Adds for 10/21/07

Ten roto ideas for matchup play:

Lukas Krajicek (Van - D) PPPs, SOG, Assists.

Derek Boogaard (Min - LW) PIMs.

Scott Parker (Col - RW) PIMs.

Mark Parrish (Min - RW) Goals, SOG.

Mason Raymond (Van - LW) SOG, Points.

Stephane Veilleux (Min - LW) SHPs, PIMs.

Michael Peca (Cls - C) Points, PIMs.

Ian Laperriere (Col - RW) PIMs.

Tyler Arnason (Col - C) Points, SOG.

Eric Belanger (Min-C) SHPs, Points, SOG, +/-.

Good luck with tonights roto plays!

Starting Goalies 10/20/07

Projected starters:

Manny Fernandez BOS vs Henrik Lundqvist NYR

Patrick Lalime CHI vs Vesa Toskala TOR

John Grahame CAR vs Martin Biron PHI

Marc-Andre Fleury PIT vs Brent Johnson WSH

Ryan Miller BUF vs Cristobal Huet MTL

Rick DiPietro NYI vs Kevin Weekes NJD

Craig Anderson FLA vs Ray Emery OTT

Johan Hedberg ATL vs Marc Denis TB

Mike Smith DAL vs Jean-Sebastien Giguere ANH

Josh Harding MIN vs Manny Legace STL

Dominik Hasek DET vs Mikael Tellqvist PHX

Dwayne Roloson EDM vs Miikka Kiprusoff CGY

Chris Mason NSH vs Evgeni Nabokov SJS

Check back for updates.

Match up adds for 10/19/07

Ten roto matchup ideas:

Nick Foligno (Ott - LW) Coming off his first NHL goal, he could be good. Points, +/-, SOG, PIMs.

Kurtis Foster (Min - D) SOG, PIMs, Goals.

Douglas Murray (SJ - D) PIMs.

Brett Lebda (Det - D) PPPs, Points, SOG, +/-, PIMs.

Steve Wagner (StL - D) 3 Assists in 5 games. +/-, Assists, SOG.

Jay Pandolfo (NJ - LW) Points, SOG.

John Madden (NJ-C) Goals, SHPs, SOG, PIMs.

Craig Conroy (Cgy-C) Points, +/-.

Arron Asham (NJ-RW) Points, PIMs.

Kris Draper (Det-C) Points, SHPs, +/-, SOG, PIMs.

Bonus Trent Hunter (NYI-RW) Points, SOG.

I hope tonights matchups are going well!

Late on the Move

Sorry everyone. Post will be in by 9pm. Long day :(

Starting Goalies 10/19/07

I was away all day and didn't get time to research them. Only 30 minutes left so please check out goaliepost.com to get the starters for tonight.

Lehtonen Down!

Kari Lehtonen (Atl-G) is down!!! Looks like it could be the unlucky groin again. The Post Hartley era is starting with a mixed bag. Atlanta is playing well but their main man goes down in net.

Get Hedberg or Pavelec immediately in case its bad. Need to be prepared for the worst. This could insure your safe if you own Lehtonen or get you a goalie or trade chip if you get the knee of the manager that has Lehtonen.

Starting Goalies 10/18/07

Projected Starters for Tonight:

Marc Denis TB vs Tim Thomas BOS

Henrik Lundqvist NYR vs Kari Lehtonen ATL

Rick DiPietro NYI vs Olaf Kolzig WSH

Kevin Weekes NJD vs Martin Biron PHI

Tomas Vokoun FLA vs Vesa Toskala TOR

Carey Price MTL vs Martin Gerber OTT

Jean-Sebastien Aubin vs Miikka Kiprusoff CGY

Alex Auld PHX vs Dwayne Roloson EDM

Chris Osgood DET vs Evgeni Nabokov SJS

Adds for 10/19/07

Ten Match up ideas to add for tomorrow:

Chad LaRose (Car - C) SOG, Points, SHPs, PIMs.

Paul Gaustad (Buf - C) PIMs, PPPs.

Adam Mair (Buf - C) PIMs, Points, +/-.

Ian Laperriere (Col - RW) PIMs.

Rick Rypien (Van - C) PIMs, Points.

