Month: March 2010

The salamehockey.com site administrators, over the course the next few weeks, will be taking a look at each team’s roster and analyzing the likely scenarios for keepers and re-signs for the upcoming 2010-2011 season. Patriots Forwards – Keepers Joe Thornton, San Jose – Thank God this isn’t a playoff pool. “No show Joe” is renowned for disappearing when it matters most. But… he’s a regular season superstar. He’s capable of hitting 110 pts, and is a safe bet for 90-100 pts per season if he continues to play with Dany Heatley. Patrick Kane, Chicago – One of the premier young players in the NHL today, Pat is a point-per-game player with upside in the 90-100 pts range. He also tips poorly to taxi drivers and is a Buffalo native, which makes him awesome in anyone’s book. He’s also much better than Thomas Vanek, in case you’re following. Jeff Carter, Philadelphia – Jeff is a quality person, he understands his fellow being, and is a point-per-game force for the Flyers. Carter has a sick release and is capable of being a perennial 40 goal scorer and 80-90 pts potential. Mikko Koivu, Minnesota – Saku’s younger and better brother, Mikko is the picture of productive hockey consistency. Already past his career-best 67 pts, he is a force to be reckoned with and has the size, skill and leadership qualities to make him a top end point producer over 80 pts for years to come. Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa – Daniel is so old, his rookie card was in black and white and was still old when Alex Daigle got drafted. He’s so old he actually played in the first ever hockey game, on a pond. He’s so old, that he’s managed to get 70 pts nine times. He’s a point producer of elite caliber and will continue to be so until the grim reaper comes to steal his soul. Expect 70-80 pts until he croaks. Tim Connolly, Buffalo – Tim has great hands, great playmaking ability, and has the potential to continue to be a 70 point player, but unfortunately, he cannot hold a stick without cracking a rib. Mikael Samuelsson, Vancouver – Mikey has found chemistry with the Sedin twins, which turns him into a solid fantasy producer. Having flipped off his own country after being left off their Olympic roster, Samuelsson has been on a tear. Until he separated his shoulder of course. Since then, he’s been hanging out with Tim Connolly. Forwards – Resigns Antti Miettinen, Minnesota – If he’s the Antti-Miettinen, then who’s the real Miettinen? Miettinen is a depth forward who can provide solid fantasy production. Niklas Hagman, Calgary – In the same mold as Miettinen, Hagman is a solid top 6 forward on the flames and can be a decent fantasy producer. Vaclav Prospal, New York – While Vaclav is a top line winger, he’s coming off a strong season, meaning he will probably suck next year. Defencemen – Keepers Dion Phaneuf, Toronto – Dion has the capability to be a top blue line fantasy producer for years to come. A tough customer with a wicked slapper, Dion plays with an edge and can get up between 45-55 points a year. Marek Zidlicky, Minnesota – Has been a solid fanstasy producer for years and now with his contract extension, can be solid for more years as the #1 choice on the Minnesota blueline. Jay Bouwmeester, Calgary – May be the most overrated defenceman in fantasy hockey, but has the skills to be a 40 point defenceman. Defencemen – Resigns Michael Del Zotto, New York – Del Zotto burst onto the scene this year, gushing with talent. But like most rookies, after a hot start, the game began to catch up to him and he has struggled since. However, he has the talent to be the Ranger’s top point producer from the blueline. Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit – Has been an elite level point producer for years, Lidstrom has started to feel father time catch up to him. Still a decent fantasy performer, if Lidstrom resigns with Detroit, he can still be a decent option for next year as well. Dennis Seidenberg, Boston – While not the best producing defenceman, Seidenberg comes at a decent price and puts up solid depth fantasy numbers. Keepers – Goaltenders Jimmy Howard, Detroit – Not a unanimous choice among the SFHL panel, Jimmy Howard has shown during his first year that he is able to carry the load in Detroit. A possibility for the Calder trophy this year, Howard is playing behind one of the perennial top teams in the NHL and is capable of 35 wins and 3-4 shutouts a year. Resigns – Goaltenders Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose – Has been a top 5 fantasy goalie for years, Nabo has started to show his age this season. Currently scheduled to be a UFA at the end of the year, Nabo needs to have a strong playoff in order to guarantee an NHL job next year, if not with San Jose, then with another team. Cristobal Huet, Chicago – The good news is that Huet is signed long term. The bad news is that he may become the most expensive backup in the league. Huet needs to pick up his game in order to force the ‘Hawks to make him #1 again. – Danny Petti & Giulio Iaconi

