The Oilers have traded Lubomir Visnovsky to the Ducks for Ryan Whitney. A great deal for both teams. Whitney's rep has taken a bit of a hit, and to be able to pick him up is a steal for the Oil. Visnovsky may be helpful to the Ducks in the short term as the try and secure a playoff spot.
Fantasy Impact: This season Whitney will see a TON of PP time now that Souray is out for the year. Get him NOW! Visnovsky should see a slight bump in production, but an much great improvement in plus minus.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Corvo a Cap
Washington picked up Joe Corvo for Brian Pothier and a prospect.
Fantasy Impact: Corvo could be a very interesting pickup for the Caps. He'll likely see a significant amount of second PP time. If your league requires you to have 5 or 6 d-men, Corvo could fit in very nicely at the lower end of your roster.
Fantasy Impact: Corvo could be a very interesting pickup for the Caps. He'll likely see a significant amount of second PP time. If your league requires you to have 5 or 6 d-men, Corvo could fit in very nicely at the lower end of your roster.
Fredrik Modin is King of the World!
Modin has been traded to Los Angeles for futures.
Fantasy Impact: Modin should add some very nice veteran production. The knock on Freddy is that he is a significant injury risk. But if he stays healthy he could be a bit of a surprise. He's likely unowned in most leagues and we'd recommend picking him up and seeing what happens.
Fantasy Impact: Modin should add some very nice veteran production. The knock on Freddy is that he is a significant injury risk. But if he stays healthy he could be a bit of a surprise. He's likely unowned in most leagues and we'd recommend picking him up and seeing what happens.
Leafs Trade Lee Stempniak to Phoenix
The Coyotes have acquired Lee Stempniak in a deal that will provide the some decent scoring depth.
Fantasy Impact: Stempniak should see a bit of a boost in production as there is no pressure to perform. We think he's worth a flyer.
Fantasy Impact: Stempniak should see a bit of a boost in production as there is no pressure to perform. We think he's worth a flyer.
Are the Sabres Daffy to Pick Up Raffi?
The Sabres acquired Raffi Torres for Nathan Paetsch and a 2nd rounder. The Sabres then traded Clarke McArthur to Atlanta.
Analysis: Raffi has been solid this season and should help the Sabres with secondary scoring and penalty killing.
Fantasy Impact: if you have shorthanded scoring as category in your league, then Torres may have some decent upside. And his goal production is nothing to sneeze at. But it's not like he's playing with with a high powered offence so don't get too excited.
Analysis: Raffi has been solid this season and should help the Sabres with secondary scoring and penalty killing.
Fantasy Impact: if you have shorthanded scoring as category in your league, then Torres may have some decent upside. And his goal production is nothing to sneeze at. But it's not like he's playing with with a high powered offence so don't get too excited.
Cowtown reunites Finnish Tandem
Calgary has acquired Vesa Toskala from the Anaheim Ducks for current back-up Curtis McElhinney. FANTASY IMPACT - not much either way, but if Kippersoff gets injured, Toskala is a much better option than McElhinney. The Flames were hoping to give Kipper days off down the stretch but they are barely hanging on to a playoff spot, so don't expect that to happen much.
M. Schneider to the 'Yotes
Phoenix appears to be loading up for the playoffs, after acquiring Derek Morris earlier today they have acquired Matthieu Schneider from the Canucks for a rumored late round draft pick. FANTASY IMPACT - Schneider's niche is his ability to move the puck and play on the PP. He'll get a solid chance to do that in Phoenix but his play away from the puck will limit his minutes. Watch for his +/- as well.
Ducks get D-Help
Anaheim has moved Justin Pogge and a 4th round pick to the Hurricanes for Aaron Ward. FANTASY IMPACT - almost none in terms of Ward unless your league counts blocked shots, hits and a few PIMs. Pogge now joins his 3rd NHL organization this year and looks to be the heir to a back-up job of Cam Ward or perhaps more if Ward's injury issues continue.
..and there is more...
Carolina has traded Scott Walker to the Washington Capitals for a 7th round pick. FANTASY IMPACT - clearly Walker's impact is going to be more of a grinder, good guy in the room rather than an offensive dynamo. Don't expect alot unless he somehow draws top 6 forward duty to create room on the ice for more skilled players.
St. Louis has traded Yan Stastny to the Vancouver Canucks for a minor league PIMs specialist. FANTASY IMPACT - there isn't any unless Stastny plays and you count face-off wins. He's not offensively gifted. At this time, and depth guy.
Colorado has shipped Wojtek Wolski to the Coyotes for Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter. FANTASY IMPACT - Mueller and Wolski are both under-achieving but Wolski seems to have better upside as Mueller's desire to compete is reflected in his putrid offensive stats. Mueller was a scoring best in junior, but something has happened along the way for him to really developed into a fantasy bust. Trade him if you got him or let someone else take the "flyer". Wolski makes the 'Yotes better in terms of pure offense and if he buys into Tippett's counter-punch style of play, is worth a waiver scoop. Porter, a Hobey Baker Award winner, is actually pretty skilled and pretty tenacious and joins an Avs team that welcomes US College guys alot. Porter has at least 3rd line skills with upside.
St. Louis has traded Yan Stastny to the Vancouver Canucks for a minor league PIMs specialist. FANTASY IMPACT - there isn't any unless Stastny plays and you count face-off wins. He's not offensively gifted. At this time, and depth guy.
Colorado has shipped Wojtek Wolski to the Coyotes for Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter. FANTASY IMPACT - Mueller and Wolski are both under-achieving but Wolski seems to have better upside as Mueller's desire to compete is reflected in his putrid offensive stats. Mueller was a scoring best in junior, but something has happened along the way for him to really developed into a fantasy bust. Trade him if you got him or let someone else take the "flyer". Wolski makes the 'Yotes better in terms of pure offense and if he buys into Tippett's counter-punch style of play, is worth a waiver scoop. Porter, a Hobey Baker Award winner, is actually pretty skilled and pretty tenacious and joins an Avs team that welcomes US College guys alot. Porter has at least 3rd line skills with upside.
The Fantasy Impact Deals so Far...
