Calgary (CP) A great suggestion was brought forth by a colleague of mine that solves a big dilemma for me. The problem that I've been having is comparing impact of Forwards, Defencemen and Goalies. So for this month I'll attempt to separate them by specifying the Top 10 Forwards, Top 5 D and Top 5 Goalies with explanations for the top 3 and obviously no previous rankings listed. I'd like to collect feedback on how you like this format better than the other one since there are Pros and Cons to both. While the previous list is more of an MVP of the entire league, this one is "best in your position".
Forwards:
1. Vincent Lecavalier, TBL: A couple of months ago I wondered whether last season was an anomaly. This season he's showing that it was no fluke and when playing his game perhaps could give Crosby a good run for "Best Player in the League" title. Currently he leads the league in scoring but will probably be passed by Sid the Kid by X-mas. But out of this list, he has been the most consistent player so far this season.
2. Sidney Crosby, PIT: At this time of this post, it comes off the heels of a 4-2 PIT win over the Oil so I'm a little upset with him right now. That's the thing though, he does nothing for the first 2 periods and then sets up 3 in a 4 goal third to win. He's a superstar period.
3. Jarome Iginla, CGY: Question for all the Flamers out there... if Iggy doesn't score what is Calgary's record? I've often thought that without Kipper, the Flames are useless. I'd probably have to refine that to without Kipper OR Jarome the Flames are useless. He does everything for them... including fight.
4. Henrik Zetterberg, DET
5. Daniel Alfredsson, OTT
6. Ilya Kovalchuk, ATL
7. Mats Sundin, TOR
8. Dany Heatley, OTT
9. Rick Nash, CLB
10. Marc Savard, BOS
Defencemen
1. Chris Pronger, ANA: Placing second in overall PPts in the GDHL behind Vinny and ahead of Crosby, Chris is having an MVP type season. Over 70% of his points comes on the PP and he is 5th if defencemen scoring. He has his meanstreak again and when healthy solidifies his ranking at No.1.
2. Sergei Gonchar, PIT: There is a lot of credit that goes to Ryan Whitney being the young stud on D but without Gonchar as his partner one wonders if he'd have as much success. Almost all Whitney goals and assists have Gonchar's name attached to it... not the other way around. Without Sergei, PIT's defence would be very suspect.
3. Brian Rafaslki, DET: Being an offensive defencemen, I'm sure that Brian was relieved to get out of Jersey. What a difference a coach makes as Brian holds his own with Nic providing the Wings with a scary PP.
4. Zdeno Chara, BOS
5. Nic Lidstrom, DET
Goalies:
1. Roberto Luongo, VAN: Powered by 3 consecutive SO, he is solely responsible for the Canucks turnaround this season and the GDC Bruins. He is finally playing up to his normal standards and should earn Vancouver a second consecutive NW division crown.
2. Henrik Lundqvist, NYR: After a strong October, Henrik continued his great play. Now that the Rangers offence has finally figured itself out, the Rangers are rolling. By year's end, expect him to be another Vezina finalist.
3. Evgeni Nabokov, SJS: Not much is being written on the Sharks this season with so many other things happening in the league. Meanwhile, Nabokov has gone 7-1-3 in his last 11 to quietly park the Sharks in their usual position... near the top of the league. The Sharks made the right choice between him and Vesa.
4. Pascal Leclaire, CLB
5. Martin Brodeur, NJD
Fur Engee (CP)
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
GDHL: GM Power Rankings (November)
Calgary (AP) November was an interesting month to say the least. A lot of roster changes that saw the best player in the league (Crosby) and some star defencemen move. This month's ranking will be tough... but here it goes:
1. Mike (+3): As I told the commish himself, November saw the biggest smackdown in the history of the league with a spread of 70+PPTs between the Bruins and the next best point total for November. Fluke? I don't think so. The Bruins were reportedly outraged at both sets of Power Rankings in October for many exclusions to the list. Well that must have been some pep talk Mike gave his troops because they got even where it counted. The addition of Chara and Henrik "I wish I was as good as Daniel" Sedin might have gone under the radar to some... but these two has addressed the injury to Bergeron and have given the Bruins a big name on D that was sorely missing.
2. Adam (N/C): Even though Adam has taken a harsh hit in the standings as his players are now back to normal, Adam keeps this ranking solely based on his scooping of Crosby from the likes of both the Sather's Eyes and One Eyebrow. Both competing GMs called GDHL head office to see if the dealings were legit and have contacted their lawyers that may call out the Whalers and Airborne for compensatory damages for mental anguish. Good job Adam on landing the best player in the league!
3. Kevin (-1): An uneventful November for Kevin after the acquisition of Ovechkin saw the Bruins surge past the Anti-Leafs. Even though he has fallen into second place, knowing his M.O. he has one or two deals in the works that should make up for the gap quickly.
4. Ken (-1): Ken has taken the title of most active GM from Ihor by making several trades to try and stay competitive. This definitely has kept the league interesting and earns him a spot on this list simply because of the lack of activity from other teams. Whether the trades he has made so far are good ones will play themselves out over the course of the next 3 years but for now they have kept him not too far behind the top 3 teams and is closing in on the Whalers. Anyone want to take a guess on how many official deals the Shamrocks and Attitude will complete by years end? I'll place my bets in the 15 - 16 range ;)
Fur Engee (CP)
1. Mike (+3): As I told the commish himself, November saw the biggest smackdown in the history of the league with a spread of 70+PPTs between the Bruins and the next best point total for November. Fluke? I don't think so. The Bruins were reportedly outraged at both sets of Power Rankings in October for many exclusions to the list. Well that must have been some pep talk Mike gave his troops because they got even where it counted. The addition of Chara and Henrik "I wish I was as good as Daniel" Sedin might have gone under the radar to some... but these two has addressed the injury to Bergeron and have given the Bruins a big name on D that was sorely missing.
2. Adam (N/C): Even though Adam has taken a harsh hit in the standings as his players are now back to normal, Adam keeps this ranking solely based on his scooping of Crosby from the likes of both the Sather's Eyes and One Eyebrow. Both competing GMs called GDHL head office to see if the dealings were legit and have contacted their lawyers that may call out the Whalers and Airborne for compensatory damages for mental anguish. Good job Adam on landing the best player in the league!
3. Kevin (-1): An uneventful November for Kevin after the acquisition of Ovechkin saw the Bruins surge past the Anti-Leafs. Even though he has fallen into second place, knowing his M.O. he has one or two deals in the works that should make up for the gap quickly.
4. Ken (-1): Ken has taken the title of most active GM from Ihor by making several trades to try and stay competitive. This definitely has kept the league interesting and earns him a spot on this list simply because of the lack of activity from other teams. Whether the trades he has made so far are good ones will play themselves out over the course of the next 3 years but for now they have kept him not too far behind the top 3 teams and is closing in on the Whalers. Anyone want to take a guess on how many official deals the Shamrocks and Attitude will complete by years end? I'll place my bets in the 15 - 16 range ;)
Fur Engee (CP)
Thursday, November 8, 2007
GDHL: Player Power Rankings (October)
Calgary (CP) What a difference a month can make. A lot of surprises on the leaderboard so far as some people have gotten off to fast (or slow) starts. I've tweaked the formula a bit. All feedback is appreciated. Here's my top 20:
1. Sidney Crosby, PIT (N/C): After being shutout in his first game, he has a 14-game point streak going. He is breathing down Zetterberg's neck and once he overtakes him, the scoring title will be his. He's too good!
2. Jarome Iginla, CGY (+7): He is notoriously a slow starter but has gotten off to a rocket pace. PIMs, PPP and a ton of goals is what makes him come in a #2.
3. Vincent Lecavalier, TBL (+2): Picking up where he left off from last year... which is great news for me! He seems to be in a pissed off mood this year getting into 2 fights and that boosts his value even more.
4. Henrik Zetterberg, DET (NEW): Debuting at #4, the current NHL scoring leader is showing off the talent that we all know he has. Question is whether he'll play more than 70 games this season. For Adam's sake, I sure hope so.
5. Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (NEW): Hands showing of people thinking that at this time Henrik would almost have as many PPTs as Kipper, Luongo and Brodeur combined? Thought not. Granted its because the other three have been off to slow starts but Henrik is showing why he's been a Vezina finalist the last 2 years.
6. Pascal Leclaire, CLB (NEW): Hands showing that Leclaire had this much talent? Well actually I did, but he was injured all last year so what can you do? Seven wins, five shutouts. WOW.
7. Mats Sundin, TOR (NEW): Off to the best start in his long career, he finally has someone to pass to in Blake. I've always knew he was good but never really appreciated how good he was until this year. He's doing it all for the Buds.
8. Chris Pronger, ANA (+3): Love him or hate him, he's consistently one of the top 3 defencemen in the league and is lethal on the PP.
9. Evgeni Malkin, PIT (+10): Its not fair that him and Crosby are on the same team. No sophomore slump yet and don't expect one.
10. Ilya Kovalchuk, ATL (NEW): Back-to-back hat tricks? The guy is one of the most dynamic players in the game... when he wants to be.
Honourable Mentions:
11. Sergei Gonchar, PIT (+6)
12. Martin Biron, PHI (NEW)
13. Rod Brind'Amour, CAR (NEW)
14. Daniel Alfredsson, OTT (NEW)
15. Olli Jokinen, FLA (NEW)
16. Paul Stastny, COL (NEW)
17. Nic Lidstrom, DET (-10)
18. Dany Heatley, OTT (-12)
19. Dion Phaneuf, CGY (NEW)
20. Brian Rafalski, DET (NEW)
Fur Engee (CP)
1. Sidney Crosby, PIT (N/C): After being shutout in his first game, he has a 14-game point streak going. He is breathing down Zetterberg's neck and once he overtakes him, the scoring title will be his. He's too good!
2. Jarome Iginla, CGY (+7): He is notoriously a slow starter but has gotten off to a rocket pace. PIMs, PPP and a ton of goals is what makes him come in a #2.
3. Vincent Lecavalier, TBL (+2): Picking up where he left off from last year... which is great news for me! He seems to be in a pissed off mood this year getting into 2 fights and that boosts his value even more.
4. Henrik Zetterberg, DET (NEW): Debuting at #4, the current NHL scoring leader is showing off the talent that we all know he has. Question is whether he'll play more than 70 games this season. For Adam's sake, I sure hope so.
5. Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (NEW): Hands showing of people thinking that at this time Henrik would almost have as many PPTs as Kipper, Luongo and Brodeur combined? Thought not. Granted its because the other three have been off to slow starts but Henrik is showing why he's been a Vezina finalist the last 2 years.
6. Pascal Leclaire, CLB (NEW): Hands showing that Leclaire had this much talent? Well actually I did, but he was injured all last year so what can you do? Seven wins, five shutouts. WOW.
7. Mats Sundin, TOR (NEW): Off to the best start in his long career, he finally has someone to pass to in Blake. I've always knew he was good but never really appreciated how good he was until this year. He's doing it all for the Buds.
8. Chris Pronger, ANA (+3): Love him or hate him, he's consistently one of the top 3 defencemen in the league and is lethal on the PP.
9. Evgeni Malkin, PIT (+10): Its not fair that him and Crosby are on the same team. No sophomore slump yet and don't expect one.
10. Ilya Kovalchuk, ATL (NEW): Back-to-back hat tricks? The guy is one of the most dynamic players in the game... when he wants to be.
Honourable Mentions:
11. Sergei Gonchar, PIT (+6)
12. Martin Biron, PHI (NEW)
13. Rod Brind'Amour, CAR (NEW)
14. Daniel Alfredsson, OTT (NEW)
15. Olli Jokinen, FLA (NEW)
16. Paul Stastny, COL (NEW)
17. Nic Lidstrom, DET (-10)
18. Dany Heatley, OTT (-12)
19. Dion Phaneuf, CGY (NEW)
20. Brian Rafalski, DET (NEW)
Fur Engee (CP)
Saturday, November 3, 2007
GDHL: GM Power Rankings (October)
Calgary (CP) I know that I wanted to keep this blog more up to date than I have been... but taking care my daughter has definitely put all this stuff on the backburner for a bit. Having too much fun! In any event, here's an updated GM Power Rankings for the month of October.
