At this time last year Elliott was considered a borderline NHL goalie. One good season doesn't erase that for me.....he was awesome last year, but I can't just forget the years of mediocrity (at best) that came before it.

Halak should be the starter, although Elliott will get a fair amount of games as long as he doesn't return to his old self. I don't think either goalie in St. Louis will get 60 starts.

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20 Team Dynasty (points per) - G (25, 50 for defense) A (25) PIM (3) +/- (5) PPG (15) SHG (25) OTG (15) GWG (25) HTr (50) GP (2) HIT (1) BLK (1) Use actual NHL salary

F: Malkin, Tavares, E. Kane, Parenteau, Havlat, Tarasenko, Galchenyuk, Brunner, Boyes, Kruger, Helm, M. Martin, Bergenheim, Carcillo, Stajan

D: Green, Ehrhoff, Ekman-Larsson, Coburn, Daley, Postma

G: Fleury, Mason, Montoya

Farm: Grigorenko, Grimaldi, Kucherov, D. Shore, Hartikainen, Stransky, Kerdiles, Joensuu, Pageau, Murphy, Ceci, Klefbom, Thrower, Donovan, Ekholm, Lehner, Dansk, Poulin, Nilsson, Andersen

Halak will have his 1st 30 win season and a GAA of 2.07 and a SV% of .925%

The thing that you've got to keep in mind is that the "real" NHL isn't like fantasy, if you have a capable backup and he puts up decent stats like what Elliott did last season, you start him! It's as simple as that.

At the end of the day, if you split time your goalies, and you still put up 49 wins as a team, then you keep status quo and you split time your goalies... because it's not about who has more talent, who makes more money, who the rest of the team likes best, it's about the W's...

Unless Elliott collapses and can't maintain what he posted last season, he'll continue to to steal starts away from Halak... If you are a Halak owner you have to be prepared for that. There's no sense burying your head in the sand and saying "he's a better goalie", "he's getting paid more", or "he's the number" one, then having it come back to bite you in the butt when the season rolls around.

The strength of the backup is always something you have to keep in mind when drafting goalies...

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Dobber Expert Pool Champion 2011-12

In most fantasy H2H pools, there are 22 regular season weeks + 3 playoff weeks.
So, there's 25 or 26 weeks of NHL hockey. Most teams play 3 games per week with some weeks being 4 games per week.

In cases like Halak-Elliott & Fleury-Vokoun (where the #2 goalie is quite good), most coaches are going to start:
In a 3-game week: #1 goalie 2x, #2 goalie 1x
In a 4-game week: #1 goalie 2x, #2 goalie 2x

So, both STL & PIT are probably going to see a 52-30ish split.

I do think Halak will maintain his #1 status throughout the season.
(Always being one or two cold-streaks where the back-up, on almost any team, will take over for a 3-4 game stretch)

Just completed a fantasy football draft yesterday and every year a few guys fall well below where their talent should because of concerns (in Halak's case lack of GP's and being in a 1A, 1B situation). It is also funny the internal struggle people have when drafting these players even though their talent level suggests its a steal. I feel Halak is like this and you are also struggling going for him even though you could get him on the cheap because of it. I would say go for Halak. He won't get a ton of GP's but his numbers should be fantastic. 1.9 GAA and 92.6% save percentage.. and if I recall correctly he wasn't very good to start the season so those numers could have been even better. The reward is greater than the risk in this case.. and you could just draft Elliot and give yourself a handcuff and great stats every game.

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2010-2011 League Champion
2012-2013 Runner Up
ROTO
2C, 2LW, 2RW, 4D, 2,G | G, A, PPP, +/-, PIM, BS, W, GAA, SV%
H2H Keeper League [5F, 1D, 1F/D 1G]
2013 - 3rd
2C, 2LW, 2RW, 4D,1 Ult, 1 G -H2H Daily Start - G, A, +/-, Hits, BS, PPP, SHP - W, SV, GAA, SO
F:RNH, Backes, Tavares, Landeskog, E.Kane, Yakupov
D: Green/OEL
G: Schneider/Rask

The Blues made these goalies look stellar last year. Barring injury I think we see similar splits in games. The wild card to me is the ankle of Halak. I don't think it is serious, but it will prevent him from getting a running start to the season, resulting in splits like last year. I do however believe the cream will rise, and Halak is the man. There is a reason Elliott couldn't keep his jobs in Ottawa and Colorado. I think Elliott played over his head last year.

Jesus effing Christ that ankle theory from Dobber is running rampant. It's stupid. Drop it. Halak will be ready to start the season and that's official from the Blues, end of story. Done.

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GO WINGS!

12 team H2H dynasty, most categories under the sun, incl. hits/blocks. Main team, farm

C: Kopitar Backstrom Stepan Cammalleri Little Bolland Laich Johnson
LW: Parise Lupul Erat McDonald Martin Silfverberg Nyquist Schwartz Morin Nieto Conacher
RW: PKane Doan Pominville Nash Clowe Lupul Rinaldo Stafford Rattie Stone Chiasson Ritchie
D: Green Suter Seabrook Dillon Beauchemin Schenn Letang Schultz Hamilton McNabb Rielly Harrison
G: Bryzgalov Pavelec Holtby Neuvirth Nihlstorp Lack CalPickard Andersen Stalock Sateri Eriksson
IR: Halak

[QUOTE=sentium;998713 effing [/QUOTE]

Poor grammer, please correct your work and hand it in again.

What theory? Its a fact, he sprained his ankle and it can affect his play at the start of the season. Nowhere did I say he won't start or isn't able to play.

It's grammar, not grammer, and that's an acceptable abbreviation of "****ing". Try again.

No, it's NOT a fact that it will affect his play. That's a theory. Stop trying to correct me when you are too stupid for it. Yes, he had an injury, but he is well on track to be ready for training camp and the start of the season. How is that so ****ing hard to understand?

__________________
GO WINGS!

12 team H2H dynasty, most categories under the sun, incl. hits/blocks. Main team, farm

C: Kopitar Backstrom Stepan Cammalleri Little Bolland Laich Johnson
LW: Parise Lupul Erat McDonald Martin Silfverberg Nyquist Schwartz Morin Nieto Conacher
RW: PKane Doan Pominville Nash Clowe Lupul Rinaldo Stafford Rattie Stone Chiasson Ritchie
D: Green Suter Seabrook Dillon Beauchemin Schenn Letang Schultz Hamilton McNabb Rielly Harrison
G: Bryzgalov Pavelec Holtby Neuvirth Nihlstorp Lack CalPickard Andersen Stalock Sateri Eriksson
IR: Halak

Thanks for the grommar leson.

One thing about you my Swedish friend is, you may not always be right, but your never wrong.

Keep on trolling!

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F-Datsyuk,C.Giroux,Kopitar,Read,Duchene,Z. Kassian,Stamkos,Voracek,Hall,Seguin,Eberle,Couture ,Turris,Ladd,vanReimsdyk,Greening,Vrbata,Burrows,K unitz,Hagelin,Doan

D-Carlson,Edler,Hedman,Karlsson,
Pietrangelo,Shattenkirk,A.Larsson,J.Schultz,Faulk, Souray

G-Bernier,Quick,Markstrom,
Neuvirth,Rask,Bachman,Lindback

F-G,A=1pt (14 count)
D-G,A=1pt,+- (8 count)
G-Win=3pts,T=1,SO=2,G,A=1 (3 count)

12 Team Dynasty