#even non players who follow me must know by now who gallagher is with the amount of stuff i drew and posted. why on earth would i talk

[enden-k]

omg i don't follow hsr and I got confused on why you were honking gallagher tiddy. like. like the ones from the show shameless 😭

idk what youre talking about or whatever show that is but im confused on why non players think i speak of any other gallagher when i literally post only one man named gallagher all the time? like. come on?

[thrashermaxey]

Capped: Team-by-Team Buy and Sell – Part 4

  Continuing our buy and sell series, we cover each NHL team, analyzing one player to buy, and one to sell (links to parts one, two and three). These recommendations will be based on their performance versus cap hit. That means in non-cap leagues, some of these suggestions may not be as relevant, but that doesn’t mean the analysis isn’t relevant. Generally, these players will either be riding new contracts into the season, or be expected to have a large shift in value, for one reason or another. This week we feature Montreal through to Edmonton.

  ****

Montreal Canadiens

Buy: Max Pacioretty

Cap Hit: $4,500,000 with one year remaining

I feel like I have tooted the horn of Brendan Gallagher enough this off-season, so here is why you should also be looking into buying low on the captain Max Pac. Pacioretty is entering a contract year, which should see him rebound from a down year last season. The 2017-2018 season was the first time in five years that he did not score 30 goals, and the first time in seven years that he didn’t pace for 60 points. His shooting percentage was also the lowest it has been in almost a decade. Add in the likely trade out of Montreal, further boosting his value, and we have a big bounce-back candidate. On a $4.5 million contract, Pacioretty is one of the better scoring bargains in the league right now. Buy while the smoke from the Montreal tire-fire is still blurring the vision of fantasy owners.

  Sell: Jeff Petry – In November

Cap Hit: $5,500,000 with three years remaining

You may have heard this already in the DobberHockey Fantasy Guide, as well as in a few ramblings over the past couple weeks, but it is worth reiterating. Shea Weber is out until at least December (likely later due to the nature of the injury), and Jeff Petry shone under similar circumstances at the end of last season. He is especially valuable in leagues that count hits and blocks.

Over the first half of this season, expect him to produce at a 40+ point pace, with added value in the shots & PP point columns as well. Let him build up his value over the first two months of the season to its peak, and then sell in mid-November. Get too close to Weber’s return date, and his perceived value drop greatly, and you have wasted an excellent sell-high opportunity. Try selling now, and no one appreciates what he can produce over those first three months.

  ****

Minnesota Wild

Buy: Matt Dumba

Cap Hit: a shiny new $6,000,000 contract with five years remaining

Matt Dumba signed a larger contract extension than many were expecting from him this summer. However, he will be worth the extra dough right from day one. It is also not much more than market value (prediction model had him at an AAV of $5.5 million on a long-term deal), and as I said when the deal was signed, it’s very comparable to Dougie Hamilton on a cost vs performance basis.

The Dumba owner however, is likely just looking at the big jump from $2.5 million to $6 million, and trying to figure out how to balance the books. This is where you take the chance to jump in and save him the trouble by unloading Dumba. His points jumped every quarter last season, starting at nine, and ending with 16 in his last 21 games. Scoring 50 points next season almost seems like his floor. Add that to his excellent peripheral production, and we have a rare fantasy specimen (at only 24 years old to boot!).

  Sell: Eric Staal

Cap Hit: $3,500,000 with one year remaining

Selling off a 40 goal, 76-point player on a cheap contract doesn’t seem like the smartest move when trying to win a cap league, does it? Well, it all depends on the situation. When said player has a season where their shooting percentage is four points higher than it has ever been, and is turning 34 early on in the season, it’s worth looking into selling high. The eldest Staal has fallen off a cliff before, though he was rejuvenated by a move to Minnesota. He can only keep this pace up for so long though, and at 34 years old you are pushing your luck if you expect 70-points from him again. Especially with a new contract looming, Staal’s value has nowhere to go but down.

