August 16, 2010

Dobber Sports

2010-08-16

 

The Fantasy Guide can be purchased here. It was last updated August 10 and should have another update by tomorrow.

 

Tampa has just traded Kari Ramo to the Habs for Cedrick Desjardins. An interesting move that I will research and blog about in tomorrow’s ramblings (which I’ll probably post in two or three hours).

 

This Bieksa debate (and I love debates on here, I wish we were all in a pub arguing over a pitcher of beer) had me finally get moving on my Band-Aid Boy list. It’s been a year, so it was definitely due. So here it is, fully updated. Have a look! And a reminder, you can access this list anytime by going through the “Other Features” on the left menu.

 

Ladies and gentlemen – if a player suffers two freak injuries close together, he is a Band-Aid Boy. The Band-Aid Boys find ways to suffer freak injuries. You can keep your Kevin Bieksa. I had this same argument with several of you a couple of years ago with Derek Brassard. And then that very season he got hurt again and I never heard a peep from you. Bieksa is a Certified Band-Aid Boy – lacerated leg (freak injury), broken foot, knee injury, ANOTHER lacerated leg…I don’t know what more proof you need. I’m sorry that you own him and can’t find a trade partner for him. But I won’t be recommending that anyone pick him up unless his price is cheap. One more injury and I’ll find a spot for Bieksa on my BAB executive committee! He is an extremely high risk to miss 10 games next season and that is the definition I go by for BAB’s.

 

Goldie here – Former Avs prospect Peter Delmas has been invited to Montreal’s training camp. I knew someone was going to give him another chance. His skills are underrated and he plays the perfect Quebec hybrid butterfly style that many fans in the area will absolutely love. Smart, low-risk move by the Habs.

 

Every time I talk Niemi (as below), I always seem to forget the Islanders. They remain an option, of course, as they have gone with three goalies in the past to cover themselves off for DiPietro’s question marks. With that in mind, I’m less resolute about the European option, but Niemi would have to slap a “reduced” sticker on his price tag. So yeah, that’s me having second thoughts after a good night’s sleep…

 

The biggest news in fantasy hockey is not news at all – everything is the same as it was yesterday. Sidney Crosby is still a Penguin, Anze Kopitar is still a King, Pavel Datsyuk is still a Red Wing.

 

Oh, and Tomas Kaberle is still a Leaf.

 

Kaberle’s game (and numbers) really went south after Dion Phaneuf arrived. I am worried for Kaberle owners. On a new team, he could be a 65-point defenseman. On the Leafs, with all the brouhaha going on around him (and make no mistake, this crap will continue as the media and fans wonder if he’ll waive his NTC), I wonder if even 45 points is in the bag. Ron Wilsoon will give loads of PP time to Phaneuf, even if Dion struggles. That cuts into Kaberle’s responsibilities.

 

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The Panthers have signed Mike Santorelli to a one-year deal, but it’s a two-way agreement. Injuries to the roster will need to happen for him to get a fair sniff.

 

You may have noticed that the site is now wider by a good 15 percent. That is one of several changes we are undergoing over the next couple of weeks. Tuesday we are slated to go live with the new shopping cart. This provides all the security of Paypal, yet the credit cards get accepted in-house. This means less hassle to make a purchase. It also means a nice, clean look for the shopping page, as well as your downloads section. This is slated for Tuesday morning.

 

Another change to the site will be a faster load time. That’s just part of the evolution of DobberHockey. And finally, we are putting in new messageboards. I find that VBulletin, while it has nice features, is not doing a good job of keeping out spammers. Time to put an end to that. This will be a few weeks away, though.

 

Bill Sweatt is now an unrestricted free agent. Lost in the Kaberle kerfuffle.

 

All eyes now turn to Kevin Bieksa. He will be moved, it’s just a matter of where and when. Gillis is being just as patient as Burke is with Kaberle. Which is the right move, because as talks with other GM’s drag on, those GM’s will tend to focus on what Bieksa could bring to their team… and slowly getting forgotten is just how much of a Band-Aid Boy he is. It’s unfortunate that not a single GM reads my ramblings, because I could give them helpful tips like this one: “BIEKSA WILL ONLY PLAY 30-70 GAMES FOR YOU!”

 

I know he just won a Stanley Cup, but Antti Niemi will be playing in Europe this season. Call it a hunch. But all the starting jobs in the NHL are filled. Don’t give me that crap about the Flyers – they have Leighton, who absolutely proved what could do – we had a hunch it would happen after his AHL dominance. And I don’t want to hear about the Sharks. They have their man too. Our man Goldman is absolutely correct – he needs to play this year in Europe, rack up the starts, and come back strong next year as a top NHL starter.

 

One thing that you’ll never see, but I think would be a good move – Toronto signing Niemi. Why? Because I’m extremely worried about Jonas Gustavsson’s health. Not just his heart issues, although that’s a concern in itself, but his weak groin. And J-S Giguere has lost the magic. Niemi would be a safe signing. But Burke is already committed and so it will never happen. There’s no going back now, so he just has to hope that the Monster stays healthy.

 

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Mar 28 - 19:03 OTT vs CHI
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TAGE THOMPSON BUF
JJ PETERKA BUF
JORDAN GREENWAY BUF
ANTHONY DUCLAIR T.B
JURAJ SLAFKOVSKY MTL

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  Players Team
ALEKSEI KOLOSOV PHI
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17.5 ALEX OVECHKIN T.J. OSHIE CONNOR MCMICHAEL
14.5 DYLAN STROME MAX PACIORETTY IVAN MIROSHNICHENKO
8.2 BECK MALENSTYN NIC DOWD NICOLAS AUBE-KUBEL

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