NHL Fantasy League thread 8

[Asher]

Still not a big deal considering how valuable they are.

Iginla is a bit pricey at $7M, but he does a lot more than score. He's one of the best defensive forwards as well. He does so many things so very well. All-around a great player and a great leader.

[Ninot]

Terrible for fantasy hockey though

I traded him for Marek Svatos though, in my keeper league

[Asher]

I'm surprised you haven't mentioned how much Phaneuf will cost in a few years. He'll be a franchise defenceman.

The Flames have a Franchise forward (Iginla), Franchise defenceman (Phaneuf), and Franchise goaltender (Kipper).

Edmonton has...Pronger?

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Asher

Kipper is a positional and reactional goalie with an uncanny ability to read plays.

Kipper is in a zone. How long that lasts, nobody knows. It's never lasted that long for anyone in the past. Everyone has their pumpkin date.

Roloson reminds me of Turek more than anyone else.

Rolly isn't Kipper, and nobody ever said he was.

He's a solid goalie technically, but also prone to tired goals. After the goalie carosel earlier, I think MacT went too far the other way in not ever resting Rollie.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Asher
I'm surprised you haven't mentioned how much Phaneuf will cost in a few years. He'll be a franchise defenceman.

The Flames have a Franchise forward (Iginla), Franchise defenceman (Phaneuf), and Franchise goaltender (Kipper).

Edmonton has...Pronger?

[Asher]

Originally posted by notyoueither
Kipper is in a zone. How long that lasts, nobody knows. It's never lasted that long for anyone in the past. Everyone has their pumpkin date.

He's been in a zone now for 3 years? Maybe it's more than that.

He's a solid goalie technically, but also prone to tired goals. After the goalie carosel earlier, I think MacT went too far the other way in not ever resting Rollie.

They're not tired goals, they're soft, lazy, backbreaking goals. And that's the kind of thing that you can't tell with statistics -- how clutch they are.

This is why Kipper is good:

Uses sound positioning to play an effective stand-up style. Isn't easily rattled and is able to bounce back from a bad goal. Owns ice water for veins.

(from TSN.ca's player profile scouting report)

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Asher

He's been in a zone now for 3 years? Maybe it's more than that.

2. You forget that SJ traded him middle of last season.

You aren't suggesting that Kipper was this good in SJ, are you?

They're not tired goals, they're soft, lazy, backbreaking goals. And that's the kind of thing that you can't tell with statistics -- how clutch they are.

No. The back breaking goals were the ones coming early on when the Oil were 2-2 or 3-2 and Markannen would let in a laugher.

Rollie is tired right now. Has been for several games. He lets in 1 bad one and then slams the door. Still has very good stats despite no rest.

This is why Kipper is good:

(from TSN.ca's player profile scouting report)

This is why Kipper is good now. I'd be very surprised to see any player play their entire career in the headspace of their glory years. For most goalies, it's a matter of how long it lasts.

[Asher]

Originally posted by notyoueither
2. You forget that SJ traded him middle of last season.

You aren't suggesting that Kipper was this good in SJ, are you?

I'm suggesting he was excellent last year in Europe as well. He was.

Rollie is tired right now. Has been for several games. He lets in 1 bad one and then slams the door. Still has very good stats despite no rest.

Kipper plays more than Rollie and he has a nagging hip problem.

This is why Kipper is good now. I'd be very surprised to see any player play their entire career in the headspace of their glory years. For most goalies, it's a matter of how long it lasts.

Hasek? Brodeur?

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Asher
Kipper plays more than Rollie and he has a nagging hip problem.

Kipper's back up has played since Rollie got to Edmonton. Nobody other than Rollie has played, including back to backs.

He's tired. I've seen that.

Hasek? Brodeur?

And neither one carries their team singlehandedly year after year after year. Each has had down years.

You suppose Kipper is going to be this good for the next 5 years without letup?

You'll be lucky to see him repeat next year. Well, I wouldn't really say lucky. If they have to renegotiate near the end of the run, you could end up with an albatross around Calgary's neck.