Alright – so all morning and afternoon we’ll be settling in to give you the best Fantasy take on the deals that are made. Expect a lot of deals, but don’t expect many quality ones is our prediction. So far, there’s not been a ton, but there have been some from last night and we’re here to break them down:
Ponikarovsky to the Penguins – Malkin has been complaining about the quality of his wingers all season and GM Shero has addressed the issue by acquiring Ponikarovsky from the Leafs for Luca Caputi and Martin Skoula. Skoula’s in the deal to allow the Penguins to get under the cap, and today was moved to the New Jersey Devils . Caputi is the key for the Leafs. A guy that sniped 50+ goals in his final year of junior and has had some success at the Minor League level, but he’s doesn’t play big and his skating is rumored to be at best – just OK. We think he projects at most a 2nd line winger, but likely more 3rd line. That all said, the offensive starved Leafs are going to try him right away. For the Penguins, expect Ponikarovsky to patrol one the left side of either Crosby or Malkin; our bet is Malkin. Ponikarovsky should hit career highs now in goals scored as he’ll be playing with much better line-mates than he has had for some time. If he shows any sort of chemistry and keeps his stick on the ice, he may even flirt with 30 goals this season. He’s streaky – but when hot, he’s very solid.
Phoenix has acquired Derek Morris from the Bruins for a 4th round pick. This should help the ‘Yotes stabilize their young defence as Morris can chip in with the odd point and play on the PP, but more importantly smells like a salary dump in anticipation of bigger deals yet to come for the Bruins. Boston has lost 8 straight games at home and can’t score to save their collective lives. With them not landing Kovalchuk prior to the Olympic break, we think the Bruins are after the Hurricanes’ Ray Whitney. Whitney wants a contract extension before he waives his no-trade clause and this looks like the Bruins are getting ready to oblige.
Ponikarovsky to the Penguins – Malkin has been complaining about the quality of his wingers all season and GM Shero has addressed the issue by acquiring Ponikarovsky from the Leafs for Luca Caputi and Martin Skoula. Skoula’s in the deal to allow the Penguins to get under the cap, and today was moved to the New Jersey Devils . Caputi is the key for the Leafs. A guy that sniped 50+ goals in his final year of junior and has had some success at the Minor League level, but he’s doesn’t play big and his skating is rumored to be at best – just OK. We think he projects at most a 2nd line winger, but likely more 3rd line. That all said, the offensive starved Leafs are going to try him right away. For the Penguins, expect Ponikarovsky to patrol one the left side of either Crosby or Malkin; our bet is Malkin. Ponikarovsky should hit career highs now in goals scored as he’ll be playing with much better line-mates than he has had for some time. If he shows any sort of chemistry and keeps his stick on the ice, he may even flirt with 30 goals this season. He’s streaky – but when hot, he’s very solid.
Phoenix has acquired Derek Morris from the Bruins for a 4th round pick. This should help the ‘Yotes stabilize their young defence as Morris can chip in with the odd point and play on the PP, but more importantly smells like a salary dump in anticipation of bigger deals yet to come for the Bruins. Boston has lost 8 straight games at home and can’t score to save their collective lives. With them not landing Kovalchuk prior to the Olympic break, we think the Bruins are after the Hurricanes’ Ray Whitney. Whitney wants a contract extension before he waives his no-trade clause and this looks like the Bruins are getting ready to oblige.
Monday, February 01, 2010
Hogtown begins the Dealing...
This past Sunday, Toronto GM Brian Burke tried to share things up on his roster by dealing Ian, White, Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman and Jamal Mayers to Calgary for Dion Phaneuf, Fredrik Sjostrom and Keith Aulie. He then kept the trade winds blowing and dealt Jason Blake and Vesa Toskala to the Anaheim Ducks for Jean-Sebastien Giguere.
Fantasy Impact: In Toronto, the Leafs should now have two bona-fide studs on the PP with Kaberle (who’ll do the passing) and Phaneuf (who’ll do the shooting). The latest rumor out of Calgary is that Phaneuf and Jarome Iginla had got into a “donny-brook” that led to fisticuffs in the locker room and it was pretty evident that the chemistry in the locker and on the ice was suffering. The Leafs are now trying to build from the crease out with Giguere as the team’s #1, Phaneuf and Kaberle mentoring Schenn and Carl Gunnarson while Komisarek and Beauchemin should round out the Leafs likely top 6. Aulie is the next coming of Hal Gill and a potential Leaf in 2011. The Leafs PP should be better, but Phaneuf’s +/- is about to take a pounding. The Leafs are going to have to call up a bunch of guys from the farm to finish out this season unless they turn Ponikarovsky into 3 new forwards. Jeff Finger seems to be a defencemen that Bruke would like to move, and is he does, he'll get at least one forward coming back that can play in the NHL. Giguere still has this year and next on a big $ deal, so he’ll start plenty. The Leafs won’t be hugely improved and we’re not convinced the Giguere can capture the magic he did in the ’02-’03 season. That said he’ll be better than Toskala and Gustavsson – at least in the short term. For the Flames, they get some depth and some cap relief. It will be intriguing to see if Stajan adopts the #1 pivot, or the #3. Rumors are swirling that the Flames are trying to move Jokinen to the Rangers as well. Stajan is a younger version of Daymond Langkow and may see his point per game drop with a reduced role and minutes. Hagman stands a strong chance or helping the goal starved Flames as he has 20 goal potential and seems not to need prime minutes to achieve them. Ian White actually has more points than Phaneuf and has decent offensive skills. He’s worth a flyer in deeper leagues’, but he’ll be the 3rd option on the PP from the point after Boumeester and Giordano. The Ducks, well they get a little cap relief and some forward depth in Blake who may be so relieved to escape the pressure cooker that is Toronto, that he might put up some decent fantasy numbers. Watch him closely as he’ll get second line duty right away.
Fantasy Impact: In Toronto, the Leafs should now have two bona-fide studs on the PP with Kaberle (who’ll do the passing) and Phaneuf (who’ll do the shooting). The latest rumor out of Calgary is that Phaneuf and Jarome Iginla had got into a “donny-brook” that led to fisticuffs in the locker room and it was pretty evident that the chemistry in the locker and on the ice was suffering. The Leafs are now trying to build from the crease out with Giguere as the team’s #1, Phaneuf and Kaberle mentoring Schenn and Carl Gunnarson while Komisarek and Beauchemin should round out the Leafs likely top 6. Aulie is the next coming of Hal Gill and a potential Leaf in 2011. The Leafs PP should be better, but Phaneuf’s +/- is about to take a pounding. The Leafs are going to have to call up a bunch of guys from the farm to finish out this season unless they turn Ponikarovsky into 3 new forwards. Jeff Finger seems to be a defencemen that Bruke would like to move, and is he does, he'll get at least one forward coming back that can play in the NHL. Giguere still has this year and next on a big $ deal, so he’ll start plenty. The Leafs won’t be hugely improved and we’re not convinced the Giguere can capture the magic he did in the ’02-’03 season. That said he’ll be better than Toskala and Gustavsson – at least in the short term. For the Flames, they get some depth and some cap relief. It will be intriguing to see if Stajan adopts the #1 pivot, or the #3. Rumors are swirling that the Flames are trying to move Jokinen to the Rangers as well. Stajan is a younger version of Daymond Langkow and may see his point per game drop with a reduced role and minutes. Hagman stands a strong chance or helping the goal starved Flames as he has 20 goal potential and seems not to need prime minutes to achieve them. Ian White actually has more points than Phaneuf and has decent offensive skills. He’s worth a flyer in deeper leagues’, but he’ll be the 3rd option on the PP from the point after Boumeester and Giordano. The Ducks, well they get a little cap relief and some forward depth in Blake who may be so relieved to escape the pressure cooker that is Toronto, that he might put up some decent fantasy numbers. Watch him closely as he’ll get second line duty right away.
