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2/17/2015
2/16/2015
2/09/2015
The Stretch Run - Week 19 Line-ups
Well With Eight Weeks (more or less) to go and will anyone catch Cameron?
WD2 was well-attended only missing 3 GMs...There was some fun in there for all.
Please post your Week 19 Line-ups here.
Thank-you!
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2/06/2015
FUNHL News and Notes II
- The Highlander crash in the standings is attributable largely to a decision to ride the plus minus train. Sadly, it ran him over. It's not the attempt that I think was faulty (it at least makes sense in theory) but in this case, it's the execution. Minnesota? Really?
- At the beginning of the year, I would have bet money that one of the best sophomores would be Thomas Hertl of the Sharks. Not so much. The team ahead of him is stacked, and the Sharks seem content to have him develop further down the roster.
- Remember how we used to wish that Scott Niedermayer were on another team, any other team really, so that we could be treated to his offensive powers without the shackles of a trap first coach intent on killing all the fun in the universe? I feel that way about Drew Doughty.
- With all the hell raining down on the Kings lately, what with the Voynov garbage, the Richards' contract, theplummetting playoff fotunes, injuries to uber-prospects Pearson and Toffoli, and Quick losing his mojo, it makes me wonder if someone in management asked for their soul back.
- Here's a thought to give you the heebie jeebies, the Kings miss the playoffs - and then win the McDavid lottery.
- I have to say I am not a fan of how the Canadiens have built their team. The defense is good to great, with Subban being an All-World defender, but the best forwards are all on the wing, and Plecanek is just not my idea of a #1 C. Galchenyuk was being groomed for the #1C job, but has been vocal about preferring life on LW. That all said, Carey Price is the kind of goalie who can cover up just about any structural weakness.
- You can extend that comparison further to Boston, with the biggest difference being that while Kreijci is a fair approximation of Plecanek, there simply is no Montreal equivalent for the two-way force at center that is Patrice Bergeron.
- One player I am very glad I didn't get when my list said I should is Jason Spezza. He just isn't in the same galaxy offensively compared to where he was 5 years ago, and that lack of production is one reason why the Ramapithicines aren't closer to the top.
- I will be surprised if Jamie Benn isn't among the top candidates to be a new FP. That guy is a total beast when he gets rolling.
- I work with a recovering Leafs fan, and if he is to be believed Phaneuf is Satan. Expensive, underperforming, and signed long-term, we often discuss who T.O. might be able to trade him for (his intitial suggestion that Edm would part with their 2015 1st rnd pick for him was met with resounding laughter). So far, we haven't come up with a good answer. The one team that has the cap space to absorb that contract, cheap young assets they could send back, and a hole on the 2nd pairing that Phaneuf might adequately fill...is Calgary, and I just don't see the Flames wanting 'Neon-Dion' back.
- Which illustrates what a disaster the Leafs roster is as constructed by Dave Nonis. Nonis extended Phaneuf his $7Mx7years deal that is now a tungsten handcuff on management. Nonis was the one who went whale hunting and signed Clarckson to his obscene contract, and so on. Clarckson's is in particular terrifically evil. Not only does it run for another 6 years, not only is it for just under $6M, but the agent for Clarckson made it all but buyout bullet-proof. When you buy out a contract you have to pay 2/3rds of the value of the total contract to the player (not including bonusses which must be paid in full), and then take a cap-hit for half the annual value for double the length of the deal. But Clarckson's agent earned his pay day, as the majority of money owed to Clarckson is actually designated as 'bonus money' which means that the team has to pay those $s in full, and he would be getting much closer to the full ticket on the buy out. Worse, the cap hit would be close to $3M a year, for another DECADE, just to make him go away.
- Another guy who I think will get serious consideration as an FP is Johanssen of the Blue Jackets. Power pivots like him don't come along very often, and his youth and high ceiling are very attractive. That said, his team, and history of antagonistic contract negotiations isn't.
- At the beginning of the year, I would have bet money that one of the best sophomores would be Thomas Hertl of the Sharks. Not so much. The team ahead of him is stacked, and the Sharks seem content to have him develop further down the roster.
- Remember how we used to wish that Scott Niedermayer were on another team, any other team really, so that we could be treated to his offensive powers without the shackles of a trap first coach intent on killing all the fun in the universe? I feel that way about Drew Doughty.
- With all the hell raining down on the Kings lately, what with the Voynov garbage, the Richards' contract, theplummetting playoff fotunes, injuries to uber-prospects Pearson and Toffoli, and Quick losing his mojo, it makes me wonder if someone in management asked for their soul back.
- Here's a thought to give you the heebie jeebies, the Kings miss the playoffs - and then win the McDavid lottery.
- I have to say I am not a fan of how the Canadiens have built their team. The defense is good to great, with Subban being an All-World defender, but the best forwards are all on the wing, and Plecanek is just not my idea of a #1 C. Galchenyuk was being groomed for the #1C job, but has been vocal about preferring life on LW. That all said, Carey Price is the kind of goalie who can cover up just about any structural weakness.
