The following articles were authored by ChrisWassel

Fantasy Hockey Is Not Quite Over….

By on April 27, 2013
This entry is filed under Fantasy Hockey and tagged , , , .

Unlimited chances anyone? Fantasy hockey fans have postseason options. (File Photo)

Unlimited chances anyone? Fantasy hockey fans have postseason options. (File Photo)

 

Hello everyone! As we wind down the fantasy hockey season, there is at least some hope for the owner who may start to feel the withdrawal symptoms. We will get to that later. First off, let’s get to the current events.

 

ESPN Screws The Stat Pooch Again……

 

I could not believe this either. Apparently Ryan Miller found a way to get a shutout tonight in ESPN Fantasy Hockey. Yes we understand that errors happen but this is the third time I have seen this in the last week. The scary part is this keeps happening with little signs or hopes of correction. For the sake of brevity, here is our evidence.

 

The Phunky Buddaz - Free Fantasy Hockey - ESPN

 

Now do you see that 1 under the shutout (SO) column? That is correct err incorrect I should say. Just imagine if you are the owner who thinks a shutout has been bestowed upon them only to quickly find out that it is not so. Granted, all of the panic can be settled quickly but that initial fear one way or the other does cause some upset stomachs. If you need the Pepto Bismol, we do understand. Is this going to happen again? Of course this is almost destined to show up somewhere on your fantasy bottom lines. You have been warned.

Playoffs spark hope for fantasy owners!

 

Yes there are several sites that are cooking up a little fantasy hockey postseason style. We are going to spotlight one right now. First and foremost, we present ESPN’s Fantasy Playoff Hockey Challenge. Naturally, someone had to take a little spin with the interface just to see what it was like.

 

Here are the basics straight from ESPN’s mouth.

The Basics

 

You pick a team of six forwards, four defensemen and two goaltenders under a fantasy budget of $100 million. That team scores you goals, assists, wins and shutout bonuses to carry you to glory. Goals are worth a point, assists are worth a point, wins are worth two points, and goaltenders and defensemen get a bonus point for a shutout.

 

Selecting a team of stars should be relatively easy as the game begins with most forwards drawing a salary just under $9 million, the top defensemen just under $8 million and the goaltenders peaking at $11 million. Do the math and you will notice you are just shy of being able to ice a roster of all the top players in the league. While that may be true, it’s not always the top players in the league who excel in the playoffs.

 

You get to swap out your team after the first round of the playoffs and again after the conference semifinals, but you don’t get to trade out the team after the conference finals. In other words, there is no harm in selecting players from teams that get eliminated in the first or second rounds. But when the playoffs are pared down to the four teams vying for a trip to the Stanley Cup finals, that is your final roster lock. There are no limits to the swapping as long as you stay under $100 million. In theory, you could have 36 different players on your roster during the entirety of the Playoff Hockey Challenge.

 

As you can see, it looks fairly straightforward but again the playoffs often thrust the spotlight on the unexpected. That has to be emphasized over and over again. I will be creating a 12 man entry this weekend. Don’t worry! We will have it up on the site here to scrutinize soon enough. Yes just when the season is over, a new contest begins. It really is a sign that fantasy hockey is becoming more and more involved. With a two month playoff, this could almost have a shortened season like feel.

 

Remember, you can always follow me @ChrisWasselTHW for the latest fantasy hockey news and more. Thanks again for reading and stay tuned for further updates.

Hockey Brackets Part 2: Priming For Playoffs?

By on April 3, 2013
This entry is filed under Fantasy Hockey and tagged , , , , , , , .

Are you ready to raise your hands in the hockey brackets err playoffs? Let's take a look at one league in our spotlight. (File Photo/AP)

Are you ready to raise your hands in the hockey brackets err playoffs? Let’s take a look at one league in our spotlight. (File Photo/AP)

We wanted to take a quick look at our “Keeper League Experiment” from two weeks ago and update it. The hockey brackets have started already in some fantasy leagues. Here was our piece from Week 9 showing the various tiers and projections.

 

As we have said all along, little has really changed as far as the overall structure but there have been some significant shifts within our little caste hierarchy. Let’s do something different and list the brackets IF the season ended right now.