Raitis Ivanans (LA - LW) PIMs.

Jason Chimera (Cls - LW) Points, SHPs, SOG, PIMs.

Jaroslav Hlinka (Col - C) Assists, SOG.

Dmitri Kalinin (Buf - D) Spacek is hurt. Points, PPPs, SOG, +/-.

Frantisek Kaberle (Car-C) PPPs, SOG, Assists.

Good luck with tonights match ups!

Q & A Segment 10/17/07

Things are moving fast to start the year. We have yet to see a big goalie injury and we have our first head coach fired. Lets get to your questions and see if they reflect other people's thoughts.

Murray in South Plymoth
Who has more upside. Rob Schremp or David Krejci?

Murray, right now I would go with Krejci. The team and management loves him and he has great skill. Schremp is fighting to get out of the dog house and could be looking at being a PP specialist and not a guy that can be counted on 5 on 5. If Schremp can turn it around he has more natural talent, but Krejci is the safe pick right now.

The Nick in Freeland
With Hartley gone will Atlanta score some goals? Are they still a match up to seek in roto play?

Nick, Atlanta should see an increase in production. That is common after a coaching change. While the best pick ups in roto were the guys playing against ATL, I would expect them to be solid plays after the first or second game under the interim coach.

James,
Play him or bench him? Bill Guerin.

James, Hard to answer that with such little information. I say play him. A guy like Guerin can go for 2 goals and a fight when you least expect it.

Max in Alberta
I have been offered Ryan Smyth and Tobias Enstrom in my standard scoring/PIM keeper. I would have to give up Huselius. I would have to drop a defensemen. I have plenty of scrubs. Thats not a concern.

Max, I would prefer Huselius in a keeper because of his age. He is starting out like last year was no fluke. I would think Huselius + roto spot will net you just as good stats as Smyth and Enstrom.

Chris in NYC
Dawes is going to play tonight. Should I activate him from my farm team or wait?

Chris, I would wait. Most farm teams, once you activate them they have to stay up. Dawes is a long way from sticking yet. I would give him 10-15 games before I activated him.

Anonymous
I have been offered Kobasew and Lucic for Jack Skille. Take it? I could use the production over the NA, but I don't want to lose a long term power forward stud.

Take the deal if you need stats now. Lucic has as much upside as Skille right now. Skille might prove a better goal scorer down the road but right now Lucic is the only one playing in the NHL.

Ben in NJ
Rick Nash has a sore groin. Will he be missing games?

Ben, right now it looks like they are just resting Nash from practice. Keep an eye on him and check for updates. He has a pattern of leg injuries that are reason for concern.

thats all I have for now. Keep them coming.

Hejduk is DTD, Smyth Shines.

Milan Hejduk (COL-RW) is out with a bad back. He is listed as DTD but we all know how tricky those back injuries can be. Adjust your rosters accordingly.

With Hejduk out Ryan Smyth (COL-LW) picked up the slack. He scored a goal, had an assist and registered 11 SOG. This is the game owners were waiting for.

Hartley Fired, Souray Hurt

The hammer finally dropped on Atlanta head coach Bob Hartley. This is a fantasy blog so I won't slap out a bunch of Hartley info. Bottom line, ATL will finally become worth having in fantasy leagues now. Expect real numbers from their fantasy players now. They should see a big pop the next few games.

Sheldon Souray (EDM-D) Sustained a shoulder injury while fighting Byron Ritchie during the game against the Vancouver Canucks Saturday night. No word on when he might return or how bad it is. Fantasy owners who have Souray should adjust their rosters immediately.

Adds for 10/18/07

10 ideas for match up adds:

Jan Hlavac (TB - LW) - SOG, Points.

Nick Boynton (Pho - D) PIMs.

Fedor Tyutin (NYR - D) +/-, Points.

Chris Campoli (NYI - D) Points, PPPs, SOG.

Derek Morris (Pho - D) SOG, PPPs, PIMs, Points.

David Krejci (Bos - C) Assists, +/-.

Rob Schremp (Edm - C) SOG, Points.

Chris Gratton (TB - C) Goals, PIMs, SOG.

Steve Reinprecht (Pho - C) SOG, Points.

