Peter Schaefer saw an increase in value when he was traded to Boston. The LW will now end up playing on a line with either Patrice Bergeron or Marc Savard. Schaefer has always been defensively sound but has yet to really find the offensive game that many people felt he had. In Boston he will get a chance to prove he can score the puck. Critics have said he has stone hands but he has scored 20 goals once in his career and netted 47 and 49 goals in the WHL.
Schaefer will be relied on for offense in Boston, something that was not always the case in Ottawa. While he did get chances to play a scoring role in Ottawa he never really found steady production.
Schaefer will get minutes in every situation on the ice and could easily have a career year. He is worth a look in your league.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Player Breakdown: Dustin Penner
Dustin Penner LW, had a very good first full season in the NHL last year. He netted 29 goals and played a big role in the Ducks winning the Stanley Cup. On top of that he signed a healthy offersheet this summer from the Edmonton Oilers.
Penner was close friends with Joffery Lupul his rookie season in ANH, he even lived in Lupul's ANH house last year. Now he will be following Lupul's path to Edmonton but don't expect him to leave EDM after one season like Lupul. What Penner lacks in speed he certainly makes up for in size, grit and hands.
Penner's stats last season were 29 goals, 16 assists for 45 points. He was a -2 on the ice and tallied 58 PIMs and had 9 points on the power play and netted 5 GWGs. Penner also put 204 SOG.
Penner will see top 6 ice in EDM and will be a fixture on the powerplay. He should play on a line with Horcoff and Hemsky which will mean two skilled passers will be feeding him the puck. Penner should be able to pass 30 goals with ease next season and should see all of his stats increase. His +/- could be a concern but he has solid tools to become the next Todd Bertuzzi type player.
Penner was close friends with Joffery Lupul his rookie season in ANH, he even lived in Lupul's ANH house last year. Now he will be following Lupul's path to Edmonton but don't expect him to leave EDM after one season like Lupul. What Penner lacks in speed he certainly makes up for in size, grit and hands.
Penner's stats last season were 29 goals, 16 assists for 45 points. He was a -2 on the ice and tallied 58 PIMs and had 9 points on the power play and netted 5 GWGs. Penner also put 204 SOG.
Penner will see top 6 ice in EDM and will be a fixture on the powerplay. He should play on a line with Horcoff and Hemsky which will mean two skilled passers will be feeding him the puck. Penner should be able to pass 30 goals with ease next season and should see all of his stats increase. His +/- could be a concern but he has solid tools to become the next Todd Bertuzzi type player.
Q & A Segment 8/06/07
Well, its that time again. Summer must be on the mind as the questions have slowed down as of late. Prospect camps have been going but the hockey news has been slow. The biggest splash was the Penner offer sheet. As I have been saying over and over, get your hands on Petr Kalus if you can. He has been blowing the Wild management away at camp and should be a lock to make the team next year. OK, lets get to the questions...
Thomas in Sweden
Hello, I have an expansion draft coming up and I am the expansion manager. Talent is thin and I will have to build through prospects for years before I can truly make a run. Can you rank these players by position?
Thomas, Thanks for the question. I will only list the guys once from your list. to save space. I will put a number after their names in the order you had them to show my ranking.
g jonathan bernier 2
g ondrej pavelec 3
g karri rämö would not even list him at 4.
g cory schneider 1
d noah welch 4
d jakub kindl 7
d brent seabrook 2
d tom poti 5
d dennis wideman 6
d kristofer letang 1
d ty wishart 8
d tobias enström 3
c michal hanzal 2
c valtteri filppula 3
c sam gagner 4
c andrew cogliano 1
c marc-antoine pouliot 5
c brian boyle 6
lw peter schaefer 3
lw james vanriemsdyk 1
lw jeff tambellini 2
lw benoit pouliot 5
lw kyle calder 4 the benefit of Schaefer and Calder is they will play next year. Tambi will as well.
rw petr kalus 1
rw nicklas bergfors 5
rw trent hunter 4
rw mikael samuelsson 2
rw radim vrbata 3
rw claude giroux 6 The RW ranks could change if the prospects show me more this year.
Mannu in Finland
Will Hannu play for the Blues next year or eat pine behind Legacy?
