Faceoff Factor

Defensemen Heading South: Fantasy Impact

Kevin Dunn | Fantasy Corner

Sep 2, 12:11 PM | Hype this story!

Trade and Signing of Andrej Meszaros

First the Andrej Meszaros Trade should be interesting as he heads to the revamped Lighting. Meszaros has been rock solid during his first three season posting 39, 36 and 35 points.

However, Meszaros has been paired with steady veterans in the past and operated behind some very good and well established lines. In Tampa the team will likely be searching for chemistry with their completely overhauled roster.

Sure Vincent Lecavailer and Marty St. Louis will be great but the rest of the team needs to come together. Meszaros will get plenty of ice time, but the team as whole may struggle for goal production early and look for that to impact his early season production.

If you have Meszaros in a keeper league do just that and ride out the potential early season storm, but if you are drafting Meszaros you might want to move him down your draft board, don’t reach. In fact, be careful of any Bolt’s players in the first quarter of the season. Barry Melrose only plays a great coach on TV. Melrose has to prove it on the ice.

On the flip side (pun fully intended) you have Fliip Kuba and Alexandre Picard. Kuba was able to post career years in the sunshine state after escaping the clutches of fantasy killer Jacques Lemaire in Minnesota. Kuba had 37 points two years ago and 31 points last season.

After coming over from Philadelphia in the Vaclav Prospal trade, Picard put up 6 points in 20 games with the Lighting. Both players head to Ottawa team that has overhauled 2/3 of their opening night blueline from last season, so they should have plenty of ice time.

Kuba should put up the same kind of numbers and look for a make or break season from Picard who struggled to find a home on somewhat thin Philly blueline but as 23-year old defensemen Picard may be coming into his own now. Keep an eye on his paring and ice time in the preseason, if Picard is getting top 4 time he may be a nice pickup.

McCabe Deal Gets Done

There really is health-care crisis and it’s all in the long rumored Bryan McCabe to Florida trade. This trade is about projecting comebacks from tricky hand injuries.

McCabe has always been able to find the back of the net from the point and post lock out he had 68 and 57 points seasons but last season a broken hand and other assorted injuries limited him to 54 games and just 23 points.

McCabe is also dependent on the PP for points and that leads us to Jay Bouwmeester. Can they co-exist on PP? How will the uncertain long-term status of Bouwmeester impact McCabe? Play it safe with McCabe and project no higher than 40 points this season.

Mike Van Ryn and a draft pick go to Toronto in exchange for McCabe. Van Ryn has never been a fantasy player despite two nice seasons in Florida. Now that he is coming back from wrist surgery that held him to only 20 games last season just steer clear of Van Ryn. At least Van Ryn is heading back to Ontario to play for the Leafs.