice means the inexperienced Lightning
would be faced with a game seven on the road, if it were to go that far. Can you really see them banding
together and pulling out a win in Pittsburgh when they need it most? St. Louis and goaltender Dwayne
Roloson have made careers of defying the odds but those are some insurmountable odds.
What really makes me think the Penguins will be able to take this series is because I fully suspect
that Crosby will return at some point. If you recall the rush of adrenaline the Bruins got last year when
Savard returned, Crosby could have the same sort of impact. There’s no way he’s in good enough shape
to change the game with his scoring but the sort of emotions he could bring about in his teammates are
the sorts that turn whole series. There’s no way I don’t see Crosby making that sort of triumphant return
if the Penguins really need him.
Of course their league leading penalty kill may just stifle the Lightning to the point where they
don’t even need him and roll easily through the Lightning. Whatever the case may be the Lightning need
to take their lumps before they are ready to go on a run. Trust me when I say I’ve acknowledged how
bright their future is but it’ll have to wait another year. I’m taking Penguins in six.
#1 Vancouver Canucks vs. #8 Chicago Blackhawks
This had to happen. If you recall, I wrote recently that the Canucks would benefit greatly from playing
the Blackhawks in this weakened condition and putting all those past failures behind them. I mean,
getting eliminated in back-to-back playoffs by the hands of the Blackhawks has to be wearing on them.
That would be such a confidence booster for the Canucks to then finally beat the Blackhawks. You know,
to be the best you gotta beat the best and you’ve also gotta face your demons to get past them. Well
the Blackhawks are all of that rolled into one package primed to get knocked off.
The Blackhawks have had a rollercoaster season and have definitely suffered from a bit of the
dreaded Stanley Cup hangover. Worst of all, they really backed into the playoffs, having their fate in
their own hands but lost to the Red Wings 4-3 on the final day, thus needing the Dallas Stars to lose to
the Minnesota Wild to get into the playoffs. The Stars did lose and the Blackhawks squeeked in but
that’s hardly the mark of a winner. The Blackhawks needed to bear down, show some conviction and get
the win they needed. They just don’t seem to have that mojo this season. Oh sure they still have the
29
superstar talent they’ve always had but their cap issues forced them to gut the roster last summer and
they’ve struggled to find that depth scoring that made them so successful before. Worse than that
though, they’ve run their top defensive pairing (Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook) ragged trying to
make up for this lost depth. If anything it’s taken away from the Blackhawks and you really just wonder
how they’ll do it come playoff time.
Oh they can score a ton. Only three teams in the league scored more than they did this season
but it just so happens they are playing one of those teams in the Canucks. The Blackhawks still boast a
phenomenal powerplay, which much like their overall scoring is fourth in the league. The problem again
is that they sit behind the Canucks in this category.
What really stacks the odds against the Blackhawks is that they will face serious issues in
defending the Canucks. While they scored just four fewer goals than the Canucks this season, they
allowed 40. Furthermore, their penalty kill is awful ranking 25th in the league at 79.2%. The Canucks
should own the special teams battle as they possess the top powerplay in the league at 24.3%, while
having the third best penalty kill at 85.6%.
One more area the Blackhawks have really stumbled, while the Canucks have managed to
improve this season is in puck possession. Last season the Blackhawks wore you down the way the Red
Wings used to, by dominating faceoffs and puck possession. This season the Blackhawks are winning
barely half of the draws they’ve taken at 50.8%. The Canucks on the other hand lead the league in this
category as well winning 54.9% of all draws this season.
At this point I want to just hand the Canucks the Cup let alone this series. They are the best
team in the league in every way you can look at things. They have the league’s top scorer, the best top
line, the best second line center, the deepest defense, the best goaltending tandem and dominate in
virtually every statistical measure you can look at.
