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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2014 13:10:28 GMT -5
haha. pretty good! Other than the part where you forget to cut and paste my name in it!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2014 13:39:06 GMT -5
^Whoops! That was from a copy and paste for the sections. I'll fix that. Thanks Saul!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2014 16:24:27 GMT -5
Melbourne Bushrangers
Last year: As the now defunct Minas Tirith Flying Bears, this team was 6th in North Stars Conference, 11th overall in the regular season with 183 points (81-140-21). Missed the playoffs by 73 points.
Forwards: The Sedin twins lead a group that includes St. Louis, Eric Staal, and Matt Duchene. This is a group of very offensively talented forwards that tend to be playmakers more than finishers. There’s a lot to like about this group’s ability to put up assists and power play points, but they are unfortunately extremely weak when it comes to the grind numbers, and they look to struggle to post wins in the +/- category as well. If Henrique and O’Reilly take big steps forward, this group could dominate offensively.
Defense: The D is an interesting mix of veterans (Edler, Methot, and Timonen) and youth (Del Zotto, Gardiner, and Leddy). This might be a group that’s better on paper in the real NHL than they are in fantasy hockey, as they don’t have a specific strength as a group, and none of them stand out individually as go-to fantasy defensemen.
Goal: Mike Smith in Arizona will look to help the Coyotes bounce back from a so-so year, and Brian Elliot could post big numbers in St Louis now that Halak and Miller are out of the picture. Jonas Hiller has found his way to Calgary, and while the extra starts might help his value somewhat, the Flames look like a pretty weak team and won’t help his fantasy stats. This is not a great collection of net minders, though Elliot could be a gem.
Why Melbourne will win: With speed, offensive flourish, and a great sense of imagination with the puck, this team will pass its way to fantasy relevance. As Elliot benefits from the starting gig in the city of St Louis, and the player St. Louis benefits from playing a full season in New York, this group will find the magical mix a perfect team chemistry and surprise us all.
Why Melbourne will lose: This team is going to get pushed around by bigger, more experienced teams. If Elliot and Smith don’t have great years, this team could be looking to dump veteran contracts as the new GM tries to fix the mess that he inherited.
Best contract: In 2012, when RW Martin St. Louis was first signed for 4 years and $15, I thought it was a crazy deal. He was getting old. He relied on speed. He’s going to regress. Etc. But going into 2014, seeing his contract still at $15 with 2 years left, it looks like the 2012 signing has really paid dividends. St. Louis shows no signs of slowing down, and even if he does regress a bit during his age 39 and 40 seasons, he should still be able to provide valuable fantasy stats at a discounted rate.
Worst contract: Last offseason saw a crazy bidding battle for free agent LW/RW Joffrey Lupul that resulted in what is now a $30 per year contract that will run for the next 4 years. Lupul is a nice player and a handsome dude, but the $30 price tag is around twice as high as it should be.
ELC player of note: C/LW Sam Bennett and C/RW Filip Forsberg are big question marks as to how well they can produce in the NHL at young ages, but at their current ELC cost of $0 each, they each have the offensive potential to put up some pretty special numbers in the next few years. But will it be this year? I had Sam Bennett ranked as the #1 player in the 2014 NHL draft.
Ugliest Player: the Sedins
Voted most likely: ... to enjoy at least a few good nights with some Swedish twins...
...and to inform the other managers that they are in fact not holding a knife—even though they think they are holding a knife—and then show everyone what a real knife looks like, so that no one in the league will have to be confused or caught unaware when in the presence of crocodiles or their hunters.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2014 16:57:43 GMT -5
Milwaukee Admirals Last year: 2nd in Whalers conference, 5th overall in the regular season with 256 points (116-102-24). Lost to the Moscow Army in the 1st round of the playoffs.
Forwards: This is not a star studded group, but it is a deep and gritty group. There isn’t much drop off after the top few guys, with every player very capable of scoring more than 20 goals and getting over 50 points. That said, no one on this team scored 30 goals, and only two players scored more than 25. The depth is nice, but will the lack of true top talent hurt this team? Zetterberg is definitely the top dog offensively, and big years from youngsters like Kadri, Nugent-Hopkins, and Kane could really make this team scary.
Defense: Zero offense will have to be expected from this defense, with Dan Girardi being the only defenseman to even break 20 points. That’s not good. This group makes up for their lack of prowess in the offensive zone by hitting and blocking everything they see. Very tough in their own zone, but extremely limited otherwise. Orpik, Schenn, and Lovejoy were all a part of the 200 hit club last year.