Craig Weller (Pho-RW) SOG, Points, PIMs.

Starting Goalies 10/17/07

Projected starters for Wednesday 10/17/07:

Mason NSH vs *Giguere ANH

Norrena CLS vs Smith DAL

Khabibulin CHI vs Legace STL

Broduer NJD vs Fluery PIT

* Check back for updates

Buy, Sell, and What the Hell? Crappy Coaches Edition

Buy, Sell, and What the Hell?
Crappy Coaches Edition

by

The Arrogant Puck

--Hey, Listen Up Hosers!!!!! I'm here to tell you who looks good, who looks bad, and who looks like that funny guy/girl with the hairy mustache at your local grocers. You know who I'm talking about. And even after that one night stand with the hazy breakfast, you still don't know the gender do you?

BUY

Paul Gaustad (C) - Sabres -- It never pays to draft high profile Centermen. This year, Gaustad is seeing loads of powerplay time. You should be able to pick him up for free on the wire and plug him in for spot duty. Word on the street is, that the infamous McCabe goal heard around the world actually touched Gaustad the Human Goalie screen before McCabe slammed it home - so he got a lucky GWG. As long as he's plugged in front of the crease on the pp, expect the luck to continue.

Milan Lucic (LW) - Bruins -- For deep keeper leagues only, Lucic joins the small group of up and coming prospects that might be the next great power forward. Scoring a Gordie Howe hat trick the other night, Lucic brings it every night. He's worth the add until we see if he gets sent back to juniors or stays on with the big club.

Jordan Staal (LW) - Penguins -- For keeper leagues, be sure to talk about the sophomore slump. But if you caught the last pitt game, you'll know that Staal was a monster on the puck and shot it like a man posessed. His value may never be lower than it is right now. His massive frame matches his massive upside, so strike before it is too late.

Thomas Vanek (LW) - Sabres -- This week might not be the time to do the trade, but you should get started on feelers. Vanek is going to have a cold start to this season. The key will be to trade for him once his owner panics. I think he'll turn things around mid-season or maybe not til next year - so he's a perfect buy low candidate in keeper leagues.

SELL

Tomas Holmstrom (LW) - Red Wings -- He's good and on fire. But don't count on it to last the entire season. Just like stocks, you have to try to sell high and buy low. Holmstrom's stock will never be higher, so strike while you can. Obviously, don't sell him for anything - only if you can get great value in return.

Niklas Hagman (LW) - Stars -- I normally don't like to sell LWs at all, and I have two listed as sells. Be sure to include something about LW being the most difficult position to fill, when you send out those Hagman trade offers. He's on fire out of the gate this year, but it won't last. Hurry trade him while you can get great value for him. Do it now!

Bob Hartley (Coach) - Thrashers - For you diehard punks that draft coaches in your fantasy leagues, drop this cat to the wire! He sucks and Atlanta is playing for him to be fired.

Nathan Horton (RW) - Panthers -- I've watched this kid, and I am not sold on his talent. He's posting good numbers, but I'd try to get out while the getting is good. I want no part of Florida, so I'd look to sell him for the best player/package you can.

What the Hell????

The Ottawa Nets - Senators -- If you picked up Gerber on the cheap this summer, good for you. If you paid heavily for Emery in that keeper league, bah, that sucks. Anyway, if you don't have Gerber or Emery, I would be looking to trade for either one, if you can get them on the cheap. Gerber owners are nervous he'll lose his #1 job. Emery owners are nervous that Gerber is the new number one in town. Based on history, players have a tough time having a good season when they miss the preseason like Emery has, so he has a tough hill to climb. But either way, try to use this nervousness to grab one or both of these goalies on the cheap.

--That's it, I'm outta here.

The Arrogant Puck has left the Arena.

Jonathan Bernier sent to juniors.

Jonathan Bernier (LA-G) was sent back to the minors yesterday by the LA Kings. Bernier is still a good long term hold in keeper leagues, but he should be dropped in all single season pools.

The kid might be sad to be out of the NHL this year, but I have a feeling he will enjoy this year a lot more now.

If you are considering picking up J.S. Aubin in your league, don't. Sure he could have good games but he can also let in 8 any night. I like Labarbera but he is a highly risky start as well. I'd stash him on the bench until the team shows signs of life.

