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Fantasy Hockey: Q&A with Expert Cam Robinson

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Fantasy Hockey: May 1, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn (14) skates against the St. Louis Blues during the game during the third period in game two of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the American Airlines Center. Benn scores the game tying goal to send the game into overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Fantasy Hockey: Interview/Q&A with Dobber Hockey’s Cam Robinson

With NHL training camp right around the corner, now is the time for hockey fans to draft their fantasy hockey teams! Here at Puck Prose, we have everything you need to succeed in your fantasy hockey league.

For this article, I decided to do a little Q&A with Cam Robinson. Cam is a senior writer and scout at Dobber Hockey, and there’s no one better to ask for fantasy hockey advice than him. I asked Cam ten of the most important fantasy hockey questions for 2016-17. Want to see what he said? Keep reading.

Fantasy Hockey Questions (and answers)

Feb 25, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) and Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) stand on the ice as referees determine penalties after a scrum in the first period at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

1. Who goes number one in your fantasy hockey draft?

Ah, the age-old question of whom to take first overall. For a few seasons, it was pretty murky. Crosby had concussion issues, Ovechkin was mired in a mid-career ‘slump’ and a host of young talent was emerging. This season the answer should be much clearer. Sidney Crosby, once again, is the choice for top spot.

Now, does that mean he’ll win the Art Ross Trophy in 2016-17? Not necessarily, but he is the most accomplished player, playing on one of the best teams and still just 29 years of age. There are a handful of players capable of recording the most points this season, but Crosby is the best bet to do it.

Honorable Mentions: Connor McDavid, Jamie Benn and Patrick Kane

2. Will Erik Karlsson score 80 points next season?

The Senators captain just reeled off a career-season at the ripe old age of 25. You better believe he has more left in the tank, and I would say he’s capable of scoring 90-plus in the right situation; the guy is a freak.

However, with a new coach in town and a likely slight drop after a career-high five-on-five shooting percentage, he may have a hard time getting there. Put me down for a floor of 70 points and a real solid bet to crack 75. I believe 80 will elude him this season, though.

June 6, 2016; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns (88) against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period in game four of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final at SAP Center at San Jose. The Penguins defeated the Sharks 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

3. Who is the second best defenseman to own?

There are a number of right answers here. Kris Letang just put up 67 points in 71 games and that 0.94 point-per-game average spits out to 77 points over a full season. John Klingberg and the shooting Stars are poised to once again destroy the league in goals scored and he’s looking to establish himself as the next great offensive defenseman; while PK Subban is in the Music City and looking to charge up the point leader’s list.

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However, the title of second best defenseman to own for this coming season belongs to the bearded man in North Cali.

Brent Burns is an absolute monster and his 75 points last season can attest to that. He will once again team up with big and little Joe to feast on penalty killers and his ability to get the puck on net with such consistency, coupled with his rare combination of size and skill puts him in line for another big campaign.

Mar 29, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel (15) skates with the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period at the CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

4. Who is your breakout pick for 2016-17?

There are so many options here: Sasha (Aleksander) Barkov, Nikita Kucherov, Robby Fabbri, Nikolaj Ehlers, Morgan Rielly… but the guy I see taking that step into the rare air of elite producers is Jack Eichel. People may have forgotten just how talented this player is. His 56 points last season were just the tip of the iceberg and I believe he has the skills and supporting cast to break into the 70-point range in 2016-17. Get ready for that total to continue climbing as he’s a solid bet to be a perennial top-10 scorer in the league for the next decade.

Jun 24, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Patrik Laine poses for a photo with team officials after being selected as the number two overall draft pick by the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft at the First Niagra Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

5. Who are the three Calder finalists and winner?

Always a fun exercise predicting year-end award winners in September, let alone the most volatile group of all: Rookies. This year’s crop is littered with elite talent and there should be no shortage of fantasy relevant players.

As far as finalists go, I’ll put the top two picks from this past draft in Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine up there with Zach Werenski as the third on my ballot.

There’s usually one ‘surprise’ guy that gets nominated and to me, Zach Werenski will be that player. He’s a superb all-around talent that made the AHL look like a cake-walk last spring. He’ll get a chance to crack the CBJ roster out of camp and once he’s there, top four minutes will follow.

For your winner, I like the exuberant, Laine to come home with the hardware.

The big Fin’s ability to score goals and electrify crowds will serve him well, and it’s expected Winnipeg will let him run wild on the power play and top six. He’s a serious threat to score 30 goals and 60-plus points becoming the first teenage rookie to do so since Jeff Skinner popped 31 and 63 back in 2010-11.

