Chris Nichols

­Chris Nichols is Sportsnet.ca's fantasy hockey writer.

That's it for this latest Q&A edition and if you didn't make it in this time, apologies. It'll be back on Monday though.

Have you got a brief fantasy hockey question? Drop a line to chris.nichols@sportsnet.rogers.com within 24 hours or so of any Q&A (to keep your league info relevant) and your email may be included in the blog, which will begin live at 3pm et/ 12pm pt on Mondays and Thursdays. One per person, please. Don't forget to include your first name and hometown to represent!

Video: Salary cap deals

Posted at 4:30pm et
THREE OF FOUR
Jan
"Hi Chris! Hoping you could help me with a looming decision. From this point going forward in a points only single season league, which three forwards would you keep and who would you drop out of: Giroux, McDonald, Morrow, and Hossa. I'm liking Giroux and if Hossa can stay healthy he's a no-brainer, but I'm not sure who to put more trust in of McDonald and Morrow. I'm nowhere near first, but I have high hopes for the second half! Thanks so much for your help!"

Chris
Jan, I'd agree that Hossa is an obvious choice from that group. I'd also say that Morrow is actually the second-best option, so for me it would come down to McDonald or Giroux for the final slot. Since McDonald is generally a safer bet to get more quality minutes in STL given the uncertainty of Giroux's immediate position in Philly, I'd tend to gravitate toward keeping McDonald and dropping Giroux. McDonald has been really hot since getting back into the line-up this month (five points in four games) and he's a decent bet to hover somewhere around the point-per-game mark.

Posted at 4:23pm et
THE LAST MOVE
Omar from Edmonton
"Hi Chris,
Just wanted your opinion on a injury move I need to make. I am currently in a 6-person points league. The scoring is simple in our league as we only count goals and assists and there are no bench or IR spots. My league is unique as we are only allowed 3 roster moves the ENTIRE year and due to the injury bug hitting me early I am down to my final move. Early this month i moved Andrei Markov for Michael Del Zotto and David Booth for Vaclav Prospal, and now with the back surgery Dave Bolland just had, i am forced to make a move. Here are some notable FAs, would love to here your input on which one would be the best long-term pickup as my roster will be set after this move:

Rene Bourque, Ryan Malone, Phil Kessel, J.P Dumont, Maxim Afinogenov, Tomas Fleischmann, Nathan Horton, Kyle Okposo, Claude Giroux, Ales Kotalik

One other thing that i should mention, I already have Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos on my team, so picking up Malone would give me the entire line but at the same time is that too many to have from one team? The same can be said about Fleischmann as I have Ovechkin, Backstrom and Laich from the Caps. Thanks for your input!"

Chris
It's tough that you're down to your last move already, but I guess with so few moves and so many injuries in the NHL this year there are likely a lot of owners in your league in the same boat. Since we're talking about points only, I'm more inclined to put Kessel, Dumont and maybe even Afinogenov as the top three guys from which you could choose. Malone has been great, but I'm not sure he can sustain a point-per-game pace.

Dumont might be the safest bet and he's got more support than Kessel when Arnott/ Sullivan are healthy, but Kessel has been really impressive too. His SOG totals have been excellent and even though it doesn't count as a category for your league, it still means he's creating many quality offensive chances each night. He's also the top offensive option for the Leafs no matter what.

I guess the bottom line here Omar is that whichever guy you go with is still likely to get you more points than would have Bolland, so you're still coming out ahead of the game in the end.

Posted at 4:17pm et
TRADE OPTIONS
Christian in Highlands Ranch, CO
"Hi Chris,
You have been helping me build my Team for several years now - I couldn't have done it without you. You are The Best!!! 8 Teams. Yahoo H to H - G A PTS +/- PIM PPG PPA PPP SHP GWG SOG. My Keeper F: Crosby, Datsyuk, Heatley, Kovalchuk, Lecavalier, Malkin, Ovechkin, Richards M, Semin, Spezza, Staal E. - Non-Keeper F (Need to pick 2 as Keepers): Dumont, Fleischmann, Horton, Kariya, Morrow, Richards B, Williams Ju. My D are Bogosian, Boyle, Goligoski, Kaberle, Phaneuf & Weber (IR) - Keep 3 D.

