Fantasy Hockey Scouts

Fantasy Hockey Scouts: Free Agent Fallout

It's go time people.  We'll be updating this post as much as possible this week so keep coming back.  We won't be judging the value of the the deals (go here or here for that) we're here to take a shot at predicting the changes in fantasy value.  And away we go...

Rick Nash signed a eight year, $62.4 million contract extension to stay with the Blue Jackets

After two so-so (for him) years Nash put together his best NHL season last year...40 goals and a point-per game 79 points.  He's one of the best wingers in the league and he'll cost you a first or second round pick...but if he can duplicate last year's totals he'll be worth it.  The big problem with Nash sticking with the Blue Jackets is that they have always struggled finding Nash talented linemates (particularly a centerman).  Last year he played with Manny Malhotra who is a UFA but we think Antoine Vermette (who is a great sleeper pick) will get the plum assignment next year. 
FANTASY FORECAST: If Nash had some good linemates we think he could hit 90 points...NO CHANGE

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Trade
Ryan Smyth to the Kings
Kyle Quincey and Tom Preissing to the Avalanche

In 2006-07, Ryan Smyth was almost a point a game player for the Oilers and Islanders.  After signing his mega contract with the Avs the production went south (37 points in 55 games and then 59 in 77 last year).  It's looking like he'll be on the second line with Jarret Stoll and Justin Williams but should see lots of time on the top PP unit.
FANTASY FORECAST: We have a hunch that a new city might get Smyth going and he'll top 60 points this year...SLIGHT UPTICK

One of the biggest breakouts of last year was Kyle Quincey.  He was claimed off of waivers by the Kings and went on to become their power play QB and pick up 38 points.  He will most likely be splitting the QB duties with John-Michael Liles.  Quincey seemed like he was playing over his head for much of last year so we're expecting him to come back down to earth a bit.  The Avalanche were also the lowest scoring team in the NHL last year with the sixth worst power play.  Now with Smyth gone and potentially no Joe Sakic this team will really struggle to score...making it a lot tougher for Quincey to pick up those PP points.
FANTASY FORECAST: Lots of potential for a dropoff here, make sure you don't overpay...DOWNTICK

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Ryane Clowe signed a four year, $14 million deal to stay with the Sharks

There's are going to be many situations better than San Jose for Clowe to find himself in.  He's been part of one of the better second lines in the NHL along with FHS favourite Joe Pavelski and Milan Michalek.  He scored a tidy 52 points in 71 games last year but we think he could crack 60.  There is always the possibility that San Jose could break-up their lines and Clowe could find himself alongside Joe Thornton.
FANTASY FOCUS:  Clowe is only 26 years old so we expect him to grow and develop...UPTICK

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Mikael Samuelsson signed a three year, $7.5 million deal with the Canucks

Last year in Detroit, Samuelsson was a third line winger who got lots of power play time (50% of his 40 points were on the PP last year).  In Vancouver he'll probably fill the same role as he's behind Alex Burrows and Ryan Kesler at right wing.  An injury to any of the top six (remember that top six included the brittle Pavol Demitra) would mean a bit promotion for Samuelsson.
FANTASY FORECAST: Vancouver's system is nowhere as good as Detroit's and Samuelsson was a perfect fit in Detroit's...SLIGHT DOWNTICK   

Ville Leino and/or Jiri Hudler should be getting a nice promotion thanks to the departure for Samuelsson.  Assuming the Wing's don't sign a free agent forward, an injury to Tomas Holmstrom is all that stands in the way from one of these two getting a full time gig on a scoring line. Leino picked up nine points in 13 games last year playing mostly on the fourth line...so he offers a lot of upside.  Hudler on the other hand has a bit more experience and picked up a handy 57 points last year. 
FANTASY FORECAST: Either one would be a great late round pick in bigger leagues...UPTICK

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Adrian Aucion signed a one year deal with the Coyotes...terms were not disclosed.