Refresher on Pre-Season Rankings:
1) Kevin
2) Ihor
3) Adam
4) Mike
October Rankings:
1) Kevin (N/C): The sheer significance of the OV-1 deal will be felt for the rest of the pool. Having a base of Malkin, Ovechkin and Iginla has cemented Kevin's annual contender status. What puzzled me, along with probably most other GDHL members, is why Trevor would trade Ovechkin? He has stated that this year is a write-off and that he is building for the future... a future without Ovechkin just didn't add up for me. In any event, Kevin's team looks strong as his guys are starting to produce like they should.
2) Adam (+1): In the analysis of his team, I knew that he had made significant improvements to his roster. With Stastny and Zetterberg leading the way, the Whalers built a huge lead in October to run away with the prize. Biron has turned out to be a great surprise nearing the top in most categories. I'll reserve judgement on the Whalers to see how they perform when injuries arise and although I believe his team is performing above their skill (always a good thing) definite props have to be given on a job well done so far.
3) Ken (New): Well Ken... your plan for you and Trevor to hi-jack all the tenders to get back at me for last years trade of Denis may work... only if you guys are willing to eat up roster spots to hold on to all those guys ;) Seriously though Ken has made some moves that have worked out so far to get him in contention early on. His team is vastly different than the one on opening day with all his sore points from last year having been solved and his offensive is keeping up with the upper tier of the league. If the Jokinen for Kane deal actually went through, Ken would've jumped immediately to be a serious contender. Gee, I wish I had a trading partner as nice as Trevor! He's diversified his risky areas that should keep him in the upper half of the league.
4) Mike (N/C): Only reason why Ken is a notch above in these rankings was that I expected the Bruins to be near the top, while Ken... not. I can't say enough though about the move to get Chara. What a win for Mike! He continually makes these types of moves to improve his team without weakening it. I'm expecting Mike to solidify himself in the top 3 in the standings by X-mas.
Fur Engee (CP)
Refresher on Pre-Season Rankings:
1) Kevin
2) Ihor
3) Adam
4) Mike
October Rankings:
1) Kevin (N/C): The sheer significance of the OV-1 deal will be felt for the rest of the pool. Having a base of Malkin, Ovechkin and Iginla has cemented Kevin's annual contender status. What puzzled me, along with probably most other GDHL members, is why Trevor would trade Ovechkin? He has stated that this year is a write-off and that he is building for the future... a future without Ovechkin just didn't add up for me. In any event, Kevin's team looks strong as his guys are starting to produce like they should.
2) Adam (+1): In the analysis of his team, I knew that he had made significant improvements to his roster. With Stastny and Zetterberg leading the way, the Whalers built a huge lead in October to run away with the prize. Biron has turned out to be a great surprise nearing the top in most categories. I'll reserve judgement on the Whalers to see how they perform when injuries arise and although I believe his team is performing above their skill (always a good thing) definite props have to be given on a job well done so far.
3) Ken (New): Well Ken... your plan for you and Trevor to hi-jack all the tenders to get back at me for last years trade of Denis may work... only if you guys are willing to eat up roster spots to hold on to all those guys ;) Seriously though Ken has made some moves that have worked out so far to get him in contention early on. His team is vastly different than the one on opening day with all his sore points from last year having been solved and his offensive is keeping up with the upper tier of the league. If the Jokinen for Kane deal actually went through, Ken would've jumped immediately to be a serious contender. Gee, I wish I had a trading partner as nice as Trevor! He's diversified his risky areas that should keep him in the upper half of the league.
4) Mike (N/C): Only reason why Ken is a notch above in these rankings was that I expected the Bruins to be near the top, while Ken... not. I can't say enough though about the move to get Chara. What a win for Mike! He continually makes these types of moves to improve his team without weakening it. I'm expecting Mike to solidify himself in the top 3 in the standings by X-mas.
Fur Engee (CP)
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
GM Guide: Bench Management
Calgary (CP) In the second part of the GM Guide to the GDHL, I take a look at the roster spots of a team and most importantly how to manage your bench.
Firstly, there is and always will be a fine balance between how many forwards, defencemen and goalies to keep on your roster. Taking a look back at season's past, I've found that the top 5 finishers kept on average at least 3 forwards, 2 defencemen and 2 goalies on their bench with the last one being used as a floater (i.e. rookie etc.) In contrast, the bottom 5 people kept an average of 2 forwards, 2 defencemen, 1 goalie and 3 floaters. So what does that tell me? I believe people may be missing the real value a bench serves. First and foremost the bench is to provide the team flexibility when injuries occur etc. Having ~40% of your bench as rookies that may or may not play limits your ability to adjust your team when needed. The top 5 from last year seem to have made it a priority on cashing in on Pool Points NOW as opposed to 3 years from now when a rookie starts to become productive.
I'll take my so called "liking of veterans" as an example. Its not so much that I value veterans, its that I value veterans more than rookies since they have a proven track record and will give me on average more Pool Points than the younger folk in a given year. Sure they may not be flashy but they are usually reliable.
Note that this really only applies to the pool rules laid out by the GDHL (i.e. 5 year timeframe). If this was a pool that was continuous, then the balance I'm sure would be different. That being said we would hopefully have a much different rules to make-up the pool.
Remember: Rookies that break into the league and have an immediate impact (e.g. Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin) come once every 10 years. The NHL has just been spoiled the last couple of years. Usually the highly touted rookie falls flat. Case and point is Lecavalier. The defending Rocket Richard trophy winner was compared to being the next Lemieux... but didn't really become productive until his 6th year.
Fur Engee (CP)
Firstly, there is and always will be a fine balance between how many forwards, defencemen and goalies to keep on your roster. Taking a look back at season's past, I've found that the top 5 finishers kept on average at least 3 forwards, 2 defencemen and 2 goalies on their bench with the last one being used as a floater (i.e. rookie etc.) In contrast, the bottom 5 people kept an average of 2 forwards, 2 defencemen, 1 goalie and 3 floaters. So what does that tell me? I believe people may be missing the real value a bench serves. First and foremost the bench is to provide the team flexibility when injuries occur etc. Having ~40% of your bench as rookies that may or may not play limits your ability to adjust your team when needed. The top 5 from last year seem to have made it a priority on cashing in on Pool Points NOW as opposed to 3 years from now when a rookie starts to become productive.
I'll take my so called "liking of veterans" as an example. Its not so much that I value veterans, its that I value veterans more than rookies since they have a proven track record and will give me on average more Pool Points than the younger folk in a given year. Sure they may not be flashy but they are usually reliable.
Note that this really only applies to the pool rules laid out by the GDHL (i.e. 5 year timeframe). If this was a pool that was continuous, then the balance I'm sure would be different. That being said we would hopefully have a much different rules to make-up the pool.
Remember: Rookies that break into the league and have an immediate impact (e.g. Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin) come once every 10 years. The NHL has just been spoiled the last couple of years. Usually the highly touted rookie falls flat. Case and point is Lecavalier. The defending Rocket Richard trophy winner was compared to being the next Lemieux... but didn't really become productive until his 6th year.
Fur Engee (CP)
Monday, October 1, 2007
GM Guide: Know the State of Your Franchise
Calgary (CP) Ok. So after writing this series I will give away (save a few) almost all of my opinions on how I view players, franchises and how to run them. Its an honest attempt to document what has given me success in pools (keeper and non) over the past 10 years.
To begin I wanted to write an article that is directly relevant to the GDHL. That is knowing the state of your franchise and using this knowledge to your advantage.
Know Your Place
The way I see things, every franchise goes in waves. The peaks of each wave are when you should be most competitive, while the troughs are when you are not so competitive. Depending on a multitude of factors (GM, rules of the pool etc.), this variance could be greater than others. This is much like the real NHL where certain teams do as much as they can in order to ride their wave for as long as possible to stay perennial contenders (e.g. DET, OTT) while others have constant rebuild periods with short bursts of success (e.g. NYR) and yet others who have had limited success despite ample opportunity (CLB, ATL). So where do you fit in? Do you honestly believe that you can win this year? Or do you believe that with a couple of tweaks you can win in 2 years? The answer to these questions will determine the type of moves you should be making quite considerably.
Keep it Real
A consistent theme that I've seen are GMs not being realistic with their teams expected performance. Most GMs believe that they can win when they really don't have a chance. I know what you are thinking, "Of course I believe I'll win. If I didn't I wouldn't be in the pool." If this sounds like you, then I would argue that the real reason why you are in the pool isn't because of the money. Its a way to stay in the game that you enjoy. Being realistic about your expectations is the key to be successful and to decide whether a trade is worth it.
Judging Assets
Although I don't want to get into what a player's worth is (which will be another article) what I will say is that depending on the state of your franchise you should be willing to make the deals necessary to get you to, or stay at, the peak of the wave. Too often I find GMs holding onto assets for sentimental reasons or because they believe it will make them competitive instead of cashing them in to obtain assets that will help them throughout the life of the pool.
GDHL Scenario
I was going to write down what I would do in each situation for the following scenario, but rather I'd like to hear back from you! Leave a comment on what each GM should do in the following example:
There are a couple of players: Serge Superstar, Valeri Very Good and Peter Promising. Serge is 36, a perennial all-star and is consistently in the top 10 in scoring every year. Valeri is 27, has had several good seasons and improving each time. He hasn't broken out yet but seems to be on the right track. Peter is 20 and is entering his rookie campaign after a great junior career. He may turn out to be a solid NHLer somday.
Now you have 3 GMs: Conner Contender, Mary (Since GDHL is an equal opportunity league) Middle of the Pack & Larry Last Place. From those three names I'm sure you can decipher the state of their franchises.
Question: What should each GM do if they had each of them on their team?
Fur Engee (CP)
To begin I wanted to write an article that is directly relevant to the GDHL. That is knowing the state of your franchise and using this knowledge to your advantage.
Know Your Place
The way I see things, every franchise goes in waves. The peaks of each wave are when you should be most competitive, while the troughs are when you are not so competitive. Depending on a multitude of factors (GM, rules of the pool etc.), this variance could be greater than others. This is much like the real NHL where certain teams do as much as they can in order to ride their wave for as long as possible to stay perennial contenders (e.g. DET, OTT) while others have constant rebuild periods with short bursts of success (e.g. NYR) and yet others who have had limited success despite ample opportunity (CLB, ATL). So where do you fit in? Do you honestly believe that you can win this year? Or do you believe that with a couple of tweaks you can win in 2 years? The answer to these questions will determine the type of moves you should be making quite considerably.
Keep it Real
A consistent theme that I've seen are GMs not being realistic with their teams expected performance. Most GMs believe that they can win when they really don't have a chance. I know what you are thinking, "Of course I believe I'll win. If I didn't I wouldn't be in the pool." If this sounds like you, then I would argue that the real reason why you are in the pool isn't because of the money. Its a way to stay in the game that you enjoy. Being realistic about your expectations is the key to be successful and to decide whether a trade is worth it.
Judging Assets
Although I don't want to get into what a player's worth is (which will be another article) what I will say is that depending on the state of your franchise you should be willing to make the deals necessary to get you to, or stay at, the peak of the wave. Too often I find GMs holding onto assets for sentimental reasons or because they believe it will make them competitive instead of cashing them in to obtain assets that will help them throughout the life of the pool.