These two teams did split the season series but the Canucks won the last two and are coming
into the post-season still chugging along, having won seven of their last ten. The Blackhawks, as
previously mentioned, got in the backdoor and went just 5-4-1 over their last ten. I have no confidence
in them. Not even Patrick Kane’s voodoo on Luongo will work in this series.
I didn’t even mention how well rested Luongo is this season having Schneider backing him up so
superbly or how focused he is this season no longer having to carry the weight of the C. Nor did I
mention the fact that Corey Crawford, a rookie goalie, has started like a thousand straight games for the
Blackhawks just to help them qualify for the playoffs. I guess that stuff didn’t need mentioning.
I’ve got the Canucks in six here. The champs will go down with a fight and not before putting
that perennial scare into the Canucks. “Not again!” The entire city of Vancouver will scream. But no, not
again. Never again.
30
#2 San Jose Sharks vs. #7 Los Angeles Kings
The Sharks basically got gift wrapped a trip to the second round. The Kings were easily the peachiest of
all the playoff matchups. I remember a day ago when the Sharks were set to play the Ducks in round one
and I thought to myself that this simply wasn’t fair. The Ducks are the hottest team coming in and the
Sharks are definitely that one team that’s made the loop from so grotesquely overrated that they are
now underrated.
Everyone expects the Sharks to fail but what they don’t realize is the Sharks have new blood this
year. They no longer just lean on the Marleau-Thornton-Heatley line. In fact that line doesn’t even skate
together any more. Instead they’ve split those three up and created three scoring lines that they roll
efficiently. This means you can’t focus on any one line and that’s a huge asset to this team.
Their biggest problem this season was depth on the blueline, forced to basically play Dan Boyle
all night for lack of any better options. Well they made some deadline deals, most notably acquiring Ian
White, and now they are looking much deeper on the backend as well.
Another thing I see people failing to acknowledge is the fact that the Sharks are improved in
goal. Now I’m not knocking Evgeni Noblockov so much as I am pointing out his deficiencies. He was
definitely a workhorse for the Sharks but we’d seen time after time that he simply wasn’t a big game
goaltender and that his size (or lack thereof) was becoming a more damning issue as he got older. Enter
Anttii Niemi, the big Finnish netminder, fresh off winning a Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks. I mean,
the guy is the defending champion goaltender. Acknowledge this man! I’m late to the party but yeah the
guy gets winning.
The Kings on the other hand just don’t seem like they are there yet. I had them winning the
Pacific Division this season and they looked like they were going to prove me right until the wheels came
off. Doughty got hurt, Mitchell got hurt, Jack Johnson got a new contract (yeah that one again) and they
just couldn’t hang onto tops in the division. In fact they fell out of the playoffs for a while. Of course they
were too good for that and eventually clawed back to fourth in the West. Then Kopitar got hurt and you
knew the dream was done. Oh they’d done more than enough to hang onto the playoff spot, but they
31
weren’t making any noise. I don’t care how big, and how deep they are, they had but one reliable scorer
and now he’s injured.
The Kings actually fared pretty well without Kopitar, going 3-4-0 over their last seven with all
their losses coming against top four teams in the West but most telling was the 6-1 loss to the Sharks
that should preview well the coming beat down.
The Kings and Sharks actually split their season series 3-3 but that final game was pretty telling.
The Kings are a shell of themselves without Kopitar. They could, of course, rally around their wounded
star and band together to put up a strong fight but it seems more likely they’ll roll over and die. I’m not
saying they aren’t fighters, I’m just saying that the Sharks aren’t a good matchup for them.
The Sharks are just behind the Canucks in both faceoff and powerplay percentage so you know
they’ll be dominant playing the puck possession game baiting the hard hitting Kings into penalties. The
Kings do have a superb penalty kill at 85.5% this season but they’ll have to be particularly good against
the Sharks.