Aucion has produced two decent seasons the last two years...35 and 34 points.  He'll attempt to solidify the 'Yotes feable power play (3rd worst in the league) which is a big ask for Aucoin who turns 36 on July 3rd.  If everything goes perfectly he might top 30 points...but we see the potential for a major dropoff here (like his ugly 16 point, -22 season with Chicago three years ago)
FANTASY FORECAST: The talent around him drops off considerably, so will the points....BIG DOWNTICK

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Nik Antropov signed a four year, $16 million deal with the Thrashers

After his late season surge with the Rangers (13 points in 18 games) Antropov just missed breaking 60 points for the first time in his career as he finished with 28+31=59.  We're not sure if he'll be playing on Kovalchuk's line but it looks like a strong possibility as Kovalchuk played with Antropov in Russia during the lockout.  Even if he only plays with Kovy on the PP it should still mean big things for the 6-foot-6 Antropov.
FANTASY FORECAST: He's increased his point total each of the last four years, this year he cracks 60...UPTICK

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Mark Reechi signed a one year, $1 million deal to stay with the Bruins

Anytime you get a forward who scored 60 points for $1 million bucks you're doing well...even if that forward is 41 years old.  Reechi showed he can still get it done as he picked up 61 points from his time with the Lightning and Bruins.  On the Bruins he was particularly productive as he picked up 10 goals and six assists in 18 games.  We're not sure what line he'll end up on but he'll have one of Bergeron, Savard or Krejci as his pivot...not too shabby.
FANTASY FORCAST: Expect him to get banged up and have some rough streaks but if you can do what the Bruins did (get him cheap) you'll be laughing...UPTICK

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Mikhail Grabovski signed a three year, $8.7 million deal to stay with the Leafs

Grabs was one of the few bright spots in the Leafs miserable season.  In his first year as a full time player he picked up 20+28=48 in 78 games.  He's expected to line up next to Nikolai Kulemin and Alexei Ponikarovsky on one of the worst first lines in hockey.  Don't let the fact that Grabovski doesn't have much talent around him scare you away.  He'll get plenty of ice time particular on the PP and somebody has to score in those 3-2 games the Leafs are going to lose.  We expect all three guys on his line to improve slighty as they have another year of experience under their belts.
FANTASY FORECAST: The Leafs are one of the few teams that he would be a go-to guy on...UPTICK

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Daniel and Henrik Sedin both signed five year, $30.5 million deals to stay with the Canucks

After both of them scored 82 points last year the twins get to come back to anchor the Canuck's offense.  Daniel is the guy to own of the pair as he scores more (31 vs. 22) and has winger eligibility.  With improving talent around them (like Alex Burrows and Ryan Kesler) the twins can only get better in Vancouver.  They are still only 28 even though they have played in the league for eight years
FANTASY FORECAST: Four years in a row with around 80 points sounds pretty good to us...SLIGHT UPTICK

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Dwayne Roloson signed a two year, $5 million deal with the Islanders.

Rolly what are you doing?  After being the number one guy on a playoff calibre team for three years...you sign on to be a backup on a last place club.  Only the Leafs allowed more shots than the Islanders did last year so we hope D-Rol has a rubber fetish.  If that wasn't enough to get you to shy away from drafting Roloson...he'll be the backup if Rick Dipietro ever comes back healthy (granted, a big if).
FANTASY FORECAST: He's now the second best goalie on the worst team in the league, that's a.....BIG DOWNTICK

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Ty Conklin signed a two year, $2.6 million deal with the Blues

Conks moves from one good backup situation to another.  He was the best goalie on the Red Wings last season and was even better the year before in Pittsburgh.  Now he'll wait for Chris Mason to falter or get injured.  Mason had a decent season last year but he's by no means a lock for the Blues.
FANTASY FORECAST: We would rather have him backing up on Detroit, where he picked up 25 wins in only 37 starts...SLIGHT DOWNTICK

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David Booth signed a six year, $25.5 million deal to stay with the Panthers

One of FHS' favourite players this past season was David Booth.  His breakout 60 point season surprised many fantasy owners but we expect the 25 year old to continue to grow.   Once some of Florida's other young players start to develop (like Michael Frolik) Booth should take another big jump forward.
FANTASY FORECAST: We wish he had some talent around him in Florida but we see another 30+ goal season and a slight increase in point for Boothy...SLIGHT UPTICK

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Jaroslav Spacek signed a three year, $11.5 million deal with the Canadiens

Spacek picked up 45 points for the second time in his career last year (the first was with Columbus in 2002-03).  He's behind Andrei Markov on the depth charts so it's going be tough for him to pick up 22 PPP again this year. 
FANTASY FORECAST: From PP QB to second on the ladder can't be good for his fantasy future...DOWNTICK

