Meet my fantasy hockey team
by James Mirtle on Oct 8, 2009 9:55 AM CDT
15 comments
We're into Year 4 in the Hockey Bloggers Invitational fantasy pool that I run, and we've introduced a new wrinkle this season: keepers. And I think it might be my undoing.
I finished fourth last season after limping to the finish line (Martin Gerber was one of the pillars of that team), and really didn't have anyone I was jazzed on keeping, especially after Marian Hossa went out with shoulder surgery. (Finishing fourth is a bit like placing ninth in the NHL conference standings: You don't win anything and you get a crummy draft pick the next season.)
Ultimately, Hossa and Carey Price (reluctantly) were the best players I had and are back again.
Here's my full team:
Forwards
Alexander Semin, Jason Spezza, Alexander Frolov, Marian Hossa (IR), Chris Kunitz, Stephen Weiss, Brenden Morrow, Dave Bolland, Mikael Samuelsson, Mark Recchi, Brandon Dubinsky, Matthew Lombardi, Brad Richards, Claude Giroux, Colin Wilson (IR)
Defencemen
Victor Hedman, Keith Ballard, Ian White
Goaltenders
Carey Price, Jose Theodore, Jaroslav Halak, Mathieu Garon
I'm pretty sure my team's in a rebuilding year.
Others in the pool include Greg Wyshynski (his team here), Dirk Hoag, Spector, Matt Fenwick, Earl Sleek, P.J. Swenson, Dan Tolensky, Stephen Pepper, Kent Wilson (last year's winner), five of my hockey-loving friends from the media, and the lucky winner of the B Pool I hosted last year.
I don't think I've got a hope of taking home a third title, but at least my keepers are a smidge better for next season. And after last night, I have a feeling Price won't be one of them.
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I think Price will be ok. One bad game isn’t the end of a fantasy season.
by wlittle on Oct 8, 2009 10:16 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
He was horrendous in the second half last year, so it hasn’t been a lot of fun on that ride. All the better goalies were gone, too, so I’m stuck riding this pony for a while.
Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com
by James Mirtle on Oct 8, 2009 10:23 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
As Willis pointed out a few weeks ago, there’s a pretty strong correlation between Price’s ankle injury and his shit results from last year. I could’ve told you at the All-Star Break that Price was going to fall off a cliff because they’d rushed him back, and sure enough…
SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there). Link now 100% less broken.
by Doogie2K on Oct 8, 2009 1:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Besides, I wouldn’t mind having the .953 game-stealing goalie he was in games 1 and 2 backstopping my team.
The question is when the rest of the team will start giving him some help. The season is young, but he’s faced the most shots in the league so far. And the Habs’ PK has been horrible, because at evens, well, his save % at evens is still .943, even coming off a 7-1 loss.
His value as a fantasy goalie may depend more on Jacques Martin than Carey Price at this point.
by MathMan on Oct 8, 2009 4:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Without Markov, I have a feeling that Price is in for a tough year. Doesn’t help that I’ve also got Halak, either.
Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com
by James Mirtle on Oct 8, 2009 4:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The Habs’ D is certainly hurting from lack of Markov but man-for-man it’s still a pretty decent NHL defense, even if it’s doing nothing to show it lately. If Martin can get over the carryover lack of structure from last year and implement some sort of defensive system that doesn’t involve 40 shots against a night and a goalie standing on his head, they should have the horses to make the playoffs, so the Habs’ G shouldn’t be a total loss from the fantasy standpoint.
Mind, losing Markov for 60ish games is still going to cost the Habs’ goalies a fair few wins, so that’s not going to help your pool at all, no… unless Martin gets the team to completely hunker down defensively in hopes of preserving a playoff spot with 2-1 OT games until Markov’s return, which could drive down the goalie’s GA. Who knows, maybe you’ll even want to keep Price at the end of this. ;)
by MathMan on Oct 8, 2009 5:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m already thinking Semin and Hossa are my keepers, so that’d be a bonus.
Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com
by James Mirtle on Oct 8, 2009 5:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Good picks.
I’m not a poolie but it occurs to me that picking goalies in pools is really a lot like picking defenses in football — you’re really getting points more off the team’s performance, typically wins and SO, and not so much individual performance.
by MathMan on Oct 8, 2009 8:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m hoping for a Theo ’02 type of season. The W category may suffer, but GAA, SVP, and SO? Solid.
A lot to hope, but after four games, I gotta have something.
SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there). Link now 100% less broken.
by Doogie2K on Oct 9, 2009 9:05 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
hey james, who would you take? Varlamov or Rinne? I’m feeling a bit conflicted. I like rinne but feel like Theodore has a better chance of blowing it than Ellis
by detroitnick on Oct 8, 2009 10:50 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Tough call. I’d probably go with Rinne just because of how well he played last season.
Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com
by James Mirtle on Oct 8, 2009 11:17 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I still seek vengeance for my loss to you in the B pool …
I have a blog too! www.scottyhockey.com
Let's Go Rangers!
by Scotty Hockey on Oct 8, 2009 11:02 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
and why?…..I’ve been wrestling with this for a few day now
by TylerA7707 on Oct 8, 2009 11:55 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Kaberle absolutely.
First and foremost, as a Leaf fan let me tell you that he has been one of the few bright spots to the start of the season. Simply put, the Kaberle from before the Janssen hit is back.
The new look of the Toronto D means that kaberle’s responsibility is first and foremost to generate offense from the blueline. He’s moving the puck with much more purpose and without the tentativeness of last season.
Depending on the stats in your pool, Kaberle is probably a superior option ot Johnson in most respects, except for +/- and PIM.
Resident Capologist
by clrkaitken on Oct 9, 2009 9:07 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
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