 

Hockey Brackets 101 Week 11

 

WINNER’S BRACKET
ROUND 1 (APR 8 – 14) ROUND 2 (APR 15 – 21) ROUND 3 (APR 22 – 27)
TOT
#1 Polish Express -
*BYE* -
Full Box Score
TOT
TBD -
TBD -
Full Box Score
TOT
TBD -
TBD -
Full Box Score
TOT
#5 Jersey Devils 0-0-10
#4 Rosie’s Hockey 0-0-10
Full Box Score
TOT
#6 Parts Unknown HitEmHighs 0-0-10
#3 Shattered Glass © 0-0-10
Full Box Score
TOT
TBD -
TBD -
Full Box Score
TOT
#2 Quebec City Slashers -
*BYE* -
Full Box Score

 

Wow! Russ Cohen’s team has basically come from about 9th or 10th place and seized the sixth seed with aspirations of maybe a fifth or even a fourth seed in the playoffs. Curtis Lanton (The Phunky Buddaz) is now on the outside looking in. The other teams have pretty much stayed around the same. When you really think about it, I could write the same thing that I did two weeks ago about the top three teams but there are some interesting changes.

 

The Top Three

Polish Express — Faces a challenge with Dallas and Nashville taking significant efforts (particularly Dallas to sell). Dallas was pretty weak on defense already and Nashville was already offensively challenged. So the trades from the last week have certainly left this top team with a dilemma in the nets come playoff time. With a first round bye rather likely, at least there will be time to come up with a solution.

 

Quebec City Slashers — The two seed plays the three seed this week in a battle for a first round bye. Offensively Quebec City is pretty stacked but again goaltending remains a bit of a question. Yes Jonas Hiller and Marc-Andre Fleury are rather good but they can also play some ugly stretches of hockey. Fleury gave up three goals on his first seven shots almost right on cue at press time. If QC is going to advance and win the league, they have to find a way to be  a hair more consistent on offense and need the goaltending to show up.

 

Shattered Glass — This is the one team of the three that has more structural fantasy flaws than the other two. However, the goaltending when it is right is probably the most consistent this season out of the three. However, the offense and defensive cores have taken a hit especially with the injury to Ilya Kovalchuk. He does get Marian Hossa back on Thursday but that Kovalchuk injury, if it persists, may be too much for that team to bear. In the end, those two players likely determine the fate of his team come the postseason.

 

Honestly this is the class of the league. By the way, my pick is still Polish Express to ultimately win the league. There are some other teams that could contend but I think there are a couple bubble teams that could give lots of trouble if they get in. Will my “experiment” work? Who out of these three will be the first to fall? There are lots of questions to answer but we’ll let the trade deadline shake out and update this next week.

 

Jarome Iginla Easter Fantasy Hockey Tidings?

By on March 27, 2013
This entry is filed under Fantasy Hockey and tagged , , , , .

 

Jarome Iginla could wear a new jersey soon…. (Memorbelia.com)

It is hard to believe but tonight marks just a month left to go in the fantasy hockey season and that does not matter what kind of league you are in. However, things may be cooking on the trade front. This is going to make an impact, no question. Let’s see a rumor here as this is “BREAKING NEWS”!

 

 

All in all I have to be honest folks, this is looking more and more likely to be an imminent deal. The last time I saw a deal that got nixed that was this close was a little over ten years ago when a much younger Scott Gomez was pulled out of the lineup for New Jersey. It was all but assured that Teemu Selanne was coming the other way from San Jose. Selanne did not waive his “no trade clause” ultimately and potentially one of the most blockbuster acquisitions faded into oblivion.

 

This will be a story that will be followed all night. But putting a Jarome Iginla in your top six with guys that throw the lumber around is going to be one scary proposition for anyone in the Eastern Conference or the NHL for that matter. Basically Iginla could be an interesting catalyst on a very dormant at times Boston power play. At the very least, this would be a bigger shot in the arm than Pittsburgh acquiring Brenden Morrow for Joe Marrow.

 

What about projections? Everyone wants to know about those, don’t they? The current PDO of Calgary is .973 while Boston’s is 1.005. We call that an improvement. We will not even mention the rise in the standings, the increase in caliber of players and the fact that Iginla would be getting away from the sinking ship because it has taken far too much water.

 

Iginla could easily nab 13-15 points in Boston by the way with at least four or five of those points coming on the man advantage but first the trade has to actually happen. Let’s see IF it actually becomes a reality first.

 

Editor’s Note: There is also a rumored deal between Buffalo and Tampa Bay involving Ryan Miller. Again, keep an eye on these developments because if these two deals happen now, there won’t be much of a trade deadline or as good of one. Follow me on Twitter @ChrisWasselTHW  for the latest.

 

UPDATE: 3pm ET: Obviously Jarome Iginla is a Pittsburgh Penguin in a move that symbolized trading the player where he wanted as opposed to getting the best deal. If this was what Calgary truly intended, then they should have never included other teams in the mix. Basically the Flames got two players who are likely never to make the NHL in return. Iginla goes to Pittsburgh where he will probably be rolled on one of the two top power play units and be somewhere in the top nine. 

