I Won My Baseball Pool With an Anti-Matthew Berry Team

Eat it, Matthew Berry.

Every spring training, just like the pro’s, I ready myself for another season of baseball – fantasy baseball. I would scour through the Internet looking for scouting reports, sleeper lists, break out candidates and do not draft players. This would always lead me to one place – ESPN.

ESPN prides itself on being the world’s sports leader. By most accounts, it is. It is a trusted network of experts, who I exploit to gain an upper hand on my fellow poolies.

This past Spring, right after I clicked on the ESPN Draft Kit, I read: I Hate Ryan Howard as a headline as part of Matthew Berry’s annual Love/Hate article. My fantasy baseball pool is a keeper league, and I am a sometimes frustrated, but proud owner of Ryan Howard. As soon as you read a headline like that regarding one of your players, naturally, discontent builds up.

I have never been a Matthew Berry fan. His fantasy analysis is good, but judging from his ESPN videos and NFL Sunday appearances, he is a loud, obnoxious and thinks he is greater than he actually is. And I don’t think I am alone on this stance, judging by this blog aptly named I Hate Matt Berry.

As I go through his top 250, I get angrier and angrier.

Soriano ahead of Holliday? Howard ranked 33? Stephen Drew ahead of Derek Jeter? Jeter ranked 89th?!?! Why is Chris Davis so high? Why is Josh Hamilton so high?

** Last year I traded away Josh Hamilton for Matt Holliday, thinking that Hamilton will never produce the way he would during the first half of the 2008 season. I was also weary of the condition of his body with the years of drug abuse. I know he is clean now, but it just scared me. It evidently paid off with Hamilton missing much of this past season and Holliday being the 2009 post trade deadline MVP.

After reading Matthew Berry’s rankings, I went with a new strategy: Do the opposite of what Berry says. I have never been a strong fantasy baseball player, so a new strategy could only improve my chances of winning.

For most of the year, my team consisted as follows:

• C Kurt Suzuki – a guy a picked up. I don’t really put much value into catchers, but Suzuki had an awesome year. He was the unsung hero of my team.
• *CI Ryan Howard – Berry’s big thing against Howard are his K’s and low average. He only had 186 K’s this year, but had a .279 average! He will also probably finish 2nd in NL MVP voting.
• CI Carlos Pena (when he went down, Gordon Beckham took over) – By drafting Pena, I was throwing K’s into the wind and going for BOMBS. In a points league, home runs are worth the most points, so I went for them. He went down early and still led the AL in home runs. Beckham is a future stud, glad I have him.
• *MI Derek Jeter – best player in the league. Berry blasted him for not hitting for power and not stealing bases. Hey, I love any player with .334/18 home runs/30 stolen bases. Apparently, that’s not good enough for Berry. Jeter was ranked the 7th best shortstop by Berry. What a clown. I think Jeter should win the MVP, but probably won’t because baseball needs to grow in the mid market part of the country.
• MI Miguel Tejada – Ranked 189th by Berry. Really? You didn’t think that Tejada would have a good year in a stacked Astros lineup, a year after the dust settled from his troubled 2008 season? This guy is a professional hitter. Finished with a .313 average and 86 RBI’s.
• *OF Matt Holliday – Holliday is my favorite. Berry didn’t have too much hate for Holliday. He was just about as equal as everyone else. All I heard in the offseason was how Holliday was going to have a terrible year and how Coors made him into the player he was. I got chirped for making the Holliday-Hamilton trade, but I knew I would come out on top. I knew Holliday would struggle in Oakland, simply because he didn’t want to be there. I also knew that there was no way he would spend the whole year in Oakland. Second half MVP. I don’t need to go through his numbers because those who gave up on him will hate me.
• *OF Carlos Lee – Mr Consistent. The only guy I have that got love from Matthew Berry. He was ranked in the Top 10, which was a little too high for me, but I’ll take it. Not much I can say about him. He is a lock for .300/100 RBI’. He didn’t quite get to the 30 home run mark, which was disappointing, but you can’t put a price on his consistency.
• *OF Justin Upton - WOOOO!!! So glad I have him. He is a fantasy pool STUD, especially in keeper leagues. I have this future triple crown winner for life!
• UTIL Hideki Matsui – Drafted him. Then dropped him. Picked him back up and it paid off. I will take 28 home runs and 90 RBI’s from a 13th round pick (+ 7 keepers = 20th round) any day.
• BN Mark DeRosa – Didn’t like him last year. Didn’t like him when I drafted him. Didn’t like him at all this year. His versatility kept him on my team.

