Fantasy Hockey Coach - Blogs http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/blog.php fantasy hockey, hockey pools, fantasy hockey coach, pool guide, hockey pool, nhl, prospects, hockey en Fri, 18 May 2012 19:08:40 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/images/misc/rss.jpg Fantasy Hockey Coach - Blogs http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/blog.php The Blueprint: Doug Gilmours vision for the Kingston Frontenacs http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?134-The-Blueprint-Doug-Gilmours-vision-for-the-Kingston-Frontenacs Thu, 03 May 2012 21:40:40 GMT Ice hockey has been played in the city of Kingston, Ontario, as far back as 1843. Don Cherry will be quick to tell you that Kingston is the birth... Ice hockey has been played in the city of Kingston, Ontario, as far back as 1843. Don Cherry will be quick to tell you that Kingston is the birth place of hockey. The franchise currently known as the Kingston Frontenacs, who play in the Ontario Hockey League have been in existence since 1945 and have also been known as the Canadiens and the Raiders. While Kingston hockey is rich in its history, recent history has not been very prosperous. In fact, the Frontenacs currently own the second longest championship drought in the OHL, and fourth longest in the entire Canadian Hockey League. With the last division title way back in 1995, the team (and the city) has endured season after season of disappointment. Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Doug Gilmour is now the team’s General Manager, and his vision for the Frontenacs is one of championships and pride. In order to realize this vision he has a Blueprint.

Image Courtesy: D'Oliveira Photography
Doug Gilmour joined the Kingston Frontenacs in 2008 when he signed a three year contract as the team’s head coach. In his final season as head coach, Gilmour and the Fronts finished third in the East and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. After serving three years as the bench boss, he became the GM and hired friend and former Toronto Maple Leaf teammate, Todd Gill to assume the head coaching position, and Darren Keily became both assistant GM and Coach.

Prior to the 2011-2012 season, the newly formed management team held a meeting. Having suffered a disappointing playoff first-round-loss, the team knew they were losing key players such as Eric Gudbranson, Nathan Moon, Ethan Werek, and starting goalie Philipp Grubauer. The team had loaded up on veteran and older players for a playoff run and it didn’t work. Now, knowing they would be looking at a massive roster turnover, the decision was made to begin a new era for the franchise.

The first decision was to remove long standing face of the franchise GM Larry Mavety, who was replaced by his good friend Doug Gilmour. President and Governor of the franchise Doug Springer approved Gilmour’s new vision setting the blueprint into motion. They knew the process would be hard, and at times painful, but it had to be done.

It had to happen because part of the vision is not accepting seasons of modest success. Simply making the playoffs and being quickly dismissed in the early rounds, would no longer be acceptable. While junior hockey is by nature and design a cyclical league, it is possible to achieve consistency. Kingston’s consistent seasons of failure are a testament to that. Through hard work, having a strategy that holds the interest of the present and the future in focus, it is possible to consistently produce a winning product as well.

Hiring Todd Gill as the Head Coach was a step in the right direction. He brings a professional approach to hockey. He played over 1,000 career games in the NHL, and played for legends, and Hall of Fame coaches such as Joel Quenville, Mike Babcock, Pat Burns and Scotty Bowman, and he takes lessons from each and every one of them. Gill had been coaching for the previous five years in his home town for the Brockville Braves of the CJHL, which he owns and played for. Gill enjoyed a successful tenure as Coach in Brockville, and plans to continue to coach the way he did there.

“Pat Burns once told me don’t change your ways, because if you change for somebody and get fired you’ll be pissed off with yourself for not doing it your way. So I’ll continue to do it my way, and hopefully have success doing that.” Gill said.

As a rookie coach in the OHL, Gill is learning with his very young team. With the majority of his players under the age of 17, and coming from midget hockey knowing only offense, Gill says; “ You have to teach them defensive zone coverage, you have to teach them how to play in the Neutral zone, you have to teach them so much, I try to do it in segments. For them to learn the game of hockey there are three zones and you have to get to the point where the Coach trusts that you can play in every situation.”

Image By John Duncan @FrontsFocus
The Coaching staff of the Fronts, are teaching these young players much more than hockey skills. While the core group of the team may be young, Assistant Coach, Darren Keily says, “They are good kids, but they need direction to act as professionals.”
He uses terms such as respect, work ethic, commitment, and accountability to describe what the attributes of the players of the Frontenacs will learn, and demonstrate. For instance the Fronts players are active in the community as players volunteer to go to public schools and Libraries to help promote reading with young children, as well as many other community event appearances.

In the past the players of the Fronts have at times been less than professional. Former players such as Bryan Fogarty, had struggles with addiction. Fogarty’s drinking problems when he played with the Kingston Canadiens, were so well know in fact his nick name was “Tippy”, because he was always tipsy. There have been many players graduate from the ranks in Kingston. Kirk Muller, Chris and Anthony Stewart, Walt Poddubny, Chris Gratton and Bernie Nicholls are some of the more prominent names. Don Cherry is a proud “Good Kingston Guy”, and the Fronts are determined to groom future NHL players whom the city of Kingston can proudly say, “He comes from Kingston”. This past season, Keily proudly proclaimed that the team had no off-ice problems, and not a single complaint from any of the billets who house the players. No doubt this will become a trend in the future with the current regime in place.

Having a professional and experienced group lead this young team in the ways of both hockey, and life-lessons, is an important component in the blueprint. But, choosing the right players is equally important. The management group is selective in the players they are willing to draft and acquire through trade. In the past there have been situations where players had refused to report to Kingston. Wes O’Neill was selected second overall, but decided to play College hockey instead. Last year Max Domi, son of Tie Domi (Doug Gilmour’s friend and former teammate) also refused to report. Those days are a thing of the past now says Keily. His response to reports suggesting that top prospect Joshua Ho-Sang, would not report to Kingston “100 percent false!” The Domi decision to not report to Kingston had nothing to do with the team’s rebuilding, and absolutely nothing to do with the men running the team. It was a geographical preference to be closer to Toronto. Gilmour knew Domi only wanted to play for the London Knights, but by drafting Domi he was able to trade him to London for several second round draft picks. As part of league rules, if a first round pick refuses to report to a team, that team is awarded a compensatory first round pick the following year. As a result, the Kingston Frontenacs now own five picks (two firsts, and three seconds) in the first two rounds of the 2012 Priority Selection Draft.

The Draft will be held on April seventh, and the Fronts will be heading into this draft loaded with picks, and a strategy. The next edition of “Blueprint” will focus on the Frontenacs at the draft and the players they selected.

Local TV station Cogeco produced a series on the subject also titled The Blueprint with a brief appearance from yours truly!




Follow me on Twitter: @pharling ]]> Coach Pharling http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?134-The-Blueprint-Doug-Gilmours-vision-for-the-Kingston-Frontenacs Vancouver should trade Roberto Luongo to Tampa Bay http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?111-Vancouver-should-trade-Roberto-Luongo-to-Tampa-Bay Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:27:17 GMT Attachment 435 (http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=435)Now before you get too far into this column let me preface this by... Click image for larger version.  Name: Roberto Luongo.jpg  Views: 1375  Size: 6.7 KB  ID: 435Now before you get too far into this column let me preface this by saying this is not an official trade, this is merely what I think the Vancouver Canucks should do.

The Canucks should trade Roberto Luongo to the Tampa Bay Lightning and here is why.

First and foremost Luongo can’t trigger a trade until sometime around 2015 but that doesn’t mean he won’t waive his no trade clause to go to the right situation. Past precedent has shown that if a player is offered the right opportunity they would waive their no trade clause. Tampa Bay would be that opportunity for Luongo.

Luongo has family that lives in Florida and they go back there during the off-season. So there would be a huge appeal to playing a lot closer to family and home.

As we saw last playoffs the Lightning made a nice run and are close to being a contender, however they are in desperate need of a goaltender. With superstars like Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier along with young stars like Brett Connolly, Victor Hedman and Teddy Purcell the Lightning have a team that is ready to contend.

