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- karlssens - 08-08-2015
READY FOR GRADING
SHL S25 Fantasy Outlook
A look at all 14 team in the SHL from a fantasy perspective
When I had originally set out to do this I had hoped to do something similar to the 30 teams in 30 days on NHL.com, however with the fantasy draft already under way I've decided to revise the format and instead do 2 teams a day and speed it up.
Each day, two SHL organizations will be put in the spotlight as we break down each team's fantasy landscape. We’ll will look at the players at the top of the ranks, an undervalued player, an overvalued player, a deep sleeper (players likely ranked outside the top 100 overall players) and the goalie outlook for each SHL team. The order is in reverse order of the SHL S24 standing, including playoffs. Since the expansion teams are new to the league they'll go first.
![[Image: legyat5.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/legyat5.jpg)
For the top 200 rankings from S24 go here. A link is available for the SMJHL rankings as well.
DAY 1:
Buffalo Stampede The first team we’ll look at is one of the expansion teams new to the SHL, the Buffalo Stampede. Introduced during the S24 playoffs, the Stampede have begun assembling a team to compete in their inaugural first season. As is often the case with expansion teams their success may not come immediately in their first season, but with time and patience they should quickly become a contender. Nevertheless there is still some fantasy value to be taken from this Buffalo team this upcoming season.
Leading the way: Bryson Thomaz
Although he has less TPE and scored few points last season than his brother Adrian Thomaz, Bryson has a much more fantasy friendly stat line. With 33 points, 12 of which are goals, and a healthy 99 hits last season Bryson was able to score 191.1 fantasy points. Good enough for 87th overall. On a young Buffalo squad the sky is the limit for the two way forward out of Helsinki, Finland.
Undervalued: Marlo Stanfield
The Baltimore, Maryland native led all [now] Stampede players in fantasy points last year. Despite scoring just 20 points Marlo managed to rack up a whopping 72 blocks to create a total of 193.6 fantasy points. Good enough for 84th overall in S24 in the SHL. Although that may not be enough points to intrigue most fantasy owners do keep in mind that Marlo will most likely see top 2 blue line minutes and on a Stampede team likely to be outshot as they try to discover their identity in their first season. The point totals will most likely remain the same, but the block total could see a healthy boost in S25.
Overvalued: Adrian Thomaz
With over 1k TPE to his name and a solid 39 points last season most would see Adrian as a safe fantasy selection, however as far as fantasy is concerned you’d be better off looking elsewhere. 30 assists are good, but the low goal, hit and block totals drastically hurt his fantasy score. His total of 173.9 last season was enough to earn his 103rd overall in S24 in the SHL. An increased role in Buffalo may improve his numbers, but being on the outside of the top 100 makes it difficult to suggest drafting him.
Deep Sleeper: Brandon Pomery
It’s a toss-up here between Brandon and fellow defenseman Michael J. Caboose. Both will see an increased role in the early stages of the expansion team in Buffalo, but the edge goes to Brandon as he is an offensive defenseman and has the potential to put up more points than Caboose. Ranked 155th in fantasy score in S24 with 68.7 points he probably won’t be on anyone’s radar in S25, but owners should expect to see a rise in value next season.
Goalie Outlook: Jamie Shetler/Kyle Cobb
The young tandem of Shetler and Cobb has no SHL experience to date and will be a risky selection in most if not all S25 fantasy drafts. It’s advisable to look elsewhere to fill the goalie position of your fantasy team this upcoming season. Nevertheless Shetler may prove otherwise and post a modest score. He is currently a lock for the majority of starts so definitely keep an eye on his throughout the season.
:admirals: Portland Admirals :admirals:
The second of the two expansion teams to be introduced this season, the Portland Admirals, will face an uphill battle much like its eastern counterpart, the Buffalo Stampede. As it goes through its growing pains in this its inaugural first season the Admirals should remain optimistic and focus on positives. Nevertheless there are a few fantasy gems worth mentioning on this Portland team.
Leading the way: Chico Salmon
The S17 veteran is without a doubt the leader of this young Portland team. With over 1300 TPE and a healthy balance of point production and hitting he is a fantasy must. Last season he finished with 23 goals, 59 points and 131 hits for a total of 305.4 points, the 5th highest total in the league. He may see a decrease in production this season as this young expansion team discovers its identity, but he should definitely be every fantasy owner’s radar going in to the draft and likely a first round selection.
