Hey Mr. Weiss, we are getting ready for the NHL season too! Thanks to our friends from Miami Herald Hockey for the video as the primers and previews start for the 2011-12 season. The best way to look at last year in any keeper league is to almost throw out last year like it was yesterday’s garbage. It really is a new year and with four expansion teams joining the fray, there will be added intrigue this year.
This is the time of year where existing teams make their keeper picks, make trades and do the deed so to speak. Trading will be more active this season with more teams and less of a feeling out process for the combatants. Sunday ushers in the 2nd year of the league and literally there is a lot of buzz and the usual trash talk. In the meantime, there was one big trade already. Let’s take a quick look.
SHATTERED GLASS — FITZY’S FIGHTERS TRADE:
- CUP traded Jeff Skinner, Car to FF
CUP traded Taylor Hall, Edm to FF
CUP traded Drew Doughty, LA to FF
CUP traded 20th Rd. Pick (311th Overall) to FF
CUP traded 21st Rd. Pick (330th Overall) to FF
CUP traded 22nd Rd. Pick (343rd Overall) to FF
FF traded Cody Franson, Tor to CUP
FF traded Rene Bourque, Cgy to CUP
FF traded 7th Rd. Pick (110th Overall) to CUP
FF traded 8th Rd. Pick (115th Overall) to CUP
FF traded 9th Rd. Pick (142nd Overall) to CUP
Well what do we think about this one? Keep in mind that there will be some considerably good players still available in the 7th, 8th, and 9th rounds. That makes the trade look way more even than most would think at first glance. Eventually Drew Doughty will sign and play, we think. The key in keeper leagues with draft pick trades is that often you can unload quickly to retool. That is clearly what Dan (Shattered Glass) is planning. The reality is that Franson and Bourque will not be on his team for the start of the season.
Fitzy acquires three keepers in all honesty. Would they be what I would build a team on? Probably not. However, in a 16 team league, those three look better and better at each glance. It will help him set up a better team than he would have had without this trade. Clearly he had to realistically look at short term goals over long term to acquire this talent. Dan’s picks amount to two late 7th rd picks in a sense and a 9th rounder which is a strategic boon on top of his current picks already.
What do you usually have in the last three rounds of the draft? Nine times out of ten that is the juncture of the draft where sleepers and total gambles are taken. Most of them never pan out anyway so why bother drafting then. It will be interesting to see who Dan ultimately takes in those extra three picks. Just wait until post-draft when there will be even more wheeling and dealing. It almost inevitably happens in Year Two of a league.
Year Two should also bring a faster draft. Last year’s went an hour and 15 minutes and this year’s is expected to be a hair over an hour. Keepers help in that process and the decreased time between picks as well along with some pre-rankings and autopicks. After that, all gloves will be off. There will be more strategy in this year’s draft no question. The nice part is with the expansion teams. It will bring new blood into the league and with the changes in divisions, this is what those look like.
The Program Keeper League Divisions:
| ADAMS | |||||
| TEAM | W | L | T | PCT | GB |
| Dick Punch | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — |
| Rosie’s Hockey | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — |
| Team matiash | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — |
| The Phunky Buddaz | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — |
| NORRIS | |||||
| TEAM | W | L | T | PCT | GB |
| Honey Nut Chelios | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — |
| Fittsy’s Fighters | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — |
| Dirty Bathroom Staal | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — |
| Team Cena | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — |
| PATRICK | |||||
| TEAM | W | L | T | PCT | GB |
| Team Wassel | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — |
| Team DELSANDRO | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — |
| Parts Unknown HitEmHighs | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — |
| Sycamore Meadows | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — |
| SMYTHE | |||||
| TEAM | W | L | T | PCT | GB |
| Team Mueller | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — |
| Shattered Glass © | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — |
| Portland Phinkelstein | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — |
| Team Sanborn | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — |
Yes here are our four divisions and note the division names. We do apologize for putting the expansion teams all in the Norris but realistically we had to try and keep all the other teams within location as much as humanly possible. This will also increase activity as there may or may not be another realignment next year. We have some known quantities in the league too, including Prospects Expert Russ Cohen and ESPN’s own Victoria Matiash. We also have our usual merry band of hockey talent and people that have stuck with us loyally the last few years.
There will be more comprehensive coverage of this league and others in the coming weeks and months, including analysis, interviews, and more. So stay tuned and enjoy the mayhem fantasy hockey GM’s. Maybe you will learn a lesson or three as will we.
See you Sunday Night on The Program at 8pm ET for two hours of fantasy hockey insanity. Be there, you will not regret it!
Sincerely,
Chris Wassel
Director Of The Program