Friday, January 08, 2010
The East/West Discrepancy
It’s no secret that the NHL has an unbalanced schedule. Those who support it say that it’s necessary to deal with travel costs, time zone changes and player fatigue. Those who oppose it point to all teams not having the opportunity for all fans to get equal access to the game’s stars.
It’s not secret that many Western fans feel that they are unfairly treated when it comes to not seeing the NHL’s young elite. And now, a simple analysis of the top two picks of the past 15 years tends to bear that out. Of the 30 total players taken either first or second since the 1994 draft a whopping 22 were drafted by Eastern Conference teams. Simply on volume that would seem to indicate a distinct advantage. But consider this: 12 of the last 15 first overall selections were made by Eastern Conference clubs.
So what does this all mean? It means the best young talent is not playing game in and game out in the Western Conference. At best, once a year the top young talent in the league plays in your arena if you happen cheer for a team that plays in either the Pacific, Northwest or Central Divisions…that is, unless you happen to meet in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Major League Baseball has an easy remedy in their entry draft given that the two leagues are split with only limited interaction between clubs during the regular season (sound familiar?). They alternate between the American League and the National League. The team with the worst record overall drafts first and then the team from the opposing league with the worst record drafts next. And they carry on from there. IF that had been the case things may be drastically different for some teams. Consider that Evgeny Malkin would most likely play for the Chicago Blackhawks, Eric Staal may be captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Jason Spezza may have been skating with Anaheim, and Dany Heatley could have been plying his trade in Minnesota. Sure this is all speculation, but that is the level of talent that could have been in the Western Conference with a fair and equitable distribution of talent.
Here’s the full draft list of first and second overall picks. First overall picks are bolded.
East:
John Tavares (NYI - 2009)
Victor Hedman (TB - 2009)
Steven Stamkos (TB - 2008)
James Van Riemsdyk (PHI – 2007)
Jordan Staal (PIT – 2006)
Sydney Crosby (PIT – 2005)
Alex Ovechkin (WAS – 2004)
Evgeny Malkin (PIT – 2004)
M-A Fleury (PIT – 2003)
Eric Staal (CAR – 2003)
Kari Lehtonen (ATL - 2002)
Ilya Kovalchuk (ATL – 2001)
Jason Spezza (OTT – 2001)
Rick Dipietro (NYI – 2000)
Dany Heatley (ATL – 2000)
Patrik Stefan (ATL – 1999)
Vincent Lecavalier (TB – 1998)
Joe Thornton (BOS – 1997)
Chris Phillips (OTT – 1996)
Bryan Berard (OTT – 1995)
Wade Redden (NYI – 1995)
Ed Jovanovski (FLA – 1994)
West:
Drew Doughty (LA - 2008)
Patrick Kane (CHI – 2007)
Erik Johnson (STL – 2006)
Bobby Ryan (ANH – 2005)
Rick Nash (CLB – 2002)
Daniel Sedin (VAN -1999)
David Legwand (NAS – 1998)
Patrick Marleau (SJ – 1997)
Andrei Zyuzin (SJ – 1996)
Oleg Tverdovsky (ANH – 1995)
It’s not secret that many Western fans feel that they are unfairly treated when it comes to not seeing the NHL’s young elite. And now, a simple analysis of the top two picks of the past 15 years tends to bear that out. Of the 30 total players taken either first or second since the 1994 draft a whopping 22 were drafted by Eastern Conference teams. Simply on volume that would seem to indicate a distinct advantage. But consider this: 12 of the last 15 first overall selections were made by Eastern Conference clubs.
So what does this all mean? It means the best young talent is not playing game in and game out in the Western Conference. At best, once a year the top young talent in the league plays in your arena if you happen cheer for a team that plays in either the Pacific, Northwest or Central Divisions…that is, unless you happen to meet in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Major League Baseball has an easy remedy in their entry draft given that the two leagues are split with only limited interaction between clubs during the regular season (sound familiar?). They alternate between the American League and the National League. The team with the worst record overall drafts first and then the team from the opposing league with the worst record drafts next. And they carry on from there. IF that had been the case things may be drastically different for some teams. Consider that Evgeny Malkin would most likely play for the Chicago Blackhawks, Eric Staal may be captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Jason Spezza may have been skating with Anaheim, and Dany Heatley could have been plying his trade in Minnesota. Sure this is all speculation, but that is the level of talent that could have been in the Western Conference with a fair and equitable distribution of talent.
Here’s the full draft list of first and second overall picks. First overall picks are bolded.
