I am happy to report the first trade has happened in my Keeper League.

One of the GMs is the father of one of the children, who attends my wife’s daycare. He asked me about Kimmo Timonen, defenceman for the Philadelphia Flyers. Timonen is off to a fast start with 5 points this season. The other GM has a weak defence and needed to make a deal.

So I was feeling like a GM. I looked over my roster and decided to offer a package.

Scott Gomez (Mtl)
Kimmo Timonen (Phi)
For
Marc Savard (Bos)
10th Round Draft Pick

After many counter-offers back and forth, we settled on the deal originally offered.

I knew I did not want to give up a solid point producing defenceman without replacing him. I made a call to another GM in the league that I knew liked Marc Savard. I did not need another scoring forward and wanted to move him to acquire two needs. This GM and I had been talking about Brain Campbell (Chi) a while back. This player would replace Timonen. I wanted to also resolve my goaltending issue, as I have Lundqvist as my #1 and needed a more reliable #2.

My options I currently have for #2 are: Vokoun (FL), Howard (Det) and Mason (StL).

I offered the deal and it was accepted: Savard (Bos) & Vokoun (FL) for Campbell (Chi) and Leclaire (Ott).

So after both deals were done, I sat back and realized that I have bolstered my defence and provided a better option for the #2 goalie on my team.

I expect these two deals to start trade talk among other GMs in the league. The Keeper league is very different from year to year, as you have to think about next season and beyond.

My updated team after the deals:

Currently scoring for me:

F - Backstrom (Was), Kopitar (LA), St Louis (TB), Nash (Clb), Dubinsky (NYR), Plekanec (Mtl), Lecavalier (TB), Kariya (StL), Comrie (Edm)
D – Doughty (LA), Goncher (Pit), Niedermayer (Ana), Campbell (Chi)
G – Lundqvist (NYR), Leclaire (Ott)

Currently not scoring for me:

F – Brown (LA), Van Riemsdyk (Phi), Filppula (Det), Horcoff (Edm), Hanzal (Phx), Clowe (SJ)
D – Spacek (Mtl), Russell (Clb)
G – Mason (StL)

On the farm

F – Giroux (Phi), B Schenn (LA), Perron (StL)
G – Howard (Det)

I sit in first place 9 points up on second, 16 points on third. We will see how the weekend treats me. Wish me luck.

Posted by Trevor Fuchs

It was a busy weekend on the home front. I had the Keeper Draft on Friday night; my son took priority Saturday and finally Sunday a trip to Cobourg to see the in-laws. Where do the weekends go?

The draft took only 3 hours to draft 290 players (29 players per general manager).

Round One Results:

1. Ovechkin (Was)
2. Malkin (Pit)
3. Crosby (Pit)
4. Getzlaf (Ana)
5. Backstrom (Was)
6. Thornton (SJ)
7. Datsyuk (Det)
8. Parise (NJ)
9. Heatley (SJ)
10. Iginla (Cgy)

The only surprise, in my opinion, was the selection of Parise, as I think he will be good for 70 points this year. Goalies were not taken until round two, where Miika Kiprusoff was taken 13th overall. The “goalie train” did not happen, with only one other goalie Fleury (Pit) going in round two. I was able to land Lundqvist with the 45th pick (4th round). Mike Green (Was) was taken (3rd Round) 33rd overall as the first defenceman, with Dion Phaneuf (Cgy) going 34th.

The league had some discussion before we drafted on our current point system:

Forwards/Defence – 1 point per Goal and 1 point per Assist
Goalies – 2 points for Win, -1 for Loss and 4 for Shutout

Some general managers brought up scoring, penalty minutes, and/or plus/minus. We agreed to stay at the current point system created by the President

**A little tip for your first Keeper Pool is to keep the statistics very basic. During your first off season, you can decide if you would like to make changes to statistics/rules, etc.

Here is the team I ended up with:

Forwards

Backstrom (Was), Lecavalier (TB), Nash (Clb), St Louis (TB), Kopitar (LA), Giroux (Phi), Perron (STL), Brown (LA), vanRiemsdyk (Phi), Comrie (Edm), Gomez (Mtl), Horcoff (Edm), Kariya (STL), Dubinsky (NYR), Plekanic (Mtl), Hanzal (Phx), Filipula (Det), Clowe (SJ), B. Schenn (LA)

Defence

Gonchar (Pit), Niedermayer (Ana), Doughty (LA), Spacek (Mtl), Timonen (Phi), Russell (Clb)

Goalies

Lundqvist (NYR), Mason (STL), Vokoun (FL), Howard (Det)

My team score is my top scoring 9 forwards, 4 defence and 2 goalies. The rest of my roster collect points and can be used to trade and improve a weaker area for your team.