 

================================================

 

Revised Projections:

 

Honestly, Iginla may see less ice time but more opportunities on the power play. The Penguins power play is very accomplished when the team is healthy. Iginla could still come close to 13-15 points in Pittsburgh but I think 10-12 is more realistic. At least half of those should come on the man advantage. Pittsburgh can roll four forwards now on the PP1 and PP2. That is a scary proposition for any team killing penalty against them.  The biggest question with Pittsburgh is threefold — injuries, defense, goaltending. This sounds like 1995 all over again so let’s see if he script gets flipped this time.

 

Hockey Brackets: Think Of Your Playoffs As……

By on March 21, 2013
This entry is filed under Fantasy Hockey, Sports Investing and tagged , , , .

While the world focuses on some things called brackets...we have our eyes firmly set on hockey (File Photo)

While the world focuses on some things called brackets…we have our eyes firmly set on hockey brackets err the playoffs? (File Photo)

This is going to be a bit of a departure from the normal posts so bear with me here. I will have a little fun with this as I display some numbers from a THW Keepers League I am currently in as commissioner. There is a little of everything in the league as we document the “goings on” of a fantasy hockey league in a shortened season. Let’s take a few stabs at this.

===========================================

The First Eight Weeks…..

It is funny how a league can take a life of its own but this one has. Shortened seasons are an anomaly but have you ever played in a keeper league in such a situation? Those who have experience in it possess a slight advantage. However, that is not the end all.  Here is the projected playoff hockey brackets for now…..

 

WINNER’S BRACKET
ROUND 1 (APR 8 – 14) ROUND 2 (APR 15 – 21) ROUND 3 (APR 22 – 27)
TOT
#1 Shattered Glass © -
*BYE* -
Full Box Score
TOT
TBD -
TBD -
Full Box Score
TOT
TBD -
TBD -
Full Box Score
TOT
#5 The Phunky Buddaz 0-0-10
#4 Rosie’s Hockey 0-0-10
Full Box Score
TOT
#6 Jersey Devils 0-0-10
#3 Quebec City Slashers 0-0-10
Full Box Score
TOT
TBD -
TBD -
Full Box Score
TOT
#2 Polish Express -
*BYE* -
Full Box Score

 

All in all, there were problems in the way a shortened season is constructed. Think about it, in ESPN leagues there has to be an 11 week regular season in order to have a three week playoff. That doesn’t seem really fair, does it? The first eight weeks clearly brought about a class structure to the fantasy league. How did this shake out? Here it goes…..

===========================================

The Top Dogs……..

  1. Shattered Glass (56-17-7)
  2. Polish Express (54-18-8)
  3. Quebec City Slashers (54-18-8)

 

What separates this group from the rest? They have above average numbers in just about every single category. Shattered Glass leads the league in goaltending with 27 wins, a 2.04 GAA, and a .921 save percentage. Polish Express leads with a whopping 19:41 of ATOI along with 128 special teams points (STP), and has consistent offensive output (126 G 224 A). Quebec City Slashers are above average in a bunch of categories along with 138 goals and 225 assists for starters. His 19 wins and .918 save percentage are also of note in what has become a ridiculously tight race for the number one slot. Only two teams get a bye for the first round.

 

The players the top teams have are really not that much better than the rest but they keep generating the numbers for the most part while the other teams have seen slumps in varying forms and length. Then we sneak another potential entrant or two in our next group.

==========================================

The Possible Contenders…..

  • Rosie’s Hockey (43-24-13) — 4th
  • The Phunky Buddaz (39-31-10) — 5th

 

Again like I said fantasy leagues with a three tiered alpha structure often leave teams that have potential to pull a shocker because the top cream pulls so far away. For example, Rosie’s Hockey has honestly benefited from some extremely bad match-ups. His numbers are mostly in the middle of the pack and his goalie wins are very low plus shots and goals too. The Phunky Buddaz are in a slightly different boat. He has suffered from some bad luck and a few weeks that just did not go his way. There are also a few different dynamics as far as strategy. Oh wait, we’ll get into that!

==========================================

The BUBBLE TEAMS……..

  • Jersey Devils (36-32-12) — 6th
  • On The Ice (33-35-12) — 7th
  • Parts Unknown HitEmHighs (33-36-11) — 8th
  • FIRE REGIER (32-36-12) — 9th
  • Portland Phinkelstein (33-38-9) — 10th

 

There are just times where a team should not be in the bubble but yet this is where I find my team, in sixth place. When injuries and poor play ravage a team, so many fantasy owners quit. However, there are always ways and err loopholes to exploit that can help a team at least get its shot in the playoffs. Each of these teams are on the bubble for a reason and there is no guarantee that the fourth or fifth place teams could be here soon enough also.