Match up adds for 10/17/07

Here are ten ideas for roto plays:

Jordan Tootoo (NSH-RW) PIMs.

Darcy Hordichuk (NSH-LW) PIMs.

George Parros (ANH-RW) PIMs.

David Koci (CHI-LW) PIMs.

Jason Williams (CHI-C) PPPs, Points, SOG.

Nicklas Bergfors (NJD) Points, SOG.

Jason Chimera (CLS-LW) SOG, SHPs. He plays well vs DAL.

Maxime Talbot (PIT-C) He is on fire. Points, SHPs, SOG, PIMs.

Christian Backman (STL-D) PPPs, SOG, +/-, PIMs.

Kent Huskins (ANH-D) SOG, +/-, Points.

Good luck with tonights matchups!

Starting Goalies 10/16/07

Projected starters for Tuesday night 10/16/07:

Lehtonen ATL VS Biron PHI

Huet MTL VS Vokoun FLA

Kiprusoff CGY VS Budaj COL

Backstrom MIN VS Labarbera LA

More Cheese Please?

I saw this comment of "More cheese please" under yesterday's post for The Cheese Move. Sadly I didn't see it until tonight. I check my E-mail more often then I check for comments. While comments are a fine way to ask questions, it is faster if you E-mail me . Comments I usually get to every two days. E-mail is daily (if I am in town).

In the future if you want a reply or information for the next day, E-mail me. I try to check them before I call it a night.

I will try to post before I travel and I will try to nudge The Arrogant Puck into posting when I am out of town.

Thanks for the continued support.

No Hard Feelings

I was one of the people that questioned how life for Kristian Huselius (CGY-LW) would be when Mike Keenan got to town. Its well documented how Keenan ran ruff shot over Huselius in FLA. Then he traded him to Calgary. Perhaps Iron Mike was just planning for the future!

When Keenan got to town he said all the right things. He praised Huselius and said how he could see the improvements in his body and attitude. People skill questioned how it would work out once real games started.

Huselius has 4 goals and 1 assist in 5 games this season. He has registered 15 SOG and looks to have all the confidence in the world with the puck. Coming off last season's totals of 34 goals and 77 points in 81 games, Huselius is picking up where he left off.

Calgary fans and fantasy managers can stop holding their breathe, everything is going to be fine. So it seems now!

Matthew Lombardi (CGY-C) is also starting off well. He had a slow start the first three games, logging just 1 assist. He has broke out with 3 goals in his last two games including a SHG and a GWG.

NHL Starting Goalies

I look up all the starting goalies I can. As I have mentioned I use various sources to find this information. Beat writer blogs, local newspapers, radio and TV stations. Sometimes I miss something, or there is an update when I am away from the computer and can not catch it in time.

You should always use a couple of sources when deciding who to start. I want to suggest you check out our friends over at Goaliepost.com

This site has great information on goalies and breaks down stats on that nights starter. I often use this site as a double check to the information I find.

Give them a look but don't forget us here at Fantasy Pucks either! :)

Come on NHL, get it right!!!

OK, this is not exactly fantasy related in terms of advice. However, I sit here mad and looking to rant and the advantage of having this outlet at my disposal is about to be realized.

For years position eligibility has been a burr in the saddle of fantasy managers. Each year we complain and get the same token replies. Each year we think that they must fix this as its one of the biggest problems with fantasy hockey. Each year we are left tearing our hair out as players we see play the wing nightly are listed as Center all season while a guy like Wade Belak gets RW/D.

There seems to be no rhyme or reason behind it. I was relieved when Malkin started out the year as LW. I didn't care if he got center, I wanted him as LW. I feared he would never get the LW. I was thrilled when I saw the Yahoo listing for him. He also gained the C/LW very fast as he is high profile. If Ovechkin was playing defense you can bet he would be listed as LW/D in a couple days. If Yahoo gets enough requests or the player is a big enough name they will fix it. There are also the ones they randomly add that don't add up.

I was told this is due to Yahoo using official NHL team sites. They go on that information. Low and behold, the NHL sites are full of roster errors. How can a team site not list all the positions a player plays? Does the NHL not realize they need to market and promote their sport? Who is in charge of this information and sites? I would think one person is more than capable of doing this job. I am also certain it should be no more than two days work to fix!!!