Goal: Carey Price is awesome. If the Canadiens can provide some defensive help and win some games, Price could easily post top 5 goalie fantasy stats any year. Last year’s GAA and Sv% were career bests, so perhaps Price is due for a discount this year. Craig Anderson was terrible most of last year, but still posted 6 shutouts. While his 2012/13 stats looks more like an aberration compared to his career line, a bounce back year could make Price and Anderson quite the dynamic duo.
Why Milwaukee will win: A mixture of grit, depth, expanded roles for youngsters, and elite goaltending will make this team extremely difficult to play week in and week out, guiding it to the elusive championship.
Why Milwaukee will lose: A lack of scoring punch—especially on the back end—is going to hurt this team greatly. If goaltenders Price and Anderson play merely to their career averages, this team’s goaltending stats will be average at best.
Best contract: RW Blake Wheeler, the 5th overall pick in the 2004 NHL draft, has really blossomed into a complete fantasy player since coming to Winnipeg. At $16 over the next 3 years, with his ability to put up points mixed with grit stats, he is a Milwaukee beer toast worthy bargain. Glasses up!
Worst contract: C/RW Sam Gagner has not lived up to expectations. While often considered a candidate for a big offensive breakout, he was traded by the Oilers this offseason for little more than spare parts. At $16 over the next 3 years, this is a player who could easily be cut and not be missed. It is extremely doubtful that he’ll ever be worth anything near $16 a year, though there’s hope that he could find his way in Arizona.
ELC player of note: This team has very little in EL talent, though it will rely on D Erik Gudbranson to continue to grow as a gritty defenseman. Underrated LW Marcus Foligno had a great showing over 14 games in 2011/12, but has been a disappointment since then. With plenty of time left on his EL deal, and his ability to put up elite hit numbers, Foligno still has the potential to be a very useful player on a contending team in this league.
Ugliest Player: Brad Marchand
Most Illiterate Player: Brad Marchand. Not only is Brad horrible to look at, but he’s also not so great at spelling... you can't spell check ink.
Voted most likely: ...to trade away all of his draft picks. Draft schmaft!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2014 15:08:32 GMT -5
Morweena Reimnoceri Last year: 1st in North Stars conference, 1st overall in the regular season with a huuuge 305 points (138-75-29). Defeated the Québec Bulldogs in the final to claim the 2013-14 Dynasty Hockey League Championship.
Forwards: Led by Sharp, Giroux, and Hossa, this is a solid group that has a bit of everything. Older players such as Doan and Richards look to find their magic once again, and are likely good bets to have strong years—Briere seems less likely to push back against regression. This team also features some solid mid-range talent in Soderberg, Voracek, and Nick Foligno, who could all provide important fantasy numbers. While weak in reserve forwards, there is plenty of cap space—and two roster spots—that can be used to jump on 2014/15 surprise breakout players.
Defense: Shea Weber represents the cream of the crop for NHL defensemen. His ability to do everything well—especially score goals—makes him an incredibly valuable fantasy asset. Krug and Wisniewski represent two other offensive weapons, which are partnered with the grit and shot blocking of Josh Gorges. After that, there seems to be quite a bit of a drop off, and Morweena will be hoping for banner years from Benn, Enstrom, and Muzzin to help carry this team back to a championship.
Goal: Tuuka Rask. Josh Harding is a backup—and a sketchy one at that—with Eddie Lack lingering in the minors... but it really doesn’t matter because this team has Tuuka Rask. If Rask stays healthy, and if this team doesn’t bother to start another goalie all year, it will still have one of the best fantasy goalie tandems in the league. Tuuka by himself has proven himself to be an unstoppably consistent force. If Tuuka gets injured, this team has no backup plan.
Why Moreweena will win: Excellence at forward and goal, mixed with some high end scoring on the backend, will lead the Morweena Reimnoceri to another championship!
Why Morweena will lose: Lack of minor league depth at all positions makes this team incredibly vulnerable to long-term injuries. While Rask is worth betting the farm on, this team has nothing in goal after him. This team is built to win now, but it’s ability to do so is most certainly skating on thin ice.
Best contract: Goalies are a premium position in our league, but it’s hard to devote a large amount of salary cap to a 'keeper as most tend to be fairly inconsistent and hard to predict year-to-year. The nature of the position makes the NHL team’s overall strength a big component of a fantasy goalie’s ability to perform well. G Tuuka Rask plays on a very good team, and has put together some very impressive seasons. Even as the highest paid goalie at $35 over 5 years, this is a great contract. Using the fantrax scoring system, Tuuka is projected to be the second best player this year, with only Sidney Crosby besting him. He was tied as the most valuable player for the last two years, and has posted an incredibly consistent Sv% and GAA over the last three years. Basically, Tuuka is the gold standard of not only fantasy goalies, but of all fantasy players in our league.
