Yahoo Fantasy Hockey: Crucial training camp battles in Eastern Conference
Dobber launched his fantasy hockey website DobberHockey back in 2005 and has been Puck Daddy’s resident fantasy hockey enthusiast since 2009.
Boston Bruins – Matt Irwin vs. Joe Morrow vs. Colin Miller
I like the potential top six here with Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Loui Eriksson, Matt Beleskey, David Krejci and David Pastrnak. I also like the potential “Kid Line” of Jimmy Hayes – Ryan Spooner – Brett Connolly. So to me, the top nine is pretty much set (and you can always get your updated line combos, even for preseason – right here). So to me, the intrigue is on the blue line. And while Irwin boasts the most experience, he was also Johnny Pressbox last season. Meanwhile, Morrow is a top prospect in the system and Miller tore up the AHL with 52 points last year as a defenseman. Miller was acquired in the Milan Lucic trade and while he may not make the team out of camp, he should be a midseason call-up and from a fantasy standpoint I like him the best.
Buffalo Sabres – Johan Larsson vs. Sam Reinhart
There are 10 absolutely undisputed roster spots spoken for in the Sabres lineup. And if you assume that Jamie McGinn is fully healthy and that Cody McCormick is the 13th forward, then we’re up to 12 spots taken. That leaves one spot for Larsson, who became a full-time NHLer in the second half of 2014-15 and clicked very well with Matt Moulson and Tyler Ennis. But prospect Sam Reinhart should get a spot, shouldn’t he? He’s eligible to play in the AHL this season and can do so without clearing waivers. Larsson doesn’t have that exemption. Reinhart has his work cut out for him and even if he makes the team, will have to compete with Larsson for quality linemates and ice time.
Carolina Hurricanes – Noah Hanifin vs. Ryan Murphy
Since the Eddie Lack vs. Cam Ward outcome won’t be determined in camp, we’ll turn our focus to the blue line. Both Hanifin and Murphy are making this team and while James Wisniewski and Justin Faulk get the key PP time, the secondary PP time is up for grabs. So who do they lean on – the wunderkind whom they drafted fifth overall this past summer (but was rated third on many lists going in)? Or the 11th overall pick from four years ago who has been champing at the bit for a couple of years now? Adding to the mix is the fact that the Canes will waste on give John-Michael Liles some PP time as well.
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Columbus Blue Jackets – Chemistry with Ryan Johansen
Last season, Johansen played almost exclusively with Nick Foligno and usually it was Scott Hartnell on the other wing. This year the team adds Brandon Saad to the mix and he’s already being penciled in on that top line. Meanwhile Cam Atkinson, who was third on the team in ice time with Johansen last year, is a shooting machine who is just now entering his prime and seems a great fit on the other side. Will Atkinson and Saad show chemistry with Johansen? If they don’t, then the Jackets will go back to Foligno and Hartnell by the end of preseason. The difference in potential production this situation leads to is huge.
Detroit Red Wings – Teemu Pulkkinen vs. Vets
Last year’s leading goal scorer for the Griffins (34 goals in just 46 games) is ready to make the jump, having nothing more to prove at the AHL level. And with Pavel Datsyuk sidelined for now with an ankle injury, a bit of room opens up. But with Johan Franzen cleared to play and veteran Brad Richards under contract, is there enough room? Maybe Pulkkinen steals a spot from Joakim Andersson. It probably comes down to training camp performance.
Florida Panthers – The kids vs. the tryouts
Unlike last training camp when the Panthers had about 16 NHL (or NHL-ready) forwards under contract, this year they have 11 – plus Quinton Howden, Rocco Grimaldi and possibly Lawson Crouse angling for one of the last two spots. A roster spot is theirs, right? Wrong. Florida invited former Panther David Booth to camp, as well as veteran Martin Havlat and former NHLer Robbie Schremp (who signed with their minor-league affiliate).
Montreal Canadiens – Alexander Semin vs. Alexander Semin
Semin is a 35-goal, 70-point talent. Or…was. Fantasy owners don’t trust him, to the point where he is untradeable. But his fantasy owners are holding out hope that the “new team magic” that gets sprinkled on players gets all over this one. With such a small contract (one year, $1.1 million), he’s an easy player for coach Michel Therrien to bench or scratch. Usually Semin responds to that kind of motivation.
