NHL: Reemergence of Two Way Forwards

It has been a long time since the era of the tough guy.  However, the two way game has never been more important than in the modern day NHL.  Offense and point production will always be huge, but advanced statistics have shown us the benefit of having stellar two way players.  All the elite rosters around the league have a few guys on the team who are willing to bring it defensively.  I have created a short list of all the greatest two way forwards from around the league.

Patrice Bergeron: The "second line" center for the Bruins tops my charts on this list.  Last season, he held the title for most face-off wins.  Most of these draws are on shifts where he is expected to shut down the oppositions top line.  Sure, Boston has a good defense core; However, Bergeron rarely gets the chance to play a purely offensive style.  Even while shutting down the opposition, he managed to put up 62 points last season.  He was also second in the league with a plus / minus rating of +38, only beat out by teammate David Krejci.

Marian Hossa: Hossa has found a home playing with some great talent in Chicago.  His style is based purely around puck possession.  He has phenomenal hands, which he uses to create turnovers and take away shooting lines from the opposition.  When he has the puck, he turns into a nightmare for defenders.  He puts the defender on his back and literally skates around looking for openings.  He draws a lot of penalties and allows his teammates to find open spaces.  This big Slovakian winger put up 30 goals, 30 assists and finished the regular season as a +28 skater.  His two way game is unmatched, and I believe he is crucial to the success of any team he plays on.

Pavel Datsyuk: Datsyuk is quite possibly the most dangerous player on this list simply because he has the smoothest set of hands in the league today.  His career is packed with highlight reel goals which most NHL players can only dream about.  He has been a cornerstone on the Red Wings for many years, and has had a lot of success with the team.  He has won the Selke and Lady Byng awards multiple times.  He also had his name engraved on Stanley's cup twice, in 2002 and 2008 with his fellow Red Wing teammates.  His offence has been tailing off the last couple years with age and lack of surrounding talent. He is still nearly a point per game guy, but I am anticipating that these numbers will further tail off this upcoming season.  I anticipate 50-60 points from the future Hall of Famer, and at least a couple highlight reel moves to add to his portfolio.

David Backes: Backes is the captain of the Blues, and has made quite the name for himself in his last few seasons.  I chose him for this list because he plays a very well rounded style.  However, what sets him apart is his "old school" hockey mentality.  He is an extremely competitive player who never quits, even when the whistle blows.  It is not uncommon for him to engage players during and after plays.  He is a hit machine, and drops the gloves fairly frequently.  When he is not engaged in the extracurricular, he is usually grinding down opponents and taking away space for opposing forwards.  He takes the bulk of the Blues' important draws, and is one of the best penalty killing centers around.  Offensively, he is no slouch either.  He put up 57 points, and finished the regular season as a +14 skater.  I expect him to maintain these stats and help the team make a more successful playoff push this season.

NHL Fantasy: Early Injuries

Penguins:  With the season starting in under a month, the Penguins are really just looking to keep injuries to a minimum.  Reports say that both Crosby and Malkin will be taking precautionary measures this pre-season to prevent any long term injuries.  From what I have heard, they have been training together at a very extreme pace for most of the summer.  Coming into pre-season, the team has decided to give them both a break to ensure that they are ready for the regular season.  As of right now, there's nothing to worry about with these guys.  I would not consider them any less valuable on a fantasy league team.  This however, does not apply to youngster Olli Maata.  He is coming off of shoulder surgery in late July and has just started to practice with light contact.  To edge on the side of caution, the team will likely have him sidelined to start the season.  If you have other options, try to avoid this guy in your draft.



Goalies:  J-Quick is coming off of wrist surgery, but is expected to be ready for the regular season.  If the recovery is prolonged, I may take a look into skipping him for Rask or another top goalie.  Honestly though, I would not worry too much unless something drastic delays his recovery.  If he misses any time, it will only be a few games.

                 Josh Harding of the Minesota Wild finds himself stuck on the injury boat to start the season.  He broke his foot apparently kicking a wall.  I have not read into this matter much, but it seems as if he will miss a good chunk of time to start the year.  In my books, he is pretty much done as far as fantasy goalies are concerned.  His value just plummeted, and don't expect him to return to top form any time this year.


            Ben Bishop is coming off of a seemingly minor surgery on his elbow/forearm.  Various reports have been released, and the general consensus is that he will likely not be completely recovered for the start of the season.  This is a guy I would keep an eye on.  If healthy, I would give him serious considerations for a top goalie.  He easily makes the top ten list for my fantasy goaltenders.


Daniel Alfredsson:  Alfie looks like he may be retiring earlier than we expected.  He strained his back just two days ago, and he has not released any information to the media quite yet.  Reports say that he was not attending many activities during this seasons training camp.  From what I can tell, he will likely be hanging up the skates soon.  I would avoid him this season and possibly go with a young gun if you really want a good Red Wing forward.  Thomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist might be good players to draft late if given the chance.  Tatar will likely be rounding out line 2, and Nyquist is basically just a wild card at this point.  Regardless, both have talent to put up 40+ points if given enough playing time.