As I have learned, Fantasy sports are no longer for the weak at heart. You either make it a full-time hobby or risk getting passed by.
Sure, the end of the 2008-09 Fantasy Hockey season has been long over, but that doesn't mean owners can tune out until Draft Day.
Even after the Stanley Cup Finals end, the NHL Entry Draft is right around the corner and the free agency frenzy begins July 1. There is still a lot to learn as we prep for the 2009-10 season despite the absence of games.
As usual, the NHL playoffs have brought a lot of excitement to fans around the world. The intensity picks up. The shots seem to whistle with a little extra oomph. And players pour sweat and blood onto the ice in quest of Lord Stanley's Cup.
The usual suspects always seem to take center stage, but a few role players or emerging talents steal the limelight as well. This postseason has been no exception.
We have highlighted for your reading pleasure some players that might have changed their Fantasy outlook heading into next season thanks to a strong postseason showing.
Chris Mason, G, St. Louis: Although Mason lost all four games he started in the Blues' opening-round series against Vancouver, the onus didn't fall on him for St. Louis' early playoff exit. Mason only received five goals in support while he held the Canucks to three or fewer goals in each outing. Mason posted a .916 save percentage and 2.34 GAA. It was a pretty solid performance despite not winning a playoff game. Mason was a huge reason why St. Louis made the playoffs as he won 21 of his final 34 appearances after taking over full-time in February for the struggling Manny Legace, who was sent to the minors. Mason was run out of Nashville after having a bumpy 2007-08 season, but in the last half of this season, he looked like the kid that stole the starting job away from Tomas Vokoun in 2006-07. The Blues do have some burgeoning goalie prospects in their system -- Marek Schwarz and Ben Bishop -- but Mason is going to open the 2009-10 season as the team's starting goalie and should have a lot to play for heading into a free-agent year.
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Jussi Jokinen salvaged a poor regular season with a great couple of weeks this spring.
(Getty Images)
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Daniel Cleary, LW, Detroit: While Detroit's superstars have done their part in the playoffs, Cleary has been one of the team's role players that has really come up big in the clutch. He is third on the team with eight goals and third with 14 points. He also leads the entire NHL with a plus-17 rating. He has really benefited playing among the team's top-six rotation and skating alongside the likes of
Henrik Zetterberg,
Marian Hossa,
Pavel Datsyuk and
Valtteri Filppula. His postseason presence could give the Detroit front office enough confidence heading into next season in the event they can't re-sign the likes of Hossa,
Mikael Samuelsson and
Jiri Hudler, who are all headed for free agency.
Jussi Jokinen, LW, Carolina: The Hurricanes were able to pull off postseason upset after postseason upset, until running into the red hot Penguins in the Eastern Conference finals, thanks to a few transactions made during the regular season. One was firing coach Peter Laviolette and replacing him with Paul Maurice. Another was re-acquiring Erik Cole. And the third was picking up Jokinen from the Lightning after he seemed lost in Tampa Bay. Still, Jokinen really didn't have a great run with the Hurricanes until the postseason. He had some clutch moments and finished second on the team with seven goals and 11 points. While he had a career-low 27 points in 2008-09, Jokinen needed a strong playoff push to assure he would land a respectable contract as he is headed for restricted free agency. Where Jokinen lands will dictate his Fantasy value heading into next season, but being a playoff standout could help him realize his worth again as a 50-point player.
Chad LaRose, RW, Carolina: LaRose was another Hurricanes player that exceeded all expectations in the postseason. He finished the regular season with a career-high 19 goals and 31 points and followed that up with 11 points (four goals) in 18 playoff games. He wasn't shy about charging the net. He finished fourth on the team with 51 shots in the playoffs. The former undrafted free agent has come a long way in his career. As of 2003-04, he was playing in the ECHL (equivalent of Double-A baseball) and miles away from a NHL career. But the 5-10, 181-pound forward persevered and saw top-six time in the playoffs as Carolina made an unexpected run to the Eastern Conference finals. LaRose is headed for free agency and could cash in on his career year. But NHL superstardom isn't in his future, so Fantasy owners should be cautious on Draft Day 2009.
