| Picking a winning hockey pool involves more | | | | ice time each night and is also going to be a |
| than simply going online and downloading last | | | | major factor on the power play. |
| year's scoring statistics and starting from | | | | |
| the top down. Anybody can do that! To be a | | | | In some hockey pools, it's also customary to |
| successful hockey prognosticator, you must be | | | | pick at least one goaltender for the year. |
| able to find players who will exceed their | | | | Depending on how points are allocated, |
| point totals from last year and not simply go | | | | goaltenders can be big point producers in any |
| with last year's Art Ross Trophy winner with | | | | hockey pool. The best advice is to pick a |
| your first pick. | | | | goaltender that is an established number 1 |
| | | | that will play 65 to 75 games and has a good |
| This theory holds true if you picked Tampa | | | | defence in front of him that can earn him a |
| Bay's Martin St. Louis to repeat his | | | | few shutouts. Be careful in picking a good |
| 2003-2004 season when he tallied 94 points. | | | | goaltender that plays for a bad team - i.e. |
| Last season, I'm willing to wager that St. | | | | Nikolai Khabibulin on Chicago or Olaf Kolzig |
| Louis was a hot commodity and probably picked | | | | in Washington. Remember, no goalie is capable |
| in everybody's hockey pool in the first or | | | | of winning a game alone, so make sure he has |
| second round because he had one good season. | | | | a solid a solid team in front of him. |
| Can't find St. Louis on last year's scoring | | | | |
| list? Well, that's because he didn't make it | | | | It also pays do some homework and find out if |
| into last year's Top 50 scorers - in fact St. | | | | any players are injured before the season |
| Louis finished tied for 76th overall in | | | | starts or if they are involved in contract |
| scoring with Maple Leafs "super sniper" Darcy | | | | disputes. Having players missing from your |
| Tucker with a grand total of 61 points. | | | | line in the early months will set you back |
| | | | early in the season and you may never get a |
| Another strategy to remember in picking a | | | | chance to catch up. Similarly, if want to |
| winning hockey pool is selecting players who | | | | pick injury prone players, make sure your |
| have a history of consistency. When I think | | | | hockey pool rules include a re-draft halfway |
| of consistency, I think of players like Joe | | | | through the season where you can drop players |
| Sakic, Brad Richards, Mats Sundin, and Daniel | | | | who are injured or underperforming. You may |
| Alfredsson. These players are also consistent | | | | also want to check in to find out what |
| "point-per-game" players which is crucial in | | | | players are in the final years of their |
| picking a successful hockey pool. Even though | | | | contract and may be looking for that big |
| some of these players won't compete for this | | | | raise the following year. Players who are due |
| year's Art Ross trophy, they have a history | | | | to become unrestricted free agents at the end |
| of finishing in the top 25 players in | | | | of the season are usually the best examples |
| scoring. These types of players are guys you | | | | of this philosophy. |
| know who are going to show up every night to | | | | |
| play and you will thank yourself every night | | | | Keep in mind too; a player may have missed |
| when you look at the box scores. | | | | some games the previous season, thus his |
| | | | stats might not be at the very top of the |
| In most hockey pools, it is usually required | | | | list. An excellent example of this strategy |
| to take at least a couple of defensemen but | | | | is Bruins centre Marc Savard. Two seasons |
| knowing what round to start picking | | | | ago, Savard tallied 52 points in only 45 |
| defensemen is another strategy. Last season, | | | | games and therefore didn't register in the |
| the top scoring defenseman in the NHL was | | | | top 25 in scoring. Last season, Savard played |
| Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom who finished with | | | | in all 82 games and rung up 97 points with |
| 80 points - good enough for 25th in overall | | | | the Atlanta Thrashers. |
| points. The next highest defenseman was | | | | |
| Dallas' Sergei Zubov who had 71 points and | | | | So on draft day, print out a copy of the top |
| finished 48th overall in scoring. The bottom | | | | 250-300 players from the previous season and |
| line here is only 2 D-Men finished in the top | | | | go through every player thoroughly and ask |
| 50 so don't waste your time worrying about | | | | yourself, can this player improve on his |
| selecting a defenseman in the first few | | | | stats from last year? Could this player do |
| rounds of your hockey pool. If you think a | | | | better now that he's playing on a different |
| forward is still out there that could | | | | team with different linemates? |
| conceivably score more points then the | | | | |
| defenseman you want to pick, take the forward | | | | Follow this advice closely and with a little |
| - it will probably pay off in the long run. | | | | luck, you may find yourself taking home the |
| However, when it does come time to start | | | | big prize when April rolls around next year! |
| picking defensemen, the number one rule is | | | | |
| pick a player who is going to see a ton of | | | | HockeyDraft. |