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It has been nothing short of fantastic this offseason for fantasy hockey lovers who tend to thrive on change and how to assess the value of said change. Marshawn Lynch Jersey . Just some of the headlines are enough to tantalize: A top-five defenseman switching teams, a former No. 1 pick with a new home, several new No. 1 goaltenders and the return of a star winger from Russia.Aside from the impact of the NHL draft, which is more thoroughly covered in our look at Auston Matthews versus Patrik Laine, we have trades, free agency and the residual effects of the Stanley Cup playoffs to consider.There is always too much to highlight everything, but stay tuned and well keep you up to date as fall approaches and the 2016-17 fantasy hockey draft season nears.Forwards rising and fallingLogan Couture, C, San Jose Sharks (up 45 spots to No. 41): We had Couture among our top-40 forwards prior to the 2015-16 season with good reason. He had just come off a season with 27 goals, 67 points and a career high in shots on goal at the age of 25. His ice time had peaked at an average of more than 19 minutes per game in 2014-15, putting him in the company of the elite centermen of the NHL. But Couture broke his leg just a couple games into the season, missed a couple months and found himself on the third line for much of the remaining regular season.During 52 games in the regular season, Couture managed just 15 goals and 36 points. Only 21 of those points came at even strength. Then came the playoffs. On a line with Patrick Marleau and Joonas Donskoi, Couture helped propel the Sharks to the Stanley Cup finals with 10 goals and 30 points in only 24 games. His 19 even-strength points in the playoffs almost equaled his efforts during the regular season. We definitely saw the Couture who has been growing into a fantasy No. 2 centerman and should once again view him as such going into 2016-17.Taylor Hall, LW, New Jersey Devils (up 14 spots to No. 56): Three seasons together as linemates in the OHL and on the Canadian World Junior Championship team are separated by six years for Hall and Adam Henrique. But heres betting the magic these two managed together en route to two Memorial Cup championships with the Windsor Spitfires still has some spark. During their three seasons together in Windsor, Hall and Henrique combined for 211 goals and 253 assists in 359 games played during the regular season, and another 80 goals and 77 assists in 108 games played in the playoffs and Memorial Cup tournaments. That is a lot of on-ice celebrations for this duo. Six years cant erase the memory of almost 300 goals scored.Hall, for his part, turned in a disappointing point total for his first full 82-game campaign in the NHL at the age of 24 last season. But he was playing in a situation with plenty of cooks in the kitchen, not the least of which was Connor McDavid. In New Jersey, Hall will be the unquestioned focal point of an offense that finished dead last in the NHL for scoring last season. If you define the sky as 30 goals and 80 points, then the sky is the limit for Hall this season.Loui Eriksson, LW, Vancouver Canucks (up 21 spots to No. 104): There is little doubt the plan for Eriksson will be to try to harness the connection he has had in the past with the Sedin twins on the Swedish national team. The trio last played together while closing out a gold medal at the 2013 World Championship -- combining for 22 points in the final four games as the Swedes captured the gold medal. Playing largely a bottom-six role for the Boston Bruins during his three-year tenure with the club, the Canucks will be looking to see if a 31-year-old Eriksson can return to his top-line scoring ways from his time with the Dallas Stars from 2008-09 to 2012-13. Bumping his ice time back up closer to 20 minutes per game with some time on the power play would go a long way; Eriksson had some fantasy-irrelevant seasons with the Bruins while playing minimal minutes. When the team used him a little more on offense last season, he returned to the 30-goal threshold, with 10 power-play tallies. Playing with the Sedins -- even out of their prime -- should help push Eriksson back toward that threshold again.Jonathan Drouin, C, Tampa Bay Lightning (up 102 spots to No. 110): Forget all the drama last season with Drouin being demoted and demanding a trade. With Steven Stamkos sidelined, this guy showed up in the playoffs when the Lightning needed him most. Playing mostly with Valtteri Filppula and Ondrej Palat, Drouin poured in an impressive 14 points in 17 postseason games. With Stamkos back on board and singing Drouins praises, the big things we projected for Drouin last season have all been shuffled forward to the 2016-17 season.P.A. Parenteau, RW, New York Islanders (up 58 