When selecting your wings for fantasy hockey the glory stats usually sway the pick. Everyone wants a sniper that will light the lamp, and the selection pool is stocked with guys who know how to score. A closer look at the premier players tells us that the elite guys do all the other things that make them desirable in the fantasy format.
Now nobody thinks for a minute that any player in any sport considers their fantasy statistics when they take the ice, field or court, but some guys just compete at a higher level when it comes to fantasy sports. For whatever reason, two of your top wingers in fantasy hockey are Anaheim’s former Hart Trophy winner Corey Perry and Stanley Cup finalist, New Jersey Devil Ilya Kovalchuk.
The 2011-12 season saw these guys heading in opposite directions. Kovalchuk’s Devils were certainly not favorites to win the Stanley Cup headed in to the season. An over-the-hill goalie and financial ruin were the main storylines coming out of the Rock (Prudential Center) as the season began. Kovalchuk, impervious to coaching and playing defense for most of his career, seemed to be oblivious to the strife facing the franchise and put up his best numbers since he was an Atlanta Thrasher.
Kovalchuk has always been a shooting machine, but his minus-9 rating was evidence that he might have actually been something other than a complete defensive liability. His 37 goals are far from his career high, but his overall production shows that he could be returning to form as an elite player again. The loss of Zach Parise on the Devils could be a hit to the success of the Devils, but Kovalchuk will get his stats regardless, you can count on that. He played in Atlanta and scored 50 goals twice.
Corey Perry entered the season with much higher expectations than his Russian counterpart. A 50-goal effort and a Hart Trophy in 2010-11 made Perry a consensus top-5 pick in last years draft. Perry and his Ducks ended up laying an egg (see what I did there?) for the season as Perry’s points dropped by 38 and the Ducks flew south in the standings (and again! ZING!).
Anaheim and their stud winger look to rebound this season though as coach Bruce Boudreau will have a full season with the talented Duck roster. His up tempo, offensive style of play brought goals by the dozen to Washington while he was there and could return Anaheim and Perry to the status that we are used to seeing. Perry takes a ton of shots, is more defensively responsible and gets more penalty minutes. He’ll likely contend again for the Richard Trophy as the league’s top goal scorer.
In summary, I’d go with Perry. He’s a little younger, more aggressive and plays for a more offensive minded coach. Don’t expect him to get to 50 goals again unless he starts out hot. The loss of Parise in New Jersey could completely change their style of play. Sorry, no more Duck puns, but I’ll take Perry with my pick.