Dmen Ranking
 

Hey guys,

Been bored and staying away to keep blood pressure down, but got the fantasy itch again this morning and in looking at my team, I'm starting to doubt what I didn't doubt this Summer.

Please rank the following Dmen by points only... disregard my league in sig... I'm concerned with your thoughts on breakout, rebound, exceed expectation stuff:

Fowler,
Goligoski,
Visnovsky,
Carlson,
Schultz (EDM),
Campbell,
Wisniewski,
Hedman,
Timonen,
Kulikov,
OEL.

OEL
Campbell
Goligoski
Fowler
Schultz
Visnovsky
Carlson
Wisniewski
Kulikov
Hedman
Timonen

Over the next season and a half, I'd rank them:

OEL.
Fowler,
Campbell,
Goligoski,
Wisniewski,
Kulikov,
Carlson,
Schultz (EDM),
Visnovsky,
Hedman,
Timonen,

Points only, for next FULL season, that's how i'd rank them.

Top 5 with greatest upside IMO ...say 3-4 years down road
1. Shultz
2. Fowler
3. OEL
4. Carlson
5. Kulikov

OEL Solid all around competitor. Downside is the team he plays for and the Yandle factor.

Fowler: Should hit 45 points + he will be running Anaheim. Flawless skater.

Campbell: Respect Soupy

Goligoski: Rebound in the works for Goli.

Schultz (EDM): Guess right, and you will be rewarded for many years to come.

Wisniewski: The Wiz's got company and sort of injury prone.

Carlson: Mega potential depends on the role he's asked to play.

Hedman: Might finally see 40 points in the horizon.

Kulikov: Time to put it all together.

Visnovsky: Still might be useful short term. Hope he hasn't left his heart in Anaheim.


Timonen: Lots of miles on the small guy. Might still be the go to guy in Philly.

Wow, lots of gutsy calls with OEL first over Fowler and Campbell and with guys like Hedman and Kulikov near the bottom. Don't forget we are talking about points-only fantasy hockey here. Hedman and Kulikov, along with OEL, are all 2009 draftees and they have put up similar numbers so far, so why is OEL so routinely expected to be the better point-getter?

Last season's stats:
OEL - 32 points (82 games)
Kulikov - 28 points (58 games)
Heman - 23 points (61 games)

Injury history? Maybe, but OEL has had some injuries already too. I would go:

Campbell
Fowler
Carlson / Goligoski
OEL / Kulikov
Schultz / Hedman
Wisniewski (injury AND suspension prone)
Timonen (close to retirement)
Visnovsky (I expect him to retire from the NHL)

Point totals thus far are pretty even, but Hedman and Kulikov have yet to hit the 30 point plateau, and both have a full season over OEL.

OEL has made the next step, can't quite say the same for Hedman and Kulikov.

This is how I would take them just for next year.

Campbell
Schultz
Ekman-Larsson
Carlson
Kulikov
Wisniewski
Fowler
Goligoski
Hedman
Timonen
Visnovsky

If we are talking keeper then it looks a bit different.

Schultz
Ekman-Larsson
Carlson
Fowler
Kulikov
Goligoski
Wisniewski
Campbell
Hedman
Timonen
Visnovsky

Guys that I think will rebound, or are generally better than they were last year, are Goligoski, Wisniewski and Visnovsky. Goligoski because the team around him is better and he has less competition because Souray is gone. Wisniewski because, if he stays healthy, it's almost impossible that he won't get better. Having Johnson with him on PP1 will help as well. If Visnovsky decides that it's ok to be on Long Island he should also have a much better year.

I'm expecting more of the same, or a bit of a regression, from Campbell, Timonen, and Hedman. I think Hedman will become a reliable guy, but I don't think he'll ever be a superstar fantasy guy. I also think it'll take another year or two for him to get there. Campbell probably has another few years of top-end production in him, which is why he was so high on my 1 Year list, but he's 33 and Kulikov is getting ready to take over top dog status on his team.

Kulikov, I think, will take a step forward this year if he doesn't get injured. I think that Carlson, Ekman-Larsson and Fowler will also take a step forward, but it's anyone's guess as to how much. If Green gets injured, and Oates is the right coach, Carlon will take off. If Ekman-Larsson is needed in a more offensive role this year, because Yandle gets hurt or isn't doing well, then he could too. If the Ducks get a little deeper and let the top line focus on offense instead of being their everything-line then Fowler could pop too. At the very worst these guys will give you what they did last year.

Schultz is at the top of my lists, but I think his season will be disappointing for people. He is tearing the AHL apart, but how do we put that into context with what he can do in the NHL? Leading defensive scorers in the AHL are guys like Andy Delmore, Sheldon Brookbank, Andrew Hutchinson, and Johnny Boychuk. Guys that played in the AHL long enough to figure it out. The guys that used it as the developmental league that it is and then went on to dominate the NHL generally weren't world-beaters in the AHL. In fact, in the 04 Lockout there wasn't a single defenseman that was a top-10 scorer. There are plenty of ways to spin this, but if Schultz keeps it up expectations are going to be so unrealistic that he won't have a chance of even meeting them, let alone exceeding them.

NEXT YEAR.

Campbell - Been there, done that
Wiz - I really think he and JJ complement each other really well
Schultz - Situation is unreal and will get EVERY opportunity
Visnovsky - There's still gas in the tank, even if he's in NYI
Fowler - Good situation as the main guy in ANA
Ekman-Larsson - an all-round stud with plenty of O. Yandle factor though
Goligoski - Bounceback, but I question how high the potential actually is
Kulikov - Similar to Carlson..good skill, not the main guy
Carlson - see above
Hedman - Still figuring it out, and I think Salo/Carle get PP mins
Timonen - Starting to fade, but he could be much higher up the list


Keeper...3,4,5 years down road

Schultz - Again, the situation is unreal.
Ekman-Larsson - A chance to be one of the best in the game
Fowler - Great situation, depending on what happens with Getz/Perry
Wisniewski - I'm a bigger fan than most are..
Carlson - Will eventually take a bigger role in Wash. Has the skills
Kulikov - Bigger role as Campbell ages
Goligoski - Again, not sold on his offensive upside
Campbell - Slowly takes a lesser role, but still good numbers
Hedman - Should be a very good all-round guy, but wonder about his overall offensive game
Timonen - old/retired
Visnovsky - old/retired

Campbell
Hedman
Fowle
Carlson
Schultz (EDM)
Wisniewski
Timonen
Kulikov
OEL
Goligoski
Visnovsky