• *SP Jake Peavy – Can’t wait for next year because this year was a write off.
• *SP Yovani Gallardo – I liked him a lot going into the season, so did everyone else. He throws too many pitches for my liking, though.
• SP Tommy Hanson – Rookie of the year. I didn’t think he would have this good of a year. But now he will liekly be a keeper for life.
• SP Phil Hughes – Awesome pick up. If you have a free SP slot available for a set up man who is SP-eligible, pick him up. Hughes got me a few random wins and saves to help me win my league. He also K’d a lot of guys and kept his ERA low.
• RP Heath Bell – 42 saves. Unreal season. I knew he would get his chances. Padres have good pitching and a bad offense. What does that lead to? Low scoring games. That is an ideal situation for closers, which is why Trevor Hoffman got so many opportunities while he was in SD. Bell was one of the last closers to go on draft night.
• RP Joe Nathan – Another Mr. Consistent. 47 saves. Unreal! These two guys won the league for me. He was my first round pick on draft night, and I don’t regret it.
• BN Carlos Zambrano – shit.
• BN Ricky Nolasco – shit.
• BN Jorge De La Rosa – mid season pick up was outstanding.
• BN Scott Feldman – plucked him up simply for his wins.
• BN Aaron Harang - shit.

* denotes 2008 keeper.

Decent looking team. I led the league in home runs and RBI’s and that’s what led me the whole year. Saves and Wins were big too.

So next year when I try and build my team, I will definitely read Matthew Berry, but I won’t put much stock into anything he says. I will do the opposite of what he says.

WTF?!?! Astros Sign Brad Arnsberg

I just read on the Sportsnet ticker that the Houston Astros have plucked Brad Arnsberg from the Blue Jays.

What a terrible decision for the Blue Jays to allow this to happen. Arnsberg, now the former pitching coach of the Blue Jays,  was one of the few reasons why the Blue Jays won as many games as they did.

I give him credit for singlehandedly transforming the Jays’ pitching staff from unknown to good. He developed the Jys’ young arms and made them into serviceable Major League pitchers.

Do you think anybody would have heard of Jesse Litsch, Shawn Marcum, Mark Rzepczynski, Scott Richmond, or Robert Ray if it wasn’t for the efforts of Arnsberg?

Unlikely.

The Blue Jays have replaced Arnsberg by promoting Bruce Walton. He will have his hands full this coming season with a lot of young arms coming up and the possibility of no Doc Halladay.

I know I haven’t blogged in a long, long time, but I could not let this issue pass without it being discussed. Arnsberg will be successful wherever he goes and Houston is lucky to have him.

Just like the Jays when Arnsberg came in, the Astros have some questions in their rotation. Under the tutelage of Arnsberg, there is no doubt the Astros will be a better pitching team led by Arnsberg’s new Roy – Roy Oswalt.

On behalf of Jays fans everywhere, good luck Brad, and thanks for everything you have done in Toronto.

Week 2 Line Juggling

We are only two weeks into the new NHL season, and there is already significant line juggling on pretty much every team. In some cases, it is because of injury and in others it is because of futility. Let’s go for a ride, shall we.

Jordan Staal has forever been cursed as being the third line center in Pittsburgh. There have been numerous attempts to allow him to play in the top six group, but have not been thoroughly tried out. However, recent reports out of Pittsburgh are saying that the Staal-in-the-top-six experiment is back on. He spent moments on Thursday with Evgeni Malkin on the 1B line. The two are again going to be spending some time together on the same line tonight versus the Leafs.

Fantastically, this is great news for Staal owners or Staal seekers. Even if he spends even half of his ice time with Malkin, it gives him a much better chance to put up a point in that game. His ability to score shorthanded should not be overlooked. If Staal can put up a few points early with Malkin, expect him to see more ice time with him, working towards a permanent role with him.

Johan Franzen is out for four months with a torn ACL. When I heard this, I almost ran my car through Mississauga-Toronto traffic, which I was stuck in for two hours. Franzen is a guy who I kept and had high hopes of 40 goals for this season.