At the end of the year we protect 5 players (any position) and up to 4 minor players (have not played over 150 games in the NHL for forwards/defence and over 75 games NHL for goalies).

Stay tuned for updates on league business or rumors/trades, etc

Posted by Trevor Fuchs

It is Friday Oct 2, 2009 and the day has come to start the Fantasy Hockey Keeper Pool. I have spoken to the general managers of the league I am in and have put together a rough idea of who is being drafted in the first round.

1. Alex Ovechkin (Big Surprise)
2. Evgeni Malkin
3. Sidney Crosby
4. Pavel Datsuyk
5. Niklas Backstrom (Mini-Ovechkin)
6. Ryan Getzlaf
7. Corey Perry
8. Jarome Iginla
9. Joe Thornton
10. Dany Heatley

This is obviously a list that could change during the day. We start the draft at 7:30pm tonight.

In a keeper-style draft, general managers are looking for a surefire franchise forward capable of coming close to 100 points in the first round. As you see in the list above, most of the players indicated have a chance this year for that 100 point mark.

I expect the biggest trend (the goalie train) in most fantasy hockey pools will start in Round 2. All it takes is one general manager to say “I will be taking a goalie” and the flood gates open - all of a sudden 6 of the top 10 goalies are gone.

The general manager must decide to ignore the goalies and continue to stock up on forwards and defence or take a goalie from a favorable NHL team. This decision is the hardest part of the draft, as every general manager would like to have a Brodeur, Nabokov or Luongo on their team.

The number one rule in a Keeper Hockey Pool is not to panic. Draft the next best point player you identified weeks ago and do not fall into the trap of taking a goalie because other general managers are taking one.

There are some quality goalies playing with NHL teams that will be close to 35-40 wins (Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington and Montreal). Names like Price, Huet, Emery or Theodore/Varlamov are not “sexy” picks although they will fit nicely on your team. The difference of Nabakov to Emery might mean 20 points. If you drafted solid point-producing forwards early instead of “boarding the train” then that more then makes up for the goalie concern.

Another trend that can happen is defencemen and this is the biggest mistake you could make in a keeper draft. The top defencemen will outscore the majority of the league’s defencemen by 20 points at most. This year alone there will be plenty of “D” to choose from who are all capable of 40 points or more. Draft the defencemen when you get into the point range of 30-50, as Mike Green from Washington came out of nowhere a few years ago and if you draft solid 30-50 point defence and if they score more points then that is a bonus and you will have clear sailing to the top of the pack.

Stay true to your planning and wish me luck!

Posted by Trevor Fuchs

After reading my first few blogs, I realized that some in the reading community may not have grasped the keeper league idea. For this reason, I’ve decided to dedicate this post to supplying a bit more information about what a keeper league is and how you, the illustrious reader, can get involved:

What is a fantasy hockey keeper league?

The simple answer is that a fantasy hockey keeper league is a hockey pool that continues from year to year. The keeper league creates an off-season for “poolies” to help with the inconvenience of the real NHL off-season. A keeper league requires each manager use the players from the first-year draft and protect a designated amount of their team over to the following season. Each keeper league created is truly unique and, for this reason, the experience is more rewarding than regular pools out there today.

What type of managers should join a fantasy hockey keeper league?

The short answer to that question is anyone that is willing to take on the responsibility of owning a team can join a fantasy hockey keeper league. It is not as simple as drafting a team and watching to see how it pans out at the end of the year. You need to ensure they understand the scope of what they are signing up for.

What is involved in participating in a fantasy hockey keeper league?

During the season, a big part of the process is wrapped up in watching your team’s progress and deciding, like any real NHL team, if you are going to make a run for the prize at the end of the year or sell off your assets to obtain young unproven talent and draft picks. Do you make the big trade to land the superstar that puts you over the top? These are some of the things you need to be ready for in a keeper league.