Undervalued: Drizzy Drake
Drizzy finished last season with a fantasy score of 99.8, good enough for 152nd overall. Being outside the top 100 will deter most fantasy owners, but keep in mind he was limited to roughly 15 minutes a game last season, a number which should significantly increase next season in Portland. He led all [now] Admirals in blocks and could prove useful in the fantasy realm next season.
Overvalued: Yousuf Scherbluk
The offensive minded Ukrainian native Yousuf had an off year last season posting only 16 points and 28 hits for a final fantasy score of 74.2, 168th overall in the SHL. Fantasy owners should note however that Yousuf only suited up for 26 games last season as opposed to the regular 52 game season other players logged. If you stretch his numbers out over a 52 game season his revised score is 148.4, which moves him up to 115th overall, but he still falls short of the top 100 and owners should look elsewhere in the later rounds of the draft.
Deep Sleeper: Buster “Buzz” Killington
The barrel sized 5’11 245lb power forward from Berkshire, UK will be entering his rookie season in the SHL, but that shouldn’t dissuade fantasy owners as he may prove to be a valuable commodity. He finished 22nd overall in SMJHL fantasy with a score of 235.2 and amassed an insane 153 hits, the most in the entire SMJHL league.
Goalie Outlook: Nikita Nevzorov
Much like the Stampede the goalie situation in Portland should most likely be avoided, but kept under watch if Portland gets hot. The only goalie currently in the Portland roster is Russian rookie Nikita Nevzorov. Taken 12th overall in the S24 SMJHL draft he certainly has potential, but it most likely will not be realized this season. He will however get the majority if not all the starts, so keep an eye on him.
DAY 2:
New England Wolfpack The Wolfpack got a league low 18 wins last season as what looks to be the beginning of a big rebuild. They picked up some amazing assets in the draft this off-season, so which could make an impact as early as this upcoming season, but do that have any quality fantasy choices? Let’s find out.
Leading the way: Benjamin Reid
You really can’t go wrong with either of the top 2 defensive pairings of Benjamin Reid and Kaspars Tsizling in New England as both put up fantastic fantasy numbers last season (Benjamin with 284.8 and Kaspars with 282.1, 14th and 16th overall respectively). The edge goes to Benjamin though as the defensive minded Kaspars will most likely not put up as much points. Look for both of them to tear up the fantasy league again next season and pencil them in for at least 250 fantasy points each.
Undervalued: Nathan Russell
With over 1000 TPE and averaging nearly 25 minutes a game he’s by no means an unknown commodity, but the hulking power forward out of Easton, Maine could fly under the radar in the S25 fantasy landscape. Nathan finished last season with 36 points and a huge 134 hits, good enough for 68th overall in fantasy points with 209.1.
Overvalued: Blake Sherrill
With over 1100 TPE he’s a lock for some serious offensive output every year, but the left wing Texas native peripheral stats are less than desirable with just 57 hits and 14 blocks. He finished last season with 199.8 fantasy points, good enough for 78th overall, but as far as fantasy is concerned there are likely better options available.
Deep Sleeper: Connor O’Reilly
The New England rookie performed admirably last season with a total of 20 points, 104 hits and 65 blocks, finishing the season with a fantasy score of 203.1 (74th overall). Although he does play behind fantasy monsters Benjamin Reid and Kaspars Tsizling, the Kilkenny, Ireland native should build on his rookie season performance here in S25 and could crack the top 50 fantasy players.
Goalie Outlook: Arton Laxk/Adam Demko
Despite New England posting a league worst 18 wins last season Arton Laxk managed to be a suitable fantasy goaltender finishing last season with 15 wins, 3 shutouts and a whopping 1179 saves for a fantasy total of 251.85 points (28th overall). Not a top-tier fantasy goaltender, but you could definitely due worse. As New England continues to rebuild his numbers may not improve too drastically, but he should be a top 30 fantasy player once again. Meanwhile the rookie backup goaltender Adam Demko should be avoided. It is still early in his career and he may yet still become a fantasy monster, but S25 will most likely not be the year it happens.
West Kendall Platoon Although they managed to get more wins than the New England Wolfpack, the West Kendall Platoon also finished with a league low 45 points. Regardless there is still some serious fantasy value on this team in the middle of a full rebuild.