Worst contract: LW/RW Ryan Clowe hasn’t had a good fantasy season since 2010/11. To make matters worse, he hasn’t had even an average to satisfactory season since 2011/12. He has consistently regressed statistically, making his cost of $17 over one year a complete waste of both cap space and a roster spot. The best thing I can say about Clowe is that he’s a free agent next year! Unless he finds a way to turn back the clock by 4 years, it seems highly unlikely that Clowe will even be on anyone’s radar for $1 a year in the offseason. He’s a complete fantasy B-U-S-T.
ELC player of note: D Torey Krug is an incredibly impressive offensive defenseman playing on one of the best teams in the league. G Eddie Lack will fight for starts in Vancouver, but he showed last year that he could be a valuable asset if he gets enough starts.
Ugliest Player: Nathan Horton
Voted most likely: ...to win the championship again, and again, and again.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2014 15:29:46 GMT -5
Moscow Red Army Last year: 3rd in North Stars Conference, 4th overall in the regular season with 263 points (118-97-27). Lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs to the eventual champion Morweena Reimnoceri.
Forwards: What an impressive group of forwards! Stamkos, Thornton, and Benn insure that this team will put up a lot of points. There is a great mix of high end scoring with gritty players capable of racking up hits and PIMS, though the team’s emphasis is definitely on scoring.
Defense: Ekman-Larsson and Kronwall are big ticket players on the back end. Having just turned 23 years old, Ekman-Larsson could be in line for a big jump in production after an already impressive year that saw him put up 44 points. Grinders Johnson and Bieksa are also capable of putting up decent points with their hits and blocks. The biggest question mark is Letang, who is a huge injury risk. If Letang is able to play a full season, this group could be very scary.
Goal: This team seems to be putting a lot of faith in some unproven commodities. Bernier, Holtby, Andersen, and Halak aren’t being counted on to carry this team—but if at least two of them aren’t able to step up and produce in a big way, this team could be in trouble.
Why Moscow will win: Like the Red Army of yesteryear, this group will dazzle on the ice and on the fantasy score sheets, while skating, passing, and scoring its way to victory.
Why Moscow will lose: You’ve got to score more than your opponent, but having quality goaltending helps win championships. This team’s goalies don’t scare anyone except the Moscow team manager.
Best contract: D Niklas Kronwall at $9 a year for 2 more years. Kronwall is a fantasic offensive defenseman who puts up quality grit numbers. Typically, he is an asset in every skater category, and similar players make double to triple what he is getting paid.
Worst contract: G Jaroslav Halak could end up being a good player this year, but it’s hard to justify paying a 3rd or 4th goalie $23, even if it’s just for one year. It will be interesting to see how he performs with the Islanders.
ELC player of note: RW Vlad Tarasenko is an amazing talent who is only scratching the surface when it comes to producing in the NHL. Fantasy wise, I think he’s in for an awesomely offensive year—and I mean that in a good way. C/LW Evgeny Kuznetsov only put up 9 points in 17 games for his first taste of the NHL last year. Look for him to dramatically improve on those numbers over a full year, with 50 points being the floor of what he could do over a full season.
Ugliest Player: Joe Thornton
Voted most likely: ...to speak broken English while finding a way to address all of its team’s needments for peak efficiency, and to find a way to guide Russia to a gold medal in the 2014/15 Dynasty Hockey League. Will likely receive many a phone call like this one:
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2014 18:23:09 GMT -5
Oslo Mastodon
Last year: 5th in North Stars conference, 10th overall in the regular season with 188 points (77-131-34). Missed the playoffs by 68 points.
Forwards: Oh, to be young again! Oslo’s forwards, led by veterans Parise and Marleau, are stacked with youthful talent. The EL talent that this team boasts is nearly embarrassing, with the EL forwards oozing potential. This team isn’t only highly invested in EL players, as they have wisely chosen to spend big on up-and-coming stars who are entering their prime years such as Van Riemsdyk (24), and Neal (27). While the forwards are a bit light on grit, there is still plenty of room for these young players to expand their games to include the grit stats as they get more ice time on their respective NHL clubs.
Defense: Markov and Green are the vets on the backend, which—like the forwards—is filled with young talent. Markov and Green, much like young vets Shattenkirk (25) and Pietrangelo (24), are on the last years of their deals, and make for a solid offensive foursome who can also block a fair amount of shots. The future of the D rests with Rielly and Murphy, who will look to improve on their rookie numbers.
Goal: Again, the position is headed by youth with young vet Varlamov (26), who is coming off a huge year on Patrick Roy’s upstart Avalanche. Rinne had a rough year due to injury, but has shown throughout his career that he is a top fantasy goaltender. Lehtonen has bounced back after being tagged as injury prone to have four solid years in Dallas. This group likely won’t wow you with star factor, but it is solid top to bottom.