Once the season is over, you will need to keep your eyes on news and player updates to help make the correct decision on whom to protect for the next season and who you release back into the draft. In some keeper leagues, you can trade once the season is over.

A little note for the newcomers to keeper leagues: ensure you have a period of no transactions and a league shutdown. This shutdown allows everyone a chance to step away for a while and come back hungry for more of the action.

What does it take to run a successful fantasy hockey keeper league?

A successful keeper league starts with finding someone willing to be the president and arrange the initial drafting location, finding committed managers, signing up for stat collection service, creating the league scoring system, establishing league rules, and creating a fun atmosphere.

If you are organized and versed in the hockey world, a presidential role may be for you. Being a good president means checking in with every team from time to time, especially in the off season and ensuring they have the best opportunity to compete.

What are the benefits of being in this type of league?

If you ever wanted to learn more about hockey pools, watch highlights and get to know all the teams and players, this is the type of league for you. By watching your drafted players, it will help you enjoy the hockey more (if that’s even possible) and really make those Saturday nights enjoyable. I love nothing more than watching the Leafs play and getting some emails about trade considerations.

The keeper league extending into a good portion of the NHL off-season keeps your mind fresh and in tune to what is happening around the NHL and how this affects your keeper league team. It adds more fun that a pool that you change opponents every year. You can even create a keeper league cup and the winner parades around with it for a year.

What is a farm club system and how does that work in a fantasy hockey keeper league?

Almost every keeper league has a farm club system or minor league system in place. You can have players assigned to the farm club/minor system and protect them without anyone else being able to draft them the following year. Each keeper league is different, of course, and some keeper leagues will allow you to bring them up to your active roster.

You can also use your “blue chip” minors to attract some big name talent in a trade to help your active roster win the championship.

What are some of the unique rules created for a fantasy hockey keeper league?

As I’ve mentioned, each league is different. Some of the more common rules are:

- the teams who finish out of the prizes are added to a weighted lottery for 1st pick following season
- draft picks carry a point value (i.e. 1st round 50 points) to help with trades meeting the point difference condition
- if a player is not scoring in your active roster and you trade the player you must trade the points as well

The main thing to remember always if you are the president is to have fun and ensure everyone is fair to the league and has fun at the same time. Remember to keep it simple and you will be “keeping” your keeper league for a long time.

Wish me luck as you all may or may not know my fantasy hockey keeper league drafts on Friday. I am drafting fifth overall!

Posted by Trevor Fuchs

Hello Again,

Well it has been a week or so since the last Fantasy Keeper Pool update. As you all know I am attempting to have a successful start.

I last left you with the issue of trades and am happy to report it has been resolved in time. To make a long story short (trust me I can make a long story longer), the trading of the player and the points was the only way around the issue. However, staying up many a night figured out the solution to trading a player and not his points away.

I think I have about 80 pages of sample trades and figuring out the point transfer that would not be confusing or at the very worst gives people an excuse not to trade.

Trading is such an important part of any pool. You want enough trades to create drama although you do not want a landslide. I think I have found a happy balance.

The system is very simple:

- draft 29 players (25 for team and 4 for Minor Squad)
- you score based on Top 9 Forwards, 4 Defencemen & 2 Goalies
- trading includes next year’s draft picks (point values assigned to draft picks based on round)

Where the old pool I was part of went wrong:

- trading of players and points the player obtained
- no lottery for last place (whoever finished last obtained the 1st pick)
- you could easily trade yourself into 1st place by trading points with player
- not enough money prizes caused people to tank by November of that year

I think the role of the president is to find a happy balance and the former president found the easy way out and traded players and points. I do not disagree with his decision because I endured the many late nights (sorry to my wife again) and figured a solution so as not to have the same issues arise in this new league. You have to want to find a better alternative, so I am already coming up with ideas for the new season in 2010/2011.

I do worry that with new rules in place around the trading will cause people to become confused and hesitant. However, I think once we get rolling it will become clear to them and the trades will happen. When I joined the other pool the minor team system confused the heck out of me. It took a few months and I became comfortable.

The funniest part of the numbers pull to set the 1st year order was the top 2 picks went to the newest GMs. Both are not as familiar with pools and were watching for point updates as the scores rolled in. The good news is they both will have a solid player to set the tone for thier teams.

October 2nd is fast approaching and I have been on the phone obtaining chairs and tables, as I have been relegated to the basement as the wife has another party with the girls that night. I guess it is the least I can do for all the time spent on my new hobby.

