It’s September & Things Are Only Going To Get Hotter From Here In Phoenix
Club: Phoenix Coyotes
Fantasy Impact Rating: Hot
Superstars: Olli Jokinen
Big Producers: Peter Mueller, Ed Jovanovski, Shane Doan
Mid-Level Flyers: Martin Hanzal, Daniel Carcillo
Rookies/Prospects: Kyle Turris, Mikkel Boedker, Al Montoya
Sleepers: Enver Lisin, Keith Yandle
Avoid the Hype: None
Analysis:
The Phoenix Coyotes may turn a few heads in 2008-2009. Off-season acquisitions and budding prospects have made the ‘Yotes a hotbed for fantasy players in the upcoming season. Phoenix’s top line may be amongst the best in the league. Olli Jokinen centers veteran Shane Doan and rising star Peter Mueller on a monster of a first line. Jokinen should go in the early stages of the 2nd round in a 12 manager league. Granted, center is a plentiful position, but if you have a later pick in the first round, you may want to consider Jokinen first, and nab a more valued positional player with your turnaround pick (maybe a lefty or a tender). Doan may drop to the latter half of the 4th round and on into the 5th, but make no mistake: he’ll be good for 80-90 points this season (if healthy) and could be considered a steal if he drops to the latter half of the early rounds. Mueller is coming off an impressive first season in Phoenix and shows all the characteristics of a rising star. With loads of talent to his left, he should easily surpass last season’s 54 point mark, and could top out at around 70 points. His numbers last year may contribute to him going slightly higher than some may anticipate, but keep in the back of your mind that this will be Mueller’s second season. If you’re a superstitious manager, you may want to think twice before you pull the trigger on this sophomore. You’ll likely see two of these guys, if not all three manning the Coyote’s power play, so consider all three players must owns in any format.
Phoenix’s second line is full of potential and could produce ridiculous results. Kyle Turris will start the season with Mikkel Boedker to his left and veteran goon Todd Fedoruk to his right. It’s difficult to say what Boedker will do without development time in the minors, but hopefully he’ll gel with his linemates and feed off of the crafty hands of Kyle Turris. Turris has the potential of putting up at 60-70 points in his debut season. However, it would be a safe bet to peg him at around 50 points for now. Still, not bad for a second line rookie center. You may be able to snag Turris in middle rounds. If you’re a believer in rookie talent, then Turris may be a player you want to grab in an early-middle round but be patient with him during the season. It may take some time for Turris to come into his own, so make sure that you have a solid 2nd, and maybe even a 3rd center option before you go relying on a rookie for production. He may very well be the Nick Backstrom of 2008-2009, so stick with him. Don’t go factoring Fedoruk into your plans too heavily. He’s probably only on the 2nd line to offer experience to the two young players. You’ll most likely see him shuffled back mid-season or so. Unless your league weighs in heavily on PIMs, stay away from Fedoruk.
If Phoenix’s first two lines fail them, they may be able to rely on some production from their third line. Martin Hanzal, who is still developing into a great player, is a nice option at center. He was slightly inconsistent last season and will be coming off back surgery this off-season, so if you’re a Martin Hanzal fan, make sure you proceed with caution as he is questionable to start training camp with the team. Enver Lisin will be on Hanzal’s right side, and is a bit of a sleeper for the upcoming season. Lisin has amazing potential and may feed off a young, talented player like Hanzal. You could easily nab Lisin in one of the last rounds of the draft and sit on him until he heats up. As the season progresses, don’t be surprised if you see Lisin jump up to the second line. If he can prove himself to be a speedy, physical goal scorer like he has shown us playing in Russia, you may have a late round stud on your hands. Across the ice on the left wing is a near carbon copy of Sean Avery. Daniel Carcillo pummeled opponents last season and notched a few goals to boot. If he can stay healthy (which is tough to say when a guy drops his gloves as much as him) for the majority of the season, Carcillo could put up about 35 points and 200+ penalty minutes. One thing to consider before adding Carcillo to your team is that last season, he was sent to the minors for a short period to “clean up his game.” Whether that plays a role in how he approaches things this year remains a mystery. However, a 35 point player that hovers around 200 penalty minutes is a viable candidate for the 3rd or 4th line lefty option on any fantasy team.
The Coyote defense is anchored by a few fantasy worthy defenders you may want to consider drafting in 2008-2009. Ed Jovanovski has had some health issues in the past several seasons, but showed up big time last year and when healthy, is their number one guy. Jovo rattled off 51 points last season and although he’s not much of a power play producing defenseman, expect him to hover around that 50 point mark again this season. Another sleeper amongst the ‘Yotes is Keith Yandle. Yandle is a young offensive defenseman looking to crack top pairing on the power play. He’s got the potential to run Phoenix’s power play if he proves himself early on. If your league runs an extra defender, he may not be a bad depth option to sit on and watch develop. Until he takes control of that power play, however, treat him as an option only in the deepest of leagues.
Goaltending:
Situation: Solid
Grade: B+
1. Ilya Bryzgalov
2. Mikael Tellqvist
Ilya Bryzgalov will be between the pipes again this upcoming season for Phoenix. With an improved team around Ilya this season, he will definitely be worth making a solid number 2 option on your fantasy team. Bryzgalov posted a 2.44 goals against with a .920 save percentage last season, which by no stretch is a terrible effort. The team elements would lead us to believe that he could polish that goals against and save percentage, and probably nab a few more wins in the process. If Bryzgalov were to go down during the season, Tellqvist would take over, but more importantly, it may open the door for Al Montoya to snag a few starts and show us what he’s got. Montoya wasn’t going to get any serious recognition in New York with Lundy playing almost every game, so he was sent west to develop in Phoenix’s system. Bryzgalov is a great option for the team right now, and will be for the next couple of seasons, but he certainly isn’t a franchise goaltender. Montoya may be. If you’re in a keeper/dynasty league, he may be worth a look long term.
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