Big Board: Hockey
By Matt Romig, Yahoo! Sports Sep 1, 8:05 pm EDT
Big Boards: Football | Baseball | Basketball | Hockey
The Big Board takes into consideration past returns, current performance and expected future gains in determining who should be included among the top 50 fantasy hockey players. Essentially, the Big Board is a cheat sheet designed for a fantasy owner who is planning to participate in a draft today for a league counting stats for the remainder of the regular season only. Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Hockey default scoring settings are used as the baseline for the Big Board, which is updated on a regular basis.
| Big Board 50: Hockey | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Stock | Pvs. |
| 1 | Alexander Ovechkin(notes), Was, LW | New tattoo reads: I beat the 2008-09 Yahoo! cover jinx. | 1 |
| 2 | Evgeni Malkin(notes), Pit, C | Just have to hope 44 playoff games in 2 yrs haven’t taken toll. | 2 |
| 3 | Sidney Crosby(notes), Pit, C | 3 100-pt. seasons in 4 years; and PIMs reversed course in ’08-9. | 3 |
| 4 | Roberto Luongo(notes), Van, G | Sedins stay, blueline bolstered, Luongo happy. | 4 |
| 5 | Ryan Getzlaf(notes), Ana, C | Poised for first 100-pt. season alongside Perry and Ryan. | 6 |
| 6 | Martin Brodeur(notes), NJ, G | 5 months to stew over Carolina collapse. Mmmmm…..stew! | 35 |
| 7 | Mike Green(notes), Was, D | 31 goals, 18 PPG came in just 68 games. | 17 |
| 8 | Pavel Datsyuk(notes), Det, C | Low risk: 30 goals, 95 points, nice PP haul a near-lock. | 9 |
| 9 | Jarome Iginla(notes), Cal, RW | Career-high in power-play helpers (22) in otherwise ‘down’ year. | 10 |
| 10 | Evgeni Nabokov(notes), SJ, G | Should be volume starter again with only Greiss as backup. | 12 |
| 11 | Ilya Kovalchuk(notes), Atl, LW | Only player in pool with 5 straight 40-goal campaigns. | 14 |
| 12 | Henrik Zetterberg(notes), Det, LW/C | Does he reclaim Hossa’s slice of the pie and net 40 again? | 16 |
| 13 | Henrik Lundqvist(notes), NYR, G | 37, 37, 38 wins last 3 years. Rangers blueline a concern. | 11 |
| 14 | Niklas Backstrom(notes), Min, G | Without a category blind spot in 2008-09. Top 5 across board. | 7 |
| 15 | Rick Nash(notes), Cls, LW | 2008-09 was first year you got money’s worth on ADP. | 22 |
| 16 | Nicklas Lidstrom(notes), Det, D | Assists dipped, but goals, PP production still elite for D-man. | 19 |
| 17 | Tim Thomas(notes), Bos, G | Time to quit looking for reasons to avoid him. | 23 |
| 18 | Joe Thornton(notes), SJ, C | Can’t say for certain what his wings will look like. | 8 |
| 19 | Dany Heatley(notes), Ott, LW | If you’re investing here, you’re hoping for a trade. | 13 |
| 20 | Miikka Kiprusoff(notes), Cal, G | A stud Dec.-Feb., but started and finished poorly in 08-09. | 18 |
| 21 | Zach Parise(notes), NJ, LW | Have to like him when using shots category (3rd in NHL). | 15 |
| 22 | Marc Savard(notes), Bos, C | In Boston: 262 pts in 238 gms. Last yrs. plus-25 was career-best. | 21 |
| 23 | Alexander Semin(notes), Was, LW | You know the story: When healthy, he scores (1.27 PPG last yr). | 24 |
| 24 | Corey Perry(notes), Ana, RW | He and Getzlaf were only players over 100 PIM, 70 points. | 25 |
| 25 | Cam Ward(notes), Car, G | Rather quietly posted career bests in all relevant categories. | - |