I need to add two Players as Keepers. I can trade for Giroux and E. Kane. Weber is on the IR so I would have to drop a Player to make the trade. I can drop Kariya to get Weber off IR. I could then trade Kaberle and Fleischmann for Giroux and E. Kane.

I switched Semin with Ovechkin on the IR. I was hoping to drop Kariya to get Semin off the IR. To make this Trade I would have to leave Semin on the IR once he is healthy as I don't really want to drop any of my other players. Weber would come off the IR and take Kaberle's spot.

Should I make this trade (knowing Semin would stay on the IR)? I am 8 points out of First Place having survived lots of injuries. Do you like Giroux and E. Kane as Keepers for my Team? Thanks a lot for your help."

Chris
Christian, I really don't even think you need to make a single trade for the rest of the year and you'd still have an excellent chance to win. Kane and Giroux should be good keepers, for sure, but you've already got Morrow and Richards that you could keep from your leftovers. They're certainly not as young, but you've got plenty of Grade A young stars and the older guys will be better producers for now and they'll help you win. I'm much more inclined to just enjoy the team you have, especially when they're all healthy.

Posted at 4:10pm et
POINTS-ONLY CHOICE
Franc from Ottawa
"Hi Chris,
Love your work! I'm in a basic 13 team, points only pool (10 fwds, 4 defs) with limited roster moves. I need to replace Filppula who is on long-term IR. Which would you pick from the available list:

Bourque R, Prospal , Neal , Malone R, Plekanec T, Moulson M, Kotalik A, Fisher M, Morrison B, Stoll J, Williams J, Vermette A. Thanks a million!"

Chris
Thanks Franc. With limited moves you really need to make your choice count, which is why I'd be tempted to go with someone like Prospal. He's a proven producer who's in a great situation with Gaborik in New York and as much as there are a number of quality options on your FA list, he'd probably be my first choice for you.

Posted at 4:03pm et
ODD MAN OUT
Dennis from London
"Hey Chris,
I enjoy reading your blogs and your advice has helped me out in the past!
I'm in a Yahoo H2H league with 6 teams! So far I'm in last and need to get things going! My dilemma is that whenever Daniel Sedin returns I need to drop a forward. I really don't know who to drop. My forwards are : Patrick Sharp, Rene Bourque, Daniel Alfredsson, Alex Ovechkin, Patrik Elias, and Vaclav Prospal. Both Sharp and Elias can either be center/winger which helps fill the roster whenever I can. We get points for G, A, PPG, PPA, GWG! Thanks Chris and keep up the good work."

Chris
Since it's a six-team league here Dennis, it's less of a problem to drop a quality guy like Elias while he gets back up to speed. I'd rather have Elias than Bourque from today through April, as an example, but when the FA crop is bountiful you've always got the luxury of going with the hot guy. If you'd rather keep Elias/ Sharp because they're C-W eligible, then it might have to be Bourque that you cut. He's been so hot it's tough to do that though, so there's where you've got to decide which sacrifice is more important to your team. With the immediacy of the need for points in H2H nightly, I tend to favour going with the guys who are producing now - especially with so many good free agents available.

Posted at 3:56pm et
TRADE OPTIONS
Blair
"Chris, Wednesday night seems like the perfect time for 2 people to propose trades to me don't you think?

