ASK SLAM!

By CHRIS NICHOLS -- SLAM! Sports

I was wondering what you think of my recent trade offers (I'm the one that is making these offers): my Vokoun for Nabokov, my Thornton and Hunter for Lang and Sullivan, and my Gomez and Morrison for Lecavalier and Marleau.
Brian Marissen

Those are all good offers for you. I think you get the most overall value in each deal.

Chris, Thanks for all the info, and keep that news coming! My C's are Datsyuk, Lang, Marleau, and Ribeiro (also eligible as LW w/ Stillman, Zetterberg). We start 2 with daily lineup changes and basic offensive categories. Am I too heavy on the Detroit side by starting Datsyuk, Lang and Zetterberg, even though their offense is phenomenal? Also, if I may, do you find it best to go with the same goaltenders, or is it best to play the matchups? I've got Kiprusoff, Raycroft, Esche, and Joseph in a weekly start league and while I like the depth, we only start two. Which combo looks good for the playoffs?
Gabba Gabba Hey, Aaron Werner, Denver

In my opinion, fantasy leaguers make way too much out of having "too many" players from the same lineup. If you have a guy that produces points, that's all that matters. If they all get shut out on the same night it hurts, but over the course of a season it all balances out. Even in H2H leagues you generally don't have to worry about those great offensive teams.

I'd go with the match-ups for the playoffs, combined with how the team is playing and generally does against those teams. All of those guys are great though, with Joseph's injury being the only concern. Esche may not play a heavy load right away, but he'll still get most of the starts.

Chris: Thanks for the advice in our points only pool. I'm now s few points back of 1st and like the looks of my team except for a few minor changes. I think the guy in 1st is feeling the heat because he is dealing all over the place and I have to shake my head on some of the trades he has made. I need your thoughts in trading Sundin & Petr Sykora off my roster for Ryder & Ribeiro. Petr Sykora has been a huge disappointment and Montreal just keeps rolling along. Your thoughts?
Cheers D

Nope. Both Montreal guys are nice, but Sundin is not someone you should deal for them -- regardless of Sykora's production. Let the guy in first make a bunch of deals and watch his team implode. If you can make deals to improve your fringe or medium-level players, go for it. If you can land a star with those players, all the better.

Chris: I need your review of this trade: I just traded Spezza, Hunter and Berard for St. Louis. (12 team Yahoo league, all stats counted, my team: Sakic, Richards, Rolston, Hossa, St. Louis, Zetterberg, Ribeiro, Kovalev, Leetch, Mara, Jovo, Niinimaa, Cloutier, Raycroft & Biron). From that deal only Hunter and Berard were starters on my club. Thanks for all of your help.
Cheers! Peter D'Urso

You give up a fair bit of talent, but St. Louis is easily the best player in the deal. You could really use Berard in terms of blueline scoring, but overall your team should be fine.

Hey Chris: Thanks again for all the advice, I was wondering what you think of the following deal, I'm in a yahoo roto league with the following stats counted (G, A, +/-, PIM, PPP, GWG) and for goalies (W, G.AA, SV%, SHO). I have 4 goalies and need to drop one since Belfour and Esche have just come off the IR, my other two goalies are Khabibulin and Weekes. I also need to drop one forward from Marleau, Lecavalier, Forsberg, Zetterberg, Kariya, D. Sedin, Hull, Iginla, and Heatley. As you can see it would be pointless to drop any of those players because they would be picked up in a second, so I worked out the following deal with the only guy in my league that needs a goalie...my Sedin and Khabi for his Elias...I like Elias because he qualifies for LW and C, and Khabi is my weakest goalie, just trying the get something for nothing approach since I would have most likely had to drop these guys anyways...
Thanks, Rob

It's not a bad deal and I like the approach of getting something rather than nothing. However, I'd rather see you deal Weekes and Sedin. Khabi is playing well and playing for a much better team than Weekes.

Hey Chris, I read your column and your 'Ask Slam' and have definitely benefited from your advice. I'm in a yahoo H2H league that counts: G, A, +/-, Pim, PPP, and GWG.
My team:
Handzus, Michal (C-Phi)
Richards, Brad (C-TB)
Zholtok, Sergei (C-Min)
Sedin, Daniel (LW-Van)
Prospal, Vaclav (LW-Anh)
Zetterberg, Henrik (LW-Det)
Ryder, Michael (RW-Mon)
Hejduk, Milan (RW-Col)
Bure, Valeri (RW-Fla)
Zidlicky, Marek (D-Nsh)
Timonen, Kimmo (D-Nsh)
Boyle, Dan (D-TB)
Blake, Rob (D-Col)
I'm in 4th place, 1 point behind 3rd, 1st and 2nd are too far for me to reach, but I am looking forward to the playoff's that start on 3/8 and feel I am weak at Center and need to upgrade my Center's Zholtok and Handzus. These are the Center's that are available in my league, which I think may be worth a change: Zhamnov, Horcoff, Turgeon, Ruutu, Lupul, Conroy. What do you think, should I make a change or stand pat?
Thanks, Steve, in the Windy City.

I'd cut both guys and add Zhamnov and Conroy. Be bold and it should pay off.

Hi. I put Belfour on IR to squeeze a few points from Parrish, but now I need to drop someone to make room for Belfour. Any suggestions? Samsonov/ Boynton/ Derek Morris/ Brad Stuart/ Parrish/ Van Ryn/ Philippe Boucher.
Thanks, Kevin

You've got many good candidates. I'm not a big fan of Parrish and Sammy could be out a few more weeks with his injury. Boucher has been sporadic too, so I guess I'd drop either Parrish or Boucher.

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