The Kings will also have difficulties on the other end of the special teams battle. Their powerplay
is one of the worst in the league, clicking at just 16.1% and that will make it difficult to take advantage of
the Sharks biggest weakness, their penalty kill. The Sharks only killed off 79.2% of their penalties this
season but without Kopitar in the Kings lineup that kind of proficiency should be enough.
Ultimately I’m looking at the Sharks depth up front, particularly up the middle, and I just can’t
see them losing this series. Mark me down for Sharks with the sweep.
#3 Detroit Red Wings vs. #6 Phoenix Coyotes
The Red Wings are banged up. They have been all season. Zetterberg won’t play the opening game of
the series, so who knows when he’ll be back. Their goaltending is terrible. I have no faith in their ability
to stop pucks. And yet, I can’t pick against them. Not in this series.
32
Phoenix is about as intimidating as Mickey Mouse. Sure they play an excellent system and they
got a world beater in goaltender, Ilya Bryzgalov but come on. All those 20-goal scorers they have are
supposed to put the fear of God into someone? Oh that’s right they only have one 20-goal scorer.
The desert dogs will have to get it done by committee, just like they have all season long. The
problem with that is everything gets tighter in the playoffs so it would be nice to be able to lean on a
star player occasionally. The Phoenix powerplay is also abysmal, clicking at just 15.9% this season. Even
against Jimmy Howard that’s going to make things tough to score. This is particularly true when the Red
Wings have such a playoff tested veteran group that killed off penalties at 82.3% this season.
The Red Wings have such a clear advantage when it comes to special teams. Their powerplay
should light it up in this series. It was fifth in the league this season at 22.3% and the Coyotes penalty kill
was worst among playoff teams at 78.4%. The Red Wings should have their way whenever they get on
the powerplay and could burry the Coyotes really quick if they aren’t disciplined.
That should probably be enough right there but let’s dig a little deeper. It is worth noting that
these two did split their season series. And it’s also worth mentioning that when these two met in last
year’s playoffs the series went the full seven games. Phoenix had home ice last year though. They won’t
have that luxury this time around so that makes it extra difficult.
I’m going to give Phoenix some credit though. They seem to battle the Red Wings very well, no
matter how poorly they stack up on paper. Also neither team is coming in particularly hot. Bryzgalov and
Yandle can get them to game seven again, but Detroit isn’t losing.
#4 Anaheim Ducks vs. #5 Nashville Predators
This is the matchup of the two teams nobody wanted to face in the first round. Anaheim is simply scary
with that top line of theirs. And the secondary scoring they got from Selanne and Co. was pretty superb
as well. Perry could easily win the Hart this year for his heroics and he could throw a cherry on top by
helping lead the Ducks on a long playoff run.
33
The problem with the Ducks is that they really don’t have the on paper makeup of a playoff
team. Sure they’ve got the scorers but they don’t have much depth anywhere on the roster. They were
also a mere plus-4 in goal differential this season. That’s not exactly setting yourself up to win. They may
be fourth in the West but they had to battle for a playoff spot just like all the bottom seeds.
Being fourth is crucial for the Ducks however. The Preds and Ducks may be polar opposites in
just about every category, but one thing they agree on is that they love to play on home ice. So that
could be a very important factor in this series.
The Preds and Ducks tied with 99 points this season and they are both coming in with the same
amount of momentum having won seven of their last ten. It’s really going to be about splitting hairs
finding the winner in this one.
The Ducks have an awesome powerplay that clicks at 23.5% but the Predators can counter with
a penalty kill that runs at 84.9%. But as the Predators powerplay is one of the worst in the league expect
special teams to be a wash.
One way we can really set these teams apart is in their head to head matchup. Nashville took
three out of their four meetings this season. We can also look at Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne
(arguably the best goalie in the league today) and see that he’s been dominant against Anaheim in his
career with a 6-2-2 record, 2.15 GAA, .930 save% and a shutout against the Ducks.
