Ask Cliffy Anything

[Hoopo]

Lucic, Kucherov, or E Kane for a league with the settings G - 1 pt, A - 1pt, PIM - 0.25

[SlimCliffy]

Who do you think has the most offensive potential out of the following? Where do you the three of them topping out points wise in the next 3 seasons?

Chris Tanev
Jonas Brodin
Hampus Lindholm

Thank you.

With no hesitation, the highest offensive upside here is Lindholm. If we're talking real-life hockey, I would want Brodin. He's often given tough defensive responsibilities though, as is Chris Tanev, and neither are real "offensive" players. Lindholm, though, is. I don't see Brodin or Tanev mustering over 30 points in the near-term, while Lindholm could cruise past 40 points next year. I worry about the impact of James Wisniewski, but he only has one year left on his current deal and is frequently out of the lineup anyway.

[SlimCliffy]

Lucic, Kucherov, or E Kane for a league with the settings G - 1 pt, A - 1pt, PIM - 0.25

Three months ago, I would have said Kane and not thought twice. Going to Buffalo, though, without a top-end centre to give him the puck anytime soon is worrisome for me (Eichel will be that, but I have my doubts it's right away). I'll take Kucherov at this point. Lucic is interesting, but his prime is winding down as Kucherov is yet to come into his.

[AFlyers66]

Keeper question here. League in my siggy. 10-team roto keeper (Keep 17).

Thanks to both Shattenkirk & Schneider graduating from the farm to active, I now have 19 players on active. Will need to pick 17 Keepers this summer.

Will be looking to move two guys between now and then. So help me out: who are the two weakest links?

Thanks for any input!

[SlimCliffy]

Keeper question here. League in my siggy. 10-team roto keeper (Keep 17).

Thanks to both Shattenkirk & Schneider graduating from the farm to active, I now have 19 players on active. Will need to pick 17 Keepers this summer.

Will be looking to move two guys between now and then. So help me out: who are the two weakest links?

Thanks for any input!

Brian Elliott jumps out immediately. He'll be, at best, in at time-share and with Frederik Andersen in your minors, he's not necessary.

After that, it's dicey. For me, it comes down to Yandle/Sedin. I'm not convinced that the Sedins are "back," more that they had one last hurrah as top point producers. Yandle also hasn't been that productive since getting to the Rangers, and if he's only playing 21 minutes a night instead of 24, it'll be hard to regain his former production. I'll say Sedin because he's a redundant player with guys like Backstrom and Datsyuk already there. I will say, I would test the trade waters with Datsyuk and see what bites (maybe can get more for him than D Sedin). He's 37 years old next season and hasn't played more than 70 games in an 82-game season in four straight campaigns (averaging 58.5 games in those four years).

[horrorfan]

Your biggest breakout next season? Specifically, being their first breakout e.g. not someone who hit 60 this year that could hit 70+ etc. but someone who hasn't done much so far but could take his first big leap next year.

Your biggest drop in production next season? Focus on someone who has been a steady producer for a few years but expect the first big signs of decline next year.

Thanks.

[SlimCliffy]

Your biggest breakout next season? Specifically, being their first breakout e.g. not someone who hit 60 this year that could hit 70+ etc. but someone who hasn't done much so far but could take his first big leap next year.

Your biggest drop in production next season? Focus on someone who has been a steady producer for a few years but expect the first big signs of decline next year.

Thanks.

One guy I was hoping would have a big second half but didn't quite put it together was Dmitrij Jaskin of St. Louis. His possession numbers are elite, St. Louis is still a very good team, and he's a physical force that can get to the net. I wouldn't expect anything huge, but I can see him with 20+ goals and 40+ points. I imagine he'll be dirt cheap in drafts next year.

One player I'm worried about is Joe Pavelski. I said pretty much the same thing last year, and Pavelski still did very well, so take what I say with a grain of salt. Drafters were cautious this past season, but I don't see many ignoring two full seasons of elite production. The Sharks are in flux as a franchise, and who knows who is still there next season. He's not going to fall off the map, but at this point, I have a hard time pegging him for over 35 goals and 70 points again.

[PrairieDog]

Thanks for the Q's thread!

Charlie Coyle - anything there? He's been highly touted for a long time, but his numbers have been unimpressive. Is he ever going to be a 60+ guy? Or is he destined to be a checker?

[reeveta]

Lots of people are predicting Sharp traded out of Chicago for cap reasons. I have my doubts but if he is, is that good or bad for his fantasy production?

[jcairns]

Team and league in sig. Likely doing a reboot and cutting it down to 4 keepers. Who would you keep?

I am thinking Seguin, Giroux, Subban, Price... but in a multi-cat H2H it is also tempting to not keep a goalie in such a limited keeper, and keep a multi-cat stud like Pacioretty or something. Any thoughts? I'd be able to shop whomever I don't keep for draft picks (e.g. Kane).

[Mr. Guru]

I have a 2.2kg (shoulder blade out) buston butt, how long should I smoke it for and at what temperature. Also which flavoured wood chips do you recommend.

[Zorro]

Are you a burrito, taco, or quesadilla guy??