Or something like that.
Those were the words uttered (approximately) by Athletics GM Billy Beane several years ago when asked why the Athletics never realized success in the playoffs despite constantly finding a way to get there after being written off time and time again. The vast majority of the talking heads and mediots, from that moment on, labelled Beane as a guy that couldn't get it done in the playoffs. That he didn't know how to build a playoff team.
Except, its not really that hard. You simply....build a good team. If your team is good enough to bet one of the top 4 in the league after 162 games, then you have yourself a good team. If you go online or turn on TV, everybody talks about clutch players, proven playoff performers, choke artists, yadda-yadda yadda. Don't listen to them, though. All that stuff is overrated.
What Beane meant when he said his shit don't work in the playoffs is that the playoffs in baseball are essentially a crap shoot. The entire goal of the season should be to make the playoffs (especially for non-Yankee/Red Sox teams) and then everything after that is gravy. The entire issue is sample size. They take 162 games to whittle it down to the top 4 teams, and then you play 5 games to try and determine which team is "better." All it takes is for a slump here, an injury there, and an opposition member or two heating up and bam!....you're outta the playoffs before they seemingly started. Beane recognized this and so he never let his post season struggles bother him. You get there enough times, eventually luck will favor you once or twice.
That's why Cubs fans need to stop being little punk ass emo bitches and suck it up. Yeah...your team lost. So what?!?!? It happens. You were playing a decent Dodgers team. It was only a 5 game series. ANYTHING can happen in a 5 game series. A bad break here and there and you'll lose some close games. It's the reason why only two teams from each league used to make the playoffs....because more often than not, the best team doesn't always win.
The Cubs didn't give up on you. They didn't have a roster full of clutchless followers wandering aimlessly about waiting for their Godly clutch leader to take the reins and bring them to glory. They just played flat for a week. That shit happens. Suck it up. There's still next year and this team will probably return mostly intact. If they add some more players they increase their chances in the playoffs next year. Don't come bitching and whining to me about clutchiness and gamers and leaders. Fuck...the Dodgers had Juan Pierre on their bench and he's apparently the clutchiest, gameriest leader in all of baseball if you listen to the media.
Suck it up bitches and take it like a man. Shit happens. Yeah, its been a long time...but you've had some pretty shitty teams in the past. You got the privelege to watch a pretty good team all year and you at least had the excitement of the playoffs for a few days. How the hell do you think Royals fans feel?
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
10 Players You Need to Familiarize Yourself With
Every year everybody and their grandma releases their sleeper list, which is, in my opinion, the biggest waste of a read pretty much anywhere. There is usually one of two main problems with these lists:
1.) They list players that aren't really sleepers. Everybody already knows who Steve Stamkos and Kyle Turris are and are well aware of their potential. They're high ceiling youngsters that are going to be overdrafted by some zealous idiot that just finished reading the crappy sleeper list and wants to make sure he gets Stamkos' 50-60 point season before anybody else does, passing on Daymond Langkow's 60-70 point season. Another example was Tim Lincecum last year in baseball pools. People had him as a sleeper, whereas anybody that really followed what was going on would know that Lincecum wasn't a sleeper....he was already a legitimate front line fantasy starter due to his high strike out totals and great rate stats.
2.) They list players that are too deep for your league. This causes some idiot to draft Sami Lepisto ahead of Roman Hamrlik because they read somewhere that Lepisto is a sleeper, when the list really meant that Lepisto has a shot of making the Capitals this year and could, if things break right, make the 2nd line power play unit and receive a marginal amount of power play time with guys like Brook Laich and maybe get 25 points. Of course people get intrigued by the unknown (Lepisto? Nobody's even HEARD of that guy....maybe he's some up and coming phenom. Man will I look brilliant taking him in the 18th round if he is the next big thing!)
