We saw a few bigger trades go down this past week and a few more on the horizon according to the trade rumor mill.
Crosby's Headaches are gone... Enter... The A Line and new owner, Aaron Chalal. In his first week as the new GM, he led his team to an impressive 10-2 victory over Frenchie and his Baby Bites. Ouellette may need to take some bigger bites if he wants to avoid 'relegation' at the end of this season. One trade has happened already for him, are more moves coming? Time will tell...
Let's take a look at how things shape up so far in terms of the overall standings:
------------
1. Brosef Beranek 42-19-11 (95 pts)
2. Antti Laaksotive 39-27-6 (84 pts)
3. 99 Pat Falloons 38-24-10 (86 pts)
4. Le Magnifique 35-27-10 (80 pts)
5. Dry Island All-Stars 34-30-8 (76 pts)
6. Blades of Steel 35-32-5 (75 pts)
7. I Just Blue Myself 32-32-8 (72 pts)
8. Whalers Revenge 31-32-9 (71 pts)
9. Simmonds All-Stars 31-38-3 (65 pts)
10. The A Line 24-39-9 (57 pts)
11. Returning Champion 24-41-7 (55 pts)
12. Take Baby Bites 20-44-8 (48 pts)
------------
With 15 weeks left to play in the regular season, A LOT can happen, that's for sure, especially with the random injury bugs that tend to effect teams and the occasional forgetting to set your lineup on a holiday.
Contender... or Pretender?1. Brosef Beranek (95 pts) - Clear playoff contender
-I would liken Serratore's team to that of a REALLY great night out on the town with a hot excort. You have a fantastic dinner, one of the best tasting steaks in the word, some expensive wine, maybe some dancing and fist pumping later on in the night.. yet, you still have in the back of your mind that this all has to end at some point. Just depends on how much you're willing to shell out in the end. Can Serratore keep it up? Will his team escort him into the playoffs? Will anyone find these analogies humorous? Can Kstews boxfade get any tighter?
*OUTLOOK* The team itself is probably one of the most well-rounded teams in the league with a few surprise leaders early on, with Nugent-Hopkins and Khabibulin stepping up big for the Oilers and Serratore. Not only are his young guns stepping up early in the season, but his veterans are supplying him with the fire power he needs to win this thing. As long as a stray injury doesn't take down a top player or two, expect to see the Brosef's at the top of the standings all year long.
2. Antti Laaksotive (84 pts) - Contender (for now...)
-This team's just like that one ugly dancer at a raunchy strip club. She keeps begging to give you a lapper, yet you keep refusing to believe that it'll be any good, laughing it off with your buddies. Eventually you have enough to drink and give in... turns out it's just as bad as you thought it would be, but you tell your buddies it was incredible and she even handled your business hoping for a big tip (no dice on both accounts).. You're merely trying to save face and keep the shame to yourself, even when you're plastered and have an excuse. It was that bad.
*OUTLOOK* With that said, KStew will see a decline in success as a few injuries plague his team and his goaltending situation becomes a bit grim over the next 4-6 weeks. Sell sell sell.
3. 99 Pat Falloons (86 pts) - Playoff contender
-Think of Hersh's team as that ugly stepchild who grew up living the hard-knock life, never was able to settle in one place for too long, and people may have written him off after a rough year, then finally.. it ALL comes together for him and things just click. The world is now looking up to him, he finally has respect and power. Eventually he abuses this power and tries to become the next Jim Jones and starts creating his own 'rainbow family'. Things are going well but something happens and things get all fucked up and Hersh Jones ends up selling nachos at Sixers games.
*OUTLOOK* Oh dear lord.. the beast has risen and he is pissed off ladies and gents. After a slow start for a few guys, this team is ready to go undefeated in the rest of its weekly matchups. Although he claims he's weak in net, Hersh still towers over 3/4 of the league with his army he has in net, esp if Quick goes down with an injury or his play starts to waiver and Bernier steps into the spotlight in LA. The offensive fire power should provide him with category wins each week which should lead him DEEP into the playoffs, only cheap beers and whores can derail this train.
-Think of Hersh's team as that ugly stepchild who grew up living the hard-knock life, never was able to settle in one place for too long, and people may have written him off after a rough year, then finally.. it ALL comes together for him and things just click. The world is now looking up to him, he finally has respect and power. Eventually he abuses this power and tries to become the next Jim Jones and starts creating his own 'rainbow family'. Things are going well but something happens and things get all fucked up and Hersh Jones ends up selling nachos at Sixers games.