The salamehockey.com site administrators, over the course the next few weeks, will be taking a look at each team’s roster and analyzing the likely scenarios for keepers and re-signs for the upcoming 2010-2011 season. Hot Liquid Forwards Keepers Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim – Getzlaf, the former 1st round pick and Calgary Hitman, is a star center with great size and presence for the Anaheim presence. After bursting onto the scene in 2005 and establishing himself as a PPG player in 2008, he has demonstrated that he has the skill and work ethic to produce at an elite level with production ranging from 85 to 95 pts. At only 24 years of age, he is an elite keeper to have in the SFHL. Corey Perry, Anaheim – Perry, like Getzlaf, was part of the Anaheim remodeling in the earlier part of the decade, and possesses excellent skill on the wing of one the league’s elite centermen in Getzlaf. Together, the duo offer great potential, making Perry a valuable asset to own and capable of offering 70-80 pts per season with a ceiling in the PPG range. Bobby Ryan, Anaheim – Carrying on with the Anaheim love affair, Bobby is a big, talented and former 2nd overall pick. Bobby has quickly shown he was worthy of being selected right after Crosby in 2005 and is now a two-time thirty goal scorer with excellent upside. Playing alongside Getzlaf and Perry, Ryan has the potential to be a PPG player, and will likely deliver 70-80 pts per season until then. Jonathan Toews, Chicago – The young Hawk captain is a venerable two-way force with great size and skill set, and is used in almost every situation with the Blackhawks. The former 3rd overall pick has the talent to become a consistent 35-40 goal scorer with 70-80 pts upside. Stephen Weiss, Florida – Weiss broke out in 2008 with a great 61 point campaign and has quickly risen to the top of the Florida depth chart playing alongside Nathan Horton. Both players are former 1st round picks with excellent pedigree and while Horton may be a little more injury prone, Weiss holds excellent skill to produce 60-70 pts per season. Brad Boyes, St. Louis – Onward with the St. Louis love affair, Boyes has disappointed this season, but remains a solid top six option with 60-70 point upside, and a good chance to crack the 30 goal mark. The former (wait for it) 1st round pick is talented and is an excellent bounce back candidate for 2010-2011. Peter Mueller, Colorado – Peter, wait for it… a former 1st round pick with the Coyotes, had an excellent rookie season and then fell off the face of the fantasy hockey planet for two seasons. Since then, Mueller has been traded to the equally surprising Colorado Avalanche and has made a fantastic turnaround in his short time there. He offers excellent top line potential and potential for 70+ pts per season. Resigns T.J. Oshie, St. Louis – TJ burst onto the scene as an integral part of the Blues’ youth movement in 2009 and has shown great poise as a young player. He has top line potential and when the old guard begins to exit off the Blues’ top six, TJ will likely be given more opportunity to display his talents and will offer top line upside. David Booth, Florida – Originally slated to be keeper number 7, Booth, shockingly only a 2nd round pick for the Panthers in 2004, has the definite ability to hit excellent numbers if he can recover from his two consequent concussions this season. While both instances of injury have plagued him all season, Booth is a workhorse when he is on and offers excellent scoring potential. David Perron, St. Louis – Seriously, apparently the Blues have a great future since Perron is one of many youngsters of cracking the top six within no time. Perron has excellent skill and offers great top six potential. Sam Gagner, Edmonton – Continuing the love affair with young former 1st rounders, Gagner holds the skill to be a top six point producer once he matures. Bryan Little, Atlanta – While 2009-2010 may turn out to be a bit of a write-off year, Bryan (yes, you guessed it, a former 1st round pick), offers excellent top six potential and is a dynamic goal scorer on a developing and exciting young Thrashers team. Maxim Afinogenov, Atlanta – Believe it or not, he’s not a first round pick! Maxim has excellent offensive talent but has been labeled as a defensive liability for much of his career. He has found a new home in Atlanta following several years of lackluster performance in Buffalo, and offers great top six offensive upside. Defensemen – Keepers Shea Weber, Nashville – One of the hardest shots in the NHL, Shea is the top offensive defenseman on a burgeoning Nashville blue line and has the skill to top 50 points regularly. Erik Johnson, St. Louis – Surely with all the former 1st rounders up in that offense, there has to be some lower-ranking draftees right? Wrong. 1st overall pick. Dynamic all-around defenseman, and surprisingly, he’s only the 4th player from St. Louis on this team! He has the potential to become a 50 point defenseman and perhaps more once he fully matures. Lubomir Visnovsky, Anaheim – Surely a point man from Anaheim was needed to complement the Anaheim big forward line right? Somehow, if Anaheim and St. Louis become the biggest goal-scoring teams in the NHL, this team will flourish. If not, then at least Lubo will produce upwards of 50 pts per season, if he stays healthy. Resigns Joni Pitkanen, Carolina – While very injury prone and somewhat inconsistent, Joni has abandoned those labels this season while posting his best career numbers yet. He is a former 1st round pick (big surprise!) and plays big minutes on the Carolina blue line to offer steady production as a top power play d-man. Erik Karlsson, Ottawa – […]