- You can extend that comparison further to Boston, with the biggest difference being that while Kreijci is a fair approximation of Plecanek, there simply is no Montreal equivalent for the two-way force at center that is Patrice Bergeron.
- One player I am very glad I didn't get when my list said I should is Jason Spezza. He just isn't in the same galaxy offensively compared to where he was 5 years ago, and that lack of production is one reason why the Ramapithicines aren't closer to the top.
- I will be surprised if Jamie Benn isn't among the top candidates to be a new FP. That guy is a total beast when he gets rolling.
- I work with a recovering Leafs fan, and if he is to be believed Phaneuf is Satan. Expensive, underperforming, and signed long-term, we often discuss who T.O. might be able to trade him for (his intitial suggestion that Edm would part with their 2015 1st rnd pick for him was met with resounding laughter). So far, we haven't come up with a good answer. The one team that has the cap space to absorb that contract, cheap young assets they could send back, and a hole on the 2nd pairing that Phaneuf might adequately fill...is Calgary, and I just don't see the Flames wanting 'Neon-Dion' back.
- Which illustrates what a disaster the Leafs roster is as constructed by Dave Nonis. Nonis extended Phaneuf his $7Mx7years deal that is now a tungsten handcuff on management. Nonis was the one who went whale hunting and signed Clarckson to his obscene contract, and so on. Clarckson's is in particular terrifically evil. Not only does it run for another 6 years, not only is it for just under $6M, but the agent for Clarckson made it all but buyout bullet-proof. When you buy out a contract you have to pay 2/3rds of the value of the total contract to the player (not including bonusses which must be paid in full), and then take a cap-hit for half the annual value for double the length of the deal. But Clarckson's agent earned his pay day, as the majority of money owed to Clarckson is actually designated as 'bonus money' which means that the team has to pay those $s in full, and he would be getting much closer to the full ticket on the buy out. Worse, the cap hit would be close to $3M a year, for another DECADE, just to make him go away.
- Another guy who I think will get serious consideration as an FP is Johanssen of the Blue Jackets. Power pivots like him don't come along very often, and his youth and high ceiling are very attractive. That said, his team, and history of antagonistic contract negotiations isn't.
2/05/2015
FUNHL News and Notes Part I
Ok, so here we are coming up on WD2, and I still haven't finished the team profiles.
I suck. I know.
So here's a NandN to get you through the crushing disappointment;
- Todd Nelson has the Oilers playing better. Much better. That said, they were unbelievably unlucky and snakebit prior to his arrival, so it could be just the natural order of the universe reasserting itself. All of which means the Oilers might not have as good a shot at McEichel as the fans would have believed. I could see them drafting anywhere from 2 thru 5, depending on the bounces the rest of the way.
- One guy who hasn't improved much is Taylor Hall, who is having a year from hell. I had him on a short list for possible FPs, but this year has me doubt whether that will ever happen.
- Jakub Voracek on the other hand is having his career season before our eyes. Will he outscore Giroux the rest of the way? I doubt it, but stranger things have happened. The best comparable I have for Voracek is that he is playing like a young Marian Hossa, a big strong, scoring winger with excellent defensive abilities. Hall may haved dropped himself off the FP list, but Voracek may well have moved himself on to it.
- Every once in a while Nail Yakupov will take off on a skate where he breezes by several guys effortlessly, or he unleashes hell with a slapshot that stinks of sulfur, but these events are still few and far between. There is an elite player in there, somewhere. I just don't think Edmonton will be the team to bring it out of him though.
- I love me some Dougie Hamilton. With Chara clearly no longer the immovable object at the center of Boston's D, Hamilton has gradually added to his game to the point where you can see he'll be the heir apparent. Chara isn't done. Yet. But you can see the end of his track from here, and with it Boston's window is slamming shut, unless Hamilton can keep it forced open.
- If Edmonton had added; Grabovski, Kulemin, Leddy and Boychuk, (and had signed Derek Roy in the off-season rather than trading for him after wasting Draisaitl's first season), it might be them recieving all the plaudits that Garth Snow is now getting. Garth. Snow. I'm still getting used to him not being the punchline.
- I have to think that Kesler's time as a top 2 line pivot in the FUNHL is rapidly coming to a close. His game is perfect for Anaheim, but his offensive abilities appear to be deserting him.
- By all accounts Mike Ribeiro has had a remarkable turn around in Nashville. He successfully completed a stint in the NHL substance abuse program, and getting clean has helped his offensive stats return to his historic norms. Good story.
- One guy I really liked to have a breakout season was Tyson Barrie. But...not so much. You can blame the team's D corps around him (weak), the loss Varlamov for much of the year, or the moon being in the 7th house of Apollo, but the upshot is Barrie hasn't taken that next step.
- So I was looking over Bob''s roster and I noticed something odd....he hasn't traded his entire defense yet, and he still has more than half his forward roster remaining from the beginning of the year. WHAT IS HAPPENING?? IS THIS EVEN REAL? I suspect that this has more to do with it being a soft trade market than Bob losing his mojo, but still, weird.
