NHL’s Biggest Busts This Year
By E. Spencer Kyte
Love of Sports Correspondent
While some “sports sites” make their living peddling pictures of buxom blondes, the only busts we’re here to talk about are guys who could surely sink your NHL fantasy teams this season.
Every year, there are a couple guys who get picked way too high and fail miserably.
Or we reach for a kid who everyone’s talking about, only to see them get sent to the minors or fizzle under the pressure of an 82-game season.
That’s why I’m here, to help you avoid those guys all together.
Top 10 Predicted Busts
10. New York Islanders
Seriously, there isn’t a single player on their roster worthy of consideration this year. Not Hilary Duff’s boyfriend, not Billy Guerin, not Rick DiPietro and his 400-year contract. Not even rookie Kyle Okposo’s worth drafting. Not that he doesn’t have talent – he does – but there’s no one on the island to lend him a hand. Only guys named Ovechkin, Crosby, Lemieux and Gretzky dominate in their first season.
9. NHL Rookies
As stated above, very few rookie make enough of an impact to warrant fantasy consideration. There are always one or two worth grabbing, but someone else invariably stretches for them too soon. You don’t want to be that guy, anyway, because for every Patrick Kane, there are two Alexandre Daigles.
8. Mark Streit, New York Islanders
I know I already made the case for not drafting any Islanders period, but this one deserves repeating, because someone will undoubtedly look at the shallow talent pool on the blueline and think Streit and his big, fat new contract and 62 points last season is worth taking. He isn’t, because New York isn’t going to have nearly as strong a power play as Montreal did a year ago, and that’s where Streit accumulated more than half his points.
7. Alex Kovalev, Montreal
Speaking of guys with inflated numbers due to Montreal’s outstanding power play, don’t be the person who takes Kovalev based on his comeback season. If you had him last year, be thankful and move on. Remember, before last year’s 84-point display was a 47-point effort.
6. Mike Knuble, Philadelphia
Nothing personal against Mike Knuble; I actually love the guy as a former Red Wing grinder who went on to make good elsewhere. But age is catching up to him, and Philly has scores of young talent lining up to carry the offensive load.
5. Kyle Wellwood, Vancouver
I laughed last season when various outlets heralded Wellwood as Toronto’s No. 2 center and the key to the Leafs’ successes. It’s Kyle Wellwood; the only thing he can do on a regular basis is get hurt. When the offensively challenged Maple Leafs are willing to cut ties with someone, you’re best off to just leave them alone.
4. R.J. Umberger, Columbus
Ignore his 10 goals from the playoffs last season. Ignore the money Columbus lavished upon him this offseason. Ignore Umberger himself. After three years in Philly, he isn’t suddenly going to morph into an offensive dynamo, especially not in Columbus.
3. Steve Bernier, Vancouver
There have been 327 different guys who skated on a line with the Sedin Twins. Bernier’s No. 328. Yes, he has offensive instincts and has been in two more defensively minded systems (San Jose and Buffalo), but when a guy freely admits to having a tough time keeping his weight down and staying in game shape, do you really think he’s going to last long under the angry eye of Alain Vignault?
2. Johan Franzen, Detroit
You can’t believe how much this one pains me. “Mule” was the best player on my Red Wings the last month of the regular season and in the playoffs before getting hurt. I have a full-on man crush on the guy, but I still don’t want him anywhere near my fantasy teams. Why? Because expectations are way too high. He’s not going to score 40 goals this year. If he does, great, but some yahoo’s going to grab him inside the first three rounds. Personally, I don’t think he belongs there. If he slips, take him, but don’t look to this Mule to carry your team.
1. Fabian Brunnstrom, Dallas
How many guys have come over from Europe and produced as advertised right away? These guys who get labelled as “The Best Player Not in the NHL” should have you focusing on the last four words, not the first three. If they were so incredible, why weren’t they in the Big Show to begin with? Let someone else buy into the hype.
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Comments
Mogwai on 10/15 at 01:31 PM
Alright, so the islanders are going to suck this year. Watch our for Mark Streit, yeah yeah everyone’s saying it. I think you have to clarify hear. Streit won’t put up near the numbers as last year, but he only has to put up 3/4 of last years numbers to still be better than 80% of the defenseman in the league.
