Take The Quiz To See If You Can Win Your Hockey Pool
- by Chris Roberts
- – on
- in Sports
Fantasy hockey - and fantasy sports in general - is thriving at an unprecedented rate. Sure, we love sports for the entertainment factor, but there's nothing like a little bit of extra competition, especially when there's money involved, to make things a little more exciting. There's a reason it's better to sit in front of the TV and watch sports with $20 on a game than to watch it without anything on the line. With money - or a matchup in fantasy hockey - involved, you're going to become more emotionally invested.
Anyone can play fantasy hockey, but it takes someone with great knowledge of the NHL and its players to win a league championship. While you might have stories of the one guy in your office who won the company league by complete fluke, the people who win fantasy leagues are usually contenders every year. That's because they do the homework and have a solid understanding of who's due for a breakout year and who's due to come back to earth after a career-best season. There's a lot of homework that's required, and while it might be too late for you this season, the following quiz could definitely help you prepare for next year.
Which of these four goaltenders would you pick?
Having the best goaltender in the league for a particular season almost always means you'll have one of the best teams in your fantasy league. Figure this season's statistics in mind when choosing a goaltender instead of past history as name recognition doesn't win fantasy titles.
Which of these four goaltenders would you pick?
As important as it is to have a top-tier goaltender, most leagues require you to have two goaltenders. Some even allow for three. Beyond having a capable second goaltender, depth at the position is vital if your top pick goes down due to injury.
Which of these defensemen would you pick?
Depending on the format of a league, a top-tier defenseman could be just as crucial as a dominant starting goaltender. Forwards might even out among teams, but if you can grab yourself the highest-scoring defenseman, you're going to have a significant edge on the competition.
Which of these defensemen would you pick?
A No. 2 defenseman on NHL teams still plays on the top pair, so having a quality second defenseman in fantasy is just as important as having an impressive No. 1. Injuries happen a lot and you want depth at defense just as much as you want it at other positions.
Which of these defensemen would you pick?
Fantasy leagues are won in the middle rounds of the draft. Anybody can select a high-scoring winger in the first round or two, but it's the hidden gems in the middle rounds that determine who really knows their stuff. This is the pick to take an up-and-coming young player or someone poised for a bounce-back season.
Which of these defensemen would you pick?
We're going with four defenseman for this mock league as most fantasy leagues do. While your fourth defenseman isn't going to put up absurd offensive statistics, you want someone who is reliable and capable of at least providing penalty minutes and a lot of shots as most Yahoo leagues include those statistics.
Which of these left wingers would you pick?
Left wingers aren't just people referred to as snowflakes by Twitter trolls. They're crucial to your success in fantasy, especially in regard to goal-scoring, as most wingers are finishers rather than playmakers. Think Alex Ovechkin, Brad Marchand, and Jamie Benn, among others.
Which of these left wingers would you pick?
Most leagues require you to select at least two players for each forward position, so don't be discouraged if you didn't get the top left winger you wanted. There's plenty of depth in the league at that position. It could also be a big pay off to take a chance on a young player; for instance, rookie Alex DeBrincat of the Chicago Blackhawks has been making owners happy this season.
Which of these centers would you pick?
The obvious choice every year at center for the past decade-plus has been Sidney Crosby or, more recently, Connor McDavid. Both players are slam-dunk picks if they remain healthy, but would you be willing to go off the board? That would take a lot of guts, and sometimes that's what it takes to win your league.
Which of these centers would you pick?
The depth at center in the NHL is so impressive that it's hard to differentiate between certain players, particularly as most of your second center picks would end up in the 50-60 point range or maybe a little higher if you're really lucky.
Which of these right wingers would you pick?
The right wing consists of some of the most dynamic players in the league. Patrick Kane has been a safe pick for quite some time, but Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning is quickly emerging as as a Hart Trophy candidate. Don't forget about Vladimir Tarasenko or Patrik Laine either.
Which of these right wingers would you pick?
Beyond the elite right wingers in the game, there's several young players deserving of recognition who could help lead you to a championship. If you're a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, you might try and grab Mitch Marner or William Nylander, but if you're smart you might also take a look at other options outside the organization.
You draft Victor Hedman and he's to miss one month due to injury. What do you do?
Even if you didn't select him earlier, pretend you did for the purpose of this question. Victor Hedman has been one of the best rearguards this season, but a month-long injury can significantly affect your championship goals. Do you trade him or wait it out?
You draft Carey Price and he struggles badly in the first month. What do you do?
Let's ignore how bad he has been this season. But imagine you draft Price, who is still considered among the league's best, and he struggles as he did to start this season. Do you give up on him or wait for him to turn it around and reap the benefits?
You draft Connor McDavid and he's to miss two months due to injury. What do you do?
Two months lost to injury is roughly one-third of the regular season, so keep that in mind when deciding if you're going to trade someone like McDavid. Would you get proper value in return? Or would it make more sense to wait out the injury and hope he makes up for lost time by helping your playoff push?
If penalty minutes were counted, which player would you take?
As previously mentioned, some leagues count penalty minutes, particularly head-to-head leagues. While fighting is down significantly, there are still a few players in the league who rack up penalty minutes every year. How well do you know your goons and agitators?
Which rookie forward would you take if forced to pick one?
The NHL is increasingly becoming a young man's game and, as such, rookies are thriving at an unprecedented level. Some leagues might require you to take rookies, but it's often smart to do so anyway in hopes of finding a hidden gem.
Which rookie forward would you take if forced to pick one?
Chances are you wouldn't take two rookie forwards if you had championship aspirations, but let's just say this league required you to. It's easy to anticipate which rookie might be worth taking if you only had to choose one, but a real fantasy champion would have no trouble picking a reliable second rookie.
Which rookie defenseman would you take if forced to pick one?
Rookie defensemen are a different animal. Whereas forwards can come into the league and make an impact at 18 and 19 years old, most defenseman don't make their NHL debuts until at least 21 years old. Which of these players would you rely on to help win your fantasy league?
How many trades would you make in a season?
If you've been in a fantasy league you know there's really only two types of general managers: ones who stay quiet all year in trade chatter and ones who makes 50-plus trades per season. Neither strategy is right or wrong, but it does say a lot about your fantasy strategy.
Which bench forward would you draft?
We've reached the exciting part of the draft where you need to start filling out your bench. Don't pass this part over, however, as it can be the difference between a playoff and non-playoff team. They're going to be in your lineup occasionally and even more frequently if one of your players suffers an injury.
Which bench forward would you draft?
The same logic applies to this selection. There's no throw-away picks in fantasy leagues, especially hockey where injuries occur frequently. The last player you pick might end up playing a significant role in helping your team win a fantasy championship.
Which bench forward would you draft?
We've reached the real bottom of the barrel in regard to forwards, but again don't gloss over this choice. There's a player among the four that is likely going to produce more each season than his peers and you need that player on your team.
Which bench defenseman would you draft?
A fifth defenseman is necessary for the same reason as extra forwards. There's going to be injuries and there's going to be poor play. One of the first four defensemen you selected might struggle mightily out of the gate and you're going to need reinforcements.
Which bench goalie would you draft?
Depending on the league, two goalies might be all you need, but many allow you to keep one in a bench spot. A lot of managers like the security in knowing they have a third option between the pipes; in fact, teams that have three starting goaltenders already have an inside edge at leading head-to-head matches in goaltender wins.
