NHL EAST PLAYOFF MATCHUPS

NHL EAST PLAYOFF MATCHUPS

If I got to choose a coast I got to choose the East. I live out here, so don't go there.

CANADIENS vs RANGERS – Habs in 6

The Rangers are arguably the better team on paper, and they have loads of depth. (Zuccarello, Kreider, Nash, etc.) But the reason I’m going with Montreal is that these are the NHL Playoffs and goalies are known for stealing series’. So I have elected to go with the best goaltender in the world to steal this series. When he’s zoned in, there is simply no one better. It should be a tight back and forth series, but Carey should be able pave the way with the seasoned big game player that Shea Weber is, right by his side.

 

CAPITALS vs LEAFS – Caps in 5

Sadly, I can’t say this series will be as close as the aforementioned Habs – Rangers one. The Capitals are just a better team in every aspect. Goaltending, Forward Depth, Defence, Playoff Experience, etc. If the Leafs manage to make this a series then that is a huge feat in it’s own right. Hopefully the young guns acclimatize to the postseason smoothly.

 

SENATORS vs BRUINS – Bruins in 7

This is an interesting matchup as the Bruins are a much better team on paper, but the Sens have swept the season series. The Bruins are a dangerous team but they don’t have much depth. Beyond Marchand, Pastrnak, Krejci and Bergeron, their offence is pretty dry. The Senators on the other hand have plenty of depth but no real game changers other than Karlsson, who is currently battling an ankle injury. That’s not good news for someone who is expected to play at least 30 minutes a game. This should be the tightest series in the entire 1st round – I’ll ultimately give the Bruins the win in 7 games because of their experience.

 

PENGUINS vs BLUE JACKETS – Pens in 6

I’m actually being pretty generous to the Blue Jackets. The Penguins could easily sweep them but Sergei Bobrovsky is likely going to win the Vezina this season, so something has to be said for that. No one expected Columbus to be here in the postseason so they are essentially playing with house money – just don’t tell John Tortorella that fact. Pens take this one, but I’ll give a game or 2 to the Jackets at home.

NHL WEST PLAYOFF MATCHUPS

NHL WEST PLAYOFF MATCHUPS

BLACKHAWKS vs PREDATORS – Hawks in 5

This matchup really favours the Blackhawks in many ways. The Preds D-men are pretty offensive focused: Josi, Ellis, Subban, etc. Their relaxed defensive ways might be in for a rude welcome when they go into Chicago to face a team that can roll 4 lines of championship veteran forwards that can snipe on command. Subban’s -8 rating is a troubling sign for what’s to come.

 

WILD vs BLUES – Blues in 6

The Wild stumble into the postseason having lost an incredible amount of games in the season’s 2nd half. If you believe in momentum, then betting on the Wild would not be a wise choice. Throw into the picture the fact that Bruce Boudreau has always struggled to get his team to go far into the playoffs for whatever reason. Meantime, the Blues have always underachieved with more or less the same lineup. I’m liking Tarasenko to put his stamp on this series and be the X-factor. But truthfully this series could go either way.

 

DUCKS vs FLAMES – Ducks in 5

The Ducks own the Flames at home more than any team has dominated their opponent in recent history. They’re simply a better team on and off the scoresheet. Calgary is still young and should be back many more times, but this is not their year, sorry to say.

 

OILERS vs SHARKS – Oilers in 7

I can’t wait to see what this young Oilers team can do in the postseason. If Connor can somehow take his game to the next level then that could be a scary sight for opposing goalies. The checking is much tighter and more fierce in the NHL’s 2nd season so I’m not sure if McDavid can dominate the way he has been all year long, but with the elite play of Cam Talbot I’m certain Edmonton can take on a very old San Jose team.

Mastering the Masters

DJ PIC.jpg

If you would’ve asked me last week who I thought would win the upcoming Masters tournament, I probably would’ve told you the same answer a lot of people had on their mind; Dustin Johnson. But the #1 golfer in the world, the odds on favourite to win the Augusta Major, will not be participating in the tourney. DJ allegedly fell down his stairs in his rental home, and injured his back in a freak accident. Johnson tried to play but eventually pulled out at the first Tee, as the pain was just too much. So, this begs the question – who is now the favourite? Who do I like to win it all? Dustin was previously the 5/1 odds on winner, so now the market will be adjusted. Here are some picks that I think could make a strong run:

Bubba Watson: Bubba has 2 green jackets to his name already, and experience is everything when it comes to these majors. He’s had a relatively quiet year but is due to make an explosion back to the scene.

