Acquiring the best talent possible is undoubtedly the most significant ingredient for fantasy hockey success. The value of finding the right mix of top-end talent and depth during one’s draft cannot be overstated.

However, talent is nothing without opportunity. Astute fantasy owners understand this and work diligently to maximize the chances for their players to provide fantasy production. By making an effort to understand your league’s rules within the context of a rigorous 82-game NHL schedule, you can gain a significant edge over your opponents.

Depth Means Everything

While different leagues count different statistical categories, one of the best ways to ensure you contend for a fantasy championship every year is by building a roster with plenty of solid depth.

The most forward-thinking fantasy owners are constantly deciding between talent and opportunity when making lineup decisions. Every choice should be approached with careful consideration at what a player can reasonably produce in the ice time they’re given.

It is not enough to draft Sidney Crosby in the first round, plug him into the lineup and leave him there every day, regardless of circumstance. What if Sid gets injured? What if the Penguins are playing only a few games over your league’s scoring period?

Poolies cannot afford to waste bench spots on players who are not viable fantasy options when the situation calls for it. So when Crosby goes down with a minor ankle injury, or he plays a pair of back-to-back West Coast games during a seven-day stretch, his fantasy owners will not have to accept underwhelming numbers. Give yourself options.

Pay For Proven Goaltenders

Over a few weeks and months, it is impossible to tell the difference between a “good” goaltender and a goaltender who is simply playing well. A netminder needs to face thousands of shots at the NHL level before his value can be determined with reasonable accuracy. To make matters worse, goaltender performance often varies over a few days, weeks and months.

An unproven, unaccomplished goalie who struggles for stretches will find his way out of the lineup or into a timeshare sooner rather than later and no fantasy owner likes to have a netminder with uncertain playing time. Uncertain opportunity means uncertain fantasy production.

The easiest way to avoid this frustration is to target a proven and productive workhorse.

The list found below identifies the nine goaltenders who have totaled at least 130 games played over the past three seasons, while registering a save percentage over .920. Florida’s Roberto Luongo (137 starts; .918 save percentage) and Pittsburgh’s Marc-Andre Fleury (161 starts; .918 save percentage) just missed inclusion.

The best and brightest fantasy owners will acquire one (or more) of these players in their drafts and avoid the middling statistical production and annoying timeshares that come with owning unproven or underwhelming goalies. Simply stated, pay up.

Don’t Lean Too Heavily On One Team

Rarely is it beneficial to invest several draft picks into one NHL team. A handful of untimely injuries to that team, or a tough stretch in the schedule, can lead to underwhelming fantasy production. Spread out your picks across several teams.

While it is perfectly acceptable to target Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in a fantasy draft with expectations that he’ll benefit from playing a big part in the Oilers’ up-and-coming attack, it’s best to avoid drafting many of his teammates.

Balance is critical to long-term success for your fantasy team. It’s a long season, so it makes sense to mix it up and acquire players whose individual statistical success isn’t so closely tied to other players on your roster.

These three pieces of advice will not guarantee fantasy success, but poolies who enter their drafts with an informed, objective approach towards roster building will put themselves in position to contend for league championships

By building a deep and balanced roster, avoiding unproven netminders or those destined to timeshare, as well as selecting players from a wide range of organizations, fantasy owners will be well positioned to navigate the ups and downs of a challenging NHL season and reap the rewards.

Mike Schmidt is a writer at DobberHockey. Read his Looking Ahead column weekly to best optimize your weekly lineups. And as the perfect supplement to your Sportsnet Fantasy Guide check out Dobber’s 10th annual Fantasy Guide here.

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