I might need to spell this out for the NHL. They have never seemed the most business savvy bunch. If you want to promote your sport, one of the fastest growing markets to do that in is fantasy sports. People not at all interested in hockey will play fantasy just for something to do. They have a team, they watch some games to watch the players they have. If they have some good players they will start watching more, probably get hooked. However, if all they see is inconsistencies and wrong information they will think that fantasy hockey is dump. They won't watch games anymore because they have no reason to follow the sport (lord knows they won't try to find the VS channel!). The NHL and Yahoo and all the fantasy outlets the NHL sells permission to should get on the same page. We are not talking a very difficult thing to do, and the little effort they put into making it smooth and accurate would go a long way in gaining a following. Otherwise its hard to get new players to come back the next year. I have seen this all too often in the past with managers leaving because they think its backwards and mismanaged.

That brings me back to Yahoo. I spent the $5.00 on their draft kit this year. I normally don't as their expert advice seems obvious. However, it was reduced in price when buying stattracker at the same time. Given I was writing this blog I felt it a good investment as a frame of reference. I certainly was wrong! Their depth charts listed players under the wrong wing. They projected Igor Grigorenko at 48 goals (still time left, he could get them!) and in their many files they list guys as different positions than those listed on their very own rosters. So, I ask Yahoo, "Who writes this crap?" I am still awaiting a reply.

Its one thing to list it and blame the NHL. Its another to list it wrong and different in various spots on your own fantasy site. I'm not sure who these "experts" are that Yahoo has working for them, but it seems clear they don't watch many games. Their crack reporting on injuries are always the day the player plays or the day after. Never the day before when managers need the information.

If you manage a team and are frustrated, I urge you to send your fantasy hockey provider an E-mail. Send the NHL an E-mail. Let them know you are sick of the sloppy effort and you want things to be streamlined.

Thank you for listening to my two cents. Please write those E-mails! We can improve fantasy hockey because if we don't, no one will!

Adds for 10/16/07

Ten matchup ideas for Tuesday 10/16/07:

Brian Smolinski (MTL-C) Smoke has been bumped up on the depth chart and has been playing well. SOG, Points, +/-.

Randy Jones (PHI-D) +/-, assists, SOG, PPPs.

Ian Laperriere (COL-RW) PIMs.

R.J. Umberger (PHI-C) SHPs, SOG, Points.

Jozef Stumpel (FLA-C) SOG, points.

Nick Schultz (MIN-D) Points, +/-, SHPs.

Mark Streit (MTL-D) PPPs, SOG.

Bobby Holik (ATL-C) He had life last game and is a mad player. PIMs, Points.

Mark Parrish (MIN-RW) Goals, SOG.

Rostislav Olesz (FLA-C) SOG, SHPs, PPPs, Points, +/-, PIMs.


Good luck with tonights matchups.

Starting Goalies 10/15/07

Projected Starters 10/15/07

Raycroft TOR VS Thibault BUF

Nabokov SJS VS Luongo VAN

Bryzgalov ANH VS Hasek DET

Saturday Night Roundup.

Last night was a lot of fun for hockey. My remote control needed new batteries from all my channel switching between games. NHL Center Ice is a great joy of my life. Here are some fantasy highlights for managers.

Marian Gaborik (MIN-RW) scored his first goal of the season. He has been playing well and now that he has broke the seal, look out! Also had 6 PIMs, 4 SOG.

Daniel Carcillo (PHX-LW) Scored 2 goals and had 10 PIMs. Avery who?

Nik Antropov (TOR-C) Knocked down in the corner, he stood up threw his body into Malkin and Malone to separate them from the puck, grabbed the puck, drove the net and crashed in a goal. Ant had a goal, and assists, was a +1, 5 SOG and collected 14 PIMs.

Alex Steen (TOR-C) He is flying with confidence and looks great with Sundin and Blake.

Wojtek Wolski (COL-LW) Played on the top line with Sakic and Brunnette. He collected 2 assists and was a +2.

Mathew Lombardi (CGY-C) Scored a SHG. His 3rd goal in 2 games.

