NFL Tickets
Hello to our friends from Rant Sports and beyond as we head out for our first endeavor of many to help the fantasy hockey player. Introductions and initial impressions can always be messy so the goal is to try and minimize that awkward feeling.
If you have not noticed by now, the NHL has offered its proposal and now the NHLPA has as well. The NHL offer was such an insult that it is not worth mentioning going forward. However, there is definitely some hope that the season could start on time. It is not that much of a hope but a 40% chance of an October start is better than 0% any day.
Fantasy hockey drafts and team owners are carefully monitoring this situation in the hopes that there will not be a repeat of what axed the 2004-05 season. The odds are anywhere from 40-60 to 50-50 on the start of the season but what should cause optimism is the Detroit Red Wings hosting the Winter Classic against the Toronto Maple Leafs. That could be a real panacea for fantasy general managers worried about the doomsday scenario.
Digging around the fantasy hockey landscape revealed some very surprising analysis. Pretty much every single person said there would be a season with a short lockout until December if negotiations broke down. The consensus was again that many just feel that there is no way the league could lose a whole season without losing complete relevance. It would have a devastating impact on fantasy hockey likewise.
Over the coming weeks and months, our goal is to inform the masses and learn things from the readers also. Fantasy hockey is an inexact science no matter how many advanced stats and scouts one throws at it. Our statistics often come from practical research. We regret that one will not see numbers that could be read out from a NASA matrix.
What do we mean here? Simply, if you combine an array of stats from all ends of each spectrum, one winds up with something that is “meat and potatoes” statistics. Add in the prospect of a potential lockout and the recipe exists for a fantasy season similar in some ways to the 1994-95 hockey year but more likely akin to the NBA last season. The NBA lost about 20% of its season due to a labor dispute that probably had some more divisive issues to say the least.
In the event the fantasy hockey season is shortened, we are ready at Rant Sports to deliver for you. Numbers can always be manipulated and massaged to help you win your fantasy leagues. Advantages derived knowing which players would thrive during these adverse conditions are paramount in a successful campaign.
The fantasy environment has changed. With the advent of daily leagues popping up everywhere, there are so many ways to look at the sport as a whole. Whether it is a keeper, season only, rotisserie , H2H, daily, or some other type of league, the goal is the same. That goal is win! It doesn’t even matter where the league is.
Furthermore, fantasy hockey is still a learning process. Those who adapt best are the ones that benefit the most. This may be the best time to join a league. The CBA negotiations are far from over. No one really knows if the season will start on time and that makes for some interesting decisions. Add in some injuries to the mix and depth chart uncertainty, shake well, and anyone can just sneak in or even win.
As negotiations progress or not will dictate when our rankings will come out on the blog, so be patient. This is only the beginning and this is an open dialogue. If anyone has a topic they want explored, we will explore it. Thanks again and good luck this fantasy hockey season because we guarantee there will be one.
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