*OUTLOOK* Oh dear lord.. the beast has risen and he is pissed off ladies and gents. After a slow start for a few guys, this team is ready to go undefeated in the rest of its weekly matchups. Although he claims he's weak in net, Hersh still towers over 3/4 of the league with his army he has in net, esp if Quick goes down with an injury or his play starts to waiver and Bernier steps into the spotlight in LA. The offensive fire power should provide him with category wins each week which should lead him DEEP into the playoffs, only cheap beers and whores can derail this train.
4. Le Magnifique (80 pts) - Playoff contender
-I absolutely despise reviewing my own team, but whatever.. we're all our own toughest critics, right?
*OUTLOOK* Anyways, things have gotten off to a great start with the likes of Kessel and Vanek and Pavelski all hitting double digit goal totals this early in the season... and with THAT said, Kessel/Vanek are out, Toews/Letang are in via a trade with Kataja. Also in that trade was the swapping of netminders, Kataja getting an injured Ryan Miller, with Halak coming back my way. Now, this is a risky move as I give up one of the better goalies in the league (albeit he's tapered off over the past season+ due to wear and tear and a defense that was not what it is this year) but alas, he's fighting injuries and I needed help in net, BAD, as the Tampa goalie situation isn't one that I'm fond of owning. If Halak can give me 30 wins, a sub-2.40 GAA and 5 SOs the rest of the way, I'll be mostly happy.
-I absolutely despise reviewing my own team, but whatever.. we're all our own toughest critics, right?
*OUTLOOK* Anyways, things have gotten off to a great start with the likes of Kessel and Vanek and Pavelski all hitting double digit goal totals this early in the season... and with THAT said, Kessel/Vanek are out, Toews/Letang are in via a trade with Kataja. Also in that trade was the swapping of netminders, Kataja getting an injured Ryan Miller, with Halak coming back my way. Now, this is a risky move as I give up one of the better goalies in the league (albeit he's tapered off over the past season+ due to wear and tear and a defense that was not what it is this year) but alas, he's fighting injuries and I needed help in net, BAD, as the Tampa goalie situation isn't one that I'm fond of owning. If Halak can give me 30 wins, a sub-2.40 GAA and 5 SOs the rest of the way, I'll be mostly happy.
5. Dry Island All-Stars (76 pts) - Pretender
-This team reminds me of the time that I went to Atlantic City with some friends for an extended weekend of fun.(AKA my bachelor party) Especially the one night where we ate and drank like kings, rolled some dice, laid some chips down on double 0 and walked away big winners, took over the DJ booth in a club, drank a hand full of Coronas (I only know this from the pictures), met and hung out with a group of chicks who were sketchy at best (didn't stop our one buddy from testing the waters in a bathroom staal of a bar in Cesear's) ..........................and then I blacked out, ended up walking up the boardwalk by myself back to our hotel. Along the way, I made friends with an off duty cop from Virginia who was in town for the weekend. My phone had died about 45 minutes prior to me stumbling up to what I THOUGHT was one of our two rooms, and it took what seemed like 2 hours to finally find 'my room', only to wake up, after passing out under the sink in the bathroom, to my buddies laughing hysterically to this sight, along with the fact that I had ended up in our OTHER room and not the room that I was staying in.. oh, and I broke my digital camera somehow too... Needless to say, the ride back from AC to Connecticut SUCKED and my then fiance/now wife, didn't speak to me for the better part of a day and a half.. probably for the better as I had a REALLY bad headache.
*OUTLOOK* This team is good, don't get me wrong, otherwise Justin wouldn't be sitting in 5th place right now. But his goaltending will most certainly present a major problem for him as Mason has blown balls and is now injured, probably won't regain his starting spot for a while, if not the season once Dekanich comes back health. Backstrom is bound to injure something by February.. and Cam Ward can only to SO MUCH with a Carolina team in front of him who don't know whether they want to compete for a playoff spot themselves or make a run for the top prize in the Nail Yakupov Sweepstakes.