It appears that age has finally caught up to Dwayne Roloson as his numbers have dropped off from where they were last season and even his career. Roloson’s 3.67 GAA is the highest of his career and his 0.882 SV% is the lowest of his career. Roloson is better suited as a veteran back-up.

Tampa Bay needs to make a move now before the hole gets too big, they are currently sitting 13th overall in the Eastern Conference and just five points out of a playoff spot. Over the last 10 games the Lightning are 3-7-0. The Lightning stars are either in their prime or entering their prime so now is the time to contend. Tampa Bay needs to address their goaltending and Luongo would be a great fit. Don’t forget that Luongo already has a relationship with GM Steve Yzerman from the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

The Canucks will have to address their goaltending this season as Cory Schneider has proven that he is ready to be a starter in the NHL and his contract is up. Schneider will be a restricted free agent this off-season but you can count on several teams making large offers. Canucks can’t afford to keep both goalies forcing them to move one.

So what would the Canucks want for Luongo?

The Canucks are in need of a big power forward and Ryan Malone would fit that bill. Malone is 6-4 and 224 pounds and would be strong force in front of the net. Malone has five 20+ goal seasons and brings a vast amount of playoff experience, including a run with Pittsburgh to the finals in 2008. Malone could line-up with the twins on the first line, where he would create havoc for the goalie while the twins are cycling the puck.

As nice as it would be to be off the hook for the remaining years of Luongo’s contract it would take more than Malone. Tampa would need to add some youth into the deal. Connolly is not as option as he was Yzerman’s first draft pick as the Lightning’s GM. Hedman isn’t going anywhere either as Yzerman knows firsthand how valuable an elite #1 defenceman is. A player like Carter Ashton would be available.

Ashton is a 6-3 and 215 pound power forward prospect. Ashton can play either wing which is important as the Canucks are deep at center. Ashton was a scoring machine in the WHL where he scored 30 or more goals twice despite playing for three different WHL teams. Ashton has shown the same scoring ability in the AHL where he has 13 goals and 22 points in 27 AHL games.

The Canucks would want a veteran goalie to back-up Schneider so adding Mathieu Garon to the mix would give them a goalie with 10 years experience. Garon has proven to be a very reliable back-up goaltender that would help develop Schneider into an elite goaltender.

Cap wise this deal works for both teams. Tampa Bay according to capgeek.com currently has around $3,000,000 in cap space. Luongo’s remaining cap hit is just over $3,000,000 so the deal could work.

Remember that even though Luongo may be an elite goaltender the package in return for him may not involve an elite player going back to the Canucks. Part of the appeal for trading Luongo would be getting out from under his 12 year contract.

The deal would look like this Luongo for Malone, Ashton, Garon and a draft pick, this deal makes sense for both sides, the Canucks move Luongo and his big contract while promoting Schneider as their new number one. Vancouver adds a big net presence and power forward that will line-up with the twins, as well as a power forward prospect. Tampa Bay gets an elite goalie to get them over the hump. Luongo gets to still play for a contender while being close to home. It’s a win-win-win deal.

Like I said this is not a real deal just something I think would help both teams involved. I am looking forward to seeing what transpire with the Canucks goaltending situation.


Aaron Brouwer is the co-creator of fantasyhockeycoach.com. FHC is a free fantasy hockey service that developed a ranking system combining post-lockout statistics, current factors and our own hockey knowledge. Brouwer writes a weekly fantasy hockey column for The Star Phoenix, Fantrax, Inside Hockey and Bleacher Report. Email Coach Brouwer at brouwer@fantasyhockeycoach.com or check us out on twitter at twitter.com/fanhockeycoach. ]]> Coach Brouwer http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?111-Vancouver-should-trade-Roberto-Luongo-to-Tampa-Bay 2011-12 NHL Fantasy Sleeper Top Ten Forwards http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?88-2011-12-NHL-Fantasy-Sleeper-Top-Ten-Forwards Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:16:13 GMT With the 2011-12 NHL season just beginning fantasy hockey players are frantically searching for late round sleeper picks and hidden gems. This list... With the 2011-12 NHL season just beginning fantasy hockey players are frantically searching for late round sleeper picks and hidden gems. This list is your key to help with drafting those dark horse players. Some of these players may emerge from obscurity to fantasy hockey relevance this season.


10. Andy Miele, Phoenix
The Phoenix Coyotes won the sweepstakes to sign college sensation and last year's Hobey Baker winner. Miele has begun to draw comparisons to players like Martin St. Louis and Derek Roy after his stellar performance with the US National team at last year's World tournament. Not just because of his small stature (5-8, 175) but because of his skills and skating abilities and his tenacity. So far in preseason Miele has been very impressive. With Kyle Turris still unsigned, it increases the chances of Miele being in the lineup for Phoenix on opening night.

9. Anton Lander, Edmonton
Lander was the captain for Sweden at last year’s World Junior Tournament. Lander was also team mates with Paajarvi in Timra for three seasons. The duo may be reunited in Edmonton again soon. The 20 year old may soon be the perfect second line center as he plays a responsible and gritty all-around game. He has played very well and looks like he is NHL ready during the preseason games. With Sam Gagner out it would seem that Lander is likely to start the season with Edmonton.

8. Matt Frattin, Toronto
The Leafs signed Frattin out of college last year. Frattin was one of the finalists for the Hobey baker award. Frattin scored 60 points in 44 WCHA games last year. At the end of the season Frattin played one game for the Leafs. After the game Leafs GM Brian Burke declared “Frattin looked like an NHL player to me”. Frattin has had a very good preseason. At the moment it looks like a toss up between Kadri and Frattin as to who gets the left wing spot on the third line with Bozak and Armstrong.

7. Craig Smith, Nashville
The NCAA star played for team USA at last years World Championship and didn’t look out of place. Smith was tied with Blake Wheeler for scoring leadership on the US team. Smith also dominated at rookie camp scoring six goals and an assist in two games. Nashville GM David Poile listed Smith’s two games as one of the top rookie game performances he has seen in the last 14 years. “He was as dominant a player as I’ve seen in a rookie tournament in all the years I’ve been with the Predators.”

6. Paul Byron, Calgary
Acquired from Buffalo in the Robin Regehr trade Calgary has publicly declared Byron ready for scoring line duties in the NHL. Based on his 99 point season in the QMJHL and his point per game pace in the AHL, Byron may be just that. The preseason has allowed Byron the opportunity to confirm Calgary management's confidence in him. Byron has reaffirmed that opinion with a sound showing in the preseason games. He should have a starting job as a result when the season starts.

5. Stephan Da Costa, Ottawa
Another prized NCAA free agent signing, Da Costa had a brief four game audition with the Sens last season that was underwhelming. Already 22 years old, Da Costa will try to force a full season audition and reward the Sens for signing him to the maximum entry level deal. He has looked good in the preseason. With Peter Regin out for a couple of months with a hip injury Da Costa's chances of making the lineup have improved.

4. Evgeny Grachev, St. Louis
Grachev is a big talented winger who has been very impressive in preseason games this year, scoring three goals in three games to date. Grachev produced impressive OHL stats (80 points in 60 games) but was unable to dominate in the AHL. Grachev is now on his second NHL audition with St. Louis as he was acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers.Competition for spots is tight in St. Louis this year but if Grachev continues to play the way he has so far in the preseason it will be hard not to open a spot for him

3. Fabian Brunnstrom, Detroit
Detroit has a knack for finding players previously considered to be done in the NHL and bringing them back (Todd Bertuzzi, Mike Modano, Larry Murphy, Dan Cleary, etc). Now Detroit has given Brunnstrom an opportunity by inviting him to training camp. Brunnstrom has played very well so far and the fact that his main competition Jan Mursak who has suffered an ankle injury a contract with Detroit seems inevitable. Look for Wings GM ken Holland to make it a one way NHL contract to avoid exposing Brunnstrom to waivers.

