2018-19 CFHF Preview Series
In a season eerily similar to the one prior, the Flaming Horseheads finished in seventh place in the regular season, defeated The Terrors in the first round of the playoffs, and retained their crown as champion of the CFHF Fantasy League in 2018, good for their third championship in franchise history, and establishing a new record for championships by one franchise. The Golden Ramp Trophy was taken home by Wheeling Dusters after a tremendous season, and their GM Kanye was awarded the H. Jay Feaster Award for his efforts building the team.
In the upcoming seventh season of the league, a slight tweak has taken place in goalie categories, with Saves replacing Losses as a category. Several teams attempt to mount a charge from the bottom of the standings to displace the league’s upper class, while others shamelessly attempt to net a lottery pick in the upcoming 2019 draft. This 2018-19 season seems wide-open, and will surely go down as one of the most intriguing years yet.
Part 1: McDonald Division
Last season, the McDonald Division proved to be one of the weaker divisions in the league, but featured the league’s best team during the regular season in the Wheeling Dusters, who broke Intangibles’ streak of three consecutive Magic Moustache trophies, and also the league champion in Flaming Horseheads, who collected their second consecutive CFHF Cup. Intangibles, Black Aces and Gunslingers all had very poor seasons, which in Intangibles’ case proved fruitful, thanks to a favourable result in the draft lottery.
Flaming Horseheads and Wheeling Dusters will be back for another go at the playoffs this year, though the Dusters roster isn’t quite what it was a year ago. Intangibles and Gunslingers have attempted to field stronger squads for this season, and should close the gap considerably even if displacing a division rival isn’t in the cards. Black Aces, however, appear destined for another rebuilding year.
Teams to Watch for Come Playoff Time : Wheeling Dusters, Flaming Horseheads
Most Improved Team: Intangibles
Worst Team: Black Aces
Black Aces
Last year's results: 3rd in McDonald, missed playoffs.
Biggest roster changes from last season: Added Gallagher, Pastrnak. Lost E. Kane, Hanifin.
Offensive superstars: Pastrnak, Arvidsson
Defensive superstars: None
Elite goaltenders: Andersen
Dark horse players: Hudon, Cirelli
Projection: Black Aces have done their fare share of losing, but their roster for the 2018-19 season does not inspire hope that that is about to change. What the Aces have done well is to put together a high number of prospects that will look to break into the league this year and turn into impact players next year as free keepers. Pastrnak, Gallagher and Arvidsson highlight a very strong right wing for the club, and Andersen will be a stud in net, but no other position is talented or deep enough to win with regularity in this league.
Most influential NHL team:
It’s difficult to find any teammates on the Aces’ spread-out roster, but three Montreal Canadiens are sprinkled through the lineup in Brendan Gallagher, Tomas Plekanec and Charles Hudon. This is, perhaps, not the best team to look to for help in this campaign.
Flaming Horseheads
Last year's results: 2nd in McDonald, won CFHF Cup.
Biggest roster changes from last season: Added Toews, Marchand, Bergeron, Barkov. Lost Eichel, E. Karlsson, Kuznetsov, Ja. Benn.
Offensive superstars: Marchand, Bergeron, Barkov, Voracek, Trocheck.
Defensive superstars: None
Elite goaltenders: None
Dark horse players: Zacha, Skjei
Projection: The Horseheads have celebrated a second consecutive championship in unique fashion, by shuffling the deck and swapping stars for stars with other clubs around the league. Not much has changed overall in the complexion of the team that has found the winning formulat two years in a row. The Horseheads have elite talent up front with mediocre defence and goaltending. Until TooGoodreau proves that he is capable of losing, however, it’s tough to criticize this team.
Most influential NHL team:
The Horseheads have pairs of players sprinkled all around the league, but the trio of Barkov, Trocheck and Hoffman are the most influential on any one team. If the Panthers can gel this year and have a strong season, these three will put up a ton of points for the Horseheads.
Gunslingers
Last year's results: 5th in McDonald, missed playoffs.
Biggest roster changes from last season: Added Kucherov, Lundqvist, Huberdeau, J. Miller. Lost Toews.
Offensive superstars: Kucherov, J. Miller
Defensive superstars: None
Elite goaltenders: Lundqvist
Dark horse players: Buchnevich, Johnsson
Projection: Gunslingers have made big moves in the offseason in order to not repeat what happened a year ago. The turnaround in the forward core is most apparent, with Kucherov added to the ranks. On defence, the team is still quite weak, with no upper-tier talents. Henrik Lundqvist still puts up good stats in net, though wins are going to be hard to come by for both goaltenders on the roster. All in all, this team looks improved, but still has a way to go to contend.
Most influential NHL team:
If the Gunslingers are going to go anywhere, they’ll need to take home some goaltending categories each week. That will be heavily reliant on Lundqvist being solid and backstopping what would be surprising success for the Rangers. Zuccarello and Buchnevich look to contribute offensively for the Rangers and the Gunslingers.
Intangibles
Last year's results: 3rd in McDonald, missed playoffs.
Biggest roster changes from last season: Added Byfuglien, Johnson, M. Smith, Brassard.
Offensive superstars: Scheifele, Radulov
Defensive superstars: Byfuglien, Shattenkirk
Elite goaltenders: None
Dark horse players: Pionk, A. Svechnikov
Projection: By taking a step backwards last year, Intangibles were able to fill their cupboards with prospects, and also establish great position in the main draft. This led to a roster filled with depth, where every player seems set to fill categories, though the top-end talent is a step below powerhouse teams around the league. If Intangibles wants to mount a push for the playoffs, they’ll rely on their depth and goaltending beating that of the top teams around the league, because it’s unlikely that this roster will outscore the offensive juggernauts.
Most influential NHL team:
Intangibles is fairly-well spread around the league, but the Rangers’ fate this season could affect Intangibles significantly with Pionk and Spooner attempting to establish themselves as impact players in the NHL, while Shattenkirk looks to bounce back after injury.
Wheeling Dusters
Last year's results: 1st in McDonald, lost in semi-finals.
Biggest roster changes from last season: Added Kessel, Pavelski, Marchessault, Kovalchuk, Quick. Lost Marchand, Stamkos, Landeskog, Toews.
Offensive superstars: Malkin, Ovechkin, Kessel, Marchessault, W. Karlsson, E. Staal
Defensive superstars: Giordano
Elite goaltenders: Quick
Dark horse players: Steel, Kovalchuk
Projection: Wheeling Dusters have achieved the difficult feat of fielding a stacked roster two years in a row. With strength in every single position, it’s hard to find weakness in the roster, and it’s hard not to see this team back at the top of the standings this season.
Most influential NHL team:
It will be interesting to see how the Kings fare in year one of Kovalchuk’s return to the NHL, and a good season for the Kings could be reflected in the statistics of both Kovy and Quick.