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Nikolai Khabibulin signed a four year $15 million deal with the Oilers

Nikolai Khabibulin is a number one goalie again.  Right away you know this is going to be a uptick.  He signed with Chicago four years ago and after a horrible first year (3.35 gaa and .886 sv%) his numbers have been getting better every year.  The Oilers obviously aren't as strong as the Hawks so don't count on the crazy win-loss split again (25-8-7) but assuming his health stands up he should be getting around 65 starts.
FANTASY FOCUS: No more Huet means no more dramas for owners...UPTICK

Cristobal Huet is one of the biggest winners today...and he didn't even change teams.  Huet, one of the big free agent signings last year, ended up being a bit of a bust.  The Hawks lost faith in their expensive new netminder and handed the keys to The Bulin Wall down the stretch and into the playoffs.  Huet's season (20 wins, 2.53 gaa & .909 sv%) wasn't as bad as many think.  He's is now the clear #1 on one of the best teams in the league.
FANTASY FOCUS: If he can get his confidence back (the Hawks obviously think he can) 30 wins are a lock...BIG UPTICK

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Erik Cole signed a two year deal, $5.8 million deal to stay with the Hurricanes

Cole must have really liked playing in Carolina.  After making $4 million last year he'll take a paycut to play for the 'Canes this year and next.  Cole was shipped to Carolina at the trade deadline and picked up 15 points in 17 games.  We would normally be worried about a player with a three year point trend of 61, 51 and 41 but Cole has shown great chemistry with Eric Staal.   We expect him to be lining up next to Staal all year and he should rack up between 50 and 60 points. 
FANTASY FORECAST: A whole year of Staal looks like it will fit Cole pretty nicely...UPTICK

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Scott Clemmensen signed a three year, $3.6 million deal with the Panthers

Thanks a Marty Brodeur injury, the Clem Dawg ended up being one of the biggest fantasy surprises of the year.  He played great and parlayed his performance into a three (really?) year deal.  With Craig Anderson gone to Colorado, Clemmensen will be the main backup to Tomas Vokoun.  Coach Peter DeBoer showed last year that he has no problem running with the hot hand so with a little more luck he could pick himself up quite a few starts this year.
FANTASY FORECAST: When you're a backup goalie anywhere is better than New Jersey...UPTICK

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Michael Cammalleri signed a five year, $30 million deal with the Canadiens

The Habs really went all out this year.  With all their signings it looks like the Alex's (Kovalev and Tanguay) are gone-ski.  Cammalleri picked up 82 points last year which put him 13th in the league.  We don't know who is going to be on The Camel's line but we know one thing for sure...they won't be anywhere near as good as Jarome Iginla.  He's still only 27 years old so the Habs get him for most of his peak years but it's going to be hard to replicate last year's numbers without Iginla. 
FANTASY FORECAST:  We like the signing and we think he'll be a good pick by fantasy owners but we like him more next to Iggy...NO CHANGE

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TRADE
Pavel Kubina and Tim Stapleton to Thrashers
Garnet Exelby and Colin Stuart to Leafs

Pavel Kubina's career high in points (40) came in his last two seasons...both with terrible Leaf teams.  Maybe the worse his team, the better he plays?  If so, he's in luck because he's a Thrasher now. Even though Zach Bogosian, Tobias Enstrom and Ron Hainsey are around, Kubina should still get plenty of minutes as the PP QB.  A good spot to be in when Ilya Kovalchuk is on your team. 
FANTASY FORECAST: Our brain tells us that he should be getting better but our heart tells us he's in for a drop off so we'll call it even...NO CHANGE

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Steve Sullivan signed a two year, $7.5 million deal to stay with the Predators.

After not playing a single game in 2007-08, Sullivan made a remarkable comeback and finished with 11+21=32 in 41 games...a 64 point pace over a whole season.  As great as his comeback story is don't let it get you all misty eyed on draft day.  He doesn't score much, he's coming off major back surgery and he's 34.  All big no-no's in the fantasy world.
FANTASY FORECAST: He's a big risk and the payoff that isn't very high...DOWNTICK

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Brian Gionta signed a five year, $25 million deal with the Canadiens