The salamehockey.com site administrators, over the course the next few weeks, will be taking a look at each team’s roster and analyzing the likely scenarios for keepers and re-signs for the upcoming 2010-2011 season. Goodfellas Forwards Keepers Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh – Malkin truly established himself as a member of the elite superstar category or “big three” last season and is an extremely gifted player with excellent scoring and playmaking skill. He has the talent to contend for the Art Ross Trophy on an annual basis and provide a production upside of 100-120 points per season. Despite his somewhat season-long slump this year, he will remain a force in the NHL for quite some time. Ilya Kovalchuk, New Jersey – Kovalchuk is arguably a top five forward talent and offers incredible offensive punch to any team who is lucky to have him. Despite the numerous rumors of a KHL-bound career, he is still more likely to sign with a big team next season and will likely be given a big role to play as a premier goal scorer. Ilya has always been a point per game player and has the upside to achieve 100 point seasons if he plays with the right playmakers. Patrick Marleau, San Jose – The former number 2 overall pick now has two 80+ point seasons under his belt, and faces unrestricted free agency this coming summer with much to offer any team in the NHL. He is a premier scoring center or winger, depending on the line he plays on, and offers excellent production value considering his SFHL price tag. Marleau has the talent to continue to produce in the 80-90 point range for several seasons. James Neal, Dallas – James has truly come into his own this season as a permanent member of the Dallas top six and provides the excellent scoring punch the young and developing Stars needed to complement the surging Loui Eriksson and Brad Richards. Neal has the upside to be a consistent 60-70 point player. Kristian Huselius, Columbus – The Juice offers good 20-30 goal production on arguably one of the league’s poorly performing teams in Columbus, however he has often showcased a great ability to deliver when it counts and offers a 60-70 point range in production with potential for mid-70 points if given the right opportunity (which the Rick Nash line offers in CBJ). Jamie Langenbrunner, New Jersey – While Jamie never hit any major offensive highs while in Dallas, he has truly come into his own in New Jersey and has taken a leadership role with the team, all while providing excellent offensive as well as defensive upside, providing consistent 60-70 point production among NJ’s top six. Blake Wheeler, Boston – Blake, a former first round pick, has top six potential with a growing Bruins forward corps and plays a big, offensive-minded game. Still developing under the guise of the Boston veterans, he offers great potential as a goal scorer and will likely become deliver at least 50 points with a potential for 60-70 in the near future. Resigns Patrik Berglund, St. Louis – Member of a young and developing and very deep forward corps for the Blues, Patrik has the upside to become a top line player once he breaks out. It is only a matter of time once the older guard in St. Louis is replaced with the youngsters, and once this happens, Patrik’s top line role will help him flourish. Andy McDonald, St. Louis – Some may say that Andy saw his best years alongside Teemu Selanne in Anaheim, but this top six point producer still has several years in him and offers established veteran presence for any team seeking a good top six forward. Alexei Ponikarovsky, Pittsburgh – This season’s top trade deadline acquisition, Alex has broken out of his shell in Toronto and now has decent potential to really produce alongside either Crosby or Malkin in Pittsburgh, a highly-coveted role to play for any young winger with top six production. Scott Glennie, Dallas – The former first round pick is quickly developing into an excellent forward with the Brandon Wheat Kings and offers decent potential to complement other youngsters in the Dallas system inching their way towards the big team. Defense – Keepers Mike Green, Washington – A point per game defenseman. It’s just not fair. Green, at only 24 years of age, possesses enough offensive skill to derail any argument that his defensive game is lacking, and then some. It also doesn’t hurt he plays on the league’s top power play and holds incredible offensive dynamism to undoubtedly be considered the top offensive option on the blue line in the entire NHL. Has the potential to top 80 pts per season. Alex Goligoski, Pittsburgh – Goligoski, a purely offensive defenseman, is being groomed to take over from Sergei Gonchar once the Russian eventually retires from being the Pens’ quarterback on one of the league’s most dangerous power plays. He has the skill to be a top offensive defenseman with 50-60 point upside in Pittsburgh. Tobias Enstrom, Atlanta – Enstrom, while a member of a great young Atlanta blue line with a lot of depth, holds the best