Leading the way: Bojo Biscuit
The hulking 6’2” 230lb defenseman in Bojo Biscuit is a fantasy darling. 37 points to go along with a glorious 186 hits and 70 blocks makes this Columbia, South Carolina native an absolute must have in all fantasy formats as he finished last season with 304.4 fantasy points, 6th overall among all players. Pencil his in another huge season in S25 and a fantasy first rounder.
Undervalued: Jim Lahey
The newly acquired defenseman is no Bojo Biscuit, but he fantasy score and stat line may indicate otherwise. Jim finished last season with 34 points, 141 hits and 74 blocks for a total of 293.4 fantasy points, good for 11th overall. He’s a fantasy beast and should be taken in all formats, the reason for the undervalued pick is that he’ll probably fall to the later rounds and could be a serious steal.
Overvalued: Zallerras Szlerchek
With 42 points, including 30 assists and a modest 97 hits last season Zallerras is not the worst fantasy selection, but with a fantasy score of just 209.8 (67th overall) while playing line 1 minutes I’m not sure you could really get any more out of him. Likely a lock for at least 200 fantasy points, but probably not the best option in the 48 player draft.
Deep Sleeper: Viktor Svensson
Viktor finished last season with 214.7 fantasy points, good enough for 62nd overall. Although he’ll most likely go undrafted in fantasy formats keep in mind that with Marlo Stanfield gone Viktor should see an improved role with West Kendall and his fantasy score could see a significant spike by the end of this upcoming season. Although with the addition of Lahey he could also remain right where he is, but at the very least keep an eye on Viktor.
Goalie Outlook: Colin Schmidt/Edwin Ask
The tandem of Colin and Edwin see many of the same comparisons as the previous tandem Arton Laxk and Adam Demko in New England. On a young team in the middle of a huge rebuild the fantasy value of the goaltender can be difficult to gauge. Last season Colin finished with 18 wins, 1 shutout and 1126 saves, good enough for 232.9 fantasy points and 45th overall so by no means a terrible score. His numbers should increase as the Platoon grows, but as far as S25 is concerned he’ll likely remain an undrafted fantasy goalie.
DAY 3:
Edmonton Blizzard The Blizzard hope to improve from last season and hopefully get a crack at playoffs this time around, but for them to do that the players will need to improve as well. From a fantasy standpoint not a single Blizzard player was in the top 30 last season, the best of which was goaltender Jakub Aittokallio ranked 35th overall with 242.6 fantasy points. Look for numbers to improve this season in Edmonton, and perhaps you could get lucky and find a fantasy gem.
Leading the way: Friedrich Muller
As stated earlier Aittokallio in net proved to be best fantasy asset last season, but Muller was a close second. Ranked 42nd overall with 236 fantasy points he’s a solid choice for those later rounds and could definitely see a rise in points this upcoming season, potentially cracking the top 30 fantasy players.
Undervalued: Gabriel DuJardin
The recently acquired defenseman out of Paris, France had a modest fantasy season last year. Ranked 50th overall with 228.4 points as a member of the Steelhawks Gabriel got the most out of his <600 TPE build. The majority of his points came from the blue line as he finished with 116 hits and 62 blocks, the second highest total on the team. Whether he can finish in the top 50 again will be difficult to tell, but he should be a lock for at least 200 fantasy points again next season.
Overvalued: Miles Berger
Miles may have tied for the team league in scoring, but the Long Beach, California native peripheral stats just aren’t enough to make him a viable fantasy commodity. In a fantasy landscape where blocks are so important Miles’ total of just 12 last season drastically hurt his fantasy production limiting him to 202.4 points (92nd overall).
Deep Sleeper: Hans Ponsen
The rookie out of Stockholm, Sweden will be entering his sophomore season and will look to build on a modest fantasy season as he produced just 6 points, but managed to rack up 72 hits and 34 blocks with less than 13 minutes per game on average. If Hans gets an increase in playing time you can expect his 97.8 fantasy points (143rd overall) to climb.
Goalie Outlook: Jakub Aittokallio/Antero Pelkonen
The veteran netminder from Tampere, Finland lead all Blizzard players in fantasy points last season. He finished 34th overall with 21 wins, 2 shutouts and 1064 saves for a total of 242.6 fantasy points. Look for those numbers to improve this season to climb to the mid to high 200’s. Not the first name in fantasy goaltending, but definitely a safe option. Meanwhile Pelkonen should be avoided as he’ll likely return as the backup and see limited playing time.
