NHL Fantasy League: A Closer Look at Chris Bouthillier's Selections

Let's begin this summary by noting that I missed the first four rounds of the draft due to power failures.

But when I finally had the chance to log on, I was pleased to say the least.

I was able to snag perennial Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom with the number eight selection. What satisfied me even more was that his defense partner Brian Rafalski turned into my third round selection.

Rounding out my top four auto picks were Montreal sniper Alex Kovalev and Derek Roy, the Sabres' top centreman.

Without further adieu, here's my player list for Bleacher Report's fantasy hockey league:

C - Derek Roy (BUF)
C - Nicklas Backstrom (WAS)
C - Patrick O'Sullivan (LA)
LW - Alexander Semin (WAS)
LW - Antoine Vermette (OTT)
LW - Cory Stillman (FLA) — traded to Greg Caggiano for — Todd Bertuzzi (CGY)
RW - Alexei Kovalev (MTL)
RW - Martin Erat (NSH)
RW - Chuck Kobasew (BOS)
D - Nicklas Lidstrom (DET)
D - Brian Rafalski (DET)
D - Kimmo Timonen (PHI)
D - Chris Phillips (OTT)
Util - Steve Ott (DAL)
BD - Ryan Whitney (PIT)
BD - Paul Martin (NJD)
BW - Lee Stempniak (STL) — dropped for — Andrew Ladd (CHI)
G - Ilya Bryzgalov (PHX)
G - Mathieu Garon (EDM)
BG - Ty Conklin (DET)

In-depth analysis

As the saying goes, "defense wins you championships"—judging by other Bleacher Creature rosters most people ignored that statement.

My squad boasts four offensive-inclined defensemen as well as a pair of blueliners who carry solid plus-minus numbers. Speaking of the plus-minus category only four skaters on my team had a negative rating in the 2007-08 season.

This is why I put Stillman on the market after I drafted him. He put up 65 points last season but carried a minus-15 rating. Although Todd Bertuzzi finished with 25 less points he also had a plus-8. Also taking into consideration their new homes—Stillman settling with the Panthers and Bertuzzi looking to ignite his spark in a Flames' jersey—this made my decision a rather easy one.

I'm well aware I don't have Alex Ovechkin, or Sidney Crosby, or Dany Heatley—but I still have players who are bound to put up numbers.

Derek Roy had 32 goals and 81 points in his first season as Buffalo's top centreman. He was also sound defensively as he was a plus-13. Alex Kovalev led the top-offensive team (Montreal Canadiens) in points with 84 a year ago and is looking to help build on Montreal's first-place finish last season.

Here's some players you might want to watch out for:

Patrick O'Sullivan

He might be suiting up on one of the worst teams in the league but there's no denying his skill. O'Sullivan—who picked up 53 points in 07-08—will be centering the top line playing with all-star forward Anze Kopitar. I was unable to pick up Anze, so picking up Sully will hopefully help me out in some form.

Antoine Vermette

Here's another player who registered 53 points. The only difference is that Vermette will be looking to answer his critics and surpass that limit, proving that he can be an all-round threat. He can score, kill penalties and is one of the best skaters in the league. This season will put a lot of pressure on Vermette's shoulders and I can only wait in anticipation to see how he will handle it.

Chuck Kobasew

Kobasew suffered an injury at the end of the season that forced him to watch as his Boston Bruins were narrowly defeated by their rival Montreal Canadiens in seven games. There's no doubt that they wish his goal-scoring abilities were available for that opening-round series. On a squad that didn't carry a 30-goal scorer Kobasew finished second on the team with 22 goals. With the Bruins' improvements this off-season it would be hard to suggest that Kobasew won't be able to reach or exceed this limit during the season.

Ryan Whitney

I was personally surprised that he was still available near the end of the draft. I guess a lot of people seemed to forget about this young rearguard after he was put on the shelf for the next 3-5 months after undergoing surgery in the off-season.

For those who don't know what that means, it means that Whitney could be back in the Penguins' lineup as early as December. From that point on it is reasonable to expect that he will be able to score points on a highly-skilled team. Whitney was hands-down the sleeper pick in the draft for my team.

What do you guys think? Leave your feedback on how you think these players will perform this season.

Also, click here and judge my match-up for the first week of the season against fellow BR writer Chris Hoeler.