Ask Dobber a Question

[hockeypoolfanatic]

I\'m at the end of my rebuilding mode and would like to be competitive in another year or so but my goaltending is really hurting me right now. It\'s difficult to trade for elite goalies since the league is so deep and they are very valuable.

This is my league\'s scoring system:

Forward: 1 for G, 1 for A (top 8 count)
Dman: 1.5 for G, 1 for A (top 4 count)
Rookie: 2 for G, 1.5 for A (one counts)
Enforcer: Player\'s PIMs / 4 (one counts)
Power Forward: points + players PIM / 5 (one counts)
Goalie: 2 for W, 1 for L, 3 for SO, bonus points for save % above .900 (e.g. .925 save % = 25 pts) - top 2 count

I figure Bernier will be at the helm in another year or so, Rask in a couple of years and maybe Lehtonen gets traded to a better team and can manage to stay healthy.

Do you think I should make a move next year or wait it out? If so, who should I look at moving? I also have the 5th overall pick in the draft next year.

Sorry for the long post. Thanks for your help.

[HockeyHippie]

Hey Dobber,

First off, thanks. I won my Yahoo Dynasty keeper league with many suggestions made by you and your staff. Unfortunately, I also made some mistakes and moved some players I should have held onto. But I can\'t complain with the results.

My question is regarding Chi G prospect Antii Niemi. Is he considered a quality prospect? What are his chances of playing next year.

Thanks.

[Mr.Coffee]

Hey Dobb\'s,I have #4 & #12 draft picks.Looking at my team would you draft 2 guys (What 2 would you shoot for?)Or would you trade the picks and a player for a Goalie?,Top Forward?

I think I can get goalie N.Backsrtom,what would you package in an offer for him?

Thanks for your advice,This is what makes us all proud to spread the word and support your sites!You Rock!B)

[BDog]

In your opinion is Brent Burns going to get back on track. He looked sooo good playing for Team Canada and that\'s what sent me on a mission to pick him up and I did so this season while his value was at it\'s lowest in some time only to end up with him now after a concussion.
Cut the cord or hang on and enjoy the ride?

Thanks and love the site.

[Renegade]

What would it take for you to trade away the 1st overall pick this year?

Meaning what type of player/players would you want in return for a talent like Tavares?

[Karhgath]

I need to select one last keeper between these (unless you would swap between some of em?) :

Kariya
Cole
Ladd
Bolland
Latendresse
Rolston
F.Bouchard
Brule
Martin
Harding
DiPietro

Current keepers:
(Active)
Kovalchuk
Carcillo
Getzlaf
O.Jokinen
Carter
Parise
Horton
O\'Sullivan
J.Staal
Hemsky
Perry
Doan
Ryan
Phaneuf
Burns
Gilbert
Bouwmeester
Niedermayers
Rafalski
Fleury
Lundqvist
S.Mason
+Unknown from above

(Farm)
Tedenby
Kulemin
Filatov
Russell
Pietrangelo
Bogosian
E.Johnson

Info in sig.

I lost in the finals this year by one assist. Next year is the last one before I have to reduce to 18 active keepers(lose 5) and replace them with prospects/rookies, so I want to make most of it now.

[Dobber]

woodrow wrote:

Hey Dobber:

What kind of seasons do you see Pekka Rinne in Nas and Carey Price in Mon having next year? Long term? Is Rinne for real or will he likely lose his job like Mason and Ellis did? Thanks.

Rinne - With Mason, I thought he would hang onto the job. With Ellis, I was pretty certain he would lose it because Rinne was on the way and had a one-way contract. There is no such goalie in the pipeline now, the job is Rinne\'s. Barring a crazy offseason goalie signing, he\'ll get 65 starts.

Price - I believe he\'ll bounce back. If he can stay healthy and get off to a strong start, the Habs will trade Halak by Christmas, as he\'ll be a RFA the following summer. Then Price will be that 70-game goalie. The Habs are grooming him to be that goalie and desperately hopes he pans out. He\'ll get every chance.

[playmaker26]

I think my team is in the upper half of the league for next year. I had a very young team but transitioned into a team that can possibly compete as early as next year. My defense is very good and we play 6. I have Campbell, EJ, Keith, Coburn, Bouwmeester, and Whitney. Unfortunately, I only have Robidas on my bench.

I\'m in trade talks to acquire a solid forward and Campbell would go from my team. I have great defensive prospects in Pietrangelo, Junland, Shattenkirk, and Sanguinetti so my questions are:

1. Is it a bad idea to look into this type of trade?
2. Can any of those guys step in in the next 1-2 years?

Thanks for the help Dobber!

[Dobber]

dbellan wrote:

Every player I keep, I lose the draft pick in the round that they were drafted in last year.

Who do I keep?

Keep 12

Player (Round)

Must Keeps

Malkin (1)
Iginla (2)
Hossa (3)
Getzlaf (9)
Weber (13)
Sedin (4)
Sedin (5)

Fringe Keeps

Neidermayer (6)
Jokinen (6)
Ray Whitney (14)
Jonathan Bernier (15)
Theodore (7)
Alfredsson (6)
Radulov (18)
Tom Gilbert (23)
Mike Smith (16)
Doan (6)
Pronger (6)
Olli Jokinen (6)
Elias (16)

I can keep any or all of the round 6 guys.

Thanks Dobber!