East:
John Tavares (NYI - 2009)
Victor Hedman (TB - 2009)
Steven Stamkos (TB - 2008)
James Van Riemsdyk (PHI – 2007)
Jordan Staal (PIT – 2006)
Sydney Crosby (PIT – 2005)
Alex Ovechkin (WAS – 2004)
Evgeny Malkin (PIT – 2004)
M-A Fleury (PIT – 2003)
Eric Staal (CAR – 2003)
Kari Lehtonen (ATL - 2002)
Ilya Kovalchuk (ATL – 2001)
Jason Spezza (OTT – 2001)
Rick Dipietro (NYI – 2000)
Dany Heatley (ATL – 2000)
Patrik Stefan (ATL – 1999)
Vincent Lecavalier (TB – 1998)
Joe Thornton (BOS – 1997)
Chris Phillips (OTT – 1996)
Bryan Berard (OTT – 1995)
Wade Redden (NYI – 1995)
Ed Jovanovski (FLA – 1994)
West:
Drew Doughty (LA - 2008)
Patrick Kane (CHI – 2007)
Erik Johnson (STL – 2006)
Bobby Ryan (ANH – 2005)
Rick Nash (CLB – 2002)
Daniel Sedin (VAN -1999)
David Legwand (NAS – 1998)
Patrick Marleau (SJ – 1997)
Andrei Zyuzin (SJ – 1996)
Oleg Tverdovsky (ANH – 1995)
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Week #2 - Here comes the M*A*S*H unit
After some big time fantasy players were sidelined with injuries in week two, I wanted to chime in with my two cents:
Boston – well the injury bug has hit hard in Beantown. Marc Savard has been sidelined for up to 6 weeks with a broken foot, Milan Lucic is gone for at least 3 weeks with a dislocated finger and Dennis Wideman has been injured, but returned just last night. For the other B’s these two big injuries should translate into additional ice-time for the like of David Krejci, Brad Marchand (just called up), Blake Wheeler should and the newly arrived Daniel Paille (from Buffalo). In Krejci, the sleek play-making center will get more opportunities to create and that’s good news for fantasy owners as he has a meager 3 assists so far in 8 games. Paille’s arrival was a salary dump for the Sabres, but not as great as one for the Bruins – who essentially moved Chuck Kobasew to the Wild and then picked up Paille. The Bruins save more $ against the salary cap as well as get a bit bigger in terms of the comparison between Kobasew and Paille. To date, Marchand has not lived up to his junior hype in the AHL, and will have to show he deserves the opportunity in Boston with Savard gone. Don’t rush out to get him right away.
Minnesota – reached out and acquired Chuck Kobasew with the hope that they will get some secondary scoring, on a team that has not generated a lot of offense. Pierre-Marc Bouchard has been sidelined indefinitely with a concussion and the hope from Wild management is that Kobasew can provide for the loss of some of his offense. From a fantasy perspective, Kobasew will likely skate with James Sheppard on the team’s 3rd line, but we’re not betting that he’s going to make that large of a difference statistically to make you want to get him.
Pittsburgh – Sergei Gonchar is out for 6 weeks with a broken wrist. This will be Gonchar’s 3rd big injury in three years. The good news, is that it’s only 6 weeks and not longer, and that hopefully he’ll be rid of the injury bug for the remainder of the season. This unfortunate news will mean a slight decrease in the Pens PP, but it will mean more minutes and fantasy points for Letang and Goligoski in particular. With Gonchar out, these two young guns will likely man the points for the vaunted Pens PP. I expect a dip in their special teams production, but only slightly until Gonchar returns.
Boston – well the injury bug has hit hard in Beantown. Marc Savard has been sidelined for up to 6 weeks with a broken foot, Milan Lucic is gone for at least 3 weeks with a dislocated finger and Dennis Wideman has been injured, but returned just last night. For the other B’s these two big injuries should translate into additional ice-time for the like of David Krejci, Brad Marchand (just called up), Blake Wheeler should and the newly arrived Daniel Paille (from Buffalo). In Krejci, the sleek play-making center will get more opportunities to create and that’s good news for fantasy owners as he has a meager 3 assists so far in 8 games. Paille’s arrival was a salary dump for the Sabres, but not as great as one for the Bruins – who essentially moved Chuck Kobasew to the Wild and then picked up Paille. The Bruins save more $ against the salary cap as well as get a bit bigger in terms of the comparison between Kobasew and Paille. To date, Marchand has not lived up to his junior hype in the AHL, and will have to show he deserves the opportunity in Boston with Savard gone. Don’t rush out to get him right away.
Minnesota – reached out and acquired Chuck Kobasew with the hope that they will get some secondary scoring, on a team that has not generated a lot of offense. Pierre-Marc Bouchard has been sidelined indefinitely with a concussion and the hope from Wild management is that Kobasew can provide for the loss of some of his offense. From a fantasy perspective, Kobasew will likely skate with James Sheppard on the team’s 3rd line, but we’re not betting that he’s going to make that large of a difference statistically to make you want to get him.
Pittsburgh – Sergei Gonchar is out for 6 weeks with a broken wrist. This will be Gonchar’s 3rd big injury in three years. The good news, is that it’s only 6 weeks and not longer, and that hopefully he’ll be rid of the injury bug for the remainder of the season. This unfortunate news will mean a slight decrease in the Pens PP, but it will mean more minutes and fantasy points for Letang and Goligoski in particular. With Gonchar out, these two young guns will likely man the points for the vaunted Pens PP. I expect a dip in their special teams production, but only slightly until Gonchar returns.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
After Week One...
After week one to this years’ NHL season, there has already been a number of fantasy developments so let’s get it.
Montreal – how bad is it for the Habs to lose their best player, Andre Markov, for four months in the first game of the season. This is bad news for the Habs PP, as well as the other Hab forwards who would have been the recipient of Markov’s excellent break out passes. For fantasy owners of Markov this is pretty disastrous. Not only is it going to be 16 weeks before Markov may return, he’s going to need a least another month to hit his stride. In the meantime, GM Bob Gainey has turned to the much travelled Marc-Andre Bergeron to fill the offensive void. Bergeron should be not bad at QB-ing the Habs PP, but he won’t do much on the defensive end of the ice. He’ll be a decent waiver pick up until at least Markov comes back.
Toronto – after 4 games the Leafs are still winless; and this is only a mild surprise to smart poolies. Tell us if you’ve heard this before; Toronto is struggling to score and the goaltending has been suspect – already. The Leafs revamped defence has been below average, Toskala has been below average and the play of team’s top 6 forwards has been the also below average. Rumors have already started that Burke is looking at trying to change out Toskala – names making to rounds are Manny Fernandez (formerly of Boston) and Erik Ersberg (backing up Jonathan Quick in LA). Gustavsson has been not bad, but has been slowed by a sore groin – which can’t be good this early in the season. Phil Kessel is targeting Nov. 1 as his return, and it can’t come soon enough for coach Wilson. He should be fine, just needing a week or two to break off the rust.
Los Angeles – hard to imagine that Ryan Smyth would have this type of impact on a young Kings team, but after 4 games – the line of Smyth, Kopitar and Williams has 11 points. The Kings young defence has also been better and the early result is the Kings are playing decent hockey. Chances are Smyth won’t keep producing at this clip, but Kopitar could crack the top 10 scorers in the league this season. If Williams is also available is your drafts, he’d be a nice regroup pick at this stage.
Colorado – Craig Anderson has been playing like a legitimate #1 puck-stopper and the Avalanche have been...well...surprising. If he’s still available, Kyle Quincey appears to be repeating his solid season from last year and leads the team’s defence core early in terms of scoring. The line of Hejduk-Stastny-Wolski has been clicking early; we like Stastny and Hejduk to continue, but Wolski is just too fantasy flighty to maintain it and should be a guy you think about moving right now while he’s hot. \
Carolina – Erik Cole looks to be gone for between 4-8 weeks with a leg injury. Cole’s injury may have a season long impact upon him as it’s not the type of injury that will allow Cole to hit the ground running when he comes off the DL. Tuomo Ruutu should be the recipient of Cole’s spot alongside Eric Staal for at least the next month.