Seattle Riot With only 52 points last season the Riot were not the worst team in the SHL, but they will definitely look to improve next season. Regardless of whether that happens or not they have several players fantasy owners should target, including the top 2 defenseman in blocks last season.
Leading the way: Mikko Koskinen
The Jyvaskyla, Finland native had a fantastic fantasy season last year ranked 8th overall with 301.3 points. His combination of offense and defense makes his the perfect fantasy weapon. His 40 points last season put him on par with most top tier defenseman, but puts him above the rest is his league leading 83 blocks. If he repeat last season he may just break through the 300 point ceiling again. Definitely a strong 2nd round fantasy selection.
Undervalued: Vsevolod Nikitin
He may not be Mikko, but fantasy owners can lock up this hulking Russian in one of the later rounds and sleep easy at night. Vsevolod finished last season ranked 27th overall with 253.1 points and there is no reason to expect anything less again next season. His name may be difficult to say (and write), but taking him in the 5th or 6th round won’t be.
Overvalued: Adam Kylrad
With just under 1200 TPE and a solid 36 points last season Adam is a fantastic player, but fantasy beast he is not. The Vancouver, British Columbia native did manage to log 99 hits to go with his 36 points for a total of 190.1 fantasy points (89th overall), but his low block total of just 11 last season hurt his fantasy performance.
Deep Sleeper: Peter Parker
No not Spiderman, this pint-sized Forest Hills, New York native had a modest fantasy season last year finishing 93rd overall with 184.9 points. What is particularly important to note is that Peter finished 2nd overall in blocks in the entire league with 79. If he can increase his offensive output (12 points) he could easily crack top 50.
Goalie Outlook: Valdermorts Karlensons/Phil Osgoode
Valdermorts was an above average fantasy goaltender last season, finishing ranked 23rd overall (7th among goaltenders) with 263.45 points. With 8 teams in your league Valdermorts will likely get taken and could potentially be a top 5 fantasy goaltender if Seattle can improve on last season’s performance. Phil Osgoode will return as a serviceable backup and his fantasy value will remain low so he should be avoided until he takes on a bigger role.
DAY 4:
Manhattan Rage With West Kendall and New England locking up the bottom two spots in the East the Rage were able to cruise to a playoff spot. They would eventually be eliminated in the first round and look to improve on that this upcoming season. From a fantasy standpoint the Rage have a few names worth mentioning, including a top 3 net minder.
Leading the way: Barney Stinson
A defenseman that can score, hit and most importantly block is a first-class fantasy asset that cannot be ignored. Barney finished last season with 40 points, 156 hits and 60 blocks for a total of 288.4 points and a final rank of 12th overall. As defenseman are concerned he cracks the top 10 and should definitely be on all fantasy owner’s radar in the draft. By no means a first round selection, but his name could start appearing as early as round 2. By round 4 he qualifies as a steal.
Undervalued: Roy Razin
1 point short of 40 and a whopping 71 blocks, the Moscow, Russia native is definitely built for fantasy. Last season he finished 30th overall with 248.3 points and could climb higher if he can improve his nearly non-existent physical play (2 hits).
Overvalued: Daniel Merica
With nearly 1300 TPE and 37 points last season this proud American legend has the skill set to light up the league, but from a fantasy standpoint should likely be avoided. His 95 hits are good, but with just 18 blocks and a total fantasy score of 208 he finished ranked 70th overall. Look for someone available in the top 50 before considering Daniel.
Deep Sleeper: John Heimer-Schmidt
Recently acquired from the West Kendall Platoon, John finished last season with 124.7 fantasy points (130th overall) so by no means a fantasy beast, but with less than 20 minutes a game he could see a bump in playing time this time around and may crack the top 50 fantasy players if he performs well.
Goalie Outlook: CJ James/Eric White
With 24 wins, 5 shutouts and 1087 saves CJ James managed to collect 285.1 fantasy points last season. Good for 13th overall and more importantly 2nd among goaltenders. Weekes may be the unanimous #1 fantasy goalie going in to this season, but CJ should once again find himself inside the top 5 and will likely be the 2nd or 3rd goalie off the board in most drafts.