For me this series will ultimately come down to goaltending. The Predators have it and the
Ducks don’t. Hiller still doesn’t know up from down and now Emery is battling injury. Even thinking
about the possibility of Dan Ellis starting in the playoffs makes me want to vomit. Even if Emery does
return, I don’t trust him to win. Plus I think Rinne can steal a couple of games on his own.
So where will Nashville find the offense? I don’t know but I don’t rightly care. Maybe it’ll come
from their stellar group of defensemen, led by Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. If there was a defensive
pairing that could shut down the Ducks big line, it’s probably these guys. They can match them in both
size and intensity, so you know they won’t back down. They are most likely why the Preds won the
season series and they will also be why the Preds take this playoff series, the first in their franchise
history. Home ice be damned, I’ve got the Preds in six.
34
An Introduction to the UHL
For those of you who haven't heard of the United Hockey League (UHL), you're about to.
The UHL is a deep H2H dynasty league with several scoring categories and fairly unique rules;
furthermore, it's made up entirely of dobberites. As the commissioner, I've partnered with the PG
Advised section and the purpose is twofold. First, I get to fill my league with several PG Writers who I
know will be both active and knowledgeable members. Secondly, it provides another topic for the PG
Advised section, one which differs quite a bit from what it otherwise offers.
So before I go into details about the league, you might be asking how or why these articles will help you.
Simply put, most fantasy hockey players play in relatively simple leagues and for those who are in more
complex leagues, a lot of the information here at dobberhockey isn't very representative of your setup.
Of course every league has subtle differences, but the idea behind this is to provide insight to those of
you who are curious about more complex league setups and also to provide comparison for those who
are in similar leagues.
League Setup and Scoring
Teams: 24 teams in 6 divisions
Format: Fantrax Salary cap, H2H Single W/L/T, Daily Starts
Roster: 3C, 3LW, 3RW, 3F, 6D, 1G, 4BN, 4 IR
Farm: 22 Players (27 in 2012-13)
Skater Categories:G, A, GWG, SHP, PPP, PIM, +/, SOG, Hits, Blks, Gv/Tk%, FO%
Goalie Categories: W, SV, SV%, GAA, SO (Min goalie games: 1)
Other features: Buyouts, Draft pick rewards based on standings, Franchise player cap hit discounts.
General Managers
Dobberhockey Name
UHL Team
Csawce
New Jersey Devils
ZombieJesus
New York Rangers
Dennis4022
Pittsburgh Penguins
Metaldude26
Philadelphia Flyers
Mater
Buffalo Sabres
Praba
Ottawa Senators
Dean Youngblood
Montreal Canadiens
4T2
Toronto Maple Leafs
Deadwing
Carolina Hurricanes
Golfguy1672
Tampa Bay Lightning
Hockeyrobot
Washington Capitals
35
Rainydrinkwater
Atlanta Thrashers
Dyzfunctioned
Edmonton Oilers