2. Matt Read, Philadelphia
Read is yet another small but supremely skilled college player. Read not only produced impressive WCHA stats (35 points in 37 games) he also posted over point per game numbers in a brief AHL audition (13 points in 11 games) In the NHL preseason Read is leading the league with six points in four games. Competition for lineup spots is very tough in Philadelphia but Read's play is forcing management to keep a spot for him. If they can't fit him in right now he will certainly be an early injury call up.

1. Joakim Lindstrom, Colorado
This summer Colorado signed Lindstrom to a one way $600,000 contract. Lidstrom has looked impressive in training camp playing on a line wit Paul Stastny and David Jones. At times the line dominated. Lindstrom has had other chances at a spot in the NHL with Columbus and Phoenix in the past that fell short. He has continued to develop his game since those early days. This continued progress was demonstrated by Lidstrom last year when he lead the Swedish Elite league by scoring 60 points in 54 games. This preseason Lidstrom has continued to impress. It looks like his spot with Stastny and Jones is solid as Stastny has played with no other wingers in the preseason.

It is important to remember when drafting that these players MAY have significant success this season but should be considered risky picks. Build your core with reliable and dependable proven assets before complimenting your bench with these players. These sleeper picks can help you win your pool but only if you draft them in the appropriate round. Good luck!

Follow me on Twitter: @pharling
For more visit: http://fantasyhockeynerd.blogspot.com/ ]]> Coach Pharling http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?88-2011-12-NHL-Fantasy-Sleeper-Top-Ten-Forwards Top Ten NHL Players under Performing for 2011-12 http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?86-Top-Ten-NHL-Players-under-Performing-for-2011-12 Fri, 09 Sep 2011 06:23:22 GMT By Peter Harling As the 2011-12 season approaches and fantasy poolies prepare their lists for the draft seeking that edge. It is important to... By Peter Harling

As the 2011-12 season approaches and fantasy poolies prepare their lists for the draft seeking that edge. It is important to identify players that will have a break out season or find the sleeper picks. Equally important is to be prepared to know which players are likely to produce fewer points than the previous season.

Many poolies go into a draft armed only with last seasons scoring leaders. Unfortunately I don’t know of any pools that count the previous season’s points. The following is my top ten players most likely to produce fewer points. Being on this list only means I forecast them to score fewer points, not necessarily meaning they will have a terrible season and are not draft worthy, simply not worth drafting based on how they scored last season.

10. Mike Knuble, Washington Capitals
Obviously age is a factor with this choice as Knuble is now 39. However, my main reason for including Knuble in this list is the fact he stands a good chance of being relegated to the third line or at least separated from Alex Ovechkin's line. With younger talent such as Brooks Laich, Troy Brouwer, Joel Ward, and Marcus Johansson all competing to be on the second line and power play, Knuble may be the odd man out.

9. Erik Cole, Montreal Canadiens
After his second tour of duty in Carolina, Cole is moving on to Montreal. Cole also played briefly in Edmonton but was underwhelming there. Cole has enjoyed most of his success in the NHL playing shot gun with Eric Stall. Unfortunately Montreal lacks a center even close to comparable as Staal as did the Oilers when Cole was there. It is likely that Cole will struggle without a quality pivot.

8. Joe Corvo, Boston Bruins
Another former Carolina Hurricane player who, like Cole played his best hockey in Carolina. Corvo has also played for the L.A. Kings, Ottawa Senators, and played his worst hockey for the Washington Capitals. Corvo is an offensive defenseman with major defensive warts to his game. It is highly unlikely that coach Claude Julien gives Corvo more ice time than Tomas Kaberle received. Kaberle was played in a bottom pairing with secondary power play time.

7. Dustin Byfuglien, Winnipeg Jets
As a “Big Buff” fan, it pains me to include him in this list. Last season Byfuglien exploded out of the gate and with his wicked shot, was dominating the NHL. Byfuglien was leading the defense in scoring and was clearly the best defensemen and a Norris trophy favorite. The second half of the season was different as he was unable to maintain his terrific pace. In the past Byfuglien has struggled with his weight and recently Byfuglien was arrested for boating while intoxicated http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/spo...128881848.html. During the booking it has been discovered that he weighed in at 286pounds, 40 pounds over his playing weight. This leads me to believe while still an excellent offensive and fantasy defenseman, Byfuglien may fail to duplicate last seasons 53 points.

6. Clarke MacArthur, Toronto Maple Leafs
In 2009-10 MacArthur had a career best 35 points playing for Buffalo, and Atlanta. Last season MacArthur broke out with a massive 62 point performance and was the team leading scorer for most of the season. The line of Mikhail Grabovski, Nikolai Kulemin and MacArthur played with good chemistry and consistency and at times was the Leafs first line. Phil Kessel is the Leafs most offensively gifted player and showed signs of chemistry with Joffrey Lupul after he was acquired from Anaheim. Tim Connolly will center Kessel and Lupul to formulate the Leafs top line and play first power play minutes. As a result, MacArthur and his line mates may see reduced ice time and more importantly, reduced power play minutes.

5. Dennis Wideman, Washington Capitals
Washington acquired Wideman for depth for the playoffs. Playing behind the emerging Karl Alzner and John Carlson pairing and Mike Green will limit Wideman in terms of offensive ice time. While Wideman will have an improved plus/minus from the minus-26 rating he had last season while in Florida, he will be hard pressed to score 40 points he produced.

4. P.A. Parenteau, New York Islanders
As a result of injuries, Parenteau seized the opportunity to play premium minutes last season and produced 53 points. However with a healthy Kyle Okposo to start the season, the emergence of league rookie goal scoring leader Michael Grabner, first round pick Nino Niederreiter, and Matt Moulson all in the fold the opportunity for Parenteau to repeat is simply not there. From eight points the previous season to 53 last year, Parenteau came out of nowhere. He has a long way fall.

3. Lubomir Visnovsky, Anaheim Ducks
Visnovsky has enjoyed several successful NHL seasons. Last season was his best, leading all NHL defensemen in scoring with 68 points. During his career, his point’s totals have risen and fallen and staying with that trend, expect a decline. Visnovsky should still be a significant point producer with good fantasy value. Just don’t make him the first defensemen picked in your pool.

2. Loui Eriksson, Dallas Stars
Eriksson has managed to put together back to back 70+ point seasons. With consistency like that why is he second on this list you ask? Brad Richards! Richards and Eriksson had fantastic chemistry together, but with Richards gone to the Rangers Eriksson will struggle. 73.6% of Eriksson’s points last season were scored while Richards was on the ice, and 85.6% in the season before. Louie Eriksson is a very talented player and will continue to produce points. But don’t fool yourself and think the loss of Richards won’t have an impact.

1. Christian Ehrhoff, Buffalo Sabers
Ehrhoff’s two seasons in Vancouver were his two highest point totals in his career, playing with the Sedin twins on the team that lead the NHL for goals. Now in Buffalo with out Daniel and Henrik, Ehrhoff may have enjoyed his best season in terms of offense. Ehrhoff was a good fit in Vancouver where his transition skills were an important part of the Canucks game. Buffalo is not as efficient at transition and not as dangerous with the man advantage as the Canucks. These factors will impact Ehrhoffs point totals this season. Still a big minute all around player with fantasy value however.

Remember that being prepared for your draft is critical. Knowing when the appropriate time to draft a player is vital to good drafting. And relying on last years stats as a script for when to pick players is always a fatal mistake. Having an informed evaluation of players can win you your pool. Good luck!

Follow Peter Harling on twitter: @pharling
For more visit: http://fantasyhockeynerd.blogspot.com/ ]]> Coach Pharling http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?86-Top-Ten-NHL-Players-under-Performing-for-2011-12 Hockey Pool Draft Season http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?85-Hockey-Pool-Draft-Season Tue, 16 Aug 2011 19:03:26 GMT We are into August now, which means hockey pool draft season is just around the corner; where has the summer gone? It has been a very busy and... We are into August now, which means hockey pool draft season is just around the corner; where has the summer gone? It has been a very busy and exciting off-season with a lot of changes and still some big question to be answered. What will happen with Drew Doughty, Oscar Moller, Kyle Turris, Brad Marchand and Zach Bogosian?