- Bob's selection of Noah Hanifin could be excellent, or 'meh'. He's big, exceptionally mobile, and has terrific hockey sense, but he may lack the killer offensive instincts that separate the Erik Karlsson's from the Jay Bouwmeesters. Very curious to see where he lands (Edmonton would probably LOVE him).
- He may not be responsible for all of LAs problems, but Jonathon Quick really isn't helping. Personally I hate Sutter's coaching style, and the Kings are boredom on ice unless Kopitar or Doughty are over the boards, but along with those two, Quick was the capstone, and without him posting an elite save% the Kings are in serious trouble.
- Chris Kunitz has been a nice fit next to Crosby for the last few years, but the veteran winger is nearing the edge of his abilities. No longer a spring chicken, his contract $s may make him expendable moving forward.
I suck. I know.
So here's a NandN to get you through the crushing disappointment;
- Todd Nelson has the Oilers playing better. Much better. That said, they were unbelievably unlucky and snakebit prior to his arrival, so it could be just the natural order of the universe reasserting itself. All of which means the Oilers might not have as good a shot at McEichel as the fans would have believed. I could see them drafting anywhere from 2 thru 5, depending on the bounces the rest of the way.
- One guy who hasn't improved much is Taylor Hall, who is having a year from hell. I had him on a short list for possible FPs, but this year has me doubt whether that will ever happen.
- Jakub Voracek on the other hand is having his career season before our eyes. Will he outscore Giroux the rest of the way? I doubt it, but stranger things have happened. The best comparable I have for Voracek is that he is playing like a young Marian Hossa, a big strong, scoring winger with excellent defensive abilities. Hall may haved dropped himself off the FP list, but Voracek may well have moved himself on to it.
- Every once in a while Nail Yakupov will take off on a skate where he breezes by several guys effortlessly, or he unleashes hell with a slapshot that stinks of sulfur, but these events are still few and far between. There is an elite player in there, somewhere. I just don't think Edmonton will be the team to bring it out of him though.
- I love me some Dougie Hamilton. With Chara clearly no longer the immovable object at the center of Boston's D, Hamilton has gradually added to his game to the point where you can see he'll be the heir apparent. Chara isn't done. Yet. But you can see the end of his track from here, and with it Boston's window is slamming shut, unless Hamilton can keep it forced open.
- If Edmonton had added; Grabovski, Kulemin, Leddy and Boychuk, (and had signed Derek Roy in the off-season rather than trading for him after wasting Draisaitl's first season), it might be them recieving all the plaudits that Garth Snow is now getting. Garth. Snow. I'm still getting used to him not being the punchline.
- I have to think that Kesler's time as a top 2 line pivot in the FUNHL is rapidly coming to a close. His game is perfect for Anaheim, but his offensive abilities appear to be deserting him.
- By all accounts Mike Ribeiro has had a remarkable turn around in Nashville. He successfully completed a stint in the NHL substance abuse program, and getting clean has helped his offensive stats return to his historic norms. Good story.
- One guy I really liked to have a breakout season was Tyson Barrie. But...not so much. You can blame the team's D corps around him (weak), the loss Varlamov for much of the year, or the moon being in the 7th house of Apollo, but the upshot is Barrie hasn't taken that next step.
- So I was looking over Bob''s roster and I noticed something odd....he hasn't traded his entire defense yet, and he still has more than half his forward roster remaining from the beginning of the year. WHAT IS HAPPENING?? IS THIS EVEN REAL? I suspect that this has more to do with it being a soft trade market than Bob losing his mojo, but still, weird.
- Bob's selection of Noah Hanifin could be excellent, or 'meh'. He's big, exceptionally mobile, and has terrific hockey sense, but he may lack the killer offensive instincts that separate the Erik Karlsson's from the Jay Bouwmeesters. Very curious to see where he lands (Edmonton would probably LOVE him).
- He may not be responsible for all of LAs problems, but Jonathon Quick really isn't helping. Personally I hate Sutter's coaching style, and the Kings are boredom on ice unless Kopitar or Doughty are over the boards, but along with those two, Quick was the capstone, and without him posting an elite save% the Kings are in serious trouble.
- Chris Kunitz has been a nice fit next to Crosby for the last few years, but the veteran winger is nearing the edge of his abilities. No longer a spring chicken, his contract $s may make him expendable moving forward.
2/02/2015
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Week 18 Line-ups - Pre-WD2; provisional drops please; WD2 drop Deadline Friday Feb 6th at 6pm mst
WD2 will be Sat. Feb 7th at 1pm MST
Remember your drops - hence title of Blog post.
Please your line-ups here
The Week 17 stats will give the order for the WD2 drafting. Neither the Scourge nor the Severed Heads have their 1st rnd picks due their use of the IR rule.
Thanks to Doug who is doing Yeomen service catching us up statistically!
Again, Week 18 line-ups placed here please (or I'll do it as per usual)
Thank you!
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1/30/2015
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1/26/2015
Back to the Grind Week 17 Line-ups
Also it should be note that since NO OTHER TEAM BID on Bogosian , he went to the Scourge and Stone-Ari D hit the wire
Please post your Week 17 line-ups here
Thank you
1/21/2015
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1/18/2015
Week 16 Line-ups - The All-Star Weekend Break
A Short Week, indeed.