spots to No. 127): Who are we to question Parenteaus decision to return to the scene of his glory? After some pretty good -- and some pretty bad -- seasons away from the Islanders, Parenteau is returning to the team where he posted 38 goals and 120 points in two years as John Tavares winger. That average is 19 goals and 60 points, which is pretty close to the 22 goals and 64 points that Kyle Okposo posted as Tavares winger last season. Its not a huge leap to suggest that Parenteau will get every opportunity to play with Tavares again and, if that is the case, hes in the mix to be a top-100 fantasy skater.Alexander Radulov, RW, Montreal Canadiens (enters ranks at No. 128): Say what you will about Radulov and his polarizing ride in the NHL, to the KHL, back to the NHL, then to the KHL and now back to the NHL -- but hes still one of the best hockey players in the world. He has been the face of the KHL since his first departure from the Nashville Predators in 2008, scoring better than a point per game throughout his career there. In his brief return to the Predators at the end of the 2011-12 season, he managed 13 points in 17 games coming in cold. When all the best hockey players in the world last got together to compete at the 2014 Olympics, Radulov finished tied for fifth in scoring while playing one fewer game than the four players who got more points. If we buy into his maturation from the off-ice issues that dogged him before, as the Canadiens have done, you are left with one a dynamic winger. Then again, he wouldnt be the first player to say all the right things off the ice but have the same old attitude issues hamstring his performance on the ice. Theres going to be a risk in selecting Radulov in your fantasy hockey drafts, but it is going to come with a high reward. If an injury opens up another spot on the Russian team at the World Cup of Hockey, wed love to get a sneak peak at Radulov there. A good showing would move him very quickly up draft boards.Leon Draisaitl, C, Edmonton Oilers (up 34 spots to No. 140): If Draisaitl cant escape the comparisons to a young Anze Kopitar, the Oilers might as well embrace it. And theres no better way to embrace it than by signing on Kopitars linemate from last season. Rugged winger Milan Lucic will join the Oilers and, while Lucic generates his own fantasy value in almost any situation, the key here is that he makes his linemates better with his tenacious puck control and aggressive style. We are spitballing by placing him with Draisaitl on a line, considering this roster is so flexible with talent, but the matchup seems like a pair made in fantasy hockey heaven. The bottom line here is that Lucic is going to help create space for some of the young, talented Oilers. Draisaitl is our poster boy for now, but it could be any of Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle, Jesse Puljujarvi or even Nail Yakupov that gets the Lucic bump.Frans Nielsen, C, Detroit Red Wings (up 54 spots to No. 159): Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar were both fantasy letdowns last season after tantalizing in 2014-15. No offense to the great play of Riley Sheahan, but the Wings lacked a true No. 2 centerman. Pavel Datsyuk missed a good chunk of games and Henrik Zetterberg was off and on the wing. In fact, Luke Glendening led the Red Wings in faceoffs last season. Nielsen has been the ultimate No. 2 behind John Tavares for a couple of seasons now, posting consistently respectable seasons as a secondary playmaker. Under the right circumstances, we like Nielsen to fit in nicely with Nyquist and Tatar on the second line and his power-play experience could mean minutes on the Red Wings first unit.Defensemen rising and fallingP.K. Subban, D, Nashville Predators (up five spots to No. 15): If two NHL teams want to swap franchise defensemen and put the younger of the two with the younger, more dynamic defensive core, far be it from us to stop them. Subban is Subban. We all know hes a top-five fantasy defenseman that loves to control the puck and is a no-brainer in the first two rounds of your draft. But we cant help but like Subban just a bit more as he swaps the aging Andrei Markov as his defense partner for Roman Josi, who has quietly been better than Shea Weber for two seasons.Keith Yandle, D, Florida Panthers (up 49 spots to No. 80): The New York Rangers never really used Yandle to his potential as one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL. The Panthers and Yandle will get to hit the reset button on the past year and a half of his career. Yandle only fired 160 shots last season with the Rangers, his lowest per-game total since 2009-10. If not on even strength, the Panthers will surely deploy Yandle with up-and-coming defenseman Aaron Ekblad on the power play. Look for Yandle to return to his 200-shot, 