-This team reminds me of the time that I went to Atlantic City with some friends for an extended weekend of fun.(AKA my bachelor party) Especially the one night where we ate and drank like kings, rolled some dice, laid some chips down on double 0 and walked away big winners, took over the DJ booth in a club, drank a hand full of Coronas (I only know this from the pictures), met and hung out with a group of chicks who were sketchy at best (didn't stop our one buddy from testing the waters in a bathroom staal of a bar in Cesear's) ..........................and then I blacked out, ended up walking up the boardwalk by myself back to our hotel. Along the way, I made friends with an off duty cop from Virginia who was in town for the weekend. My phone had died about 45 minutes prior to me stumbling up to what I THOUGHT was one of our two rooms, and it took what seemed like 2 hours to finally find 'my room', only to wake up, after passing out under the sink in the bathroom, to my buddies laughing hysterically to this sight, along with the fact that I had ended up in our OTHER room and not the room that I was staying in.. oh, and I broke my digital camera somehow too... Needless to say, the ride back from AC to Connecticut SUCKED and my then fiance/now wife, didn't speak to me for the better part of a day and a half.. probably for the better as I had a REALLY bad headache.
*OUTLOOK* This team is good, don't get me wrong, otherwise Justin wouldn't be sitting in 5th place right now. But his goaltending will most certainly present a major problem for him as Mason has blown balls and is now injured, probably won't regain his starting spot for a while, if not the season once Dekanich comes back health. Backstrom is bound to injure something by February.. and Cam Ward can only to SO MUCH with a Carolina team in front of him who don't know whether they want to compete for a playoff spot themselves or make a run for the top prize in the Nail Yakupov Sweepstakes.
Offense will be the only thing that keeps Justin alive, but with a few shaky vets that may prove to be more frustrating than someone spiking your white russians with exlax (we once did this to Braband back in college.. it was a night to remember for some of us.. one to forget for others Braband) All in all, a quality trade that brings in a top 10 goalie and a sniper up front could prove to be just what this team needs to compete deep into the playoffs this year.
6. Blades of Steel (75 pts) - Contender *disclaimer: this was written AFTER Crosby's 4-point comeback game*
-Benji's team is comparable to that of a nerd in High School... one that has a cool side to him that everyone may not be aware of, only a select few. He plays the guitar and is also the captain of the ultimate frisbee team. He's just missing one thing.. the ability to score with chicks. Either his moves are too old and outdated or his strongest assest has been missing his whole life. Then all of a sudden one day, he gets a $100 haircut, some new threads and a shit load of confidence and BOOMMMM.. this dudes rolling in woman, has to hire a personal assistant just to keep track of his dates.
*OUTLOOK* If you didn't catch the point of that rant, Mike has his key asset to winning back, the one and only, Sidney Crosby. Clearly, Mike could NOT be happier about this... as a fantasy owner and a Rangers fan.. That said, I look at this team and a wave of worry comes over me.. the average age HAS to be upwards of 36 years old.. Good lord... That would concern me a bit as things tend to decline in old(er) age and injuries can pop up out of nowhere. He's got a few younger lads that can and will provide the scoring depth he needs to get by, but he could benefit from a trade that moves out a few veterans and brings in a potential keeper for next year who's under the age of 30. And if Mike Smith ever cools off, this team may end up relying WAY too much on Queen Henrik.
7. I Just Blue Myself (72 pts) - Contender
-There is ALWAYS money in the banana stand.. just as there is always a hidden gem buried somewhere a midst the teams in this league. If there is in fact a hidden gem, Deaver's team would be that gem. It's like being out at a bar in college on dollar shot night. It sounds the best idea ever.. and early on, it's going well, you're downing five shots at a time of cheap whiskey. But that homemade mac and cheese you had earlier in the day is trying to make an outgoing call... you hit double digit shots.. and not too long after, that mac and cheese hits the floor in a bathroom stall. Suddenly though, you feel like a million bucks after splashing some cool water on your face, a quick finger brushing of the ole chicklets and you're good as new. Sipping on cheap beer to get by the rest of the night with a slight buzz, you successfully pull off the puke-n-rally and take home a smoking hot Zeta sister and you never hear from her again aside from the random drunken hook-ups.
*OUTLOOK* The striking power that he possesses is impressive and I see a rally about to happen for Deaver. He still has a few players that have yet to wake up and produce some numbers, but that's all about to change as Ryan will surely turn things around and provide at 65+ point season, as well Jeff Carter is he stays healthy. Goalies could be an interesting story once Elliot cools off and reverts to the full time back up to Halak and then Brodeur re-injures himself and Deaver's left to rely on two of the stronger goalies in the league when everything's clicking, but will that be enough to get into the playoffs and compete?