After this week, weeks17 and 18 line-ups until WD2 on Sat. Feb 7th at 1pm MST via Skype...
Please submit your week 16 line-up here.
Thank you
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1/12/2015
1/09/2015
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1/06/2015
Week 11 Stats
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Two notes. I corrected a double benching that I noticed in the Week 10 stats for the Great Whites. Also, I looks that Mike G was benching Demers instead of Greene with his week 11 line-up but I have Demers as having been waived. Could someone confirm that for me.
Will keep trying to get caught up (with stats and with my ever fading hopes in the pool) as quick as I can. Brian, thanks for "scraping" the raw stats of the Yahoo site for me for weeks 11 and 12 and, as always, thanks Bob for ensuring that the line-ups are on the blog.
1/04/2015
Week 14 Line-ups
Please post your Week 14 line-ups here.
Thank you
12/29/2014
Week 13 - Mid-Season Line-ups and Happy New Yer
Alas, he did NOT take the head...heh...heh
Regardless, there is always hope, the last thing that snuck out of Pandora's Box
Please post your Week 13 Line-ups here...
Thanks and Happy New Year to All!
12/24/2014
FUNHL News and Notes
Season's Greetings Everyone!
- It's funny, but this is the weakest feeling 20 point lead I've ever held in the pool. I know the stats say that the Heads are running away with things, but it really doesn't feel that way.
- I mentioned this in my e-mail, but Steve Downie clowning it up to the tune of 50+ points over the first 1/3rd of the season is a huge part of why the Heads are winning, and why the lead doesn't feel at all safe. Sure, he could finish with 40points and 300PIM (maybe the greatest TG season since Bob Probert), but there is no way I am comfortable counting on it.
- I've been really bad in not getting out the team reviews.
- I've been even worse in shepherding the FUNBA and doing team updates and reviews for everyone in it. Please don't kill me.
- I predict that as new young FPs come on line next year, at least two of; Kopitar, Toews, Zetterberg, and Erik Staal will be replaced. None of them are 'bad', but none of them qualify as 1st line Cs either.
- Among the candidates I'd put up to replace the departing Cs; Ryan Johanssen-C Clb, Alex Pieterangelo-D StL, Ryan Suter-D Min, Taylor Hall-L Edm, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins-C Edm, and Johnny Gaudreau-L Cgy.
- Chances of Edmonton catching Calgary in the standings = roughly 0.01%. The tears of Wayne Gretzky never tasted so good.
- Rob's decision to draft Drouin is edging from 'curious, could be a good move' into 'wasted two prime years of Tuuka Rask waiting for Drouin to be remotely productive'. territory.
- I'm going out on a limb and suggesting that Bob's combo of Parise-Lucic is the weakest FP pairing in the league. Despite what I just said about Drouin.
- Of all the teams in the league, the one that scares me the most is Dan's Great Whites. Why? Jagr once lost a scoring title and a goal scoring title to a white hot Joe Thornton blowing up in the 2nd half of a season. His team is thick at C, D, and G, and has nice weapons on the wing. Also, I hate Carey Price.
- The other guy to be scared of is Darrell. It's always f#$%^ing Darrell.
- If there is a more dissapointing pick for a team this year than Corey's selection of Jason Spezza I don't know what it is. Spezza should have been a ppg stalwart rocking the #2C role in Dallas. Instead, he's been invisible.
- The Edge have a terrific RW, a very ice set of pivots (Getzlaf, Johanssen, Little), and a very decent D corps, so why aren't they better? Well, the goaltending has been bad, trending to terrible, but outside of that, I honestly don't understand what the problem is. I think I say this every year about the Edge, but at some point his team should regress to the mean and be at least average, right?
- The Barbarians have a really nice platform to build on moving forward in Seguin and Karlsson. Two of the hardest pieces to find, a top line C, and an offensive D man will make the draft a lot easier moving forwards. Can't think of a time they had better FPs.
- Of all the teams the PV are invested in, having two LW from Winterpeg seems a bit like...overkill.
- Suicide by +/- has hit us in the holiday season. I can't say as I think it's a wise plan, but it is a plan.
- Why aren't the Knights Templar a bigger threat? Take a look at their C position; Pavelski, Backes, Schenn, Santorelli. That lineup scares exactly nobody.
- Chris has a chance (albeit slim) to go from first to worst. If he does he'll join me as the only GMs to complete the feat (and I was tradig ED picks to get it done). Best of luck Chris, I'm pulling for you!
- It's funny, but this is the weakest feeling 20 point lead I've ever held in the pool. I know the stats say that the Heads are running away with things, but it really doesn't feel that way.
- I mentioned this in my e-mail, but Steve Downie clowning it up to the tune of 50+ points over the first 1/3rd of the season is a huge part of why the Heads are winning, and why the lead doesn't feel at all safe. Sure, he could finish with 40points and 300PIM (maybe the greatest TG season since Bob Probert), but there is no way I am comfortable counting on it.
- I've been really bad in not getting out the team reviews.
- I've been even worse in shepherding the FUNBA and doing team updates and reviews for everyone in it. Please don't kill me.