Vancouver – the Canucks looked to be just hitting their stride after a shaky 0-3 start, when Daniel Sedin broke his foot after being hit by an Alex Edler shot. Sedin is going to be gone for 6-8 weeks. It appears that the Canucks may try a number of players to fill-in while Sedin’s gone. The early favorite is Steve Bernier, who has played with Henrik (and Daniel) before. For Henrik the loss of his brother will likely mean a drop is his offensive production. Also adversely impacted will be the Canucks PP, where the Sedins often play 1:30 to 2:00 minutes of a Canucks’ PP.
Montreal – how bad is it for the Habs to lose their best player, Andre Markov, for four months in the first game of the season. This is bad news for the Habs PP, as well as the other Hab forwards who would have been the recipient of Markov’s excellent break out passes. For fantasy owners of Markov this is pretty disastrous. Not only is it going to be 16 weeks before Markov may return, he’s going to need a least another month to hit his stride. In the meantime, GM Bob Gainey has turned to the much travelled Marc-Andre Bergeron to fill the offensive void. Bergeron should be not bad at QB-ing the Habs PP, but he won’t do much on the defensive end of the ice. He’ll be a decent waiver pick up until at least Markov comes back.
Toronto – after 4 games the Leafs are still winless; and this is only a mild surprise to smart poolies. Tell us if you’ve heard this before; Toronto is struggling to score and the goaltending has been suspect – already. The Leafs revamped defence has been below average, Toskala has been below average and the play of team’s top 6 forwards has been the also below average. Rumors have already started that Burke is looking at trying to change out Toskala – names making to rounds are Manny Fernandez (formerly of Boston) and Erik Ersberg (backing up Jonathan Quick in LA). Gustavsson has been not bad, but has been slowed by a sore groin – which can’t be good this early in the season. Phil Kessel is targeting Nov. 1 as his return, and it can’t come soon enough for coach Wilson. He should be fine, just needing a week or two to break off the rust.
Los Angeles – hard to imagine that Ryan Smyth would have this type of impact on a young Kings team, but after 4 games – the line of Smyth, Kopitar and Williams has 11 points. The Kings young defence has also been better and the early result is the Kings are playing decent hockey. Chances are Smyth won’t keep producing at this clip, but Kopitar could crack the top 10 scorers in the league this season. If Williams is also available is your drafts, he’d be a nice regroup pick at this stage.
Colorado – Craig Anderson has been playing like a legitimate #1 puck-stopper and the Avalanche have been...well...surprising. If he’s still available, Kyle Quincey appears to be repeating his solid season from last year and leads the team’s defence core early in terms of scoring. The line of Hejduk-Stastny-Wolski has been clicking early; we like Stastny and Hejduk to continue, but Wolski is just too fantasy flighty to maintain it and should be a guy you think about moving right now while he’s hot. \
Carolina – Erik Cole looks to be gone for between 4-8 weeks with a leg injury. Cole’s injury may have a season long impact upon him as it’s not the type of injury that will allow Cole to hit the ground running when he comes off the DL. Tuomo Ruutu should be the recipient of Cole’s spot alongside Eric Staal for at least the next month.
Vancouver – the Canucks looked to be just hitting their stride after a shaky 0-3 start, when Daniel Sedin broke his foot after being hit by an Alex Edler shot. Sedin is going to be gone for 6-8 weeks. It appears that the Canucks may try a number of players to fill-in while Sedin’s gone. The early favorite is Steve Bernier, who has played with Henrik (and Daniel) before. For Henrik the loss of his brother will likely mean a drop is his offensive production. Also adversely impacted will be the Canucks PP, where the Sedins often play 1:30 to 2:00 minutes of a Canucks’ PP.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Game On - '09-'10
Just prior to the first regular season games happen this evening, I wanted to take a trip around the league and give you my thoughts on the latest news.
In Toronto, by all reports Vesa Toskala has not been great in the pre-season and many a Leaf fantasy owner is pinning their hopes on Jonas Gustavsson. Toskala's gonna start and Burke will force Wilson to play him early and hopes that he finds fantasy value form, mostly so that he can trade him. Toskala isn't in the long term plans of the Leafs. If he stinks early, expect Burke to start hunting for a legitimate NHL prospect netminder to push Gustavsson. That's a lot of pressure on "the Monster" out of the blocks; smart poolies will remember the fantasy impact of Fabian Brunstrom last year - or the lack thereof. Rumor has Burke already kicking the tires on Corey Schneider's availability out of Vancouver.
Still in Toronto, Viktor Stalberg has been a pleasant surprise for the Leafs this preseason. He's lightening fast and has decent hands and isn't small by NHL standards. We'll see how he does over 82 games, but for now - he's slated to play in the top 6 forwards for TO.
More to follow....
In Toronto, by all reports Vesa Toskala has not been great in the pre-season and many a Leaf fantasy owner is pinning their hopes on Jonas Gustavsson. Toskala's gonna start and Burke will force Wilson to play him early and hopes that he finds fantasy value form, mostly so that he can trade him. Toskala isn't in the long term plans of the Leafs. If he stinks early, expect Burke to start hunting for a legitimate NHL prospect netminder to push Gustavsson. That's a lot of pressure on "the Monster" out of the blocks; smart poolies will remember the fantasy impact of Fabian Brunstrom last year - or the lack thereof. Rumor has Burke already kicking the tires on Corey Schneider's availability out of Vancouver.
Still in Toronto, Viktor Stalberg has been a pleasant surprise for the Leafs this preseason. He's lightening fast and has decent hands and isn't small by NHL standards. We'll see how he does over 82 games, but for now - he's slated to play in the top 6 forwards for TO.
More to follow....
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Kessel Turns Over as newest Leaf
Boston has finally traded disgruntled RW Phil Kessel to the Toronto Maple Leafs for two 1st round and a 2nd round draft pick. Immediately the Leafs opened the vault and signed Kessel to a 5 year deal worth $27M.
