Studs and Duds

In all sports there are risks and challenges one must confront to overcome the competition. In fantasy sports owners face the difficult task of separating the studs from the duds. Often tough decisions must be made on potential producers whose downside is comparable to their upside. Aggressive decisions on these boom or bust picks can make or break drafts. The following breakdown includes three players who will live up to and exceed expectations alongside three players you are better off leaving on the board.

The Studs

Marian Gaborik, Winger, Minnesota Wild

Gaborik is lightning fast with a wrist shot to match; he’s never afraid to take the shot. With his contract squared away and injuries behind him Gaborik is primed to take advantage of new line mate Pavol Demitra’s feeds and elevate his game to the next level. This should be the breakout season and he has the potential to score 90 points including 40 goals. An improved offense this season will force opposing defense to spread their focus. Gaborik has excellent leg work and was already difficult to defend in the open ice one-on-one. The extra room will allow him to excel.

Marc Savard, Center, Boston Bruins

Savard was a workhorse last season playing in all 82 of his team’s games. This season he moves to Boston where he will likely be centering a line that includes Glen Murray and Marco Sturm, each with the ability to produce 80 points. Savard is not a premiere skater but he does have a quick shot and more importantly a knack for accurately feeding his line mates. During his first two seasons Savard averaged over a point per game as well averaging one and one half penalty minutes per game. His first season was cut short due to injury but with a healthy season last year he was able to live up to his potential. A new environment that includes extremely talented line mates should allow him to reach and possibly exceed the 100 point season he missed by only 3 points the year prior.

Petr Prucha, Winger, New York Rangers

Prucha shoots the puck a lot, 130 times in his first season that only included 68 games. He has a knack for finding the net, 30 goals, and compliments this ability with good speed. Assuming he stays healthy this year and is able to play a full season, Prucha should be able to take advantage of playing alongside the veteran Brendan Shanahan. All signs point to 40 goals and the potential for an 80 point season if he sees a reasonable amount of time on the power play unit.

The Duds

Rob Blake, Defenseman, Los Angeles Kings

Blake has always been consistent and reliable. That likely will not change this season but the end results in terms of fantasy points likely will. Blake is moving from fantasy powerhouse Colorado back to his old stomping grounds in Los Angeles. The Kings are relatively quiet offensively and questions surrounding the current goalie situation forecast a reduced +/-. In addition to the diminished opportunities Blake is getting up there in age and his decreased mobility will translate into more opportunities for the opposition.

Scott Gomez, Center, New Jersey Devils

The Devils’ management determined that their early playoffs exit was due to an overly aggressive style. In response to this they have decided to return to their traditional “defend first, shoot later” scheme. This is excellent news for goalie Brodeur but disappointing for everyone else in terms of fantasy points. Gomez experienced a career year that included 33 goals and 51 assists but a return to the old ways will reduce the opportunities the Devils had to score 4-5 goals per game. It would not be surprising to see Gomez return to his old form that includes less than 20 goals for the season.

Marcus Naslund, Winger, Vancouver Canucks

The sad truth is that Naslund is not what he once was and with the absence of Todd Bertuzzi he will now have to deal with increased pressure and diminished protection. His age is starting to show, injuries are becoming frequent and nagging, and the speed of his wrist shot is declining. The accuracy is still there but everything else is stacked against him suggesting that he is no longer the surefire first round pick.

Studs and Duds

Related Cafe Articles