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Thread: New Writers Wanted

  1. #1
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    Default New Writers Wanted

    Usually when I check Black Aces I find several aspiring writers who have some great things to say and some pretty good writing talent to boot. But this section has been neglected - my fault for not shining enough of a spotlight on it. So there are no sample columns to review and for the first time in several years I don't have a waiting list of good, promising writers to join the team!

    This became pretty apparent recently when Eric (Eastern Edge) gave me a heads up that he's away for three weeks. I was unable to fill in for him.

    Now it has become a little more urgent. Ajay (Injury Ward) has had to step down due to time constraints. This week will be his last. And Demetri (Contrarian) will be writing four more columns before he too must step away due to change in life circumstances. I will be advertising to fill two permanent roles, plus replenish my "waiting list" with at least two more. There hasn't been this much space available on the DobberHockey writing team in several years! Now's the time to get noticed - I will be (and have been) checking this section frequently. If you want to throw down an 800-word sample article (well, 700 to 1200 words) on something fantasy hockey related, do it in this section - the Black Aces.

    Writers on the team get compensated based on page views and reliable content. They also get a paid appearance in the Fantasy and Midseason Guides.

    If you have writing experience with other websites, then send me a message via PM here or through Twitter or Facebook
    The Best Fantasy Hockey Site

    15-Team Keeper, points only, best 12 fwd, 4 dman, 2 G count. Playoffs count.

    F - T. Thompson, Thomas, Nylander, Tarasenko, Arvidsson, Guentzel, Fiala, Quinn, Mittelstadt, Hagel, Zacha, Roslovic, Berggren, Brink, Ostlund
    G - Kahkonen, Vejmelka, L. Thompson, Levi, Comrie
    D - Hronek, Morrissey, Lundkvist, Girard, Brannstrom, Rathbone, Hanifin, Severson, Durzi

  2. #2
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    Default Re: New Writers Wanted

    This needs more detail for sure, but maybe a good concept. If it seems worth following up on, please let me know. - Kevin Wickersham

    PROSPECT PIPELINE – University of Minnesota


    As serious dynasty fantasy hockey players we all want to find the next big thing before someone else in our league snaps them up. The roster space is usually there for young, perhaps lesser-known collegiate or minor league prospects, and they don’t strain our salary cap much if at all, so we dig, look at stats, and attempt to project a few years into the future.

    An often-ignored aspect of the prospect hunt is college program background. While a majority of up-and-coming players forgo college, with recent figures hovering around 30% of NHL players having played in college and 112 of them populating the rosters of the 16 clubs in last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs (the champs in Pittsburgh led the pack with 15, with the Wild next at 14), it may pay dividends to investigate various programs to see how some of the more prominent ones stack up in producing quality professional talent. Of those playoff participants, the Golden Gophers of Minnesota led the pack with 11 former players (a total of 19 saw NHL ice-time over the course of the season), with North Dakota and Wisconsin tied for second at nine players each.

    Here’s a look at last year’s playoff participants from the University of Minnesota.

    Alex Goligoski Minnesota Dallas Stars
    Nick Bjugstad Minnesota Florida Panthers
    Thomas Vanek Minnesota Minnesota Wild
    Jordan Schroeder Minnesota Minnesota Wild
    Erik Haula Minnesota Minnesota Wild
    Nick Leddy Minnesota N.Y. Islanders
    Kyle Okposo Minnesota N.Y. Islanders
    Brady Skjei Minnesota N.Y. Rangers
    Phil Kessel Minnesota Pittsburgh Penguins
    Paul Martin Minnesota San Jose Sharks
    Nate Schmidt Minnesota Washington Capitals

    Minnesota has a long track record of success. With an all-time record of 1,729-975-182 (.631) and five national championships to boast about entering the 2016-17 campaign, the Golden Gophers are an attractive spot for young hockey recruits, not to mention in close proximity to one of the true hotbeds of hockey talent in the US.

    Currently, Minnesota is ranked 9th in the USA Today poll, 12th by PairWise and the Division I Ratings Percentage Index, and 11th in the USCHO.com poll prior to Bog Ten Conference play starting December 2 when they meet Ohio State. Their roster includes several notable forward prospects, including current top-scorer Tyler Sheehy (12 GP, five goals and ten assists) and Rem Pitlick (10 GP, one goal and seven assists), cousin of Edmonton’s Tyler, and third-round pick of Nashville in the 2016 entry draft. A freshman, Pitlick is coming off one of the best USHA seasons in the league’s history, having scored 46 goals and dished out 43 assists in 56 games for the Muskegon Lumberjacks.

