Old No. 7 Fantasy Analysis

March 15, 2010 magnum Team reviews 0

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.

Old No. 7

Keepers – Forwards

  1. Marian Hossa, Chicago – An elite winger with 80-90 point range and possibly the most talented player on the roster. He is playing on arguably the most talented team in the NHL, and has enough firepower and playmakers to help him push that point total for years to come.
  2. Mike Richards, Philadelphia – Elite two-way center with 75-85 point range and possesses one attribute Hossa may no longer have: he is entering his prime.
  3. John Tavares, Long Island – Elite forward learning the ropes with the highest upside on the entire roster (general consensus is he’ll eventually hit 90-100 pts in his prime). May make a similar impact as Stamkos if he gets a veteran presence (similar to a Martin St. Louis) to guide him.
  4. Matt Duchene, Colorado – Making a bigger impact than Tavares and highly regarded as the next Steve Yzerman – cannot be left unprotected and is playing on such a young, upstart team. He may give Stastny a run for his money as soon as next year, and has the tools to get to 85-95 pts in his prime.
  5. Jordan Staal, Pittsburgh – Best third-line center in the league, can potentially hit very good numbers (70-80) if he were on another team, but can hit those same numbers if he were to magically find his way on a Malkin line or a Crosby line. Cannot be left unprotected.
  6. Ryane Clowe – San Jose – Very good second liner option with 60-70 ceiling
  7. Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson – Very talented player with good upside but no NHL experience yet. May make a big impact down the line and should be held.

Resigns:

  1. Guillaume Latendresse – Minnesota – Has put up respectable numbers in Minnesota and may continue to do so if given the right opportunity on a consistent basis. Has the tools to become a player comparable to Scott Hartnell down the line, minus the mega mean streak.
  2. Oscar Moller – Los Angeles – Has the tools to become a top six forward but is currently on a team with aspirations of landing a big name this summer, which may hurt his development.
  3. Jack Skille – Chicago – Will be thrust into the lineup next year once cap-intensive contracts get moved, if not, may need to get traded to hit his top six forward ceiling in 3-4 years. Probable impact next year comparable to Benoit Pouliot (but on a much deeper team).
  4. Joe Colborne – Boston – Skilled, big forward with high upside but not yet ready to get to big team for 2011 on a full-time basis.

Keepers – Defense

  1. Duncan Keith, Chicago – My pick for this year’s Norris Trophy and arguably the second best offensive option in the league. Does it all, and would be the top plucking candidate if ever left unprotected. 60 point defenseman that flirts with 70 in good years (like this one).
  2. Tyler Myers, Buffalo – Excellent rookie and top candidate for the Calder Trophy. Currently doing everything and anything on the Buffalo blue line with no competition, especially size-wise. Will get to 50-60 pts in no time.
  3. Zdeno Chara, Boston – The older, more mature, more established version of number 2, pts you can count on, even on a terribly performing Boston team (that will likely rebound in 2011). 50 pts without a sweat.

Resigns:

  1. Anton Stralman, Columbus – QBs the power play in Columbus with Tyutin, despite said PP being pretty bad overall. The team is likely to turn things around so we may see good production from him next season.
  2. Jason Demers, San Jose – Plays on one of the best teams with some aging defensemen to leap over in the coming years (e.g. Blake, Boyle).
  3. Tom Gilbert, Edmonton – Risky option considering he went from 45 pts to less to on pace for 15 this season, but much less competition on the blueline given that Visnovsky is now gone and his replacement (Ryan Whitney) has yet to show he can be an offensive force on a team other than Pittsburgh.

Keepers – Goaltenders

  1. Michal Neuvirth – Washington – The only goaltender on the team with potential to become a number 1 goalie (either in Washington or elsewhere).

-Giulio Iaconi