6 or 8 mil a year for 5 years with a suddenly mortal goalie would be too funny.

[Asher]

You'll be lucky to see him repeat next year. Well, I wouldn't really say lucky.

First it was "Kipper doesn't have any experience in the playoffs!"

Then it was "Kipper was a flash in the pan!"

And now it's next year.

And next year, Edmonton is going to be a huge powerhouse with their hugely talented players too!

Too funny.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by notyoueither
6 or 8 mil a year for 5 years with a suddenly mortal goalie would be too funny.

Maybe they could ship him off to Colorado if that happens

[Zylka]

Kipper is in a zone. How long that lasts, nobody knows. It's never lasted that long for anyone in the past. Everyone has their pumpkin date.

Why Kipper's been so successful goes beyond his own stand alone attributes. If you look at any team in the NHL today - it's clear that the Calgary Flames are one of, if not the most beneficial team for a goalie to play for; in simple terms of an attacking workload being muted.

By stats alone, Ottawa would speak as the most beneficial overall "style" for goaltender interests. Yet given their slight overshadowing of Calgary with pure offensive talent, along with the relative weakness of the Eastern Division - a lot of analysts will just as soon argue for the Flames as the best overall support.

Everybody knows the Flames both pride and bolster themselves on a system of grinding defence. The game is bogged down to low amounts of (direct) shots, and an even lower ratio of scoring - all directed by their coached strategy. If it's not a triad of defensive red and black stuffing up a central route to the Calgary net at all times; it's one of the defensive forwards laying down on the ice and sticking their cup out to a potential slapshot during an opponent powerplay.

Ever notice how an extremely slanted proportion of the shots on Calgary's net come suddenly and from the most difficult angle? It's because the Flames' defensive system is geared towards bogging down every other option. In effective summation - Kippersoff is not only an unbelievable, top 3 goalie within the league; the shots he has to deal with more often than not are filtered to low(er) glances from an abnormal approach. Factor in the "open net" situations he's so often approached with when the puck glances or slips off an angled mishap - and the guy looks like a roman god having to do the splits 5 times in a game to save his teams' collective as*.

Again, as disclaimer... Mika K. is unreal, and definitely a top 3 talent - but he's not yet Superman. Watch most of the Calgary shoot-outs this season, and some of his more human vulnerabilities on the normal approach come clear.

I mean - does anyone really think the guy would have racked up 10+ shut outs this season with, say; Carolina? Just as many wins, sure - but not the same level of blank out opportunity.

He benefits from the style of the Calgary Flames club just as the Calgary Flames benefit from the pure talent of Mika Kippersoff. Of course he's been the stronger half in that deal, and it's beyond saying that the Flames wouldn't have made the playoffs with a goalie of mediocre abilities.

Still.. we have not perfected him yet. And it will be interesting to see how stats might change against the Finnish Cat should Calgary see a post Stanley Cup coach change.

OTHER amazing Goalies of the 2006 season:

Thomas Vokoun
Manny Legace
Cristobal Huet
Ray Emery

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Asher

First it was "Kipper doesn't have any experience in the playoffs!"

Then it was "Kipper was a flash in the pan!"

And now it's next year.

And next year, Edmonton is going to be a huge powerhouse with their hugely talented players too!

Too funny.

I never said either of the first two.

I have said the Oilers have a bright future if they develop these players.

Yuk it up.

[Zylka]

The Oilers have all the right pieces

They just don't fit together

In any case, an admirable job keeping Van out of the playoffs. Now be sure to get your **** together against Detroit.. we're thirsty for a battle of Alberta

[notyoueither]

I agree about Kipper and how he fits with Sutter's system, but Kipper has gone way beyond fitting, and taken it to another level.

I just don't know how long anyone can stay in that headspace to be that good game in, game out forever.

Sooner or later his focus is going to move. Life. Kids. Fast women. Whatever, but he is not going to reproduce the last season and a half for an entire career. That I'll lay odds on.