- I predict that as new young FPs come on line next year, at least two of; Kopitar, Toews, Zetterberg, and Erik Staal will be replaced. None of them are 'bad', but none of them qualify as 1st line Cs either.
- Among the candidates I'd put up to replace the departing Cs; Ryan Johanssen-C Clb, Alex Pieterangelo-D StL, Ryan Suter-D Min, Taylor Hall-L Edm, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins-C Edm, and Johnny Gaudreau-L Cgy.
- Chances of Edmonton catching Calgary in the standings = roughly 0.01%. The tears of Wayne Gretzky never tasted so good.
- Rob's decision to draft Drouin is edging from 'curious, could be a good move' into 'wasted two prime years of Tuuka Rask waiting for Drouin to be remotely productive'. territory.
- I'm going out on a limb and suggesting that Bob's combo of Parise-Lucic is the weakest FP pairing in the league. Despite what I just said about Drouin.
- Of all the teams in the league, the one that scares me the most is Dan's Great Whites. Why? Jagr once lost a scoring title and a goal scoring title to a white hot Joe Thornton blowing up in the 2nd half of a season. His team is thick at C, D, and G, and has nice weapons on the wing. Also, I hate Carey Price.
- The other guy to be scared of is Darrell. It's always f#$%^ing Darrell.
- If there is a more dissapointing pick for a team this year than Corey's selection of Jason Spezza I don't know what it is. Spezza should have been a ppg stalwart rocking the #2C role in Dallas. Instead, he's been invisible.
- The Edge have a terrific RW, a very ice set of pivots (Getzlaf, Johanssen, Little), and a very decent D corps, so why aren't they better? Well, the goaltending has been bad, trending to terrible, but outside of that, I honestly don't understand what the problem is. I think I say this every year about the Edge, but at some point his team should regress to the mean and be at least average, right?
- The Barbarians have a really nice platform to build on moving forward in Seguin and Karlsson. Two of the hardest pieces to find, a top line C, and an offensive D man will make the draft a lot easier moving forwards. Can't think of a time they had better FPs.
- Of all the teams the PV are invested in, having two LW from Winterpeg seems a bit like...overkill.
- Suicide by +/- has hit us in the holiday season. I can't say as I think it's a wise plan, but it is a plan.
- Why aren't the Knights Templar a bigger threat? Take a look at their C position; Pavelski, Backes, Schenn, Santorelli. That lineup scares exactly nobody.
- Chris has a chance (albeit slim) to go from first to worst. If he does he'll join me as the only GMs to complete the feat (and I was tradig ED picks to get it done). Best of luck Chris, I'm pulling for you!
The Highlanders
The Highlanders
L: Kunitz-Pit, Ladd-Wpg, MacArthur-Ott, Huberdeau-Fla RFA, Hertl-SJ P2, DalColle-NYI P1
Rating; 3
Knuitz has been riding the good fortune of playing with Crosby for a while now, and a run of injuries has derailed the normally productive winger from his ppg form. He's at the age where dings pile up and the partnership with Crosby is less assured. If he (and The Croz) are healthy and playing together he can still be a legit #1 LW. Ladd is a nice complimentary guy who chips in points and PIM at a strong rate for the second line. MacArthur was stolen from the Leafs before they realized the two-way winger with scoring touch they were looking for wasn't named Clarckson and was already on the roster. Huberdeau should have been better than this by year 3, and if I were his owner I would be getting concerned. Hertl rocketed out of the gate of his career, but has had trouble keeping his game pointed in the right direction. Dal Colle is a splending project being a blend of size, skill and scoring ability, and having a team that both covets that skillset, and has a place for him when he is ready.
C: Crosby-Pit FP, Kopitar-LA FP, Weiss-Det RFA, Desharnais-Mtl RFA, Barkov-Fla P3
Rating: 3
Crosby is arguably the best there is. Kopitar is a marvelous two-way Selke guy, but his offensive abilities are cramped by the suffocating game he plays. He's legit as a #2, but underpowered as an FP. Weiss is barely replacement level now. Desharnais is carving out a career as the waterbug energy guy who drives the Canadien`s 3rd line. If Florida could have the Barkov at 2 pick back would they take Jones or Monahan instead? Methinks they would. Still, he`s got wicked skills and size, eventually he'll get it.
R: Iginla-Col, Neal-Nsh, Hudler-Cgy RFA, Williams-LA RFA, Mantha-Det P2, Niederreiter-Min P2
Rating: 3
Iggy is playing out the back-nine is a one touch sniper with fading wheels. He's not a good fit in Colorado as his 'veteran presence' would be more well recieved on a team with legit playoff chances. Neal has proved he still has his scoring touch, and is a threat to displace Iggy on the top line. Hudler has the best numbers of the three, but is not a good bet to maintain his pace over the year. Williams is a fading gunner who can dine out on his Conn Smythe while he weeps for the lost ice-time. Mantha is a future beast, but given it is Detroit, he should arrive fully formed as a 23 year old. Niederreiter has all the tools to be a dominant power forward, but is having trouble staying on a scoring line.
