This article is part of our Morning Skate series.
From: Dan Pennucci
To: Janet Eagleson
Sent: Sunday, November 16
Subject: Welcome back.
Janet,
Where do we begin with what has been going in on the NHL the last week. Forget the NHL, how is the most famous broken hand bone in the world doing, Hockey Jesus (Connor McDavid)?
We're at the point where the impact free agents are starting to disappear and the waiver wire is looking a bit thin. Take a look at our Yahoo! Friends and Family League and it's basically threadbare. Those who got in on Jori Lehtera before his games against New Jersey last week are quite happy, as he and Vladimir Tarasenko are still getting their names on scoresheets. T.J. Oshie just came back for the Blues, as did Paul Stastny, so it will be interesting to see how those two get back into the fold and cut in the production. St. Louis, when clicking, always struck me as a team similar to last year's Boston (more on them in a few). A team that was a pain in the rear to play against and wasn't the greatest for fantasy purposes as they spread their scoring around and had players who were outstanding in real life (Patrice Bergeron, David Backes) but lacked that extra statistical punch.
I'm scanning the goalie waiver wires and not a lot is striking owners as appealing, maybe Devan Dubnyk in Phoenix and the Tippett system coming off his shutout of Vancouver on Friday, but there's not a lot of reassurance to be found in the crease on the waiver wire. Any situations that are developing where you think our venerable readers could strike soon and reap some rewards. We have potential usurpers in the likes of Jake Allen and James Reimer, and Cam Ward has turned back the clock five years in Raleigh. Where do the Ducks go now with John Gibson out and Fredrik Andersen looking rather spotty, and should we be running to waivers?
Now, back to Boston. The Bruins are reeling from back-to-back defeats at the hands of Tronna and Montreal last week, losing to the tune of 11-2. Sure, Chara is out, but offensively, save for Iginla's absence, they are largely unchanged. What's going on in The Hub right now that Tuukka Rask can't fix. They don't seem to be the same team they have been in recent years.
What's been your take on the expanded coverage via Rogers in the Great White North?
Great to be back,
-DAN-
From: Janet Eagleson
To: Dan Pennucci
Sent: Monday, November 17
Subject: Crease Concerns
Hey hey,
You are so right about the thin wire -- it seems to be happening in every league I'm in, regardless of league size. What's with that? Does it mean the overall quality of players is actually dropping? I think so. So tell me why is the NHL considering expansion to Vegas?
Goaltending is tough. I own Devan Dubnyk, but he's given me so little that I can't recommend him. I do like Petr Mrazek, who is in line for some real playing time now that Jonas Gustavsson has hit the IR for two months. Mrazek is a battler. I've already snagged him. The Ducks appear content with Fredrik Andersen and Jason LaBarbera. I'm not sure why, except that they might actually believe that they don't need a twinetender to steal games given the rest of the roster. And don't forget Josh Harding -- he's almost back. Minny might have to move someone to accommodate him. And Harding was lights-out last season before he went offline. I have him stashed, too.
The Bruins have looked ordinary. They miss Jarome Iginla and Tuukka Rask doesn't look like a stud this year, does he? Yes, the blue line has been Swiss cheesed, but he's out of shape and position in ways I've never seen in his time in the NHL. Yikes.
St. Louis is a funny team. Paul Stastny has added a dimension to that squad, but the harsh reality remains -- they don't really have enough high-end help. Take away Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz, and you have a lot of chaff. On the other side of that coin, there's Tampa Bay. One word: wow. High-end talent, crazy depth, a blue line that's clicking and star goaltending. I still like them to come out of the East. You?
The Rogers' package is pretty good -- there are a lot more games on outside of the Center Ice package and some of them have been really good. Some others, not so much. I hated the Buffalo-Toronto game on Friday night. Spit. But I really enjoyed Saturday's Calgary-Ottawa tilt -- talk about speed. That begs the question -- are the Flames for real? I really like their game. They work hard and never give up on a play. Ever. I'll even go out on a limb and call T.J. Brodie and Mark Giordano the top D pair in the league. Argue that if you dare.
You know I've never been a Nazem Kadri fan, but this is nuts -- the guy has been worse than I even imagined. I have opinions -- what are yours? And will it take a change of scenery to change his luck?
Eagle out.
From: Dan Pennucci
To: Janet Eagleson
Sent: Tuesday, November 18
Subject: Southern Alberta Two-Step
Kadri ... kid's been a lightning rod as long as I can remember. The Leafs have something with their top line and Peter Holland is coming along. Where does Kadri fit in? I don't know. I honestly haven't seen enough of Kadri this year to make a good judgment on him, and maybe that's the issue considering I still watch a decent amount of Leafs games. At this point, I don't know what of any substance they can get for him. Kid has skill, but he can't get it going in Toronto.
How can you expect me to argue about Giordano? Despite the points, he's a rock on the blue line. I would have loved to see how his season would have played out last season had it not been for the broken bone in his foot. The points-per-game from one season earlier were impressive, but what he's doing this season is special. He's making his team better, a team that is playing a bit above their talent level. Can this keep up for the Flames?
Fair point about the lack of talent available in most leagues. You know the NHL just wants to get some more money out of a market they deem to be potentially fruitful. Why Vegas I don't know, but I know Vegas wants to get a professional sports franchise and the league wants to get to 32 teams. There is no way MLB of the NFL will ever set foot in Vegas. We remember when Nashville, Minnesota and Columbus first entered the league and their talent was a bit thin. It took San Jose and Florida a few years to find their legs as well (in the Sharks' case it might have been more Pat Falloon over Scott Niedermayer), but the league seems determined to add two more teams in addition to the omnipresent threat of Phoenix leaving Glendale. We haven't seen the large exodus to the KHL and Europe by any big-name stars save for Ilya Kovalchuk, is the talent coming out of Canada and the European leagues getting watered down?