  ****

Los Angeles Kings

Buy: Jonathan Quick

Cap Hit: $5,800,000 with five years remaining

With the wave of younger goalies taking over, it seems as though Jonathan Quick is quickly being forgotten. He has put up a save percentage of 0.915 or better over the last five years, and in the same time keeping his GAA at 2.4 or lower. Goalies don’t get much more consistent when healthy, which is a rarity in this key position. On a contract that is turning into a very team-friendly one, Quick brings stability in net for any fantasy squad at a very reasonable price.

  Sell: Jake Muzzin

Cap Hit: $4,000,000 with two years remaining

Now is the best time to get peak value out of a consistent second or third defenceman on your fantasy squad. Muzzin has put up some similar numbers over the last few seasons, but there are a couple of troubling trends. Over the last three years, his shot rate has decreased, while his shooting percentage has gone up. This has resulted in masking a potential scoring drop off, reinforced by higher than average secondary percentages. Muzzin is also turning 30 in half a year, along with only having two years left before his price tag could double. Seeing Muzzin sign a five-year $8 million contract for September 2020 would not be unreasonable. Fantasy owners are generally even more cautious trading for defencemen, so waiting until he only has a year left on his deal would put a dent in his trade value.

Within last season, Muzzin also saw a drop-off each quarter as the season drew on. His shot rate, scoring, and powerplay ice time all dropped each quarter. If he continues from where he left off, he won’t be able to keep up his 40-point billing. Add in the risk of him being pushed off the top powerplay due to the addition of Kovalchuk, and there’s another 10 points cut off his total right there.

  ****

Florida Panthers

Buy: Mike Matheson

Cap Hit: $4,875,000 with seven years remaining

Florida tried to sign the next Roman Josi here, and have Matheson be worth his contract for the first three years, becoming an insanely good bargain for years four through eight. All signs point to that going well thus far, however Florida does have a similar problem to what happened in Nashville a few years ago. Josi didn’t break out until players such as Ryan Suter and Dan Hamhuis left a hole to be filled on the top pair. Aaron Ekblad isn’t going anywhere, so Matheson owners must bide their time for fellow left-hand-shot Keith Yandle to cede the top powerplay reins.

At 24 years old, Matheson is still growing into his own, and is almost a sure bet to pass the 30-point barrier for the first time this season, before continuing past more and more milestones as the years go by. Get in early here, or don’t get in at all.

  Sell: No one?

I was very surprised that I couldn’t find a good sell-high for this team. Top players should continue to be the top players, and they are all on good contracts. No one largely relevant is coming up on a big raise, neither is anyone relevant close to falling off of the production cliff. If Florida could sort out their goaltender situation, then they would almost easily take a bottom half playoff spot in the mediocre Eastern conference.

With the signing of Troy Brouwer, it is possible pugilist Michael Haley sees even fewer games than last season, meaning you may have to find your specialist penalty minutes elsewhere.

Also keep an eye on Owen Tippett in camp. If he is impressing he could force his way onto the team, which would mean putting him onto a scoring line. The odd one out would then likely be Nick Bjugstad, who would be shifted to third line C/RW. The drop off from the top-six to the bottom-six on this team is substantial, so be ready to jump off the Bjug-boat if needed.

  ****

Edmonton Oilers

Buy: Oscar Klefbom

Cap Hit: $4,167,000 with five years remaining

Everyone focuses on the forwards in Edmonton, partially because of Connor McDavid, and partially just because we are used to the Oilers’ defence disappointing us. Now there are many forwards to check in on in Edmonton, such as Jesse Puljujarvi, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Kailer Yamamoto, etc. However, I would like to specifically highlight Klefbom.

The top puck-moving defenceman in Oiltown played most of last season with an injured shoulder, before being shut down with a handful of games to go. After a 38-point showing the season before, expectations were high for the third-year player. Now entering his “fourth” season (played 30 games in his rookie year), Klefbom is healthy and ready to anchor a powerplay beside the most skilled player on the planet. All of Kelfbom’s underlying numbers say that a positive regression is coming. Put that all together with a bargain contract, and we have one of the best buys of the summer.

