Last-ing Impression

While the buzz after last night's All-Star "Fantasy" Draft is all about the last pick, Logan Couture, it made me wonder about the other last picks of drafts, and I don't mean Phil Kessel's delve into the last pick from last season's edition of this.

I'm talking about the NHL Entry Draft, which "officially" started in 1979, as it was called the Amateur Draft prior to that. In that time span, only 10 last picks have played at least one game in the NHL, with the top-end player playing 739 games in the NHL.

It's started off in the 1979 Draft, where Blair Barnes was picked in the 6th round, 126th overall by the Edmonton Oilers-- playing in only one game in the 1982-83 season with the Los Angeles Kings. That next draft, the 1980 Draft-- Andy Brickley was the last pick in Round 10, 210th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers; then playing 385 NHL games with the Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins, and Winnipeg Jets. Brickley finished with 82 career goals and 222 points.

There was a quite the gap, but we got back-to-back last picks playing starting in the 1987 Entry Draft with Edmonton again pick last, this time Igor Vyazmikin with the 252nd overall pick, leading to a four-game stint with the Oilers, for only one goal in his career. In 1988, Edmonton's provincial counterparts, the Calgary Flames, picked last at pick 252 and took another Russian in Sergei Pryakhin-- who was the first Russian who was allowed by the Soviet government to play in the NHL-- and put up three goals and 11 points in 46 career games. Pryakhin was the first Russian-trained player to receive a Stanley Cup ring, as well, but not engraved on the Cup.

A small gap before yet another back-to-back last pick. The 1993 Draft has the Pittsburgh Penguins pick in the 286th slot, using Hans Jonsson for their pick, where he'd lead a solid career over 242 games with the Penguins, compiling 10 goals and 48 assists on the blue line. Another blue liner was picked last in the 1994 Draft, when Kim Johnsson was pick by the New York Rangers and would lead the way for the last picks-- playing in 739 games with the Rangers, Flyers, Minnesota Wild, and Chicago Blackhawks, finishing with 67 goals and 284 points.

The Boston Bruins picked last in the 1997 Draft, using the 246th pick to choose Jay Henderson, would only put up four points in 33 games with the Bruins.

More recently, the most active players on the chart include Jonathan Ericsson, currently playing with the Detroit Red Wings, who drafted him with 291st pick in the 2002 Draft. Currently, Ericsson has 10 goals and 42 points in 213 games-- with a Stanley Cup ring to boot. Also in the Central Division, Patric Hornqvist of the Nashville Predators was picked last in the 2005 Draft and has put up 67 goals and 129 points in 236 games with the Preds.

Keeping with the All-Star, Brian Elliott almost made this list, even with him being an All-Star-- but he was picked second-to-last in 2003 with the 291st pick by the Ottawa Senators, currently having career record of 76-58-18 over 165 games, with this year being his best on record.

While it's not horrible to be picked last, regardless of the fact, the success rate isn't always there....which I guess is why you're the last to be picked.

On the Topic Of the All-Star Game

So we're at the time of year where the All-Star Game is the next big thing on the NHL schedule. For years, people have been clamoring to see the NHL stars of today on one big stage and for them to play a competitive game with nothing more than pride of their conference on the line.

It was hard to write that without breaking up laughing.

But the ASG is a time-honored tradition that really has no way to actually quit or have a big meaning to it all. The weekend has two gimmicks leading up to the game-- the "Fantasy Draft" and the Skills Competition-- which get a lot more heat than the actual game itself. In fact, the only good things in the past couple of years that the NHL has done with the game is to have fans only pick the top-six rather than 12 and then have the fantasy draft.

If this was a legitimate thing, you'd have to think that four Ottawa Senators-- who are hosting the event this year-- wouldn't be in the starting line-up, in fact; they may not even be starters at all. Hell, four Sens is a stretch when it comes to the game. This just shows how stupid fan voting is. The "starters" of the game are all Eastern Conference players and represent three teams.

Also, if you wanted a true ASG, you wouldn't have to have all 30 teams represented. That's a great idea to have every team recognized in the biggest major event in the NHL schedule, but if there's a team that doesn't warrant it (because there's a few); they don't deserve to be there.

Yet, the All-Star Game format is one that almost needs to happen for a league to have some kind of legitimacy, I suppose. However, I think the concepts that have the best way is MLB, who has the winner get home-field advantage in the World Series, and the MLS, who has their All-Stars play an elite European team and string up interest in their sport that way.

However, the NHL is a league that is going to get their sport out there by promoting the big name stars, even if they don't deserve to be there-- like an Alex Ovechkin type, who isn't having a great year, but is still a big name and will be needed to be used when it comes to hyping the game up because of his recognition in the mainstream. There's probably plenty of guys who are more deserving than Ovechkin, but he'll get their spot because of the fact he's more noticeable.