In 2005-06, Gionta has his best (by far) season in the NHL.  He came out of nowhere to score 48 goals and 89 points.  Since then he's produced 43, 53, and 60 points.  It looks like he's settled in as a 20 goal, 60 point guy...but there is hope.  Guess who his center was in that 2005-06 season?  Scott Gomez.  Gomez and Gionta played one more season together but Gionta was injured for a good chunk of it.  Will they be able to recapture the magic in Montreal?  Who knows?  But a change of scenery can only do Gionta some good.
FANTASY FORECAST: Gionta won't match his 2005-06 totals but he'll top 30 goals...UPTICK

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Martin Havlat signed a six year, $30 million deal with the Wild

The Wild needed a replacement for Gaborik...their oft-injured superstar Czech winger.  So they gave Martin Havlat, the oft-injured superstar Czech winger a call.  If it's even possible, Havlat is even more injury prone than Gaborik.  Over the last four seasons he's played 18, 56, 35 and 81 games.  Which one of those doesn't belong?  Even if he manages to stay healthy, Havlat's fantasy value will take a good knock this coming season.  No longer will he be part of the high octane Chicago offense (4th in the league) but instead he'll be plugging along on the 22nd ranked squad in the league.
FANTASY FORECAST: No Kane, No Toews, No Campbell.  No thanks....DOWNTICK

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Marian Gaborik signed a five year, $37.5 million deal with the Rangers

At first, this looks like a pretty brutal signing.  Why would you sign a guy for five years when he's played more than 65 games only once the past five years?  But when you consider that Gomez was owed $33.5 million over the next five years...it doesn't sound so bad.  We guess Sather's earlier incompetence is saving him from looking too bad in the present.  As for Gaborik's fantasy value, the Rangers are one of the few teams that won't offer Gabby anymore than what he had in Minny.  The linemates should be worse (Chris Drury is his center?) and the Rangers were one of the few teams that scored less than the Wild did last year...and the Wild did that with their best player out all season.
FANTASY FORECAST: Don't use a high pick on this guy.  You'll regret it...SLIGHT DOWNTICK

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Mattias Ohlund signed a seven year, $24.5 million deal with the Lightning

Ohlund, who will be 33 by the time the season starts will be 40 when the deal is done.  So the Lightning have an old dman who picked up a paltry 25 points last year for the next seven years.  Ouch.  It's not often an aging blueliner has an increase in points and we don't expect much from Ohlund this coming year.  Still, if you can get him cheap he has potential at 35 points and should get you close to 90 PIM's.  Vancouver had a much higher scoring team than Tampa so Ohlund has a lot of work to do to improve on his 25 points.
FANTASY FORECAST: He'll get drafted higher than he deserves...SLIGHT DOWNTICK

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Marian Hossa signed a twelve year, $62 million deal with the Blackhawks

We didn't hear any rumblings of Hoss signing on with the Hawks but it looks like a nice fit.  The cap hit will be around $5 million per season so it's not a bad deal...although long term deals like this usually end up being a problem (just ask the Islanders about Rick DiPietro) as Hossa will be 42 when the deal finally ends.  Having said that how much he gets paid isn't going to affect his fantasy value.  His linemates should be of a similar quality to what they were in Detroit but after a 100 point season in 2006-07, Hossa has slumped to 66 and 71 points the last two years. 
FANTASY FORECAST: We're expecting 80 points but we're not sure he's worth a second round pick anymore after two mediocre seasons...NO CHANGE

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Mike Knuble signed a two year $5.6 million deal with the Capitals

Knuble's career year was in 2005-06 when he picked up a 34+31=65 line.  The last few years he has consistently put up 25-30 goals and also kicked in 50-70 PIM's.  The big question here is who is Knuble going to be playing with?  If he sees Alex Ovechkin on his line then a big increase could be expected.  At the very least we see Knuble being the body in front of the net on the Capitals PP which would mean lots of power play points.
FANTASY FORECAST: Should take on a larger role with the Caps, numbers close to his career year wouldn't surprise us...watch out for injuries though, Knuble is 36 years old...UPTICK

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Scott Niedermayer resigned a one year deal for $6 million to stay with the Ducks

We all knew this deal was coming so no surprises here.  Nieds will be doing the same thing he's been doing the last few years in Anaheim.  No Chris Pronger around means the Ducks are going to be counting on the rearguard even more.  Expect him to be playing over 25 minutes per game and continuing to rack up the power play points (32 PPP out of 59 total points last year).
FANTASY FORECAST: With most players we would be worried about a decline at age 36 but Niedermayer is a special breed...NO CHANGE