Mannu, I could see Hannu getting a solid chance in STL next season. Legacy is often hurt and even when healthy seems to only be good for about 55 starts. I would take Hannu in a league if you have Legacy for insurance. Toivonen is also a solid keeper league pick as he still has the chance to be a solid #1 goalie.
Pissed in ANH
I can't believe we lost Penner! What do you think his jump in production will be in EDM?
I can understand you being upset. I would hate to have an older player with mental and injury issues in Bertuzzi and lose and up and coming power forward like Penner. The good EDM ice will not make Penner a faster skater, but the increased time on the ice and playing with excellent passers in Hemsky and Horcoff could really help Penner net 30+ next season. Horcoff lacked a finisher last year and got a lot of blame from EDM fans for it. I think the arrival of Penner will help Horcoff's production and it will help the terrible EDM powerplay. I expect all of Penner's numbers to improve next season and I don't see him struggling like Lupul did last season in the same position.
Nathan in MIN
last keeper spot to fill. its toss up time, getz or parise?
Nathan, That is a hard one. I will start by being a wimp and saying you can't go wrong with either guy. Both have great skill, great upside and are very young. Getzlaf has some better offensive support and did better on faceoffs last season so he gets my vote by a hair.
Frank in PHI
I was just offered Sykora for my Hartnell in my keeper. It is a PIM league but I can get PIMs from a goon. Should I take the deal for 2 good years of PIT production?
Frank, I am a Hartnell fan, but I also think to date his production is very easily replaced. That said, I would rather hold Hartnell and see what he does this season in PHI. Sykora will no doubt be able to score goals in PIT but he will have to rely on his teammates and his age and injury issues are a worry to me. I think he could do better that Hartnell the next two years for goals but I would rather have Hartnell for the long run.
Harry in Ithaca
I am having a hard time deciding between Roy in BUF and Mueller in PHX. What would you do?
Harry, I think Mueller has more offensive upside and he should see plenty of ice next year in PHX despite his young age. That said, Roy will be leaned on more in BUF next season and showed great chemistry with Vanek. Throw Stafford or Maxim on the right side and thats a killer line. Roy also plays short handed and gives you stats in all categories. Right now I would lean toward Roy but Mueller could be something special. I want Roy the next two years, I would want Mueller the next ten years.
Phil in Vancouver
i love guys in yahoo that are lw/rw for obvious reasons. i have eric cole and dustin brown in my keeper. i am also thinking of adding kalus because of your man-crush on him. what wing does kalus play and with all these trade rumors about cole and the lack of production of brown, should i try to trade them? love the site, keep up the good work man.
Phil, thanks for reading the site and thanks for the kind words. With the love fest out of the way, lets address my man Kalus. He has been listed as RW, some scouts have him as a LW and last year Yahoo had him as a RW/D! I think he will slide around in MIN next season but I think he could find a home on the left side. How leagues will list him is always a mystery. I would not worry about Cole, he will produce and have value to trade even if he gets hurt. Brown has more forwards to eat time from him this season and while he is a good source of goals and PIMs he is very inconsistent. If you have a Brown fan in your league I would try to move him for someone more consistent.
Garth in NH
I need help in my leagues. I once drafted Pasi Nurminen...AFTER HE RETIRED! I did win a big keeper league in its first season though but it was based on hellish luck all season. I just traded Backstrom in MIN to get Pominville and my current goalies for next year are Manny and Budaj. Should I try to make a trade for a goalie before our draft?
Garth, thats a funny story. Congrats on the big win, you just need to get one for bragging rights. That Pomiville trade could hurt. I am not sold on Backstrom yet, but Pominville without Briere has yet to be proven either. I think I would have preferred to keep Backstrom given that net of yours. I have no idea what your team is made up as, but I would try to trade for Theodore and/or Thomas to lock up the goalies you have, plus both guys should be very cheap based on their recent play. Then in season you can try to get a better goalie or perhaps draft a solid prospect like Harding, Price or Montoya for the future.
Lacey in ATL
Hossa is my fav player and there are non-stop rumors he could be traded. Why won't he re-sign long term here in ATL? Will he still be a solid fantasy pick for next years draft?
Lacey, you can never go wrong with Hoss. He may not be committed to staying in ATL since they never get him a center to play with. He is also rumored to be at odds with Hartly. I'd still take Hossa early in any league, he is a stud.