Trade A
I give Fleischmann,
I get Burrows

Trade B
I give Havlat,
I get Wheeler

20 team keeper league. Stats are G, A, +/-, PPG, PPA, PIM, Shots, W, SV%, GAA.
My roster is
C- Backstrom, Vermette, Lang, Konopka
LW - Neal, Elias, Dawes
RW - Fleischmann, Horton, Havlat, Callahan
D- Johnson, Weber, Phaneuf, Bogosian, Greene (NJ)
G- Luongo, Pavelec, Lehtonen

So what are your opinions on the trades? Should I take either. I'm thinking take trade A and decline trade B. What do you think? Thanks."

Chris
I've got no problem with your thoughts on either deal Blair. Burrows offers the PIM upside and while he may not net as many points as Fleischmann when Fleischman is hot like this, I think in a standard league that's still a fair swap in the long run. I'd also rather keep Havlat because of his vast point upside. Wheeler is a solid keeper choice in a deep format, depending on the number of keepers, but Havlat is the guy I'd generally rather have for production for the foreseeable future. His current slump can't last forever.

Posted at 3:49pm et
KEEPER DEAL
Steve in Portland
"Hello Chris,
I am hoping you can help me out. I play in a Head-to-Head League where all of our players are keepers. Our scoring categories are goals, assists, points, +/-, PIM, PPG, PPA, PPP, SOG & GWG. I have been offered his Claude Giroux for my Tomas Fleishmann. Fleischmann has been playing very well lately. Looking at your 'Live NHL recap' from 11/18/09 Giroux is Centering the 4th line with 12 minutes of ice time - Ouch! With Carter and Richards as the top 2 Centers on Philly, if Giroux is a Center - will he still become a star? How many points do you see both Fleischmann and Giroux scoring this season and what is the ceiling for both? Should I make this trade? I would really appreciate any insight you have for these two players. Thank you very much. You do a great job!"

Chris
It really just depends on how long you're willing to wait Steve. Giroux is in tough as a centre on this team, as you noted with Richards and Carter being there already. Giroux can certainly have success in a third line role down the middle, which he is most of the time when he's playing centre. He can also be a good winger for this team, which is where he has spent a fair bit of time recently. Fleischmann, when he's playing well, is almost always going to be a top six guy on the wing.

I think Giroux has a higher offensive upside, but are you willing to wait for either a permanent wing spot to open up for him or for him to really thrive in a third line role? If so, you could take the deal. If you'd rather be rewarded by Fleischmann's production now and then try to get Giroux for a more inexpensive price as his owner gets impatient, that's an option too.

Posted at 3:42pm et
MAKING ROOM FOR GONCHAR
JS in NS
"Hi Chris:
Weekly transactions, 12 team head to head. G, A, +/-, PP, GWG, SHG, GAA,
Sv%, SO.
My team:
C - Jokinen, Ribeiro
LW - Parise, Prospal
RW - Iginla, Brown
D - Bouwmeester, Kaberle, Visnovsky, Whitney
G - Thomas, Huet, Pavelec
Bench -Morrow, Briere, Laich
IR - Gonchar

Looks like Gonchar is coming back tonight or this weekend. I had grabbed Visnovsky to replace him but now that he is heating up, I don't want to drop him out right. Also, good D is scarce on the wire. Should I drop Whitney (or anyone else for that matter) to make room or try to trade a D-Man/forward combo for a forward upgrade? As always, thanks for your advice."

Chris
Gonchar is apparently a definite for tonight, which is great. He's on my team too. Barring a quick two-for-one trade, which would be the best route, I guess Whitney is the guy that'll have to be dropped. His production will likely pick up before too long, but he's probably the best fit for the time being.

Posted at 3:35pm et
GETZLAF DEAL
Hank in Cologne (Germany)
"Hi Chris, my team is lacking roughness, though Souray and Hartnell should be ok with PIMs.
Anyways, I think about getting Getzlaf via trade.
I would offer Brad Richards and Whitney since the Getzlaf owner is short on D. What do you think. Would my squad improve. With Gonchar coming from IR I have to make room anyways.