I wonder if Ken Holland has given Jiri Hudler a call? Seriously, the Red Wings are now desperate for goals. Tonight, Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom will be joined by Henrik Zetterberg on the first line. On the second line, Valterri Filpulla, Danny Cleary and Ville Leino will try and supplement for the lost offense.

Fantastically, the biggest winner here is Leino, who sneaks into the top six group. He is a scoring machine and has to prove it at the NHL level. If Holmstrom is still available, snag him. Filpulla and Cleary have a chance to occasionally play on the top line with Datsyuk, so keep them close to the top of your watch list.

Claude Giroux has gotten off to a slow start. He has a single assist so far. He is also only playing roughly eleven minutes per game on the third line. However, James van Riemsdyk, who has stolen powerplay minutes from Giroux, has gone down with a concussion, and this is good news for Giroux owners.

Unlike the Red Wings, the Flyers are not desperate for offense, but they are looking for a boost from Giroux. Tonight, Giroux will play on the top line with Mike Richards and Simon Gagne. This is a huge opportunity for Giroux and this is where all fantasy owners want to see him play. The second line remains in tact (Briere – Carter – Hartnell), while the third line inherits Mike Pyorala. If you are looking for a breakout game for Giroux, tonight is the night.

Fantastically, I have not played Giroux all season, but I am tonight.

Anze Kopitar has finally found someone to play with. Who knew Ryan Smyth would be that guy. Justin Williams is the other guy. Suddenly, those two other guys become fantasy worthy options. Kopitar has all the tools to be a point per game player, and I think it will be this year he reaches that plateau. The Kings are getting good goaltending from Jon Quick, and Kopitar is proving that he ca handle the offensive load.

Fantastically, Kopitar has eight points in three games, Smyth has six and Williams has four. These three are looking to hand found a bond. Give Smyth one more game and see how he does. If he pouts up another point or two tonight, snag him up, or else someone else will.

Ryan Smyth and Anze Kopitar are finding chemsitry. Justin Williams is in there too.

Hockey Night Observations

GOALIES!

• Last night Roberto Luongo made his case for Steve Mason’s spot on Canada’s Olympic team. Luongo continued to struggle giving up four goals on twelve shots. Yeeeee-ikes. Andrew Raycroft (no way!) came in for relief and had a pretty good game. Goalie controversy? Let’s be honest. The only controversy regarding Raycroft is whether or not he got Luongo’s coffee this morning.
• Tonight Pierre McGuire called Pascal Leclaire “the best goaltender in Ottawa’s history since 1993.” Somewhere Alex Auld is saying “Wait a second.”
• Semyon Varlamov had a big opportunity tonight to show that he is the number one goalie in Washington. He gave up four goals on 25 shots. Not a strong case.
• More goalie news! My Daily Goalie Start campaign is going swimmingly – so far. I’ve only gotten 1 wrong. Updates may come later in the day from now on because my Internet connection at work is not always the best. But they will be there. Thanks for the support. Remember, if you have heard or read anything about any starting goalie, post it in the comments.

FORWARDS!!

• The Ovechkin-Backstrom-Semin line continues to click – and they will all year. They combined for eight points tonight. Another two goals for Ovechkin. I wish I had TSN2.
• Claude Giroux has not come out to a fast start. He only has one assist and is only averaging about eleven minutes per game, with literally seconds of powerplay time in two games. I kind of expected this from him, after I learned that he would be on the third line with JVR. I am going to be patient, as you should because he is going to be a stud.
• F@#& my forwards tonight!!! Hemsky, Giroux, Briere, Tanguay, B. Richards and Thornton combined for a goal and -4. BRUTAL!
• Can someone tell Alice Hemsky that the season has started. This guy gives me fits.

DEFENSEMEN!!!

• Matt Carle with four assists! Is this finally the year he makes good on the built up hype from 3 years ago? Regardless, pick him up in your fantasy league because he is on one of the two powerplay lines in Philly and is playing 5 on 5 with Pronger. Those are good enough reasons to pick him up.
• Maybe think about dropping Cam Barker, who is no longer on the powerplay in favor of Brent Seabrook.
• Hey, how about that Michael Del Zotto. Doesn’t look out of place on the Rangers’ powerplay. He definitely deserves a look on your fantasy team. If someone has already snatched him up, take a look at Hoby Baker, I mean, Matt Gilroy.