 

You look at some of these teams and their stats and go WTF? On The Ice is almost an offensive juggernaut with 162 goals and 225 assists but with disastrous goaltending, that is why he is in 7th. Parts Unknown has the same basic problem to a point as well. Fire Regier has average numbers and solid goaltending (17 wins .921 save percentage) but seems to draw the best in opponents. Portland Phinkelstein would be a good bit better if they were more active to be perfectly blunt.

 

That is what happens when there are three teams at the head of the class with the rest struggling for crumbs. Who ultimately makes the cut into the playoffs? It will be fun to see who survives the next three weeks because it will be a battle on the bubble.

=======================================

A Final Word…..

So while Tony and Mike get you ready for the Mailbag, we will be tinkering with a few other leagues as the real trade deadline awaits. Also, we will get you ready for those hockey brackets called the playoffs and maybe those hockey brackets known as the NCAA hockey playoffs. Stay tuned and stay with us at FantasyTrade411 for the latest.

 

Unveiling Plans For The Fantasy Hockey Mailbag

By on March 13, 2013
This entry is filed under Fantasy Hockey and tagged , . | 4 Comments

We are slowly putting the pieces together on a Fantasy Hockey Mailbag for Crunchtime! (File Photo)

We are slowly putting the pieces together on a Fantasy Hockey Mailbag for Crunchtime! (File Photo)

Hello everybody! We apologize for the unusually short post but this is important. As injuries have reached levels of pure insanity along with the volume of questions, that we heavily appreciate by the way, it is time for a Fantasy Hockey Mailbag. Whether, its me, Tony, or Cliffy himself, no question will be too big or too small. Naturally, we’ll take the best questions and they will get their proper place right here.

Now some are going to ask, why do this now? Simply, this is fantasy hockey crunch time! For those in H2H leagues, there are just a few short weeks before the playoff starts. In all other leagues, the second half is truly make or break especially when some trends start to take a life of their own. It really has an important place given the times and who knows, it may eventually give rise to a Google+ Hangout perhaps.

Also, keep in mind, that the questions have no limit. If you want to ask about daily fantasy hockey leagues, we are more than ready. As a matter of fact, you surely have seen the daily columns on here for Fanduel I am sure. We are thankful that you have followed us for so long throughout the early part of this shortened season.

Lastly, please with trade deadlines approaching, if you have any and all trade questions, we want to hear those too. The goal is to try and offer as many avenues as possible to give you, the fantasy hockey player, the right answers. Thanks again for reading and hopefully every Wednesday, we will be able to deliver the mailbag to you.

 

Just What The Hell Happened To Brad Richards?

By on February 27, 2013
This entry is filed under Fantasy Hockey and tagged , , .

Ah hope sprang eternal in the 2011 Free Agent Frenzy when Brad Richards was signed. Fantasy owners appeared happy as Richards was reunited with his coach John Tortorella. After all, Richards had averaged 1.11 points per game in his last two seasons in Dallas. What could go wrong in New York right? Okay we may have been wrong here. The expectations were a point a game pivot or really damn close. Here is what we have in Gotham so far.

2011-12 31 NYR NHL 82 25 41 66 -1 22 229 10.9 1662 20:16
2012-13 32 NYR NHL 17 2 9 11 1 8 37 5.4 338 19:53

All we know is that 12 points in 18 games now does not sound all that awful. However, the numbers looked much better earlier in the year. The slight drop in shots is not so bad on the surface but the injury to Rick Nash was not the reason why Richards is slumping. It really is all upstairs in the head. The first five games features two goals and four assists and all looked great again. Since, Richards has not hit the back of the net once. That is right. We are talking a 13 game goal scoring drought for a player who had 25 goals even last year. The question has to bed asked. What in the hell is wrong with Brad Richards?
The obvious problems can be spelled out so easily.

He squeezes the stick too hard, he is afraid to make a mistake, and he finds ways not to finish. That is the easy answer. We do not do easy here at FantasyTrade411.com. Richards does not have to play 22-24 minutes for the Rangers but he is the focal pivot on a line with Marian Gaborik, who has also underachieved a bit this year.