Blake in EDM
Will Penner be a monster next year in EDM or a Lupul?
Blake, I think Penner will be a solid player next season and with Hemsky to set up passes, he could see the other side of 30 goals easy. Penner won't be near the league lead in assists but he should be a solid contributer in all fantasy leagues.
Jared in CHI
I just got a job in Chicago and I am thinking about getting season tickets to the Blackhawks. How would you rank these players for the Hawks next year? Kane, Toews, Havlat, Ruutu.
Jared, congrats on the job. I think Chicago will be a very entertaining team to watch next season. Even though Havlat could get injured in a plastic bubble, I would still rank him #1. He is a one of a kind talent. Toews I was very high on until CHI inked those old centers, but I still think he could have a Stastny like season and challenge Backstrom and Mueller for rookie of the year. Ruutu seems to finally be healthy and with a solid summer of conditioning I expect him to put up better numbers next year. Kane is all hype right now, and it still remains to be seen if he can produce in the NHL with his small frame. I rank them, Havlat, Toews, Ruutu, Kane.
That is it for now. Keep the questions coming. Thanks gang!
Thomas in Sweden
Hello, I have an expansion draft coming up and I am the expansion manager. Talent is thin and I will have to build through prospects for years before I can truly make a run. Can you rank these players by position?
Thomas, Thanks for the question. I will only list the guys once from your list. to save space. I will put a number after their names in the order you had them to show my ranking.
g jonathan bernier 2
g ondrej pavelec 3
g karri rämö would not even list him at 4.
g cory schneider 1
d noah welch 4
d jakub kindl 7
d brent seabrook 2
d tom poti 5
d dennis wideman 6
d kristofer letang 1
d ty wishart 8
d tobias enström 3
c michal hanzal 2
c valtteri filppula 3
c sam gagner 4
c andrew cogliano 1
c marc-antoine pouliot 5
c brian boyle 6
lw peter schaefer 3
lw james vanriemsdyk 1
lw jeff tambellini 2
lw benoit pouliot 5
lw kyle calder 4 the benefit of Schaefer and Calder is they will play next year. Tambi will as well.
rw petr kalus 1
rw nicklas bergfors 5
rw trent hunter 4
rw mikael samuelsson 2
rw radim vrbata 3
rw claude giroux 6 The RW ranks could change if the prospects show me more this year.
Mannu in Finland
Will Hannu play for the Blues next year or eat pine behind Legacy?
Mannu, I could see Hannu getting a solid chance in STL next season. Legacy is often hurt and even when healthy seems to only be good for about 55 starts. I would take Hannu in a league if you have Legacy for insurance. Toivonen is also a solid keeper league pick as he still has the chance to be a solid #1 goalie.
Pissed in ANH
I can't believe we lost Penner! What do you think his jump in production will be in EDM?
I can understand you being upset. I would hate to have an older player with mental and injury issues in Bertuzzi and lose and up and coming power forward like Penner. The good EDM ice will not make Penner a faster skater, but the increased time on the ice and playing with excellent passers in Hemsky and Horcoff could really help Penner net 30+ next season. Horcoff lacked a finisher last year and got a lot of blame from EDM fans for it. I think the arrival of Penner will help Horcoff's production and it will help the terrible EDM powerplay. I expect all of Penner's numbers to improve next season and I don't see him struggling like Lupul did last season in the same position.
Nathan in MIN
last keeper spot to fill. its toss up time, getz or parise?
Nathan, That is a hard one. I will start by being a wimp and saying you can't go wrong with either guy. Both have great skill, great upside and are very young. Getzlaf has some better offensive support and did better on faceoffs last season so he gets my vote by a hair.
Frank in PHI
I was just offered Sykora for my Hartnell in my keeper. It is a PIM league but I can get PIMs from a goon. Should I take the deal for 2 good years of PIT production?
Frank, I am a Hartnell fan, but I also think to date his production is very easily replaced. That said, I would rather hold Hartnell and see what he does this season in PHI. Sykora will no doubt be able to score goals in PIT but he will have to rely on his teammates and his age and injury issues are a worry to me. I think he could do better that Hartnell the next two years for goals but I would rather have Hartnell for the long run.