Rory McIlroy: Rory improved to a 7/1 favourite once the Johnson injury came to fruition. Rory can make a huge run when he’s locked in. He’s never a bad pick.

Adam Hadwin: Aside from Mike Weir, Canadians typically don’t do too well in majors, but he is fresh off of his 1st pga tournament win and momentum could carry him into a top-10 finish. That would do wonders for his confidence, and his world ranking.

Justin Rose: He seemingly always finds himself in the top 10 finishes in these type of tournaments, yet can never finish it off. Look for him for good value to finish high.

Jordan Spieth: At his best, there is maybe no one better right now. He’s had some crazy dramatic meltdowns, but he’s also finished the job – including his Masters win 2 years ago.

…….and when all else fails just pick Phil. If nothing else, Lefty is fun to watch and is probably the most entertaining golfer out there now that Tiger and DJ aren’t making an appearance.

AL EAST PREDICTIONS

AL East Predictions

1. Red Sox – Boston’s rotation goes as follows: Rick Porcello (last year’s Cy Young Winner), Chris Sale (the biggest offseason addition), David Price (needs no introduction to Jays fans), Steven Wright (the best knuckleballer in the game, apologies to R.A Dickey) and either Eduardo Rodriguez or Drew Pomeranz to fill out the 5-spot. That is pretty insane…and that is why I have Boston leading the division.

2. Orioles – It’s the same old story with Baltimore; their rotation sucks (on paper at least) but they have the best mashers in the game in Chris Davis, Mark Trumbo, Adam Jones, Manny Machado, etc. and one of the best closers we’ve seen in years in Zach Britton. If their Starters can be even slightly mediocre then they should be good enough to challenge Boston for 1st in the AL East.

3. Blue Jays – The Jays are an interesting team. Their rotation is due for some regression from last year’s surprising numbers, but conversely, their batters should bounce back. Morales should put up a huge year, batting 81 games at the Rogers Centre, and a hopefully healthy Bautista and Tulo should do some damage together. Donaldson should continue to do what he’s done the last couple seasons, despite a calf issue that has plagued him during spring training. But if it’s a season long nagging injury, the Jays may have to look to the Wild Card for any hopes of a postseason run.

4. Yankees – It seems that the Yankees are in fake rebuild mode. With a mix of veterans (Matt Holiday) and young players (Greg Bird), the Bronx Bombers seem like their just biding their time for the epic free agency year of 2018 aka the Bryce Harper sweepstakes. They could surprise a few teams but I’d be shocked if they are several games above .500 if at all. The re-signing of Chapman will likely help them out a bit.  

5. Rays – Colby Rasmus is not the answer to this team’s woes. With the exception of Longoria and Chris Archer, there is not much to see here at the Trop. If they finish anywhere other than 5th that would be a big shock to everyone else in this division.

 

Deadline Deals

Deadline Deals

Moves I like

Mark Streit to Penguins – The Penguins backline has been enigmatic this season; dangerously offensive, yet often injured. Kris Letang has an undisclosed injury and has been in and out of the lineup all year. Streit could easily replace his veteran presence as the point shot on the blueline, as he has been for so many years with the Flyers, and Islanders before that. I love this pickup by the Pens.

Alex Burrows to Senators – The lifelong Canuck brings a certain feistiness that the Sens are pretty used to (see Chris Neil). He’s a talented player that could easily put the puck in the net with the right teammates. A change of scenery will likely help Burrows to revitalize his career.

Thomas Vanek to Panthers – This is a very underrated pickup for a bubble team trying to make a push into the playoffs. At his best, he’s one the most explosive players in the league. He’s had plenty of postseason experience in the past – typically a rental player for playoff bound teams. He should improve Florida’s offence in a big way.

Moves I don’t

Curtis Lazar to Flames – This might be a low risk move for Calgary but I don’t really see much upside to Lazar’s game. He put up just 1 point in 33 games for the Senators this year so he’s not exactly the sexiest pick. I can’t see him fitting into an already young flames team that relies heavily on their chemistry.

Drew Stafford to Bruins – Every single year Winnipeg ships off one of their productive players around this time. When will the turnaround finally happen? I just don’t like this move because it symbolizes another failed season for the Jets, and I really want them to end this extremely slow rebuild.

Steve Ott to Canadiens – On a team that struggles to score I’m not sure this is the answer…that’s all I have to say about that.

MLB 15-20 Picks


We’re in the last installment of my MLB fantasy picks for this season. Hopefully you’re well into your 2nd round at this point. Pitchers should be a heavy focus at this point in your draft. Once one goes, the rest will quickly follow. 

