Ah, the end of August. I am a former sports atheist surrounded by zealots who love for the game strikes of fundamentalism. The fantasy football people are already running their pre-selection drafts. They’re having a test draft of the real draft. I’ve played poker with most of these people. The faces they put on for a pre-draft are classic. I think Mr. Spock could take a few lessons from the utter lack of emotion as these picks are being made. It did also get me thinking. Hockey season (in theory) is coming up soon, and I was taking a look at my potential pre-draft draft picks. Now there will be players on here that I will omit, not out of ignorance…but I know my luck with fantasy draws. The odds of me scoring those players (who will be mentioned as we go along here) are so low, I don’t want to bring my hopes up by placing them here.
These are the Bruins’ I’ll be trying my best to add to my team this year.
Tuukka Rask Goalie 5 year veteran of the NHL.
It’s offically ‘Tuukka Time’ here at the TD Garden. Tuukka has been a solid performer these last few years for the Bruins.
Last year his numbers (11-8-3), a .929 save percentage, and a 2.05 goals against were solid. A full season performance like that could
earn him his first Vezina Trophy nomination. Tuukka’s size and agility will give us less vulnerability in the crease. The only concern
for Tuukka would be the hip problem coming back or Tuukka’s occasional outburst on the ice. Still, as a fantasy owner, I would be
happy to put this ‘Flying Finn’ on my roster. Boston is betting on Rask to be the future of the team, and if Chiarelli and Neely have
100% confidence in you, its hard not to do the same as an owner here.
Tyler Seguin Forward 2 years in the NHL
Now I know what a lot of you are thinking. Tyler Seguin won’t go early? Are ya friggin nuts?! Now, I know to Bruins Nation thismight sound
slightly heretical, but I had the choice to pick Seguin or Giroux in my pick last year and I went with Claude. There, confession over. #19 was the
Bruins’ leading scorer last season (29 goals, 38 assists). His +/- of +34 was in the top five in theleague. Seguin racked up five of his goals on the
power play, and seven more of them were game winners. Barring a severe injury or a curtailed/suspended season Tyler will very likely have a sixty
plus point season. He has spent the off season getting bigger to makea more physical contribution to the game. In this first list of Bruins players to
watch for ina fantasy league, Tyler is the no-brainer of the lot.
Shawn Thornton Forward 9 years in the UFC, oops NHL.
Now , I don’t know how many of the leagues out there offer much on the incidentals part of the game. If you’re league takes penalties
into account where your teams take the ice, I can’t help but recommend Thorny to you. Yes, Thornton only put up thirteen points
last season. His +/- of 7 was decent, and his short handed penalty goal against the Jets last season gave someone in my league a win.
Where #22 really comes into his own is his ability to scrap for his team. If Thornton drops the gloves, the Bruins win that game 70%
of the time. He did lead the league in fighting majors (20). and his 154 penalty minutes was a goal mine of points. Hey, PIM points
count just as much as the goals and the assists do. A smart owner would see Thornton for the X factor he brings to a game and
should happily scoop them up for their team.
Here’s hoping that the fantasy league goes forward because the real season goes forward.