8. Whalers Revenge (71 pts) - Contender
-Hey, remember that one time that Hartford had professional hockey team?!? Wait.. I'd better be nice, I don't want to piss off the fantasy hockey gods after making one of the bigger trades in league history. No crazy analogy for this team, his team name says it all.
*OUTLOOK* This team is one of the more underrated teams in the league, and now, with the addition of Miller and two insanely talented snipers up front, could this be just what Kataja needs to push through and end up on top of a division at the end of the regular season? He has both the Washington and Buffalo goalie situation taken care of, now he just needs them to take care of him and he should easily get 60+ wins between the 4 goalies and the potentially 44-52 goals between Kessel/Vanek over the course of the rest of the season. And all of that could easily put him on the top of the list for teams to watch out for come March/April.
9. Simmonds All-Stars (65 pts) - Could-be Contender
-Paul's team reminds me of the time I hung out with this girl back in college once, she seemed like a cool chick.. but man was I wrong.. she was fucking crazy. After a margarita party at my buddies and my place, things were dying down a bit and i was dying a slow death in the bathroom after attempting to practice for my 21st birthday celebration (This was maybe 2 months before my 21st birthday and it had been snowing for the past 2 days straight). Someone thought it was a great idea that I should def do this and go for 21 shots.. enter... cheap vodka.. cheap rum.. and to top it off.. cheap tequila. I thought that I was at the top of my drinking game at the time... I hit 19 shots and started to sweat.. the music starts to skip in my head as the room started to have a tilt-shift effect to it... I head to the bathroom.. do my thing.. feel MUCH better but all I want to do at this point is pass the FUCK out.. Well this chick that I spoke of earlier.. she had other ideas apparently. Not sure when I promised her that she could sleep in my room that night.. but that's what she was claiming as she was NOT quietly knocking on my door to remind me of this so called promise that I had made earlier. 5 minutes pass by.. still knocking.. 10 minutes pass by.. still knocking.. and now yelling.. 20 minutes pass by.. and thankfully my 'friend' (lets call him Spat SMuldowney) comes back to my door in my apartment to see what's going on, almost successfully talks crazychick out of being crazy........but apparently at some point, the conversation went from being sane and her going back out to the living room and chilling.. ... to her demanding that she needed to make sure that I was alright and that's ALL she wanted to do. FALSE........ Lets see what's behind door #2 Bob! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM... Down comes my door.. off of it's hinges, door frame shattered.. crazychick with her boot stuck in the door.. and Spat standing there laughing hysterically, claiming that he had nothing to do with this outcome. I did not say one word.. grabbed my pillow and comforter.. found my car keys and made my way out to my car in the middle of a snow storm to pass out and try to get some sleep somehow... After about 30 minutes of attempted sleep and near frostbite.. I make my way back into my apartment.. everything as I left it.. except now, crazychick is passed out in my bed. I ended up sleeping on the floor AND then had to drive crazychick back to her place mere hours later...
THE MORAL OF THE STORY... They may seem tame and not too dangerous.. but Paul's team is going to come busting down doors once Zetterberg, Semin, Morrow, Doan, Berglund and Ennis all starting contributing to his already strong core of players with Stamkos, Lecavalier, Chara and company.
*OUTLOOK* Just as other teams have a few guys that are under-performing, Paul is in the same boat and should have no problem competing in the offense categories each week. Again though, just as a few other teams have some goalie concerns, Paul could use another starter to give him less concern going forward. Quick is rarely ever a worry these days and it seems that Pavalec can provide decent numbers when he feels like it.. and Harding has proved to be lightning in a bottle over a short period of time so far this season, but we all know that won't last with Backstrom holding the starter spot and able to provide strong stretches of starts.
10. The A Line (57 pts) - Could-be Contender
- This could turn out to be the story of the year. Think.. the Devils of last season.. appeared to be dead in the water.. a few changes later, they're stringing together wins and moved out of their parents basement, even threatening to grab one of the last playoff spots in the East. We all know how that one ended.. will Aaron be able to give us all an alternate ending to that story?
