Fantasy Week 5

TSN has this really unfortunate poll up on their site right now.

Which slow starting All-Star is least likely to turn their season around?

Alex Kovalev
Vincent Lecavalier
Jarome Iginla
Cam Ward
Zdeno Chara
Nicklas Lidstrom

Obviously this question is based on pure offensive numbers, although I have Ward on my fantasy team and he's been putting up decent numbers, even though I haven't gotten a win from him since on, 1792. But Chara and Lidstrom? Everyone knows there's more to their game than putting up points.

But anyways, that goes into my topic of this blog post on Yahoo, on assessing star players in your lineup, whether to keep 'em or bench 'em and also, the sleeper players that might still be available.

The bandwagon continues to roll through Los Angeles, and suddenly now the New York Islanders who seem to be putting some wins together lately. If you have a player on IR (which seems to be at least one player on each team, and then some) nab those players. Oh and Philly's James van Riemsdyk and Colorado's Ryan O'Reilly. They're both available in my league and I'd nab them but I'm preaching patience on my players.

As for the Bruins, well, I'm just glad that Marc Savard's on my IR and I can deal with him later.

Fantasy Week 4

I would have had a better week if it weren't for my goalies. Well, just one in particular, Pekka Rinne. I thought he'd be a little bit like last year, around the same numbers while splitting time with Dan Ellis. But not only has Dan Ellis been getting most of the starts but when Rinne has been playing, he's been pretty horrendous. He cost me all my goalie stats and in turn I couldn't pull out the win for the week. I'm in the bottom of the pack. Something had to change so I dropped him. Picked up Rene Bourque. Also, Marc Savard was placed on IR so I picked up Dustin Penner in his place. Let's see how long his play can hold up.

The No. 3 pick

It seems as if last year's draft (picks 1-3) played out the way each team and players envisioned it. The Islanders wanted that franchise player they think they can build around (John Tavares), the Lightning got a much needed boost on the blue line (Victor Hedman) and the Avalanche got a player who said the team was his favorite growing up (Matt Duchene).

I had never seen this video before but it's pretty entertaining, especially where Duchene is giving it to his dad about the correct way to get a tie on. (For what it's worth, common sense would tell me that you lift the collar up, giving the edge to Dad).

Fantasy Week 3

The Boston Bruins are a hot mess. And while this delights me personally, it's bad news for my fantasy team, as Marc Savard was my top center. He's been put on long-term IR and is expected to miss a minimum of four weeks.

Yahoo hasn't changed his status to IR, which means I can pick up another player to fill my empty roster space. I've been checking out some players who can fill his spot. Whoever I pick doesn't have to be a center although I'm debating whether I should. My other two centers right now are Steven Stamkos and Derek Roy.

The highest player available right now is Brandon Dubinsky, coincidentally a center. But I'm keeping my eye on Justin Williams, who is one-third of that hot Los Angeles Kings' top line. Rene Bourque is another option for me too. Even though he's a minus-3, he has more power play goals and points than the other two so right now, he might be the front-runner.

As for the rest of the team, I'm looking to dump Keith Ballard for Alex Goligoski. Ballard isn't putting up any points (1 assist), nor is he helping me out with penalty minutes (2, and I'm expecting him to get into a scrap really soon), and the rest of his stats are zero. Goligoski, meanwhile, is a plus-9, has two goals and five assists and two points on the PP.

I lost pretty badly last week, 6-2, even though I had two players on my team who were named three stars of the week!

Fantasy Week 2

James Duthie wrote a column that was dead-on about fans and their "premature evaluation" problem and the root of the issue is that we want instant analysis.

PE has now reached full pandemic status.  We live in a bubble of endless blogs, tweets, "longtime listener, first time caller" radio shows, and TV hockey panels that crave instant and definitive analysis.  (Yes, there is a heavy dose of mea-culpa, or at least wea-culpa, in this rant.) We want judgments handed down NOW, even if we've only seen a tiny fragment of the evidence.

Some of the examples he cites are:

Colorado and Phoenix are unstoppable and will surely meet in the Western Conference Final.

San Jose and Detroit suck, are likely headed for the draft lottery, and are frantically sending their scouts to Windsor to watch Taylor Hall.

Alexander Ovechkin is going to score 90 goals, and 150 points. By Christmas.

Sound familiar? I've already made three roster moves in the first week of play (though to my defense, the first week was longer). I finally dropped Milan Michalek who has one goal and is minus-3 since the season started. I picked up Vinny Prospal in his place - playing for the surging New York Rangers, knows his coach's system so he's getting big minutes. I also dropped James Neal to pick up a third goaltender, Craig Anderson. I did this because I thought Pekka Rinne would be getting more starts but I feel like he'll be getting equal time with Dan Ellis. Plus, Rinne got spanked the last game. I also dropped Kris Letang for Matt Carle.

You definitely can't look past the Los Angeles Kings and their hot start. Their line of Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown and Justin Williams are off to a hot start. You want to ride that streak so if you're looking to pick up a player, any one of those three will help you.

Anaheim isn't off to the start that I expected and it's adversely affecting my team. Bobby Ryan only has one goal thus far, and zero assists. It's far too soon to dump someone like Ryan. I've been watching some of the Ducks games. It's not like he's not getting his chances. They'll go in eventually. But I might think about benching him if there's other wings slated to play at the same time.

When is enough enough?

I Goggle 'Chris Chelios' to find a photo of him to attach with this post and this one I found through a blog connected with GetItNext.com couldn't be more perfect.

Chelios thinks he can play. Nevermind the fact that he's been relegated to 7th defenseman for the Wings the past couple of seasons, he knows he has what it takes to play hockey, that he can contribute and help a team win.

Nevermind that the Wings didn't offer him a contract for this season either. The man wants to fucking play.
He's set to skate with the AHL's Chicago Wolves on Monday, he tells the Detroit Free Press.

"I haven't even talked about anything. I'm just going to start practicing with them and give it a shot."

I was listening to a Detroit sports talk radio station earlier today and callers voiced their opinion on the issue. Out of a handful of those who spoke on the air, it seemed like everyone pitied him. The talk show host said it even pissed him off.

Doesn't Chelios want to spend time with his family? I mean, isn't that what most guys who retire say? It's kind of like the Brett Favre situation ... but not since Favre is still making a difference and leading his football team in his ripe age.

It's kind of sad, to me. You're a 25-year-old NHL veteran, with two Stanley Cups. And you're willing to play in the minors? I don't know. It must be really easy for him to push his pride aside because I feel like most players in this situation would just hang 'em up.

But more power to you, Mr. Chelios.

Their new home

The Vancouver Sun recently went inside the Canucks' locker room, offering a glimpse of the revamped dressing room, including a kitchen and a computer workstation. Very modernized. Must be nice! Take a look at the rest of the gallery.