Calgary Dragons The Dragons had a very successful season overall last year. They locked up the final spot in the Eastern conference and picked up some quality assets in the draft, which should keep them competitive for years to come. From a fantasy standpoint they were good as well with a pair of stud defensemen and a solid goaltender to name a few.
Leading the way: Sachimo Zoidberg/Steven Jalopski
The two hulking defenseman were fantasy monsters last year with 281.1 and 276.8 fantasy points respectively, finishing 17th and 18th overall. According to the Calgary’s lineups on the index Steven was used mainly in a forward capacity, but will likely be eligible to draft as a defenseman none the less. They fall just outside the top 10 fantasy defensemen from last season, but with Calgary on the upward trend their numbers should climb and potentially break through that elite 300 point ceiling.
Undervalued: Kriss Labsvards
With names like Zoidberg and Jalopski, Labsvards name may get missed. The Dobele native finished with just 203.9 fantasy points last season (73rd overall), but if he can stay on a line 1 pairing with Zoidberg his production could improve.
Overvalued: Esa Anrikkanen
Don’t get me wrong, the Helsinki, Finland native is absolute monster with over 1600 TPE and a good balance of points (37) and hits (156), but with a fantasy rank last season of 56th overall (221.9 points) his name may exceed his fantasy value. With only 48 players selected in each pool, you could make a case for a last round selection, but anything higher than that and you may take a hit fantasy point wise.
Deep Sleeper: Ken Spiak
The stay at home defenseman out of Buffalo, New York registered just 12 points last season, but his 123 hits and 60 blocks (better than any Dragon not named Zoidberg) kept him just inside the top 100 as his finished with 181.2 points, 98th overall. He could provide some sneaky value if his offensive output were to increase.
Goalie Outlook: Hunter Wong/Mike Verminski
Hunter rounded out the top 5 fantasy goaltenders last season as he finished with 23 wins, 1 shutout and a league leading 1239 saves for 264.85 points (21st overall among all players). If Calgary can improve on last season then Hunter should see greater numbers, potentially cracking the top 3 goaltender list.
DAY 5:
Toronto North Stars With a record of 25-23-4 you could argue the North Stars slipped in to the playoffs last season, but they gave the western conference leaders all they could handle in round 1 before losing a heart-breaking game 7 to the Minnesota Chiefs. Hoping to make a longer run in to the playoffs next season the North Stars will need to qualify once again so look for these guys to put up more solid numbers.
Leading the way: Darian Scherbluk
The SHL veteran out of Odesa, Ukraine shows no sign of slowing down as he rattled off 51 points, 86 hits and 57 blocks for a total of 296.9. Just shy of that elite 300 point plateau, Darian finished 10th overall and 6th among defenseman. With only 5 other defenseman in the league posting better numbers he could be a real steal as fantasy owners maybe ignore him due to his age regression.
Undervalued: Willie Weber
Despite having less than 1000 TPE, Willie “The Destroyer” Weber had a very respectable fantasy season. The Regina, Saskatchewan native finished with 27 points, 170 hits and 62 blocks for a total of 254 fantasy points, 25th overall. He falls just outside the top 10 defenseman, but if you loaded up on forwards and goalies in the early rounds this Canadian beauty should still be available.
Overvalued: Chester Cunningham
I had mind to select Kristian Eriksson, but just inside the top 50 in a defense heavy ranking he should prove to be a viable fantasy option. Instead Chester Cunningham gets the knock. With roughly the same TPE count, the Anaheim, California native is no doubt a fantastic player critical to his team, but from a fantasy standpoint his pure offense approach just doesn’t cut it. With 176.5 fantasy points he’s barely inside the top 100 (99th overall) largely due to his low block totals, which carry a heavy fantasy value.
Deep Sleeper: Alexander Kjaerberg
The Norwegian power forward is an absolute monster on the ice. With 222.6 fantasy points he finished last season ranked 55th overall. What’s most important to note about Alex is that he lead the league in hits last season with a ridiculous 234 hits! I’d move him up to undervalued, but with 5 North Stars inside the top 50 he sounds like a sleeper.