Some hockey pools are currently drafting now, but most will happen in September, which means there will be a lot of draft prep taking place this month. Here are some pointers to help poolies with making their draft list.


1. Buy more then one pool guide. You should never settle for one source. We all have our favorite players or teams and as much as we try there will always be a little bias towards those players or teams. If you want to put together the best possible list you should have at minimum two guides and three or four predicted stats sources, which you can find several online for free. Compare player profiles to get all the information you need and get an average on the predicted stats to give you a closer idea of what that player will score.

2. Look at playing time. Playing time is the number one indicator of who coaches believe are their best players, especially powerplay time. Coaches want offensive players on the man-advantage so be sure to look at powerplay time, powerplay units and powerplay points when putting together your list. Your fantasy player won’t score any points while on the bench so draft players who get the most ice-time.

3. Examine offensive stats. Drafting a goal scorer means you are getting a player who creates his own offence. A playmaker will only get points if the goal scorer puts the puck in the net. So when looking at players to draft who score about the same amount of points, always go with goal scorers, as they control their own destiny. There is an old saying: You can't score unless you shoot. The puck won't go in the net by itself -- someone needs to shoot the puck. Offensive players like to take shots; heck, all players like to shoot the puck, but when deciding whom to draft consider the guy who shoots the puck more.

4. Know your pool. Every hockey pool has their own rules and what each stat is worth. Make sure you know how your pool works. In a pool that gives more points to goals your draft list should rank goal scorers higher than playmakers. Some pools reward penalty minutes making players like Steve Downie or Ryane Clowe more valuable as they are 20 goal scorers who also average over 100 PIM a season.

Remember, the two biggest factors to look at are guys who can create their own offence and are they getting enough playing time to have that opportunity to score. Use these points when creating your list, but the number one thing to remember when it comes to drafting is always, always go with your gut. If you second-guess yourself you might miss out on a key player.

If there is a player you really want consider drafting him one or two rounds earlier then where he is ranked to go as he may go earlier then you thought he would and you would lose out on that player. Make sure you get most of the players you really want, it will make your fantasy season much more enjoyable as you will be watching them on your roster and not an opponent’s roster.

Do some research, make a list and trust your gut! Good luck this hockey pool draft season. Be sure to pick up the FHC Fantasy Hockey Pool Guide at www.fantasyhockeycoach.com.


Aaron Brouwer is the co-creator of fantasyhockeycoach.com. FHC is a free fantasy hockey service that developed a ranking system combining post-lockout statistics, current factors and our own hockey knowledge. Brouwer writes a weekly fantasy hockey column for The Star Phoenix, Fantrax, Inside Hockey and Bleacher Report. Email Coach Brouwer at brouwer@fantasyhockeycoach.com or check us out on twitter at twitter.com/fanhockeycoach. ]]> Coach Brouwer http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?85-Hockey-Pool-Draft-Season Three Keys to Fantasy Dominance http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?84-Three-Keys-to-Fantasy-Dominance Fri, 15 Jul 2011 18:45:53 GMT No matter what type of fantasy pool you are in. No matter if you are preparing for the initial draft, and expansion draft, supplemental draft or mid... No matter what type of fantasy pool you are in. No matter if you are preparing for the initial draft, and expansion draft, supplemental draft or mid season trades and roster adds/drops, these three key concepts will help guide you towards fantasy pool supremacy among your peers.

Identifying Talent
Watching a lot of hockey is your best means of identifying talent. Sure it is much less time consuming to buy a new stand magazine like McKeens or the Forecaster (the two best by far) or get an on line ranking from a website like fantasyhockeycoach.com or dobberhockey.com and they will help. But seeing a player with your own eyes is the most reliable means of finding talent. Watching lots and lots of NHL hockey is the most important way to understand how a player will perform in the NHL. There have been countless players who dominated other leagues but failed to translate that success into NHL success. Watching players in the NHL allows you to see how well certain players compare against others in regards to different skill sets. such as; Skating ability, shooting, passing, and hitting. Get as much information that you can from online and print media to help you talent analysis, but watch the games yourself. Not a pro scout you say. Not sure what to look for? Perhaps this will help.

Scouting
Gus Katsaros who scouts and writes for Mckeens once told me "when scouting a player look for the four S's. Skating, Speed, Skill, and Smarts. Players who posses all four are elite superstars like Sidney Crosby. A player who has three is a star like Jason Spezza. Players who demonstrate only two are valuable better than average players such as David Backes. If a player only has one, no matter how good he is at it, he is not likely to pan out to a top tier player. Therefore not worthy of you serious consideration. A good example of this is Rob Schremp. Schremp has lots and lots of talent but little else to go with it. Lets take a closer look at the four S's.

What to look for in terms of skating. Foot speed and agility or balance. There is a difference between quickness and speed. Don't be fooled by a player who is quick down low or in the corners to thinking he is fast. As for Agility, is he smooth skating backwards and laterally?

Smarts or hockey sense are if he makes good plays consistently. Or does he turn the puck over by making blind drop passes at the blue line (Jason Spezza). Does he get position on defenders, find open ice, create picks making room for team mates or just stand around waiting for something to happen. Is he leading the play or following it?

Skill is easier to notice. Goals and assists stats are a clear indication that players like Steen Stamkos have skill! But look for more subtle details. Can he make and receive hard smooth passes consistently? Does he take, and win key face-offs? Can he stick-handle and deek past defenders and on shoot outs? Can he handle the puck while skating at top speed?

Speed is perhaps the most obvious to notice. Does he have elite level speed that allows him to separate himself from or catch up to other players?

Opportunity
Knowing a players talent level is important, but the opportunity he currently has to work with is a significant influence on his value. Tyler Seguin is supremely talented but a little buried on a deep Boston bruins depth chart for example. Look at the teams depth chart (thn.com) and understand what opportunities he will have. Top six forward or top four defender? Starting goalie or back up? Will he see any time on the power play? Is the team he plays on any good or will his plus/minus bring down his value? Is he an over priced declining veteran fighting off younger, more talented prospects?

Talent, scouting, and opportunity are three key factors you need to constantly be analyzing from your initial draft and on to be best prepared to make the most informed decisions in managing your fantasy roster. It is not easy. It is time consuming. It is also fun, but most of all, it works! And the reward of being champion at the end of the season is more rewarding than any prize money you will win. Good luck! ]]> Coach Pharling http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?84-Three-Keys-to-Fantasy-Dominance Identifying Fantasy Value http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?83-Identifying-Fantasy-Value Wed, 29 Jun 2011 02:36:43 GMT Winning a hockey pool is all about identifying value, not forecasting and making predictions. It is important to do your home work, review players... Winning a hockey pool is all about identifying value, not forecasting and making predictions. It is important to do your home work, review players histories and injuries, and make a well prepared pick list for your draft that draws a variety of opinions. Being properly able to identify value of a player. True fantasy value is how to win a hockey pool.

First of all it is important to understand the difference between real value vs. perceived value. A lot of players have artificially inflated value for a variety of reasons. The most common is name recognition. Players who have BIG names are not always BIG point producers. Big name players can become big name players for a variety of reasons. Signing big UFA contracts like Scott Gomez, and Chris Drury. Players who were big producers but are not anymore such as Todd Beretuzzi, and Saku Koivu. These players are very well known and familiar and may be tempting to pick when you notice they are still available later in the draft. Do not make the mistake of drafting a "name", over a player who has better value. One that some rival, uneducated GM's may say "who" when you pick Blake Comeau over Alexi Kovalev.
Another pitfall to avoid is not properly identifying the difference between NHL value and fantasy value. Understand the scoring system of your pool and select accordingly. For example in a strictly points league Matt Greene has little value. But if your league score hits, and blocked shots Greene starts to have value. In the NHL Greene is a very valuable player for the Los Angeles Kings. So before you Kings fans go drafting Matt Greene, check the scoring.

