With the fantasy hockey season winding down, managers in keeper leagues need to start considering players to bring over to the 2009-2010 season. This is the third segment in a multi-part series exploring keeper options at defense for keeper leagues.
Bryan McCabe | Florida Panthers
With Jay Bouwmeester out of Florida, the Panthers will rely heavily on Bryan McCabe to bring offense from the point in 2009-2010. We know McCabe has the offensive mind to run a power play, and with Florida becoming a stronger and stronger team, he certainly has a nice upside over the next 2 seasons. The only downside is that Tomas Kaberle is not in Florida to share the point with him, so don’t go expecting point totals like we saw after the lockout. Still, he may jive with Keith Ballard and could be a good option for a couple years. Plus he can rack up the PIMs, so he may not be a bad option for keeper leagues that weigh in heavily on penalty minutes.
Dennis Wideman | Boston Bruins
Heading into last season, there were quite a few fantasy managers skeptical of Wideman’s pre-season ranking. In several services, he was ranked among the top 100 players available for a draft, and after posting just 36 points the season prior, it left many managers scratching their heads. Wideman, however, lived up to the hype, posting 50 points and a +32 rating. Now, Wideman is somewhat of a product of where he is playing, but being locked into a good team for the next couple of years isn’t a bad thing if 2008-2009 is any indication of his offensive potential. Hang on to Wideman for another year or two, and if he doesn’t re-up with Boston, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to sell him high for more solidified name.
Lubomir Visnovsky | Edmonton Oilers
Don’t forget about Visno! An injury last season shelved him after just 50 games, but make no mistake: he has a top offensive mind and is a serious serviceable option for managers looking for some zest from the point. He’ll be in good company on the power play with Sheldon Souray and as long as he is healthy, has the potential to rack up the points. The only reason why he isn’t among the solid candidates is because the top 4 defenders in Edmonton (Souray, Visnovsky, Gilbert and Grebeshkov) all have pretty good offensive upsides, so being in a saturated market may take away from his production a scoatch.
Ryan Suter | Nashville Predators
If you’re unable to get your hands on Shea Weber, certainly consider his power play running mate Ryan Suter. He has shown offensive improvement in every season and should be sharing the spotlight on the blue line this season with Weber. The two could turn into quite the offensive tandem, so take note. He has the point potential and penalty minutes to be considered a well rounded fantasy candidate. Just watch that +/-.
Marek Zidlicky | Minnesota Wild
It was really difficult not putting Brent Burns on this list, but with the inconsistencies he has had early on, it’s difficult to get a grasp on what his future looks like. Good thing the Wild have Zidlicky to produce from the point if Burns fails to live up to the hype. Zids has produced extremely well in his short NHL career and would be a great option for those managers who have placed a tremendous amount of emphasis on forwards in previous years .Look for him to command the power play again this season in Minnesota.
Kimmo Timonen | Philadelphia Flyers
Despite Chris Pronger making an unexpected appearance in Philly, Timonen’s fantasy value is still relatively good, so try not to overlook him if you’re struggling to make a decision. The Flyers have an extremely potent offense, so whether it be in even strength situations or on the power play, Timo should be able to produce similar numbers as last year; maybe even a little better if they run 2 defenders on the point during the power play.
Ryan Whitney | Anaheim Ducks
With Pronger in Philadelphia, Whitney will be Scott Niedermayer’s partner on the point this season in Anaheim. He has an appealing offensive upside but some managers may overlook Whitney because of his injury last season. He showcased his talents early on in his career in Pittsburgh and should be able to reach similar point totals in Anaheim as a power play quarterback, especially with the uncertainty of Niedermayer’s career after this season. Anaheim will have some serious offensive firepower in 2009-2010, so don’t hesitate to hang on to Whitney if you were savvy enough to stash him last season.
Saucerpass is currently running a keeper league series uncovering different levels of players at all 5 positions. We have already looked at goaltenders left wingers and centers, and will continue to breakdown every position until we’ve covered most options for next season:
Keeper Defenders for 2009-2010
Top Tier Defenders
Solid Defenders
Keeper Centers for 2009-2010
Top Tier Centers
Solid Centers
Serviceable Centers
Questionable Centers
Keeper Left Wingers for 2009-2010
Top Tier Left Wingers
Solid Left Wingers
Serviceable Left Wingers (Part 1)
Serviceable Left Wingers (Part 2)
Questionable Left Wingers (Part 1)
Questionable Left Wingers (Part 2)
Keeper Goaltenders for 2009-2010
Top Tier Goaltenders
Solid Goaltenders
Serviceable Goaltenders
Questionable Goaltenders (Part 1)
Questionable Goaltenders (Part 2)
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