Honestly, the scariest idea is this. Brad Richards has two points on the power play. That is it. The facilitator has had problems making simple passes but also his teammates have not finished.  This goes both ways. There are too many times where I have watched Richards make the safe play. The execution of being conservative is better than taking the risk. At some point, Richards has to take risks. That is his game. It is brutally ironic that the coach who said “Safe Is Death” has almost put fear into Richards to where he feels he constantly has to not take chances. Sadly, that is what his game has deteriorated to. He has been benched even because of fear.

Fear can be a powerful motivator but it can be crippling at the same turn.  In the examination of Brad Richards and his game, it is very clear aside from the goal that made it 4-3 last night (which was luck), that points were left on the table so to speak. Is Richards trying too hard ladies and gentlemen? Please watch this video.

All in all, the situation appears bleak for Richards owners but low and behold! Rick Nash is coming back very soon and all will be saved! People should realize that Nash only has three goals himself on 57 shots which is good for 5.3%. His career shooting percentage is 12.5%. When we looked at the shooting percentage of Brad Richards, we had to get out the decimal point and kick it to the left. The answer is no but Richards is 2 for 38 which amusingly enough is also 5.3%. Imagine that! Richards has the same percentage of success as Nash.

That is pretty sobering for fantasy owners of both. His career shooting percentage is 9% but hey, it was a bit over ten percent the last two campaigns.
How does Richards get out of this funk? This is going to take more than Rick Nash. It will take Tortorella letting his big players play the way they are accustomed to. Stop with this blocking shots and getting in lanes crap and leave it to the other lines. Your first line has to be allowed to do its thing. It is that simple.

Also, here were a few other suggestions.

1. Hit the cross ice passes with more crispness

2. Hit the net. Richards has too many shots that get blocked.

3. Move more on the power play (too rigid and stationary)

4. Less thought, more do!

5. Safe is death!

Those are the five things Richards needs to do. Can he figure it out? Conventional logic says yes. The question is when Rick Nash returns, there will be no excuses again. Will he rise up? What is your opinion? We would like to hear it.

Quick Hitter: The February Flips Hockey Style!

By on February 13, 2013
This entry is filed under Fantasy Hockey and tagged , , , .

There is something to be said as the calendar flips. Sometimes it brings the pain!

There is something to be said as the calendar flips. Sometimes it brings the pain!

 

A wise man once said, ” A shortened season will drive you nuts far greater than the 82 game schedule”. There were several hot teams in January like Tampa Bay and then February hit and the fantasy fortunes dried up too. Evgeni Nabokov was hot in January then the Islanders have gone without a win in February. San Jose had a power play hotter than Hades in January, it has gone south in February. Fantasy hockey has had a way of flipping too. Just ask Patrick Marleau how his February has gone. There are droughts too.

First things first, as part of the “flips”, in some cases injuries are somewhat of an explanation. This case may be more of a “flop”. There is a reason why we add this one in from TSN.

COLORADO
Player Date Status Description
Steve Downie 2013-01-23 on injured reserve and is expected to miss the remainder of the season right knee surgery
Gabriel Landeskog 2013-02-01 on injured reserve head/neck
Ryan Wilson 2013-02-03 on injured reserve leg
Erik Johnson 2013-02-12 out indefinitely head
Cody McLeod 2013-02-13 questionable for Thursday’s game against Minnesota undisclosed
John Mitchell 2013-02-13 questionable for Thursday’s game against Minnesota flu-like symptoms
Matt Hunwick 2013-02-13 questionable for Thursday’s game against Minnesota upper body

Apparently, Hunwick, McLeod, and Mitchell appear poised to return on Thursday against Minnesota but its the injuries on top that may be more of a key in their woes. If you add in the holdout of Ryan O’Reilly, the entire Avalanche first line from the end of last season is out. The pivot on that line appears likely to be traded as rumor has it Colorado wants a roster player and top prospect. Many have questioned some of the motives of the Avalanche in the last decade since Patrick Roy retired and I have been one of them myself. From the trades made to the strange knack of top players going down to injury, Colorado might be a story to keep an eye on for a lot of wrong reasons.

Teams are struggling in February and some players are just having an absolutely brutal month for fantasy teams. Then there are the ones that were playing so well that were sacked by the injury bug. Look at James Reimer of the Toronto Maple Leafs. It looked like the Leafs were planning a parade but a left knee ligament strain has landed him on the IR for probably a couple weeks. It looked much worse as seen below.

Though Ben Scrivens is a pretty good goalie, it may be tough for him to sustain Toronto’s level of play in the case this Reimer injury is a little more long term than expected. Toronto is a potential “flip” but stay tuned.