| 26 | Marian Gaborik(notes), NYR, RW | He’s freed from system constraints, but health worries loom. | - |
| 27 | Nicklas Backstrom(notes), Was, C | Won’t turn 22 until after opening night; already 121 helpers. | 33 |
| 28 | Ryan Miller(notes), Buf, G | Began to prove that maybe he can steal games in 2008-09. | 38 |
| 29 | Steve Mason(notes), Cls, G | It’s tough to pay full price for a 10-shutout rookie campaign. | 29 |
| 30 | Dan Boyle(notes), SJ, D | SJ wound up w/better fantasy player when letting Campbell go. | 30 |
| 31 | Vincent Lecavalier(notes), TB, C | Does anyone still remember that ‘best in NHL’ debate? | 26 |
| 32 | Simon Gagne(notes), Phi, LW | Olympic camp opened w/injury, but was mostly healthy last yr. | 34 |
| 33 | Patrick Marleau(notes), SJ, C/LW | Was a nice bargain in 2008-09, but question marks are back. | 31 |
| 34 | Mike Richards(notes), Phi, C | Bump accordingly in rare league that rewards SHG (7). | 27 |
| 35 | Marian Hossa(notes), Chi, RW | Just have to make due until shoulder is ready to go. | 5 |
| 36 | Michael Cammalleri(notes), Mon, C/LW | Fantasy’s most underrated source of power-play points. | - |
| 37 | Zdeno Chara(notes), Bos, D | Coming off career highs in points, PPP and shots. | 41 |
| 38 | Eric Staal(notes), Car, C | Turned 5 goals in first 19 games into 2nd 40-goal season. | 39 |
| 39 | Marc-Andre Fleury(notes), Pit, G | Might be tough to get good price after he lifted Cup. | 45 |
| 40 | Patrick Kane(notes), Chi, RW | Didn’t experience a second-year bump, but room for growth. | 37 |
| 41 | Daniel Alfredsson(notes), Ott, RW | Like rest of old CaSH line, getting a mulligan for last season. | - |
| 42 | Dion Phaneuf(notes), Cal, D | You’re paying for 2006-07 numbers in top 50. | 28 |
| 43 | Chris Osgood(notes), Det,G | 2.01, .926 postseason helped erase memory of reg. season. | - |
| 44 | Jason Spezza(notes), Ott, C | There’s top-15 value here if Ottawa can right the ship. | 43 |
| 45 | Sheldon Souray(notes), Edm, D | Nothing wrong w/20-goal, 100-PIM potential from blueline. | 44 |
| 46 | Jeff Carter(notes), Phi, C | Goal pace dipped in second half, but stayed near PPG pace. | 46 |
| 47 | Daniel Sedin(notes), Van, LW | It’s position depth that gives him the edge over Henrik. | 47 |
| 48 | Sergei Gonchar(notes), Pit, D | Returned from injury to score at a 63-point pace. | - |
| 49 | Pekka Rinne(notes), Nas, G | Rookie unphased by spotlight, 4-1 vs. Detroit & Pittsburgh. | - |
| 50 | Bobby Ryan(notes), Ana, RW | The kids are taking over the pond; 40 goals realistic. | 50 |
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DROPPED OUT: Coming next Big Board update.
ON THE BUBBLE: Thomas Vanek(notes), Buf, LW; Chris Pronger(notes), Phi, D; Olli Jokinen(notes), Cgy, C; Shea Weber(notes), Nas, D; Mikko, Min, C; Jonathan Toews(notes), Chi, D; Shane Doan(notes), Pho, RW; Alexei Kovalev, Ott, RW; Brad Boyes(notes), Stl, RW; Martin St. Louis(notes), TB, RW; Marty Turco(notes), Dal, G; Patrik Elias(notes), NJ, LW; Devin Setoguchi(notes), SJ, RW; Dennis Wideman(notes), Bos, D; Henrik Sedin(notes), Van, C; Andrei Markov(notes), Mon, D; Carey Price(notes), Mon, G; Tomas Vokoun(notes), Fla, G;
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Updated Sep 1, 8:05 pm EDT