Ericdaoust
Calgary Flames
Dobers31
Vancouver Canucks
Carcillo
Colorado Avalanche
Sartavos
Chicago Blackhawks
Nowayout
Detroit Red Wings
GMGates
Nashville Predators
TK12555
St. Louis Blues
Kanuck
LA Kings
Temek
Anaheim Ducks
Nantook
Dallas Stars
Keytolife
Phoenix Coyotes
Round 1
1.1 Chicago Blackhawks - Alexander Ovechkin, WSH (FRANCHISE)
1.2 Tampa Bay Lightning (via Vancouver Canucks) - Sidney Crosby, PIT (FRANCHISE)
1.3 Tampa Bay Lightning (via Los Angeles Kings) - Evgeni Malkin, PIT
1.4 Washington Capitals - Steven Stamkos, TBL (FRANCHISE)
1.5 New Jersey Devils - Daniel Sedin, VAN (FRANCHISE)
1.6 Toronto Maple Leafs (via Phoenix Coyotes) - Nicklas Backstrom, WSH (FRANCHISE)
1.7 Buffalo Sabres - Corey Perry, ANA
1.8 Carolina Hurricanes - Ryan Getzlaf, ANA
1.9 Ottawa Senators - Carey Price, MTL
1.10 Montreal Canadiens - Zach Parise, NJD (FRANCHISE)
1.11 Detroit Red Wings - Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (FRANCHISE)
1.12 Calgary Flames - Roberto Luongo, VAN
1.13 Atlanta Thrashers (via Nashville Predators) - Ilya Kovalchuk, NJD (FRANCHISE)
1.14 Montreal Canadiens (via Philadelphia Flyers) - Pekka Rinne, NSH
1.15 Anaheim Ducks - Ryan Kesler, VAN
1.16 St. Louis Blues (via Edmonton Oilers) - Ryan Miller, BUF (FRANCHISE)
1.17 Pittsburgh Penguins - Henrik Sedin, VAN (FRANCHISE)
1.18 Vancouver Canucks (via St. Louis Blues) - John Tavares, NYI (FRANCHISE)
1.19 Vancouver Canucks (via Tampa Bay Lightning) - Marc-Andre Fleury, PIT
1.20 Dallas Stars - Cam Ward, CAR
1.21 Los Angeles Kings (via Tampa Bay Lightning from PHX and TML) - Matt Duchene, COL (FRANCHISE)
1.22 New York Rangers - Johnathan Toews, CHI (FRANCHISE)
1.23 St. Louis Blues (via Vancouver Canucks from Nashville Predators from Atlanta Thrashers) - Claude Giroux, PHI
1.24 Colorado Avalanche - Jonathan Quick, LAK
36
Round 2
2.25 Colorado Avalanche - Bobby Ryan, ANA (FRANCHISE)
2.26 Atlanta Thrashers - Ilya Bryzgalov, PHX
2.27 New York Rangers - Anze Kopitar, LAK
2.28 Phoenix Coyotes (via Toronto Maple Leafs) - Jaroslav Halak, STL
2.29 Dallas Stars - Patrick Kane, CHI (FRANCHISE)
2.30 Nashville Predators (via Vancouver Canucks from Tampa Bay Lightning) - Jeff Carter, PHI - SOB
2.31 Edmonton Oilers (via St. Louis Blues) - Mike Green, WSH
2.32 Pittsburgh Penguins - Jonas Hiller, ANA
2.33 Chicago Blackhawks (via Edmonton Oilers) - Keith Yandle, PHX
2.34 Anaheim Ducks - Tomas Vokoun, FLA
2.35 Philadelphia Flyers - Kris Letang, PIT
2.36 Vancouver Canucks (via Nashville Predators) - Drew Doughty, LAK
2.37 Washington Capitals (via Calgary Flames) - Antti Niemi, SJS
2.38 Detroit Red Wings - Taylor Hall, EDM
2.39 Tampa Bay Lightning (via Philadelphia Flyers from Montreal Canadiens) - Martin St. Louis, TBL
2.40 Ottawa Senators - Jeff Skinner, CAR
2.41 Carolina Hurricanes - Jimmy Howard, DET
2.42 Buffalo Sabres - Dany Heatley, SJS
2.43 Toronto Maple Leafs (via Phoenix Coyotes) - Tuukka Rask, BOS
2.44 New Jersey Devils - Henrik Zetterberg, DET