Harry in Ithaca
I am having a hard time deciding between Roy in BUF and Mueller in PHX. What would you do?
Harry, I think Mueller has more offensive upside and he should see plenty of ice next year in PHX despite his young age. That said, Roy will be leaned on more in BUF next season and showed great chemistry with Vanek. Throw Stafford or Maxim on the right side and thats a killer line. Roy also plays short handed and gives you stats in all categories. Right now I would lean toward Roy but Mueller could be something special. I want Roy the next two years, I would want Mueller the next ten years.
Phil in Vancouver
i love guys in yahoo that are lw/rw for obvious reasons. i have eric cole and dustin brown in my keeper. i am also thinking of adding kalus because of your man-crush on him. what wing does kalus play and with all these trade rumors about cole and the lack of production of brown, should i try to trade them? love the site, keep up the good work man.
Phil, thanks for reading the site and thanks for the kind words. With the love fest out of the way, lets address my man Kalus. He has been listed as RW, some scouts have him as a LW and last year Yahoo had him as a RW/D! I think he will slide around in MIN next season but I think he could find a home on the left side. How leagues will list him is always a mystery. I would not worry about Cole, he will produce and have value to trade even if he gets hurt. Brown has more forwards to eat time from him this season and while he is a good source of goals and PIMs he is very inconsistent. If you have a Brown fan in your league I would try to move him for someone more consistent.
Garth in NH
I need help in my leagues. I once drafted Pasi Nurminen...AFTER HE RETIRED! I did win a big keeper league in its first season though but it was based on hellish luck all season. I just traded Backstrom in MIN to get Pominville and my current goalies for next year are Manny and Budaj. Should I try to make a trade for a goalie before our draft?
Garth, thats a funny story. Congrats on the big win, you just need to get one for bragging rights. That Pomiville trade could hurt. I am not sold on Backstrom yet, but Pominville without Briere has yet to be proven either. I think I would have preferred to keep Backstrom given that net of yours. I have no idea what your team is made up as, but I would try to trade for Theodore and/or Thomas to lock up the goalies you have, plus both guys should be very cheap based on their recent play. Then in season you can try to get a better goalie or perhaps draft a solid prospect like Harding, Price or Montoya for the future.
Lacey in ATL
Hossa is my fav player and there are non-stop rumors he could be traded. Why won't he re-sign long term here in ATL? Will he still be a solid fantasy pick for next years draft?
Lacey, you can never go wrong with Hoss. He may not be committed to staying in ATL since they never get him a center to play with. He is also rumored to be at odds with Hartly. I'd still take Hossa early in any league, he is a stud.
Blake in EDM
Will Penner be a monster next year in EDM or a Lupul?
Blake, I think Penner will be a solid player next season and with Hemsky to set up passes, he could see the other side of 30 goals easy. Penner won't be near the league lead in assists but he should be a solid contributer in all fantasy leagues.
Jared in CHI
I just got a job in Chicago and I am thinking about getting season tickets to the Blackhawks. How would you rank these players for the Hawks next year? Kane, Toews, Havlat, Ruutu.
Jared, congrats on the job. I think Chicago will be a very entertaining team to watch next season. Even though Havlat could get injured in a plastic bubble, I would still rank him #1. He is a one of a kind talent. Toews I was very high on until CHI inked those old centers, but I still think he could have a Stastny like season and challenge Backstrom and Mueller for rookie of the year. Ruutu seems to finally be healthy and with a solid summer of conditioning I expect him to put up better numbers next year. Kane is all hype right now, and it still remains to be seen if he can produce in the NHL with his small frame. I rank them, Havlat, Toews, Ruutu, Kane.
That is it for now. Keep the questions coming. Thanks gang!
Penner becomes an Oiler
The Anaheim Ducks failed to match the offer sheet of the Edmonton Oilers for Dustin Penner. Penner now joins the Oilers in their efforts to bounce back from a forgettable season.
Penner should see plenty of power play time and could be on a top line with Hemsky. Penner will see top 6 minutes no matter what.
Penner is now a very good LW option in all leagues and could be very valuable in PIM leagues.
Penner should see plenty of power play time and could be on a top line with Hemsky. Penner will see top 6 minutes no matter what.
Penner is now a very good LW option in all leagues and could be very valuable in PIM leagues.
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