Comments for January 11, 2013 at http://hockey.dobbersports.com , comment 1 to 11 out of 11 comments http://hockey.dobbersports.com Fri, 24 May 2013 15:46:08 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/other-features-mainmenu-89/archived-ramblings/5173-january-11-2013#comment-23753 needs to be given an offer sheet from the Canucks! trade lou buyout Ballard - hawkdog Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:13:40 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/other-features-mainmenu-89/archived-ramblings/5173-january-11-2013#comment-23752 If Campbell didn't get that nutty contract a bunch of years ago I think people's thoughts on him would be a bit more balanced. - Dakkster Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:12:25 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/other-features-mainmenu-89/archived-ramblings/5173-january-11-2013#comment-23751 Brian Campbell has become one of the most underrated players in the league. His skating and passing ability are outstanding. The Hawks would not have won it all without him and the Panthers would not have made it back to the playoffs for the first time in forever without him. - Isle B. Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:08:52 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/other-features-mainmenu-89/archived-ramblings/5173-january-11-2013#comment-23750 I think he gets a shot with plek and gionta, and will force their hand. Pleks will enjoy being with a hard working skilled player. - PriceCrazed Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:50:28 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/other-features-mainmenu-89/archived-ramblings/5173-january-11-2013#comment-23745 At Rangers informal skates Nash has started skating with Richards and Gaborik and talked about how they're trying to create chemistry, going over communication and whatnot. Hagelin has been skating with Stepan and Callahan on what would be the second line. - Dakkster Fri, 11 Jan 2013 07:59:26 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/other-features-mainmenu-89/archived-ramblings/5173-january-11-2013#comment-23744 When do draft a goalie depends on your league settings. Always. One goalie per team and 10 teams, pick a goalie late, no matter what because the 10th best starter and the best starter will put up similar stats. The opposite can be said for extremely large leagues. Regardless of the league settings, the compressed schedule reduces goalie value. This happens for two main reasons. First, there will be more back to back games, meaning the average goalie will play a smaller percentage of his teams games. I can't see people like Rinne starting 42 of the team's 48 games, but he's have to in order to have the same percentage of starts as last year, and if a goalie doesn't start, he doesn't have value. The second reason is injuries. There are always 1 to 2 month injuries for goalies. That's a big deal in a long season, but an even bigger reason in a compressed schedule. If someone goes down, they could easily miss a quarter of the season. What is the value difference between Halak/Elliot, Crawford/Emery, Brodeur/Hedberg, etc. I'd suggest it is relatively small, so you are likely to be able to get a 2nd round value for a quarter of the season from your waiver wire. That is much less likely to occur in other positions, and that decreases the value of goalies. I say this knowing that I took goalies with my first two picks in the Dobber Pool. Ahh well. - mabus Fri, 11 Jan 2013 07:54:02 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/other-features-mainmenu-89/archived-ramblings/5173-january-11-2013#comment-23743 Jose Mourinho is a football (soccer) manager who gets himself in the headlines to take the heat from the media off of his players. The Leafs need managers like this consistently if they ever expect their record to improve or their players to meet their lofty expectations. Burke was close but for one reason or another did not get the Leafs to the next step. Unfortunate really, and I personally would have given him another year to see what he could pull off this summer. - Ross The Boss Palmer Fri, 11 Jan 2013 06:53:10 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/other-features-mainmenu-89/archived-ramblings/5173-january-11-2013#comment-23742 Burke - Stupid decision. No matter what way you cut it. I refuse to believe it has much to do with his performance rather than egos with ownership. This will be another Leafs blunder. People forget that a lot of times players don't want the grief of coming to Toronto because the criticism that unfolds in a 3 page article over whether you eat you Campbell's Chunky soup with a fork or spoon. Bottom line was that the team was mismanaged going into an coming out of the last lockout. Then they "brilliantly" hired an interim GM who saddled Burke's eventual team with mediocre players on bad contracts and a farm bereft of bluechips or goaltending. He spent the better part of 3 years fixing previous management and ownerships mistakes. Goalies - If your a mid-round picker, your first pick should likely be a goalie. Otherwise, hold off. If a run starts, don't let more than 3-4 goalies get by you if possible. Got to get one early and one around round 5-6 if possible. I agree, finding skaters is easier than goalies. Goalies usually require an injury. Skaters can steal icetime. I also find goalies more valuable in roto vs H2H. H2H is far more forgiving. Galchenyuk - Starts season as #2 Center. Show signs of stealing #1 by seasons end. Is #1 by end of next year. This kid really looks like what MTL has been missing. Benn - Dallas should get this done quick. They will likely be forced to overpay. I don't like his attitude about this though. If if runs on, then they should trade him. Bad omen if he is doing this stuff now, and this early in his career. Not worth it. Anything over 5M is overpaying right now. And that is with projected value. - Sovereign Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:40:21 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/other-features-mainmenu-89/archived-ramblings/5173-january-11-2013#comment-23741 You guys are both right from a statistical perspective. I have never played fantasy hockey in a lockout year. And as the sample size of something decreases, the luck/randomness factors both increase. I would just feel more confident with two goalies I "know" are going to play 40+ games this year (there are probably six or seven goalies you could say that about confidently). I ended up with Schneider/Dubnyk as my goalies in the Dobber Experts league (we drafted last fall). A lot of risks there, but the goalie run was ridiculous. I'd much rather have to play catch up with players in the later round that goalies. That may just be me. - angus Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:25:19 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/other-features-mainmenu-89/archived-ramblings/5173-january-11-2013#comment-23740 Statistically, the following statement is incorrect. [i]In a shortened season, I'd highly advise to grab two elite goalies. Goaltending is going to be so important this season.[/i] Actually - the longer a study-sample length is, the more likely that the top performers at the end of the year will be the most skilled. In shorter samples, say a week - there will be increased opportunity for statistical anomalies. For a year in 1994-1995, Jim Carey was an amazing goalie, but not for a career. For a month in 2002, Brian Boucher was an amazing goalie, but not for a year. For a week... several fleeting goalies have posted multiple shutouts, but not for a month. As you take the limit to a smaller length, you have increase chance of statistical anomaly. So - anyways... there is a greater chance this year for ELITE goalies to have poorer numbers and for POOR goalies to have decent numbers. Whether it actually happens, I don't know. But the theory is correct. (As an example, I believe Marc-Andre Bergeron was a top 3 scoring defenseman in the NHL last year after the first two months. These things can happen.) - Pengwin7 Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:15:47 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/other-features-mainmenu-89/archived-ramblings/5173-january-11-2013#comment-23739 I'm a head to head points guy, and I would make the argument that goaltending is actually less valuable than in normal years in such leagues. Two reasons: 1) I typically try to land 3 starters and this year there will be more scheduling conflicts between three goalies because of the condensed schedule, rendering that third goalie spot less important. 2) Because of that same condensed schedule, back ups will see a higher % of starts this year, which will make the goalie position less productive overall as compared to forwards (as compared to normal years. - Kraftster Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:51:44 +0100