For most fantasy hockey owners, there is about a month to six weeks between now and the opening of sites so you can take a look at what upgrades have or have not been done. The point of “Four For The Road” is to have some brief hot takes and let the post run, so to speak. Every edition will be a little different.
Today we have a working theme of sorts so see if you can spot it. Now, I present to you the TGIF edition of the column.
Four For The Road
1. Ales Hemsky is not a top ten or top 25 play in Roto leagues.
Yes I know the appeal is ridiculously tempting but this is like the Chris Rock song “No Sex In the Champagne Room”. There will be a possibility that Hemsky produces like a Top 25 player but it is almost destiny that he won’t stay quite healthy enough to achieve those lofty numbers some project him at. Call me a pessimist but it is as if something has to go wrong on this one.
2. Travis Zajac is STILL not a number one center
No matter what Jaromir Jagr tries to tell us, Zajac is perhaps a 1A or more appropriately a number two. There is nothing wrong with that and by no means is he overpaid. However, until he starts cranking out those 60-70 point seasons, there is no conscious way anyone should consider Zajac close to a one. The old mantra of he does everything else well just does not cut it. Does it?
3. This season will cause more rule changes as far as scoring.
Yes the league tinkers so often you wonder what the heck is next. However, all these scoring chances and pucks are still not going in at a higher rate will cause some more drastic changes soon. What will those ideas be? I do not know. However, 3 on 3 overtime is being tested out in the AHL this year so that could possibly be one. Next offseason is going to feature some Hades like debates.
4. Jack Capuano will be the first coach fired.
That is not really a fantasy hockey statement but Capuano seems the most likely to get the old canning. He never really has been able to maximize the effectiveness of his second through fourth lines as that cannot be all on the players assembled. Many think he is holding the team back and fantasy hockey owners want to keep a keen eye on the situation because it could finally happen.
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Have at it. Give us your four thoughts for the road!
