Get it, it's a bed set....sleep....bed...I've got nothing....
We're gearing up for fantasy hockey, people have got their guides, mapped out a strategy to draft, and have a white board ready with team line combinations (like so much Lou Lamoriello) to see who will benefit from someone on their line.
And, if you're like me, you're looking for some sleeper picks to swap up in the late rounds in order to bypass the waiver wire mess. So, with that in mind, here's some picks you can use for sleepers when it comes to your draft. Granted, this is without some of them actually making the team, so draft at your own risk.
G: Peter Budaj, COL: With Jose Theodore out of the way, this could be Budaj's time to shine...again. Even though he has Andrew Raycroft pressuring him for PT, Budaj will more than likely get the nod and help revitalize the Avalanche's Cup hopes. Though it's hard to pick a sleeper goalie, this is really the only one who pops out to me.
D: Kristopher Letang, PGH: With Ryan Whitney on the shelf from three to five months, this could be the time for Letang to step up and show what he's made of. With his days in Val d'Or showing he has the ability to put up decent offensive numbers, Whitney's loss could be Letang's gain.
D: Joni Pitkanen, CAR: With the Canes' defense in need of a puck-moving threat, Pitkanen could be that guy. Though defensively, he's a liability-- Pitkanen should be able to increase his numbers (as well as ice time) with his role on the Carolina blue line.
RW: Teddy Purcell, LA: After a stellar season in Manchester, Purcell will probably jump into the everyday line-up of the Kings. With plenty of wild cards in that line-up, Purcell could jump up to be a solid primary or secondary scorer on this developing team.
C: Erik Christensen, ATL: With the Thrashers in very dire need of some kind of scoring, Christensen could be the one who steps up into the role. In juniors, Christensen was a huge scoring threat and could benefit from someone like John Anderson behind the bench to help hone the youngsters skill and make him an offensive option.
LW: Ryane Clowe, SJ: A torn ligament slowed down his progress last season, but once Clowe came back, he was second to only Joe Thornton in scoring for the Sharks. Clowe is not only a solid choice for what he can put up in terms of points, but he has the ability to rack up the PIMs as well, which could be a positive if your league encourages that sort of thing.
This is just one of many parts of the fantasy hockey stuff, as we lead into the fantasy '08-'09 season. I know my clubs, Glen Burnie HC and it's minor league affiliation, Aston HC, are ready to go avenge their defeats from last season.
1 comment:
I drafted Budaj last year, thinking he was a great sleeper get.. but he was terrible, even more so when he was the almost-undisputed no. 1 in the first half of the season. So bad that, given the choice, I would take my chances on Raycroft earning the starter spot than pick up a barely-mediocre Budaj.
As for Pitkanen.. those exact words were written about him last year, and look at how that turned out
But good point on Letang, and Christensen would be a great late-round pick-up
Post a Comment