Patrik Elias (NJD-C/LW) Had 8 SOG, 2 goals and an assist, including the GWG.

Daymond Langkow (CGY-C) Had a goal and two assists last night. He is on fire.

Travis Zajac (NJD-C) Recorded a goal and two assists. Had a PPP and 4 SOG.

Jaroslav Spacek (BUF-D) Netted 2 goals.

Tim Thomas (BOS-G) Threw more dirt on Manny with an impressive 2-1 victory over the SJ Sharks. Win, 1 GAA, .963 sv%.

Paul Martin (NJD-D) logged 3 assists.

Olli Jokinen (FLA-C) Had 1 G, 2 A but he was a -1.

Jason Arnott (NSH-C) Had a solid fantasy line. 1G, 1A, +1, 2PIMs.

Daniel Sedin (VAN-LW) A good looking 2 goal performance.

Ruslan Salei (FLA-D) 1 G, 1 A.

Stephan Weiss (FLA-C) 1 G, 1 A, 3 SOG, +1.

Robert Lang (CHI-C) 1 G, 1 A, 5 SOG.

Martin Biron (PHI-G) Win, 1 GAA, .967 SV%.

Patrick Lalime (CHI-G) Win, 1.01 GAA, .944SV%.

Joe Sakic (COL-C) HAT TRICK!

Milan Hejduk (COL-RW) 2 goals and an assist. GWG.

Henrik Sedin (VAN-C) 3 assists, +2.

Maxim Afinogenov (BUF-RW) 1 G, 1 A, +3, 2 PIMs, 7 SOG. Nice!

Brian Campbell (BUF-D) 6 SOG and 4 assists, +1, 1 PPP.

Roberto Luongo (VAN-G) Win, 1 GAA, .964 SV%.

Cam Ward (CAR-G) Win, 1 GAA, .958 SV%.

Thomas Vanek (BUF-LW) 2 assists.

Patrice Bergeron (BOS-C) 1G, 1A.

Marco Strum (BOS-LW) 2A.

Ilya Kovalchuk (ATL-LW) 2 goals.

Andrew Brunette (COL-LW) 2A, +2.

Mike Green (WSH-D) 1G, 1A, 2PIMs.

J.P. Dumont (NSH-RW) 1G, 1A.

Derek Roy (BUF-C) 2 goals, 3 SOG, +3.

Martin Gerber (OTT-G) Win, 1 GAA, .973 SV%.

Peter Budaj (COL-G) Win, 1 GAA, .960 sv%.

Sidney Crosby (PIT-C) 2 goals, 2 PIMs, 4 SOG, GWG.

Kristian Huselius (CGY-LW) 2 Goals, 4 SOG.

Mats Sundin (TOR-C) 1G, 1A.

Jerome Iginla (CGY-RW) 1G, 1A, +2, 6 SOG.

Nathan Horton (FLA-C/RW) 1G, 1A, +2, PPP.

Vaclav Prospal (TB-C) 2 goals.

Patrick Kane (CHI-RW) 1A, 2 PIMs, 6 SOG.

Phew! Those are my Saturday night stand outs.

Adds for 10/15/07

10 matchup ideas for roto slots:

Dmitri Kalinin (BUF-D) Points, SOG, +/-.

Daniel Cleary (DET-RW) Points, SHPs, PPPs, SOG, +/-, PIMs.

Alex Burrows (VAN-LW) PIMs, SOG, SHPs, Points.

Jeff Cowan (VAN-LW) PIMs, SOG.

Rick Rypien (VAN-C) PIMs, Points, SOG, SHPs.

George Parros (ANH-RW) PIMs.

Alex Steen (TOR-C) If he is not taken in your league, get him. He is flying! More than Roto play.

Kris Draper (DET-C) Points, SOG, SHPs, +/-.

Adam Mair (BUF-C) Has been playing strong. Points, PIMs.

Daniel Paille (BUF-LW) Points, small chance at PIMs, SOG.

Good luck tonight with your matchup plays!

Starting Goalies 10/14/07

Projected Starters for Sunday 10/14/07

Harding MIN VS *Giguere ANH

Labarbera LA VS Osgood DET

* Check for updates.