I still am picking 5th and, since I did not receive responses on whom YOU think I should take, I do know that Ovy, Malkin, Crosby will be gone. I am not sure who the 4th pick is taking, as he is keeping it under wraps. I have decided that Ryan Getzlaf or Pavel Datsyuk will be my choice.

I will be sending my thoughts on trends in drafting later this week. I will discuss the perils of drafting defence too early and the goalie train!!!

Posted by Trevor Fuchs

Hello Hockey Pool Community,

My name is Trevor Fuchs and this will be my first official blog! I am very happy to be blogging on what I have come to believe is the easiest and most customizable website for running an NHL hockey pool.

I never thought about blogging much, but I’ve seen and read plenty of other blogs out there. I figured since I give up my life and time away from my wife and child (the little 16 month old monster) for every hockey season, I might as well entertain the blogger world (or bore you all the same).

My main focus over the next while will be to take you on a first hand account of my very own keeper pool – Year 1. You might be scratching your head why I am only in the first year, so keep reading….

The biggest part of any new NHL season is always the hockey pools and planning for it. Usually by August I start chomping at the bit for my hockey pools. I stick usually to one only because I don’t want to start cheering against myself. Low and behold, I am preparing for my NHL hockey pool as I write this. It is amazing how simple a draft should be, yet hours and hours of reading (go figure I read something) and preparation go into it.

The newest trend in hockey pools are keeper leagues. You start to wonder why keeper pools have not taken hold of the “poolies” world by storm yet. I can tell you from experience is that various factors go into the success or failure of a keeper pool.

I was part of a keeper league for 1.5 years, but the league folded mid 2008/2009 season. I really enjoyed the league and only because of certain GM’s and a lack of organization did the league fail. I was determined to make it right, as I believe a keeper pool is better than any other pool on the market. I hope to have everything in place by October 2, 2009. The wife was thrilled when I told her of my project.

Last night while sitting with a fellow GM we discussed the upcoming draft and rules layout. He then drops a bombshell on me that required a two hour discussion session with the two of us and one other GM by phone. I will save the problem and comment on a future blog as to the resolution.

Oh and something just crossed my mind that I would like some input – based on my draft position #5 should I take a Forward (Goals & Assists) or should I take a Goalie (Wins, Losses & Shutouts) – I have an idea who I am taking do you??

Obviously I am not under any delusion that Crosby, Malkin or Ovechkin will be there at #5

Needless to say I was up past bedtime again last night – sorry to my wife….. It is hockey season!!!

Posted by Trevor Fuchs.

For all you poolies out there and for all the Red Wings fans, this isn’t good news. Winger Johan Franzen is set to miss 3-4 weeks of action due to a knee injury.

“The Mule” was an exciting pick to start the year off with, a nice player with tremendous upside. Franzen wowed everybody during the playoffs at the conclusion of last season, racking up major points and pretty much being everywhere at once. As a result, many hockey poolers picked the player purposely to perfect their pool proclivities.

I know I did…

The technical stuff: Franzen suffered a left knee sprain, affecting his medial collateral ligament, in a game against the Blackhawks on Saturday after colliding with defenceman Brent Sopel at 6:55 of the second period.

Franzen headed back to Detroit for tests on Sunday while the rest of the club headed to Los Angeles for a game against the Kings tonight. The Franzen-less Red Wings are obviously still an incredibly threatening team and, as predicted here and damn well everywhere else with a pulse and an internet connection, will win the Stanley Cup again.

But it still stings to be missing Franzen and a month’s worth of action is a considerable length of time, especially for a player of his caliber who functions on motivation and momentum to such a considerable degree.

Franzen had, in eight games so far this season, potted five goals and two helpers. He will be missed.

When it comes to making playoff predictions, it isn’t exactly rocket science. It’s more of an art form; a unique sort of spiritual union with nature that can only be achieved by those among us who have been blessed with the sanguine forbearance with which to envisage the outcome of hockey games. I guess a more technical term to relate success in terms of hockey playoff predictions would be a “lucky guess.”

But what’s luck got to do, got to do with it?

Well, for starters it needs to be said that there is good luck and then there is bad luck. When it comes to making hockey picks, most of us want the former. Sometimes, however, no matter how hard we offer our wishful thinking in the other direction, the unavoidable winds of providence and occasion blow us towards bad luck decisions.