Standard Yahoo H2H 12-team league with PIM but no SOG.
My team (sitting at 3rd) now is:
C: Stastny, Brad Richards, Eric Staal
LW: Kovalchuk , Prospal, Hartnell
RW: Setoguchi, Briere(C), Antropov (C)
D: Gonchar (IR), Boyle, Visnovsky, Whitney, Souray
G: King Henrik, Miller, Varlamov

Thanks for your daily input!"

Chris
I like it Hank. Good on Richards for having the year he's having, but if you can add Getzlaf's PIM potential by dealing a defenceman that you can actually afford to part with then go for it. Gonchar's return is right here too, which helps make losing Whitney not sting too much.

Successful fantasy trades are most often made by doing exactly what you tend to do - identify a need of the other team and still come out with the best player in the deal.

Posted at 3:28pm et
TRADE THOUGHTS
DP in Jackson Hole
"Hey Chris,
I'm hoping you can get to this one today (no luck for the past three submissions). I'm in a 12 team Yahoo! H2H single season league (G, A, PIM, +/-, PPP, SHP, GWG). Starting 3RW, 3C, 3LW, 4D, 2G. I'm pretty stacked at left wing (premium position) but somewhat soft in the middle and on the right. I'm thinking about trading to bolster either postion.

Here's the squad:

LW: Nash, Marleau, Prospal, Kariya, M. Raymond
C: Spezza, M. Koivu, Dubinsky (injured but not on IR, Bergeron,
RW: Iginla, Byfuglien, Lupal (LW), Antropov (C)
D; Seabrook, Phaneuf, Sneider, Erik Johnson
G Emery, Huet, Pavelec

I'm considering offering Nash straight up for: Thornton, Malkin, N. Backstrom, M. Richards, H. Sedin, C. Perry, P. Kane. These guys are all on teams with weak LWs and strong C/RW so it would a good positional trade for both sides. Would you NOT make any of those deals and would you offer Marleau or Prospal for those you think are not worthy of Nash? "

Chris
Sorry about that. I try to distribute the questions as best as possible each week, but it doesn't hurt to mention it like you did if you get left out a few weeks in a row.

I really wouldn't deal Nash at all. I get that you want to improve other positions since you are looking fairly good at LW (although Kariya has been hit or miss and Raymond shouldn't be considered a strong guy for the whole season), but I actually don't think you need an upgrade at centre. Spezza and Koivu are fine and you've got both Prospal (not listed as a C by you, but doesn't he have to be eligible there too?) and Antropov who can play the wing and centre.

I could see going for Marleau/ Perry, since they've each been producing really well and the positional swap makes sense for you and the other team. I'd be less inclined to offer Nash for one of the stud centres because I just think he's too valuable on the wing and as much as they're excellent centres, it's just easier to get some sort of decent production down the middle than on the wing.

Another possibility is to trade Raymond while he's hot for either an underperforming centre or a centre that's more or less a decent, but middle-of-the-road type that would fill your pivot need for now. This, of course, is assuming you can't find a decent FA replacement. Dubinsky does seem to have the IR in Y! now, for what it's worth, so maybe that clears up a spot to get a good FA centre.

Posted at 3:21pm et
USE #1 WAIVER PRIORITY?
John from Calgary (Go Oilers Go!)
"Heck of a game last night. The Oil finally made it work. Someone recently dropped Selanne in my H2H keeper league (G, A, PPP, GWG, +/-, PIM, SHP). It's a 10 team league with 25 man rosters and I have top waiver priority. Is Selanne worthy of using the #1 waiver priority on? I only have 4 moves left for the rest of the season and my current RWs are Guerin, Afinogenov, Boyes, Horton (C), Holmstrom, Giroux, Bertuzzi (LW), Samuelsson and Hossa coming back from the IR soon hopefully and Grabner also on IR. I was intending on dropping Bert when Hossa comes back so is Selanne a significant enough upgrade on any of these guys to justify picking him up? Thanks."