The game itself is just a glorified pond hockey game with little flow to it and little meaning to it all. There's really no way to fix the game itself and it's meaningless quality because it would be too much of a risk if they were to play in a game against a team from overseas or to make some kind of home-ice situation, because that would make the whole regular season achievements moot and take away from the real thing.

That said, it's not something you can just take out. It's something for the fans and allows another adventure for people to go to that's not the Draft and allows them to see a game, as well. Considering the game is in Ottawa, of course they'll vote four Senators into the starting line-up, because they want to see their guys in their building. Plus, it's a popularity contest, so whoever the fans want-- the fans will see. The NHL will cater to guys, even if it's not technically correct.

For the people bitching about it, I agree to an extent. However, it's a necessary evil for a "major" league to be considered relevant. If you don't like it, don't watch it. Because I know I won't most likely.

On the Topic of the All-Star Game

I know there are not many people out there who like the concept of the All-Star Game, which is fine. I enjoy it and I think it's something that's good for getting the game out there if you have the right people there in the first place. That said, with the roster of players to be chosen being named-- it's kind of odd when it comes to some players being included and excluded.

Let's be honest, though, odds are some GMs are telling the powers-that-be that they don't want so-and-so in the pool of players because of one reason or another. Fact is, the best players should be named-- and if they don't play because of a mysterious injury....so be it.

But, when you look at the pool of players, it seems to be liked across the board for the majority. Inclusions of the likes of Dustin Byfuglien and Tobias Enstrom show it's not always about the marketable players, but guys who have skill are being recognized. The fact that Nicklas Lidstrom is the only Red Wing from that super-group of a team makes me scratch my head on why someone like Henrik Zetterberg isn't on the list.

Of course, some of that has to do with the inclusion of every team into the All-Star Weekend. First, there's only four teams who won't have a player in the All-Star Game, but will be represented in the Rookie Skills competition-- Florida, Phoenix, NY Islanders, and Buffalo-- which I think is a bit asinine to only have them in the one day and not the other. Secondly, this game should be about showcasing the best players the NHL has to offer-- not to show all the teams out there in the league; because legitimately they won't be shown to a national audience-- why play the sympathy role by throwing them a bone?? Because it's the right thing to do?? It's a cop-out...but so is the selection process, both fan voting and powers-that-be process; though that's another argument for another time. If a team doesn't have a star, you can't force them to provide one when they'd be taking a spot of someone more deserving.

Another thing that bugs me, aside from everyone being represented, is the fact that five of the six goalies in the pool are from the Eastern Conference. If that's not a case for "East Coast Bias" then I don't know what is. In any case, this is a prime example of the best players being picked, regardless of pressure from someone like Jonathan Quick, who's have a solid season out in LA......oh, and ROBERTO LUONGO!! It's a bit interesting about the five East goalies, but it's something that helps my first point that it should be the best players in there, regardless.

This game is for the casual fan. This is to get people who may have been hooked with the Winter Classic a little more knowledge about the game and players and the teams. Granted, they won't get the full feel if my ideal of "Not all teams get in there" gimmick works, but like I said-- they won't see them on national TV anyway, so the hell with it. The point is, this isn't going to be the hardcore fans who actually are offended this is still going on. This is for people who just like the game in it's purest shinny form and for the casual fan who will have time to learn some of the bigger name players and the teams they belong to; which could rope them into watching a real game and get the actual feel for the game rather than the shinny of it all.

If you don't like it, you don't have to watch it; but don't bother those that do enjoy it; regardless of why. If you watch it-- maybe you can debate on why one guy would be better than another or just mimic it MST3K style like I probably will. Just because I like it, doesn't mean I can't mock it.

(Also, if there's a fantasy draft with the Ice Girls of the league-- I want in on that voting.)

On the Topic of Fantasy Ownership

Now, with all that's going around-- I could opine on what the great Greg Wyshynski had to say about blogger credentials, but he discussed that with us and Lyle Richardson at the 2009 Draft already.Plus, I've been credentials for years and I still can explain the process due to my hackiness. I could talk about the Olympics and what it could mean, but the nuances around it are too much for me to debate with myself.

But the topic I'll tackle is the fantasy hockey side of things, that is now in full effect. The FOHSHL has gotten back up with our four divisions getting rolling, I got an email about my CBS "Experts" league getting going, it's finally the time of the year where the ordinary people can become very psychotic about players performances and what not. You can be the guy behind the guy and only have yourself to blame for picking some craptastic guys.....or play the blame game after the season and single out players like some GMs in real life do. I know I put out my confession of the addiction back in '07 and it holds true to the day.

