In a goal weighted league where wingers are scarce I was basically handcuffed into keeping Stempniak. As such I ve been following any media vits on him that I can as he was on the plus side of an enigmatic season in which he suddenly became relevant again. I thought Id share this for any other skeptical Stempniak owners out there- apparently Maloney is not a skeptic:
"I thought even though he didn't score in the playoffs, his game was the same," Maloney said. "He was going in the hard areas, shooting the puck quick ... Detroit played him tough and his stick ran a little cold.
"But Lee is a good hockey player. On a bad year he's going to get us 20 goals, on a good year he could get us 40. He's in great shape, he works hard in camp"
This is the second such article Ive read about him- about a month ago Maloney weighed in on his prognosis during the pre-season. From rotowire.com:
Stempniak signed a two-year deal with the Coyotes Monday, NHL.com reports. "Lee, with his work habits and personality, was a terrific addition to our team last year," GM Don Maloney said Monday. "Although he ran into a dry spell scoring in the playoffs, he was still competing in the hard areas - in the corners, at the front of the net - to score. We expect Lee to be a 25-plus goal scorer for us this season."
So there you have it. Not that its etched in stone but the man himself is calling for 25 goals with 40 as an upside. Im not saying to rush out and trade for him but in a lot of deeper leagues he may be a waiver option or cheap pickup.
Thought Id share my findings to the small % of Stemp owners out there!
Stempniak
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