Fantasy Hockey: Who Do You Have at No. 4?

(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

What I love about a hockey pool isn’t drawing the first or second pick and inking either Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, or Evgeni Malkin to my roster (although I’ll happily take any of those three).

Personally, I love when the grind begins.

For example, getting a player like Marc Savard in 2005 (when he was a nobody) at the point in the draft when some feel the picks don’t matter, and then watching Savard have a career year, performing better fantasy-wise than even your first pick. Yes, that actually happened to me.

But this season, "the grind" may get going a little bit faster then usual—quite frankly, faster then you can count to the No. 4.

You don’t have to be a big hockey fan to know that picks one, two, and three are going to go Ovechkin, Crosby, and Malkin (in no particular order), but after that it's anybody’s guess...even those of us who consider ourselves big hockey fans.

So, since the busiest people in the NHL during the summer are the general managers, we’re going to give them a break and you’re going to take your best shot at taking their place.

Your one job: Deciding who to pick fourth in a fantasy hockey pool.

To make this a little more fun, after reading this article, please take a quick second to answer the poll question on the right-hand side with the player you would take fourth in a draft from the list provided.

So without further ado, your options.


Option 1: Ryan Getzlaf

In just four NHL seasons, Getzlaf has gone from a work in progress to a star in full stride.

Last season, he tallied a career high of 91 points, and led the eighth-seeded Ducks to the Western Conference Finals.

But what makes him stand out from the others? At just 24-years-old, Getzlaf has already hoisted the Stanley Cup and a pattern in his career numbers show that his point totals increase significantly season-by-season. Maybe 2009 is Getzlaf’s 100-point campaign.

However, Getzlaf does have a negative side in the fantasy world for those of you who play with goals worth more than assists. Getzlaf has yet to break the 30-goal plateau in his career, 25 being his career high.


Option 2: Zach Parise

The young, speedy forward iced almost every one of his career totals with 94 points last season, leading a fresh new trend in New Jersey—goal scoring. Like Getzlaf, Parise’s numbers have increased significantly season-by-season and his plus/minus rating in '08/'09 was seventh among all NHL skaters at plus 30.

What separates Parise from the rest is his natural ability to score goals. His 45 goals last season was third among all NHLers. Also, injury has yet to plague Parise. In his four seasons, he has missed only two regular season games.

Unfortunately, the Devils fresh style of play could be shut down, as defensive specialist Jacques Lemaire has taken over behind the bench. Lemaire’s trap approach to the game could cut down on the Devils time in the offensive zone and thus chip away at Parise’s offensive numbers.

Option 3: Ilya Kovalchuk

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