NHL Fantasy Thanksgiving: Stamkos and What to Be Thankful And/Or Resentful For
On Thanksgiving, we will give thanks to family, friends, good health and life.
But more important than all of that is giving thanks to our successful NHL fantasy picks and regretting the picks that haven't exactly panned out just yet.
Friends, let us give thanks to those successful picks and smart moves... or we could whine like a five year old who involuntarily shared their turkey with the dog over those draft picks that have been drowning you in the deep end of the standings.
Let Us Give Thanks That They Came Through
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The big picks that have not disappointed.
1. Steven Stamkos: Your number three draft pick is now the best forward in the league. 21 goals and 17 assists with a plus-8 and 18 penalty minutes culminates in the most fantasy points from any forward in the league. The skill and work ethic is all there and his partner in crime, Martin St. Louis, will help continue his hot run throughout the season (and also get himself a lot of points).
2. Anaheim's Top 3: Perry, Getzlaf and Ryan. Big numbers from all three of these guys, especially the two wingers who see themselves at the top of the point standings. With the majority of the production on Anaheim coming from these three, expect the points to keep on coming.
3. Sidney Crosby: The star is off to his best start which is saying a whole lot. Crosby is already scary enough being a consistent number one pick for a few years now, but with his 15 goals and 21 assists so far, he could end up surpassing that staggering persona.
4. Brad Richards: If the Dallas Stars center continues producing like he has this season (10 goals, 16 assists, plus-10, 78 shots), then he is liable for his best season yet.
5. Alex Ovechkin: Though he isn't the absolute powerhouse that he's been for a few years now, the number one pick is still producing. Though people may say he's in a slump, Ovechkin in a slump is still better than most. His teammate, Alex Semin, is currently producing a bit more but don't be surprised if this changes soon. This is Ovechkin after all.
Thy Prayers Are With These Organizations as a Whole
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The teams with great performances all around.
1. Philadelphia Flyers: The number one team in the league right now has a goals-for and goals-against difference of plus-28, nine more than Boston's plus-19. The team is first in goals scored with 84 and first in penalty minutes. They have a deep defense and Bobrovsky has emerged as one of the best goalies in fantasy hockey. The Flyers are getting production all around and grabbing any player from the team will result in some consistent fantasy points.
2. Boston Bruins: The Bruins have been very surprising this year. They had the defense, but the offense and goaltending were questionable coming in. Not anymore. Tim Thomas is the best goaltender in the league right now and the team's getting consistent scoring from Lucic and Nathan Horton. And like Philly, they're building up some penalty minutes, definitely not as much, but enough.
3. Detroit Red Wings: What's new? The team is getting production all-around like always. There isn't one star performer but a plethora of good and consistent point scorers. If you had to pick a standout, it would be Lidstrom on defense with his 17 assists.
4. Washington Capitals: With the surprising performance of goalie Michal Neuvirth, the Caps have become a rather well-rounded team. Green remains an offensive threat on the blueline with 13 points and rookie John Carlson has been contributing points. No surprises on the offense side of the puck, Semin, Ovechkin and Backstrom are big fantasy grabs that are not disappointing.
5. LA Kings: LA is getting big performances all around. Though the points drop off after the big names, there are enough around to warrant their spot here. The offense has been explosive with Dustin Brown and Justin Williams leading the charge with nine goals each. Doughty is still recovering from his injury but Jack Johnson is chipping in while he gets himself together. Then there's Jonathan Quick in net who is a prized possession for whoever owns him.
Thy Trust Has Been Rewarded… Thank You God
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Risky picks that have come through in big ways.
1. Carey Price: For the past few seasons, Price hasn't been the star Habs fans expected him to be. And when Halak propelled them to the Eastern Conference Finals, many thought Price had lost the starting job. But it was Halak who was shipped out during the off-season. For trusting Price, the Montreal Canadiens now have a stud goaltender. For the fantasy players who believed in Price, they now have the best goaltender in fantasy hockey.
2. Tim Thomas: During the 2009-10, Tuukka Rask stole the Bruin's goaltending starting job from Thomas who had won a Vezina the previous year. Many thought Rask was the future of the Boston franchise in net while intelligent people like myself picked Thomas up for the 2010-11 season. Thomas is arguably the best goaltender in the NHL right now with a goals against average of 1.46, a ridiculous .955 save percentage, four shutouts, and 11 wins.
3. Chris Stewart: So much for a dip in production. Stewart's numbers last year were surprising, but what's even more exciting is that this year he will definitely top those figures. There was skepticism behind this pick but owners can rest assured that Stewart isn't just hype. With 24 points and 31 penalty minutes, he's one of the better forwards in the game right now.
4. Milan Lucic: Lucic looked like the real deal during the 2008-09 season but his tumultuous third season left many worried. But for the ones who saw that season as a fluke, they've been greatly rewarded. Lucic is on pace to score around 35 or even 40 goals by the end of the season while providing a good amount of assists.