Fantasy Impact – the rumor around the league is that Kessel was not a popular guy in the young Bruins locker room and that he and Bruins head coach Claude Julien also did not see eye to eye. Now Kessel will join the Leafs and become the teams’ best RW hand down. Poolies should be smiling widely at the prospect of Kessel playing a ton of minutes and will be getting the tap on the shoulder from head coach Ron Wilson in all offensive situations. Kessel’s arrival should also mean good news and added offensive input for the likes Mikael Grabovski and Alexei Ponikarovsky; the Leafs center and left winger on the teams’ top line. The Leafs PP should be improved as well. Now, make no mistake, Kessel won’t be riding shotgun alongside Marc Savard, but his fantasy stats should be about the same. This of course all assumes that Kessel is 100% when he returns to regular season action some time in November.
For the Bruins, this may be a little bit of addition via subtraction. In addition to Kessel’s “lone wolf" sentiment in the locker room and alienation with the coach, there are further rumors that Kessel was not comfortable with the Bruins media either. There is no doubt that the team is going to miss the 36 goals in 70 games that Kessel tallied last year. But his absence also means opportunity for the likes of Ryder and Blake Wheeler. Wheeler seems to be the most likely candidate to receive Kessel’s minutes. Neither Wheeler or Ryder are as talented as Kessel so there might be a slight drop on production for the likes of Savard and Lucic. Similarly, the Bruins PP should see a slight decline in output, but as mentioned the Bruins are a tight team and Kessel’s absence won’t hurt them from a chemistry perspective.
Lastly, don’t be surprised if the Bruins are active toward the trade deadline with now two first round draft picks in the coming two years, as the two first rounders will be attractive to teams looking to off-load veteran salaries for draft picks.
Fantasy Impact – the rumor around the league is that Kessel was not a popular guy in the young Bruins locker room and that he and Bruins head coach Claude Julien also did not see eye to eye. Now Kessel will join the Leafs and become the teams’ best RW hand down. Poolies should be smiling widely at the prospect of Kessel playing a ton of minutes and will be getting the tap on the shoulder from head coach Ron Wilson in all offensive situations. Kessel’s arrival should also mean good news and added offensive input for the likes Mikael Grabovski and Alexei Ponikarovsky; the Leafs center and left winger on the teams’ top line. The Leafs PP should be improved as well. Now, make no mistake, Kessel won’t be riding shotgun alongside Marc Savard, but his fantasy stats should be about the same. This of course all assumes that Kessel is 100% when he returns to regular season action some time in November.
For the Bruins, this may be a little bit of addition via subtraction. In addition to Kessel’s “lone wolf" sentiment in the locker room and alienation with the coach, there are further rumors that Kessel was not comfortable with the Bruins media either. There is no doubt that the team is going to miss the 36 goals in 70 games that Kessel tallied last year. But his absence also means opportunity for the likes of Ryder and Blake Wheeler. Wheeler seems to be the most likely candidate to receive Kessel’s minutes. Neither Wheeler or Ryder are as talented as Kessel so there might be a slight drop on production for the likes of Savard and Lucic. Similarly, the Bruins PP should see a slight decline in output, but as mentioned the Bruins are a tight team and Kessel’s absence won’t hurt them from a chemistry perspective.
Lastly, don’t be surprised if the Bruins are active toward the trade deadline with now two first round draft picks in the coming two years, as the two first rounders will be attractive to teams looking to off-load veteran salaries for draft picks.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Heatley Swims with the Sharks
Ottawa was finally able to get some value back for the disgrunteld Dany Heatley after then dealt Heatley and a 5th round draft pick to San Jose for Milan Michalek, Jonathan Cheechoo and a 2nd rounder.
Fantasy Impact - for Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks, their ability to land a bona fide 50 gaol scorer for essentially Michalek and a 2nd rounder, is impressive for the Sharks. It's been a few season since Heatley hit the 50 gaol plateau, but he has done it twice and he'll get prime time minutes with Thornton and as much PP time as he can stomach. Heatley's arrival will also impact the Sharks in another way: what happens to Marleau. Marleau also plays LW, same as Heatley and it makes me wonder if he'll be asked to move to the RW, or perhaps back to his natural center position and allow last years' RW sensation Devin Setoguchi to remain with Thornton and Heatley? Depending on where utlimately either of those two guys end up playing, your best bet for poolies in keeper leagues is to trade Marleau and/or Setoguchi as their trade value may not be any higher than it is right now. We did see Thornton between Marleau and Heatley at the recent Team Canada Olympic Training camp and they were reportedly excellent together. Poolies should also recognize that the Sharks PP has become even deadlier and perhaps the best in the league in Thornton-Setoguchi-Heatley-Boyle-Marleau as their top 5 unit.
For Ottawa, they receive a younger very solid offensive contributor in Michalek, and a big question mark in Cheechoo. They did not receive an NHL ready defenceman as part of this deal, and that could come back to haunt this team. Michalek will now patrol the top spot on the left side beside Spezza and he should do very well. He's not the natural goal scorer that Heatley is, but he did tally 23+ plus goals for the last 3 seasons. He's only 24 and still got some room to improve. That said, he's not ever going to score 50 goals. Jonathan Cheechoo was a bust last season after hitting the 20+ goal plateau the previous 3. On the upside, if he's healthy and gets a decent play-making center to play with, Cheechoo should see 20 goals yet again this season. On the downside, he may just be one of those players who's best year(s) are behind him. For the Senators, the Oilers offer was a better deal for them. Right now, they need Cheechoo to rediscover his scoring touch and they need Michalek to tally at least 30 goals this year for the bad taste in their mouths to dissipate. For the rest of the Senators, they will at least be able to move on now that the Heatley fiasco is behind the team. If the Senators stink early this season, both Cheechoo and Michalek could be moved yet again as the Sens start from scratch and rebuild.
Fantasy Impact - for Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks, their ability to land a bona fide 50 gaol scorer for essentially Michalek and a 2nd rounder, is impressive for the Sharks. It's been a few season since Heatley hit the 50 gaol plateau, but he has done it twice and he'll get prime time minutes with Thornton and as much PP time as he can stomach. Heatley's arrival will also impact the Sharks in another way: what happens to Marleau. Marleau also plays LW, same as Heatley and it makes me wonder if he'll be asked to move to the RW, or perhaps back to his natural center position and allow last years' RW sensation Devin Setoguchi to remain with Thornton and Heatley? Depending on where utlimately either of those two guys end up playing, your best bet for poolies in keeper leagues is to trade Marleau and/or Setoguchi as their trade value may not be any higher than it is right now. We did see Thornton between Marleau and Heatley at the recent Team Canada Olympic Training camp and they were reportedly excellent together. Poolies should also recognize that the Sharks PP has become even deadlier and perhaps the best in the league in Thornton-Setoguchi-Heatley-Boyle-Marleau as their top 5 unit.