Then there were the San Jose Sharks and Patrick Marleau. Did anyone think Marleau would have 13 points a week for the entire 14 week season? Come on! Marleau has one point in February after having 14 in January. San Jose’s power play has gone to Florida for the winter. Now that may be an overstatement but Marleau owners have to hope the light switch gets flipped on soon. Oh by the way, Joe Thornton also has one point in his last seven games. It really has gone cold for fantasy owners that have San Jose players. Do not fret, a warm front may be on the way sooner than you think.

Remember when Tampa Bay was scoring? That has gone down too. Their goals per game was an amazing 5.29 after seven games and now it is just 3.83. That is quite a drop in just five games. Even Steven Stamkos is a bit human with just one point in his last four contests. Tampa’s goaltending is not woeful but their defense is at times. Toss in a few injuries and a lack of finishing and that is why (more than anything else) Tampa Bay is struggling right now.

Then there is the New York Islanders, who started 4-2-1. Injuries really have not taken their toll but an inconsistent young team is what you see on Long Island. The defense has always been suspect all season and when the team struggles on the man advantage (aside from the 4 for 5 against Carolina) causes problems. Rick DiPietro will never be confused for an NHL goalie anymore and Evgeni Nabokov has bouts of slight inconsistency at times. Team defense is a huge question mark on this team and I still think that comes down to coaching, not necessarily personnel. Nothing kills fantasy plus/minus like bad team defense. It seems the Islanders are always giving up a glut of golden scoring chances. If they do not get it together, the flip will be a longer termed malaise.

There will be more flips to come fantasy hockey and hockey fans. Believe me, this is only the beginning.

As always, you can follow me on Twitter at @ChrisWasselTHW. Thanks for reading.

 

When The Injury Levee Breaks

By on February 7, 2013
This entry is filed under Fantasy Hockey and tagged , , , .

HARTNELL DOWN and no he is really down for your fantasy team still.

HARTNELL DOWN and no he is really down for your fantasy team still.

It is an unprecedented fantasy hockey season so far. While Scotty Hartnell ponders his next move and rubs his beard, the amount of “quality injuries” is going up and the nature of these injuries are almost as mysterious in some cases. Some teams are near double digits in the infirmary and that is never a good sign. So let’s have a little fun and take a look at some of these injury situations. Thanks again to Scott Cullen and TSN for their help.

Edmonton Oilers Malaise……

EDMONTON
Player Date Status Description
Ryan Jones 2013-01-07 on injured reserve eye surgery
Andy Sutton 2013-01-16 on injured reserve knee surgery
Nikolai Khabibulin 2013-01-18 on injured reserve left hip surgery
Theo Peckham 2013-01-18 on injured reserve sore hip
Ben Eager 2013-01-23 on injured reserve concussion
Eric Belanger 2013-02-03 on injured reserve broken toes
Shawn Horcoff 2013-02-05 on injured reserve broken knuckle
Mark Fistric 2013-02-06 missed Wednesday’s game against Dallas back
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 2013-02-06 missed Wednesday’s game against Dallas shoulder

This is an injury list that normally a fantasy hockey owner sees come the middle of the season. However, in the shortened campaign, it is just abundantly clear that injuries will pile up. It is funny that all of a sudden on Wednesday, Nugent-Hopkins had a shoulder injury as opposed to general body soreness (maybe it is not just the shoulder. Presumably, he will be able to play by the weekend. However, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has a bit of an injury history. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the year plays out.

While all these injuries are hurting the Oilers, Sam Gagner keeps on scoring as he picked up an assist Wednesday night which means he has at least one point in every game. Oddly, he has no multiple point games but that part doesn’t matter. Gagner has taken advantage of the injuries again and is performing above expectations. Ales Hemsky has been playing better and increasing his fantasy value and maybe trade value in one shot. The goaltending and defense has always been very up and down in Edmonton. This year is no exception.

Five or more…..?

There are several teams now that are at the five injury threshold. What the heck does this mean? There are “quality injuries” which directly impact a team by on ice impact and leadership. Then one has the “accumulative injury effect” where a team loses so many regulars that it impacts a team at some point down the line. It is an unofficial, arbitrary number but one we noticed is effective in these scenarios.

It is time to take a look at another one of these “Five Or More” teams that are feeling the pinch. Here is the next victim.

