The season is upon us, so it is time to check in our the Pacific Division and conclude the Power Play Point Potential Series.
Pacific Division Power Play Point Review
Anaheim Ducks
Forward Changes: There are some major changes, Bobby Ryan is in Ottawa and the team will look to replace his production with Dustin Penner and Jakob Silfverberg. However, the Ducks also have a cast of youngsters ready to make an impact. Kyle Palmieri, Emerson Etem and Peter Holland will all figure into the Ducks’ offense, so monitor where they skate to begin the season. Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are top players, but don’t overvalue Saku Koivu, Andrew Cogliano and Daniel Winnik.
Defense Changes: The only difference will be the absence of Sheldon Souray. He has wrist surgery in August and will be out four to six months. That should open up some Power Play time for Sami Vatanen, who boasts excellent offensive instincts and should chip in immediately. Don’t reach for Francois Beauchemin this season, career years in your late 30’s aren’t usually followed up. Cam Fowler, however, should be on your radar.
Conclusion: Bobby Ryan’s production won’t be easily replaced and the second Power Play unit is a little bit of a mixed bag of tricks. Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Cam Fowler should be your main targets and benefit the most from their time on the Man Advantage. If Kyle Palmieri, for example, finds his way alongside Perry and Getzlaf, his value sky-rockets. Andrew Cogliano and Daniel Winnik are coming off career years and shouldn’t be targeted, regression looms. Luca Sbisa is a defensemen to keep an eye out for early if he can land on the Power Play.
Calgary Flames
Forward Changes: Veterans Alex Tanguay, Jarome Iginla are gone and with the Flames in a full rebuild there isn’t a lot of Fantasy upside in Calgary. Mike Cammalleri, Jiri Hudler, Curtis Glencross and Lee Stempniak will likely lead the team in scoring, with Matt Stajan and Mikael Backlund filling out the club’s top six. Sean Monahan will start the season with the Flames, but he will likely return to the OHL. Sven Baertschi finished strong last season, but there are concerns surrounding him right now, so you might be better off letting someone else reach for him. You’ll be alright if you don’t land a Flame in your Fantasy draft, no one is going to mock you to the door.
Defense Changes: Kris Russell will be a solid addition to the team and brings some offensive spark with him from St. Louis, otherwise there will be little change. Dennis Wideman and Mark Giordano are solid rearguards and both will be drafted in your Fantasy league, but you don’t need to be the one to do so. Similarly, there is some hype surrounding T.J. Brodie, but he doesn’t project to do much aside from chip in a few Power Play points. Again, nothing too enticing in Calgary.
Conclusion: It is likely that the Flames will be in the running for the NHL’s worst team in 2013-14. They don’t have a lot of talent up front and an unproven Goalie too. If your league uses Plus/Minus there is reason to avoid entirely. Up front, you might as well pass entirely, although, someone has to score a few goals, you’ll likely be able to go elsewhere, except in the deepest of formats. On defense, Mark Giordano and Dennis Wideman are fine, but they’re going to be over-drafted in all likelihood and there are more well-rounded players, or upside picks available.
Edmonton Oilers
Forward Changes: The center position is a mess for the Oilers. Shawn Horcoff is gone, but more importantly, Sam Gagner and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are both hurt and likely out for at least the first month of the season. Taylor Hall will move to the middle, which hopefully doesn’t hinder his offensive production, as he had 50 points in just 45 games last year. There are lots of scorers in Edmonton still. David Perron was brought in for Magnus Paajarvi, while youngsters Jordan Eberle, Nail Yakupov should compliment veterans Ryan Smyth and Ales Hemsky nicely. Keep tabs on Jesse Joensuu, he is a potential sleeper, the power forward has untapped offensive upside.
Defense Changes: Ryan Whitney recently signed with the Panthers, so there are substantial minutes available behind Justin Schultz on the Oilers Power Play depth chart. Jeff Petry stands to log a lot of them and should be considered a viable option to round out your Fantasy defense unit. After that, things get a little tough to figure out though. Is Andrew Ference or Ladislav Smid going to see time with the Man Advantage? Anton Belov has a big shot, so his stock could rise if he gets a crack at some Power Play time. There is some value for whoever lands on the second power play unit, so monitor the situation as the season begins.