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Brian Boucher signed a two year, $1.85 million deal with Flyers

Boucher posted stellar numbers the last two years in limited duty in San Jose (1.76 & 2.18 gaa) but has been pretty ordinary the rest of his career...other than his rookie season in 1999-00.  He'll be coming into a very good situation as the unpredictable Ray Emery's backup so Boucher could steal quite a few starts.  He's a must own if you're drafting Emery.
FANTASY FORECAST: Don't sell the farm to get him but Boucher a great buy low candidate...he's only one Ray Emery implosion from a #1 job...BIG UPTICK

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Jay Bouwmeester signed a five year, $33 million deal with Flames

J-Bo has played 82 games the last four years and scored 46, 42, 37, and 42 points.  His 42 points last year were 25th best in the league by a d-man.  He'll have some more talented guys around him so this could be the year Bouwmeester cracks 50 points and starts to live up to his vast potential. 
FANTASY FORECAST: He may be worth $6.6 in the real world but don't overpay in your draft...SLIGHT UPTICK
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TRADE
Scott Gomez, Mike Busto & Tom Pyatt to Canadiens
Christopher Higgins, Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko to Rangers

Scott Gomez scored 80 points three years ago...he couldn't even hit 60 last year.  New York was the third lowest scoring team in the league so Gomez should get a few more points with the 13th ranked Habs.  Being a center on the center starved Habs (especially if Koivu doesn't resign) Gomez should get a chance to have a talented wingers...like Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri?
FANTASY FORECAST: He's needs some talent around him to succeed...SLIGHT UPTICK

Chris Higgins has 30 goals somewhere in those hands of his but we don't think he's going to find them on the Rangers.  Right now, the Blueshirts are a talent wasteland (Gaborik's excepted) so Higgins won't be getting much help.  As we mentioned above, the Rangers are the third lowest scoring team in the NHL and now they lose Gomez, and it's rumoured that both Nik Zherdev and Nik Antropov won't be coming back.  GM Glen Sather is going to hit the FA market hard but he hasn't had the best track record lately (Gomez, Drury, and especially Redden). 
FANTASY FORECAST: He'll get a chance to shine but he'll end up looking about the same...
NO CHANGE
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Fantasy Hockey Scouts: Daily Dosage - June 29th to July 30th

Daily Diarrhea 

Finally we're getting some big-time hockey news.  It's looking like we'll see lots of wheeling and dealing come July 1st.

NEW: A real live NHL trade, and an important one to boot.  Scott Gomez was sent to the Habs in exchange for Chris Higgins as part of a six player deal.  Gomez has tapered off big time since his 84 point season in 2005-06 but he could still produce 70 points in a good situation.  It will be interesting to find out his linemates in Montreal.  As for Higgins, he's never topped 30 goals or 60 points so we can't see him busting out on a pretty weak (for now) Rangers team.  This does open up a lot of cap space for the Rangers, so GM Glen Sather must have something up his sleeve.  We hope you're related to the lucky hockey player he's going to over pay for.

NEW: The Flames did it.  We were a bit skeptical that GM Darryl Sutter could fit Jay Bouwmeester under the cap but Calgary inked J-Bo for $6.6 million per season for five years.  Assuming Dion Phaneuf remains in Calgary that is going to be one scary blueline.

NEW: The Dany Heatley talks are, well, heating up.  Thanks to the trade and signing above...rumours had the disgruntled forward going to the Rangers and Calgary...among others.  But the Sens and Oilers eventually came to a deal.  Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner and Ladislav Smid were packed for Ottawa but the deal was put on hold.  Why you ask?  The Heater refused to waive his no trade clause.  What an ass.  Some good news for Ottawa fans...the NHL extended the deadline on the $4 million Heatley will be owed.  If he's traded before July 1st midnight the $$'s are his new team's problem.  That gives the Sens 24 more hours to get rid of the petulant child.

More fantasy news and our daily distraction after the jump...

Fantasy Hockey Scouts: Draft Weekend Dosage - June 26th to 28th, 2009

Daily Diarrhea 

Welcome to the special draft weekend edition of the Daily Dosage.  We'll have a look at non draft pick related news here. 