Radulov, Gilbert, Elias, Pronger and Doan for sure. That being said, I wonder if this format means that a lot of your fellow owners forfeit most of their top picks? If so, then \'not\' protecting Hossa would mean you draft in the third round...and that pick could be 7th or 8th? If that is the case, then let Hossa go and keep Jokinen - that way, you don\'t forfeit anymore picks yet you gain a 3rd (which could be 8th overall...10th overall...)

[Dobber]

recordstyle wrote:

D.D.,

I\'m in a pick-2 keepers, but can only repeat 1 from last year type of league - we score the stats in my signature

Last year I kept Malkin and Toews.

I need to pick a 2nd keeper along with Malkin (i\'ll let Toews get recycled into the draft pool)

C.Price,
Okposo,
Kunitz,
Avery,
Doan,
J.Bo,
Stamkos,
Hemsky,
Juice\'elius
Biron
Conklin

I\'m leaning towards C.Price - to shore up a G\'slot if i can early on without having to draft it too high, but also am tempted to go with Hemsky or Stamkos or Okposo?
(okposo for \"fun\" in case jTavares comes in and makes a splash thats crosby\'ian ovechkin\'ian malkin\'ian, or any other must-start rookie in the past few years (kane, toews, backstrom, vanek, etc)

Would you go Malkin/Price? Malkin/Okposo? Malkin/Doan? Malkin/Hemsky?

Malkin/_________

(and why - thanks)



We who are about to get our questions Dobbered salute you!

Malkin/Stamkos is very tempting, but I like you strategy about having the G position shored up. Go with Malkin/Price.

[CronoX]

Dobber, thanks for hosting the Q & A

two questions:
Cristobal Huet or Mike Smith in a standard yahoo keeper? I\'m worried a bit that Chicago will try to resign Khabibulin if he has a solid playoffs and then trade Huet from a great up and coming team like Chicago. plus, Tampa Bay is bound to get better with Hedman and a couple of their injured defensemen being back next year (plus, can management really screw up two offseasons in a row?).

i have the 2nd and 3rd overall picks in the prospect draft for a standard yahoo keeper league. who would you take after tavares goes #1? i\'m going for best player available and i\'m leaning towards duchene and either hedman or MSP with the third pick.

i\'m also looking to contend for 1st place next season since i finished pretty high this year (i got the picks via trade).

thanks in advance!

[Dobber]

loco man wrote:

Hey Dobber!

Huet or Theodore next year?

Grabovsky next year and any updates on Jagr? I grabbed him for kicks but may want to go younger (your buddy Hensick is available if Jags will not be in the NHL next season).

Thanks!!!!

I wouldn\'t touch Theodore with a 10-foot pole next year. Varlamov will be the man and if not - Neuvirth.

Nothing new on Jagr - probably not until July. I like Grabovsky for 55, but I\'d like to see what the Leafs do first. I would take Hensick over Jagr as it stands now.

[Dobber]

sentium wrote:

I have a question about some of my underperforming guys. I was disappointed with among others Plekanec and Corvo. Is there any sense in dealing them over the summer or should I hold on to them until next year and hope that they rebound and work their value up again?

Conversely, should I try to move overachievers and strike while the iron is hot, so to speak? With guys like Krejci and Gilbert, I find it tough to gauge if they might improve even further next year.

While I think Plekanec will rebound, I don\'t know if it will be enough to raise their value much. Trade him now - someone might be intrigued enough to give you something decent.

Corvo - what you see is what you get. Hot/cold. He\'s coming off a career high of 38 and next year I can see him up that to 45, but he lacks the consistency to do better. I would just keep him.

Gilbert - the best is yet to come
Krejci - if you can get an 80-point guy for him, go for it. Otherwise, keep him and he\'ll get you 75-80 per season.

[Dobber]

Fighting_Emu wrote:

Ok this ones killing me. I am in the unfortunate position of having Huet lined up as my 1a next year. But I am also pretty sure I can knab Varlamov with my 7th overall in a very deep draft next season. Problem is I can only have two goalies at any given time.

My question is- is it worth trying to shop Huet for a decent asset to make room for Simeon? Or do I drop Harding for free (at which point I have to upgrade Filpulla to keeper status)?

We keep 12, but can wait until right before the draft to cut our last 2 guys:

C: Crosby, Kopitar Higgins, Filpulla
W: Zetterberg, Nash, Hemsky, Horton, Radulov
D: Whitney, Goligoski
G: Huet, Harding

22 team league hth- fairly goal weighted.

Filpulla and Goligoski are my backups if Radulov doesn\'t sign and/or I drop Harding...

BONUS POINTS: If I move Huet where should I look to improve and what are a few names you\'d suggest!?

Drop Harding for free (unfortunately) and pick up Varlamov. Upgrade Goli as your keeper, not Filpulla. It won\'t be next year that he breaks out, but probably in two years he is your best shot at another Mike Green.

[Dobber]

Puckhog wrote:

Hey Dobber,

Thanks for taking the time out today.

In my keeper league we protect 11 and I need to choose two of the following:

Andrew Cogliano
Chris Mason

Goalies are in short supply since i\'m in a 20 team league. I\'m just worried that Cogs might break out. He also is a centre though on Yahoo and there will be plenty available in this summer\'s draft. I\'ve held onto him for a while; I\'m just not sure where he\'s going to go from here and if Chris Mason will continue his strong play next year.

Cats are: G, A, +/-, PIM PPG PPA SHG GWG SOG W, SV% GAA SO

Thanks!

That\'s a tough one - I don\'t trust Mason either, but I think Cogs will be another year yet before we see him break out. It would depend on who else you have for goalies - if you have another solid keeper G than keep Cogs, otherwise you have to keep Mason.