D: Suter-Min, Weber-Nsh, Myers-Buf, Kulikov-Fla RFA, Lindholm.H-Ana RFA, Hjallmarsson-Chi RFA, Martinez-LA RFA, Brodin-Ana RFA, Klefbom-Edm P2
Rating: 2
Suter is a monster on the blue, but has struggled to stay healthy this year. Weber is consistent for 45pts a year and this year should be no different. The remainder of the blue is a mix of regressing monsters (Myers), and plucky up and comers with upside (Brodin, Lindholm, Kulikov). Any of the bottom six could be flogged at a WD without much 2nd thought. Klefbom is a project that still looks to be two years away from productivity.
G: Miller-Vcr, Lack-Vcr RFA
Rating: 2
Miller has been hit and miss so far this year with Vancouver, more miss than hit so far. Open question as to whether he is a starting calibre FUNHL goaltender anymore. Lack is a solid backup if Miller gets hurt. And if you think that the Canucks are going to be stingey defenders moving forward.
Total: 13
Crosby's mumps has hurt, as have the injuries to Suter and Kunitz, mediocre goaltending, and a D-corps too weak to survive any absences.
12/22/2014
Week 12 Line-ups - the Holiday Edition
With the passing of the Winter Solstice, the Severed Heads is blazing out in front, steadfast in first.
With Doug away, Stats for Weeks 11-13 may be delayed, but unofficial stats may get posted...we'll see.
Please post your Week 12 line-ups here.
To those who celebrate - Merry Christmas!
WD2 date tentative for Feb 8/15, Sat. at 1300 MST
NHL trade deadline is March 1st making our FUNHL trade deadline 6pm MST on Monday, March 8/15
Thank you
12/18/2014
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12/14/2014
FUNHL Week 11 Line-up
Please post your line-ups here
Thank you
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12/08/2014
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12/01/2014
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Week 9 Line-ups and WD1 Prov. Drops
Thank you!
11/24/2014
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11/17/2014
Head to Head Results Week 1-6
| Team | W | L | T | PTs | |
| 1 | Great Whites | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| 2 | Bladerunners | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| 3 | Edge | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| 4 | Severed Heads | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 5 | Personal Vendetta | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| 6 | Shadowmen | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| 7 | Barbarians | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| 8 | Scourge | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 9 | Highlanders | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 10 | Knights Templar | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 11 | Ramapithicines | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 12 | Wolves | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
Week Seven Line-Ups
Please post your line-up in the comments. Thanks Bob for doing this for everyone.
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11/10/2014
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FUNHL WEEK SIX LINE-UPS and impending WD1
Thank you!
PS WD1 is coming soon...Weekend of Dec 6-7 after Week 9 OR Weekend of Dec 13-14 after Week 10
Again Thank you for any thoughts on this matter
11/08/2014
Re-Branding NHL Awards
Source ESPN>COM - Pierre LeBrun
Here's an example of how it could look like:
Hart Trophy (MVP) -- Wayne Gretzky trophy
Art Ross (points leader) -- Gordie Howe trophy
Norris (D-man) -- Bobby Orr trophy
Calder (rookie) -- Mario Lemieux trophy
Lady Byng (sportsmanship) -- Jean Beliveau award (a man who’s all about class)
Selke (defensive forward) -- Bob Gainey trophy
Jack Adams (coach) -- Scotty Bowman award
I wouldn't change the Vezina since that trophy is actually named after a former player. And I wouldn’t change the Conn Smythe because that’s a more recent award.
Agree or disagree folks?
Here's an example of how it could look like:
Hart Trophy (MVP) -- Wayne Gretzky trophy
Art Ross (points leader) -- Gordie Howe trophy
Norris (D-man) -- Bobby Orr trophy
Calder (rookie) -- Mario Lemieux trophy
Lady Byng (sportsmanship) -- Jean Beliveau award (a man who’s all about class)
Selke (defensive forward) -- Bob Gainey trophy
Jack Adams (coach) -- Scotty Bowman award
I wouldn't change the Vezina since that trophy is actually named after a former player. And I wouldn’t change the Conn Smythe because that’s a more recent award.
Agree or disagree folks?
11/07/2014
The Shadowmen
L: Lucic-Bos FP, Parise-Min FP, Foligno-Clb RFA, Pearson-LA P1, Raffl-Pha P1
Rating: 4.5
Lucic is the perfect combination of brute force and goal scoring touch. As a TG, he's over a PPG for the last few years and has been mostly legit as an FP. Parise however, has had his ups and downs, but still has to be considered one of the top LWs in the game, with the biggest downside being a propensity for collecting injuries. Foligno is a replacement level player with backup toughness, andshouldn't see much ice-time so long as Pearson is lighting it up. Pearson is part of the 'next wave' of Kings forwards, boasting terrific hands and a solid two-way game. Raffl might be the best Austrian born player in NHL history, so he's got that going for him.