GDHL Scenario
I was going to write down what I would do in each situation for the following scenario, but rather I'd like to hear back from you! Leave a comment on what each GM should do in the following example:
There are a couple of players: Serge Superstar, Valeri Very Good and Peter Promising. Serge is 36, a perennial all-star and is consistently in the top 10 in scoring every year. Valeri is 27, has had several good seasons and improving each time. He hasn't broken out yet but seems to be on the right track. Peter is 20 and is entering his rookie campaign after a great junior career. He may turn out to be a solid NHLer somday.
Now you have 3 GMs: Conner Contender, Mary (Since GDHL is an equal opportunity league) Middle of the Pack & Larry Last Place. From those three names I'm sure you can decipher the state of their franchises.
Question: What should each GM do if they had each of them on their team?
Fur Engee (CP)
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Pre-Season Team Report Card: Sather's Eyes (Victor)
Calgary (CP) After weighing in on every other team, its finally come time to trash the Sather's Eyes!
Immediate Needs:
+ 5 F projected for 80+ PPts
+ 2 D projected for 50+ PPts
+ 2 G projected to play 50-55 games
What They Got:
+ F Brendan Morrow DAL
+ F Todd Bertuzzi ANA
+ F Jason Arnott NAS
+ F Doug Weight STL
+ F Michael Handzus LAK
+ D Eric Brewer
+ G Olaf Kolzig WAS
Analysis:
After a 3rd place finish last year where his team ran out of steam at the end, GM Khoo had to take a long look to see what improvements had to be made. An over-reliance on veterans at times back-fired limiting my trading power when a move was needed. As a result, a balance of the not-so-old and younger players heading into their prime was taken and with already a strong D corp they will remain competitive despite major goaltending issues.
Trading Block:
+ D Rob Blake LAK
+ F Daniel Sedin VAN
+ F Jason Arnott NAS
Questions:
+ Will Bertuzzi be a bust?
+ Can Hasek be brilliant for another year?
+ Will Richards ever score more than 95 points?
Injury Concerns:
+ G Domink Hasek (Groin)
+ F Jason Arnott (Various)
+ F Brendan Morrow (Wrist)
+ F Todd Bertuzzi (Back)
+ F Michael Handzus (Shoulder)
Grades:
+ Draft (B-): Took many chances on previously injured players that have been hurt in the past and counting on them to rebound. Perhaps took too many of these type of people.
+ Offence (B+): With several superstars in the stable, I believe I will be able to keep up with the leaders in this department. Its the potential for injuries that downgrades my rating.
+ Defence (B+): With 3 defencemen capable of dominance and a promising young gun, this will be my strong point the entire year.
+ Goalies (C): I'm not fooling anyone here and this shouldn't be a surprise. By far my weakest position that depend on two goalies at the tail end of their careers... with the young guy being 37! Things didn't go as planned during the draft as there was a miscalculation on my part. If I have any chance at all, Hasek cannot get hurt.
+ Overall (B): Believe I should be competitive most of the year but have too many players with a history of injuries to be there in the end. Another 3rd place finish is the most realistic best finish the Eyes can hope for without a significant upgrade in net.
Fur Engee (CP)
Immediate Needs:
+ 5 F projected for 80+ PPts
+ 2 D projected for 50+ PPts
+ 2 G projected to play 50-55 games
What They Got:
+ F Brendan Morrow DAL
+ F Todd Bertuzzi ANA
+ F Jason Arnott NAS
+ F Doug Weight STL
+ F Michael Handzus LAK
+ D Eric Brewer
+ G Olaf Kolzig WAS
Analysis:
After a 3rd place finish last year where his team ran out of steam at the end, GM Khoo had to take a long look to see what improvements had to be made. An over-reliance on veterans at times back-fired limiting my trading power when a move was needed. As a result, a balance of the not-so-old and younger players heading into their prime was taken and with already a strong D corp they will remain competitive despite major goaltending issues.
Trading Block:
+ D Rob Blake LAK
+ F Daniel Sedin VAN
+ F Jason Arnott NAS
Questions:
+ Will Bertuzzi be a bust?
+ Can Hasek be brilliant for another year?
+ Will Richards ever score more than 95 points?
Injury Concerns:
+ G Domink Hasek (Groin)
+ F Jason Arnott (Various)
+ F Brendan Morrow (Wrist)
+ F Todd Bertuzzi (Back)
+ F Michael Handzus (Shoulder)
Grades:
+ Draft (B-): Took many chances on previously injured players that have been hurt in the past and counting on them to rebound. Perhaps took too many of these type of people.
+ Offence (B+): With several superstars in the stable, I believe I will be able to keep up with the leaders in this department. Its the potential for injuries that downgrades my rating.
+ Defence (B+): With 3 defencemen capable of dominance and a promising young gun, this will be my strong point the entire year.
+ Goalies (C): I'm not fooling anyone here and this shouldn't be a surprise. By far my weakest position that depend on two goalies at the tail end of their careers... with the young guy being 37! Things didn't go as planned during the draft as there was a miscalculation on my part. If I have any chance at all, Hasek cannot get hurt.
+ Overall (B): Believe I should be competitive most of the year but have too many players with a history of injuries to be there in the end. Another 3rd place finish is the most realistic best finish the Eyes can hope for without a significant upgrade in net.
Fur Engee (CP)
Pre-Season Team Report Card: Shamrocks (Trevor)
Calgary (CP) Home stretch with only two teams left. Trevor's Shamrocks are next.
Immediate Needs:
+ 6 F projected for 85+ PPts
+ 3 D projected for 55+ PPts
What They Got:
+ F Andrew Brunette COL
+ F Mike Knuble PHI
+ D Derek Morris PHX
+ D Ron Hainsey CLB
+ D Kurtis Foster MIN
Analysis:
After last years draft, I actually believed that Trevor had an extremely strong team. Something happened along the way and the Shamrocks are now left scratching their heads about a depleted forwards line-up and D-corp. The Souray trade was puzzling to me along with the protection of Stuart over Bertuzzi. Maybe it was a hate for the Oil that pushed him over the edge or he got fed up on Todd? As a result, although strong in net and having good defensive depth, the Shamrocks will have a tough time keeping up with the front-runners without some major help up front.
Trading Block:
+ G Mason NAS
+ G Fernandez BOS
+ D Chara BOS
Questions:
+ Will Drury earn his $7M?
+ Can Budaj be a number 1 goalie?
+ Will Ovechkin do better with the stronger supporting cast?
Injury Concerns:
+ D Stuart (Shoulder)
+ G Fernandez (Groin)
+ F Reinprecht (Neck)
Grades:
+ Draft (C+): Believe that he drafted one too many defencemen and should have drafted another forward since this is the most pressing need.
+ Offence (D+): After OV-1, Joki and Henrik there is a big drop-off in forwards and believe these will be his only 100+ PPts players of the bunch. With only 8 forwards after draft day and only the Free Agents to pick from, this will be the sore point for Trevor the entire year.
+ Defence (B-): A group with good depth that will heavily be relied on to produce in order to stay in the hunt until a deal for a forward can be made. Out of this group I actually believe Stuart doesn't even make his top 6!
+ Goalies (B-): 3 starters with a lot to prove. None will be a standout, but all will be steady and Trevor should have no worries in this department. Definitely see at least one being moved early on to obtain a better forward.
+ Overall (C): Tough to judge where Trevor will finish but believe his team is clumped together with a slew of others in the middle. Wouldn't be surprised if this is upgraded during the Mid-Term Report Card.
Fur Engee (CP)
Immediate Needs:
+ 6 F projected for 85+ PPts
+ 3 D projected for 55+ PPts
What They Got:
+ F Andrew Brunette COL
+ F Mike Knuble PHI
+ D Derek Morris PHX
+ D Ron Hainsey CLB
+ D Kurtis Foster MIN
Analysis:
After last years draft, I actually believed that Trevor had an extremely strong team. Something happened along the way and the Shamrocks are now left scratching their heads about a depleted forwards line-up and D-corp. The Souray trade was puzzling to me along with the protection of Stuart over Bertuzzi. Maybe it was a hate for the Oil that pushed him over the edge or he got fed up on Todd? As a result, although strong in net and having good defensive depth, the Shamrocks will have a tough time keeping up with the front-runners without some major help up front.
Trading Block:
+ G Mason NAS
+ G Fernandez BOS
+ D Chara BOS
Questions:
+ Will Drury earn his $7M?
+ Can Budaj be a number 1 goalie?
+ Will Ovechkin do better with the stronger supporting cast?
Injury Concerns:
+ D Stuart (Shoulder)
+ G Fernandez (Groin)
+ F Reinprecht (Neck)
Grades:
+ Draft (C+): Believe that he drafted one too many defencemen and should have drafted another forward since this is the most pressing need.
+ Offence (D+): After OV-1, Joki and Henrik there is a big drop-off in forwards and believe these will be his only 100+ PPts players of the bunch. With only 8 forwards after draft day and only the Free Agents to pick from, this will be the sore point for Trevor the entire year.
+ Defence (B-): A group with good depth that will heavily be relied on to produce in order to stay in the hunt until a deal for a forward can be made. Out of this group I actually believe Stuart doesn't even make his top 6!
+ Goalies (B-): 3 starters with a lot to prove. None will be a standout, but all will be steady and Trevor should have no worries in this department. Definitely see at least one being moved early on to obtain a better forward.
+ Overall (C): Tough to judge where Trevor will finish but believe his team is clumped together with a slew of others in the middle. Wouldn't be surprised if this is upgraded during the Mid-Term Report Card.
Fur Engee (CP)
Monday, September 17, 2007
Pre-Season Team Report Card: Team Ryan (Ryan)
Calgary (CP) With only the bare minimum amount of picks during the draft, Ryan had a tall task ahead of him to fill out his roster. Let's see how his team turned out!
Immediate Needs:
+ 4 F projected for 85+ PPts
+ 4 D projected for 50+ PPts
What They Got:
+ F Justin Williams CAR
+ F Scottie Upshall PHI
+ F Drew Stafford BUF
+ D Matt Carle SJS
+ D Frantisek Kaberle CAR
Analysis:
The most pressing issue with Ryan's team was with his lack of defensive depth. In that I believe that it was addressed with the drafting of Carle and Kaberle. His goaltending is solid and keeper forwards were better than many lists that came out. So what's wrong? Nothing really, but I do feel that Ryan has missed some key opportunities during the draft to pick up some key players while over-valuing others. In particular, I feel that Samsonov, Ribiero and Latendresse could've been picked up on the FA market or in Rounds 8+. With only 8 picks, this accounted for almost 50% of them. What that does is having to be extremely active in the trade circles or getting lucky via the free agent market.
Trading Block:
+ F Jonathan Cheechoo SJS
+ F Nic Lidstrom DET
+ F Martin Straka NYR
Questions:
+ Can Naslund return to form in the defensive-minded Canucks?
+ Can Cheechoo return to form after a sub-par 36 G season?
+ Can Samsonov return to form after 4 consecutive seasons of disappointment?
Injury Concerns:
+ D Frantisek Kaberle (Knee)
Grades:
+ Draft (C-): With exception to Carle and Stafford, I personally believe he overpaid on 6 of 8 draft picks.
+ Offence (C): His top 8 forwards are good, while there are big question marks in the bottom half of the order.
+ Defence (C+): Ryan actually has a pretty good 4 so far especially with Lidstrom and Timonen. He should be able to pick up a couple of fillers. Will be upgraded once that is done.
+ Goalies (B): He is set for the rest of the pool with these two. If they continue to develop as expected, this is easily upgraded to an A.
+ Overall (C): Only because he has a lack of players to fill out his roster Ryan gets this grade. Regardless, depth may be a problem in case of injuries. As a result, a middle of the pack finish might be the best scenario Team Ryan can hope for.