Goalie Outlook: Mark Harter/Noah Jackson
Mark rounds out the top 10 in fantasy goalies finishing with 24 wins, 1 shutout and 1098 saves. With 24 wins he’s right in there with the rest, but his low shutout count hurt his total. Expect the stand-up goaltender out of Port Huron, Michigan to perform about the same, but he could sneak within the top 5 if he gets a few more bounces. Noah Jackson is the designated backup and therefore should be avoided in the fantasy draft.
Winnipeg Jets: The Winnipeg Jets are a bit of an anomaly when it comes to fantasy. Whereas just about every other team has big name fantasy defensemen, the Jets had 3 forwards and a goaltender finish with higher fantasy totals than their best defenseman.
Leading the way: Taylor McDavid
The consensus #1 forward and possibly #1 fantasy player, Taylor McDavid posted a stat line others could only dream of. With 60 points, 201 hits and 20 blocks, the London, Ontario native finished #2 overall with a whopping 324.4 fantasy points. As to whether or not we can expect similar numbers is uncertain, but he should easily be a lock for over 300 fantasy points, which is rare among forwards. Pick him.
Undervalued: Emils Vilmenietis
Unless you’ve got one of the top 3 picks or the rest of your league lives under a rock Taylor McDavid won’t be available, but don’t be too disheartened as you can likely scoop up his teammate Emils Vilmenietis. Finishing 40th overall last season with 237.4 fantasy points, Emils brings a healthy balance of points and hitting and could prove to be a real steal in the later rounds.
Overvalued: Elyk
Both Vidrik Onoprienko and Elyk had the benefit of sharing a line with Taylor McDavid last season and both capitalized, scoring more than 40 points each. Unfortunately for fantasy owners that select Elyk that’s about all you’ll get as the pure sniper out of Ottawa, Canada was non-existent in peripheral stats last year, finishing with just 1 hit and 5 blocks.
Deep Sleeper: Steve Linkos
With plenty of names to throw around I’m going to go real deep and select Steve Linkos. With just 116.9 fantasy points last season the Syracuse, New York native finished 137th overall, but things could improve next season. He managed to score 19 points with just 14.2 minutes per game played and had decent peripheral stats to boot with 36 hits and 17 blocks.
Goalie Outlook: Lauris Prikulis
/Rob PressenLauris had a solid season last year with 26 wins, 3 shutouts and 1165 saves for a total of 282.75 fantasy points. 15th overall and 3rd among goalies he’ll definitely be selected in this upcoming fantasy draft, but in which round is anyone’s guess. When goalies start to go don’t hesitate to pick this Prelli, Latvia native. He may turn out to be your best selection of the draft. Rob Pressen will likely be sentenced to backup duties and therefore doesn’t carry fantasy value worth noting.
DAY 6:
Texas Renegades The Renegades were one win shy of making the Challenge Cup finals last season and will look to correct that mistake this season. With 7 players inside the top 50, including 4 inside the top 20, the Renegades are a fantasy gold mine.
Leading the way: Shawn Velevra
/Chris PartlowThe line 1 pairing of Shawn and Chris Partlow proved to be too much for most teams to handle as the two combined for over 600 fantasy points. Finishing 3rd and 9th overall respectively and more importantly 1st and 5th amongst defenders you should definitely have these guys on your radar in the 1st round and could qualify as steals as early as round 2.
Undervalued: Logan Valentine/Chuck Goody
If you weren’t fortunate enough to lock up one of two guys above there are still 2 more Renegade defensemen inside the top 50. Logan and Chuck may not possess the same fantasy value, but with 253.8 and 246 fantasy points respectively you could do far worse.
Overvalued: Niklas Stryker
Niklas can score, there’s no doubt about it, but with only 5 hits and 21 blocks last season his 219.5 fantasy points (59th overall) are offense heavy. If he has another 46 points, and more specifically 24 goal season, he’s a viable fantasy option, but it could be risky.
Deep Sleeper: Simon Palat
Finishing with 224 fantasy points and ranked 53rd overall the sniper out of Toronto, Canada and ex-Rage defender is no sleeper, but as the new guy on a team with Velevra, Partlow, Valentine and Goody it should be interesting to see what happens in Texas.