    Sheehy stats

    <iframe src="http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=118549" width="100%" height="295" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" ></iframe>

    Pitlick stats

    <iframe src="http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=199968" width="100%" height="220" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" ></iframe>

    Minnesota is coached by Don Lucia, who recently became the 8th coach in NCAA history to earn his 700th win, a school record 421 of those during his 18-year tenure at the helm of the Golden Gophers. Lucia has coached 18 First Team All-Americans, 11 Hobey Baker Award finalists, 69 all-conference team members, and 189 all-conference academic team members.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: New Writers Wanted

    Nice work Kevin, I'll be in touch
    The Best Fantasy Hockey Site

    15-Team Keeper, points only, best 12 fwd, 4 dman, 2 G count. Playoffs count.

    F - T. Thompson, Thomas, Nylander, Tarasenko, Arvidsson, Guentzel, Fiala, Quinn, Mittelstadt, Hagel, Zacha, Roslovic, Berggren, Brink, Ostlund
    G - Kahkonen, Vejmelka, L. Thompson, Levi, Comrie
    D - Hronek, Morrissey, Lundkvist, Girard, Brannstrom, Rathbone, Hanifin, Severson, Durzi

  4. #4
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    Default Re: New Writers Wanted

    thanks man!

  5. #5
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    Default Re: New Writers Wanted

    If this is somewhat what you're looking for, please let me know - Alexander Hernandez

    Rookie Value


    Fantasy players of any sort know that when there is a long season ahead, value becomes both scarce and a hot commodity. Value can be looked at in different ways but for me it’s quite simple; players I pick up in later rounds who are consistent contributors to their team presently but also show positive progression during the year. Improvement is very important for long term fantasy leagues; fantasy owners will always appreciate when a mid to late round draft pick starts to produce like an early round player later on in the season.

    This all may seem very obvious but there are a group of players that I think are being overlooked and should be taken into consideration when the topic of value arises. This year’s rookie class has been playing stellar hockey through the first quarter of the regular season. There are six rookies who are in situations where they will be able to flourish for the rest of the season and I think will be acknowledged as very good value picks at the end of this fantasy season.

    Patrik Laine – Winnipeg Jets (15g, 6a 21pts):
    Patrik Laine is turning into one of the league’s elite goal scorer’s a quarter through his first season. As a rookie his productivity has been jaw-dropping; second in the league in scoring only behind Sidney Crosby (16), leads the Jets in goals and is second on the team in total points. Laine is eighth on the Jets in total ice time in even strength and fourth in total ice time during the power play. He is on the first line alongside Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers which is the most productive line for the Jets (first line trio are top three in total points for Winnipeg). Laine adds another dimension to this Winnipeg Jets team and is making his case for the Calder Memorial trophy at the end of the season. At the level Patrik is playing at expect his ice time to rise if not stay consistent throughout the year which gives him plenty of chances to score and to continue to add to your fantasy team.

    Mitchell Marner (7g, 12a 19pts), Auston Matthews (10g, 8a 18pts) & William Nylander (6g, 10a 16pts) – Toronto Maple Leafs:
    This young Toronto Maple Leafs trio has had quite the impact during the first quarter of the NHL season. The most impressive part is how these young men continue to lift the spirits of a fan base that has not had anything to celebrate in recent history. As they become players who the coaching staff begins to rely on more, Marner and Matthews continue to improve exponentially as they are first and second in total points respectively while Nylander sits at sixth on the team. Out of the top eleven players in total even strength ice time; these three are the only forwards who make that list, so you see the importance of these rookies being on the ice early in the season. This trio is the nucleus which Brendan Shanahan and Mike Babcock have been looking to build around for the future, so expect the offense to be run through these young guys and watch them continue to rack up fantasy points.

    Zach Werenski (5g, 11a 16pts) – Columbus Blue Jackets:
    The first defenseman on this list but he has been very productive for Columbus. Paired with Seth Jones on the blue line, Zach is proving he can handle being a top two defender on an up and coming team. He currently sits fifth in total points for his team but he is tied in fourth for goals and assists respectively. John Tortorella also trusts him a great deal as he is fourth in even strength ice time and first in ice time during the power play. Expect to see lots more of Zach Werenski if you are a Blue Jackets fan, alongside Seth Jones this might be the long term defensive solution that Columbus has been searching for. Werenski’s play making ability will expand and improve during the remainder of the season so expect his fantasy value to rise accordingly.

    Jimmy Vesey (8g, 7a 15pts) – New York Rangers:
    Jimmy Vesey is the one player on this list where the organization does not look to him to be one of the driving forces of the offense. They only require him to contribute where he can and he is definitely meeting expectations this season. Vesey is tied for fourth in total points and goals respectively for New York; which is impressive considering the offensive firepower the Rangers have. Alain Vigneault is using Jimmy very well in my opinion; pairing him with Rick Nash and Kevin Hayes gives Vesey room to grow and also gives him a larger margin for error as he navigates through his first season in the NHL. He is fifteenth on the Rangers in total ice time at even strength – which makes total sense because New York is unbelievably stacked - but he is making his ice time count which should please fantasy owners.