50-point ways of the past, which puts him squarely in conversation as a low-end No. 1 fantasy defenseman.Adam Larsson, D, Edmonton Oilers (enters ranks at No. 234): Its modest and wouldnt likely be worth our attention on any other team, but there is still some potential for offensive returns from Larsson. Hes spent the five years of his NHL career honing his defensive game with the Devils, but Larsson does boast a breakout pass and the ability to control the puck with purpose in the offensive zone. Slap him on an Oilers squad chock-full of some of the best 5-on-4 raw talent in the NHL and there is a chance he power plays his way into fantasy relevance this season.Goaltenders rising and fallingMartin Jones, G, San Jose Sharks (up 12 spots to No. 36): His first regular season as a bona fide No. 1 with the Sharks was very good. Jones first playoffs as a starter was phenomenal. The 26-year-old finished inside the top-10 on the ESPN Player Rater for goaltenders, making him a true No. 1 fantasy netminder. In the playoffs, he posted ratios just a hair behind those of Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray through 24 games, and propelled the Sharks to the Stanley Cup finals. His confidence should be at an all-time high for a Sharks team that will return a little bit wiser for at least one more run with their veterans.Brian Elliott, G, Calgary Flames (up 45 spots to No. 58): Consistently boasting one of the best goals-against average and save percentage in the NHL despite being a part-time starter, Elliott will get the crease all to himself for the up-and-coming Flames team. Its fitting because the Flames allowed the most goals in the NHL last season. The offense is coming into its own led by young stars such as Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, while the defense -- even without Kris Russell -- remains one of the best top-four groups in the NHL. Elliott has twice led the NHL in save percentage and has a huge opportunity to show he can do it on more than a part-time basis.Frederik Andersen, G, Toronto Maple Leafs (up 20 spots to No. 119): For what its worth, Mike Babcock-coached teams, including last seasons Maple Leafs, have been in the top half of the league for the NHLs SAT% statistic (or Corsi for percentage) for the past six seasons. There is a reason he was such a sought-after commodity as a head coach. For all their inexperience and last place finish, the Maple Leafs gave their goaltenders a fighting chance most nights. Andersen has established himself as a solid goaltender, despite consistently splitting time in the crease throughout his career. The Leafs are all-in on Andersen, and he should get a workhorse workload this coming season. While we dont expect miracles for a team with zero returning 20-goal scorers, Andersens ratios should be passable as a No. 2 fantasy goaltender, and his consistent starts will be of value.Quick HitsDepending on where he lands on the Sharks depth chart, Mikkel Boedker will be a very intriguing sleeper heading into next season. Hes never scored 20 goals or 60 points, but he looks like a player that could in the right situation. Hes a speedy winger on a team full of great centers.Kyle Okposos value is stable with a move to the Buffalo Sabres. While he wont immediately find a talent like John Tavares to work with, Jack Eichel could be a reasonable facsimile by the end of the season. Ryan OReilly isnt a terrible fallback plan, either.With Patrice Bergeron and David Backes on the same team it will be a wonder if opposing teams ever get a chance to score. Hyperbole aside, there is a chance Backes looses some fantasy value here because he is the second-best two-way center on his team now, which could mean fewer minutes.The Carolina Hurricanes are stockpiling third-tier offensive assets and high-upside prospects. There is a chance the right combination could click on a line that will be significantly more valuable for fantasy than the sum of its parts. Keep an eye on Teuvo Teravainen and Lee Stempniak especially. The former will get his first chance at prime minutes, and the latter has a tendency to find the right niche for value.Top 250 rankings for 2016-17Note: Sean Allens top 250 players are ranked for their expected performance in ESPN standard leagues. ESPN standard stats include goals, assists, power-play points, shots on goal, plus/minus, penalty minutes and average time on ice for skaters, and wins, goals-against average and save percentage for goalies. Michael Crabtree Jersey . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Clive Walford Jersey . The defence is doing its part, too. Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and the guys on the other side made sure that was enough, sending the Saints to a 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. http://www.officialauthenticraidersstore.com/authentic-ronnie-lott-jersey.html . Both players have lower body injuries that will keep them out of the lineup until at least January 31, which is the first game they can be activated from IR.PITTSBURGH -- It was hard to tell whether the Pittsburgh Pirates were heading on a road trip or getting ready for a Stanley Cup playoff game after beating the Chicago Cubs 4-2 on Thursday for their fourth straight win. All of the Pirates players and coaches wore Pittsburgh Penguins replica jerseys as they got ready to embark on a road trip to Milwaukee and Detroit. The Penguins even sent a custom-made No. 13 sweater to manager Clint Hurdle. The Penguins lead the Ottawa Senators 3-1 in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal. "Theres nothing much like playoff hockey," Hurdle said. "Were just getting into the spirit." Utility infielder Brandon Inge took things one step farther before the game, arriving in the Pirates clubhouse dressed in a full hockey uniform and rollerblades. "Its something fun, something to change things up a little bit during a long season. Plus, weve got to support our boys," said Pirates second baseman Neil Walker, a Pittsburgh-area native. The Pirates won for the 11th time in 13 games as Andrew McCutchen had three hits and two RBIs. Leadoff hitter Starling Marte singled and scored in each of the first two innings as Pittsburgh built an early 4-0 lead. The Pirates moved a season-best 11 games over .500. "Were playing good baseball and I dont think weve reached our ceiling yet," McCutchen said. "The pitching has been good all year but the hitting has kind of been up and down. The bats are eventually going to come around and we should be even better when that happens." The Cubs lost their fourth in a row. Edwin Jackson (1-7) gave up two runs in the first inning and two more in the second. He gave up six hits and struck out six in three innings and has a 6.11 ERA through 10 starts. "I got beat with men on base with balls up in the zone," Jackson said. "I had some times when I got it down but in vital situations when I needed to keep the ball down I wasnt doing that, and that pretty much sums up the game." Jackson is in his first season with the Cubs after signing a four-year, $52 million contract over the winter as a free agent. "I think at times he tries too hard to justify his contract and overthrows,&quoot; Chicago manager Dale Sveum said. Howie Long Jersey. "I think he needs to relax and just be Edwin Jackson, the guy we liked enough to sign." Reliever Vin Mazzaro (3-0) pitched 2 1-3 scoreless innings. He replaced starter Jeanmar Gomez in the fourth inning following a rain delay of 1 hour, 47 minutes. "I knew about a half-hour before the delay ended that I was going to come in to pitch, but you never know how the long the delay might last, so I tried to stay as prepared as possible," Mazzaro said. "I felt like I was ready to go." Gomez allowed one run and three hits in 3 2-3 innings. "I thought I had really good stuff today and control of all my pitches," Gomez said. "Then it started raining hard and that was it. I think I could have pitched a lot longer but Im frustrated about it. You cant do anything about the rain." Jason Grilli pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning and is a perfect 19-for-19 in save opportunities. Marte led off the bottom of the first inning with a single, stole second with one out and scored on McCutchens single. McCutchen stole second and scored on Michael McKenrys single. Marte singled in the second and scored on Travis Sniders triple that rolled to the 410-foot notch in left-centre field. McCutchen added his second RBI single. The Cubs got a run in the fourth when David DeJesus led off with a double and scored on Anthony Rizzos grounder. The Cubs had runners on the corners when two outs when play was halted, but Mazzaro got Welington Castillo to hit an inning-ending groundout after the delay. Chicago cut the deficit to 4-2 in the seventh with Darwin Barney singling in Castillo, who had walked. NOTES: Jackson was struck in the rear end by a line drive off the bat of Marte in the second inning. Castro jammed his right ankle while being thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double in the sixth inning by RF Travis Snider. Both Chicago players were able to stay in the game. ... The Cubs road trip continues Friday night at Cincinnati with RHP Scott Feldman (4-3, 2.19) facing Reds RHP Bronson Arroyo (4-4, 3.28). ... RHP A.J. Burnett (3-4, 2.57) is scheduled to start for Pittsburgh at Milwaukee against RHP Marco Estrada (3-2, 5.44). Wholesale Authentic Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys AuthenticWholesale Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Cheap ' ' '
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