No....I hate sleeper lists. Sleeper lists never have the intended effect of what they're supposed to do. Instead of making you aware of guys that you should keep your eye on or might have a higher ceiling than you think, all they really do is cause fantasy nation to end up overdrafting players several rounds too early. Especially when a particular player ends up on EVERYBODY's sleeper list (I'm looking at you Vincent Jackson of the San Diego Chargers). This player can no longer be considered a sleeper and will, in fact, be drafted FAR too early in your draft. Yes...constant appearances on sleeper lists will actually make that player OVERrated.
As a rule, the players on this list shouldn't be drafted in your standard 10 team league with average size rosters, unless you're taking a late round flier on one. There is just not enough value in these guys to draft right now. However, they are the players you should have on your watch list early in the season. If they are producing or getting the ice time, then you can seriously consider picking them up as the last player on your bench or as an injury replacement. But please...don't draft them and then complain when they get sent down to the AHL for more seasoning because I already freaking warned you.
1.) R.J. Umberger (C, Columbus Blue Jackets) - There is a spot open up the middle in Columbus that is betweeen two pretty good offensive players in Kristian Huselius and Rick Nash. The battle will come down to two players: Derrick Brassard and R.J. Umberger. The loser will center a line of Fred Modin and Jakub Voracek. Umberger would seem to make more sense on the second line, splitting up rookies Brassard and Voracek (and especially if Filatov makes this team, as he would probably command 2nd line time, as well.) However, if Umberger does get on the first line, he could be in line for a useful season. He was modestly productive last year playing on a deep Philly team and he should only see his ice time increase this year. Being at a fairly deep position (centre), Umberger isn't that draftworthy yet, but is someone to keep an eye once the injury bug begins to strike.
2.) Alex Goligoski (D, Pittsburgh Penguins) - Ryan Whitney is on the shelf for a few months. And Sergei Gonchar is injured and may miss a month or two. That means someone has to step up and QB the very potent Pittsburgh power play with Malkin and Crosby. The two candidates are likely Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski. While Letang has the inside track, Goligoski shouldn't be counted out, especially if Gonchar's injury is more serious than expected. He's a good player to stash away in deep keeper leagues. (Update: Gonchar elected to undergo surgery, which makes Goligoski a must own in medium to deep leagues if you have the roster space.)
3.) Sean Bergenheim (LW, New York Islanders) - I've always been a big Bergenheim fan since his appearance in the World Juniors several years back. He seemed to be one of the best players on the ice and I'm surprised he hasn't done much in the NHL, given his skill level. He had a solid end to the season last year and could be ready to turn the corner and become a productive second line forward. In New York, he may get a crack at the top line but will lack solid teammates. Still, a 50 point season isn't out of the question.
4.) Matt Niskanen (D, Dallas Stars) - Niskanen is borderline draftable in most one year pools (but should be owned in keeper pools). He seems to be a forgotten man this year, even though Sergei Zubov is banged up and Philippe Boucher is coming back from injury. Neither are sure bets to get healthy and remain that way, which means a spot will likely be available on the Dallas power play. Niskanen impressed last year while filling in there on occasion and could be a 35-40 point d-man with enough PP time.
5.) Pascal Dupuis (LW, Pittsburgh Penguins) - Dupuis' career high is 48 points, which happened in the pre-lockout years when scoring was down considerably. He's not going to bust out and get 70 points or anything, as he only had 15 points in 62 games last year with Atlanta. But 12 in 16 games with Pittsburgh. The difference? Sidney Crosby. Dupuis is slated to skate with Crosby again this year and could get you around 45-50 points quite easily.
6.) Fredrik Modin (LW, Columbus Blue Jackets) - Modin was, at one time, a fairly productive forward. He's struggled through injuries and poor linemates while in Columbus, but this year the reports are that he's as healthy as he's been in years and he will likely be skating with some of the most talented players in years. If 50 point wingers gotten on the cheap are of any interest to you, consider Modin.
7.) Jeff Finger (D, Toronto Maple Leafs) - While the rest of the hockey world still asks "WTF!?!?!!?" to the Finger signing, you should pay attention to what kind of ice time he gets. He will likely kill your +/- if your league counts that, but he's also getting paid the kind of money that might land him on the power play. And yeah...its the Toronto power play, but that could still mean 35 points or so.