C: Kreicji-Bos, Datsyuk-Det, Koivu-Min, Carter-LA RFA, Hayes-NYR P1, Lazar-Ott P1, Rackell-Ana P1
Rating: 3
When your team isn't blessed with having an FP at the center spot, you have to adapt. The Shadowmen adapted by drafting three quality 2nd line (FUNHL speaking) Cs. Kreicji is about as solid as they come, but his ceiling isn't particularly high. Datsyuk has the high ceiling, but is at the stage of his career where he is injured, recovering from injury, or preparing to get injured. Koivu shares the same health concerns as Datsyuk, but has the lower ceiling of Kreicji as well. Still, no C FP, no cry. Carter is an excellent 4th liner and if he gets hot (like he is right now) he could be the best on the roster. Biggest issue with him is that he is way, way beyond streaky and will go ice-cold for months at a stretch. Hayes, Lazar, and Rackell were all detailed in my prospect review, no help forthcoming from these guys.
R: Hornqvist-Pit, Ericksson-Bos, Purcell-Edm RFA, Boyes-Fla RFA, Nieto-SJ P1
Rating: 2.5
Hornqvist looks like a nice fit in Pittsburgh, but he is the definition of 'line dependent'. The good news is there are two good lines in Pitt for him to be dependent on, and only two bad. Ericksson is a multi-talented weapon who can play both sides of the ice, a lower-case Marian Hossa. He also suffers from the same unfortunate frequency of hospital visits. Purcell is a nice fit on the 3rd line, and should get lots of burn in Edmonton as they figure out what they have in the big winger. Boyes is a pure sniper whose wheels are fading away. Nieto was covered in my prospect review, and no help is forthcoming from him.
D: Pietrangelo-StL, Muzzin-LA, DelZotto-Pha RFA, J.Johnson-Clb, Stralman-NYR RFA, Bogosian-Wpg RFA, deHaan-NYI RFA, Tanev-Vcr RFA, Hanifin-USNTDP P1, Ouellette-Det P1
Rating: 3.5
Peitrangelo is an all-round stud and borderline FP. Muzzin is emerging as a fancystats darling (he plays against the best of the best and the river is getting pushed back), but he has yet to fully emerge as a FUNHL scorer. DelZotto is a nice bet to rediscover his offense in Philly who are so shorthanded on the blue that DZ will get as much ice-time as he can reasonably, or unreasonably, handle. As much as the fancystats love Muzzin, they detest Jack Johnson. A modern day Al Iafrate, Johnson is somehow much, much less than the sum of his parts. Bogosian has the tool kit to be an all-round monster, but injuries have persistently derailed him. If he needs another wrist surgery it might be career threatening. deHaan has nowhere to go but up on the emerging Islanders team, he might even be protected through WD1. Tanev is a solid, and utterly unspectacular replacement level defensman. Hanifin is prime trade bait. His name will be the third mentioned all year long when pundits talk about the upcoming draft, and Bob will surely use that popularity to extort something nice in a deal. Isn't dressable for three years. Ouellet is an offensive defensman being slowly decanted in the RedWings cloning factory, an on any given day he could wake up and know kung-fu.
G: Quick-LA, Jones-LA RFA
Rating: 5
Normally I'd prefer to hand out a 5 when a team has two starter quality goaltenders, but Quick is barring injury, the best goaltender in the league given enough starts. Should Quick get hurt, Jones is the guy who will get to play behind Drew Doughty and reap the benefits.
Overall: 18.5
11/06/2014
The Wolves
L: Drouin-TBay FP, D.Sedin-Vcr, vanRiemsdyk-Tor, Prust-Mtl RFA
Rating: 3
Unfortunately, Drouin just isn't an elite anything as of yet. Currently mired on TBays 4th line, he's got no chance of being productive until he makes a bigger jump. That said, having D.Sedin around mitigates the damage of carrying a weak FP at LW, Sedin is a total stud (and future HOFr) and slots easily into the #1 role. vanRiemsdyk comfortably slots into the #2 role, giving the team an average set of LWs all things considered. Prust is a face-puncher only, but if Drouin struggles expect him to draw in.
C: Couture-SJ, Stastny-StL, Kesler-Ana RFA, Zibenejad-Ott RFA, Horvat-Vcr P2, Bennett-Cgy P1
Rating: 3
Whether by design or accident, the Wolves managed to build a pretty decent centre-ice corps without an FP in the role. Couture is a solid, if below average #1C. Stastny would have been in the same range, but with less solidity due to injury prone-ness. Kesler is the third of the 'above average average' C's, and compliments his offense with some secondary PIMs. Zibenejad is still being groomed for bigger things, but the clock is likely to run out on his contract before he can contribute. Horvat is a future 2way pivot, but the ceiling on his offense doesn't appear to be very high. Bennett though, has the tool kit to be an All-Star at C for the Flames. Sadly, a shoulder injury (that he had played through for more than a year) will keep him on the shelf for the next 6 months or so. He'll make the Flames out of camp next year, and eventually take over as the teams #1 C.