Having experienced the pitiless twist myself, I can only tell my tale as a survivor of such a fleeting blast of air. For it is I that stand alone, owning up to my misfortune with all of the guts and spirit of another fatality of bad luck or, perhaps more truthfully, phantom officiating. Sure, the comparisons between me and the Great 8 may not be perceptible right away, but I think Alexander has more to say on the topic than most might realize.

When it comes to Adrian and his “good luck,” however, we’re left with a more colourless reminder.

So craftily did Adrian make his first round selections that nobody even dared to argue. So zealously did I assemble my cases of “bad luck” decisions that none dared to retort. Adrian’s picks and my picks shared one thing in common: a lack of deviation from any other member of the hockey world. None spoke up. None voiced their own selections. And so on this apathetic wasteland of restlessness, the first round began and Adrian’s picks went to battle with my picks for hockey primacy with nobody the wiser of the trophy of fulfilment that lay within the outcome’s gorgeous golden lair.

Alas, the second round is upon us and I am left with the scraps of first round selections gone hideously wrong. Adrian is left with the plunder of triumph. Sure, he might boast with the likes of Joe Thornton and Jose Theodore. Granted, I might be left mourning the loss of Jarome Iginla and Marion Gaborik. But when the smoke of the rubble clears from the horizon, it is only fitting to take in that the daylight in the atmosphere in the distance is a new day.

And with a new day comes new selections. Adrian and I shall clash again. This time, the stakes are higher and the zeal is even more severe. This time, the conflict shall be a mêlée of intellect and edification. This time, good fortune shall play a less momentous role. And so it is, this time my selections are based on a unbending practice of self-examination, contemplation, prayer, and Doritos.

Adrian’s fervent selection method may have won the battle, but it has not won the war. Whether or not the ostentatious peasants of the land will have the valour to shout loudly anything other than “Montreal in 4″ remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Adrian shall taste the soiled essence of defeat before the sun sets in Detroit over the gaunt auto factories. Rising like a phoenix from the ashes, Jordan’s Predictions will rule the day.

It’s morning again at HockeyDraft.ca!

Nashville Predators winger Jordin Tootoo is the latest to face a significant suspension. He’s been suspended for five games after his punch to the face of Dallas defenceman Stephane Robidas. Robidas was knocked unconscious by the punch in the third period of the game on Saturday night.

Robidas was coming to the aid of Dallas center Mike Modano, who was the victim of a stiff hit from Tootoo. Tootoo turned when he saw Robidas coming and sucker-punched him. Tootoo ended up receiving a double minor for roughing, while Robidas was assessed a penalty for charging and was taken off the ice on a stretcher.

Colin Campbell concluded that Robidas was initiating an aggressive action at the outset, but Tootoo’s response was far too aggressive and inappropriate. Campbell noted that the injury to Robidas was also a consideration in making the five game suspension decision.

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Speculation is running rampant in Calgary as to the safety of coach Jim Playfair’s job. After dropping two games in a row, the word around the campfire is that Playfair may be on the chopping block. GM Darryl Sutter is in full denial mode at the moment, dismissing the rumors as normal hockey talk that arises each time the Flames lose a couple of games in a row.

The Colorado Avs look to be getting too close for comfort for the Flames, however. Colorado is 8-0-1 in their last nine and are threatening the Flames for their playoff spot. The gap for that coveted eighth and final spot is only four points at press time, making for a race that is a little too close for fans of the Flames.

Colorado will play two games in Edmonton this week, while Calgary will meet Detroit and Nashville. Time will tell how secure Playfair’s job is, but many fans say that a lot rides on this week in terms of the Flames season and how close the Colorado Avalanche are allowed to get to that final playoff spot.

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Islanders forward Chris Simon will not face criminal charges after all as a result from his stick-swinging incident against Ryan Hollweg. The Nassau County DA stated that, after a careful review of the incident, the office would not be filing formal charges against Simon.

The DA’s office cited the willingness of Hollweg to not follow through with the criminal charges as part of the reason to drop them. Hollweg met with the county prosecutors last week and told them that he did not feel Simon should be arrested.

“No one is hurt and we can all move on,” said Hollweg.

Welcome everyone to HockeyDraft.ca’s first ever Fantasy Hockey News blog post.