8.) Martin Hanzal (C, Phoenix Coyotes) - The Coyotes are a vastly improved team and Hanzal had a pretty strong rookie year last year. Sure, he's probably behind Jokinen, Mueller and Turris on the depth chart at centre, but there is a good chance Mueller gets moved to a wing with Jokinen and Doan, and Hanzal is a talented scorer that could force his way onto a wing on the second line. If so, he could be worth a look....if not.....that's why you don't draft people on this list (unless you're in a keeper league!)
9.) Chuck Kobasew (RW, Boston Bruins) - As a warning, I've been a huge Kobasew fan since his days in junior. I've always assumed he would be a very productive player at the NHL level. Well....I'm still waiting. If he stays healthy, he should see more time this year on one of the top two lines with either Savard or a hopefully healthy Bergeron. Expect a boost in production from the 39 points he scored last year.
10.) Erik Ersberg (G, Los Angeles Kings) - In most leagues, every starting goalie and every important back-up will likely be owned. It usually leaves the waiver wire bare of good goaltending options. Ersberg has a fairly decent shot (40-50%) of being number 1a in LA. Yeah...its LA, but he probably is on your wire and he's probably going to play more than 20-30 games. If you're desperate, he might be worth a gamble. Especially considering LA has some great young players and could be a vastly improved team by as early as this season.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
One Year Hockey Pool Draft Results!
So far, my goal of updating this place with any sort of regularity is a massive failure. But we'll keep trying.
A couple of weekends ago I had both of my hockey drafts. The afternoon was my regular one year pool, while in the evening was my keeper pool. You'd think that a day full of hockey drafts and pizza and X-Box and Entourage would be one of the greatest days ever, but after the dust had settled I was completely beat.
Anyways, I wanted to go over my thought process on my one year pool to share some ideas on strategies and the whatnot.
Since last year my team trainwrecked out of the gate (I was stifled by Semin, Demitra, McCabe, Justin Williams and Kevin Bieksa's ability to stay healthy early on, combined with the inability for Kipprusoff and Backstrom to not suck between the pipes) but finished fairly strong, I won the consolation round and, as per league rules, had the option to pick where I selected in the draft. I did take something away from last season, which is to never underestimate the value of depth.
I immediately thought of taking one of the top 2 picks to get Crosby or Ovechkin. Then I thought about maybe taking a mid-round pick and grabbing Brodeur or Heatley and having a better pick in the 2nd round. Then I toyed with the idea of drafting last and getting back to back picks of elite players. Ultimately I decided to map it out and see what kind of talent drops there were. I found that there were about 19 players I liked as first round type talents. That made it very easy and I decided to take the 2nd pick. This ensured me one of the big 2, while also guaranteeing I got one of my guys with my 2nd pick as well. It also solved the dilemma of having the first pick: Crosby or Ovechkin. They're fairly equal in my books, though I'd slightly prefer Ovechkin in our pool format (LW and he gets lots of shots).
So lets take a round by round look at what happened:
First Round: Sidney Crosby (C) - I was hoping Crosby would go 1st overall so I could nab Ovechkin due to his left-wingedness, but alas Ovie was selected first overall (after the guy tried trading the first overall pick in order to move up in the 4th round....which didn't seem to make any sense to me). I quickly grabbed Crosby, who is obviously the next best player in the league. I hate grabbing centres early but...well....its Crosby.
Second Round: Joe Thornton (C) - Uhh....what did I just say about centres? I was totally set on taking a goalie with this pick and the 2nd goalie on my board (Lundqvist) just about fell to me (taken just before my pick). After Lundqvist was gone, my first tier goalies were all gone so I quickly browsed the other positions and noticed that, for some reason, Joe Thornton was still available. Since Thornton is a 90-100 point player and since I'm a huge Thornton fan, I completely abandoned my centre dodging mantra and scooped him up. I mean...hey...it's Joe Thornton with the 19th pick in the draft!