Some rookies (well, almost rookies in Lindholm's case) have had their moments. Who's the best long-term investment out of this group? Best immediate return?
Elias Lindholm
Johnny Gaudreau
Mike Hoffman
Andre Burakovsky
Jonathan Drouin
Lastly, it's been talked about quite a bit, but what do you imagine David Poile is thinking in Nashville when he realizes he pried Filip Forsberg from Washington for Martin Erat? What's George McPhee thinking?
-DAN-
From: Janet Eagleson
To: Dan Pennucci
Sent: Wednesday, November 19
Subject: The Sky Is Falling
Ahhhh ... Filip Forsberg. I watched Tuesday's game between the Laffs and the Preds. I knew he was good, but not this good. I guess George McPhee and I have something in common. The points are one thing -- he's top-four in the NHL in scoring as I type. But it's his league-leading plus-20 that caught my eye. Incredible. I have to think young players are entering the NHL with a more complete game than ever before. Just check out who was at the top of the plus-minus list heading into play Wednesday night -- Forsberg (plus-20), Vladimir Tarasenko (plus-15) and Tyler Toffoli (plus-14). You get the last word on this comp -- Forsberg or Alexander Ovechkin? I know where I'm leaning and it isn't to D.C.
The Flames will keep up the pressure. Bob Hartley has that team believing in themselves AND working hard. They play hard and fast, and they're fun to watch. That team will vie for a playoff spot. It's too bad, really -- I think it's all Brian Burke's fault. He delivered the same B.S. to the Toronto marketplace-- play hard-nosed, competitive hockey, he says. The Flames won't bottom out and won't be delivered a delicious draft pick. They'll toil in mediocrity when a rebuild should be in the offing. But I digress.
Is the talent pool diluted? That's a tough one. Relatively speaking, no -- the quality of hockey has never been better. And even today's fourth liners are better than most guys from a decade or two ago. Perhaps it's just that the best-of-the-best really are shoulders above the rest of the league, and there are only a few of those truly special guys. And they are so dominant that the league's lesser lights look as though their skills are watered down.
That list of youngsters you provided is a tantalizing one -- there's a lot of talent in that group. I'll start with the guy I like least from that crew. That's Mike Hoffman. His ceiling is the lowest -- it's probably 60 points -- but he's also likely to actually reach it. There's real value in that some formats (think head-to-head).
Next is a largely interchangeable trio of Elias Lindholm, Johnny Gaudreau and Andre Burakovsky.
Burakovsky is at the bottom of this trio, at least in my mind. He has 70-75 point upside, but that Caps' squad makes me queasy. And I'm worried that he's more of an all-or-nothing guy. #riskypick.
Gaudreau is next -- he's the most exciting guy on the list and he has the ability to lift people out of their seats. He's got a bit of Dougie Gilmour in him and people just love that stuff.
Lindholm is at the top of that trio. He's about to replace Eric Staal and in doing so, be more consistent than the big blonde -- I've always considered Staal to be way overrated. Lindholm might even be neck-in-neck some day with the aforementioned.
Filip Forsberg, who has vaulted ahead of this trio with his outstanding start. I would have put Forsberg with the trio above if you'd asked me to do this in the preseason. Now, his 80-point upside not only looks attainable sooner rather than later, but it might be too low.
Jonathan Drouin is in a league of his own on the list you provided. His upside is in the mid-90s, but he's being eased into pro hockey the right way -- slowly. He has been the least productive member of the top-six picks from 2013, but his upside is second only to Nathan MacKinnon. And that's pretty damn fine to me, especially if he's going to be Steven Stamkos' wingman for a decade. Deeeee-lish.
Last word is yours -- when does Cory Schneider break down? He's getting skated into the ground. And does Martin Brodeur play again?
Eagle out
From: Dan Pennucci
To: Janet Eagleson
Sent: Sunday, November 23
Subject: No Details In These Devils
The Devils are a sore subject for me right now.
They were sore before they made their trip to Alberta but I took little solace in Friday's shutout over Edmonton since the Oil are so dysfunctional, although I loved getting the shutout from Schneider in my money league.
Then there was the loss to Calgary Saturday. They actually gave Schneider the day off in southern Alberta on Saturday, which raises the question as to why they didn't play Scott Clemmensen against Edmonton and save Schneider for the better team on Saturday. Regardless, it was nice to see the team cough up a late lead for their backup goalie as well, with the Flames knotting up the game in the dying seconds, erasing a late two-goal deficit and winning the shootout. The Devils will need to give Schneider a few more days off but the team is so mediocre that he gives them the best chance to win. He's had some off nights, see last Saturday against Colorado, but he's going to assume the Martin Brodeur role and play close to 75 games.
He doesn't have much help in front of him and the Devils still can't generate enough offense, but, when they do, it vanishes late in the game as we saw Saturday against the Flames. Schneider will be a solid option in most leagues but his save percentage and wins won't be where most need them to be, especially late in the year when the workload wears on him; he'd never played more than 45 games before this season. New Jersey misses the playoffs this year and Schneider finishes middle of the pack.
I can't see a team giving Brodeur a contract, but I'm not an NHL gm. Statistically, he was one of the worst starting goalies in the league last year and one has to wonder how sharp he's staying training with his son's team in the Q.
I am not speaking to you after you snagged John Klingberg in both Yahoo! Friends and Family and the THL.
Cheers.
-DAN-