*OUTLOOK* A few injuries could be of concern in the short-term with Penner and Myers out, but he wasn't relying on huge output from those guys anyway as Aaron has two of the more dominant, big centers in the league in Malkin and Thornton, add Datsyuk, Perry, Elias, Clowe and an INSANELY over paid Leino to that mix, his forward corp could prove to be scary down the stretch. And he'd be fine without one of the top D's in the league, but forget that.. Campbell.. Weber.. Carlson and Clitsome.. all with at least 2 goals, at least 6 assists.. and Campbell with 18 points and Weber at a +19.. WTF?!?!? How is he a +19 on that Predator team this early on in the season.. wow.
And time and time again.. it is going to come down to the goalie situation in this league for most teams, Aaron's no different. Price is coming around to be his old self and providing 2 SOs already, but Varlamov was handed the reigns in Colorado way too easily and this is showing.. numbers are rough and may only improve slightly.. With a trade for a goalie that might require giving up a top 3 scorer from this team, he could make the jump from last after week 5, into a playoff spot by week 18. Time will tell...
11. Returning Champion (55 pts) - Could-be Contender
-WTF is going on with this team?!? How is he almost in DEAD LAST in this league? Josh's team could be compared to that sweet dime bag that you stashed away for a rainy day. Completely forget about it for a few months and then all of a sudden, you remember where you hid it, pull that sucker out of hiding and light up a fatty. BEST.DAY.EVER.
Yea.. Josh's team could be in contention for a playoff spot by next week if he finds that stash.
*OUTLOOK* So... Josh's team is good.. just not right now. He has strong goalies.. just not right now.. he has Getzlaf.. and Dustin Brown.. and Havlat.. who all aren't providing what they should be right now. There's still hope for this team and he, and probably everyone else knows it.. they just won't say anything right now because they know in 10 weeks, trade deadline approaching, Josh pulls off a trade that doesn't look incredible, but it gets him into the playoffs somehow and then he ends up winning the entire fucking league.. Yea, not bitter or anything.. Just stating facts.
12. Take Baby Bites (48 pts) - TBD
Honestly.. I am baffled at this.. looking up and down the roster at this team.. he doesn't have any MAJOR superstars that will carry a team by themselves.. But he does have a lot of puzzle pieces that can make for a team that competes with the middle of the pack and squeak into the playoff picture. A trade that involved Josh giving up his 'top' player, Iginla, for some point production that was actually happening at this point in the season, unlike Jerome's minuscule production currently. I still can't put my finger on what this team will do in terms of a finish.. I need another two weeks and should have a better idea. (As I type this, I'm currently down 10-0 to Josh.. this week could be interesting, both from a clearly eating more than I should have on Thursday stand-point, and from a 'did I just really lose to Frenchie this week?' stand-point...
*OUTLOOK* When your top scorers are names Joffrey and Kris... yea I've got nothing. Granted Frenchie just pulled off a decent trade that brought in Lupul and Franzen, along with a hot MA Bergeron. He just needs guys like Kesler and Krejci to step up and he could break even each week, move up a few spots.. make another trade or two and that might be just what he needs to move up out of the depths of relegation.
6. Blades of Steel (75 pts) - Contender *disclaimer: this was written AFTER Crosby's 4-point comeback game*
-Benji's team is comparable to that of a nerd in High School... one that has a cool side to him that everyone may not be aware of, only a select few. He plays the guitar and is also the captain of the ultimate frisbee team. He's just missing one thing.. the ability to score with chicks. Either his moves are too old and outdated or his strongest assest has been missing his whole life. Then all of a sudden one day, he gets a $100 haircut, some new threads and a shit load of confidence and BOOMMMM.. this dudes rolling in woman, has to hire a personal assistant just to keep track of his dates.
*OUTLOOK* If you didn't catch the point of that rant, Mike has his key asset to winning back, the one and only, Sidney Crosby. Clearly, Mike could NOT be happier about this... as a fantasy owner and a Rangers fan.. That said, I look at this team and a wave of worry comes over me.. the average age HAS to be upwards of 36 years old.. Good lord... That would concern me a bit as things tend to decline in old(er) age and injuries can pop up out of nowhere. He's got a few younger lads that can and will provide the scoring depth he needs to get by, but he could benefit from a trade that moves out a few veterans and brings in a potential keeper for next year who's under the age of 30. And if Mike Smith ever cools off, this team may end up relying WAY too much on Queen Henrik.