Johan Franzen - ARE YOU CRAZY! This is about the ONLY player other than Lidstrom who I was going to touch from Detroit this year. It’s all about where the players are valued come draft day. Where most of Detroit’s offenseman were overvalued, this guy was a steal! He’s the MULE, not some finesse player. He’s going to work hard day in day out and get his points.
And my last comment is this: guys like Umberger and Bernier don’t have to be the best players. They just have to keep up with their linemates in order to continue to play with the top line. If these two players play on the top line all season, I don’t see why they wouldn’t rack up more points than projected. The Sedin’s will get their points, and thus will Bernier. Same for Umberger feeding off Nash. Depending on where these guys fell in your draft (they’re prob both still available), they might have only upside if you’re stuck with a struggling player.
Fabio Jr. on 10/15 at 07:06 PM
Fabian is the biggest bust, huh? After becoming the third player in NHL history to get a hat trick in his first game, you want a re-do on that one, genius?
E. Spencer Kyte on 10/16 at 07:00 AM
Mogwai: People are predicting 40 goals from franzen this year and I just don’t see it. As a Wings fan, I love the guy. But as a writer and one who covers hockey a great deal, I don’t see the numbers coming since Detroit is a very balanced team.
And Fabio, Karl “Tuffy” Rhodes hit three home runs on Opening Day for the Cubs back in the 90’s… one game does not a superstar make.
That being said, he looked pretty good last night…
Bones on 10/16 at 07:21 AM
Hahahahahaha Brunnstrom had a hat trick in his first ever NHL game. Way to go.
E. Spencer Kyte on 10/16 at 11:37 AM
Picking these things is like Sex Panther: 60% of the time it works every time!
Fabio Jr. on 10/16 at 08:10 PM
First off, you should not be responding to your critics. Secondly, having that dude at number 1 would zero sense in the first place. This whole list sucks. The Islanders? There’s no one in the world who wouldn’t put the New York Islanders at the very top of the list of the worst pro franchises in the world. How are they a bust if they’re supposed to be bad? “NHL rookies”? Nice blanket statement. I’m just curious where you have heard any overly excessive hype on ANY of the guys on this list. Umberger? No one expects Umberger to turn Columbus into a juggernaut! Do you watch hockey or do you pull names out a hat? Aren’t you the same genius who got slaughtered when he posted that “baddest men on the planet” article?
E. Spencer Kyte on 10/17 at 09:57 AM
Hi Fabio. First off, I can only speak for myself on this one, but I’m the type of journalist who will always “respond to my critics” because I think interaction is one way to build loyal readership. Being accessible is something I value. Secondly, maybe having Brunnstrom at #1 was stupid in your mind. Personally, after watching countless guys come over touted as the next big European thing, I have my doubts. His first game was pretty slick though. As for the building of this list, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I respect yours. People think RJ Umberger is ready to breakout following his solid playoff performance. They’re thinking 25+ goals. I’m thinking John Druce. As for the “Baddest Man on the Planet” article, sorry to let you down but that wasn’t me… My office door is always open whenever you want to stop by and talk!
The Walrus on 10/22 at 07:11 PM
Bitter much that your boys, the Red Wings didn’t get Brunnstrom and Dallas did?
Jon on 12/23 at 10:37 AM
Well it turns out that you are totally wrong on everything you have stated in your “Biggest Busts” Spencer Kyte. Looking at the facts it seems as though you do not have any knowledge of hockey whatsoever and you are just picking random names out of a hat and labeling them with very ill thought of information.
It turns out that Mark Streit is on pace right now for over 60 points and with his strong consistent play this year it seems as though he will reach that much.
Another one of your brilliant thoughts about Johan Franzen is again proven to be false as he is on pace for over 35 goals this year and is probably the red wings most consistent scorer besides marian hossa and provides the most work ethic out of the bunch.
Kyle Okposo was criticized by yourself as well for not being worthy of that #7 overall pick by the islanders. Really??? Are you serious?? There must be a loose screw in your head. Just about 99% of the all of the GM’s in the NHL as well as other reporters (NOT you Because your not experienced obviously)and players think that Kyle Okposo should have been taken higher in the draft and compare him to Jarome Iginla’s game in many ways. Now i know that Okposo is not going to be a 45-50 goal scorer but what i do know is that he is key to the islander franchise and he has shown that he could produce with increased pressure and he has done it in the minor league as well as in college.
So you better study your info better before criticizing it.
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