Burmistrov, Callahan, Penner, Little, etc.

[fungchen3]

Team in sig. I'm looking for a forward (position doesn't matter) who may produce more than Burmistrov next season. I currently have Burmistrov - but barring a big-time breakout, I will be forced to drop him after the season...so, would you keep him and wish for steady production and a breakout THIS season, or drop him for one of:

1. Ryan Callahan
2. Bryan Little
3. Dustin Penner
4. Patrik Elias
5. Andrew Ladd
6. Mikhail Grabovski

Assists are worth 1 and goals worth 2...PP/SH and GWG are worth even more - please factor that in.

[gainerama]

I'd drop him for any of the guys on the list since WPG isn't really using him as a scorer.
I'd favor guys like Elias, Ladd, Grabovski just for their significance on the roles that they will play on their teams.

[fungchen3]

I'd drop him for any of the guys on the list since WPG isn't really using him as a scorer.
I'd favor guys like Elias, Ladd, Grabovski just for their significance on the roles that they will play on their teams.

How about Penner? He's penciled in on the top line with Kopitar in LA and can kill it on the PP. He also shed 17 lbs. and by all indication is in better shape then he's been in the past. If the big guy could give me 26-30 goals with 10 on the PP he would be money for me.

[gainerama]

Penner would have been next on my list cause he's a good goal scorer. I didn't put him in my top 3 not because he's bad but I fear that he might do something stupid and get put in the dog house. In theory Penner should stay in the top 6 and score around 30 goals cause he's very capable, but he is expendable cause guys like Parse could come up at anytime to fill in if the coach feels differently. Like I said, all those guys on the list are better scoring options than Burmistrov right now.

Easiest comparison to explain what I'm getting at would be:

Burmistrov = Backlund
Backlund = Impotent

[bondon]

Honestly fungchen, I'd take just about any of those guys over Burmistrov if you're looking for some immediate help.

If I had to rank them for this season, I'd probably rank them:

1. Elias - Good chance of putting up the highest point total of the bunch especially with Zajac out..has proven that he can score goals and plays PP/Shorthanded
2. Ladd - Team captain, scored 29 goals last season, and I don't think he's going to regress as much as people think he is...likely first PP unit and plays short handed
3. Callahan - Hard working player, bit of a scoring edge and he plays short handed, likely second PP time
4. Grabovski - Probably even PP split between their PP 1 and PP 2..really show-cased tonight IMO why he's a good goalscorer, drives hard to the net
5. Penner - Expecting a decent season from him, and he could be a better pick than Grabovski but that's as much credit as I'm willing to give him. For the most part is a goalscorer though, but I don't think he'll get as much PP time/SH time as the others.
6. Little - I like Little for this season but unfortunately don't think he will be as good as the others. Still think he'll be better than Burmistrov though (I believe first line is expected to be Ladd-Little-Wheeler).

Honestly, whoever you pick out of the top four at the very least and probably Little as well will probably have decent long-term value too. Penner who knows, its a contract year for him but after that ... meh

[dyzfunctioned]

In your goal heavy league I think Callahan would be my frontrunner. Followed by little/Elias.

[fungchen3]

Thanks fellas...let me throw a few other names into the ring and get your thoughts:

Alfredsson
Boyes
Weiss
Clowe

These guys are available as well. Like any of them better than the other options?

[ross10019]

I would not keep Burmistrov, on top of everything else you have to imagine he'll hurt your plus/minus category.

Here's my take, focusing in on the Gx2 multiplier plus GWG and PPP factors and the fact that you want production this year:

1. Callahan (SHP potential)
2. Clowe (good multicat for you)
3. Weiss (SHP potential)
4. Ladd
5. Little (did score 31 two years ago)
6. Grabovski (just my hunch that a letdown is in order)
7. Elias (if he has a great year, it'll likely be assist-heavy)
8. Penner (slimmed down and on a good line/team)
9. Alfie (too much injury risk)
10. Boyes (if you're a risktaker, he moves up this list quite a bit - could be traded to a team that gives him a top 6 / PP role).

[fungchen3]

ross, not sure if this will effect your ranking at all, but this is a points only format where goals = 2 and assists only = 1. PP/SH are +1 and GWG are +2. So PIM, SOG, +/- and all of that are irrelevant.

[ross10019]

ross, not sure if this will effect your ranking at all, but this is a points only format where goals = 2 and assists only = 1. PP/SH are +1 and GWG are +2. So PIM, SOG, +/- and all of that are irrelevant.

Sorry, thought I saw plus/minus there. I don't think it makes that much of a difference to my proposed order, maybe Clowe drops a bit but not much (he'll continue to be relied upon for big goals and PP contribution). Grabo might rise a bit, but as I said I would worry about a letdown with him, but he moves up lots if you think he's likely to contjnue on last year's path.

I didn't take into account PIMs, SOG or other non-point cats.

Good luck!

[DerekReese]

I would rank them like this:

Callahan
Grabovski
Elias
Ladd
Penner - Darkhorse
Little
Clowe
Weiss
Penner
Boyes
Alfie

[fungchen3]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. After all of this, Shane Doan hit the waiver wire and I picked him up in place of Burmistrov.