Another major influence on value is slumps, and streaks. All players endure these. Star players suffer slumps and average players enjoy streaks where they perform beyond their normal value. Some recent examples of star players who have dropped in perceived value are Tuukka Rask, and Ilya Kovalchuk. Rask lost the starting role to Tim Thomas in Boston this season as Thomas delivered a monster season. Unfortunately for Rask, you can only play one goalie at a time, so he was on the bench more often than not. Kovalchuk had a disastrous start to the season as did the entire New Jersey Devils team. A wise GM would identify that Kovalchuk will snap out of it and return to form and buy low from a not so wise competitor. Once New Jersey replaced the head coach, the team started to win and Kovalchuk returned with a vengeance scoring at nearly a goal per game pace down the stretch. Just as Kovalchuk bounced back expect Rask to do the same soon. Now is a good time to look at adding Rask for cheap! The post season provided a few unlikely heroes this year in Joel Ward and Sean Bergenheim. The perceived value of these players has never been and will never be any higher. If you own these players, sell, sell, sell!!!
(Fortunately for them they are both pending UFA's and are looking for big pay days!)

There are many reasons and influences why players endure slumps and streaks. Keep in mind these fantasy players are actually real people. With real lives and out of hockey real life influences effect them. If a player has a new born baby at home he may not be getting proper rest. Perhaps a failing marriage is causing a distraction or an illness or injury. Point is, as the perceived value for players rises and falls, buy and sell accordingly.

Star rookie prospects who fail to deliver immediately are often available at discount rates. More often than not, players with "franchise" label bestowed upon them fail to meet that expectation immediately the way Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin did. How many short sighted GM's bailed on Steven Stamkos after his rocky start in the NHL playing for a woeful Tampa Bay coached by Barry Melrose!
And how many GM's feel like fools after pulling the plug on Joe Thornton after he scored seven points in his first fifty five games. If you are in a keeper pool, it pays to be patient with you star prospects. If you own Tyler Seguin and are disappointed in his twenty two point rookie season remember Thornton only scored seven! if you are looking for clues as to weather or not a rookie will endure a sophomore jinx or not some indications may be made by how he played in the second half of the season or the playoffs. Did he continue to develop? Do they continue to grow and show signs of improvement? Did they earn any time on the power play, did they play in key situations?

The role a player plays on his NHL team is very telling of what his fantasy value should be as well. This example is best accentuated by defensemen. When a defensemen is the clear number one defensemen on a team and his role is "the man" he is in a situation to deliver maximum value. Lets look at Brian Campbell. While a member of the Buffalo Sabers Campbell was the number one defenseman. He was "the man" As such he produced back to back seasons in the 40-50 point range and cashed in as a UFA. The next four seasons he struggled and only produced on season over 50 points as he was no longer "the man", playing behind Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook in Chicago. Now in Florida Campbell is clearly the number one defense man on the Panthers blue line and I expect his value to return to the 40-50 point range again. Another good example is Dion Phaneuf. Phaneuf first three season in the NHL he scored between 50-60 points. Calgary added Jay Bouwmeester and his role, and points (and value) decreased. Now Phaneuf is in Toronto and the Leafs have moved out kaberle and Beauchemin making Phaneuf the top defense man. As a result Phaneuf started to improve down the stretch. I also expect Phaneuf to return to the 50 point range again this season.

The dictionary defines value as such; Value (val-yu) 1: the desirability of something, in respect to usefulness/or exchangeability. 2: worth or importance. To win your hockey pool and earn bragging rights over your friends all next summer it is important to understand fantasy value concepts, and exploit them. Good luck. ]]> Coach Pharling http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?83-Identifying-Fantasy-Value New Fantasy NHL http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?82-New-Fantasy-NHL Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:55:53 GMT In 2004 the NHL missed an entire season due to a labor dispute. In 2005 the NHL came back better than ever, in what is still refereed to as the "New NHL". With new rules making the game faster and more offensively focused to win back fans. Since the return of the NHL in 2005 fantasy hockey has exploded! Internet websites and blogs have propelled fantasy hockey into the main stream. Office pools are common place, and more and more keeper pools are starting to exist. With the emergence of fantasy hockey it is high time for fantasy hockey to take the next step in its evolution.

The role of enforcer in the NHL since the lockout has gradually been diminishing. The speed and pace of the game make a player who really only brings fighting to the game a liability. Players who can play and fight are much more common place these days. However this has reduced the amount of fights per game we now see and reduced the amount of penalty minutes players rack up over the course of a season. Gone are the days of Tie Domi and Bob Probert racking up 300+ PIM's per season. Zenon Konopka lead the NHL in PIM's last season with 307. Second was Ottawa's Chris Neil at only 210. No other player had 200+. With such diminishing value in the penalty minutes stat from the NHL many fantasy hockey pools have started to react.

The reason why goons and penalty minutes existed in pools in the first place was to create more depth in the drafting pool. In the spirit of creating more depth to draft, fantasy hockey pioneers have turned to other stats.
Most commonly rewarding points for stats such as shots, hits, and blocked shots for defensemen. The hits stat is along the same concept of penalty minutes. It rewards players who play a physical and intimidating style of play. In the NHL, defensemen who are defensive defensemen have unquestionable value. However in fantasy hockey they are worthless. By including stats like hits, and blocked shots players such as Toni Lydman, and Luke Schenn start to have some statistical value. Lets look at Luke Schenn more closely. Schenn scored a mere twenty two points. Not quite enough to be worth being in most fantasy pools. But if you include his 251 hits and 168 blocked shots (even if they score at fraction of points ie. 0.25) he suddenly is a valuable fantasy contributor.

More and more websites that track stats for fantasy poolies are incorporating stats such as hits and blocked shots. Sites such as fantrax, and office pools include these and many, many more. For the devoted hockey fantasy nerd such as myself, I enjoy being an a fantasy league that closely resembles the reality of the NHL. Since the role of goons is all but extinct in the NHL it is time for fantasy leagues to follow suit. Penalties by definition are a "punitive measure". So why does fantasy hockey reward them with points. Welcome to the "New Fantasy NHL" ]]> Coach Pharling http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?82-New-Fantasy-NHL Remarkable end of a remarkable playoff http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?81-Remarkable-end-of-a-remarkable-playoff Thu, 16 Jun 2011 05:32:52 GMT Boy, that Timmy Thomas sure is something, isn't he?

I was lucky enough to take in game five of the series between Boston and Tampa Bay and see Thomas make the save of the playoffs to preserve the victory for the B's. In the finals, he was a remarkable 4-3 however, he only allowed eight goals in that span, while the Bruins provided 22. Seems like a series that SHOULD have been over in four games, Boston's physicality was just too much for the Canucks to handle. He is one of the most likeable athletes in a day and age when most athletes seem reprehensible.

For Vancouver, this will be the series that got away. A series, in which they were in complete control until Aaron Rome foolishly decided to swing the entire series in Boston's favor with an open ice hit that was late on Nathan Horton. Now, whether you agree on the length of suspension, it has to be undeniable that the hit was beneficial for Boston. Horton meant so much to the team after scoring pivotal goals in game seven against the Montreal Canadiens and against the Lightning.

For years, people would debate if Robert Luongo is on Martin Brodeur's level. After being the goalie of record in 2010 for a Gold, the Luongo crowd made more noise, but one thing is clear after watching the former fourth overall pick implode, is that he will never be on Brodeur's level. Brodeur, a three time Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist in 2002 as well as riding shotgun in 2010 has always shrugged off a bad game, and doesn't seem to have the mental stability of a schizophrenic. Luongo would seem godlike one game, and the next would be so embarrassing that it hurt to be a fan of the Canucks.

