The Swamp Thing from New Jersey came to the draft guaranteed Ovechkin. It was all downhill from there as ST selected question mark after question mark. Trudging through the swamp, Howie managed to pick up some gems along the way. Pavelski, Backes, Andy Greene along with Pavelec and van Riemsdyk (glad someone other than me drafted him, now I don’t have to worry about saying his name) were some nice additions to a team that may be starved for goals, other than Ovechkin of course. I see Swamp Thing as not being able to gain any momentum, being bogged down out of the gate so to speak.
Old Pucks lived up to his name by selecting old time favorites Alfredsson, St. Louis, Turco, Ray Whitney and Olli Jokinen. Old bones become brittle very fast so we’ll see if this team has the staying power. Might need to stock up on your little blue pills there Tucci. Team Viagra might be a more appropriate team name. Mike did manage to supplement his geezers with some pleasers in Kopitar, Keith and Sid the Kid. Hopefully Sid can knock quite a few more out of the park this season as he showed at the Pirates BP session the other day.
Team Tizzy took the Tucci formula route as well, mixing in well-seasoned veterans to go along with some up-and-comers. Brodeur, Gonchar, Selanne, Kovalev and Smyth make up what would be a fine old-timers day lineup. I think most of these were drafted back in my first fantasy hockey draft in 1995. Hossa, Zetterberg, Malkin and Brad Richards should be able to keep the good ship Tizwell afloat for most of the season. It’s the supporting cast that might not lend enough support.
Team Catrini didn’t pull any punches and went out full force taking Mike Green and Heatley 1-2. He followed up with some good picks in Henrik Sedin and Getzlaf and Kessel. Chris went with an established bunch in their prime which should keep him in the hunt the whole season as his goaltending works itself out. With some question marks in the middle rounds, those might be harmful to the balance but could also be the catalyst to have this team breakaway form the pack.
Romie Man definitely had his plan working in this draft. Picking prime talent off the board with each pick in building a base ensures that he will be competitive from the start. But, as always is the case with a Romanowski team, the injury bug is never far away. Steering clear of any band-aid boys, this is a team to be reckon with, especially if the Ennis and Carlson prospects contribute significantly. The Romie Man could be The Man come April.
Team Mazzella took the young and talented route by selecting Stamkos, Doughty, Ryan, Howard, Tavares, Okposo etc. Filling in the other spots in the lineup with some seasoned veterans, this team could surprise this year if the youngsters string together some breakout seasons. Maybe a bit young, but this team can be a powerful team for years to come.
The Staten Island Hawks is taking a defense first strategy. Being that the Hawks are from Staten Island, who could blame them. Taking Chara and Boyle early could pay off huge dividends if they put up their normal numbers. Also, Gaborik needs to stay healthy. Joe is putting a lot of faith in Gabby staying relatively healthy two years in a row. Good luck with that. Some second tier contributors won’t be enough to put the Hawks flying high this year, but hopefully his prospects can mature quickly to keep this team from fading.
The Flushing Ice Dogs could very well surprise a few teams this year but needs to have their goaltending come through for them to lead this dog team out from the middle of the pack. Taking Franzen, Hemsky, Lecavalier and Gilbert, it’s obvious that he is looking for some nice rebounds years from this quartet, and he may as well get them. Beware of the Dogs!
Hardly able to contain his excitement, Team Stel runs off to Mexico with Lou to prematurely celebrate his new team. I hope that was all that was premature. Taking a unprotected chance by drafting Kovalchuk first, (I hope that was the only risk you took) and following it up with some firepower in Daniel Sedin and Iginla, these players could thrust Team Stel into regions never seen before. Accompanied by some relatively young talent in Karlsson, Rask and Voracek, this team can be experiencing orgasmic levels come(sp?) April.
The Razor Edge took a few gambles along the way but comes away with a balanced team. With some surprise picks, taking potential over established players, this team should be in the hunt, and with a little bit of luck, contend for the title.
As with any fantasy team, one needs a little luck and to stay away from the injury bug, especially your top contributors. As with each new year, there is new enthusiasm. With this new league I hope that the enthusiasm will carry over year after year. I believe everyone did a fine job in the drafts and only time will tell how things will fall out.
Good luck to all!
