A ton of talk on twitter these days concerning John Tavares. In one year pools there probably isn't a good solution (other than just dropping him to the waiver wire and yelling in agony). In keeper pools it's a bit more interesting. I recently wrote about what it might take to nab him over at http://darrenfantasyhockey.com/

Throwing the Kitchen Sink at John Tavares

Fine Print: I should probably preface this post with the fact that I am in no way encouraging you to actually throw a kitchen sink or any other object at John Tavares. I’m sure he is a nice fellow and would be offended to have a stainless steel sink hurled at him by some crazed fantasy owner.

With it being announced that Tavares will miss the rest of the year with a knee injury at least one poolie in your league is having a really bad day. This is pretty much the worst case scenario from having your prized, cornerstone player off competing at the Olympics. It’s likely that all Tavares owners have entered at least DEFCON 2 (maybe even DEFCON 1) in an attempt to repair the damage to their team.

In one year pools there really isn’t a solution outside of the basics. He essentially has zero value and you’ll be forced to drop him to the waiver wire for the best available option. In addition to that you can always explore the trade route, trying to bring in a lesser centerman that will help fill the void left by JT and his 24 goals, 66 points, and 188 shots in 59 games (no easy task). Some nice options might be Ryan Kesler, Brad Richards, or Jeff Carter. Of course none of them will outright replace Tavares, they at least offer a positional substitute and the type of across the board production that could keep you afloat.
Where things get a little bit more interesting is in dynasty leagues.

Here there will undoubtedly be a number of managers that were preparing for a long run at a fantasy championship, likely anchored by Tavares. With him gone there will be some tough questions to answer – like am I willing to hurt my title chances but retain the Islanders captain heading into next year.

While it’s unlikely that your fellow poolie will deal JT there is certainly a greater chance today than there was yesterday. Hence why it is time to detach the kitchen sink and submit your best offer.
By offer I don’t mean “buy low.” (yes, I’m talking to you, guy that is about to send in a proposal of Hossa, Bergeron and a 5th round pick). I mean a real offer. You can approach the opposing manager and be candid about your intentions. “I know you were trying to win this year and JT was a huge part of that push. I have assets that can help you achieve that goal if you’re open to talking shop”

Which begs the question – what would it take?


It’s always difficult to appropriately value elite talent, but if I were putting together an offer it would look something like this:


A top 20 forward

Yes, I know this hurts. It’s never fun to send away an elite asset but you have to spend money to make money or some other tired cliché like that. Some names that come to mind (and that are centers) would be Zetterberg, Toews, or Backstrom.

A veteran defenceman

Someone that will help this team immediately and has very little risk associated with him. This needs to be a #1 or #2 blueliner. A couple of options would be Shea Weber or Duncan Keith.

Two top draft picks

One of these almost assuredly needs to be a first round pick, and preferably near the top half. Draft choices are always a great “cherry” on the top of the cheesecake that is any blockbuster deal. You’ll be getting far and away the best asset in this transaction which means you can’t be stingy with picks.

A forward in the midst of a great year

This is where you try to finalize the deal with that one piece that get’s the other manager excited. A player that is in the middle of a fantastic year and could have long term value. Some interesting options would be Jamie Benn, Alex Steen, or Jeff Skinner.

All told you are sending out 4-5 assets for one in return. On the surface that might feel like an overpayment but in my opinion it’s just the cost of doing business when it comes to acquiring elite talent. And remember, even though on the surface it is a 4 for 1 move, it will free up 3 spots on your roster. With a couple of shrewd waiver wire grabs and maybe a minor deal you could turn those 3 guys into replacement level assets, or thereabouts.

It’s rare that the door to elite talent opens up, even a smidge. Tavares is the type of player that could define your team for the next half decade. I’d be grabbing the sink, tearing it out from wall and booking a trip to Long Island (or perhaps to your laptop so you can Facebook the other manager) in hopes of landing yourself the 5th most valuable player in fantasy.

Good luck.