I must hand it to a Claude Julien led team, they won the Cup, never thought that would happen. I went against the B's every series this year and they proved me wrong time and time again. Ultimately this final will be remembered for the goaltending more than anything else. Where one was outstanding, the other was left watching. And I must say I was looking forward to the handshake to see what would happen between the two and was thrilled at the kind words offered to Luongo by Thomas. After it was all said and done, Thomas gave Luongo his wish and pumped his tires.

Lets just hope the brave men and women of the Vancouver Police Department can bring order and peace to the streets there, seeing pictures and hearing of three deaths rumored leaves a hole in my heart. It's sad that some people resort to this kind of nonsense. At the end of the day, it's only a game. And believe me Canuck fans, even though this will hurt all summer, I've been in your shoes as a fan before, there's always next year, or the year after. Sometimes losing situations like this strengthens a team's resolve. Losing in 2001 in game seven was the most painful experience I have had as a fan, but it was redemption in 2003, so keep hope alive.

Goodnight, and God bless the game of hockey.

-Vishal "Devilsfanatic" Hussain ]]> Devilsfanatic http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?81-Remarkable-end-of-a-remarkable-playoff Blockbuster Deals at Draft Day http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?80-Blockbuster-Deals-at-Draft-Day Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:29:21 GMT The NHL entry draft is a very popular day for fantasy hockey. Draft day realizes young players dreams. It brings hope to the teams that have top... The NHL entry draft is a very popular day for fantasy hockey. Draft day realizes young players dreams. It brings hope to the teams that have top picks and most of all it brings blockbuster deals.

There is always a cheer from the live audience when commissioner Garry Bettman steps to the podium and says, "I have a trade to announce". TSN coverage breaks from the panel and everyone watching at home leans forward and pays complete attention hoping that their team just added the missing piece. Every team goes into the draft in hopes of making their team better either by adding prospects or making a deal or both. Some teams in a position to make moves at this years draft are Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple leafs, and New Jersey Devils.

Philadelphia GM Paul Holmgren recently acquired the negotiation rights for Ilya Bryzgalov from the Phoenix Coyotes. Bryzgalov is set to become a UFA July first but clearly Holmgren intends to sign the goalie before he hits the open market. In order to accommodate his contract Holmgren needs to clear cap space. Currently Holmgren has less than half a million to work with and other roster holes to fill. Internet rumours swirl with names that will be traded. Holmgren has two choices in regards as to what direction he takes next. First, move a big-ticket player like Jeff Carter or Mike Richards in return for young players and draft picks.

Second, keep the core intact and move mid ticket players like Kris Versteeg, Matt Carle, or Braydon Coburn. The second option will provide cap relief but will not replenish the lack of quality prospects in the Flyers organization. Bryzgalov may demand a big salary in the range of six million. If Holmgren is determined to make Bryzgalov his man he may have a hard decision to make. Popular rumours now have Carter going to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the eight pick at the draft and a prospect. Other rumours claim that the Flyers are not happy with Richards and trading him would also allow Chris Pronger to assume the role of captain.

Brian Burke of the Toronto Maple Leafs has publicly stated on several occasions he is shopping his draft picks and is looking for a number one center. If Burke feels UFA prize jewel Brad Richards will not sign for the Leafs for whatever reason he will look at the draft as his best opportunity to address the need via trade.

Burke has several assets to work with. Two first round picks and an early second. If J.S. Giguere comes back at a discount the monster Jonas Gustavsson is expendable now that James Reimer has signed. Depth forwards Clarke MacArthur, Nikolai Kulemin, Tyler Bozak, and defenseman Carl Gunnarsson are available and affordable. Burke also has a bevy of prospects to offer and significant cap space to accommodate a big contract. At the very least expect Burke to package two of his top three picks for a pick closer to the top ten.

New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello's biggest off-season decision to make is RFA and star player Zach Parise. Don't expect Lamoriello to move the fourth overall pick or Parise at the draft. However, in order to sign Parise cap space needs to be acquired. With a little over seven million to work with Parise will take all or most of the available cap space. Lamoriello still has a few roster holes to fill after signing Parise. Possible casualties may be Devil vets Danius Zubrus, and Bryce Salvador. Zubrus would bring $3.4M in space while Salvador provides only $2.9 M. Salvador is one of five defense under contract and moving him would create a hole on the blue line. Lamoriello also needs to start looking hard at his teams’ goaltending for the present and the immediate future. Has Brodeur lost his edge? It has been a long time since he has played at the dominant level that has made him the best goalie of all time from a stats perspective. Lamoriello needs to shop for more than cap space this summer.

I do not know if these teams will be able to make the deals they need or want to make. If history shows us anything, there will be some trades. There probably will be at least one blockbuster. We all hope that our team makes it and we get that the final piece to the puzzle. That our team walks out of the draft with the same swagger that we have when we turn off the T.V. We all hope that after the draft we have renewed hope to keep us going all summer long. ]]> Coach Pharling http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?80-Blockbuster-Deals-at-Draft-Day Detroit Red Wings: Top 10 Checking Forwards All-Time http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?79-Detroit-Red-Wings-Top-10-Checking-Forwards-All-Time Sat, 11 Jun 2011 21:49:40 GMT When I think checking forward, two things come to my mind. First, is a player who is responsible for shutting down the opponents’ top player.... When I think checking forward, two things come to my mind. First, is a player who is responsible for shutting down the opponents’ top player. Secondly, is a player who is responsible defensively, knows when to throw the game changing hits, not afraid to block shots and can create turnovers.

This column will look at the top 10 checking forwards who have played for the Detroit Red Wings. It will not necessarily be the top players to ever play on the third/checking line but rather the players you would want on the ice against the opposing teams’ top players.

Honorable mentions go to Igor Larionov, Sheldon Kennedy, Joey Kocur, Mike Sillinger and Darren McCarty.

10. Kirk Maltby – A member of the “Grind Line” Maltby was a hard worker who according to The Hockey News “knew how to take opposing players off their game.” That’s the role of a checking forward, a player that can get opposing players so frustrated by the checking forward that they don’t play to their level, that’s Maltby! Maltby would kill penalties and would be counted on to give the team a boost when they needed it. Maltby won four Stanley Cups with Detroit.

Click image for larger version.  Name: Darren Helm - small.jpg  Views: 163  Size: 5.5 KB  ID: 3229. Darren Helm – Helm is the Red Wings current checking forward and looks like he will fit right into the Red Wings philosophy. Helm is one of the most exciting Red Wings to watch as he is a very fast skater, who works very hard every time he steps onto the ice. Helm played a huge role in the Wings 2007-2008 Cup, where as a rookie he played more playoff games than regular season games that season. To show the kind of character this kid has, he played in all 18 playoff games on the way to a Stanley Cup that season and started the next season in the AHL but never complained. He bought into the Wings system and now is a key member of this franchise. He will develop into a Kris Draper type of player.

8. Kris Draper – Draper embraced the role as a checking line forward. He along with Kirk Maltby and Darren McCarty formed the “Grind Line.” The “Grind Line” got their nickname because they would grind and wear out their opponents. Draper won one Selke trophy and four Stanley Cups. Draper would kill penalties and brought up the energy level every time he stepped on the ice. Draper is so good as a checking forward that he was selected for Canada’s Olympic team to play that role in 2006.


7. Gordie Howe – Howe got the nickname “Mr. Hockey” because he would do everything and was great at it all. His name is constantly in the talk of greatest of all-time, not only would Howe beat you on the score sheet but he would physically beat down his opponents too. He was not afraid to throw the elbows or drop the gloves. Howe recorded 1850 NHL points and 1685 NHL PIMS and won four Stanley Cups.

Click image for larger version.  Name: Henrik Zetterberg - small.jpg  Views: 145  Size: 6.1 KB  ID: 3216. Henrik Zetterberg – The Red Wings drafting philosophy is to draft players with great hockey sense and Zetterberg is loaded with hockey sense. Zetterberg is one of the best two-way forwards in the league today. It’s rare to see a team’s top players killing penalties but that is what both Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk can do. Zetterberg showed he can score 90+ points and can take care of things in his own end. Just imagine his point totals if he wasn’t so defensive minded. Versatile players like Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Darren Helm are the reasons why the Red Wings remain a dominate team year in and year out.