Fur Engee (CP)
Immediate Needs:
+ 4 F projected for 85+ PPts
+ 4 D projected for 50+ PPts
What They Got:
+ F Justin Williams CAR
+ F Scottie Upshall PHI
+ F Drew Stafford BUF
+ D Matt Carle SJS
+ D Frantisek Kaberle CAR
Analysis:
The most pressing issue with Ryan's team was with his lack of defensive depth. In that I believe that it was addressed with the drafting of Carle and Kaberle. His goaltending is solid and keeper forwards were better than many lists that came out. So what's wrong? Nothing really, but I do feel that Ryan has missed some key opportunities during the draft to pick up some key players while over-valuing others. In particular, I feel that Samsonov, Ribiero and Latendresse could've been picked up on the FA market or in Rounds 8+. With only 8 picks, this accounted for almost 50% of them. What that does is having to be extremely active in the trade circles or getting lucky via the free agent market.
Trading Block:
+ F Jonathan Cheechoo SJS
+ F Nic Lidstrom DET
+ F Martin Straka NYR
Questions:
+ Can Naslund return to form in the defensive-minded Canucks?
+ Can Cheechoo return to form after a sub-par 36 G season?
+ Can Samsonov return to form after 4 consecutive seasons of disappointment?
Injury Concerns:
+ D Frantisek Kaberle (Knee)
Grades:
+ Draft (C-): With exception to Carle and Stafford, I personally believe he overpaid on 6 of 8 draft picks.
+ Offence (C): His top 8 forwards are good, while there are big question marks in the bottom half of the order.
+ Defence (C+): Ryan actually has a pretty good 4 so far especially with Lidstrom and Timonen. He should be able to pick up a couple of fillers. Will be upgraded once that is done.
+ Goalies (B): He is set for the rest of the pool with these two. If they continue to develop as expected, this is easily upgraded to an A.
+ Overall (C): Only because he has a lack of players to fill out his roster Ryan gets this grade. Regardless, depth may be a problem in case of injuries. As a result, a middle of the pack finish might be the best scenario Team Ryan can hope for.
Fur Engee (CP)
Pre-Season Team Report Card: Boomers (Paul)
Calgary (CP) Only 4 more left and Paul's Boomers are up next.
Immediate Needs:
+ 5 F projected for 85+ PPts
+ 3 D projected for 55+ PPts
What They Got:
+ F Saku Koivu MTL
+ F Alexei Kovalev MTL
+ F Jason Pominville BUF
+ F Michael Ryder MTL
+ F Viktor Kozlov WAS
+ D Michael Rozsival NYR
+ D Christian Erhoff SJS
Analysis:
The Boomers remind me a lot of the GDC Bruins: Not much superstar power but strong throughout with a reliance on one team. One major difference though is that Paul is not afraid to roll the dice and put his young players into a starting role as opposed to a back-up position. Penner, Backstrom and Price are prime examples of this. The Habs will play a huge role in the success of the Boomers and I know that he's hoping that their excellent PP will not be affected too much by the departure of Souray. With Markov though, there shouldn't be too much of a drop off as they have one of the best units in the league.
Trading Block:
+ D Sergei Zubov DAL
+ F Patrik Elias NJD
+ G Cristobal Huet MTL
Questions:
+ Who will be the starting goalie for the Habs?
+ Can Boucher continue his development into a top-end defencemen?
+ How good with the Habs PP be without Souray?
Injury Concerns:
+ F Gaborik (Various)
+ F Demitra (Various)
+ F Ruutu (Back, Shoulder)
+ F Ryder (Shoulder)
Grades:
+ Draft (B-): A mixture of good picks and others that probably could have dropped many rounds (e.g. Price)
+ Offence (C+): Not the most intimidating line-up on paper, but the whole group is capable of putting up points in bunches. Injury concerns are what downgrades this rating.
+ Defence (B-): An elite-level defencemen and two that have shown signs of dominance at times will anchor this ship. Nice acquisitions of Erhoff and Suter allow for trading flexibility in the future.
+ Goalies (B-): Although there is a question mark with Huet, I believe he will be the starter. The emergence of Backstrom made way for the departure of Turco and will be a great fantasy player.
+ Overall (B-): Paul is not far from joining the elite group as well. With a couple of moves to bring in some insurance on the forwards and no major injuries to Gaborik, the Boomers should challenge for 3rd.
Fur Engee (CP)
Immediate Needs:
+ 5 F projected for 85+ PPts
+ 3 D projected for 55+ PPts
What They Got:
+ F Saku Koivu MTL
+ F Alexei Kovalev MTL
+ F Jason Pominville BUF
+ F Michael Ryder MTL
+ F Viktor Kozlov WAS
+ D Michael Rozsival NYR
+ D Christian Erhoff SJS
Analysis:
The Boomers remind me a lot of the GDC Bruins: Not much superstar power but strong throughout with a reliance on one team. One major difference though is that Paul is not afraid to roll the dice and put his young players into a starting role as opposed to a back-up position. Penner, Backstrom and Price are prime examples of this. The Habs will play a huge role in the success of the Boomers and I know that he's hoping that their excellent PP will not be affected too much by the departure of Souray. With Markov though, there shouldn't be too much of a drop off as they have one of the best units in the league.
Trading Block:
+ D Sergei Zubov DAL
+ F Patrik Elias NJD
+ G Cristobal Huet MTL
Questions:
+ Who will be the starting goalie for the Habs?
+ Can Boucher continue his development into a top-end defencemen?
+ How good with the Habs PP be without Souray?
Injury Concerns:
+ F Gaborik (Various)
+ F Demitra (Various)
+ F Ruutu (Back, Shoulder)
+ F Ryder (Shoulder)
Grades:
+ Draft (B-): A mixture of good picks and others that probably could have dropped many rounds (e.g. Price)
+ Offence (C+): Not the most intimidating line-up on paper, but the whole group is capable of putting up points in bunches. Injury concerns are what downgrades this rating.
+ Defence (B-): An elite-level defencemen and two that have shown signs of dominance at times will anchor this ship. Nice acquisitions of Erhoff and Suter allow for trading flexibility in the future.
+ Goalies (B-): Although there is a question mark with Huet, I believe he will be the starter. The emergence of Backstrom made way for the departure of Turco and will be a great fantasy player.
+ Overall (B-): Paul is not far from joining the elite group as well. With a couple of moves to bring in some insurance on the forwards and no major injuries to Gaborik, the Boomers should challenge for 3rd.
Fur Engee (CP)
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Pre-Season Team Report Card: GDC Bruins (Mike)
Calgary (CP) Our very own GDHL commish, Mike MacCormack is up with his Bruins.
Immediate Needs:
+ 5 F projected for 90+ PPts
+ 3 D projected for 60+ PPts
What They Got:
+ F Daymond Langkow CGY
+ F Ray Whitney CAR
+ F Martin Erat NSH
+ F Glen Murray BOS
+ F Cory Stillman CAR
+ D Francois Beauchemin ANA
+ D Pavel Kubina TAM
Analysis:
For the life of the pool, Mike will live and die via the real-life Bruins. Luckily for him, they have some outstanding players in Savard and Bergeron. One thing about this team that I've pointed out in previous blogs is the lack of superstar power that exists. IMO, Savard and St.Louis (although marginally) fit into that category. His team relies on depth players to do their job every night. If they do that, fine. If not, that's where Mike will dip. Superstars on the other hand have the ability to breakout at anytime and can make up ground fast. This year I feel it will be much of the same for Mike.
Trading Block:
+ F Martin St.Louis TAM
+ F Michael Nylander WAS
+ F Joffrey Lupul PHI
Questions:
+ Will the real Patrice Begeron please stand up?
+ Will Nylander and OV-1 (That is Ovechikin and not a diagram using a DoDAF profile) develop chemistry?
+ Is Eric Johnson the real deal?
Injury Concerns:
+ G Dipietro (Neck)
+ F Stillman (Shoulder)
+ F Nylander (Knee)
Grades:
+ Draft (B): Mike nabbed several forwards that should have no trouble meeting his depth needs.
+ Offence (B): His has only 2 players projected for 110+ PPts, but his 12th best forward should still net ~70 PPts. That is depth.
+ Defence (C-): Will be his weakness as I see many people rotating in and out of the lineup. Needs a No.1 gut steady the ship.
+ Goalies (A): Was never convinced about Dipetro's capabilities until last year. Being combined with Luongo = Mike's goaltending duo for the life of the pool.
+ Overall (B): He'll need a couple of things to fall into place to make another serious run, most notably on D. Make no doubt though that Mike will do what it takes to be there in the end but I believe he will fall short based on the strength of many teams this year.
Fur Engee (CP)
Immediate Needs:
+ 5 F projected for 90+ PPts
+ 3 D projected for 60+ PPts
What They Got:
+ F Daymond Langkow CGY
+ F Ray Whitney CAR
+ F Martin Erat NSH
+ F Glen Murray BOS
+ F Cory Stillman CAR
+ D Francois Beauchemin ANA
+ D Pavel Kubina TAM
Analysis:
For the life of the pool, Mike will live and die via the real-life Bruins. Luckily for him, they have some outstanding players in Savard and Bergeron. One thing about this team that I've pointed out in previous blogs is the lack of superstar power that exists. IMO, Savard and St.Louis (although marginally) fit into that category. His team relies on depth players to do their job every night. If they do that, fine. If not, that's where Mike will dip. Superstars on the other hand have the ability to breakout at anytime and can make up ground fast. This year I feel it will be much of the same for Mike.
Trading Block:
+ F Martin St.Louis TAM
+ F Michael Nylander WAS
+ F Joffrey Lupul PHI
Questions:
+ Will the real Patrice Begeron please stand up?
+ Will Nylander and OV-1 (That is Ovechikin and not a diagram using a DoDAF profile) develop chemistry?
+ Is Eric Johnson the real deal?
Injury Concerns:
+ G Dipietro (Neck)
+ F Stillman (Shoulder)
+ F Nylander (Knee)
Grades:
+ Draft (B): Mike nabbed several forwards that should have no trouble meeting his depth needs.
+ Offence (B): His has only 2 players projected for 110+ PPts, but his 12th best forward should still net ~70 PPts. That is depth.
+ Defence (C-): Will be his weakness as I see many people rotating in and out of the lineup. Needs a No.1 gut steady the ship.
+ Goalies (A): Was never convinced about Dipetro's capabilities until last year. Being combined with Luongo = Mike's goaltending duo for the life of the pool.
+ Overall (B): He'll need a couple of things to fall into place to make another serious run, most notably on D. Make no doubt though that Mike will do what it takes to be there in the end but I believe he will fall short based on the strength of many teams this year.
Fur Engee (CP)
Pre-Season Team Report Card: Flyin Elbows (Mark)
Calgary (CP) In the second wave of Team Report Cards, we begin with the Mark Atkins led team of the Flyin Elbows.
Immediate Needs:
+ 3 F projected for 90+ PPts
+ 5 D projected for 60+ PPts
+ 1 G projected to play 55-60 games
What They Got:
+ F Prospal TAM
+ F Koivu MIN
+ D Poti WAS
+ D Bergeron NYI
+ D Kuba TAM
+ G Roloson
Analysis:
I was definitely tougher in my Immediate Needs for Mark than most other teams since he's in a little different circumstance. Regularly, I would post what teams need in order to be competitive in the GDHL. For Mark, this is what he needs to win the whole thing. Yes he is that close and if not for a injury-riddled 06-07 season, Mark would've done better than his 6th place finish. Of course his chances greatly hinge on Scott Niedermayer's retirement decision but I expect him to take another step closer to moving into the elite group of teams in the league.
Trading Block:
+ F Rick Nash CLB
+ F Eric Cole CAR
+ F Slava Kozlov ATL
Questions:
+ Will Nash play with consistency and become the elite power forward he's capable of being?
+ How effective will Backstrom be in his WAS debut?
+ And the obvious... will Nieds retire!?!
