Scott Burnside, shut up. Damien Cox, speak up a little louder. Sure, what Sean Avery said was stupid, off-color, insert your own negative adjective, but suspending him, really? Come on. This isn’t John Rocker spewing pure hatred and racism. This was a bad attempt at being funny or a good attempt at insulting an ex-girlfriend and trying to get under the skin of his an opponent.
For those of you who do not know, Sean Avery used to date Elisha Cuthbert, who is now dating Dion Phaneuf. Also, Jarret Stoll is also dating another Avery ex-girlfriend, Rachel Hunter. I know this sounds like another bad MTV reality series waiting to happen, but this is what precipitated the Avery comments. That and he can be a pretty big idiot sometimes. But suspension is the wrong punishment and a ban from hockey, like some NHL commentators are asking for, is ridiculous.
I get it. The last thing the NHL wants or needs are players attacking other players’ families or personal lives through the media, but an immediate suspension? These comments were fairly tame as compared to other rants I have heard or how far Avery could have gone. I have heard rants that would make a George Carlin stand up special sound like church and the result was a fine. A fine is the appropriate league punishment.
Where was Josh Howard’s suspension for vulgar language and insulting the national anthem? I am not going to argue about what comment is worse but this punishment doesn’t fit the crime. Avery is an idiot and should be fined, but the NHL has gone too far. Besides, I am still angry I didn’t get to see a Phaneuf-Avery confrontation.
If Avery gets wrongly suspended for anything more than a couple of games, he probably isn’t worth holding onto. He doesn’t bring enough to the table to warrant holding onto dead weight. He should be picked up again once this is said and done, but I can’t see him worthy of a roster spot when so many teams are being plagued by injuries. I currently have Avery on a team and am waiting to see what the NHL does. When it wrongly suspends Avery, the length will determine if I keep him. Also, keep in mind Dallas may have their own punishments in store that could increase Avery’s bench time.
I seem to be ranting a lot these days. I apologize. Along with Avery there is some important fantasy news and most of it seems to revolve around injuries.
Joe Sakic, C, Colorado: Joe Sakic is one of my all-time favorite players, he is the ultimate professional, and the type of guy you want to be your neighbor. He epitomizes an athlete that deserves to be a child’s hero. Unfortunately, his career is over. His stats began to diminish last year and he has missed about half of last year and this year with injuries. His herniated disc isn’t going anywhere and at this stage in his career it is the type of injury that will make even the most determined players end their career. Unless you have an open IR spot, feel free to cut Sakic. Even when he returns, I doubt he will be 100% and will provide average stats. He’ll be worth adding at that time just in case, but he is not worth holding onto unless you can do so without any restraint.
Nikolai Khabibulin, G, Chicago: It looks like Bulin will be back sooner rather than later. Bulin got word from team doctors that the “lower-body injury” was not serious and has begun skating again. Chicago doesn’t play again until Saturday against the Red Wings, so there is a chance Bulin could start on Saturday. Keep an eye on the situation Saturday to see what the final determination is. If he doesn’t start Saturday, I doubt he will on Sunday against Ottawa. However, if you set weekly lineups, I would be ok with starting him next week.
Robert Lang, C, Montreal: If you are looking to fill the void left by Sakic, look no further than Robert Lang. Lang has picked up his play over the last month tallying 4 goals, 6 assists, 16 PIM and a few power play points. Lang should have no problem continuing this pace and the combination of points and PIM can really be a boost to a struggling team. His +/- should also continue to be solid. Montreal scores a lot of goals and has solid team defense. Consider this low risk but providing moderate returns. You won’t hit a home run with Lang, but he could be that go that puts you over the top each week.
Marek Zidlicky, D, Minnesota: Zidlicky is on fire right now with 5 points in his last 4 games, 4 of which have come on the power play. He has also found himself in the penalty box for 8 minutes in that same stretch. Zidlicky has approached or passed 50 points in two of his four NHL seasons. He is a power play specialist who will also provide solid PIM numbers. There are few defensemen in the league who can match Zidlicky’s numbers over the last month. He struggled early due to injuries but has really hit his stride lately. Zidlicky has to be owned in all leagues that start 4 defensemen and should be owned even with only 3 defensemen starting.
As with any SportsJudge.com article, feel free to post a comment or question. Until next week, The Puck Stops Here.
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