5. Ted Lindsay – Lindsay scored 851 points and racked up over 1800 PIMs in 1068 games. Lindsay had a reputation for meanness which led to the nickname “Terrible.” Thanks to Lindsay’s rough play the NHL had to create penalties for elbowing and kneeing. Lindsay won four Stanley Cups.

Click image for larger version.  Name: Steve Yzerman - small.jpg  Views: 163  Size: 4.6 KB  ID: 3204. Steve Yzerman – Yzerman was the third wheel in the late 80s, battling Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux for scoring titles. It wasn’t until he became one of the best two-way centers in the game that the Stanley Cups started to pour in. Yzerman is the ultimate team leader, as he could score points and would shut down the opposing team’s top line. Yzerman led by example and wasn’t afraid to block shots but unfortunately injuries slowed his career. Yzerman won one Selke trophy and was a valuable asset for three Stanley Cups and an Olympic Gold Medal.

3. Sergei Fedorov – During the mid-90s Fedorov was the game’s best two-way player in the World. Fedorov was two Selke Trophies and a Hart Trophy, showing that he could be counted on at both ends of the ice. Fedorov skating and hockey sense allowed him to see the play as they were unfolding and know when to step up for the steal. Fedorov was a defensive force his whole career, so much so that he even played a little defense and was a key member of two Red Wings Stanley Cups.

2. Marty Pavelich – You’re asking who? Pavelich played in the 50s who put up respectable offensive numbers, was an NHL All-Star four times and won four Stanley Cups. He was the Kris Draper of his era; his job was to shut down the opposing team’s top scorer. Pavelich was so good at his job that Stan Fischler ranked him fourth overall as best defensive forward of all-time in his book Hockey’s 100: A Personal Ranking of the Best Players in Hockey History. Fischler wrote “Pavelich was a slithery center who tormented the foe with his tenacious checking.”

Click image for larger version.  Name: Pavel Datsyuk - small.jpg  Views: 173  Size: 5.2 KB  ID: 3191. Pavel Datsyuk – The Red Wings continue to prove that they can be a dominating team by asking their superstar players to be defensively responsible. There is no doubt that Datsyuk has elite offensive skill, scoring 90+ points on more than one occasion and on any other team he probably would be a consistent threat for NHL scoring leader, but not on Detroit. The Red Wings have no problem matching first line against first line because they know Datsyuk is an elite defensive forward. Datsyuk is the reigning Selke Trophy winner and has been for the last three years.





Aaron Brouwer is the co-creator of fantasyhockeycoach.com. FHC is a free fantasy hockey service that developed a ranking system combining post-lockout statistics, current factors and our own hockey knowledge. Brouwer writes a weekly fantasy hockey column for The Star Phoenix, Fantrax, Inside Hockey and Bleacher Report. Email Coach Brouwer at brouwer@fantasyhockeycoach.com or check us out on twitter at twitter.com/fanhockeycoach. ]]> Coach Brouwer http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?79-Detroit-Red-Wings-Top-10-Checking-Forwards-All-Time Finally the Flyer Address Their Weakness http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?78-Finally-the-Flyer-Address-Their-Weakness Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:11:09 GMT Attachment 317 (http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=317)For the last several years, it’s been the same story for the... Click image for larger version.  Name: Ilya Bryzgalov - small.jpg  Views: 662  Size: 6.7 KB  ID: 317For the last several years, it’s been the same story for the Philadelphia Flyers: great team, but questionable goaltending.

The Flyers have finally addressed that issue with the acquisition of Ilya Bryzgalov’s rights. Nothing is guaranteed yet, as Bryzgalov is an unrestricted free agent, but Philly now has a couple weeks head start to try to sign him.

It has been a revolving door in the crease for the Flyers over the last few seasons; just look at this year Stanley Cup playoffs and you will see what I am talking about. Sergei Bobrovsky started the playoffs and was pulled for Brian Boucher, and then Boucher would start a few games only to be pulled for Michael Leighton. Leighton got one start, but the Flyers went back to the Boucher and Bobrovsky combo.

It's a wonder Flyer goalies have any confidence at all, as Bobrovsky went from the starter to the press box after two games.

Over the last three seasons, the Flyers have used Bobrovsky, Boucher, Leighton, Ray Emery, Johan Backlund, Jeremy Duchesne, Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki during the course of the season. That’s eight different goalies over three seasons.

The Flyers acquired Bryzgalov’s rights by trading away Matt Clackson, a third-round pick in the 2012 draft and future considerations. The downside to this deal is that someone will need to be moved to create cap space for Bryzgalov. Either way, the Flyers will be a better team with Bryzgalov in net than without him.

Over the past two seasons, Bryzgalov has been a fantasy stud. In the 2009-2010 season, he started 69 games, had a 42-20-6 record, posted a 2.29 GAA, 0.920 SV% and had eight shutouts. Last season he started 67 games, had a 36-20-10 record, posted a 2.48 GAA, 0.921 SV% and had seven shutouts. Those are fantastic numbers and should only improve if the Flyers can sign him.

On a side note, I am very upset over the Aaron Rome suspension.

Rome is not a dirty player in any fashion. Nathan Horton was carrying the puck and Rome was stepping up to make a hockey play and finish his check. There was approximately one second between Horton passing the puck and Rome hitting him. There is no way anyone could have reacted fast enough to stop the hit or get out of the way. If Horton had jumped right up, Rome might have received a minor penalty, but it seems the penalty and suspension were based more on the resulting injury.

My question for the NHL is, if that was Zdeno Chara hitting a third or fourth line player like Maxim Lapierre instead of a sixth defenseman hitting a first line player, would Chara have received the same suspension or would he be getting praise for making a great hockey play in the Stanley Cup Finals?

Click image for larger version.  Name: Robin Lehner - small.jpg  Views: 95  Size: 6.2 KB  ID: 318Finally, congrats go out to the Binghamton Senators of the AHL on wining the Calder Cup.

Binghamton is the farm team for the Ottawa Senators and the future looks bright for Ottawa with prospects like Robin Lehner, Erik Condra, Kaspars Daugavins and Jared Cowen. Lehner backstopped the Senators with a GAA of 2.10, a 0.939 SV% and three shutouts in the AHL playoffs. Lehner will be a fantasy stud, so make a move on him now before his value gets too high.





 ]]> Coach Brouwer http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?78-Finally-the-Flyer-Address-Their-Weakness Brad Richards sweepstakes http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?77-Brad-Richards-sweepstakes Fri, 03 Jun 2011 17:55:20 GMT TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie reported yesterday that Dallas Stars brad Richards will not be resigned. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=367672 ... TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie reported yesterday that Dallas Stars brad Richards will not be resigned.
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=367672

Brad Richards will become a UFA July first and he will be able to pick almost any team in the NHL to play for. The list of team seeking his services will be very long and some teams at the top of the list will be the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay lightning, Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadians, and Los Angeles Kings to name a few. Some of the factors that will go into Richards decision as to where to sign are money, term, geography, family and of course the organizations chance to win. Lets have some fun and break down the top contenders and chances of Richards signing there.

New York Rangers strength of offer will come in the form of money and term. The Rangers have shown in the past that they are not afraid to throw out ridiculous money and term to UFA players. I would expect a contract offer of $50M over seven years with a cap hit of around $7M per year. Sather will offer the most cash and term no doubt. Richards will also become a bigger profile star playing in New York and will have plenty of endorsement opportunities to supplement even more income. Richards and his family will be recognized in the community not like in Canada. The Rangers feel like they are a team on the rise with lots of young talent. Will Richards see himself as the missing piece?

