While Pro Hockey Talk doesn’t specialize in fantasy hockey (our Rotoworld cousins do, though), we still think that there are areas where we can help you, the budding imaginary general managers. For that reason, we’re going to discuss different philosophies, strategies and cheat sheets as fantasy drafts begin to increase around North America.
Previous entries: Penalty Minutes, Faceoff winners, Shots on Goal leaders, Hits leaders.
Today’s entry: Blocked shots.
With this being the fifth cheat sheet, we’re finally weeding through the obscure hockey stats. One of the most “unsung” (and, frankly, insane) duties in hockey is blocking a shot. If you cannot develop at least a begrudging respect for a guy who lays down in front of a 100 mph slapper, then I don’t know if we can see eye-to-eye.
I stated before that if you need to choose hits or blocked shots as a category, go with hits. I looked at the top 10 shot blockers of the last three seasons and all 30 entries were taken up my defensemen. Hits are more of a mixed bag. Still, you might have it as a category, so here are the top 10 shot blockers of the last three seasons. Also included: their hits, goals and shots on goal to give you a quick snapshot of their overall relevance.
(I’m going to put together an “all-around” post or two anyway, but the more information the better, right?)
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My guess is Stephane Robidas might get picked up in a few more fantasy hockey leagues next year.
Two other names from 09-10 that jumped out to me were Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen. They didn’t hit the top 10 in 08-09 or 07-08, so I wonder if a coaching change indicates that they’ve been asked to block more shots. Both guys are already strong fantasy hockey defensemen, so being strong in “jack of all trades” categories can only be good for their value.
As usual, I decided to see which players consistently ranked in the top 10 in those three years. Keep in mind, though, that Jay McKee is still looking for an NHL contract and Niclas Havelid is playing overseas.
Keith Ballard: 3, NR, 10
Greg Zanon: 4, 3, 7
Mike Komisarek: NR, 4, 1
Anton Volchenkov: 8, 8,2
Niclas Havelid: NR, 6, 6
Jay McKee: NR, 7, 9
Roman Hamrlik: NR, 5, 4
Anton Volchenkov is now a member of the New Jersey Devils, but chances are he’ll still put his body in front of high-speed shots in Newark too. Mike Komisarek could be a candidate for a bounce back year after he shared in the Maple Leafs’ collective misery last season. Keith Ballard could benefit in many areas after leaving the Florida Panthers for Cup contender Vancouver, although people felt that way about Jay Bouwmeester in Calgary last year so don’t get too dreamy. It’s great to see Greg Zanon rank highly in one fantasy hockey category since he’s widely considered to be a defenseman with considerable - but very subtle - skills.
So, those are the guys you need to look out for if your league adds blocked shots as a category. We hope you find these cheat sheets useful. Expect to see some more in the future, but feel free to tell us if there are any categories (or strategies) you’d like us to clear up.