Goalie Outlook: Dymo Ranjan/Igor Ogorodnikov/Jonas Gustavo
The loss of Jordin FourFour is great, but the recent acquirement of Canadian Dymo Ranjan may be enough to cushion the blow. Dymo finished last season with 248.2 fantasy points for 31st overall and 9th among goaltenders, but more importantly he finished with 28 wins, more than anyone not named Weekes. If he can bring that same level of skill to Texas he should finish well within the top 10, possibly top 5. Igor is a very interesting case as he has way more TPE than most backups, but he is a backup nevertheless. Both he and Jonas should be avoided in the fantasy draft as Dymo will take most of the starts.
Minnesota Chiefs With a sparkling 30-17-5 record the Chiefs managed to lock up the #1 seed after winning the tie-breaker with the Hamilton Steelhawks. Unfortunately Hamilton would prove to be the better team in the second round and go on to win the cup. Even with the loss of their #1 fantasy player Chico Salmon to the Admirals, the Chiefs have some serious fantasy weapons.
Leading the way: Alonzo Garbanzo
No surprise here as yet another 300+ fantasy point defenseman leads the way. Alonzo is a fantasy beast. With 42 points, 161 hits and 69 blocks for 303.9 fantasy points. That was good enough for 7th overall and 3rd among defenseman. He’s a late first round selection and should be snatched up immediately if available by round 2.
Undervalued: Tom Sawyer
Not just an amazing song, Tom Sawyer is also a solid fantasy forward. The Dublin, Ireland native finished with 41 points, 157 hits and 7 blocks for a total of 238.3 fantasy points. 39th overall and 8th among all forwards he’s a quality selection for any fantasy team.
Overvalued: Pedro Saranez
The offensive minded sniper out of Dublin, Ireland is just that, a sniper. Although he can put up points with the best of them as seen by reaching the 40 point plateau, the rest of his game just isn't up to the same level from a fantasy standpoint. With only 26 hits and 7 blocks his total fantasy score last season was 174.9, 101th overall.
Deep Sleeper: Chernika Banananov
Short of a name that’s just fun to say, Chernika could provide some sneaky fantasy value next season. With 33 points, 70 hits and 3 blocks he finished 107th overall with a total of 167.5 fantasy points. He played just over 18 minutes per game last season and if that number increases so should his production.
Goalie Outlook: Jordin FourFour/Ryan Winters
The Chiefs may have lost Dymo Ranjan, but you can’t ask for a better fill in than the retired Jordin FourFour. With 26 wins, 2 shutouts and 1160 saves the future hall of famer should finish well with the top 10 goaltenders again next season. Ryan Winters will likely take backup duties and should therefore be avoided.
DAY 7:
Los Angeles Panthers A conference title and run to the finals ended in heartbreak for the Panthers as they ultimately lost to the Steelhawks, but with most, if not all, their core players have returned and are ready for round 2. From a fantasy perspective you can’t go wrong with them either. With 4 players in the top 50, and most importantly 2 in the top 5, the Panthers can definitely help your fantasy team.
Leading the way: Brian Morley
With over 1300TPE and the perfect balance of offense, hitting and blocks the Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario native is fantasy goldmine. Last season Brian finished with a league leading 29 goals, 25 assists, 189 hits and 16 blocks for a total of 319.6 fantasy points. One of only 3 forwards to exceed the 300 point plateau he is a definite first rounder that could rival Taylor McDavid for fantasy #1 forward this season.
Undervalued: Valterri Bottas
He may not hit or block as much as the other top-tier fantasy defensemen on this article, but boy can he score. 2nd in the league scoring among all defensemen with 47 points and decent hitting and blocking totals with 67 and 54 respectively he’s a quality fantasy defenseman you could probably scoop up in the later rounds if you targeted forwards/goalies early on.
Overvalued: Nicholas Pedersen
The Meat Cove, Nova Scotia native tied Bottas last season in points with a very respectable 47, but his hitting and blocking totals of 11 and 13 respectively fall short of making him a viable fantasy option. With three other Panthers forwards (Morley, Skarsgaard and McGraw) finishing with more fantasy points than Nicholas’ 200.9 last season it’d be wise to look elsewhere for that late round fantasy selection.
Deep Sleeper: Jigsaw McGraw
A decent enough segue way to our sleeper selection. Jigsaw, the Belfast, Maine native, may only have 721 TPE and 14 points, but with 148 hits and 61 blocks he has sneaky fantasy value as he finished with 202.7 fantasy points. A forward with block totals as high as his is irregular, but who cares, its fantasy.