DETROIT
Player Date Status Description
Jan Mursak 2013-01-17 on injured reserve and is out indefinitely collarbone
Mikael Samuelsson 2013-01-18 on injured reserve strained groin
Joey MacDonald 2013-01-20 out indefintely back
Jonas Gustavsson 2013-01-20 out indefintely strained groin
Carlo Colaiacovo 2013-01-22 on injured reserve and is expected to miss 3-4 weeks shoulder
Darren Helm 2013-01-26 out indefinitely sore back
Brendan Smith 2013-02-03 on injured reserve sprained shoulder

Detroit was going to feel the pinch no matter what. They lost two power play stalwarts and a good bit of mystique going into the season. Losing glue players then having several injuries on the top of everything has led people to believe that this may be the year that the team from Motown misses the playoffs. The Red Wings are a .500 team who is giving up a hair more than three goals a game. The prospects do not look good going forward as at some point rosters break down and this is a team primed for more of these breakdowns. Will some get healthy? Yes. However, the players that fill the void cannot do it adequately.

Time will tell if Detroit can get it together enough to make the playoffs but their road is going to be a very arduous one. It will not take more than one key injury to potentially steer fantasy owners away from a once proud franchise and on to other teams that have more fruitful combinations and pairings.

Let’s hit one last time before we hit the road. Again, this one is just a simple list. It is essential to know which teams have a higher volume of injuries because that impacts the healthy as well as the hurt. If you take a bad team and add some defensive injuries then one ends up with a team that almost has little fantasy value aside from maybe one or two players. We quickly present the Columbus Blue Jackets. Here is that injury report.

COLUMBUS
Player Date Status Description
Ryan Murray 2013-01-10 on injured reserve and will miss the entire season shoulder surgery
Cam Atkinson 2013-01-24 on injured reserve lower body
Nikita Nikitin 2013-01-30 on injured reserve head
Adrian Aucoin 2013-01-30 on injured reserve lower body
James Wisniewski 2013-02-04 out indefinitely concussion

Those are three of your starting six defensemen on the Blue Jackets right off the bat. That is a huge problem and why Jack Johnson is playing a near mind blowing 34-35 minutes a night. Again this is not a misprint. With an average to below average skill set in all three phases, injuries make a bad team a worse team. That naturally decreases viable options to pick up for your fantasy squad.

Fantasy owners have to understand that knowing which players are hurt and not hurt then which players are returning or have suffered a setback is essential to keeping one’s team rolling along. Failure to at least pay attention to the injuries is a guaranteed way to end up not where you want to be in your league.

As always, you can follow me at @ChrisWasselTHW and thanks again for reading.

Let’s Shoot A Combo Fantasy Hockey Fans!

By on January 30, 2013
This entry is filed under Fantasy Hockey and tagged , , .

Pittsburgh Penguins

Beware the power of mullet as this combination of hair and length can be too hard to ignore. So can line combinations. Let’s go!

All people want in their fantasy hockey quests is to win. That is ultimately the idea, right? I do a little column over at Dobberhockey called “Between The Lines“. Line combinations are always fun to gauge because that is where the fantasy production often goes. What players mesh best with others basically determines your fate. Granted, goaltenders are on their own island but defensive pairing and line combinations will be something you have to pay attention to. Let’s get rolling, shall we?

Personally I wanted to thank Jason Arbuthnot for creating “Frozen Pool“. It is probably one of, if not, the best resources out there for fantasy hockey period! If you want projections without too much complexity, this may be your sign to get browsing.

What do we start with first here? Do we go with forwards or defensemen? Forwards seem to be what we will work with first. Personally, as most know already, the team I follow is the New Jersey Devils. It is time to take a look at how Ilya Kovalchuk’s combinations break down.  Kovalchuk has rotated time with Dainius Zubrus, Mattias Tedenby (now in the AHL), and others along the way. He plays a ton of time at even strength but if you add his several minutes a night on the man advantage, then he leads forwards in ice time. That is not a surprise.

The problem is these players are not Adam Henrique, With all due respect, the Devils and the production of Kovalchuk suffer without a full lineup. Henrique increases his point per game potential and honestly his shot total will likely stabilize. David Clarkson had seven shots on goal against Boston on Monday night. Kovalchuk had nowhere near as many. His chances are also down with Henrique by at least a third despite nearly the same amount of ice time as last season.

What will ultimately happen? Honestly, Henrique will have to shake off some rust but his 18-20 minutes a night will clean up some of the depth issues that New Jersey has. Obviously it is not all the panacea but we will see how the combos shake out in a full lineup scenario. Anyone who doubts injuries do not impact line combinations just need to look at New Jersey and a few other teams as well.

Now as for a case defenseman style, we looked for someone who is on a number one pair that plays a ton of minutes and no it is not any players from the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, this player is a fan of Toronto sports teams, particularly the Blue Jays (MLB). Kings defenseman Drew Doughty has been a bit of a lightning rod as far as controversy. Now it seems he wants to play all the minutes at times for the Kings. The obvious defensive pairing is Doughty with Rob Scuderi and that happens just about 72% of the time.