For Ottawa, they receive a younger very solid offensive contributor in Michalek, and a big question mark in Cheechoo. They did not receive an NHL ready defenceman as part of this deal, and that could come back to haunt this team. Michalek will now patrol the top spot on the left side beside Spezza and he should do very well. He's not the natural goal scorer that Heatley is, but he did tally 23+ plus goals for the last 3 seasons. He's only 24 and still got some room to improve. That said, he's not ever going to score 50 goals. Jonathan Cheechoo was a bust last season after hitting the 20+ goal plateau the previous 3. On the upside, if he's healthy and gets a decent play-making center to play with, Cheechoo should see 20 goals yet again this season. On the downside, he may just be one of those players who's best year(s) are behind him. For the Senators, the Oilers offer was a better deal for them. Right now, they need Cheechoo to rediscover his scoring touch and they need Michalek to tally at least 30 goals this year for the bad taste in their mouths to dissipate. For the rest of the Senators, they will at least be able to move on now that the Heatley fiasco is behind the team. If the Senators stink early this season, both Cheechoo and Michalek could be moved yet again as the Sens start from scratch and rebuild.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
New Look Puckjunkie Finally Up
Usually our blog is reserved for rumours and innuendo throughout the season, but we thought we should drop in a note about our long awaited site redesign. It's literally taken YEARS, but we think we finally have it looking the way we want! Combined with an enhanced Predictor this year (new categories include faceoff wins and faceoff %) we really think we are now the be all and end all of the fantasy hockey prediction business - not that we weren't before, but the look was so 1990's. But who are we to brag? Post a response and let us know what you think about the new look Puckjunkie. And then make sure you have your subscription to the Predictor, because training camp is about to start and hockey season isn't far off!
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Trade Deadline Day.
It was not as big a day as last year in terms of the number or names, but there is still enough activity this day in the NHL to make it worth a poolies while to understand any fantasy implications of the moves conducted today. So let’s get to it.
Calgary – in perhaps the biggest trade of the day, Phoenix moved Olli Jokinen to Calgary for Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust and a 1st round draft pick. This has been Jokinen’s worst year statistically and fantasy wise in X. It was pretty apparent that he wasn’t going to fit into the long term plans of the ‘Yotes and his move to Calgary should reinvigorate him and his fantasy value. He’s not the best fit to play with Iginla and Cammallerri, but he does provide excellent depth on the 2nd line playing with Moss and Bertuzzi. Jokinen is a better scorer than playmaker, and allowing Bertuzzi to play the role of set-up man should prove beneficial for both players. The fact that he’s going to play in the playoffs for the first time in his career will be a strong motivator as well. For Phoenix, Lombardi will get the chance to perhaps learn from the best player ever how to maximize his considerable talents. He should see his playing time remain about the same with a small bump in value as most players do when they are dealt. If he can actually gel with the ‘Yotes young guns in Mueller, Turris, Boedeker, he may finally realize more fantasy value.. The Flames were not done there, after getting Jokinen, they then turned to the Avalanche and picked up the oft injured Jordan Leopold for Lawrence Nycholat, Ryan Wilson and a second-round pick in 2009. Leopold has never developed into a fantasy relevant player and he’s not going to now.
Edmonton – after watching provincial rival Calgary acquire Jokinen, the Oilers shipped Erik Cole back to Carolina in a 4 team swap that saw Justin Williams go from the ‘Canes to the Kings, the Kings shipped Patrick O’Sullivan to Edmonton, the Sabres shipped Ales Kotalik to the Oilers and the Sabres received a 2nd round pick from the Oilers. All season Erik Cole has looked like a fish out of water and just not comfortable in Edmonton. His move back to Carolina should be a welcome addition to the team and to Cole’s confidence. The Kings get former 30+ goal scorer in Williams, who has not looked like the same player since coming back from achilles tendon surgery earlier this year. Williams’ talent has not abandoned him but it’s apparent that a change of scenery may be a good tonic to restart his game. Patrick O’Sullivan joins an Oilers team and becomes yet another smallish center for the team; but his talent is under-rated.. Kotalik is a former 20+ goal guy, that is not small but sometimes plays that way. Ultimately, the Oilers didn’t want to lose Cole for nothing, and O'Sullivan and Kotalik should help their offense if they get the ice-time and right team-mates.
Pittsburgh – after placing an ex-Islander in Miro Satan on waivers, the fact that the Pens went and acquired another one in Bill Guerin is confusing. Guerin is not as talented as Satan, but he is grittier and does add an element of toughness to a team of forwards that needs someone for them to lead by example. Guerin’s best days are behind him, but if he can click with either Crosby or Malkin he’d be worth a waiver pick of the next 20 odd games. It’s a low risk, high reward situation for the Pens and for you the poolie.
New York (Rangers) – the Rangers were active this trade deadline as they acquired Derek Morris from Phoenix for Dmitri Kalinin, Nigel Dawes and Petr Prucha. They then turn around and acquired Nik Antropov from Toronto for a 2nd round pick, and a conditional draft pick. From a poolies perspective, the Morris move seems to be a lot to give up for a guy that used to be a decent two-way defencemen, but is no longer an offensive threat. He’s a better puck mover than Kalinin, but not enough to part also with Dawes and Prucha. Anticipate a slight bump in Morris’s fantasy value, but not a lot. For Phoenix, the key to this deal is acquiring a steady defenceman and a diminutive, yet talented scorer (at least in junior) in Dawes. Dawes will need top 6 forward minutes to produce, but he another low risk – high reward guy that may blossom with the added ice time. In Antropov, the Rangers get another big bodied forward that has some offensive upside and may be relieved to be out of the fish bowl that is Toronto. Someone is going to place a lot fantasy value on him right now, and he’d be a guy that we’d move for a surer thing.
Boston – the Bruins have had a very good season and have played above most pundits expectations. As a result, they tinkered with their line-up by adding veteran Mark Recchi and Steve Montador at the deadline for a group of young prospects that were not going to be unseating any of the young guns on the Bruins any time soon. Recchi should likely play on the 2nd line with Krejci and Lucic. He’s a much better playmaker now than he is a goal scorer but that’s just what those young guys will be looking for. He’s also likely to see 2nd duty on the PP. He likely to be decent for the next two weeks and a good filler for another guy that might be injured.
Ottawa – in a move to try and shore up the team goaltending, the Sens acquired Pascal Leclaire and a 2nd round pick from the Blue Jackets for consistently inconsistent Antoine Vermette. Leclaire has been injured a lot this season and when healthy, he has not looked like the same goaltender from last year. Expect him to be back sometime in April, but he’ll be the team’s #1 guy come next season. Vermette gets a change in zip code, and the new start should be helpful. He’s better than what he’s displayed this season, but one has to wonder how he’ll flourish under even tougher coach Ken Hitchcock?
