Yes indeed….it is finally draft week! Training camps will be starting very soon and preseason games aren’t too far behind. But most importantly it is time for fantasy hockey drafts. The Stevens League will be drafting on Saturday with some expected fireworks as always.
Time to get the planning in order. Now you don’t need some obsessive guru like drafting strategy or 10,000 different magazines and specials. I have always found the best way to go about it….is to go with your gut. The Free Agent wire is always a decent safety net if some picks don’t pan out or the injury bug hits. The two big positions to go earliest in drafts are goalies and centers and yes I will expect Sidney Crosby to go #1…and more than likely Luongo to go before Brodeur. These are the norms…the things you come to tend to expect in drafts.
However, sometimes you get that middle draft slot…it can feel like you are in the middle of a really big island…with nowhere to go. Most drafters feel like it is the spot of death but not always. Many times it can actually be a good thing…you can plot your picks out more evenly. Hey I prefer the ends….but that’s just me. However, I have actually won more leagues drafting out of the middle spots….go figure!
Then there are the sleepers…the players that always have that breakout season your friends only took stabs at. Who will be this year’s Parise….that type of thing? Could it be Washington’s Mr. Backstrom? It may just be….however with all the buzz…..can you really call him a sleeper anymore? I am wondering which backup goalie will wind up saving his team this season…..that is usually a nice way to sneak some goalie points when goaltending gets very thin…and that really is what a true sleeper is.
Lastly, there is the draft week trash talking…don’t talk up too much game if you don’t have it. Do you try to sneak under the radar or do you come out with all guns blazing? Either way, make it fun! This isn’t life or death….just some bragging rights and maybe some money. See what happens Saturday because next Monday, we will have some of the draft results and analysis…..enjoy!