Injury Concerns:
+ F Maxim Afinogenov (Shoulder)
+ F Steve Sullivan (Back)
+ F Eric Cole (Neck)
+ F Rick Nash (Back)
+ F Martin Havlat (Shoulder)
+ F Mikael Samuelsson (Foot)
Grades:
+ Draft (B+): Identified what his team was lacking most and stayed focused all along. Was able to pick some quality forwards in later rounds that should have an impact on his team.
+ Offence (B+): If healthy, Mark will have one of the most potent and exciting offences in the league. But with 6 forwards with a history of injury troubles, asking for 75+ games from everyone will be a far stretch and thus gets downgraded a notch from A-.
+ Defence (C+): If the Whalers got a C+, there is no way I can give the Flyin Elbows a higher grade than this with Nieds still undecided and a rookie defencemen (i.e. Staal) in the mix. If Scott returns, this is bumped up to B... yes he makes that much of a difference.
+ Goalies (B-): Emery and Rolie will be solid for him the entire year. The acquisition of Garon hurts Roloson's value but he should still be good for 50 starts.
+ Overall (B): With injury concerns and (at the moment) without a star defencemen Mark will run with the leaders until December but may tail off after that. However, IF Nieds plays 65 games and his forwards play 90% of the games, he can put up a good challenge to Ihor and Kevin for the title.
Fur Engee (CP)
Immediate Needs:
+ 3 F projected for 90+ PPts
+ 5 D projected for 60+ PPts
+ 1 G projected to play 55-60 games
What They Got:
+ F Prospal TAM
+ F Koivu MIN
+ D Poti WAS
+ D Bergeron NYI
+ D Kuba TAM
+ G Roloson
Analysis:
I was definitely tougher in my Immediate Needs for Mark than most other teams since he's in a little different circumstance. Regularly, I would post what teams need in order to be competitive in the GDHL. For Mark, this is what he needs to win the whole thing. Yes he is that close and if not for a injury-riddled 06-07 season, Mark would've done better than his 6th place finish. Of course his chances greatly hinge on Scott Niedermayer's retirement decision but I expect him to take another step closer to moving into the elite group of teams in the league.
Trading Block:
+ F Rick Nash CLB
+ F Eric Cole CAR
+ F Slava Kozlov ATL
Questions:
+ Will Nash play with consistency and become the elite power forward he's capable of being?
+ How effective will Backstrom be in his WAS debut?
+ And the obvious... will Nieds retire!?!
Injury Concerns:
+ F Maxim Afinogenov (Shoulder)
+ F Steve Sullivan (Back)
+ F Eric Cole (Neck)
+ F Rick Nash (Back)
+ F Martin Havlat (Shoulder)
+ F Mikael Samuelsson (Foot)
Grades:
+ Draft (B+): Identified what his team was lacking most and stayed focused all along. Was able to pick some quality forwards in later rounds that should have an impact on his team.
+ Offence (B+): If healthy, Mark will have one of the most potent and exciting offences in the league. But with 6 forwards with a history of injury troubles, asking for 75+ games from everyone will be a far stretch and thus gets downgraded a notch from A-.
+ Defence (C+): If the Whalers got a C+, there is no way I can give the Flyin Elbows a higher grade than this with Nieds still undecided and a rookie defencemen (i.e. Staal) in the mix. If Scott returns, this is bumped up to B... yes he makes that much of a difference.
+ Goalies (B-): Emery and Rolie will be solid for him the entire year. The acquisition of Garon hurts Roloson's value but he should still be good for 50 starts.
+ Overall (B): With injury concerns and (at the moment) without a star defencemen Mark will run with the leaders until December but may tail off after that. However, IF Nieds plays 65 games and his forwards play 90% of the games, he can put up a good challenge to Ihor and Kevin for the title.
Fur Engee (CP)
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Pre-Season Team Report Card: Leaf Haters! (Kevin)
Calgary (CP) The defending champs are up next as Kwasny always has something up his sleeve.
Immediate Needs:
+ 3 F projected for 80+ PPts
+ 3 D projected for 50+ PPts
What They Got:
+ F Derek Roy BUF
+ F Keith Tkachuk STL
+ F Petr Sykora PIT
+ F Mike Modano DAL
+ D Joe Corvo OTT
Analysis:
After letting several quality players go, Kevin made a nice move to reclaim some draft picks by moving Michalek early on. That allowed him to pick up an extra forward and solidify his lineup to make another run. Took some chances on people who had off-years but maintained a good balance between the young guns and steady veterans. Will once again challenge for the title with Ihor getting the early nod for on sheer depth.
Trading Block:
+ G Henrik Lundqvist NYR
+ F Alex Tanguay CAL
+ F Keith Tkachuk STL
Questions:
+ How effective will Letang be in his rookie year?
+ Can Derek Roy handle being the No.1 Center?
+ Will Zherdev finally live up to his contract?
Injury Concerns:
+ F Tim Connolly (Concussion)
+ F Jarome Iginla (Playing Style + Knee)
+ F Keith Tkachuk (Pizza + Beer)
Grades:
+ Draft (A-): Skill was the bottom line for Kevin and he managed to land Connolly who flew under many people's (including myself) radars.
+ Offence (A): A formidable list of stars that can score in bunches. As long as Semin, Radulov and Malkin don't have sophomore slumps there are no issues here. He could have 5 - 100 PPts scorers by seasons end.
+ Defence (C+): Although I like the acquisitions of Corvo and Barker, another legit defencemen would have to be added. That being said Gonchar and Whitney could score enough points that it won't matter.
+ Goalies (A): Now that Toskala is gone, Kevin won't have to worry for a long time between the pipes.
+ Overall (A-): Same ranking as One Eyebrows so it'll be an interesting race in the end. Ihor has the edge in defence with Kevin taking the goalie category.
Fur Engee (CP)
Immediate Needs:
+ 3 F projected for 80+ PPts
+ 3 D projected for 50+ PPts
What They Got:
+ F Derek Roy BUF
+ F Keith Tkachuk STL
+ F Petr Sykora PIT
+ F Mike Modano DAL
+ D Joe Corvo OTT
Analysis:
After letting several quality players go, Kevin made a nice move to reclaim some draft picks by moving Michalek early on. That allowed him to pick up an extra forward and solidify his lineup to make another run. Took some chances on people who had off-years but maintained a good balance between the young guns and steady veterans. Will once again challenge for the title with Ihor getting the early nod for on sheer depth.
Trading Block:
+ G Henrik Lundqvist NYR
+ F Alex Tanguay CAL
+ F Keith Tkachuk STL
Questions:
+ How effective will Letang be in his rookie year?
+ Can Derek Roy handle being the No.1 Center?
+ Will Zherdev finally live up to his contract?
Injury Concerns:
+ F Tim Connolly (Concussion)
+ F Jarome Iginla (Playing Style + Knee)
+ F Keith Tkachuk (Pizza + Beer)
Grades:
+ Draft (A-): Skill was the bottom line for Kevin and he managed to land Connolly who flew under many people's (including myself) radars.
+ Offence (A): A formidable list of stars that can score in bunches. As long as Semin, Radulov and Malkin don't have sophomore slumps there are no issues here. He could have 5 - 100 PPts scorers by seasons end.
+ Defence (C+): Although I like the acquisitions of Corvo and Barker, another legit defencemen would have to be added. That being said Gonchar and Whitney could score enough points that it won't matter.
+ Goalies (A): Now that Toskala is gone, Kevin won't have to worry for a long time between the pipes.
+ Overall (A-): Same ranking as One Eyebrows so it'll be an interesting race in the end. Ihor has the edge in defence with Kevin taking the goalie category.
Fur Engee (CP)
Pre-Season Team Report Card: Team Ken (Ken)
Calgary (CP): The Crosby Show rules Team Ken as he's up next.
Immediate Needs:
+ 4 F projected for 80+ PPts
+ 2 D projected for 50+ PPts
+ 1 G projected to play 55-65 games
What They Got:
+ F Jason Blake TOR
+ F Darcy Tucker TOR
+ G Manny Legace STL
+ G Nikolai Khabibulin CHI
+ D Brent Seasbrook CHI
+ D Jordan Leopold COL
Analysis:
Who says loading up on one team is bad? How about two? Ken will rely heavily on the Buds and Hawks this upcoming season that will either take him to the next level or make him stay in the middle of the pack. With the releasing of Brind'Amour, it was a sign by management that youth would rule once again. IMO, Rob should've been kept while releasing a player such as Aucoin since losing 100+ PPts is always tough to swallow.
Trading Block:
+ F Brendan Shanahan NYR
+ G Manny Legace STL
+ F Ryan Smyth COL
Questions:
+ How will Kane and Toews perform in Chicago?
+ Will TOR offence be improved with Blake?
+ Can the defence provide enough PPts?
Injury Concerns:
+ F Brendan Shanahan (Concussion)
+ D Jordan Leopold (Back)
+ F Tucker (Shoulder)
+ F Roberts (Back)
Grades:
+ Draft (C+): Perhaps Kane was drafted 3 rounds too early and he went overkill on the goalies and defencemen early on, but got some valuable forwards in Tucker and Blake.
+ Offence (C+): With Crosby as the anchor, he will make up for the risk taken on Toews and Kane.
+ Defence (C-): Believe that this will be the sore point of Team Ken this year without a stud defencemen.
+ Goalies (B-): Has 3 starters but its any guess how well they'll play. Lehtonen should be strong but I see flip-flopping with Legace and the Bulin Wall.
+ Overall (C): Team Ken has made marked improvement in his team this past draft but still needs some solid forwards in case his rookies don't produce to have a chance.
Fur Engee (CP)
Immediate Needs:
+ 4 F projected for 80+ PPts
+ 2 D projected for 50+ PPts
+ 1 G projected to play 55-65 games
What They Got:
+ F Jason Blake TOR
+ F Darcy Tucker TOR
+ G Manny Legace STL
+ G Nikolai Khabibulin CHI
+ D Brent Seasbrook CHI
+ D Jordan Leopold COL
Analysis:
Who says loading up on one team is bad? How about two? Ken will rely heavily on the Buds and Hawks this upcoming season that will either take him to the next level or make him stay in the middle of the pack. With the releasing of Brind'Amour, it was a sign by management that youth would rule once again. IMO, Rob should've been kept while releasing a player such as Aucoin since losing 100+ PPts is always tough to swallow.
Trading Block:
+ F Brendan Shanahan NYR
+ G Manny Legace STL
+ F Ryan Smyth COL
Questions:
+ How will Kane and Toews perform in Chicago?
+ Will TOR offence be improved with Blake?
+ Can the defence provide enough PPts?
Injury Concerns:
+ F Brendan Shanahan (Concussion)
+ D Jordan Leopold (Back)
+ F Tucker (Shoulder)
+ F Roberts (Back)
Grades:
+ Draft (C+): Perhaps Kane was drafted 3 rounds too early and he went overkill on the goalies and defencemen early on, but got some valuable forwards in Tucker and Blake.
+ Offence (C+): With Crosby as the anchor, he will make up for the risk taken on Toews and Kane.
+ Defence (C-): Believe that this will be the sore point of Team Ken this year without a stud defencemen.
+ Goalies (B-): Has 3 starters but its any guess how well they'll play. Lehtonen should be strong but I see flip-flopping with Legace and the Bulin Wall.
+ Overall (C): Team Ken has made marked improvement in his team this past draft but still needs some solid forwards in case his rookies don't produce to have a chance.
Fur Engee (CP)
Pre-Season Team Report Card: Sith (JW)
Calgary (CP) Next up is Team Sith lead by JW.
