Sep 11 NHL Fantasy - Defence

Written by Gary "Rumble" Whittaker. Posted in Podcasts - Spotlight Montreal

In getting ready for the 2011-2012 NHL season, we brought in McKeen's Hockey Pro Scouting Coordinator Gus Katsaros to break down some of the major players, breakthroughs and sleepers on Defence in the NHL. Some of the topics tackled were:

Is Andrei Markov a gamble worth taking for a fantasy hockey league? Will his return hurt P.K.Subban’s numbers? Do you see Weber getting some decent minutes on defense?
Boston picked-up Joe Corvo this off-season. He’s an offensive defenseman but his play in his own zone is not always very intense. Will playing under Claude Julien be a problem or will the fact that he will be insulated help him out?
Buffalo’s situation is interesting: How do you expect Ernhoff and Regerh to do there? Will there be an adjustment period? Will Montreal-born Marc-Andre Gragnani be the odd-man out?
Can Brian Campbell and Ed Jovanovski help Florida or will their signing be a mistake?
New Jersey seems to lack depth on defense. Does that mean Adam Larsson could make the team right away?
Is this the year Victor Hedman takes a step forward in terms of offensive production or will he be a stay-at-home defenseman in this league?
How will John-Michael Liles do in Toronto?
With Washington seemingly trying to implement a tighter defensive system, what can be expected of Mike Green?
Do you see Eric Johnson having more success in Colorado?
Who will step-up for Detroit to compensate for the loss of Rafalski?
Can Drew Doughty’s contract situation become a distraction for him? Does he have an even higher ceiling in terms of offensive production?
Can Keith Yandle repeat his amazing season he just had?
How will Brent Burn fit in San Jose? Will he get bigger numbers or will the fact that the team has Dan Boyle mean that he will play a more defensive role?
Alex Pietrangelo has so much upside. Does he start taking off offensively or will that role be exclusively reserved for Shattenkirk?