Here are some links to a few charts. Please look at the minutes in particular. When your top defenseman logs over 30 minutes in regulation once and then nearly does it twice, it can be a bad sign long run. It especially is fantasy wise in the sense that Doughty cannot be quite as effective when that much energy is expended. The key is when your top guy overdoes it like this, there are just so many risks to your fantasy team. The drop in production is bad enough but if Doughty is not in the lineup because of an injury from playing “exhausted” then owners will pay (especially since he’s a #1 option).

Kovalchuk owners were rewarded in the regular season though injuries would hamper him in the playoffs. He was able to stay healthy throughout the regular season and this year his time is managed a hair better. The same cannot be said with Doughty as injuries and depth concerns are forcing the Kings to play him at an amount that could be considered excessive by some. It will be interesting to see if history plays out with these two once again but more on Doughty’s side because his body is going to take the best teams dish out. When your team wins the Stanley Cup, the bulls-eye is firmly on his back.

What anchors on line combinations do you think are most likely to break down either fantasy wise or health? Let us know in the comments section fantasy hockey fans or dish it out via Twitter. Thanks again for reading.

Fantasy Hockey Injuries? Explained!

By on January 22, 2013
This entry is filed under Fantasy Hockey and tagged , , , .

Jonas Hiller has had his share of injuries though he is healthy now, one never knows.(Hiller, G-ANA)

Jonas Hiller has had his share of injuries though he is healthy now, one never knows.(Hiller, G-ANA)

Greetings and welcome to the mind of a neurotic, old fantasy hockey player. In the coming weeks and months, we will be delivering the fantasy knowledge from angles you may have never thought to explore. There is no more frustrating feeling than having a stacked fantasy team only to watch injury after injury whittle your team to a shell of its former self. No one says that a sprint like this is easy. As a matter of fact, the next 13 plus weeks will be something that tests every ounce of your resolve. If anyone remembers the 1995 season at all, it will at least serve as a help. However, today’s players are bigger, faster, and stronger than ever. Injuries are just so much more inevitable.

First and foremost, let’s take a look at the injury report from TSN. A special thanks has to go out to Scott Cullen, who puts together this list and updates it. Truthfully, his information is among the best as far as injuries along with beat writers of teams naturally. Again, the report as of this week indicates a pretty significant spike as far as injuries.

Overall, there are 66 injuries and/or illnesses from the NHL ranks. One thing that is similar from 1995 is the unusual number of undisclosed maladies. The breakdown is as follows:

  • Undisclosed: 8
  • Concussion: 8
  • Upper Body: 4
  • Lower Body: 4
  • Groin: 8
  • Wrist: 4
  • Back: 5
  • Hip: 5
  • Finger: 4
  • Knee: 6
  • Foot: 1
  • Leg: 2
  • Shoulder: 3
  • Eye: 1
  • Illness: 3

There is your injury breakdown. The outrageous numbers that have been seen in previous years are not quite there yet. However, keep in mind that this is very early in the process. For example, Todd Bertuzzi was upgraded from having mono to just the flu. There are always stories within the injuries. Then of course, there is the curious case of Chris Kreider. The last we saw of him went a little something like this.

 

 

Always keep your head up when going across the middle! It is a mantra heard in football and hockey almost as often as anyone can remember from the days of their youth. Honestly, Kreider had the potential to be at least an outside Calder candidate but one of two things are going to happen here. He will be afraid to go over the middle or this will not affect him in the least. Hopefully the time Chris Kreider is out is not very long because hits in the last few seconds of a decided game can be so damaging.

It was seen earlier last night with Andy McDonald and though it looked much worse, thankfully he should be okay. Anyone can tell you that those are the type of injuries that can just sink a fantasy team. These injuries are something a fantasy GM must pay attention to in great detail. After all, roster decisions (trades, transactions, etc.) are prevalent on knowing the right information. If you do not know how long something is out for, you might as well be stuck with them.

Again, like we said, the coming weeks will feature subjects and topics most fantasy experts will not touch. By all means, we encourage many questions. If one wants and injury prognosis, we will try our absolute best to give you that needed edge. This is a season unlike any other. People want information that is  a godsend when one really needs that data.

This is not a 26 week marathon but a 14 week sprint. In head to head leagues, there are in some cases only a ten week regular season with as much as a four week playoff. Time is of the essence, injury data is more important than ever before, and that knowledge (used right) is power. It is time to say goodbye for now but remember that the most important thing in any fantasy league is winning. There are many ways to go about it. Hopefully, we can help you with this column. Good luck!