BASEBALL!!!!

• What a game between the Tigers and the Twins. WTF was Ryan Raburn doing? OMFG. No doubles defense means nothing over your head. That includes balls that go over your glove because of a bad read.
• Still watching the game. This game should continue to be played because of a bases loaded missed bean ball on Brandon Inge.
• The biggest winner in this game is the Yankees. Extra innings are going to cost the Tigers or Twins their pitching strength tomorrow.

Mission Cap of the Night: Ales Kotalik

In game one of the 2009-2010 version of the Rangers-Devils rivalry, Ales Kotalik made the most of his 11:30 of ice time. It easy to look at the boxscore and see that he scored a goal and added an assist in a Rangers 3-2 win in the Meadowlands. However, it was his efforts in the dying seconds in the game that earned him the Mission Cap of the Night.

The Devils spent most of the final two minutes of the game in the Rangers’ zone with numerous opportunities to score. The Rangers were gassed, as they took back to back to back icings in a move of desperation.

In the final seconds of the game, Jamie Langenbrunner received the puck after a scrum by the benches and hurried it across the Rangers’ blue line to left of Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers were again scrambling as the Devils had a potential 3 on 2. Travis Zajac was wide open on the left wing and begging for the puck. Langenbrunner finally passed the puck Zajac’s way. Before the puck reached Zajac; however, Ales Kotalik, dove head first to break up the play and save a potential goal.

Kudos to Kotalik for sacrificing his body en route to saving the game for the Rangers. For his efforts, he is awarded the first Mission Cap of the Night award of the 2009-2010 season. As long as he is helping the Rags win and Henrik Lundqvist is in net, I’m happy and more importantly, my fantasy team is happy.

Daily Goalie Start

As some or all of you might know, Goaliepost.com now requires a fee to use its service. It was a great service to inform you which goalie on game night would be starting. As promised, I am going to do my best this year to let you know which goalie is starting for each team. For most posts, I will provide a link, to reference where I am getting my information from.

Make sure to favorite this page because I will be updating this page everyday for daily goalie starts. There is also a link on the right hand side of 50MC.wordpress.com under “Fantasy Tools”. Note: all times are Eastern Standard Time.

If anybody has heard, seen or read who is starting on a particular night, feel free to add it to the comments. Make sure to add a reference to any comment. For example, if you read it on the website, add the link. If you are watching dodgeball on ESPN Ocho and you saw who was starting on the ticker, add that.

Everything in bold are all provided with references. Everything that isn’t are hunches.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 27TH 2009

happy holidays!! thanks for the support!!

• PHI MICHAEL LEIGHTON, sounds like it anyway.
  
• NYI MARTY BIRON is my guess, but there is no morning skate. Chris Botta doesn’t know yet, so nobody knows. confirmed.
  
• BOS TIM THOMAS is finally confirmed
  
• FLA TOMAS VOKOUN FLA SCOTT CLEMMENSSON
  
• BUF RYAN MILLER BUF PATTY LALIME, great find, ZBeast.
  
• STL
  
• NSH PEKKA RINNE
  
• CHI ANTTI NIEMI
  
• TOR VESA TOSKALA
  
• PIT MARC ANDRE FLEURY
  
• VAN ROBERTO LUONGO
  
• CGY MIIKA
  

• http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/emptynetters/archive/2009/11/03/about-the-ducks-11-03-09.aspx

50MC’s 2009-2010 Fearless Fantasy Forecast: John Tavares

I will use the finale of this year’s version of Fearless Fantasy Forecast on the 2009 number overall pick in the NHL draft and arguably the most anticipated prospect to be in the NHL since Sidney Crosby.

In four seasons in the OHL, he accumulated 433 points, including 215 goals – more than Wayne Gretzky. He has led Team Canada to two World Junior Championship gold medals.

I am talking, of course, of John Tavares.

Tavares is the real deal. He can make plays, has soft hands, he scores goals and most importantly has great hockey sense. Since he was fourteen, he was been groomed to be a number one pick in the NHL and an NHL superstar. He is not the type to focus too much on off-ice activity and will no doubt keep his mind on learning and improving his professional game.

The Islanders have made sure to temper expectations of Tavares to ease the pressure of being a over-hyped prospect. However, Tavares only has the highest expectations for himself and will do his best to reach his potential.