5. Kris Letang: Sergei Gonchar who? With the departure of the valuable Gonchar comes the emergence of Pittsburgh's next great defenseman. Letang is one of the biggest surprises so far this year as he's one of the most valuable defenseman in fantasy hockey right now. He may hit Gonchar numbers this year if he keeps the pace up. The young defenseman has himself 19 points and 30 penalty minutes.
.png?w=256 "NHL Mock Draft")
.jpg?w=256 "Kucherov Landing Spots")
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Thank Thy Lord for the Emergence of These Dark Horses
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These individuals have played past their expectations this season.
1. Scott Hartnell: Stamkos is the number one forward but the number two forward isn't Crosby or Ovechkin; it's grinder Scott Hartnell. Hartnell is putting up great numbers in every category. He's apart of the most productive line on the Flyers, throwing in Briere's rebounds and Leino's excellent passes. He's also a physical and sometimes hard headed player who racks up the penalty minutes. Add to the fact that he is plus-12 on a team with the best goals for/goals against ratio and you have a star fantasy player.
2. Antero Niittymaki: The man with the ring was supposed to be the No. 1 in San Jose after the Sharks shipped the streaky Nabokov out. But it was the supposed backup that has shined in California. Antti Niemi is feeling the Stanley Cup hangover and Antero Niittymaki is reaping the benefits. Niitty is 7-2-3 with a 2.07 goals against average and a .919 save percentage while Niemi is posting a lowly 3-4-1, a goals against average of 3.64 and a save percentage of .886.
3. Dustin Byfuglien: Who else thought Jeremy Roenick was right? Putting Byfuglien at the defensive position seemed so out of place but so far it's paying off for the Thrashers. Byfuglien is currently the No. 2 fantasy defenseman behind Kris Letang. He's got eight goals, 12 assists and 29 penalty minutes.
4. James Neal: The third-year Dallas Star is on his way to his best season yet, posting nice numbers in all categories, especially plus/minus where he suffered before. Being on a line with Brad Richards and Lou Erickson helps and getting on pace to hit 70 points is nice too. He'll most likely break his penalty minutes mark as well with 25 thus far.
5. Patrick Sharp: Sharp has always been a great player, but the leading goal scorer on the team he is not. Well, until this year. The Blackhawk has four more goals than Toews and five more than Kane. Too bad he is a minus-10. If Chicago turns it around, he could be putting up big numbers by the end of the season.
Thank God I Got These Guys Off FA Before Knowing How to Pronounce Their Names
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Players that came out of nowhere to contribute some fantasy points.
1. Michal Neuvirth: The Washington Capitals have become a well-rounded team through the play of rookie goaltender Michal Neuvirth. Neuvirth has emerged as one of the top fantasy goaltenders, posting an impressive 12-3-1 recording while maintaining a 2.63 goals against average .912 save percentage. If Neuvrith continues playing at a high level, he will continue to produce big numbers, especially on the Capitals where he'll face more shots on net.
2. Sergei Bobrovsky: The other big rookie goaltender, Bobrovsky has been stellar for the Flyers and is the frontrunner for the Calder Trophy at the end of the year. Bobrovsky's stats may be higher (2.21 GAA, .925 Sv%), but he'll be facing less shots than Neuvirth. Also, Boucher has taken a few starts here and there and when Michael Leighton returns from his back injury, we will most likely split time with Bob throughout the season.
3. John Carlson: Another Capital's rookie, Carlson has surprised many with his play so far this season. While not coming out of nowhere necessarily, he has surpassed the other big rookies like Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin. The young defenseman has been consistent and smart, garnering 10 points with a plus-9 rating. He's also got 28 penalty minutes to boost his score just a bit. Also in the running for the Calder, if he continues his play, he'll be a useful assets to both the Caps and fantasy players.
4. Sean O’Donnell: The veteran defenseman has found some serious success as a Flyers' defenseman. Though he's no offensive threat, he does have the best plus/minus. His plus-17 rating has made him one of the more productive defensemen in fantasy hockey.
5. Clarke MacArthur: Who would've thought that a player's career season could occur in Toronto? The winger is providing some much needed support to the Leafs in all facets of the game. He has seven goals and 11 assists with a plus-3 rating. If MacArthur continues playing like this, he'll have his best season yet.
Thank You For The Great Draft Pick... Too Bad They Went Down With an Injury
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Great picks that have suffered from injuries so far this season.
1. Zach Parise: The Devils are hurting and it doesn't help that their all-around best player is going to be out for three months. NJ needs all the help they can get to get themselves out of the deep hole they've dug themselves into and it will definitely be a relief when Parise enters the picture again.