Calgary – in perhaps the biggest trade of the day, Phoenix moved Olli Jokinen to Calgary for Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust and a 1st round draft pick. This has been Jokinen’s worst year statistically and fantasy wise in X. It was pretty apparent that he wasn’t going to fit into the long term plans of the ‘Yotes and his move to Calgary should reinvigorate him and his fantasy value. He’s not the best fit to play with Iginla and Cammallerri, but he does provide excellent depth on the 2nd line playing with Moss and Bertuzzi. Jokinen is a better scorer than playmaker, and allowing Bertuzzi to play the role of set-up man should prove beneficial for both players. The fact that he’s going to play in the playoffs for the first time in his career will be a strong motivator as well. For Phoenix, Lombardi will get the chance to perhaps learn from the best player ever how to maximize his considerable talents. He should see his playing time remain about the same with a small bump in value as most players do when they are dealt. If he can actually gel with the ‘Yotes young guns in Mueller, Turris, Boedeker, he may finally realize more fantasy value.. The Flames were not done there, after getting Jokinen, they then turned to the Avalanche and picked up the oft injured Jordan Leopold for Lawrence Nycholat, Ryan Wilson and a second-round pick in 2009. Leopold has never developed into a fantasy relevant player and he’s not going to now.
Edmonton – after watching provincial rival Calgary acquire Jokinen, the Oilers shipped Erik Cole back to Carolina in a 4 team swap that saw Justin Williams go from the ‘Canes to the Kings, the Kings shipped Patrick O’Sullivan to Edmonton, the Sabres shipped Ales Kotalik to the Oilers and the Sabres received a 2nd round pick from the Oilers. All season Erik Cole has looked like a fish out of water and just not comfortable in Edmonton. His move back to Carolina should be a welcome addition to the team and to Cole’s confidence. The Kings get former 30+ goal scorer in Williams, who has not looked like the same player since coming back from achilles tendon surgery earlier this year. Williams’ talent has not abandoned him but it’s apparent that a change of scenery may be a good tonic to restart his game. Patrick O’Sullivan joins an Oilers team and becomes yet another smallish center for the team; but his talent is under-rated.. Kotalik is a former 20+ goal guy, that is not small but sometimes plays that way. Ultimately, the Oilers didn’t want to lose Cole for nothing, and O'Sullivan and Kotalik should help their offense if they get the ice-time and right team-mates.
Pittsburgh – after placing an ex-Islander in Miro Satan on waivers, the fact that the Pens went and acquired another one in Bill Guerin is confusing. Guerin is not as talented as Satan, but he is grittier and does add an element of toughness to a team of forwards that needs someone for them to lead by example. Guerin’s best days are behind him, but if he can click with either Crosby or Malkin he’d be worth a waiver pick of the next 20 odd games. It’s a low risk, high reward situation for the Pens and for you the poolie.
New York (Rangers) – the Rangers were active this trade deadline as they acquired Derek Morris from Phoenix for Dmitri Kalinin, Nigel Dawes and Petr Prucha. They then turn around and acquired Nik Antropov from Toronto for a 2nd round pick, and a conditional draft pick. From a poolies perspective, the Morris move seems to be a lot to give up for a guy that used to be a decent two-way defencemen, but is no longer an offensive threat. He’s a better puck mover than Kalinin, but not enough to part also with Dawes and Prucha. Anticipate a slight bump in Morris’s fantasy value, but not a lot. For Phoenix, the key to this deal is acquiring a steady defenceman and a diminutive, yet talented scorer (at least in junior) in Dawes. Dawes will need top 6 forward minutes to produce, but he another low risk – high reward guy that may blossom with the added ice time. In Antropov, the Rangers get another big bodied forward that has some offensive upside and may be relieved to be out of the fish bowl that is Toronto. Someone is going to place a lot fantasy value on him right now, and he’d be a guy that we’d move for a surer thing.
Boston – the Bruins have had a very good season and have played above most pundits expectations. As a result, they tinkered with their line-up by adding veteran Mark Recchi and Steve Montador at the deadline for a group of young prospects that were not going to be unseating any of the young guns on the Bruins any time soon. Recchi should likely play on the 2nd line with Krejci and Lucic. He’s a much better playmaker now than he is a goal scorer but that’s just what those young guys will be looking for. He’s also likely to see 2nd duty on the PP. He likely to be decent for the next two weeks and a good filler for another guy that might be injured.
Ottawa – in a move to try and shore up the team goaltending, the Sens acquired Pascal Leclaire and a 2nd round pick from the Blue Jackets for consistently inconsistent Antoine Vermette. Leclaire has been injured a lot this season and when healthy, he has not looked like the same goaltender from last year. Expect him to be back sometime in April, but he’ll be the team’s #1 guy come next season. Vermette gets a change in zip code, and the new start should be helpful. He’s better than what he’s displayed this season, but one has to wonder how he’ll flourish under even tougher coach Ken Hitchcock?
Trade Deadline - T Minus 5 hours
Here's the latest -
Anaheim - there are reports that the Anaheim Ducks have told all NHL brass that Chrtis Pronger won't be traded today and he is off the market. This impacts teams looking for d-upgrade as this leaves Kaberle, Kuba, Kubina, Boumeester and Morris moving up the depth chart.
Toronto - Tomas Kaberle left last night game after injuring his recently recovered hand. This is likely to quash any chance that he'll be moved if the injury can be verified to be anything more than day to day.
Ottawa - the Sens are trying to re-sign Chris Neil and Philip Kuba this morning but it appears that both may be moved today if they are unable to reach an agreement with the team. Look for Kuba to garner the most attention, particularly if Pronger and Kaberle are off the market for different reasons.
Anaheim - there are reports that the Anaheim Ducks have told all NHL brass that Chrtis Pronger won't be traded today and he is off the market. This impacts teams looking for d-upgrade as this leaves Kaberle, Kuba, Kubina, Boumeester and Morris moving up the depth chart.
Toronto - Tomas Kaberle left last night game after injuring his recently recovered hand. This is likely to quash any chance that he'll be moved if the injury can be verified to be anything more than day to day.
Ottawa - the Sens are trying to re-sign Chris Neil and Philip Kuba this morning but it appears that both may be moved today if they are unable to reach an agreement with the team. Look for Kuba to garner the most attention, particularly if Pronger and Kaberle are off the market for different reasons.
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