Why Oslo will win: If the young players can take big steps forward, this team could be incredibly difficult to play against. Filled with youthful enthusiasm, this team could take us all by surprise en route to a championship. Oslo, perhaps more so than any other team, has the assets to make a big deal that could put it over the top. This team is poised to be extremely competitive in the very near future.
Why Oslo will lose: Youthful enthusiasm can only take you so far. This team lacks veteran grit and know-how, and that will be its undoing. If only some players take a big step forward, this team will have to re-evaluate the youthfulness in its roster construction as it prepares for a very big first round (3 picks) in next year’s draft.
Best contract: While other managers shied away from LW/RW James Neal after he left the friendly fantasy environment of Pittsburgh, the Mastodon invested $20 over 4 years. While Neal might take a step back on some offensive stats, he has a lot going for him. Having just turned 27, he’ll see plenty of ice time in Nashville to take advantage of his soft hands, plus he’s shown that he can throw his body around and pick up the grit stats. This signing could turn out to be a steal.
Worst contract: D Mike Green was at one point the best offensive defenseman in the NHL. This is no longer the case. He’s getting paid $22 on the last year of his contract, and while putting up 38 points over 70 games last year wasn’t a bust, he was expected to do much more at that price.
ELC player of note: This team is loaded with EL talent. LW Jaden Schwartz is coming off a big year in St Louis where he put up 56 points to go with a +28. C’s Sean Monahan and Mark Scheifele are looking to build off decent rookie seasons. RW Valeri Nichushkin is a personal favourite, and if he sees added time on the power play, he could be in line for a fantastic fantasy season.
Ugliest Player: Jaden Schwartz
Voted most likely: ...to either use its young players and top draft choices as valuable assets to land a top flight player before the trade deadline, OR to continue to stockpile young talent and futures by trading away veterans—it will all depend on where Oslo sits in the standings come February.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2014 18:49:15 GMT -5
Québec Bulldogs Last year: 2nd in North Stars conference, 3rd overall in the regular season with 264 points (116-94-32). Lost in the finals to the Morweena Reimnoceri.
Forwards: This team is stacked up front with guys who can put up big points and bigger hits. Strong down the middle with Getzlaf, Spezza, and Koivu, on the left wing with Kunitz, Pacioretty, and Steen, and on the right wing with Kessel, Iginla, and Okposo. There is no weakness. They will beat you up with their hitting, put up a ton of goals and assists, devastate you on the power play, and steal the hearts teenage girls everywhere.
Defense: Like the forwards, this is a tough, tough group. Lots of hits, lots of blocked shots, and some very impressive high-end offensive talent in Byfluglien, Subban, Giordano, and Goligoski. This top four is supplemented with the grit and talent of Boychuk and Emelin—though one has to wonder how Boychuk’s value will fluctuate now that he’s away from the friendly confines of TD Garden and on the lonely Island for its last year.
Goal: It seems like the forwards and the defense have no weaknesses. And then there’s the goalies. Weaknesses found. All of them. Right here. Ben Bishop is a solid goalie, but he’s the only starting goalie on this team. Khudobin might be listed as a starter, but he’s not someone that can be relied upon to produce even average fantasy stats. There is no third goalie. If Ben Bishop can play 65+ games, this might not be a horrible situation. Last year he played in 63. Before that, he played in 45. Not the season before... but in the previous five seasons. Yikes.
Why Québec will win: The forwards and the defense are just too solid in every category. This team will beat up the opposition in every possible way on its way to the championship.
Why Québec will lose: No goaltending equals no championship. That’s really the bottom line. Also, there is zero depth after the starting roster on this team.
Best contract: Though the top two D of Dustin Byfuglien and P.K. Subban are on the last year of their contracts, they are fantasy gold in our league. Coming in at cap hits of $16 and $15 respectively, any manager would love to have either of them on their team, never mind having both at such reasonable prices.
Worst contract: I like D Mark Fraser. I like that he hits, blocks shots, gets PIMs. Unfortunately, real GMs haven’t liked him, and he is currently without NHL work. At $6 for the next two seasons, it could be that his real life abilities—or inabilities—are poor enough to negate his grit stats. He was a great fantasy grit player, but $6 over two years is a lot to pay a guy who might not play in the NHL again.
ELC player of note: This team is low on EL talent, with only D’s Jonas Brodin and Olli Maata as players of note. They will look to build off so-so years and to help this team as best they can—but they don’t bring much to the table.
Ugliest Player: Phil Kessel
Voted most likely: ...to find a way to land high quality players that can do everything for pennies on the dollar. This manager makes big trades and pretty much always wins, leaving the opposition to mutter "Merde!"
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Post by Melbourne Bushrangers on Oct 10, 2014 15:52:34 GMT -5
Only just noticed these - nice work!
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