R: Eberle-Edm, Tarasenko-StL, Smith-Nsh RFA, Doan-Arz RFA, Silverberg-Ana P3, Colberg-NYI P1
Rating: 3.5
Eberle is a decent player on a horrible team, and the Wolves are likely praying that Eberle is the first off of the sinking ship that is the Oilers. Tarasenko is finally flexing the offensive muscles, and is tearing it up. He could be making the leap to FP quality scoring forward. Smith's game is as non-descript as his last name, but he has enugh offense for the Preds that he makes a fine 3rd liner. Doan is playing out the string now, but he could step in for a swan song season where he produces just enough PIMs and points to remain relevant. Sifverberg has struggled to move his game up to the next level in Anaheim, but he has a skillset that Anaheim could definitely use. Time is running out on him now. Colberg I dealt with in my prospect review, but suffice it to say I don't see him contributing now, or in the future.
D: Carlson-Wsh, Barrie-Col, Bieksa-Vcr RFA, Jones-Nsh P3, Schultz-Edm P3, McQuaid-Bos RFA, Hamilton-Bos RFA, B.Smith-Det P1, Doherty-SJ P1
Rating: 2
Carlson and Barrie are not 1st line quality defenders, but they are decent enough. Bieksa needs to be used as a TG to maximize his benefit, and even then shouldn't be in your top 4. Jones is an absolute beast, and mught already be the teams top blueliner. Schultz has not only not shown much progression, he appears to have gotten worse year over year. Lots of skill, he may need a change of scenery. McQuaid is giant face-puncher with unrepeatable +/- stats in his past. Hamilton is only just scratching the surface of his talents, and with the injuries ahead of him on Boston's roster he'll get a chance to gouge deep. Brendan Smith is the perpetual 'he could break out at any time' offensive defenseman, with the oly problem being he has already given us a five year wait to do so. Doherty is meatbomb with little to no upside.
G: Rask-Bos FP, Hilller-Cgy RFA
Rating: 4.5
Rask is the elite of the elite, and Hiller is (so far) a well above average backup.
Total: 16
The Bladerunners
The Bladerunners
L: Hall, Read-Pha RFA, McGinn-Col RFA, Maroon-Ana RFA, Domi-Arz P2
Rating: 2.5
Hall is arguably the best LW in the game right now, so the top end looks good (if currently injured), but the rest is a mix of not quite 3rd line guys. Read is a decent 4th liner but I'm not convinced that either McGinn or Marroon were draftable. Domi is a very interesting prospect, but failed to make the Coyotes out of camp and is thus likely at least another year away.
C: Stamkos-TBay FP, Staal-Car FP, MacKinnon-Col RFA, Zajac-NJ RFA
Rating: 4.5
Stamkos is as elite as it gets, and is a bona fide #1C. Staal is no longer an elite #1, but has settled rather comfortably into being a very good #2. MacKinnon is the wild card as he could conceivably post seriously crooked numbers sitting in the 3rd line spot. Zajac is an injury-replacement-only kinda player these days.
R: Voracek-Pha, Simmonds-Pha, O'Reilly-Col, ,Brouwer-Wsh RFA, Yakupov-Edm P4, Jaskin-StL P1, Kapenen-Pit P1
Rating: 4
Seems high, doesn't it? Voracek is sneaky legitimate as a #1RW, albeit at the lower end of that category. Simmonds had an elite goon season last year and is a nice blend of toughness and scoring. O'Reilly isn't likely to break out with a 70 point season anytime soon, but he's an exciting talent on the upswing. Brouwer is a waiver action waiting to happen. Yakupov is a guy who might (finally) have his breakout year where he guns 40+, but I don't think it will happen in Edmonton. Jaskin and Kapanen are both mutli-tooled offensive talents who are likely 2 or more years away from being active contributors.
D: Ekman-Larsson-Arz, Krug-Bos, Seabrook-Chi, Josi-Nsh, Franson-Tor RFA, Vatanen-Ana RFA, Daley-Dal RFA, C.Murphy-Arz RFA, Pouliot-D Pit P3, Gormley-D Arz P2, Morrow-Bos P2, Clendening-Chi P1
Rating: 2.5
OEL is only 'ok' as a top line guy, and that weakness both persists and worsens as we move done the roster of D-men. Krug has evovled into a surprisingly good offensive defenseman, but his tiny size is an invitation to injury. Oh look, he's already hurt. Seabrook is still a beast, but at some point is going to lose PP time to Clendening and others. Josi had a huge season last year, but the arrival of Seth Jones as a force is going to cramp his PP time moving forward. Franson is an above average offensive defenseman with frequently poor defense, he's a favourite to be dealt out of TO. Vatanen is a very nice find, a PP QB with excellent upside, if a tad undersized. Daley and Murphy are never going to make this roster barring catastrophic injuries ahead of them. Pouliot is an exciting offensive prospect, but he has been lapped by others in the Pens org like Maata and Depres, so a change of scenery may be required. Morrow is a poential candidate to contribute especially with Krug and Chara out with boo-boos. Gormley has had 3 straight dissapointing prospect years in a row. Make the damn team already. Clendening is a big mobile offensive defenseman in Chicago. Which, should be pretty good some day. But not today.
G: Bobrovsky-Clb RFA, Luongo-Fla RFA
Rating: 2
Because nothing says 'fear me' like Columbus + Florida goaltending.
Total: 15.5
11/05/2014
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11/03/2014
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