Even so, with one draft 35 days away-- the strategy has been on-going since the whole free agent period when you're thinking how each new signee will fit into the scheme of not only the team, but his value when you could pick him and if they could become a sleeper. I know there has been many times where I assumed one thing about a player and the exact opposite happens; which is what makes it aggravating at times, but that's life. It creates challenges and a sort of an escape for things to make yourself feel bigger than you really are....which is fantastic when you have a sort of Napoleon complex.

The thing with the whole fantasy process is not only battling other owners in terms of drafting and free agent position, it's more of battling yourself and your own decision making process. The fact of the matter is that you are your own worst enemy. The second-guessing issue is mostly the big thing, not only in drafting, but in putting in a claim for waiver processes, quick fixes for late-week points, or even being too late in picking someone up off of free agency when you had been debating in your head on picking them up. Oddly enough, the regret you have for not picking someone very much outweighs the good moves one can actually make. It's the fish that got away scenario.

More over than second-guessing, another thing that irks me is the owners who don't actually pay attention to the entire season. I mean, I know there's people who do have lapses when it comes to the day-to-day games and that's fine. It's the guys who don't check their teams at all that bugs me, especially when you want to make a trade and since they don't check the team-- it never happens and you feel that you lost out because of it. That happened to me a couple times in the past few years and it's bothersome-- especially when the commissioner of the league trusts that owners will keep track regardless of how bad their team is. It's hard to bag on them, though, because in most cases they are your friends or it's a public league where people seem to be more idiotic than not. The point is-- even if you just check your team once a week, make sure you keep tabs on your teams because while you might not care halfway through the season, some other owner may when it comes to your roster.

And speaking of public leagues-- the best part about public leagues and one that has been great fodder for FOHS is the trades that are proposed through the season. The public leagues bring the silliest of trades, mostly because people underestimate the knowledge of their leaguemates and assume most everyone in a public league is a dumbass who is only there just because and to try out hockey for the first time. It never seems to happen in private leagues because people usually know better, but it also is a sign of the times where not many trades (at least in the FOHSHL) have taken place. It's like there's a salary cap in fantasy hockey and no one has the cap space to fit one guy or another into it. It's crazy because, like in real hockey, trades are very interesting and something that could make others make moves here and there.

While there's another peeve some guys have, but I can't complain because I've done it myself-- where an owner drops a ton of guys to pick up others just to get points late in the week. Now, I've only done that with a lot of rank-and-file guys and at the end of the Finals during championship week, which-- in championships-- any means necessary. Even so, it's a little bothersome when it comes to guys doing it frequently; but like I said-- no room to talk since I've been guilty of it from time-to-time.

So, what has this rambling done?? Probably nothing but venting on my trials and tribulations when it comes to fantasy ownership. Also, it breaks up the whole monotony that other people are blogging about, not that it's bad-- but I'm not really known for going with the flow of things. As well, I'm more amped up about another season in the FOHSHL than anything right now. I've been to the finals twice and lost in the past two years....maybe it's the third time is a charm, like so much Marian Hossa. f

Fantasy Draft Flabbergastery

Evgeni Nabokov picked 1st overall. Marc Savard picked 2nd overall. John Tavares picked 5th overall.

These are things I have seen in the fantasy hockey drafts I have participated in this year. I don't think "flabbergastery" is a word, but with something like this-- it should be created as one. While these players are good by their own right, no way in hell they should be going this high. It's not like I went into a public league where there are many people who are blind who the good players are and who to avoid.

And when I'm there watching such absurdity happen before my eyes, it's makes you flustered as an owner. Of course, I'm a psychopath and it could just be me who thinks that, but you usually go in with a plan and course of action of how you're going to pick, depending on your position. You try to forecast where things are going to fall when it comes to those picks before you. Yet, when a swerve like these happen, you often have to catch yourself and rearrange everything you were thinking in terms of what you need to pick. Often, you miss top players in the pool because people forget about them because they don't get picked when you thought they would.

Same goes with positions, like goaltending, going one pick after another. You often rush your next picks to that position because you feel that if you're don't pick someone up now, you're going to be left with the back-up goalie of the minor league affiliate before you know it. Of course, depending on your draft position, you may have to do back-to-back panic picks because odds are, you won't get a chance to get a pick of the litter.

However, to avoid the panicking, you have to have the roadmap to what you're going to do into draft. Even if you are picking late in the odd number rounds, odds are you're plotting five or six picks ahead, just so you have options. With the length of time between picks, you have the time to do the research and run the quick numbers in your head.

Granted, it's late to give away pointers now, but it's just the craziness that I've seen in the past few days when it comes to my own drafts that makes me look back in hindsight and make you wonder what kind of drugs these fellow players in your league are taking and if you can get them where you live.

Best of luck in your leagues and pools. Here's hoping you weren't one of the foolish to actually pick guys way too high. And if you are....consider this your 15 minutes.