7. I Just Blue Myself (72 pts) - Contender
-There is ALWAYS money in the banana stand.. just as there is always a hidden gem buried somewhere a midst the teams in this league. If there is in fact a hidden gem, Deaver's team would be that gem. It's like being out at a bar in college on dollar shot night. It sounds the best idea ever.. and early on, it's going well, you're downing five shots at a time of cheap whiskey. But that homemade mac and cheese you had earlier in the day is trying to make an outgoing call... you hit double digit shots.. and not too long after, that mac and cheese hits the floor in a bathroom stall. Suddenly though, you feel like a million bucks after splashing some cool water on your face, a quick finger brushing of the ole chicklets and you're good as new. Sipping on cheap beer to get by the rest of the night with a slight buzz, you successfully pull off the puke-n-rally and take home a smoking hot Zeta sister and you never hear from her again aside from the random drunken hook-ups.
*OUTLOOK* The striking power that he possesses is impressive and I see a rally about to happen for Deaver. He still has a few players that have yet to wake up and produce some numbers, but that's all about to change as Ryan will surely turn things around and provide at 65+ point season, as well Jeff Carter is he stays healthy. Goalies could be an interesting story once Elliot cools off and reverts to the full time back up to Halak and then Brodeur re-injures himself and Deaver's left to rely on two of the stronger goalies in the league when everything's clicking, but will that be enough to get into the playoffs and compete?
8. Whalers Revenge (71 pts) - Contender
-Hey, remember that one time that Hartford had professional hockey team?!? Wait.. I'd better be nice, I don't want to piss off the fantasy hockey gods after making one of the bigger trades in league history. No crazy analogy for this team, his team name says it all.
*OUTLOOK* This team is one of the more underrated teams in the league, and now, with the addition of Miller and two insanely talented snipers up front, could this be just what Kataja needs to push through and end up on top of a division at the end of the regular season? He has both the Washington and Buffalo goalie situation taken care of, now he just needs them to take care of him and he should easily get 60+ wins between the 4 goalies and the potentially 44-52 goals between Kessel/Vanek over the course of the rest of the season. And all of that could easily put him on the top of the list for teams to watch out for come March/April.
9. Simmonds All-Stars (65 pts) - Could-be Contender
-Paul's team reminds me of the time I hung out with this girl back in college once, she seemed like a cool chick.. but man was I wrong.. she was fucking crazy. After a margarita party at my buddies and my place, things were dying down a bit and i was dying a slow death in the bathroom after attempting to practice for my 21st birthday celebration (This was maybe 2 months before my 21st birthday and it had been snowing for the past 2 days straight). Someone thought it was a great idea that I should def do this and go for 21 shots.. enter... cheap vodka.. cheap rum.. and to top it off.. cheap tequila. I thought that I was at the top of my drinking game at the time... I hit 19 shots and started to sweat.. the music starts to skip in my head as the room started to have a tilt-shift effect to it... I head to the bathroom.. do my thing.. feel MUCH better but all I want to do at this point is pass the FUCK out.. Well this chick that I spoke of earlier.. she had other ideas apparently. Not sure when I promised her that she could sleep in my room that night.. but that's what she was claiming as she was NOT quietly knocking on my door to remind me of this so called promise that I had made earlier. 5 minutes pass by.. still knocking.. 10 minutes pass by.. still knocking.. and now yelling.. 20 minutes pass by.. and thankfully my 'friend' (lets call him Spat SMuldowney) comes back to my door in my apartment to see what's going on, almost successfully talks crazychick out of being crazy........but apparently at some point, the conversation went from being sane and her going back out to the living room and chilling.. ... to her demanding that she needed to make sure that I was alright and that's ALL she wanted to do. FALSE........ Lets see what's behind door #2 Bob! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM... Down comes my door.. off of it's hinges, door frame shattered.. crazychick with her boot stuck in the door.. and Spat standing there laughing hysterically, claiming that he had nothing to do with this outcome. I did not say one word.. grabbed my pillow and comforter.. found my car keys and made my way out to my car in the middle of a snow storm to pass out and try to get some sleep somehow... After about 30 minutes of attempted sleep and near frostbite.. I make my way back into my apartment.. everything as I left it.. except now, crazychick is passed out in my bed. I ended up sleeping on the floor AND then had to drive crazychick back to her place mere hours later...
THE MORAL OF THE STORY... They may seem tame and not too dangerous.. but Paul's team is going to come busting down doors once Zetterberg, Semin, Morrow, Doan, Berglund and Ennis all starting contributing to his already strong core of players with Stamkos, Lecavalier, Chara and company.