  Sell: Adam Larsson

Cap Hit: $4,166,666 with three years remaining

It’s tough to find a good sell on a team where so much went wrong last season. If your league doesn’t count hits, you can disregard this following paragraph

Adam Larsson at least managed to be leading the league in hits when he went down with a season ending injury. If it wasn’t for that injury, he likely would have run away with the title. In most leagues counting hits, the managers know you’re best off getting a large percentage of them from your defence, so you can focus on amassing a good group of scoring forwards. As a result, Larsson may actually attract some interest on the trade market. If you can sell on that, you can easily replace his stats with a much cheaper option like Stephen Johns, Patrik Nemeth, and many others.

  ****

All cap related info is courtesy of Capfriendly. All player data was pulled from FrozenTools.

  Thanks for reading. I would be curious to hear if you have any buy/sell candidates on the above teams, and why.

  As always, you can find me on twitter @alexdmaclean.

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-home/capped/capped-team-by-team-buy-and-sell-part-4/

[davedimartino]

NEW THIS WEEK 03.17.09

For every week that brings exciting new releases--albums you know you'd just like to rush out and buy, if in fact you had any money--there are weeks like this one!

Indeed, while many of this week's newest recordings are excellent, and in some cases quite fine, still--there is nothing here that reaches out, grabs your nose and commands: BUY ME!

Well, except for maybe one!

Can you guess which one I mean?

 White Lies: How To Lose My Life (Geffen) While I have my qualms about starting this week's blog with the debut album by a British band you may have never heard of, I'm heeding the words of the distinguished ARTROCKER magazine--surely you've heard of it--which has ominously warned "Bypass this band at your peril"! Heck, sounds like they know what they're talking about! Since this album debuted at #1 in the UK, you can bet your boots it'll do the same here, since as a rule America is just like England! And just like those British kooks, we're all enraptured by bands whose sound oddly evokes the Icicle Works and the Teardrop Explodes yet still somehow sound strikingly contemporary! Plus, most of us are attracted to album covers that look like this! All told, this may be the band that changes the music industry as we know it! Buy it today!

 The Script: The Script (Epic) Speaking of new bands you've never head of, let's bring up the Script, a batch of Irish dudes making a big noise overseas--apparently they dropped a bowling ball--and sure to be to your liking if they and their record company have their way! Some have called the Script a "whole new brand of Celtic Soul," while others have called them a charismatic lot not above releasing songs with titles like "If You See Kay"--an apparent tribute to Amy, whom Kay has presumably run off with in a fit of pique!  In short I’m inclined to agree with this album's product description as listed on Amazon: Epic. Lucky they aren't on Geffen!

 Shirley Lee: Shirley Lee (Missing Page UK import) One of my favorite bands of the last decade or so has been British band Spearmint, whose work easily and consistently eclipses nearly all of their pop-inspired contemporaries by miles, but I'd be willing to bet you've never heard of them! It's great! So check out this cute video from 1999, and after that make a point of finding this debut solo album by the band's lead singer and songwriter, the mannishly named Shirley Lee. Sonically not unlike a Spearmint album, this new disc bears hooks, melodies, warmth, individuality, cleverness, sincerity, a touching tribute to Lee's father, and in "The Last Song" a track I'd advise Lee not play in front of Coldplay or Joe Satriani! A superb work, which you can find out more about here, this album is further proof that many of today's best artists make music--fine, commercial, accessible music--that too few people ever get a chance to hear. Easily one of the year's best albums.  