The forwards that have been selected as number one picks before Tavares have been very successful in the NHL. From 2004-2008: Ovechkin, Crosby, Kane, and Stamkos (Erik Johnson in 2006). This is a good trend that could see Tavares follow a similar career path. Tavares has as much, if not more skill of those players mentioned. Can we expect the same career production from Tavares as those players simply based on where they were drafted?

Of course not.

However, the potential of that type of career is very possible. Once a player makes it to the NHL, it is a matter of how much you work on your game and evolve at a professional level that takes you to the elite status. Does Tavares have the work ethic that can lead him to a Crosby or Ovechkin-type career?

Yes he does. He is the real deal.

His skill is unquestioned. However, hockey is a team game and who Tavares plays with will slightly affect his point totals – for his rookie year, anyway. He needs guys to play with who can finish and who can clear a path for him to create.

According to the always reliable Chris Botta at IslandersPointBlank.com, during the Islanders’ final exhibition game, Tavares was centering the top line with Matt Moulson and Sean Bergenheim. In this 4-2 win over the Devils, Doug Weight and Kyle Okposo were out of the lineup.

Apparently, both Moulson and Bergenheim have been having great training camps. However, from a fantasy perspective, Okposo has to be playing with Tavares. Okposo is a strong power forward, who draws comparisons to Jarome Iginla. At 20, and only playing 65 games for the Islanders last season, Okposo led the team in goals with eighteen. Okposo should eventually play on Tavares wing and those two will do major damage in the NHL. Okposo just needs to watch out for blind-side-cheap-shots-during-the-preseason-by-Frankenstein-look-a-likes.

Of all the prospects in the NHL, Tavares has to be on the top of any list to have the most upside. Based on his career in the OHL his performances at World Junior Championships, he has excelled at every level. The NHL is his next mountain to climb.

The Islanders will not hold him back. They do not have many options offensively, and need Tavares to immediately put goals on the board. Therefore, I fearless forecast 25 goals, 39  assists for 64 points. (THN predicts: 24-37-61). This is more on the higher end of a moderate prediction for Tavares, but I really believe in him. Expect much more in years to come.

In keeper pools, he is an absolute must have. Like the real game, he is a guy to build around and a guy who will eventually bring you a championship. For this year however, he should be drafted at around the 100 pick. In two of my one year drafts, he was taken at #129 and #71. However, in my keeper league, he was drafted first overall.

Thanks for reading this year’s catalogue of Fearless Fantasy Forecasts. I will be regularly updating this blog all season long to comment on the NHL and fantastically newsworthy events. Be sure to come back next year for 2010-2011 forecasts. Until then, good luck this fantasy season and I hope I have helped you picking players that will bring you your pool championship.

50MC’s Fearless Fantasy Forecasts:

• Nikita Filatov
• Sergei Shiropov
• Nik Antropov
• Brandon Dubinsky
• Dany Heatley
• Mikko Koivu
• Valtteri Filppula
• TJ Oshie
• Ales Hemsky
• David Krejci
• Scott Gomez
• Patrick Marleau
• Alex Tanguay
• Brenden Morrow
• Claude Giroux

Re: Puck Daddy’s 2009-2010 Western Conference staff prognostications

As per this morning, I am chiming in on Puck Daddy’s staff’s prognostication on how the NHL season will play out. This morning was the Eastern Conference, tonight we shall do the West.

	Puck Daddy	Sean Leahy	Ryan Lambert (Two Line Pass)	Dobber!	Dmitry Chesnokov	Mike D (50MC)
	Red Wings	Red Wings	Blackhawks	Blackhawks	Red Wings	RED WINGS
	Blackhawks	Blackhawks	Red Wings	Red Wings	Blackhawks	BLUES
	Blue Jackets	Blue Jackets	Blues	Blues	Blue Jackets	Blackhawks
	Blues	Predators	Blue Jackets	Blue Jackets	Predators	Blue Jackets
	Predators	Blues	Predators	Predators	Blues	Predators

• Some people think that this is the year the the Red Wings will falter as the Hawks move up. I don’t. In fact, evidently I think that the Blues will make the biggest climb. I’ll take Chris Mason over Cristobal Huet any day.
• The Predators just don’t have the offense to keep up with everyone else. To their favor, they have the best goal horn in the industry and the endorsement of Taylor Swift (sigh).

