It’s late in the draft and you’re starting to lose focus. You have one place left to fill and all the good ones are already taken. At this point, you take the next guy on the list with the most points and call it a day. I am here to tell you that there is a better way. It is called the “Specialist”.
In general, when you rank your players, you want to focus on those who can rank in all stat categories. Guys like Ovechkin, Malkin and Perry are a dream, scoring goals, assisting and not afraid to add a couple of PIMs to the scoreboard every night. But what about those one-dimensional types? the bully The specialist in power games. The guys who shine in one of the lesser-known stats, but might not rack up the points like the fantasy studs. Is there room on your list for one of these men?
The bottom line is that it depends on the league. Some leagues (like ESPN) have a lot of roster spots to fill. When you’re picking your 10th striker in a 12-team league, the options are slim. Other leagues (like most Yahoo formats) actually weight these “other stats” the same way they weight goals and assists. We tend to focus on points, but in these formats, penalty minutes, +/-, Power Play goals, and even shots on goal can be just as important. If you’re in such a league, you should consider adding a Specialist to your roster with a late pick. For Yahoo Leagues, their last defenseman (or two) may be the ideal spots for these guys. While they won’t add to your balance, the right specialist could gain a stat category all on its own. Here are some guys worth considering that you won’t find on most point-based cheat sheets, but may give you an advantage as a late pick.
Note: I’m omitting +/-, as it’s almost impossible to predict this stat, and it means next to nothing…
The Goons – The obvious specialist. Sit back and watch the Guaranteed PIMs stack up here:
* Zenon Konopka (F – VG) – 265 PIM, 5 points. Unlike many thugs, Konopka is a regular in the roster, so you can count on his contributions every week.
* Colton Orr (F – BOS) – 239 PIMS, 6 points. Like Konopka, Orr is a fixture on his roster.
* Matt Carkner (D – OTT) – 190 PIM, 11 points from a defender. It’s not a bad mix.
* Sheldon Brookbank (D – ANA) – 114 PIM, 9 points. Brookbank was also a consistent +10 last season.
Here are a few more well-known ones that add points to the pack and can be recruited into your league:
* Steve Downie (F – TB) – He’ll probably be gone sooner than he’s worth. If he can repeat last season, he’s a goalie.
* Daniel Carcillo (F – PHI) – 12 goals to complement his more than 200 Penalty Minutes.
* Scott Hartnell (F – PHI) – 44 points and 155 PIM means they’ll take it at some point.
* Sean Avery (F – NYR) – Capable of more than the 31 points / 160 PIM he produced last season
* Steve Ott (F – DAL): 20+ goals, 150+ PIM are a good set of stats for a late player
* Wayne Simmonds (F – LA) – 116 PIM, close to the league leaders in +/-. He should add points to his resume this year.
The Power Play Specialist – These guys get an inordinate percentage of their power play goals:
* Teemu Selanne (F – ANA): His 48 points and old status might put many to shame, but he’s still a sharpshooter on the power play. He tied for third in the league last season with 14 PPG in just 54 games.
* Tomas Holmstrom (F – DET) – He persists in the NHL for a reason: to stand in front of the net on the power play. He has averaged about 10 power play counts per season throughout his career.
* Andrew Brunette (F – MIN) – I’ve been in a lot of drafts this season and I haven’t seen his name once. He regularly contributes 10 PPG per season.
* Ryan Smyth (F – LA) – Half of his 22 goals last season came on the power play. He’s regularly among the league leaders in that category, even if his point total hits 60.
* Brian Gionta (F – MON) – Once scored 24 PPG in one season. Last year he came with 10.
Trigger Happy – These guys will rack up the shots on goal, while the points sadly fall behind:
* Patrick Hornqvist(F – NAS) – Sure, he had 30 goals, but his 51 points doesn’t call for a great team. If shots matter to you, he finished 14th last season with 275.
* Patrick Sharp (W – CHI) – Only 66 points, but he was 19th in shooting with 266. You should see more of those this time around.
* Radim Vrbata (F – PHO) – He finished 20th in shooting last season with 266, but ended the year with a dismal 43 points.
* Kyle Okposo (F – NYI) – Top 30 in SOG with 249. Should push for 30 this year.
The Shorty – guys who get their time (and their goals) when they’re supposed to be playing defense:
* Kris Versteeg (F – TOR) – 3 of his 20 goals were less than a man last season
* Jordan Staal (F – PIT) – He had 7 beauties in his rookie year. He returned with 2 last season.
* Chris Thorburn (F – ATL) – 4 goals scored last season. 3 short hands.