Brian Burke has made his intentions this summer crystal clear. Add a star player to be the teams number one center. Burke has also gone on record by stating his disdain for long term front end loaded contracts like the Kovalchuk deal last summer. Burke has lots of cash and cap space to work with of course but his offer will likely be out bid by Rangers. Burke will offer a reasonable offer in the range of $40M over five years. A cap average of $8M per year but only for five years taking Richards to thirty six years old. Playing for the leafs will provide Richards with a life time of endorsement opportunities. Just ask Doug Gilmore and Wendel Clark. Living in Canada and being a hockey star means he will be recognized everywhere he goes. His kids will be well known at school as Brad Richards kids. Brian Burke feels like the Leafs are a good team. Burke recently said in a n interview that to win, a team needs two or three elite players. Currently the Leafs really have none. Richards is a legit star player and playing in Toronto would make Kessel a star and possibly Phaneuf as well. Richards would put the Leafs into a playoff position but not a cup contender. Can Burke sway Richards and add one or two more pieces?

Richards may choose to go back to his former team the Tampa Bay Lightning. He and his family would obviously be familiar and comfortable there. Richards has said he never wanted to leave. Tampa Bay was one win short of going to the Stanley Cup finals and his long time good friend and teammate Vincent Lecavalier is there. Money becomes the stumbling block for Richards to go back to Tampa. According to Cap Geek, tampa has eleven players signed and $23M cap space to work with. However, Stamkos is a RFA and will command top dollar in the Crosby Ovechkin range. Not to mention Lecavalier, St. Louis, Malone and Ohlund are already under long term deals. Can rookie GM Yzerman work the numbers and make an offer to Richards that both Yzerman can afford and Richards will accept?

Richards former GM Jay Feaster will see Richards as a dream option to center star winger Jerome Iginla. Flames only have $3M in cap space and seventeen players signed. Finding cap space for Richards will be challenging as almost all of Calgary's big ticket players have NMC in their contracts. Calgary feels like a veteran team capable of challenging for a cup run and Richards could push them over the top. Will Feaster clear cap space and make an offer? Will Richards be tempted to sign long term on a veteran team and will his family want to move from sunny Dallas to freezing Calgary?

Montreal Canadians may have the cap space to offer Richards by letting star defender Andrei Markov walk as a UFA. Montreal has long needed a true number one center and Richards clearly fills the bill. With $23M in cap space Gauthier has the cap space but has only ten players signed. Richards would take up at least seven of the available cap space leaving only $16M to sign at least nine players. Montreal does have plenty of young players who can cheaply fill out the roster, Pouliot, White, Desharnais, Pyatt and Leblanc. While Gauthier's offer may not be as much as what Rangers or Leafs can offer the endorsement opportunities will be rich as long as Richards speaks, or learns to speak French. Montreal is a good young team with a young core lead by Elite goalie Carey Price. Richards could lead the Habs back to the Stanley cup finals but will he do so for less money? Will he and his family be happy in a French speaking community?

Last year the Los Angeles Kings were the runner up in the Kovalchuk sweepstakes. Lombardi was unwilling to commit as much money and term as the Devils ultimately did. Will Lombardi be willing to do this summer what he was not last summer? With only $11M in cap and sixteen players signed Lombardi needs to resign RFA defender and franchise player Drew Doughty. Signing Doughty will eat up a big chunk of the teams long term cap making the timing to sign a big ticket UFA less than ideal. Richards would not have to move far and he and his family could continue to enjoy living in a warm climate in privacy. Richards signing in Los Angeles would move them into cup contention and he would make the Kings relevant the way Gretzky did to a lesser extent. With Kopitar, Stoll, Schen, and Loktionov already in the system do the Kings really need Richards? Will Lombardi be determined to not be outbid this time? Will Richards see the Kings as the best fit for him and his family?

Richards will have plenty of great options this summer as these and several other will make strong offers. The consensus favorite seems to be the New York Rangers, but do not count out Brian Burke. Ultimately it will be Richards decision and only time will tell where he plays and who is the winner of the Richards sweepstakes.
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http://fantasyhockeynerd.blogspot.co...-richards.html ]]> Coach Pharling http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?77-Brad-Richards-sweepstakes Fantasy hockey is key to NHL success http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?76-Fantasy-hockey-is-key-to-NHL-success Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:50:40 GMT The NHL makes fantasy hockey possible. But does fantasy hockey make the NHL possible? Commissioner Gary Bettman has a vision for his NHL. To bring... The NHL makes fantasy hockey possible. But does fantasy hockey make the NHL possible?

Commissioner Gary Bettman has a vision for his NHL. To bring it from Canada and North eastern United States and make the sport of hockey a national sport of relevance. To compete with the NFL, NBA, and MLBA. By adding teams to the sun belt region from Florida to California and attempting to land a lucrative national television contract. The southern teams have had a lot of success as well with Tampa Bay, Anaheim, Dallas, and Carolina all winning the Stanley Cup. As Bettman was awarding the cup in Anaheim to thunderous applause I remember him stating "looks like hockey is alive and well in California!" While Carolina was on their two appearances in the Stanley cup finals the fans were tail gating at the arena during game day all day and into the night the way they do for Nascar and football. While this makes it clear there are hockey fans in southern cities and all across North America they are fair weather fans. Where are these fans when times are tough for their team?

In the Northern or "traditional" hockey markets the fans are much more committed. Fans there are loyal fans of their team but more significantly are fans of hockey. So how can the NHL breed fans of "hockey" and not just casual fans who only follow their local team? The answer is fantasy hockey. If you are reading this blog chances are you belong to a hockey pool. Even if your team sucks and is enduring a rebuild or awful season you still check the box scores daily and have a vested interest in the NHL. The best example I have ever seen for this is my father. A long time Leaf fan would watch if the Leafs were doing well, if not his interest was gone. Over the last two years he has joined my hockey pool. Since then he has joined two more and plays weekly free pools on CBC and other sites. Now he watches a game almost every night. Now he may even watch a game on T.V. and follow box scores on his lap top. Now he owns a jersey and shares season tickets. Now he is a "hockey" fan, more than just a leaf fan. And it is all because of fantasy hockey.

The most successful pro sport league in North America is the NFL . The main reason why is gambling. Fans love to be in NFL pools and suicide pools etc. Because of this the NFL enjoys major National television broadcasting revenues because fans love to watch games, even if their home team is not playing!

While the NHL makes fantasy hockey possible, fantasy hockey can fulfill Bettman's vision of the NHL. How can the NHL leverage fantasy hockey to be even as close to successful as the NFL? Perhaps a team in Las Vegas. If this is the formula how would you suggest the NHL executes? What would you do to grow fantasy hockey? ]]> Coach Pharling http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?76-Fantasy-hockey-is-key-to-NHL-success Brian Rafalski Retires http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?75-Brian-Rafalski-Retires Wed, 25 May 2011 22:26:22 GMT Attachment 300 (http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=300)Brian Rafalski announced his retirement today from the NHL, as he... Brian Rafalski - ICON SMIBrian Rafalski announced his retirement today from the NHL, as he wants to spend more time with family.

Rafalski signed as an undrafted free agent with the New Jersey Devils back in 1999. He went on to win two Stanley Cups with the Devils and one with the Detroit Red Wings. Rafalski also won two Olympic Silver medals with Team USA.

Rafalski played 11 seasons in the NHL and was a fantasy hockey stud! Rafalski scored 32 points in his rookie season. He scored 10 or more goals in two seasons and averaged seven goals a season. Rafalski scored 50 or more points in four seasons and averaged 47 points a season. Rafalski never finished a season with a minus ranking and was always a threat on the power play.

Rafalski will be greatly missed in Detroit and on most fantasy rosters. With his retirement this will create more power play time for Niklas Kronwall who is ready to take the next step. The Red Wings have two defense prospects ready to step into the line-up so don’t expect the Wings to use this extra salary on another defensemen. This creates a great opportunity for Kronwall to be the main man in Detroit and for Jakub Kindl or Brendan Smith to secure a full-time roster spot. ]]> Coach Brouwer http://www.fantasyhockeycoach.com/entry.php?75-Brian-Rafalski-Retires