	Puck Daddy	Sean Leahy	Ryan Lambert (Two Line Pass)	Dobber!	Dmitry Chesnokov	Mike D (50MC)
	Canucks	Canucks	Flames	Flames	Canucks	CANUCKS
	Flames	Flames	Canucks	Canucks	Flames	OILERS
	Oilers	Oilers	Wild	Oilers	Oilers	FLAMES
	Wild	Wild	Oilers	Wild	Wild	WILD
	Avalanche	Avalanche	Avalanche	Avalanche	Avalanche	AVALANCHE

• The Oilers are good enough to compete for second place in the Northwest division. They have too many skilled forwards and defensemen, but not much physicality. Their goaltending is much improved.
• I don’t like the Flames’ offense. Olli Jokinen will have a much better season, but still won’t be enough to take the division.
• Taylor Hall will look really good with Matt Duchene next year.

	Puck Daddy	Sean Leahy	Ryan Lambert (Two Line Pass)	Dobber!	Dmitry Chesnokov	Mike D (50MC)
	Sharks	Sharks	Sharks	Sharks	Sharks	SHARKS
	Ducks	Ducks	Coyotes	Kings	Ducks	STARS
	Stars	Stars	Ducks	Stars	Kings	DUCKS
	Kings	Kings	Kings	Ducks	Stars	COYOTES
	Coyotes	Coyotes	Stars	Coyotes	Coyotes	KINGS

• This is the year for the Shark (I hope I pray). They are just the complete package (But they were last year too… shut up!). The playoff disaster is a motivational point that the entire organization will use to win another President’s Trophy.
• I don’t like the Ducks. Mainly because I don’t like Corey Perry and his gutless style of play on the ice. I really like the Stars. Their forwards are all healthy and Marty Turco will not play as bad as he did last year.
• Despite their off ice problems, the Coyotes don’t have that bad of a team. Apparently Lambert has the same frame of thinking.

Mike D, Regional Director in Charge of Sales

1. Sharks
2. Red Wings
3. Canucks
4. Stars
5. Blues
6. Oilers
7. Blackhawks
8. Flames

Re: Puck Daddy’s 2009-2010 Eastern Conference staff prognostications

Earlier today, Blog God, Puck Daddy revealed his as well as his army of experts’ prognostications on how the Eastern Conference will be played out.

In mission cap fashion, I used my superior HTML skills and translated Puck Daddy’s table into my blog. I thought I would chime in on the fun and give you my outlook on how the East will look come April.

	Puck Daddy	Sean Leahy	Ryan Lambert (Two Line Pass)	Dobber!	Dmitry Chesnokov	Mike D (50MC)
	Flyers	Penguins	Penguins	Penguins	Penguins	FLYERS
	Penguins	Flyers	Devils	Flyers	Penguins	PENGUINS
	Devils	Devils	Flyers	Devils	Rangers	RANGERS
	Rangers	Rangers	Rangers	Rangers	Devils	DEVILS
	Islanders	Islanders	Islanders	Islanders	Islanders	ISLANDERS

• The Atlantic Division is arguably the best division in hockey. It has the deepest pool of top scorers and some of the best defense and goalies.
• I think the Devils will struggle out of the gate and will be hard pressed to catch up at the end of the year. They will however, make the playoffs due to Jacques Lemaire taking the saran wrap off of Zach Parise.
• None of these teams have a chance at winning the conference because they will be beating up on each other through divisional games and taking points away from each other.

	Puck Daddy	Sean Leahy	Ryan Lambert (Two Line Pass)	Dobber!	Dmitry Chesnokov	Mike D (50MC)
	Bruins	Bruins	Bruins	Bruins	Bruins	BRUINS
	Canadiens	Sabres	Leafs	Canadiens	Canadiens	SABRES
	Sabres	Canadiens	Canadiens	Senators	Leafs	HABS
	Senators	Leafs	Sabres	Leafs	Senators	LEAFS
	Leafs	Senators	Senators	Sabres	Sabres	SENATORS

• The Bruis should walk to the Northeast division title.
• The Canadiens have a brand new team, and should be good enough to fight for a playoff spot, but after the Bruins, second to fifth is wide open.
• The Leafs are very much improved and will be a thorn in the side of playoff teams.