Third Round: Marty Turco (G) - I definitely had to grab a keeper here because it was going to be a long wait for my next pick. Turco was the top goalie in my 2nd tier and was a pretty obvious choice. I really like the looks of the Dallas team this year and Turco is a workhorse that has stayed healthy, so this is a pretty safe lock for 35 or so wins and solid rate stats.
Fourth Round: Mike Green (D) - This was my mistake of the draft. I made a quick mental error, not taking enough time to think about what I was doing and it might end up really costing me. I wanted to grab a 2nd goalie and top D-man. Green was at the top of my 2nd tier of d-men, while Carey Price was at the top of my 3rd tier of goalies. Except I didn't really consider Price a 3rd tier goalie...I considered him somewhere between a 2nd and 3rd tier goalie. I took Green, not realizing that the guy that had back-to-back picks before my next one HAD to take a goalie and sure enough he took Price. Don't get me wrong, I like Green, but there isn't much difference between him and Brian Campbell and I surely would have gotten one of those 2 in the fifth round.
Fifth Round: Brendan Morrow (LW) - I thought of grabbing my 2nd goalie here, but noticed that my third tier of goalies was long and a pretty interchangeable bunch so I decided I could wait and still get one with my next pick. Morrow is probably one of the more underrated players because he's going to get 70-80 points, but also help out a bunch in PIMs and +/-. He also helps fill a tough-to-fill LW slot.
Sixth Round: Teemu Selanne (RW) - Selanne surprisingly got very little love this year in either of my pools. He's still an 80 point player and to get an 80 point RW at this stage in the draft is a steal. Right wing is pretty shallow this year and if you don't get in on them soon enough, you'll suffer from the severe drop in talent after the first 12 or so. This might be my favorite pick of the draft.
Seventh Round: Andrei Markov (D) - I planned on taking a goalie here but goalies were staying on the board and I had enough third tier goalies left on my list that I was pretty sure I could wait for things to come back around to me again. Making this decision easier was the fact Markov was still around, who I had ranked up there with Green and Campbell. Nice pick here, but also makes my Green pick look even that much poorer.
Eighth Round: Nathan Horton (RW) - I was going G/RW with these next two picks and noticed the guy with back-to-back picks between my picks already had two goalies so I felt pretty safe passing on Cam Ward here (the last third tier goalie on my list) and taking Horton. I love Horton this year because he's going to be the go to guy in Florida and I think he can handle it. He also adds some PIMs to the mix and helps shore up that last RW slot for me before the perilous RW talent drop.
Ninth Round: Cam Ward (G) - As mad at myself as I was about the Green/Price fiasco, I couldn't have really asked for a better plan B. I'm not huge on Ward but I don't think he's that much different from the Nik Backstrom's and Jose Theodore's of the world and I was able to nab him as late as I possibly could have. I think Carolina will have a solid team and he should rack up enough wins to make my goalies good enough.
Tenth Round: Bryan McCabe (D) - I bounced back and forth on whether McCabe was a 2nd or 3rd tier D this year, so to get him this late is a nice little roll of the dice. If he stays healthy, he should be okay manning the Panthers power play (it can't be any worse than Toronto!) and he also contributes in the PIM category, which is important considering the players I was targetting in later rounds. If he busts...meh...I'm only out a 10th rounder.
Eleventh Round: Patrik Elias (LW) - I wanted to grab a LW here just to shore up my starting line-up. Left wing is actually much deeper this year than it has been in the past and there were a lot of similar type players here. I ultimately went with Elias becuase he does have 80 point potential still and last year he struggled and still put up 55 points. He also might end up leading my team in shots.
Twelfth Round: Kristian Huselius (LW) - Speaking of similar type left wings....I was really surprised to see Huselius slide to this spot. I'm not entirely sold on him but he did put up 66 points last year despite spending an awful lot of time in Mike Keenan's doghouse. The move to Columbus won't kill his stats because he'll be lining up with Rick Nash and he'll probably get alot more ice time. A very nice third left wing to have.