*OUTLOOK* Just as other teams have a few guys that are under-performing, Paul is in the same boat and should have no problem competing in the offense categories each week. Again though, just as a few other teams have some goalie concerns, Paul could use another starter to give him less concern going forward. Quick is rarely ever a worry these days and it seems that Pavalec can provide decent numbers when he feels like it.. and Harding has proved to be lightning in a bottle over a short period of time so far this season, but we all know that won't last with Backstrom holding the starter spot and able to provide strong stretches of starts.
10. The A Line (57 pts) - Could-be Contender
- This could turn out to be the story of the year. Think.. the Devils of last season.. appeared to be dead in the water.. a few changes later, they're stringing together wins and moved out of their parents basement, even threatening to grab one of the last playoff spots in the East. We all know how that one ended.. will Aaron be able to give us all an alternate ending to that story?
*OUTLOOK* A few injuries could be of concern in the short-term with Penner and Myers out, but he wasn't relying on huge output from those guys anyway as Aaron has two of the more dominant, big centers in the league in Malkin and Thornton, add Datsyuk, Perry, Elias, Clowe and an INSANELY over paid Leino to that mix, his forward corp could prove to be scary down the stretch. And he'd be fine without one of the top D's in the league, but forget that.. Campbell.. Weber.. Carlson and Clitsome.. all with at least 2 goals, at least 6 assists.. and Campbell with 18 points and Weber at a +19.. WTF?!?!? How is he a +19 on that Predator team this early on in the season.. wow.
And time and time again.. it is going to come down to the goalie situation in this league for most teams, Aaron's no different. Price is coming around to be his old self and providing 2 SOs already, but Varlamov was handed the reigns in Colorado way too easily and this is showing.. numbers are rough and may only improve slightly.. With a trade for a goalie that might require giving up a top 3 scorer from this team, he could make the jump from last after week 5, into a playoff spot by week 18. Time will tell...
11. Returning Champion (55 pts) - Could-be Contender
-WTF is going on with this team?!? How is he almost in DEAD LAST in this league? Josh's team could be compared to that sweet dime bag that you stashed away for a rainy day. Completely forget about it for a few months and then all of a sudden, you remember where you hid it, pull that sucker out of hiding and light up a fatty. BEST.DAY.EVER.
Yea.. Josh's team could be in contention for a playoff spot by next week if he finds that stash.
*OUTLOOK* So... Josh's team is good.. just not right now. He has strong goalies.. just not right now.. he has Getzlaf.. and Dustin Brown.. and Havlat.. who all aren't providing what they should be right now. There's still hope for this team and he, and probably everyone else knows it.. they just won't say anything right now because they know in 10 weeks, trade deadline approaching, Josh pulls off a trade that doesn't look incredible, but it gets him into the playoffs somehow and then he ends up winning the entire fucking league.. Yea, not bitter or anything.. Just stating facts.
12. Take Baby Bites (48 pts) - TBD
Honestly.. I am baffled at this.. looking up and down the roster at this team.. he doesn't have any MAJOR superstars that will carry a team by themselves.. But he does have a lot of puzzle pieces that can make for a team that competes with the middle of the pack and squeak into the playoff picture. A trade that involved Josh giving up his 'top' player, Iginla, for some point production that was actually happening at this point in the season, unlike Jerome's minuscule production currently. I still can't put my finger on what this team will do in terms of a finish.. I need another two weeks and should have a better idea. (As I type this, I'm currently down 10-0 to Josh.. this week could be interesting, both from a clearly eating more than I should have on Thursday stand-point, and from a 'did I just really lose to Frenchie this week?' stand-point...
*OUTLOOK* When your top scorers are names Joffrey and Kris... yea I've got nothing. Granted Frenchie just pulled off a decent trade that brought in Lupul and Franzen, along with a hot MA Bergeron. He just needs guys like Kesler and Krejci to step up and he could break even each week, move up a few spots.. make another trade or two and that might be just what he needs to move up out of the depths of relegation.
---
I was going to type up trade rumors and happenings on the acquisitions front.. but I went wayyy too deep into the stories and analogies.. but hopefully that provided to be more entertaining than a few player names and assumptions on who's dealing who.
Have a great turkey day fellas and LETS GO PENS!!
No comments:
Post a Comment