Apr 9, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane (88) against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. The Blue Jackets won 5-4 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

6. Will Patrick Kane record 100-plus points again?

I think it’s fairly unlikely that we see Patty Kane crack triple digits again. Now that isn’t to say I don’t believe he has the talent to get there, as he absolutely does and proved what he’s capable of when paired with an equally dynamic player in Artemi Panarin. However, it’s a very tricky thing to score that many points in this day and age and his history of finding it difficult to stay healthy leads me to believe that 2015-16 will go down as his career year.

Kane lit the world on fire on the back of a near career-high shooting percentage (16%) and career-topping 37 power play points last season. Both are likely to slip a tad. It was also just the second time since 2010 that he played in all 82 games.

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Sep 8, 2016; Quebec City, Quebec, Canada; Team Europe head coach Ralph Krueger looks at the scoreboard during the second period of the World Cup of Hockey pre-tournament game against Team North America at Videotron Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

7. Who is the best player outside the NHL that keeper league players need to watch for?

I assume we’ll disregard recently drafted top prospects that will step into the league next season. In which case, I’ll name a skater and a goaltender. 

This name might sound familiar to you… Ilya Kovalchuk. The former first overall selection continues to be an offensive force even after a tumultuous final stretch with SKA St. Petersburg last season. The dynamic winger’s KHL contract is up at the end of this coming season and if he decides to cross the pond as he threatened to last April, he could step back in as an impact fantasy player. A lot of ifs, but a big boom if it occurs.

As far as goaltenders go, it’s an extremely difficult task to identify who will be the next star in the NHL. Pedigree, opportunity and results at top levels are what I look for one and one guy stands out: Ilya Sorokin.

Sorokin has put up video game-like numbers in the KHL the last 60 or so games, culminating with a .945 save percentage through 20 KHL playoff games last spring. He is the youngest to ever receive the KHL top goaltender award and the 21-year-old third-round pick of the Islanders will be knocking the door down when he crosses the pond after the 2017-18 season; right in time for Jaroslav Halak’s contract to be wrapping up.

Sep 5, 2016; Ottawa, ON, Canada; Canada goalie Braden Holtby during practice for the World Cup of Hockey at Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

8. Who is the first goalie on my draft board?

Braden Holtby is the guy I’m taking first. What’s not to like? He’s in his prime years, he’s supremely talented and hey, he also plays on one of the best, if not the best, regular season teams. I doubt he pushes 50 wins again this season, but he can almost sleepwalk to 40.

Honorable Mention: Ben Bishop

Mar 26, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; New York Islanders forward John Tavares (91) watches the play against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. The New York Islanders defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in the overtime. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

9. What is your fantasy hockey draft strategy?

I employ a pretty simple strategy: accrue the players who I think will provide the most production or the most value on the trade market. That means putting in the work to research and going with your gut on draft day. 

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In leagues with positional requirements, in the first three rounds, my ideal situation sees me grabbing an elite scoring winger and one of the three or four top scoring defenders. If a top end goaltender is there in the third round, I’ll take him, otherwise, I may go back to the well on a prime defenseman or maybe take my first center.

If you’re not getting a fantasy workhorse in net early on, be patient and grab a couple of quality starters in the middle rounds. Same goes with centermen. Sure you could select Anze Kopitar in the third round and be safe with 65-70 points or you could take an elite defenseman with that pick – who there are far less of, and wait until the eighth round to select Jason Spezza, who will bring you 60. Knowing the value in certain positions is key.

The last piece of advice is to be flexible. See the trends as they occur. Did you miss out on a top-three goaltender and now in round four there is a string of them going? Jump on board and make sure you at least getting a second tier guy.

Mar 1, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) against the Buffalo Sabres at First Niagara Center. Edmonton beats Buffalo 2 to 1 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

10. What is the floor and ceiling for Connor McDavid this season?

If we’re speaking of a full healthy season, then I think we have to put his floor at a point-per-game. He proved even during a shortened season that his dynamic skills translate to bushels of points. His 1.07 point-per-game output was third in the league behind just Patrick Kane (1.29) and Jamie Benn (1.09). McDavid’s ceiling is sky-high. I would not be surprised to see him hit triple digits and win a scoring title in 2016-17.

Floor: 80 points
Ceiling: 110-plus points

My Prediction: 91 points

Thanks for reading and feel free to follow me on Twitter @CrazyJoeDavola3 where I often give unsolicited fantasy advice that I’m sure at least someone is listening to.

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Cam Robinson is a school teacher by trade and hockey fanatic by choice. He pens a weekly column on DobberHockey and is a senior writer and scout at DobberProspects covering the Vancouver Canucks.

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