Thirteenth Round: Mats Sundin (C) - At this point in the draft it gets very hard to predict what will happen and there begin to be ALOT of similar type players. It makes a lot of sense to grab a risky player with a ton of upside that people have been avoiding at this point. I grabbed Sundin because he was easily the most talented player on the board and he also seems, to me anyways, the most sure bet of all the question marks that were out there. And with Crosby and Thornton, I don't NEED Sundin to play anytime soon, though he would slot very nicely into a UTIL spot.
Fourteenth Round: Andrej Meszaros (D) - There were still a handful of decent defensemen available and I needed a fourth one so I nabbed Meszaros here. I think he's a lock for about 40 points and some PIMs, but he also has the potential for about 50 points manning a pretty good Lightning power play.
Fifteenth Round: Brian Gionta (RW) - With Selanne getting up there in age, I wanted a solid back-up right wing and Gionta scored 40 goals just a couple of years ago. He was mediocre last year but I really think Elias and Gionta are going to have bounce back seasons.
Sixteenth Round: J.M. Liles (D) - I had Liles just behind Meszaros on my rankings and figured here was as good as time as any to grab a back-up d-man. Especially considering Liles would be a starter on a lot of teams. He suffered through a horrible season last year and still managed 32 points.
Seventeenth Round: Patrice Bergeron (C) - From everything I've read, Bergeron is pretty much back 100% from his injury last season. If so, its hard to argue with grabbing a 75 point player in the 17th round.
Eighteenth Round: Patrick O'Sullivan (C) - Sully should probably pick-up LW eligibility at some point, which gives him even more value. He seems primed for a breakout season this year after a strong finish last year and 65-70 points aren't out of the question. Another great late-round value pick if you ask me.
Nineteenth Round: Kris Letang (D) - This was an educated sleeper pick. I knew Whitney was out for a few months and it looked like Gonchar was going to miss a bit of time. With Gonchar now out for 4-6 months, Letang is an absolute steal here. He'll be quarterbacking a power play unit that includes Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and with that might actually be my third or fourth best d-man.
Twentieth Round: Drew Stafford (RW) - Never a bad idea to stock up on solid right wings this year and Stafford should be in line for about 50 or so points, with potential for more if he makes a leap this year.
Twenty-first Round: Ty Conklin (G) - Osgood's owner dropped the ball by letting Conklin go undrafted to this point. With Ward and Turco being pretty consistent and healthy in the past, I put off drafting a third goalie. Conklin was a player I was quietly targetting because Osgood always seems to battle injuries and/or struggle with play and it would not be out of the question for Conklin to pick up quite a few starts. And when those starts are for Detroit, Conklin could become a top 15 goalie.
Twenty-second Round: Josh Harding (G) - Funny thing....I was also quietly targetting Harding because there is a good chance he could get alot of starts this year and Minnesota is a nice team for your goalie to be starting for. It also so happens that the Osgood owner in our league owned Backstrom as his other goalie....so now both of his handcuffs (and arguably the two most important ones in the league this year) are on my roster. This was a great pick based solely on bargaining power on a future trade, let alone Harding's potential.
Twenty-third Round: Fabian Brunnstrom (LW) - I really liked my team for the most part and I also liked my depth so I decided to take a chance on the highest upside player left. I don't anticipate much from him, but you never know and my roster is set up such that I can afford to drop him for someone else if need be. (Which I ended up doing after someone dropped Chris Higgins).
Recap
Centre - Thornton, Crosby, Sundin, Bergeron, O'Sullivan
Easily the best in the league. And if Sundin returns....WOW! The nice thing is we have two forward slots and a UTIL slot, so Bergeron will be in the starting line-up along with Sundin, if he returns.
Left Wing - Morrow, Elias, Huselius, Higgins
Not an elite group, but also not too bad and there is some depth here. I really like Morrow and am hoping Elias or Huselius has another big season left in them.