 Gorilla Zoe: Don't Feed Da Animals (Bad Boy)  In the same manner that I pity less-than-attractive women named Betty when commercials for Ugly Betty show up on TV, I'm concerned that this artist's very existence may disconcert plain-looking gals named Zoe--but luckily, there aren't any! And even if there were, they'd be thrilled by such exciting tracks as this album's "What It Is," which features guest stars Rick Ross and my new favorite-named rapper Kollosus! Kollosus! He's gotta be good! Adding to the excitement are compelling, candid tracks such as "Lost," "I'm Dumb," "S**t On Em," "So Sick" and the soul-searing, profound, strikingly subtle "Hood Clap"! In short, were it not for Gorilla Zoe's callous album title--actually, one should feed da animals, or dey will die--I would call this the album of the paragraph!

  Jim Nabors: Shazam!/Everything Is Beautiful (Wounded Bird) In my former life as a college DJ, I often enjoyed spicing up my show with this album's irrepressible "Gomer Says Hey," which is not only life-affirming but in retrospect now seems the aesthetic template for Chinese Democracy. As always, I tend to gravitate toward artists who veer perilously close to the darkness but suddenly--abruptly--pull out their emotional tailspin and emerge invigorated, enlightened, and actually eager to release albums with titles like Everybody Is Fantastic. And lo and behold, here we have actor Jim Nabors, way back in the '60s--who with his first two albums, now assembled in one package as Shazam!/Everything Is Beautiful, was crafting a pioneering , pre-Janovian expression of intent that in many ways blows the likes of Kurt Cobain out of the water! Plus, isn't that a great cover?

 Gabriella Cilmi: Lessons To Be Learned (Universal Republic) If I were Amy Winehouse--oddly, I'm not--I'd be a little leery of an extremely attractive 17-year-old female singer/songwriter who was quite capable of sounding like me on command and was, shall we say, "less trouble"!  Following the Rule Of The Veronicas--that is, all female Australians of Italian decent must be good-looking, it's God's Law!--Cilmi is quite talented, diverse in her influences, and the sort of girl any guy would like to bring home to his mother in a couple more years! That her name is pronounced "chill-me" doesn't help!  Added bonus: No tattoos visible on album cover!

 Rory Gallagher: Live in Cork DVD (Eagle Vision) Count me first in line to sing the praises of Rory Gallagher, Ireland's pioneering guitarist/singer, who following his emergence in '60s band Taste released a non-stop slew of high-class, energetic albums that, great as they were, could never top his unforgettable live performances. Gallagher died in 1995, and this live performance--shot for Irish TV in 1987--shows many flashes of fire, but all things considered, it shows the man at less than his zenith. That being said, it's head and shoulders above most every one of his instrumental contemporaries--those being English & Irish guitarists enthralled by American blues players--and I'd have to say that Gallagher's version of Junior Wells' "Messin' With The Kid," yet again played here, remains my very favorite by any musician. If you never saw him--or have never heard him--do check this out.

 BoA: BoA (SM Entertainment) Last week, loyal reader bigostar09 sadly commented, "What, no BoA?," leading me and other, well-informed friends to look at each other quizzically and make credit card jokes! It's great! But guess what? Bigostar09 was off by a week! BoA is in fact an ultrahot Korean superstar artist--real name Boa Kwon--who this week releases her American debut album and with any luck will become equally huge here! According to Wikipedia--always a reliable source!--Boa is "one of only two non-Japanese Asians who have had million-selling albums in Japan"! She's into R&B and hip-hop, digs Michael Jackson, Nelly, Britney Spears and Janet Jackson, and is most certainly worthy of your entertainment-dollar consideration!  As is this!

 Willie Nelson: Naked Willie (Sony Legacy) An interesting concept here: Country legend Nelson along with harmonica player Mickey Raphael tackle much of Wilson's classic '60s catalog and give it the "raw" treatment--that is, without the syrupy strings and back-up singers featured on the original tracks, which he apparently always found unsatisfactory. Special bonus: Fans of British slang may find this album's title even more enjoyable than Free Willy!

 Bonny "Prince" Billy: Beware (Drag City) The stuff of legend, the man of deliberate understatement, whose slowish, unpolished manner continues its development into the ether of deliberately-off-kilter country longing, just stopped me on the street and told me to check out this new Bonny "Prince" Billy album!