Conclusion: Taylor Hall will be highly coveted and for good reason, but the move to center might cut into some of his production, or it could help. This may be the last time you can get him outside the first round in a long time. Jordan Eberle could have a bounce back year and David Perron should continue to contribute offensively in his new setting. Jeff Petry might see an uptick in his offense and Justin Schultz is a true offensive defenseman who will post a nice point total. Whichever defensemen ends up on the second Power Play unit will have value too, so again, keep an eye on that in the early going.
Los Angeles Kings
Forward Changes: There is the minor swap of Matt Frattin in and Dustin Penner out, otherwise the key cogs return for the Kings. Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter are the big three with the Man Advantage, while Justin Williams, Dustin Brown, Jarret Stoll and Matt Frattin will all also factor in. Stoll has a hard shot and is capable of manning the point on the Power Play, which is where his only Fantasy value lies. If Matt Frattin can continue his chemistry with Richards and Carter it could be huge for his Fantasy production. Kopitar is a top option, Brown and Williams are solid wingers after the top options go off the board and for some reason, Jeff Carter is criminally underrated again this year. He has 40 goal potential. Mike Richards’ best offensive days are in the rear view mirror, but he is a solid low-end Left Wing option.
Defense Changes: The Kings will have a healthy Matt Greene and Willie Mitchell this season, which will help them, but not with the Man Advantage. Otherwise, Drew Doughty, Slava Voynov and Jake Muzzin all return, along with Robyn Regehr. Muzzin burst onto the scene last season and played a lot with Doughty on the Power Play, but he is a late round flier at best. Drew Doughty is obviously the Kings’ best defenseman and the first one to take in Fantasy leagues. However, Slava Voynov might boast the best offensive upside and should be targeted as a second defenseman on your Fantasy team. Back to Doughty, there is a chance he ends the season among the top Fantasy defenseman, he is knocking on the Norris Trophy door.
Conclusion: Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty are going to be hot commodities on draft day, but there is a lot of value in the later middle rounds on Los Angeles. Mike Richards’ 70 point seasons are gone, but he scores a lot of Power Play points and that gives him some additional value. Jeff Carter’s assists will get back to his career norm, which makes him a huge steal in the middle rounds. Slava Voynov will be a solid Fantasy asset and could flirt with 50 points, but you can bank on over 35. Matt Frattin could thrive alongside Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, so if he sticks there, expect a solid season. He has great wheels and solid offensive instincts.
Phoenix Coyotes
Forward Changes: The Coyotes lose Steve Sullivan, but he wasn’t a major factor and will be replaced with Mike Ribeiro who had 27 Power Play points last season and led the league in Power Play assists. He should help improve one of the league’s worst units from 2013. Shane Doan has a cannon of a shot, while Martin Hanzel and Mikkel Boedker are emerging players, who are both entering their prime. Radim Vrbata is only one year removed from a 35 goal season, so there are some valuable Fantasy assets here. The best part, they’ll all likely fall far under the radar, so you could pluck some value up in the later rounds. If owners draft Mike Ribeiro based on his career year last season they’ll be disappointed, but at the same time, don’t let him fall too far.
Defense Changes: There aren’t any changes among rearguards for the Coyotes. Keith Yandle and Oliver Ekman-Larsson are two of the best offensive defenseman in the league and Yandle lead the Coyotes in scoring last year. Ekamn-Larsson is only 22, so his best production is still a few years away and he’ll be trendy player, so don’t reach for him. Yandle on the other hand, is someone to target as the top options start falling off the board. The Coyotes also have veterans Derek Morris, Rostislav Klesla and Zbynek Michalek, but none of them figure into Fantasy, unless you’re in the deepest of formats.
Conclusion: The Coyotes cannot get worse on the Power Play and the addition of Mike Ribeiro should help them out. They’ve got some nice pieces, but outside of Keith Yandle, none of them are worth even a middle round selection. I expect the price tags on Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Mike Ribeiro to get too high, so your best draft targets are Shane Doan and Radim Vrbata in the later rounds. Martin Hanzel is a far better player in real life, but he does have some value in deep leagues and many are projecting a breakout campaign for Mikkel Boedker, but I’d limit expectations to the 40 point range.