Right Wing - Selanne, Horton, Gionta, Stafford
Selanne is just about as good as any RW not taken in the first round and I really like Horton's prospects this year. If Gionta can regain his form this is another very strong unit.
Defense - Green, Markov, McCabe, Meszaros, Liles, Letang
This isn't a really flashy unit, but I think it might end up being one of the top units in our league. I really like Green and Markov as top of the line guys and I'm left with four very good options to plug into the last two slots. This gives me lots of match-up options each week and will also cushion the blow of any potential injuries.
Goaltender - Turco, Ward, Conklin, Harding
Turco is one of my favorite goalies this year because of the strong Dallas team in front of him, but having Ward here still bugs me. Turco/Price had the potential to be the best goalie tandem in the league, whereas Turco/Ward is merely average. Oh well....I still really like this team and think that my incredible depth will pay off nicely down the road.
A couple of weekends ago I had both of my hockey drafts. The afternoon was my regular one year pool, while in the evening was my keeper pool. You'd think that a day full of hockey drafts and pizza and X-Box and Entourage would be one of the greatest days ever, but after the dust had settled I was completely beat.
Anyways, I wanted to go over my thought process on my one year pool to share some ideas on strategies and the whatnot.
Since last year my team trainwrecked out of the gate (I was stifled by Semin, Demitra, McCabe, Justin Williams and Kevin Bieksa's ability to stay healthy early on, combined with the inability for Kipprusoff and Backstrom to not suck between the pipes) but finished fairly strong, I won the consolation round and, as per league rules, had the option to pick where I selected in the draft. I did take something away from last season, which is to never underestimate the value of depth.
I immediately thought of taking one of the top 2 picks to get Crosby or Ovechkin. Then I thought about maybe taking a mid-round pick and grabbing Brodeur or Heatley and having a better pick in the 2nd round. Then I toyed with the idea of drafting last and getting back to back picks of elite players. Ultimately I decided to map it out and see what kind of talent drops there were. I found that there were about 19 players I liked as first round type talents. That made it very easy and I decided to take the 2nd pick. This ensured me one of the big 2, while also guaranteeing I got one of my guys with my 2nd pick as well. It also solved the dilemma of having the first pick: Crosby or Ovechkin. They're fairly equal in my books, though I'd slightly prefer Ovechkin in our pool format (LW and he gets lots of shots).
So lets take a round by round look at what happened:
First Round: Sidney Crosby (C) - I was hoping Crosby would go 1st overall so I could nab Ovechkin due to his left-wingedness, but alas Ovie was selected first overall (after the guy tried trading the first overall pick in order to move up in the 4th round....which didn't seem to make any sense to me). I quickly grabbed Crosby, who is obviously the next best player in the league. I hate grabbing centres early but...well....its Crosby.
Second Round: Joe Thornton (C) - Uhh....what did I just say about centres? I was totally set on taking a goalie with this pick and the 2nd goalie on my board (Lundqvist) just about fell to me (taken just before my pick). After Lundqvist was gone, my first tier goalies were all gone so I quickly browsed the other positions and noticed that, for some reason, Joe Thornton was still available. Since Thornton is a 90-100 point player and since I'm a huge Thornton fan, I completely abandoned my centre dodging mantra and scooped him up. I mean...hey...it's Joe Thornton with the 19th pick in the draft!
Third Round: Marty Turco (G) - I definitely had to grab a keeper here because it was going to be a long wait for my next pick. Turco was the top goalie in my 2nd tier and was a pretty obvious choice. I really like the looks of the Dallas team this year and Turco is a workhorse that has stayed healthy, so this is a pretty safe lock for 35 or so wins and solid rate stats.
Fourth Round: Mike Green (D) - This was my mistake of the draft. I made a quick mental error, not taking enough time to think about what I was doing and it might end up really costing me. I wanted to grab a 2nd goalie and top D-man. Green was at the top of my 2nd tier of d-men, while Carey Price was at the top of my 3rd tier of goalies. Except I didn't really consider Price a 3rd tier goalie...I considered him somewhere between a 2nd and 3rd tier goalie. I took Green, not realizing that the guy that had back-to-back picks before my next one HAD to take a goalie and sure enough he took Price. Don't get me wrong, I like Green, but there isn't much difference between him and Brian Campbell and I surely would have gotten one of those 2 in the fifth round.