Goalie Outlook: Jackson Weekes/Erik Lundqvist
It may have taken 7 days, but we’ve finally reached the #1 fantasy player last season. Jackson Weekes finished with a league leading 30 wins, a league leading 7 shutouts and a very respectable 1131 saves for an incredible 329.65 fantasy points. To put it in perspective the next goalie, CJ James, had 285.05 fantasy points. Whether or not he can repeat is tough to say, but he’s definitely worth the 1st round selection to find out. Meanwhile Lundqvist, although a promising young prospect, is doubtful to get many starts and for that reason alone should be avoiding in the fantasy draft.
Hamilton Steelhawks Here we are, the final team in our fantasy breakdown. Much like the Panthers, the S24 Champs are led by their goalie, however unlike the Panthers their goalie finished outside the top 20 last season fantasy wise. There are definitely a few key guys to target on this team as they begin the long road as reigning champions of the SHL so let’s get going.
Leading the way: Griffin Simons
With more than a point per game Griffin Simons is definitely a name you’re going to see in your fantasy league as early as round 1. His peripheral stats may not compare with some of the other big name forwards, but with 55 points, including 24 goals, you’ll be able to stomach the lack of hits and blocks.
Undervalued: Bubba Nuck
With less than 800TPE and only 22 points, the Konstanz, Germany native is not the first guy you go to in terms of fantasy value, but he more than makes up for it with 116 hits and 57 blocks for a respectable 211.9 fantasy points last season, 65th overall. With so many quality fantasy defensemen in the league and so few spots to fill in your fantasy league Nuck will go largely undrafted, but he may be someone to look forward to in future seasons.
Overvalued: Rider Clitsome
His stat line reads very similar to Griffins, but if you’re going to ignore the peripheral stats you better have amazing point production to be a viable fantasy option in a 48 player league. With 31 points, 37 hits and 9 blocks Rider is on the outside of 100 with 149.3 fantasy points (113th overall) and not your best bet in those late round selections.
Deep Sleeper: Patrick Brumm/Brandon Girard
With a combined 812 TPE the two rookie defensemen are hardly worthy of a fantasy mention, but what is worth mentioning is that the two finished 4th and 1st respectively in the SMJHL fantasy department last season with 288.5 and 320.1 fantasy points. It may take a while for that potential to be realized in the SHL, but these two show glimpses of being future fantasy studs.
Goalie Outlook: Jakob Tanner/Gustav Grimm
As stated in the introduction the Steelhawks fantasy scoring leader last season was its goaltender Jakob Tanner. With 27 wins, 2 shutouts and 1091 saves he had a very respectable fantasy season, finishing 22nd overall and more notably 6th among goaltenders last season. With only 6 spots and being the reigning challenge cup champ he should be drafted in the majority of fantasy leagues. If you happened to wait around on your goalie selection he’ll likely be available too. Meanwhile Gustav Grimm is another case of backup goaltender and should be avoided fantasy wise.
= writers choiceI picked him in my draft
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- Dmoushey_31 - 08-08-2015
Cool idea!
- Leo Senpai - 08-08-2015
Great idea man looks good so far.
- ArGarBarGar - 08-08-2015
Looking forward to reading this.
- karlssens - 08-09-2015
Day 2 up!
- Ohtaay - 08-09-2015
"Deep Sleeper: John Heimer-Schmidt"
Hes been traded to the Rage.
Good article though!
- .bojo - 08-09-2015
JHS is in MAN... :unsure:
Otherwise, good stuff!
- .bojo - 08-09-2015
OHTAAY STOP BEATING ME TO THE POST EVERYTIME.
- vbottas17 - 08-09-2015
Shetler for #1 pick.
- karlssens - 08-09-2015
Looks like i need to do a bit more research...
- Alucard - 08-09-2015
Awesome idea. And potentially useful for those of us who have no idea what to do in the fantasy draft...
- Birks - 08-09-2015
Snubbed from WKP
- r1c3bowl22 - 08-09-2015
JHS isn't on
anymore
- Mook - 08-09-2015
Quote:Originally posted by r1c3bowl22@Aug 9 2015, 07:59 PM
JHS isn't on
Prolly why he's going to do so damn good this season :ph34r:
- Andy - 08-10-2015
Soooo???