Immediate Needs:
+ 5 F projected for 80+ PPts
+ 3 D projected for 50+ PPts
What They Got:
+ F Peter Forsberg UFA
+ F Teemu Selanne UFA
+ F Kristian Huselius CGY
+ D Duncan Keith CHI
Analysis:
This was a tough team for me to analyse. Its as if JW went for the "All or Nothing" approach by drafting the players with the biggest question marks above their heads in Forsberg and Selanne. He has potential on defence but overall there are too many gaps and too much ground to make up in one year. With the right moves, JW could be competitive in GDHL 08-09 and perhaps try to upgrade his forward keepers with depth at the cost of some superstar power.
Trading Block:
+ F Daniel Alfredsson OTT
+ G Cam Ward CAR
+ G J-S Giguere ANA
Questions:
+ Will Selanne retire?
+ How many games will Forsberg play?
+ Will Gomez be a flop in a NYR jersey?
Injury Concerns:
+ D Brian Campbell (Concussion)
+ F Peter Forsberg (Playing Style leads to various injuries)
Grades:
+ Draft (C+): Too risky for me, but hey that's just me. If BOTH Foppa and Selanne play, this grade is upgraded to an A.
+ Defence (C-): With only Zidlicky and Campbell showing signs of dominance at times, this group maybe too thin to contribute a lot of points.
+ Offence (C): Has 2 potential 100+ PPt players but drops off significantly from there. As mentioned, this would be upgraded if Selanne and Foppa play but lacks depth.
+ Goalies (B+): Two legit starters that will each play 55-65 games each. No issues here but believe one of them may be shipped to shore up the offence.
+ Overall (C-): A tough rating but once again, based on the current playing status of his two superstars, JW may be in for a tough season.
Fur Engee (CP)
Immediate Needs:
+ 5 F projected for 80+ PPts
+ 3 D projected for 50+ PPts
What They Got:
+ F Peter Forsberg UFA
+ F Teemu Selanne UFA
+ F Kristian Huselius CGY
+ D Duncan Keith CHI
Analysis:
This was a tough team for me to analyse. Its as if JW went for the "All or Nothing" approach by drafting the players with the biggest question marks above their heads in Forsberg and Selanne. He has potential on defence but overall there are too many gaps and too much ground to make up in one year. With the right moves, JW could be competitive in GDHL 08-09 and perhaps try to upgrade his forward keepers with depth at the cost of some superstar power.
Trading Block:
+ F Daniel Alfredsson OTT
+ G Cam Ward CAR
+ G J-S Giguere ANA
Questions:
+ Will Selanne retire?
+ How many games will Forsberg play?
+ Will Gomez be a flop in a NYR jersey?
Injury Concerns:
+ D Brian Campbell (Concussion)
+ F Peter Forsberg (Playing Style leads to various injuries)
Grades:
+ Draft (C+): Too risky for me, but hey that's just me. If BOTH Foppa and Selanne play, this grade is upgraded to an A.
+ Defence (C-): With only Zidlicky and Campbell showing signs of dominance at times, this group maybe too thin to contribute a lot of points.
+ Offence (C): Has 2 potential 100+ PPt players but drops off significantly from there. As mentioned, this would be upgraded if Selanne and Foppa play but lacks depth.
+ Goalies (B+): Two legit starters that will each play 55-65 games each. No issues here but believe one of them may be shipped to shore up the offence.
+ Overall (C-): A tough rating but once again, based on the current playing status of his two superstars, JW may be in for a tough season.
Fur Engee (CP)
Pre-Season Team Report Card: GGopher (Jordan)
Calgary (CP) In this edition, we look at GGopher.
Immediate Needs:
+ 3 F projected for 80+ PPts
+ 3 D projected for 50+ PPts
What They Got:
+ D Mathieu Schneider ANA
+ F Rob Brind'Amour CAR
+ F Chris Kunitz ANA
+ D Alexei Zhitnik PHI
+ D Tom Preissing LAK
Analysis:
After the aforementioned Cammalleri gaffe, Jordan had a lot of ground to make up to satisfy the outcry from his fans. He made up for it on Draft Day nabbing several key aquisitions to improve his team significantly. He had major issues upfront and at the back and with the drafting of Brind'Amour and Schneider, they were addressed. Kreuger will be competitive once again in the early going but needs to make a significant move or two to bring in a top forward to have a shot.
Trading Block:
+ G Tomas Vokoun FLA
+ F Chris Clark WAS
+ F Paul Kariya STL
Questions:
+ Can Dustin Brown become a Top 6 forward?
+ Will the love affair with the Kings be Jordan's Achille's heel?
+ Can Sillinger be productive without Blake's scoring?
Injury Concerns:
+ G Vokoun (Illness)
+ F Nagy (Never has played a full season)
+ D Jovanovski (Shoulder)
Grades:
+ Draft (A): Took the biggest leap on Draft Day getting 2 keepers in the process.
+ Forwards (B-): Has about six forwards with break-out potential but most had off years last season. If they all produce then he could have as many as 4 - 100 PPts scorers.
+ Defence (B-): A lot of solid defencemen in this group but success will hinge on how much Jovocop plays.
+ Goalies (A): Would've been an A+ but Vokoun's departure to FLA downgrades his value. Best tandem in the league that could be used to obtain key players later on.
+ Overall (B-): A potential dark horse in the pool that could do damage.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Pre-Season Team Report Card: One Eyebrow (Ihor)
Calgary (CP) In this edition, we look at the One Eyebrow team lead by GM Triska.
Immediate Needs:
+ 2 F projected for 80+ PPts
+ 2 D projected for 50+ PPts
+ 1 G projected to play ~30 games
What they Got:
+ F Hejduk
+ F Recchi
+ F Avery
+ D Commodore
+ D Boynton
+ G Holmqvist
Analysis:
With a crap load of draft picks at his disposal, Ihor was able to load up on some offensive weapons and goalies that will play a lot that could be used as trade bait later on. The result is the deepest team in the GDHL and is the early favorite to take the title from the Leaf Haters. One Eyebrow is obviously aiming for this year to be the one to make a run and all his moves in GDHL 06-07 looks like they may pay off.
Trading Block:
+ F Jaromir Jagr
+ D Tomas Kaberle
+ F Shane Doan
Questions:
+ Will this be Jagr's last year?
+ Will this be Bobby Ryan's coming out party?
+ How much can the role players be a factor (i.e. Horcoff, Dumont, Higgins)?
Injury Concerns:
+ F Spezza (Back)
+ F Hemsky (wus)
+ F Higgins (Shoulder)
+ F Doan (Playing Style always makes him miss 10 games)
+ D Vishnovsky (Various Injuries)
Grades:
+ Draft (B+): Consistently made solid picks and didn't lose site of what he needed to accomplish.
+ Forwards (A): Potential for 13 F to get at least 70 PPts. Not many can say that.
+ Defence (B): With arguably 3 of the top 15 defencemen in the league, Triska's D-corp will be one of his strengths.
+ Goalies (B): Turco is always a standout, but the Toskala-Raycroft battle is gonna be tough to watch.
+ Overall (A-): Has a lot of room for error due to the depth of his forwards to make a serious run at the title this year led by his group of forwards. Beware all.
Fur Engee (CP)
Pre-Season Team Report Card: Whalers (Adam)
Calgary (CP) This is the first of three team report cards for each GDHL member: Pre-Season, Mid-Year and Year-End. I may be tough on your team, but as always YOU be the judge!
The Pre-Season edition will concentrate on the following:
Immediate Needs:
+ 3 F capable of 85+ PPts
+ 2 D capable of 50+ PPts
+ 1 G in case the Biron experiment doesn't work out
What they Got:
+ F Cammalleri LAK
+ F Michalek SJS (via trade)
+ D Jackman STL
Analysis:
The youth movement is in full force with the Whalers and that streak continued with the pick of Cammalleri and acquisition of Michalek. There are some veterans on this team (Guerin & Zubrus) that still have life, but they may need a couple more of these type of players to push them over the hump. If you have Kipper, you will be good in net for the life of the pool but with Biron, I'm not totally convinced. As it stands, the Whalers will need ALL 12 forwards playing to their potential if they are gonna have a chance.
Trading Block:
+ D Hamrlik
+ F Stastny
+ F Stoll
Questions:
+ Will Biron be the next Marc Denis or Patrick Lalime?
+ Can Johnson be productive enough in LA to stay in the lineup?
+ How good will Souray be in Edmonton?
Injury Concerns:
+ Stoll (Concussions)
+ Guerin (Age + Playing Style)
+ Jackman (Back)
+ Zetterberg (Back)
Grades:
+ Draft (B): Didn't make any unexpected moves but clearly improved his group of forwards.
+ Forwards (C+): Very young group that could break-out but haven't... yet.
+ Defence (C+): Dion, Souray and Hamrlik make a decent top 3. Could improve significantly if Johnson and Jackman come through.
+ Goalies (B): Kipper is an A+ but Biron is an unkown and thus bumps this grading down.
+ Overall (C+): Considering where they were last year, this is a step in the right direction and believe it will only improve.
Fur Engee (CP)
The Pre-Season edition will concentrate on the following:
- Immediate Needs - What the team needed heading into the draft to make them competitive for GDHL 07-08. Remember though, some teams need more than others.
- What They Got - Who did they draft that addressed their Immediate Needs?
- Analysis - Opinion on how their team looks after the draft.
- Trading Block - Top 3 players that may not be with the team by season's end.
- Questions - Questions that will be answered throughout the season.
- Injury Concerns - Players that may miss time due to injuries.
- Grades - Ranking in several categories.
Immediate Needs:
+ 3 F capable of 85+ PPts
+ 2 D capable of 50+ PPts
+ 1 G in case the Biron experiment doesn't work out
What they Got:
+ F Cammalleri LAK
+ F Michalek SJS (via trade)
+ D Jackman STL
Analysis:
The youth movement is in full force with the Whalers and that streak continued with the pick of Cammalleri and acquisition of Michalek. There are some veterans on this team (Guerin & Zubrus) that still have life, but they may need a couple more of these type of players to push them over the hump. If you have Kipper, you will be good in net for the life of the pool but with Biron, I'm not totally convinced. As it stands, the Whalers will need ALL 12 forwards playing to their potential if they are gonna have a chance.
Trading Block:
+ D Hamrlik
+ F Stastny
+ F Stoll
Questions:
+ Will Biron be the next Marc Denis or Patrick Lalime?
+ Can Johnson be productive enough in LA to stay in the lineup?
+ How good will Souray be in Edmonton?
Injury Concerns:
+ Stoll (Concussions)
+ Guerin (Age + Playing Style)
+ Jackman (Back)
+ Zetterberg (Back)
Grades:
+ Draft (B): Didn't make any unexpected moves but clearly improved his group of forwards.
+ Forwards (C+): Very young group that could break-out but haven't... yet.
+ Defence (C+): Dion, Souray and Hamrlik make a decent top 3. Could improve significantly if Johnson and Jackman come through.
+ Goalies (B): Kipper is an A+ but Biron is an unkown and thus bumps this grading down.
+ Overall (C+): Considering where they were last year, this is a step in the right direction and believe it will only improve.
Fur Engee (CP)
Steals of the GDHL 07 Draft
Calgary (CP) The Entry Draft, by and far the most important date that is circled on GMs calendars and is the time where the hurt of trading draft picks is fully realised. Each team had some needs to address and only throughout the season will they find out whether they made the right choice for the near term and future. Without going into the boring details and huge analysis (save for another article) here are my picks of the biggest steals of the draft for each team:
Note: "Steal" is referring to good value for the place they were drafted in and impact to drafted team.
Legend:
G - Goals
A - Assists
Pts - Season Points
PPP - Power Play Points
PPts - GDHL Pool Points
Adam: Mike Cammalleri (#1) - Ok, how can a guy going at #1 be a steal? Its because he should've never been available in the first place! A rare miscalculation which made GGopher GM Jordan lead with his heart (thus breaking cardinal sin #1), Kreuger picked O'Sullivan over the proven Cammalleri. A slam-dunk keeper for the next 4 years for Adam. Predicting Cammalleri will score 35G and 105 PPts.