Fifth Round: Brendan Morrow (LW) - I thought of grabbing my 2nd goalie here, but noticed that my third tier of goalies was long and a pretty interchangeable bunch so I decided I could wait and still get one with my next pick. Morrow is probably one of the more underrated players because he's going to get 70-80 points, but also help out a bunch in PIMs and +/-. He also helps fill a tough-to-fill LW slot.
Sixth Round: Teemu Selanne (RW) - Selanne surprisingly got very little love this year in either of my pools. He's still an 80 point player and to get an 80 point RW at this stage in the draft is a steal. Right wing is pretty shallow this year and if you don't get in on them soon enough, you'll suffer from the severe drop in talent after the first 12 or so. This might be my favorite pick of the draft.
Seventh Round: Andrei Markov (D) - I planned on taking a goalie here but goalies were staying on the board and I had enough third tier goalies left on my list that I was pretty sure I could wait for things to come back around to me again. Making this decision easier was the fact Markov was still around, who I had ranked up there with Green and Campbell. Nice pick here, but also makes my Green pick look even that much poorer.
Eighth Round: Nathan Horton (RW) - I was going G/RW with these next two picks and noticed the guy with back-to-back picks between my picks already had two goalies so I felt pretty safe passing on Cam Ward here (the last third tier goalie on my list) and taking Horton. I love Horton this year because he's going to be the go to guy in Florida and I think he can handle it. He also adds some PIMs to the mix and helps shore up that last RW slot for me before the perilous RW talent drop.
Ninth Round: Cam Ward (G) - As mad at myself as I was about the Green/Price fiasco, I couldn't have really asked for a better plan B. I'm not huge on Ward but I don't think he's that much different from the Nik Backstrom's and Jose Theodore's of the world and I was able to nab him as late as I possibly could have. I think Carolina will have a solid team and he should rack up enough wins to make my goalies good enough.
Tenth Round: Bryan McCabe (D) - I bounced back and forth on whether McCabe was a 2nd or 3rd tier D this year, so to get him this late is a nice little roll of the dice. If he stays healthy, he should be okay manning the Panthers power play (it can't be any worse than Toronto!) and he also contributes in the PIM category, which is important considering the players I was targetting in later rounds. If he busts...meh...I'm only out a 10th rounder.
Eleventh Round: Patrik Elias (LW) - I wanted to grab a LW here just to shore up my starting line-up. Left wing is actually much deeper this year than it has been in the past and there were a lot of similar type players here. I ultimately went with Elias becuase he does have 80 point potential still and last year he struggled and still put up 55 points. He also might end up leading my team in shots.
Twelfth Round: Kristian Huselius (LW) - Speaking of similar type left wings....I was really surprised to see Huselius slide to this spot. I'm not entirely sold on him but he did put up 66 points last year despite spending an awful lot of time in Mike Keenan's doghouse. The move to Columbus won't kill his stats because he'll be lining up with Rick Nash and he'll probably get alot more ice time. A very nice third left wing to have.
Thirteenth Round: Mats Sundin (C) - At this point in the draft it gets very hard to predict what will happen and there begin to be ALOT of similar type players. It makes a lot of sense to grab a risky player with a ton of upside that people have been avoiding at this point. I grabbed Sundin because he was easily the most talented player on the board and he also seems, to me anyways, the most sure bet of all the question marks that were out there. And with Crosby and Thornton, I don't NEED Sundin to play anytime soon, though he would slot very nicely into a UTIL spot.
Fourteenth Round: Andrej Meszaros (D) - There were still a handful of decent defensemen available and I needed a fourth one so I nabbed Meszaros here. I think he's a lock for about 40 points and some PIMs, but he also has the potential for about 50 points manning a pretty good Lightning power play.