San Jose Sharks
Forward Changes: The Sharks are without T.J. Gallardi, Scott Gomez and Ryane Clowe this season, while Martin Havlat is out long-term with a pelvis injury. Joe Thornton is one of the best Power Play set-up men in the league and Patrick Marleau is a proven performer on the wing. Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture are about to take the next step and become the offensive leaders on the Sharks though. Couture could post his first point-per-game season this year, while Pavelski is a low-end fantasy option. Tomas Hertl looks to break camp on a line with Thornton and Brent Burns, which makes him an excellent sleeper and late round option.
Defense Changes: The only real change is the addition of Scott Hannan, who won’t factor into the Power Play equation. The Sharks defense is deep enough that Brent Burns is playing the wing as much as defense, which makes him all the more intriguing in Fantasy. Dan Boyle is still an offensive monster and should be drafted as such, but there is no upside either, Boyle is 37. Matt Irwin is a solid defenseman, but his offensive upside is limited and shouldn’t be drafted in Fantasy leagues. The Sharks’ only real Fantasy options are Burns and Boyle on defense.
Conclusion: There is veteran talent in Dan Boyle, Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton, to go along with Logan Couture, Brent Burns and Joe Pavelski who are all in their prime. Topping it all off, youngsters, Tomas Hertl, Matt Irwin add more offensive punch and potentially Matt Nieto could even see some time with the Man Advantage. The Sharks have a history of Power Play success and should continue to be among the leagues top half again in 2013-14. The veterans might begin to fall in drafts, so there is excellent value there, while Logan Couture, although, likely costly, should reward your investment. He is ready to take the next step. As mentioned, Tomas Hertl should be on your radar as your draft concludes.
Vancouver Canucks
Forward Changes: There are few changes, although, a healthy Ryan Kesler and David Booth could give the Canucks the secondary scoring a boost, which they lacked last season. Henrik and Daniel Sedin are the top offensive weapons, but it’ll be interesting to see how the rest of the cookie crumbles. Kesler will be on the top unit, but Alex Burrows, Jannik Hansen, Zack Kassian and Booth all figure to be in the mix. Jordan Schroeder and Nicklas Jensen are both players to keep an eye on too, if they get a chance with the Man Advantage their value increases. Chris Higgins is familiar with John Tortorella from his time with the Rangers and Torts is fond of Higgins, so he could be a sleeper if he can move up the depth chart.
Defense Changes: Keith Ballard figured into the Power Play mix a little bit, but the big four are back for the Canucks. Alexander Edler could easily finish as a top end Fantasy Defenseman, while Kevin Bieksa, Jason Garrison and Dan Hamhuis are all solid options. Garrison in particular picked up his play down the stretch last year and now has back-to-back good campaigns on his resume. Yannick Weber has joined the Canucks and could find some time on the Man Advantage, but I’d take a wait and see approach with him.
Conclusion: Henrik and Daniel Sedin are about as consistent and reliable as they come, in terms of point producation, but they don’t bring a lot else to the Fantasy table. Ryan Kesler will likely come at a discount this season, but he is a difference maker and can contribute across all categories. Finding out who is going to skate alongside the Sedin’s is important and rises Alex Burrows, or Zack Kassian’s stock considerably. I wouldn’t reach for a defender outside of Alexander Edler, and would be happy to have him as my number one. He could push for 60 points, but is a lock for 45.
There are some Fantasy wastelands in the Pacific. Both the Flames and Coyotes feature few Fantasy options, but the Desert Dogs might have more to offer than you think. Meanwhile, the California trio boasts a number of Fantasy assets, including centers Ryan Getzlaf, Joe Thornton and Anze Kopitar. The Sedin twins and Taylor Hall are north of the border and defensemen Keith Yandle and Drew Doughty are go to Fantasy options. Sometimes the West Coast team’s have some additional value, because those on the East Coast fall asleep before the games even start. Seriously.