Chris
Given the fact that you're dealing with limited moves here John, I'd be less inclined to add Selanne... especially with Hossa coming back soon. It's always hard to gauge the potential future quality of player drops in any league, although in H2H leagues there are generally going to be better players dropped than in roto. Maybe the fact that you're in such a limited moves pool negates that tendency though.

Selanne would likely improve your overall wing depth, but with it only being mid-November I'd be less inclined to make any more moves right now.

Posted at 3:14pm et
CLOWE OR TANGUAY?
Mark from New Jersey
"What's up Chris? Quick question for you . . . . who would you pick up in a head to head league that counts PIMs . . . . . Ryan Clowe or Alex Tanguay? Thanks in advance."

Chris
For the time being I'd go with Clowe because he's got a top six slot and he's producing both points and PIM. It really doesn't matter whether he plays on Thornton's line or with Pavelski/ Marleau. Tanguay is also getting hot, which is great given his horrible start, but doesn't have the PIM.

Tanguay is more likely to keep producing points for the longer run this season, but Clowe has the intriguing standard league upside with his PIM and as long as he's healthy and producing you may as well try him out.

Posted at 3:07pm et
HAVLAT OR BACKES?
Jay in Hartford
"Hey Chris,
Who is more likely to turn their season around, Backes or Havlat? I unfortunately drafted Havlat this year in a categories league that counts G, A, +/-, GWG, PIM, PPP, Hits, Blocks, and SHP for skaters. So I've been offered Backes, who's also in a terrible rut, for Havlat. Last year Backes was a beast putting up huge PIMs, Hits, and about 60 points. Can he score like that again? With Havlat's history or injury, and lack of peripheral stats, I'm leaning towards making the deal. What do you think?"

Chris
The SOG/ PIM pace for Backes is similar to last season, but only PIM counts for your league. Backes does obviously hit a lot more guys than Havlat too.

If Backes has a 30-point season with, say, 120-160 PIM plus his hit total is that more valuable to your team on the wing than a guy like Havlat, who has a pretty good track record for points when healthy? It kind of depends on the make-up of your team, but you should approach the trade as if Backes won't put up last year's point totals. He may still turn it around and get hot, but you should assume for your purposes that it'll just mainly be the hits and PIM that he'll provide you. Havlat, on the other hand, has a pretty good chance to resume his point-producing ways and has a good shot to have a decent second half.

So it really comes down to which categories would help your team out the most.

Posted at 3pm et
AFINOGENOV OR KOZLOV?
Brandon from Guelph
"Hey Chris,
I have an opportunity to make a move to acquire Maxim Afinogenov for Slava Kozlov. It is a 30 player roster 15 team points keeper league and I personally feel like there is more talent on the LW available than on the right. Here is my current roster, tell me what you think. I should do, as I am currently in favor of doing the trade.

C: M. Richards*, D.Brassard*, B.Laich, K. Tkachuk
RW: Hossa*IR, Horton, Cleary, Downie, W.Simmonds
LW: Parise*, Wolski, Kozlov, McLeod
D: Gonchar*, Doughty*, Bogosian*, Carle, Ohlund, Girardi

G: Mason*, Leclaire

BN: E.Kane*, T. Hunter, Kadri*, B.Schenn*, M.Hodgson*, Pietrangelo, B.Sutter,T. Conklin, M.Legace,

There is more emphasis in goals than there are assists. Tkachuk and E.Kane have LW eligibility as well as C, which is what also makes me want to try and help my RW spot out as. I look forward to your wise words."

Chris
I'm ok with the deal Brandon. There's still some risk with Afinogenov because it's been a few years since he produced this well, but I still think that's because of where he was buried in the Buffalo line-up. Atlanta actually has really good offensive depth right now and while I can't guarantee he'll keep producing, he's in a solid situation to do so and he does at least have a track record of success in past similar situations. With Hossa coming back soon, Afinogenov is probably a better bet as anyone else currently on your team to man the #2 RW slot for you. You can likely live without Kozlov on the left side regardless.