The nice thing about this time of year is with the roster freeze in effect….some things are made easier. Sure the rumors still swirl around like an EF5 tornado but it is a little nicer to digest. I have said this many times. This is the time to snag players early because well get this….other people are home too. Novel concept really…with Winter Break upon us….and well a couple hockey days off….it is the perfect time to get in there to make some moves. The trick is to do it RIGHT NOW….do not wait till Christmas Eve…it will be too late this year….trust me!
Why??? Leagues are more competitive than I have ever seen them. Honestly, I could go into a league and torch it (nice way of saying PWN them) and then move to another one and so on. Now with reputations proceeding…a new breed of fantasy owner has emerged. This is the owner hellbent on taking out the top dogs. These are people that are not under the radar. It just may be the players you have not seen just yet. That is the problem….before you know it, they have you licked before you can even blink.
Just this morning when I woke up, I saw a flurry of moves being made in at least half the leagues I am in (33). Trade requests are popping up out of nowhere as well. Because the Holiday Roster Freeze is in effect, it does not mean squat to most fantasy leagues. Some old time leagues put a freeze in this time of year but out of the 33 leagues I am in…only two actually do so. That is less than 6% of my leagues and I am sure the ratio is less than that for most fantasy hockey GM’s out there.
The veteran “GM” is under siege more than ever. Truthfully, we are the hunted. If you think I am kidding…take a look at message boards in leagues. The trash talking that goes on is enough to make a 21 year old realize their mouth is tame compared to some of this. Now I love some good trash talking but wow….these people are really bringing it now. I mean, right now, its not even January yet….just wait till the fantasy playoffs in late March and April. WOW!
During this freeze frame, there is time to reflect on what you can fix or not fix on your fantasy hockey teams. However, do not be too pensive….the sharks are lurking out there and the vultures are circling. Be quick or be dead may become my new fantasy motto!!
This week and next week will be a bit different as we will have a couple extra columns on Fantasy Hockey so just stay tuned.