Ihor: Chris Higgins (#105) - Tough to pick a steal from Team Unibrow but if I had to, it would be the first line winger going with the #105 pick. Maybe he fell under the radar due to missing 20+ games last season, but if he plays all 82 this year watch for 30+ goals and 80+ PPts.
Jordan: Rod Brind'Amour (#11) - A player that gets better with age, Rod shows no signs of slowing down thanks to being the most fit player in the league. This 100+ PPts player could be a keeper for the next 2-3 years for Jordan. Believe that he will be good for at least 90+ PPts.
JW: Jochen Hecht (#87) - It still remains to be seen how the Sabres will do without Drury and Briere, but this will allow more time on the PP for Hecht. If he gels with Roy then he should score 20 goals and 70 PPts.
Ken: Jason Blake (#39) - Using his back to back picks to complete the top line of TOR, the 40 goal scorer now has Sundin feeding him passes so watch out. I don't expect him to repeat the 40 goals but 35 is realistic with more coming on the PP. Predicting 30-35 goals and 80+ PPts.
Kevin: Tim Connolly (#84) - Another one that might have fallen under the radar because of injuries which could have a huge return for Kevin. There wasn't room for him at Center while Drury and Briere was there, so now being able to return to his natural position he will put up the points. If he stay's healthy, look for 45 assists and 75+ PPts.
Mark: Mikko Koivu (#103) - Despite being overshadowed by his older brother, this kid can play. An almost guaranteed shootout goal is what ups his fantasy value and he'll only continue to improve. Predicting 25G and 70+ PPts.
Mike: Cory Stillman (#95) - Another veteran scoring prescence that should have a rebound year. When healthy, Stillman can have an impact with any team. I'm looking for 20+ G and 75+ PPts.
Paul: Ryan Suter (#104) - A solid defencemen that has had the limelight taken away a bit due to the development of Shea Weber. Suter has almost the same amount of upside and landing him in Round 9 was great value. A possible keeper for Paul by year's end. Predicting 10G and 50 PPts.
Ryan: Drew Stafford (#64) - Coming off a strong rookie campaign where he spent between the minors and the big club, Drew will be a full time NHL'er this season. He'll be counted on as one of the young guns to contribute to the offence. Predicting 20+ G and 70+ PPts.
Trevor: Steve Reinprecht (#101) - A No.1 center in Round 9 usually means high-risk, high-reward since Steve has never played a full season. I look for that to continue but in the meantime, expecting 15+ G and 65+ PPts.
Fur Engee (CP)
Note: "Steal" is referring to good value for the place they were drafted in and impact to drafted team.
Legend:
G - Goals
A - Assists
Pts - Season Points
PPP - Power Play Points
PPts - GDHL Pool Points
Adam: Mike Cammalleri (#1) - Ok, how can a guy going at #1 be a steal? Its because he should've never been available in the first place! A rare miscalculation which made GGopher GM Jordan lead with his heart (thus breaking cardinal sin #1), Kreuger picked O'Sullivan over the proven Cammalleri. A slam-dunk keeper for the next 4 years for Adam. Predicting Cammalleri will score 35G and 105 PPts.
Ihor: Chris Higgins (#105) - Tough to pick a steal from Team Unibrow but if I had to, it would be the first line winger going with the #105 pick. Maybe he fell under the radar due to missing 20+ games last season, but if he plays all 82 this year watch for 30+ goals and 80+ PPts.
Jordan: Rod Brind'Amour (#11) - A player that gets better with age, Rod shows no signs of slowing down thanks to being the most fit player in the league. This 100+ PPts player could be a keeper for the next 2-3 years for Jordan. Believe that he will be good for at least 90+ PPts.
JW: Jochen Hecht (#87) - It still remains to be seen how the Sabres will do without Drury and Briere, but this will allow more time on the PP for Hecht. If he gels with Roy then he should score 20 goals and 70 PPts.
Ken: Jason Blake (#39) - Using his back to back picks to complete the top line of TOR, the 40 goal scorer now has Sundin feeding him passes so watch out. I don't expect him to repeat the 40 goals but 35 is realistic with more coming on the PP. Predicting 30-35 goals and 80+ PPts.
Kevin: Tim Connolly (#84) - Another one that might have fallen under the radar because of injuries which could have a huge return for Kevin. There wasn't room for him at Center while Drury and Briere was there, so now being able to return to his natural position he will put up the points. If he stay's healthy, look for 45 assists and 75+ PPts.
Mark: Mikko Koivu (#103) - Despite being overshadowed by his older brother, this kid can play. An almost guaranteed shootout goal is what ups his fantasy value and he'll only continue to improve. Predicting 25G and 70+ PPts.
Mike: Cory Stillman (#95) - Another veteran scoring prescence that should have a rebound year. When healthy, Stillman can have an impact with any team. I'm looking for 20+ G and 75+ PPts.
Paul: Ryan Suter (#104) - A solid defencemen that has had the limelight taken away a bit due to the development of Shea Weber. Suter has almost the same amount of upside and landing him in Round 9 was great value. A possible keeper for Paul by year's end. Predicting 10G and 50 PPts.
Ryan: Drew Stafford (#64) - Coming off a strong rookie campaign where he spent between the minors and the big club, Drew will be a full time NHL'er this season. He'll be counted on as one of the young guns to contribute to the offence. Predicting 20+ G and 70+ PPts.
Trevor: Steve Reinprecht (#101) - A No.1 center in Round 9 usually means high-risk, high-reward since Steve has never played a full season. I look for that to continue but in the meantime, expecting 15+ G and 65+ PPts.
Fur Engee (CP)
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
NHL: Age Vs. Salaries
Calgary (CP) A couple of good articles that were forwarded to me that I thought the GDHL brass would find interesting. Three separate posts by James Mirtle did some interesting analysis that correlated age and salaries for each team in the NHL. They are broken up by the following:
+ Age
+ Position Versus Salary
+ Salary Versus Age
I'm glad that the GDHL has left the salary aspect out for this version of the pool. That is one issue that would complicate issues ten fold as seen in with my expansion RHL team in Vulcan. Between cap, player demand and contract lengths that is an area that we want to stay clear from until everyone wants to take it to a whole other level.
Fur Engee (CP)
+ Age
+ Position Versus Salary
+ Salary Versus Age
I'm glad that the GDHL has left the salary aspect out for this version of the pool. That is one issue that would complicate issues ten fold as seen in with my expansion RHL team in Vulcan. Between cap, player demand and contract lengths that is an area that we want to stay clear from until everyone wants to take it to a whole other level.
Fur Engee (CP)
Thursday, August 23, 2007
GDHL: Player Power Rankings (Pre-Season Edition)
Calgary (CP) In the first of what will be a bi-weekly series when the regular season starts, a list of the Top 20 GDHL players... Pre-Season edition!
Notes:
+ Top 20 are listed with only Top 10 with explanations.
+ Again, this is my opinion. Please leave a comment if you disagree and we can debate.
+ Based on top Fantasy Value heading into GDHL07.
+ Factors include (Besides Stats): Age, Team Success, Linemates.
+ Assumes that S.Niedermeyer and Selanne are retiring.
+ There are many great players in the league... tough to narrow it down to 20. Be patient as I'm working out the formulas.
1. Sidney Crosby, PIT (--): Who can stop Sid the Kid? Answer: Nobody. The defending Art Ross champ is aiming to take it to another level this year especially with a strong cast of players. With Malkin and Staal having one year under their belt, along with the experience of Roberts, Sykora and Recchi, Crosby may hit 140pts this year.
2. Joe Thornton, SJ (--): "No Ordinary" Joe has been making the Bruins look more foolish for making that trade with each passing year he racks up 110+ pts. IMO, the only person with a legit shot of challenging Sidney for the scoring title and only person that may reach 100 assists. On the PP he's automatic which makes him a huge Pool Asset.
3. Martin Brodeur, NJ (--): How can a goalie that has been so good for so long and maybe past his best years be near the top of the rankings? Its because he came off a career year where he posted 47 wins with more than 25% of them by way of shutout. Future Hall-of-Famer should be strong once again if the offence holds up. Slam dunk for another 40+ win season to take another step towards St. Patrick's record of most wins.
4. Roberto Luongo, VAN (--): "The goalie that never could" with a bad team is now "the goalie that can do no wrong" with a mediocore Canucks team. He proved that he was worth every penny as he single handedly was responsible for the Canucks success last year. The Luongo vs. Turco battle in the playoffs will go down in history as one of the best. Another 40+ win season should be attainable especially if the Canucks land another Top 6 forward and will solidify his name along with Brodeur as the games best.
5. Vincent Lecavalier, TB (--): Finally lived up to lofty expectations that was placed upon him right after he was drafted. Won the Rocket Richard, excellent on the PP, faceoffs and will get in the occasional fight too. Can he follow it up with another 50+ goal season? I'm not convinced and if not look for him to drop fast in the rankings. Will get the benefit of the doubt now but expect 40 goals and 90 pts.
6. Dany Heatley, OTT (--): A very tough call between him and Lecavalier with Vinny getting the edge because of PIMs. Back to back 50+ goal seasons haven't been done since Jagr. That's saying something. I predict he'll make it 3 in a row and finish ahead of Vinny in the rankings.
7. Nic Lidstrom, DET (--): The consumate professional and the best defencemen in the league (assuming the retiring of Niedermeyer). Even though the Wings lost Schneider to ANA, they replaced him with Rafalski who can take the pressure off of Nic. After another Norris winning season, look for Nic to continue his outstanding play and lock up another trophy.
8. Marian Hossa, ATL (--): An impending UFA looking to prove that he's also worth $7M+... watch out. Hossa has outshone Kovalchuk during his tenure with ATL by a longshot. I was wrong about Hossa as well and he can do it all... except in the playoffs. OUCH! Outside shot at 50 goals with 90+pts a lock.
9. Jarome Iginla, CGY (--): Where Tkachuk was the model Power Forward of the late 90's, Iggy is the new breed built for the next decade. A natural goal scorer, who can fight and carry his team. If Iginla could just stay healthy for a full season he could score 50+ goals again and 100+ pts. His style of play, however, may not allow him to do that.
10. Marc Savard, BOS (--): Marc Savard? Top 10 in the league? I know that I wasn't the only one thinking this guy was riding off the coattails of Hossa and Kovalchuk. But after he went to the Bruins, he put together a ho-hum 96 pt season and is one of the true playmakers in the game to prove me wrong and grudgingly deserves to be here. Think Daniel Briere with checking wingers as linemates. Wondering what he'll be able to do when he consistently plays with Murray. Expecting another 90+pts with an outside shot of 70 assists.
Honorable Mentions:
11. Chris Pronger, ANA
12. Mikka Kipprusoff, CGY
13. Daniel Briere, PHI
14. Alex Ovechkin, WAS
15. Jason Spezza, OTT
16. Sheldon Souray, EDM
17. Sergei Gonchar, PIT
18. Martin St.Louis, TB
19. Evgeni Malkin, PIT
20. Sergei Zubov, DAL
Fur Engee (CP)
Notes:
+ Top 20 are listed with only Top 10 with explanations.
+ Again, this is my opinion. Please leave a comment if you disagree and we can debate.
+ Based on top Fantasy Value heading into GDHL07.
+ Factors include (Besides Stats): Age, Team Success, Linemates.
+ Assumes that S.Niedermeyer and Selanne are retiring.
+ There are many great players in the league... tough to narrow it down to 20. Be patient as I'm working out the formulas.
1. Sidney Crosby, PIT (--): Who can stop Sid the Kid? Answer: Nobody. The defending Art Ross champ is aiming to take it to another level this year especially with a strong cast of players. With Malkin and Staal having one year under their belt, along with the experience of Roberts, Sykora and Recchi, Crosby may hit 140pts this year.