potential to quarterback the power play for years to come and has the offensive skill to continuously offer 50-60 point production. Resigns Brian Rafalski, Detroit – Despite the blip in Detroit’s offense this season, Brian remains a top pairing defenseman with excellent power play skills and holds top 10 offensive production ability while healthy. Jamie McBain, Carolina – Only 22 and already showing excellent poise on the Carolina blue line, McBain projects as a top offensive defenseman and can quickly move up the Carolina ranks as such without much competition (aside from the injury-prone Joni Pitkanen). Goaltenders – Keepers Roberto Luongo, Vancouver – Bobby simply personifies goaltender talent and plays a smart game on a very skilled Vancouver team. While now in his 30s, he still holds the number one slot and will likely play […]

The salamehockey.com site administrators, over the course the next few weeks, will be taking a look at each team’s roster and analyzing the likely scenarios for keepers and re-signs for the upcoming 2010-2011 season. Keepers – Forwards Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit – Prior to this year, Datsyuk was the picture of consistency, producing four straight 85+ pt seasons, with two consecutive 97 pt seasons, making the Russian veteran a perennial MVP candidate. He remains a top line center with 100 point potential. Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit – Similar to Datsyuk in terms of points per game production, but oftentimes will not complete a full season’s games due to injury. Hank is extremely talented and possesses the skill to be a 100 pt player as well, if he remains healthy. Alexander Semin, Washington – Semin will never play 82 games per season, but in those 60-70 games, he will produce at a similar clip to any PPG player in the NHL. Semin has the upside of 85-95 pts per season and will continue to provide that potential if he remains healthy for years to come. Brad Richards, Dallas – What a year for Richards. A major bounce back from a slow few seasons in Tampa as well as last year in Dallas, Richards has assumed the top centerman role in Dallas and will continue to provide 85-95 point upside well into his late thirties. Mike Ribeiro, Dallas – Gennaro believes Mike Ribeiro should eat his own feces, but nonetheless, Mike is a great player in a post-Montreal portion of his career, and has the skill to consistently post 75-85 point seasons with a talented and young Dallas top six. Andrei Kostitsyn, Montreal – Andrei, a former 1st round pick, is an extremely talented Belarussian with great scoring ability and the talent to become a 60-70 point player for the Canadiens, if he remains healthy and free of cocaine. His friends call him TITS… why wouldn’t you protect him? Brooks Laich, Washington – The wolf in sheep’s clothing, Laich is capable of being a solid 60 pt, top 6 forward on a talented Washington team. He plays a rugged style, and the only hinderance can be that he may begin to show signs of wear and tear. Resigns – Keepers Jussi Jokinen, Carolina – Jussi has sweet hands, and is a definite top 6 forward on the Hurricanes until their prospects come into their own. Milan Hejduk, Colorado – While he’s not getting any younger, Hejduk is still a good fantasy producer who, if he can stay healthy, can be a reliable fantasy option for a few more years. Colin Wilson, Nashville – Colin is a top prospect, not only on the Predators, but throughout the League. The Preds are grooming him to take over from Arnott once he finally keels over and dies. Mikkel Boedker, Phoenix – He was thrust too early into the spotlight in Phoenix which hurt his development. However, he definitely has top 6 forward potential, and is developing his game in the AHL. Expect him in the big leagues soon. Keepers – Defencemen Andrei Markov, Montreal – One of the most underrated defencemen in the league, Markov is most valuable to the Canadiens, as can be seen in their win/loss record without him. Still in his early thirties, Markov is a top fantasy dman and can expect a few more 60 pt seasons from him. Tomas Kaberle, Toronto – Kaberle has become an elite defenseman for the Leafs and remains an excellent potential 50-60 pt defenseman. His production has dipped this season, but that can be explained by the fact he plays for the Maple Laffs. Chris Pronger, Flyers –  The #1 defencemen on the Flyers, Pronger still remains an excellent fantasy option and you can expect 50-60 points from in the immediate future. Resigns – Defencemen Stephane Robidas, Dallas – Has really come into his own this year and become the #1 offensive option on the Stars. Might be pushed by younger talent next year, but with the trade of Vishnevski, can claim the top spot for a little while longer. Filip Kuba, Ottawa – Has been a little injury prone the past few season, Kuba can still nonetheless play a good offensive role on the Sens on the first or second PP unit. Has a little competition now for PP time with young Erik Karlsson. Keepers – Defencemen Pascal Leclaire, Ottawa – Has a guaranteed job next year with Ottawa, and the potential to steal back the #1 role is still very, very possible considering Elliott’s pedigree and his inconsistent play. -Danny Petti & Giulio Iaconi