SATURDAY

We were hoping for a lot more action than what's happened.  Tomas Kaberle is a still a Leaf.  Dany Heatley is still a Senator.  Vinny Lecavalier is still a Bolt.  Hopefully the weekend ends with a bang.

The Calgary Flames got a three day jump on the other teams by acquiring Jay Bouwmeester's negotiating rights for the rights to Jordan Leopold and a third round pick.  J-Bo is from Western Canada and the Flames would be pretty scary to play against with Bouwmeester and Dion Phaneuf manning the blue line.  Yikes.

A few minor trades went down on Saturday but the one that caught our eye was Brian Boyle moving from the Kings to the Rangers for a third round pick in 2010.  Boyle was the 26th overall pick last year and picked up 62 points in 70 AHL games.  He played 28 NHL games with only five points.  Considering that Boyle is only 25 years old this looks like a nice pickup by the blueshirts.

Teema Selanne announced that he'll be returning for another go around with the Ducks.  He picked up 54 points in 65 games last year battling through a quad injury.  Selanne should be good for around a point-per-game...just remember he's a bit of an injury risk now that's he 38 years old.

FRIDAY

The big news from Friday was Chris Pronger's trade to the Philadelphia Flyers for two 1st rounders, last years first round pick Luca Sbisa and Joffrey Lupul.  The Flyers will need to make a few moves as they are waaaaay over the cap (even with the extra $100,000 the NHL gave teams).  The Flyers over-payed here but they got that top blueliner they have been looking for.  The fantasy fallout?

• Duck defenders Ryan Whitney and especially James Wisniewski get a big uptick.  Lots minutes to go to these two now...especially on the power play.  Luca Sbisa still needs a bit more seasoning so don't expect to see him in the NHL this year.
• Joffrey Lupul gets some new linemates.  He could top 30 goals if he gets significant time with Ryan Getzlaf.

The reason the Pronger deal even happened was that Scott Niedermayer did a good thing and told his club that he's planning on returning next year...nice and early.  With Nieds coming back the Ducks could afford to part with Pronger and really get themselves out of the cap troubles they are in.

The Leafs and Bruins appartently had a deal worked out...Phil Kessel and picks for Tomas Kaberle and picks  Only problem...the Leafs and Bruins misunderstood what picks were part of the deal so it died.  With Pronger traded the market for d-men might be moving very quickly.  Kessel is a restricted free agent and it's looking like the Bruins aren't interested in shelling out the bucks.

Seeing Roberto Luongo at the draft announcing Vancouver's pick of Jordan Schroeder we couldn't help but think that his contract extension is done and dusted.  We've heard rumours that the deal will be announced July 1st. 

Daily Distraction

What's distracting us today?  We need to have a draft related distraction in honour of this weekend.

We considered Mats Sundin not being able to wear a baseball hat in the 1989 

Or maybe the biggest draft day blunder in history.  It's so tough to choose just one.

All great moments...but If you're picking a moment from the Entry Draft to re-live there isn't a more awesomely awkward moment than when Eric Lindros' name was called by the Nordiques but he refused to wear their jersey (at around 2:10)...it looked better on Peter Forsberg anyway:

Embedding has been a bit weird today.  If the video isn't working click here to see Eric in all his glory.

2009 NHL Mock Draft

The clock is ticking down to Friday's NHL entry draft so time for us to make our selections and give you the Fantasy Hockey Scouts 2009 NHL Mock Draft.  Below we make a mockery of mock selections which are mostly based on who we think the teams will select looking at the team's needs and reviewing their draft history with a little of what we would do if we were in each of the GM's shoes thrown in for good measure... add in a splash of alcohol and here's what we came up with. 