2. Joe Thornton, SJ (--): "No Ordinary" Joe has been making the Bruins look more foolish for making that trade with each passing year he racks up 110+ pts. IMO, the only person with a legit shot of challenging Sidney for the scoring title and only person that may reach 100 assists. On the PP he's automatic which makes him a huge Pool Asset.
3. Martin Brodeur, NJ (--): How can a goalie that has been so good for so long and maybe past his best years be near the top of the rankings? Its because he came off a career year where he posted 47 wins with more than 25% of them by way of shutout. Future Hall-of-Famer should be strong once again if the offence holds up. Slam dunk for another 40+ win season to take another step towards St. Patrick's record of most wins.
4. Roberto Luongo, VAN (--): "The goalie that never could" with a bad team is now "the goalie that can do no wrong" with a mediocore Canucks team. He proved that he was worth every penny as he single handedly was responsible for the Canucks success last year. The Luongo vs. Turco battle in the playoffs will go down in history as one of the best. Another 40+ win season should be attainable especially if the Canucks land another Top 6 forward and will solidify his name along with Brodeur as the games best.
5. Vincent Lecavalier, TB (--): Finally lived up to lofty expectations that was placed upon him right after he was drafted. Won the Rocket Richard, excellent on the PP, faceoffs and will get in the occasional fight too. Can he follow it up with another 50+ goal season? I'm not convinced and if not look for him to drop fast in the rankings. Will get the benefit of the doubt now but expect 40 goals and 90 pts.
6. Dany Heatley, OTT (--): A very tough call between him and Lecavalier with Vinny getting the edge because of PIMs. Back to back 50+ goal seasons haven't been done since Jagr. That's saying something. I predict he'll make it 3 in a row and finish ahead of Vinny in the rankings.
7. Nic Lidstrom, DET (--): The consumate professional and the best defencemen in the league (assuming the retiring of Niedermeyer). Even though the Wings lost Schneider to ANA, they replaced him with Rafalski who can take the pressure off of Nic. After another Norris winning season, look for Nic to continue his outstanding play and lock up another trophy.
8. Marian Hossa, ATL (--): An impending UFA looking to prove that he's also worth $7M+... watch out. Hossa has outshone Kovalchuk during his tenure with ATL by a longshot. I was wrong about Hossa as well and he can do it all... except in the playoffs. OUCH! Outside shot at 50 goals with 90+pts a lock.
9. Jarome Iginla, CGY (--): Where Tkachuk was the model Power Forward of the late 90's, Iggy is the new breed built for the next decade. A natural goal scorer, who can fight and carry his team. If Iginla could just stay healthy for a full season he could score 50+ goals again and 100+ pts. His style of play, however, may not allow him to do that.
10. Marc Savard, BOS (--): Marc Savard? Top 10 in the league? I know that I wasn't the only one thinking this guy was riding off the coattails of Hossa and Kovalchuk. But after he went to the Bruins, he put together a ho-hum 96 pt season and is one of the true playmakers in the game to prove me wrong and grudgingly deserves to be here. Think Daniel Briere with checking wingers as linemates. Wondering what he'll be able to do when he consistently plays with Murray. Expecting another 90+pts with an outside shot of 70 assists.
Honorable Mentions:
11. Chris Pronger, ANA
12. Mikka Kipprusoff, CGY
13. Daniel Briere, PHI
14. Alex Ovechkin, WAS
15. Jason Spezza, OTT
16. Sheldon Souray, EDM
17. Sergei Gonchar, PIT
18. Martin St.Louis, TB
19. Evgeni Malkin, PIT
20. Sergei Zubov, DAL
Fur Engee (CP)
GDHL: GM Power Rankings (Pre-Season Edition)
Calgary (CP) In the first of a monthly series, The Eye Drop would like to present the GM Power Rankings... Pre-Season Edition!
Factors used to calculate the rankings are:
+ Current and Past overall team performance
+ Moves made to improve the current team roster
+ Streaks and general direction the team is headed towards
+ Only the top 4 GMs will be listed to avoid any hurt feelings.
+ I'm trying to be as unbiased as I can, therefore I do not qualify for the rankings.
+ Again this is personal opinion. Disagree if you wish.
1. Kevin Kwasny (--): In order to be the best, you have to beat the best. Kevin proved his prowess last season by taking the title by a comfortable margin when it was a 3 horse race between Mike and Victor. The list of players that he had to let go due to sheer depth is a testament to his eyes for the current and future situation. The fact that people that he let go will be keepers on other teams shows that his team was the deepest of them all. An early odds on favourite to repeat as GDHL Champ.
2. Ihor Triska (--): Is there anyone more active than Ihor Triska? GDHL Commish Mike MacCormack may come a close second, but on sheer volume of deals done, Ihor gets an A+ for effort. Always willing to tinker with his line-up, Triska does what it takes to give him the best chance. A 4th place finish last year was personal disappointment but an off-season aquisition of Marleau may be the final piece to make a run.
3. Adam Byrne (--): From beginning to end, has there anyone that's improved their team as much as Adam? After inheriting a crap-ass team (we all know its true) midway through GDHL06, Adam made several smart moves throughout the year to set himself up for a huge GDHL07 season. He made a questionable deal involving Sundin and Bernier, but more than made up for landing big Sheldon Souray. Although not many are expecting him to win this year he is my pick to make the biggest leap in the rankings. If everything is calculated right, his time could come in GDHL08.
4. Mike MacCormack (--): The commish gets big props for having one of the most deep teams last season which propelled him to a second place finish. Even though having the depth may have hurt his superstar power, you can bet that Mike will be one of the busiest GMs again retooling his team to challenge for the title.
Fur Engee (CP)
Factors used to calculate the rankings are:
+ Current and Past overall team performance
+ Moves made to improve the current team roster
+ Streaks and general direction the team is headed towards
+ Only the top 4 GMs will be listed to avoid any hurt feelings.
+ I'm trying to be as unbiased as I can, therefore I do not qualify for the rankings.
+ Again this is personal opinion. Disagree if you wish.
1. Kevin Kwasny (--): In order to be the best, you have to beat the best. Kevin proved his prowess last season by taking the title by a comfortable margin when it was a 3 horse race between Mike and Victor. The list of players that he had to let go due to sheer depth is a testament to his eyes for the current and future situation. The fact that people that he let go will be keepers on other teams shows that his team was the deepest of them all. An early odds on favourite to repeat as GDHL Champ.
2. Ihor Triska (--): Is there anyone more active than Ihor Triska? GDHL Commish Mike MacCormack may come a close second, but on sheer volume of deals done, Ihor gets an A+ for effort. Always willing to tinker with his line-up, Triska does what it takes to give him the best chance. A 4th place finish last year was personal disappointment but an off-season aquisition of Marleau may be the final piece to make a run.
3. Adam Byrne (--): From beginning to end, has there anyone that's improved their team as much as Adam? After inheriting a crap-ass team (we all know its true) midway through GDHL06, Adam made several smart moves throughout the year to set himself up for a huge GDHL07 season. He made a questionable deal involving Sundin and Bernier, but more than made up for landing big Sheldon Souray. Although not many are expecting him to win this year he is my pick to make the biggest leap in the rankings. If everything is calculated right, his time could come in GDHL08.
4. Mike MacCormack (--): The commish gets big props for having one of the most deep teams last season which propelled him to a second place finish. Even though having the depth may have hurt his superstar power, you can bet that Mike will be one of the busiest GMs again retooling his team to challenge for the title.
Fur Engee (CP)
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Keeper Lists Released: Initial Thoughts
Calgary (CP) At exactly 10:00am MST, GDHL commish Mike MacCormack released the much anticipated protected lists for the 12 team league. While most were par for the course, there were some initial surprises. "No doubt I was surprised at the quality of players made available. I'm sure I wasn't alone when I made preliminary keeper lists for all teams ahead of time. I was right on about 90% of the picks, its just that last 10% which really surprised me." said GM Khoo during the interview at the local water cooler.
When asked to provide specifics, Khoo declined to comment and added "If I told you who I was talking about, they'd be all gone by the time my turn came around! Since I'm picking 3rd last in most rounds, I'm in a situation where you have to just sit back and wait until its your turn. I'm very sure that by the time my pick comes around, all my top rated free agents will be gone. That being said, knowing how deep the pool is, I suspect that you will be able to get a lot of quality players for the first 4 rounds. But like every year, its not the first couple of picks that will separate you from the pack, but more likely the last 3 or 4 picks."
Upcoming articles will include:
- Team-by-Team Analysis
- Steals of the GDHL 07 Draft
- Rating of Sather's Eyes Roster
Fur Engee (CP)
When asked to provide specifics, Khoo declined to comment and added "If I told you who I was talking about, they'd be all gone by the time my turn came around! Since I'm picking 3rd last in most rounds, I'm in a situation where you have to just sit back and wait until its your turn. I'm very sure that by the time my pick comes around, all my top rated free agents will be gone. That being said, knowing how deep the pool is, I suspect that you will be able to get a lot of quality players for the first 4 rounds. But like every year, its not the first couple of picks that will separate you from the pack, but more likely the last 3 or 4 picks."
Upcoming articles will include:
- Team-by-Team Analysis
- Steals of the GDHL 07 Draft
- Rating of Sather's Eyes Roster
Fur Engee (CP)
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Tension Mounts for Upcoming Draft
Calgary (CP) As the date quickly approaches for GMs to submit keeper lists on Monday, there is wide speculation to who will be protected, but more importantly who will be available. "I've had a ton of talks with some GMs and I think for the most part there shouldn't be any surprises. But then again, I've been blown away before by some moves in the past so we'll see." said Eye's GM Victor Khoo, who is also the GM of the RHL's Vulcan Mind Melds.
General Dynamics Hockey League (GDHL) commish Mike MacCormack to date has seen 4 different protection lists made available to him with 8 more to go. MacCormack, who is also GM of the Bruins, hasn't ruled out any last minute transactions. "I've been making some calls around the league this morning. But no bites. I have a feeling there won't be much movement from now until the August 20th deadline."
Khoo concurred with MacCormack's comment while adding, "With the all important draft coming up on the 27th of August, GMs are holding tight on their picks. Since this will be the first draft with established keepers, it'll be interesting to see who people concentrate on."
With Sather's Eyes finishing 3rd in GDHL's inaugural season, the Eyes will have the 10th pick. The optimistic GM added "We believe that there will be some high quality players that will be available in the draft for at least the first 4 rounds. I feel extremely comfortable with our protected list and believe that we can make another run at a title. We expect the competition to be much tougher this year with the separation from top to bottom being closer than ever. I think that now some GMs that struggled last season have gotten their feet wet and they'll have a better gameplan to stay competitive."
Expect a ollow report on this subject after the list of protected players have been made available.
Fur Engee (CP)
General Dynamics Hockey League (GDHL) commish Mike MacCormack to date has seen 4 different protection lists made available to him with 8 more to go. MacCormack, who is also GM of the Bruins, hasn't ruled out any last minute transactions. "I've been making some calls around the league this morning. But no bites. I have a feeling there won't be much movement from now until the August 20th deadline."
Khoo concurred with MacCormack's comment while adding, "With the all important draft coming up on the 27th of August, GMs are holding tight on their picks. Since this will be the first draft with established keepers, it'll be interesting to see who people concentrate on."
With Sather's Eyes finishing 3rd in GDHL's inaugural season, the Eyes will have the 10th pick. The optimistic GM added "We believe that there will be some high quality players that will be available in the draft for at least the first 4 rounds. I feel extremely comfortable with our protected list and believe that we can make another run at a title. We expect the competition to be much tougher this year with the separation from top to bottom being closer than ever. I think that now some GMs that struggled last season have gotten their feet wet and they'll have a better gameplan to stay competitive."
Expect a ollow report on this subject after the list of protected players have been made available.
Fur Engee (CP)
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