2.45 Calgary Flames (via Washington Capitals) - Shea Weber, NSH (FRANCHISE)
2.46 Los Angeles Kings - Logan Couture, SJS
2.47 Washington Capitals (via St. Louis Blues from Vancouver Canucks) - Pavel Datsyuk, DET
2.48 Edmonton Oilers (via Chicago Blackhawks) - Tim Thomas, BOS (later traded)
Round 3
3.49 Edmonton Oilers (via Chicago Blackhawks) - Mike Richards, PHI (FRANCHISE)
3.50 Nashville Predators (via Vancouver Canucks) - Eric Staal, CAR (FRANCHISE)
3.51 Los Angeles Kings - Rick Nash, CBJ
3.52 Carolina Hurricanes (via St. Louis Blues from Washington Capitals) - Joe Thornton, SJS (FRANCHISE)
3.53 New Jersey Devils - Patrick Sharp, CHI
3.54 Phoenix Coyotes - Corey Crawford, CHI
3.55 Buffalo Sabres - Jason Spezza, OTT (FRANCHISE)
3.56 St. Louis Blues (via Carolina Hurricanes) - Phil Kessel, TOR
3.57 Ottawa Senators - David Backes, STL
3.58 Philadelphia Flyers (via Montreal Canadiens) - Chris Stewart, STL
3.59 Detroit Red Wings - Jamie Benn, DET
3.60 Calgary Flames - Alexander Burrows, VAN
3.61 Nashville Predators - Dustin Brown, LAK
3.62 Vancouver Canucks (via St. Louis Blues from Philadelphia Flyers) - Loui Eriksson, DAL
3.63 Anaheim Ducks - James Neal, PIT (FRANCHISE)
3.64 Edmonton Oilers - Joe Pavelski, SJS
3.65 Pittsburgh Penguins - Erik Karlsson, OTT
3.66 Edmonton Oilers (via St. Louis Blues) - Evander Kane, ATL
37
3.67 Phoenix Coyotes (via Tampa Bay Lightning) - Milan Lucic, BOS (FRANCHISE)
3.68 Dallas Stars - Thomas Vanek, BUF
3.69 Toronto Maple Leafs - Ryane Clowe, SJS
3.70 New York Rangers - Mikko Koivu, MIN
3.71 Atlanta Thrashers - Patrick Marleau, SJS
3.72 Colorado Avalanche - Jordan Eberle, EDM
Round 4
4.73 Colorado Avalanche - Jarome Iginla, CGY
4.74 Atlanta Thrashers - P.K. Subban, MTL
4.75 New York Rangers - Alex Edler, VAN
4.76 Edmonton Oilers (via Toronto Maple Leafs) - Dustin Byfuglien, ATL
4.77 Dallas Stars - Duncan Keith, CHI
4.78 Phoenix Coyotes (via Tampa Bay Lightning) - Alexander Semin, WSH
4.79 Chicago Blackhawks (via Edmonton Oilers from St. Louis Blues) - Sergei Bobrovsky, PHI
4.80 Pittsburgh Penguins - Clarke MacArthur, TOR
4.81 Vancouver Canucks (via Philadelphia Flyers from St. Louis Blues from Edmonton Oilers) - Nathan Horton, BOS
4.82 Anaheim Ducks - Ryan Callahan, NYR
4.83 Montreal Canadiens (via Philadelphia Flyers) - Brad Richards, DAL
4.84 Nashville Predators - Scott Hartnell, PHI
4.85 Calgary Flames - Marian Hossa, CHI
4.86 Detroit Red Wings - Paul Stastny, COL
4.87 Philadelphia Flyers (via Montreal Canadiens) - Brandon Dubinsky, NYR
4.88 Nashville Predators (via Ottawa Senators) - Ondrej Pavelec, ATL (later traded)
4.89 Carolina Hurricanes - Nikolai Kulemin, TOR
4.90 Colorado Avalanche (via Buffalo Sabres) - Alex Pietrangelo, STL
4.91 Phoenix Coyotes - Kyle Okposo, NYI
4.92 New Jersey Devils - Craig Anderson, OTT
4.93 St. Louis Blues (via Washington Capitals) - Tobias Enstrom, ATL
4.94 Los Angeles Kings - John Carlson, WSH
4.95 Philadelphia Flyers (via Vancouver Canucks) - James van Riemsdyk, PHI