Pick		Team			Needs/Tendencies
#1		New York Islanders			Most pressing need is a new arena
Ideally…		They won't mess this one up
Considered		Tavares, Hedman, Duchene
Selection		John Tavares
#2		Tampa Bay Lightning			Dman, who's willing to takes roles in horror movies over cash
Ideally…		JT goes to the Isles and this makes it an easy choice
Considered		Hedman, may consider trading the pick (hopefully not)
Selection		Victor Hedman
#3		Colorado Avalanche			Their prospect pool has dried up
Ideally…		Hedman would fall to them
Considered		Duchene
Selection		Matt Duchene, the consensus #3 prospect in the draft
#4		Atlanta Thrashers			D is a need but 1st line talent is always welcome
Ideally…		A ready-made forward who can step in and help Kovalchuk
Considered		Kane, Schenn, Paajarvi-Svensson
Selection		Evander Kane
#5		LA Kings			Could use a top-6 F and aren't afraid to go "off-the-board"
Ideally…		They'd get a forward with a with "a little jam" as Pierre McGuire would/will say
Considered		Schenn, Paajarvi-Svensson, trading down?
Selection		Brayden Schenn
#6		Phoenix Coyotes			They need a new owner/location, but they'll settle for D
Ideally…		Dmitri Kulikov seems to fit with Wayne's Russian fetish
Considered		Kulikov, Cowen, Ekman-Larsson
Selection		They like to do the unexpected (see Wheeler), so we're betting on Jared Cowen
#7		Toronto Maple Leafs			Need some of everything
Ideally…		Burke would get more air time and trade up for Tavares/Hedman/Schenn
Considered		Kulikov, Paajarvi-Svensson
Selection		M.Paajarvi-Svensson… maybe we're dreamin but Burke's had luck with Euro's before
#8		Dallas Stars			Most people think D is #1 need but we're not sure
Ideally…		They'd get a Swede with many names like MPS or OEL
Considered		Kulikov, Ekman-Larsson, Schroeder
Selection		Had luck lately with Swede's so... Oliver Ekman-Larsson
#9		Ottawa Senators			Top line talent and a tough dman
Ideally…		Given their needs they'd take both of Kadri and Kulikov
Considered		Kadri, Kulikov
Selection		Harder to find elite talent so... Nazem Kadri
#10		Edmonton Oilers			Size is lacking, especially at F
Ideally…		They'd move up and grab Schenn
Considered		Kulikov, Kassian, Glennie
Selection		A bit of a reach at #10 but he meets their needs… Zach Kassian
#11		Nashville Predators			Stacked with D so looking for top line F, shy away from Euro's
Ideally…		Happy to see Dallas pass on Schroeder as he should fall to #11
Considered		Schroeder, Glennie
Selection		They prefer NA (especially Yanks)/small/NCAA players… Jordan Schroeder
#12		Minnesota Wild			Tired of being boring… looking for F with skill
Ideally…		The home-state boy Schroeder would fall to them
Considered		A falling Kulikov, Glennie, trading down?
Selection		Scott Glennie
#13		Buffalo Sabres			Need size & history shows they prefer Euro or NCAA players
Ideally…		They'd clone Tyler Myers as he looks like a good one at #12 last year
Considered		Kulikov, Moore, Ellis
Selection		Dmitri Kulikov, this year's Cherepanov as some project him to go as high as #6
#14		Florida Panthers			More skill can't hurt
Ideally…		They'd draft Bouwmeester's name on a contract
Considered		Josefson, Moore, Rundblad
Selection		John Moore as he'll try to replace what they're losing with J-Bo
#15		Anaheim Ducks			Skilled F, they typically look for size and character
Ideally…		May look to trade down as there's a lot more dmen available at this point
Considered		Trading down, Josefson, Leblanc, Holland, Ashton
Selection		Peter Holland, may be questioned by some but he fills a need
#16		Columbus B-Jackets			Offensive dman… they've needed one for eternity
Ideally…		Kulikov would keep sliding, may be tempted to try to move up
Considered		Ellis, Rundblad, Despres
Selection		Would probably have a hard time passing on Ryan Ellis
#17		St.Louis Blues			Stay-at-home dman or power F
Ideally…		A giant Swedish stay-at-home dman magically appears
Considered		Josefson, Despres, Rundblad
Selection		In a 1st round light on defensive dmen, they'll take one in Simon Despres
#18		Montreal Canadiens			F with size and skill
Ideally…		Someone who meets their needs & is French-Canadian
Considered		Leblanc, Josefson, Kreider
Selection		Louis Leblanc may not be ideal but he speaks the right language
#19		New York Rangers			Physical W, they tend to go for size or busts
Ideally…		Kreider seems to be perfect for them here
Considered		Kreider, Josefson, Ashton or any other potential busts
Selection		Chris Kreider… and the Hugh Jessiman comparisons begin immediately
#20		Calgary Flames			Talented top-6 F and preferably Western Canadian
Ideally…		They'd draft a Sutter
Considered		Ashton, Ferraro, Josefson
Selection		Size makes Ashton tempting but the Red Deer link makes Landon Ferraro the pick
#21		Philadelphia Flyers			Prefer F and lean towards CHL players
Ideally…		There'd be a top-flight goalie available
Considered		Josefson, Ashton, Werek
Selection		Carter Ashton looks like their type of player
#22		Vancouver Canucks			Skilled D or F with character
Ideally…		They'll be happy that Rundblad falls
Considered		Rundblad, Josefson, Elliott
Selection		They've had success with Swedish dmen… David Rundblad
#23		New Jersey Devils			Probably looking to a F, trend is to take small Euro F's
Ideally…		Do well with hidden gems so they will be happy a talent like Josefson falls
Considered		Josefson, Palmieri, Morin
Selection		Won't let Jacob Josefson fall any further
#24		Washington Capitals			Physical D or W... they tend to favour size
Ideally…		Hoping that a big winger like Ashton would fall
Considered		Trading up, Shore, Caron, Werek
Selection		Jordan Caron
#25		Boston Bruins			Skilled D or W
Ideally…		In a good spot where they'll have their choice of a group of 2nd tier offensive dmen
Considered		Elliott, de Haan, Erixon, Morin
Selection		Stefan Elliott gives them a skilled dmen to replace Matt Lashoff
#26		New York Islanders			A goalie would be nice or a skilled dman
Ideally…		Their D is in shambles so anything would help
Considered		de Haan, Erixon, Leddy, Olsen, O.Roy
Selection		Calvin de Haan looks like an underrated pick
#27		Carolina Hurricanes			They tend to select F's early typically from the CHL
Ideally…		A forward with size and scoring ability would be gravy
Considered		Werek, Morin, O'Reilly, Palmieri
Selection		Ethan Werek
#28		Chicago Blackhawks			Could use a tough dman or a checking C
Ideally…		Less than ideal spot as there's not a lot of tough dmen in this draft
Considered		Olsen, Shore, Palmieri
Selection		Dylan Olsen would be a nice project to take on
#29		Detroit Red Wings			Skilled F or D and they definitely lean towards the Euros
Ideally…		They'd unearth another great gem
Considered		Erixon, Morin, Palmieri
Selection		We have a hard time seeing them pass on a talented Swede like Tim Erixon
#30		Pittsburgh Penguins			Quick, scoring W or a skilled D
Ideally…		They'd get a finisher like Morin but with more speed
Considered		Morin, Shore, Palmieri, Leddy
Selection		Can't pass on one of the best finishers in the draft… Jeremy Morin

