Steven Stamkos leads the NHL with 67 points and also 38 goals. Evgeni Malkin has 37 points and 15 goals in comparison. Moreover, Geno has missed his last three games with a gimpy knee that has plagued him for most of the 2010-11 campaign. Yet Jeff Angus over at Dobber Hockey claims he would trade Stamkos for Malkin; "Unless it is a league that HEAVILY weighted goals (two or three to one, for example), give me Malkin seven days a week." Jeff doesn't clarify whether he means a one-year league or keeper, but I'll assume he means the latter. In which case who would you rather have, Stamkos or Malkin?
Corey Pronman at Hockey Prospectus evaluates some of the top future prospects in the upcoming 2011 NHL Entry Draft in his "From Daigle To Datsyuk" series. He is high on center Jonathan Huberdeau of the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL, whose stock is recently on the rise. Corey feels that it is not a matter of "if" Huberdeau will be chosen in the first round of the draft, but "how high" in the first. In another article in the series, Corey looks at the 12 rookies that were selected for the SuperSkills Competition at the 2011 All-Star Game. He offers an interesting statistic that bodes well for FHS darling Logan Couture. Thus far the Sharks are shooting around a paultry 8-percent when Couture is on the ice, making it probable that his point total will even get better as the season progresses. Yes!
In her Frozen Fantasy blog, Janet Eagleson presents a striking chronological similitude between the career paths of Sidney Crosby and Eric Lindros: both junior hockey greats, both number-one overall draft picks, both dominant their first five NHL seasons, both suffering concussions in their sixth season of play. Let's all hope this is where their career parallels will end. Crosby started skating again this past weekend, albeit when he will return to normal hockey activity remains unknown. Janet is especially disgusted that Crosby may have suffered TWO concussions in a matter of days. The first occurred when he was hit by David Steckel, the second when he was slammed into the glass by Victor Hedman. If true, it would be unconscionable that he was allowed to play that last game in Tampa.
Fantasyhockey.com writer Steven Ives presents his 2010-11 mid-season awards. Prior to the season, Steven predicted that Lord Stanley's Cup would be moving from Chicago to Vancouver, and in his post proudly reiterates his reasons why. But he is also self-deprecating, and informs us that the team he felt would represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Final would be none other than the New Jersey Devils. He calls John MacLean the "Rich Kotite of the NHL" and equates MacLean's coaching strategies to "Paris Hilton’s conceptualization of quantum physics." Steven's award winners are for the most part well deserving and should not stir much controversy. He feels that the Nashville Predators success in spite of their lack of talented forwards and multiple injuries is due to superior coaching. Thus, Steven presents the Jack Adams trophy (Coach of the Year) to Barry Trotz.
Down Goes Brown believes that the new "schoolyard" draft system will be the highlight of the 2011 All-Star Game. Yes, an innovative idea. But is it worthy of the NHL's self-adulation that already has been repeated ad nauseum? What else will be new? The SkillsCompetition? Nope. The game itself? Nope. Down Goes Brown makes the NHL's brain-trust look like preschoolers with the ten suggestions he offers. One idea, for example, is a " Lame Duck - Cory Clouston delivers a fiery motivational speech to members of the Ottawa Senators, who compete to see who can go the longest without rolling their eyes and tuning him out completely. (Note to organizers: this event will require a timer that can measure thousandths of a second.)" Forget about the stodgy beau monde of the NHL. We need more Down Goes Brown.
Please feel free to offer any suggestions in the comments about articles, blogs, publications, etc. you feel would be of interest to the fantasy hockey community.