	Puck Daddy	Sean Leahy	Ryan Lambert (Two Line Pass)	Dobber!	Dmitry Chesnokov	Mike D (50MC)
	Capitals	Capitals	Capitals	Capitals	Capitals	HURRICANES
	Hurricanes	Hurricanes	Hurricanes	Hurricanes	Hurricanes	CAPITALS
	Lightning	Lightning	Thrashers	Panthers	Thrashers	THRASHERS
	Thrashers	Thrashers	Panthers	Lightning	Panthers	LIGHTNING
	Panthers	Panthers	Lightning	Thrashers	Lightning	PANTHERS

• I had to go against the grain somewhere. The Hurricanes will definitely give the Capitals a run for their money. If there is one thing that the Canes have that the Caps don’t is it’s a reliable goalie. That could be the difference. A hot pitcher always beats a good offensive lineup. Just like in baseball, a hot goalie can beat any offense – even one with Ovechkin.
• The Thrashers will surprise A LOT of teams this year. So will the Lightning. These two teams will finish 2 points away from each other.

Mike D, hilariously good looking

1. Boston Bruins
2. Philadelphia Flyers
3. Carolina Hurricanes
4. Washington Capitals
5. Pittsburgh Penguins
6. New York Rangers
7. New Jersey Devils
8. Buffalo Sabres

To view Puck Daddy’s experts’ prognostications, click here.

Twas the Night Before Puck Drop ‘09…

Here are some last minute details to know before the NHL official starts the 2009-2010 season:

- First and foremost, Mats Sundin has officially retired from the NHL (for now… who knows). Sad to see Sundin go, especially living in the Greater Toronto Area. During his heyday,  Sundin’s face was everywhere around the city. Where does he sit among the Leaf greats? Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? Let the debate begin. On a lighter side, my Mats Sundin rookie card increases in value, while my Patrick O’Sullivan rookie card struggles to find value.

- For those of you who use Goaliepost.com, it now costs $10 to use for the year. It is a great tool to find out game day goalies. I recommend it if you have mediocre goalies and don’t know if they are playing or not. However, for me, I have Lundqvist (and Varlamov), so I will spend my $10 on $10 worth of gummy bears. Fantastically: I provided Goaliepost.com with some goalie tips over the past 3 years and will do my best to let you know before game time which goalie is starting here at 50MC.wordpress.com.

- Speaking of goalies, according to CapGeek.com, the Carolina Hurricanes have inked Cam Ward to a 6 year deal. Darren Dreger adds that the average cap hit is $6.3 million. Absolute stud goalie. Should have another solid year with upwards of 40 wins. Will also challenge for a spot on Team Canada’s roster.

- Following up a previous story regarding Robbie Schremp: As expected, the Islanders have officially claimed him off waivers. A little bit over 24 hours after the Oilers cut Schremp, the Islanders used their #1 waiver priority to claim him. This is a good opportunity for Schremp and it also could be his last. He will definitely have a chip on his shoulder and look to produce on an Islanders team that may struggle offensively. Fantastically: Do not expect much, but expect Schremp to play inspired hockey and show critics that they are wrong. Let him sit in the free agent pool until he shows signs of life. If he can score 30-40 points, the season is a success. Look for more next year.

- Everyone have a drink to celebrate Theo Fleury’s fine career, which officially came to an end on Monday. Too soon? Fleury was on Off The Record after he announced his retirement, and among the advice he would give to young players he said not to get married until they were 30 and to get a pre-nup. Weird.

- According to Andy Strickland, Dan Boyle is set to be named the captain of the San Jose Sharks. Obviously, wearing the C is a great honor for any team, but does it really matter? According to Joe Thornton, wearing or not wearing the C didn’t change him in Boston:

I guess I really didn’t care. I just played, scored goals, made points, and got into fights. I was going to play the way I always did, and having a ‘C’ was not going to change any of that.

Of course, all players are different. Ask Andrei Markov about the captaincy and you are surely going to get a different answer. But for the Sharks, all of those guys in that room have been leaders at one point or another in their hockey careers. Therefore, I don’t think it is going to change much, except for maybe Boyle talking to the referees a little more. Fantastically: Joe Thornton is awesome. Expect big years from him and whoever is captain of the Sharks.