2009 NHL Draft Rankings

It's time for our very own 2009 NHL Draft Rankings... often imitated, never duplicated... ok, maybe that's a bit of a stretch since everyone and their sister has put out their draft rankings but we have a soft spot in our heart for our own, but perhaps we're a little biased. 

Below we give you our top 10 players for Friday's NHL Entry Draft.  Combine this with our 2009 Consolidated NHL Draft Rankings where we give you the top 30 prospects based on all the major rankings and then our 2009 Fantasy Draft Rankings where we rank all the draft eligibles from a fantasy hockey perspective... and you've got a real smorgasbord of draft rankings to chew on... enjoy!

1. John Tavares (OHL - London Knights)

Vital Stats

Pos.: C

Ht.: 6' 0"

Wt.: 195 lbs

Commentary: John Tavares has been in the hockey media spotlight ever since his early teens so it seems almost surreal that he has yet to begin his NHL career. The all-time leading OHL goal scorer and two-time winner of the IIHF U20 World Championship, Tavares' offensive skills put him heads and tails above the rest of the 2009 hockey prospects. According to some scouts, Tavares' greatest gift is his hands with some saying they're the best they've seen in the past 10 to 15 years. The only drawback to Tavares is his skating, as he doesn't possess game-breaking speed. That being said, his puck skills are so good that he can literally slow the game down to his liking and take over a game on his own. Another strong point to Tavares is the fact that because he's been in the media spotlight so long, he's had to learn how to handle media pressure which will serve him well as he begins his NHL career.

Strengths: Vision, hands, shot, finishing ability.

Weaknesses: Skating, defense.

Ranking: ISS (#1), CSB (#1 NA), THN (#1), FHS C-Rank (#1)

Videos: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=john+tavares+hockey&aq=f

Likely to play in NHL in 2009/10?: Yes

 

Check out the rest of the lists after the jump...