The Monday Dose looks at the three-way deal between Ottawa, Nashville and Colorado as well as some sparkling performances on the ice

Editor's Note: Rotoworld's partner FanDuel is hosting a one-day $1,000 Fantasy Hockey league for opening night (Oct. 1). It's just $5 to join and first prize is $200. Starts Tuesday at 7pm ET. Here's the link.

Well, the offseason is basically over now, and depending upon your level of obsession with hockey and exhaustion from following your favorite team(s) battle it out, it either seems like The NHL is returning with lightning speed or like the summer was endless.

(Is it a cop-out to say that, personally, it feels like both?)

Regardless, the season is back, and for most of you, that means you already drafted a team. Still, many of you are getting in last-minute drafts, which is actually the ideal way to go from an “avoiding grueling offseason golfing injuries” standpoint.

So, for those of you who still have drafts to complete - and for those who are the types who are always looking for ways to make next year’s league better/more fun - I present the initial installment of a two-part series to kick off the season.

Note: as far as dominating the draft with cheat sheets and other handy assets, Rotoworld’s other resources are the best bet. This is more about squeezing the most fun out of the activity. May I recommend the Draft Guide?

For today, the first Daily Dose of 2013-14, I thought I’d weigh the strengths of fantasy hockey stat categories that are often a judgment call for each respective commissioner.

Before I roll this out, a word of caution: I view fantasy as a strategic endeavor that often supplements (and sometimes, delightfully corrupts) the hockey-watching experience. Sometimes that means that my idea of what a “good stat in real life” is often differs from what I consider a valid/fun stat category in fantasy.

(Seriously, please note that last paragraph, because I want to earn my angry e-mails.)

Also, if a stat isn’t mentioned it either 1) is in EVERY league like goals and assists, 2) is a stat that’s too obscure or 3) I forgot about it/find it boring.

Anyway, let’s get to some of the stats you should and shouldn’t deploy.

AN “EXTRA” POINTS (P) CATEGORY

While it’s a slight exaggeration, there are few things as aggravating as having a stat you dislike “matter as much as” a key stat like goals (G), assists (A) or power-play points (PPP).

Frankly, scoring is the most important thing a skater can do, so I recommend that you throw points (P) in there with those other stats. Sure, a G/A can bleed into other categories like PPP, plus/minus and so on, but why not make certain that scoring is given its well-deserved top-billing?

Really, kids, it’s downright imprudent not to.

PIMS

If there’s one thing that truly separates fantasy hockey from its brethren, it’s the fact that a generally negative event - going to the penalty box - can have random people pumping their fists. That goes even further when the guy you started that night specifically for PIMs ends up getting a game misconduct. Oh, what a happy day that can be.

Many people deride PIMs, and with good reason, particularly since the guys who warm up the seats in the penalty box run a higher risk of suffering from the sort of post-career mental issues that make many of us wonder if it’s morally justifiable to support such a violent sport.

But here’s why I like the stat: it provides a different layer of strategy and rewards a very different “skillset.”* Do you grab a guy like Scott Hartnell (30-goal potential, 100 PIMs most years) fairly early or select Chris Neil/Steve Downie/etc. later to try to fill up one of the more predictable categories? Or would you rather “punt” the category altogether to focus on skills that tend to bleed into a higher set of categories (you can’t pile up SOG in the box, after all)?

Those questions add a valuable wrinkle when your BAC is rising and the difference between skaters keeps diminishing.

SHORTHANDED/SHORTSIGHTED

For a person who respects “fancy stats,” I’m generally on board - fantasy wise - with more weak-in-reality stats than I’d guess most of my “peers” are. There’s no defending shorthanded goals/points, though; they simply occur too rarely and too randomly to be anything but infuriating.

SHOOTING PERCENTAGE

SHP doesn’t get my blood boiling the most, however. I still have horrific flashbacks*** of a league that used shooting percentage instead of shots on goal. It’s really difficult to crystallize how much this enraged me when far too much of my self-worth was connected to Team Pants.

Story continues