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