    These rookies have been very impressive for their respective teams and I predict this trend will continue. All six of these rookies are centerpieces for the future of their organizations so they will be given the green light to continue to play with freedom and play their brand of hockey. Some of these rookies are forming into leaders for their teams and will be future stars in the NHL. As for right now fantasy owners will take solace in the fact that these rookies are solid contributors to their team and have plenty of time to improve throughout the rest of this season.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: New Writers Wanted

    DIG DEEP

    Sick of hearing your co-worker complain that James Neal is the best free agent available in his six team H2H for funsies? The answer is yes. Yes you are.

    Dig Deep is here to give the most serious breed of poolies a few gems (or at least polished rocks) guaranteed to be available in your full roster super league. If you often find yourself up at 1 am sifting through the Jay Beagles of the fantasy world, I’m talking to you.

    For the purpose of this article I’ll be focusing on players under 3% owned on both ESPN and Yahoo. Full multi-category scoring system applies (G, A, PPP, SOG, +/-, PIM, HIT, BLK).



    Troy Stecher - VAN, D (1.9% ESPN, 1% Yahoo)
    It appears Stecher has become “the guy” on a Canucks power-play desperate for a capable puck mover. He sits with only five points in 16 GP, but is throwing three shots on goal per game and has seen 64% of the team’s PP ice this far in. With Tanev still on the IR and Edler sidelined four to six weeks, competition is scarce and the opportunity is there to claim the spot full-time. If you forget Vancouver’s league-low 16 goals scored in October and consider they’ve capitalized on five of their last 19 PP opportunities, it isn't so easy to write their offence off as a complete dumpster fire just yet.

    Long story short: Grab Stecher as a cheap #5/6 filler with upside. Take those reliable SOG to the bank and hope for some puck luck to correct his 2.2% shooting percentage.



    Kevin Fiala - NSH, C/LW/RW (1% ESPN, 2% Yahoo)
    After a mediocre 10 game stint with the Preds to kick off the season, Fiala is back up with the big club for round two and it appears he’s ready to make some noise. In three games since being recalled, Fiala sits with three goals on 13 shots skating upwards of 15 minutes alongside Ribeiro and Craig Smith. Two of those ginos came on Saturday against New Jersey, with LaViolette calling it "his best game in a predators’ uniform". Nashville only saw one power-play, but Fiala was out there with the 1A unit and should continue to see prime ice time as long as production doesn’t drop off. As an added bonus, he holds dual eligability on both ESPN (C/RW) and Yahoo (LW/RW). Nobody is doubting the talent of the 2014 first round pick, and at 20 years old the only concern is consistency.

    Long story short: While his real value lies in keeper leagues, pick Fiala up ASAP and ride the wave regardless. He may still see time in the AHL this season, but the coach is trusting him with real minutes right now.



    Rene Bourque - COL, LW (2% ESPN, 1% Yahoo)
    This isn’t the same multi-cat beast we were drooling over back in his Calgary days, but Bourque is seeing more ice time (14:54 average) and power-play usage (33.7% of all PP time) than he has in years. It also doesn’t hurt that the veteran has been clicking on a line with one Nathan Mackinnon. While Bourque’s 21.1% shooting percentage is sure to fall back to Earth, he should get a few more assists by proximity and puts up decent peripherals to soften the blow.

    Long story short: Bourque is worth grabbing in deep leagues for as long as he sticks with Mackinnon. Just don't expect much more than his current point every other game.



    Ryan White - ARI, C (0.9% ESPN, 1% Yahoo)
    On pace for a career 70 points, Ryan White has stepped up in a big way for the Coyotes this season… I kid I kid. He’s putting up around two PIMs and three hits per game though, so if your league counts tough guy stats, White is a good bet. The worry with players like this is the looming threat of extended healthy scratches, but since Arizona doesn’t seem concerned with winning this year, White should be safe in his role and hasn’t seen a benching yet.

    Long story short: Depending on your league’s scoring system, grab White as a 4C and enjoy the steady flow of hits and PIMs while you wait for the next hot streaming option.




    Note: Written before Nashville's Sunday game!

  7. #7
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    Default Re: New Writers Wanted

    These are good - I have added two new writers and will be adding someone in January to be a "spare". This is someone who will pinch hit for those on vacation and eventually land his/her own column. That's how Scott Maran got started and it's a great way to get the readers familiar with you.

    Thank you everyone for posting
    The Best Fantasy Hockey Site

    15-Team Keeper, points only, best 12 fwd, 4 dman, 2 G count. Playoffs count.

    F - T. Thompson, Thomas, Nylander, Tarasenko, Arvidsson, Guentzel, Fiala, Quinn, Mittelstadt, Hagel, Zacha, Roslovic, Berggren, Brink, Ostlund
    G - Kahkonen, Vejmelka, L. Thompson, Levi, Comrie
    D - Hronek, Morrissey, Lundkvist, Girard, Brannstrom, Rathbone, Hanifin, Severson, Durzi

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