Ruslan Fedotenko, LW, Pittsburgh: The Penguins signed Fedotenko to a one-year deal in the offseason as a possible solution at left wing to take off some of the pressure that faced Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Sad to say, Fedotenko really didn't provide the Penguins with the type of return they hoped ... that was until the playoffs. Fedotenko got hot late in 2008-09 with a seven-game point streak (three goals, seven assists) to end the season, and he carried that momentum all the way into the Stanley Cup Finals. He finally emerged as a stable top-six left winger and is tied for third on the team with seven goals and fourth with 12 points. It's no surprise to see Fedotenko playing well late in the year since he is headed for free agency again. Still, he has never managed more than 41 points in a season during his eight-year career, and no matter where he signs, inconsistency is still likely to follow the Ukraine native.
Jonas Hiller, G, Anaheim: A lot of observers are going to call Hiller the savior of the Ducks' 2008-09 season. While Jean-Sebastien Giguere struggled with the death of his father, Hiller stepped up in net for Anaheim down the stretch. He eventually took over the full-time goalie duties and almost led Anaheim to a Western Conference semifinals upset of the Red Wings. Hiller went 7-6 with a 2.23 GAA and .943 save percentage in 13 playoff games. He also had two shutouts. Hiller saw his most significant action in 2008-09 since coming to the NHL in 2007-08 after a very successful pro career in Switzerland. Hiller is not a puppy-dog youngster like most newcomers to the NHL. He is 27-years-old and his past pro experience allowed him to step in this season to post a 23-15-1 record with a 2.39 GAA, .919 save percentage and four shutouts. Hiller is good enough to start in the NHL, but whether or not he does in 2009-10 remains to be seen. Giguere is owed $12 million for the next two years and wants to stay with Anaheim. Hiller has one year left on his contract. Anaheim might be forced to trade one of their goalies in the offseason to avoid a controversy heading into 2009-10. This is a situation we are definitely going to need to pay close attention to leading up to Draft Day.
Brent Seabrook, D, Chicago: While the Blackhawks had the likes of Brian Campbell and Duncan Keith along their blue line, perhaps Seabrook was the most effective defenseman as Chicago made a run to the Western Conference semifinals. Not only was he a valuable defender for most of the playoffs, he showed a surprising offensive touch with a team-high 11 assists in 17 games. He had all of 18 assists in 82 regular-season games. Seabrook is one of Chicago's top-logging defenseman because he is one of the team's best all-around skaters regardless of position. Unfortunately, he will hardly sacrifice defense for offense and likely won't be an offensive superstar in 2009-10 despite a nice finish to this season. Seabrook is still going to retain his Fantasy value as a solid No. 4 Fantasy defenseman.
Dave Bolland, C, Chicago: The Blackhawks opted to part ways with Robert Lang before the start of the 2008-09 season because they felt Bolland was finally ready to take his game to the next level. They weren't mistaken. Bolland might not have made a lot of noise in Fantasy circles despite the fact he had career-highs in goals (19), assists (28), points (47), plus-minus rating (19), power-play goals (2), short-handed goals (2) and game-winning goals (2), but he became one of Chicago's best two-way forwards. He continued that trend in the postseason with 12 points (four goals) in 17 games and only finished at minus-1 despite being one of the team's top-logging forwards. Bolland will be a restricted free agent July 1, and as long as the asking price isn't outlandish, Chicago should meet his price tag. Still, we aren't expecting Bolland to rival the offensive numbers of his current teammates Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews, whether he stays or goes.
Claude Giroux, RW, Philadelphia: It's not like the Flyers needed more talented scorers (finished fourth in GFA with 3.17 goals per game), but they are getting just that in Giroux, who should play his first full NHL season in 2009-10. The Flyers' 2006 first-round pick had a chance to make the squad out of training camp this season, but management saw he was rough around the edges and placed him in the minors since they already had ample forward depth. Patience is going to be a virtue for the Flyers. Giroux was able to gain confidence and pro experience in the AHL before his first recall in late December. He wound up a permanent fixture after mid-January and by season's end he tied for the team lead with five points in a first-round playoff loss to the Penguins. Aside from any trades, the Flyers only stand to lose Mike Knuble through free agency. But they can let the veteran right winger walk since Giroux appears to be a star in waiting.
You can e-mail us your Fantasy Hockey questions to DMFantasyPucks@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Playoffs in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses to all questions.