- Late last week, Peter Forsberg dominated hockey headlines of a possible comeback to the NHL. This came after a successful game for MoDo where he scored the game winning goal. Earlier this week, Forsberg confirmed that his stress fracture in his ankle was still hurting. Apparently he could barely walk, but he could skate. Go figure. Must be the gliding. Apparently Washington is interested. Whatever. Fantastically: Don’t bother.

- Maxim Afinogenov has made the Atlanta Thrashers! Another Russian to embrace Ilya Kovalchuk. Afinogenov is likely start the season on the second line with Todd White and Slava Kozlov. The first line of Kovlachuk-Antropov-Little has looked awesome in the preseason. Atlanta will not have trouble scoring this season, but their defense has some question marks and Kari Lehtonen must stay healthy. Fantastically: If Afingenov may be able to find his game again in Atlanta. He is surrounded by really good offensive players and he is still among the quickest skaters in the league. If you are looking for a cheap 50 point option, then go with him. If not, keep him atop your watch list.

- The Phoenix Coyotes have signed Robert Lang to a one year deal. He gives a very young Coyotes team a veteran presence and a proven point producer. He also fills in the empty space that the Coyotes have at center. Fantastically: I don’t think he should be owned, unless if he goes on a tear. The only way to has some value is if he plays with Shane Doan. After major knee surgery, I don’t think he can keep up the pace on the first line.

- Anton Stralman was traded from Calgary to Columbus, where he is expected to quarterback the powerplay. Stralman is still only 23 and fits in well with a core of young stars. The Jackets have desperately searched for a puck moving defenseman for a long, long time. Kris Russell has a lot of potential, but needs time to figure it out at the NHL level. Scott Howson, GM of the Blue Jackets admitted that he has coveted Stralman for some time and tried hard to acquire him during last year’s trade deadline. Fantastically: If Stralman can go into Columbus and lock down that first powerplay unit quarterback job, he should thrive. In Toronto, John Ferguson Jr. compared him to Nicklas Lidstrom, which may be far fetched, but goes to show the type of offensive potential Stralman has. Expect 45-50 points from Stralman on a very potent powerplay. He’s got toughness too, I guess (right).

- Rookie Cuts & Keeps: Artem Anisimov and former Oshawa General, Michael Del Zotto cap off very impressive training camps and make the Rangers. Bob McKenzie is reporting that Del Zotto will be running the Rags’ powerplay… Evgeni Grachev is out. Sent to the AHL… Matt Duchene is in in Colorado. No surprise. He is probably their best player… Cody Hodgson did not show enough and was sent back to Brampton (OHL). With Duchene now in Colorado and Grachev in the AHL, Brampton will probably pull an Oshawa and trade Hodgson for a huge package…  I have been on the Sergei Shirokov bus for a week now. He will start on the 2nd line with Kesler, but on the 1st unit powerplay with the twins. He keeps moving up that watch list… Viktor Stahlberg will be on the Maple Leafs’ opening night roster. This morning, Bob Mckenzie was a guest on the Dean Blundell Show and called Stahlberg the most legitimate college player he saw last year… Nikita Filatov has made the big club. For more information, see my ferless forecast… James vanRiemsdyk has made the Flyers!! He did the right thing by staying in college for one extra year, then went to the AHL to fine tune his professional career. He is projected to line up with Claude Giroux on the 3rd line to start the season. They will be offensive magic, but Aaron Asham is going to have to help them out defensively.

- Sleeper of the Week: Patric Hornqvist, Nashville Predators. He has had a very good training camp (7 points in 5 game, 25 SOG). He made the team out of camp last year, which was unusual because usually the road to Nashville goes through Milwaukee (AHL). He played 28 NHL games to start then was shipped to the AHL where he had 35 points in 49 games. Hornqvist is a dark horse pick to win the Calder and to lead an offensively challenged Predators team in points.

- Viktor Stahlberg led the league with 6 preseason goals in 8 games. Anze Kopitar had 5 goals in 5 games. Mike Comrie stole the show with 10 points (3 goals) in 5 preseason games. Preseason Stats. Fantastically: Stahlberg should have a nice 50 point season. Kopitar will eclipse the 80 point plaeau. Comrie will help Edmonton make the playoffs with 60 points. The main question for Comrie is how Hilary Duff is going to handle Edmonton compared to Long Island. I heard there is a big mall in Edmonton, she might like that.

- Speaking of the preseason, frig the preseason! Let’s get the regular season started already. WOOOO!! Hockey’s back!