2. Rangers Top 3: Marian Gaborik, Vinny Prospal, and Chris Drury were all sidelined early in the season. Gaborik has since returned and begun accumulating points but Drury and Prospal are still out. They look to return in the next month or so.
3. Vincent Lecavalier: Lecavalier is missing all the fun right now. Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning are lighting it up right now and Lecavalier is missing out. Before getting sidelined, Lecavalier had nine points but once he returns in mid-December, he'll most likely start racking up the points like his teammates.
4. Jordan Staal: Jordan Staal can't catch a break this season. After missing the opening games of the 2010-11 season due to injury, he began skating only to injure his hand in practice. Hopefully, he can return soon with no more complications and help out his Penguins with some deeper scoring.
5. Simon Gagne: Everyone knew the risk in signing the talented but injury prone winger. After a few games of non-production, Gagne has gone down with an injury. Gagne is day-to-day but once he returns, there's a very good chance he will start lighting the lamp in Tampa.
Thy Trust Hath Been Scorned... C'mon Man!!
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Top draft picks who aren't playing to their expectations.
1. Ilya Kovalchuk: Who else but the $100 million man. It's obvious to see why Kovalchuk is playing poorly: the combination of his $6,666,666 cap hit and being on a team named after an evil deity is clearly the reason the puck refuses to enter the net. Kovalchuk is a consistent 70 to 90 point scorer but he'll be lucky to break his worst tally (51 in his first season) this year. He currently has four goals and a minus-10 rating. All this coming from a round one pick.
2. Martin Brodeur: Last year, many people felt Brodeur's age was catching up to him. Others, including myself, scoffed at the thought. Now with a depleted defense in front of him, it's tough to argue with that statement. The goaltender is posting an uncharacteristic 2.74 goals against average and .901 save percentage and to top it all off, injuries are starting to lurk up on the veteran goaltender. Martin Brodeur could be having his worse season in two decades.
3. Joe Thornton: San Jose's new captain sure isn't playing like one with his inconsistent start, so far. Thornton is a minus-6 with six goals and 13 assists. Thornton has been scoring in bunches and needs to remain a lot more consistent for his team.
4. Ryan Miller: Miller entered the season as, arguably, the best goalie in the league. He still could be but his stats don't show it. With a 2.63 goals against average and a .909 save percentage, he along with his team, are underachieving early this year.
5. Marc-Andre Fleury: The Cup-winning goaltender had an offseason last year, but he was projected to return to his proper form as one of the league's elite goalies. Still waiting on that projection to pan out. Fleury (2.68 GAA, .896 Sv%) has started his season on the wrong foot, going 7-6-1 while his back-up, Brent Johnson, has gone 6-2-1. Fleury will eventually get it together but until then, they've got Johnson to lean on.
Good Food, Good Meat, Good God, Please Compete!!
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The teams that, as a whole, are not meeting expectations.
1. NJ Devils: Of course, the team named after an evil deity is being scorned. Fantasy teams have fallen apart because of the NJ Devils. They were meant to be a powerhouse coming into the season with Kovalchuk, Parise, Brodeur, Zajac and Elias, but they all are either injured or not meeting their numbers. It doesn't help that they're not getting much defense from their empty roster. If I had to guess, I would think that there aren't many "thank you's" going out to the Devils this year.
2. San Jose Sharks: The Sharks have shown just how great they can be, but this season has been far from great. Besides Ryane Clowe and Dany Heatley's great numbers, there's not much else going on with this team. Stars like Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Antti Niemi, Dan Boyle and Patrick Marleau aren't too impressive as far as fantasy numbers go.
3. Chicago Blackhawks: Chicago unloaded a lot of weight during the off-season, but they kept their core group of stars together. Unfortunately, these stars aren't doing much. Toews and Hossa are putting up points, but Kane and Sharp need to fix their plus/minus in order to rack up some real fantasy points. The defense has surprisingly diminished from the team as Keith, Campbell and Seabrook have all been a bit underwhelming. Turco is average in fantasy points but his numbers aren't very reassuring, posting a 2.90 goals against average and a .904 save percentage.
4. Vancouver Canucks: The Canucks have been a consistent favorite to win the cups for a few years now so a lot is expected from the team. The Sedins and Kesler have delivered some solid number but from there on, the points drop. The back-end of the team is what is most displeasing. On paper, the Canucks have a loaded defense but they haven't done much of anything this season. They aren't putting up points or helping out Luongo (2.82 GAA, .907 Sv%)who is off his game so far this season.
5. Ottawa Senators: Besides Chris Neil and Matt Carkner's penalty minutes, the Senators are a pretty stagnant team. Neither Spezza or Alfredsson have hit double-digit goals and they both aren't producing great fantasy points. Sergei Gonchar has been abysmal with his minus-12 blemishing his 10 assists. Brian Elliott (3.14 GAA, .905 Sv%)has a decent fantasy score but his stats are far from flattering. Everyone else has been flat-out average.
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