New Jersey Devils – Pavel Zacha vs. the prayers of an organization
The Devils lack a scoring forward. Actually, replace “scoring” with “decent”. With Patrik Elias at the tail end of a great career and Mike Cammalleri a shadow of his former self, the Devils are down Zacha or the hot dog vendor. Zacha needs to make this team and become a productive forward right away. The organization and its fans need a shining light. No pressure, though.
New York Islanders – Anders Lee vs. Josh Bailey
Bailey ended last season on the John Tavares line, but Lee was quite good on that line as well. Adding to the intrigue is the Brock Nelson contract situation. Because Nelson had been clicking nicely with Lee and Ryan Strome on the second line and if that line gets torn apart, perhaps Lee can work his way up to that plum job as part of the top trio. This could quite literally mean a difference of plus or minus 20 points for these two players, and the first steps on that path will take place in training camp.
New York Rangers – Emerson Etem vs. Viktor Stalberg vs. J.T. Miller
The five players in New York’s top six are obvious, and I’m also going to assume that Kevin Hayes will remain at center on the third line. This means that the above three players will vie for that final spot in the top six. Training camp will determine who gets to start there. And if each of the three suck fail to find chemistry, you may see Hayes moved up there after all…
Ottawa Senators – Matt Puempel vs. Shane Prince vs. the vets
Puempel was the 24th overall pick in 2011 and a proven 30-goal scorer at the AHL level. Prince was the 61st overall pick in 2011 and he led Binghamton in scoring last season. Both players are close. But in their way are the likes of Colin Greening, Zack Smith and you can even throw Alex Chiasson in there. Chiasson was a disappointment last year, his first with the Sens. But Smith and Greening were often in charge of popcorn up in the press box, which is a decidedly worse position to be in than Chiasson’s. If either Smith or Greening were placed on waivers they most likely would clear and be sent to Binghamton, opening up a spot.
Philadelphia Flyers – Sam Gagner vs. Brayden Schenn
Schenn played 47.2% of his even-strength ice time on a line with Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek last year. But the despite the other two having powerhouse seasons, Schenn managed just 26 even-strength points. Meanwhile, in comes Gagner who is a better fit as a winger and who is getting a salary that practically demands a shot on the top line with the big guns. He can steal that spot out from under Schenn and have a career year. Or Schenn could hold onto it and Gagner is stuck next summer hoping for a camp invite from somebody.
Pittsburgh Penguins – Chris Kunitz vs. David Perron
This is one of the most common questions I’m asked. Because it goes without saying that Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel and Patric Hornqvist make up four of the top six. The other two players are bound to see a huge bump in numbers. But the 2014-15 season for both Kunitz and Perron are the exception to that rule, as both players stumbled badly. With Russian Sergei Plotnikov penciled in to at least tryout on the Malkin line, and Beau Bennett waiting in the wings, Kunitz and Perron have a lot to prove.
Tampa Bay Lightning – Jonathan Drouin vs. Vladislav Namestnikov vs. Jonathan Marchessault
Drouin is finally eligible to play in the AHL as opposed to making a mockery of Canadian junior hockey, so by no means is his roster spot secure. Namestnikov is battling for more ice time and Marchessault is fighting to stick in the NHL for the first time in his career. In Marchessault we have a player who is constantly leading his AHL team in scoring. But because he’s 5-8, he doesn’t get the opportunities that a 6-1 player gets. In the postseason when an injury opened up a spot in the lineup, Jon Cooper turned to Marchessault over Drouin. Camp will be very interesting in Tampa this year.
Toronto Maple Leafs – A Battle Royale for a scoring-line role
Not that the grand prize here is Sidney Crosby or anything, but Shawn Matthias, Richard Panik, Nikita Soshnikov, Zach Hyman, Taylor Beck, William Nylander and even centers Mark Arcobello and Peter Holland will be battling for top six ice time and only one of them will get it (and a couple of these players won’t even make the team this year). None of these players will reach the 40-point mark, so I may just be filling space here with this blurb.
Washington Capitals – Derek Roy vs. Andre Burakovsky
Roy accepted a tryout agreement last week and the third-line center job is up for grabs. Burakovsky will get a shot at playing center, but may end up on the wing if Roy can earn a spot. The Nicklas Backstrom hip injury makes this one interesting, as the winner could actually get in a couple of games on a line with Alex Ovechkin. And after that, who knows what could happen? Yes, we fantasy owners like our pie-in-the-sky musings…
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