Fifteenth Round: Brian Gionta (RW) - With Selanne getting up there in age, I wanted a solid back-up right wing and Gionta scored 40 goals just a couple of years ago. He was mediocre last year but I really think Elias and Gionta are going to have bounce back seasons.
Sixteenth Round: J.M. Liles (D) - I had Liles just behind Meszaros on my rankings and figured here was as good as time as any to grab a back-up d-man. Especially considering Liles would be a starter on a lot of teams. He suffered through a horrible season last year and still managed 32 points.
Seventeenth Round: Patrice Bergeron (C) - From everything I've read, Bergeron is pretty much back 100% from his injury last season. If so, its hard to argue with grabbing a 75 point player in the 17th round.
Eighteenth Round: Patrick O'Sullivan (C) - Sully should probably pick-up LW eligibility at some point, which gives him even more value. He seems primed for a breakout season this year after a strong finish last year and 65-70 points aren't out of the question. Another great late-round value pick if you ask me.
Nineteenth Round: Kris Letang (D) - This was an educated sleeper pick. I knew Whitney was out for a few months and it looked like Gonchar was going to miss a bit of time. With Gonchar now out for 4-6 months, Letang is an absolute steal here. He'll be quarterbacking a power play unit that includes Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and with that might actually be my third or fourth best d-man.
Twentieth Round: Drew Stafford (RW) - Never a bad idea to stock up on solid right wings this year and Stafford should be in line for about 50 or so points, with potential for more if he makes a leap this year.
Twenty-first Round: Ty Conklin (G) - Osgood's owner dropped the ball by letting Conklin go undrafted to this point. With Ward and Turco being pretty consistent and healthy in the past, I put off drafting a third goalie. Conklin was a player I was quietly targetting because Osgood always seems to battle injuries and/or struggle with play and it would not be out of the question for Conklin to pick up quite a few starts. And when those starts are for Detroit, Conklin could become a top 15 goalie.
Twenty-second Round: Josh Harding (G) - Funny thing....I was also quietly targetting Harding because there is a good chance he could get alot of starts this year and Minnesota is a nice team for your goalie to be starting for. It also so happens that the Osgood owner in our league owned Backstrom as his other goalie....so now both of his handcuffs (and arguably the two most important ones in the league this year) are on my roster. This was a great pick based solely on bargaining power on a future trade, let alone Harding's potential.
Twenty-third Round: Fabian Brunnstrom (LW) - I really liked my team for the most part and I also liked my depth so I decided to take a chance on the highest upside player left. I don't anticipate much from him, but you never know and my roster is set up such that I can afford to drop him for someone else if need be. (Which I ended up doing after someone dropped Chris Higgins).
Recap
Centre - Thornton, Crosby, Sundin, Bergeron, O'Sullivan
Easily the best in the league. And if Sundin returns....WOW! The nice thing is we have two forward slots and a UTIL slot, so Bergeron will be in the starting line-up along with Sundin, if he returns.
Left Wing - Morrow, Elias, Huselius, Higgins
Not an elite group, but also not too bad and there is some depth here. I really like Morrow and am hoping Elias or Huselius has another big season left in them.
Right Wing - Selanne, Horton, Gionta, Stafford
Selanne is just about as good as any RW not taken in the first round and I really like Horton's prospects this year. If Gionta can regain his form this is another very strong unit.
Defense - Green, Markov, McCabe, Meszaros, Liles, Letang
This isn't a really flashy unit, but I think it might end up being one of the top units in our league. I really like Green and Markov as top of the line guys and I'm left with four very good options to plug into the last two slots. This gives me lots of match-up options each week and will also cushion the blow of any potential injuries.
Goaltender - Turco, Ward, Conklin, Harding
Turco is one of my favorite goalies this year because of the strong Dallas team in front of him, but having Ward here still bugs me. Turco/Price had the potential to be the best goalie tandem in the league, whereas Turco/Ward is merely average. Oh well....I still really like this team and think that my incredible depth will pay off nicely down the road.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