4.96 Chicago Blackhawks - Lubomir Visnovsky, ANA
38
Round 5
5.97 Chicago Blackhawks - Michael Grabner, NYI
5.98 Washington Capitals (via St. Louis Blues from Vancouver Canucks) - Magnus Paajarvi, EDM
5.99 Los Angeles Kings - Michal Neuvirth, WSH
5.100 St. Louis Blues (via Washington Capitals) - Brent Seabrook, CHI
5.101 New Jersey Devils - Cam Fowler, NJD
5.102 Phoenix Coyotes - Tyler Seguin, BOS
5.103 Phoenix Coyotes (via Buffalo Sabres) - Tyler Ennis, BUF
5.104 St. Louis Blues (via Carolina Hurricanes) - Derek Roy, BUF
5.105 Nashville Predators (via Ottawa Senators) - Miikka Kiprusoff, CHI
5.106 Montreal Canadiens - Michael Cammalleri, MTL
5.107 Detroit Red Wings - Brent Burns, MIN
5.108 Calgary Flames - Tomas Plekanec, MTL
5.109 Nashville Predators - Alex Goligoski, DAL
5.110 Philadelphia Flyers - Kari Lehtonen, DAL
5.111 Carolina Hurricanes (via Anaheim Ducks) - Steve Downie, TBL
5.112 Edmonton Oilers - Brooks Laich, WSH
5.113 Pittsburgh Penguins - Steve Mason, CBJ
5.114 Edmonton Oilers (via St. Louis Blues) - Patric Hornqvist, NSH
5.115 Toronto Maple Leafs (via Tampa Bay Lightning) - Tyler Myers, BUF
5.116 Dallas Stars - David Krejci, BOS
5.117 Tampa Bay Lightning (via Toronto Maple Leafs) - Marian Gaborik, NYR
5.118 New York Rangers - Niklas Backstrom, MIN
5.119 Atlanta Thrashers - Erik Johnson, COL
5.120 Buffalo Sabres (via Colorado Avalanche) - Ray Emery, ANA
* Round 6 almost complete.
- Watch the draft unfold on the DobberHockey forums with frequent updates on completed rounds.
- Feel free to comment on picks, but try to keep it to already picked players. It would be appreciated to
refrain from “name dropping” as the draft is still ongoing.
- Look for monthly articles by Tyler K, as he breaks down draft anomalies, surprises, trends and more.
39
Featured Columns -
Regular Columns -
GMG’s Market Buzz
GMG’s Trade Fever
GMG’s Journals (coming soon)
Praba's PG-13
MetalDude’s Power Chords
MetalDude’s Diner
Dean Youngblood’s DY trends
Sponsored by PG Advised -
NHL Team Coverage Shakedown - Chicago Blackhawks
TK12555 - Toronto Maple Leafs
littleranger - New York Rangers
donions - Edmonton Oilers
Big Ev & sovietcanuckistan - Ottawa Senators
ericdaoust - Montreal Canadiens
Dean Youngblood - Detroit Red Wings
Mikerocksthered - Washington Capitals
Flyer Fan - Philadelphia Flyers
Kudelskis Krushers - Carolina Hurricanes
AtlantaSportsFan - Atlanta Thrashers
bballplyr321 - San Jose Sharks
Bomm Bastic - Buffalo Sabres
ridinryan44 - Vancouver Canucks
newper114 - New Jersey Devils
4T2 – Boston Bruins
DY’s Daily Fantasy Points Pick-a-Player Challenge
DY’s Tea Time Draft Challenges
UHL Dynasty League - (lead by Dyzfunctioned)
Other Features [Past, On Hold and Coming] GMG & DY's 2011 ASG Mock Draft
Dean Youngblood’s Hockey History
Studs & Duds
Write a Caption
Team Audits
Polls, Contests & Challenges
Fantasy Mailbag
OHL News and Discussion - (lead by DY)
Come join the discussion today!
40