16. MAX SCHERZER (WSH) P – He almost got 300 strikeouts last season… that is ridiculous. If you can get last year’s Cy Young winner this late into the draft then you’re laughing. 

17. NOAH SYNDERGAARD (NYM) P – Speaking of strikeouts, Noah Syndergaard is no slouch. He’s a top 5 pitcher in the league, and as a Jays fan it pains me to say it…he’s in good standing to win a future Cy Young.

18. MADISON BUMGARNER (SF) P – Although I listed several other pitchers above ahead of him, from a reality (non-fantasy) perspective, there is no one better than MadBum. He is the one pitcher I’d want to start a team around above everyone else. The problem is that you never know what type of team the Giants will field behind him.

19. ROBINSON CANO (SEA) 2B – Whatever was troubling Robby Cano when he first got to Seattle, it is officially behind him. He is Mr. Consistency and puts up an easy 30+ home runs every year which is extremely rare from a 2nd baseman. 

20. JOEY VOTTO (CIN) 1B – Joey was a huge bounceback player last season, and just keeps on leading the league year after year in OBP. If you have that stat in your league then Joey is a no brainer pick.

MLB 11-15 Picks


So you’re either in the 2nd round of your pool, or you have 12 – 14 teams and have to dig deep. Don’t worry, that’s why I’m here…

11. MANNY MACHADO (BAL) 3B, SS – The position versatility is key for Manny. Shortstop has absolutely the biggest dearth of talent and anyone who puts up 37 bombs and 97 rbi should be snagged up relatively quickly. He might not be the sexiest name but he is definitely elite. 

12. MIGUEL CABRERA (DET) 1B – If this was a keeper pool then I’d suggest perhaps going with someone younger, but in a one-year pool: Miggy is a first ballot hall-of-famer, coming off a 38 home run, 108 rbi campaign, while batting for a .316 average. He’s been doing this for well over a dozen years and it’s never a surprise what you see from him.

13. TREA TURNER (WSH) 2B, OF – This is a bit of a riskier pick, considering we’ve only seen him for half a season… but consider this: in 73 games last year he went: .342 avg, 13 hr, 40 rbi, 33 steals. Not a single one of those stats isn’t insane for a kid his age, and with his experience. He could explode to MVP type expectations if he continues last year’s pace – worth the risk in my opinion.

14. CHARLIE BLACKMON (COL) OF – He’s improved every single year he’s been in the majors and has shown no signs of regression. He’s a pretty safe pick and a good value one with your 14th overall choice.

15. COREY SEAGER (LAD) SS – Remember what I said earlier about shortstops… well this is the guy you should have highlighted as he’s the best in the game. He should be taken pretty high simply because of position scarcity.

MLB 6-10 Picks


Chances are if you’re reading this then you don’t have a top 5 pick in your upcoming baseball draft. Not ideal, but there’s such an embarrassment of riches in talent that you don’t have to worry much until the very late rounds of your fantasy draft. Here’s who you should be picking #6 through #10.

6. NOLAN ARENADO (COL) 3B – Yes I’ve already waxed poetic about Kris Bryant, and Josh Donaldson, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any other elite third basemen left. Arenado is a beast and is pretty much guaranteed 35 HR and 110 RBI, at the very least. Don’t let him slip too far into your draft as he’s sure to make a huge impact on whatever squad he ends up on.

7. PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT (ARZ) 1B – A couple of years ago, Goldy would’ve been pushing for 1st overall. He hasn’t really regressed and has kept up his consistent play as the best 1B in the game, so at 7th overall, he is essentially a steal. The only thing that I’m hesitant about is the fact that 1B has the most depth in the league, and if you miss out on Goldy you can find a solid replacement later on.

8. BRYCE HARPER (WSH) OF – Talk about a sleeper pick. Harper is set to bounce back in a huge way after having a relatively down year by his terms. He hasn’t even hit his potential yet, and he took home the NL MVP just 2 years ago. He should explode and should not make it to the 2nd round.

9. ANTHONY RIZZO (CHC) – Make no mistake, Rizzo can mash. He can sometimes be overshadowed by his other talented teammates, and the fact that he plays 1st base can deter from his talent. But he has been incredibly consistent the last few years – you know what you’re getting from him. 

10. CLAYTON KERSHAW (LAD) – Until I’m proven otherwise, Kershaw is still the best regular season pitcher in baseball. When a pitcher gets chosen, he should be the first to go. He’s a strikeout machine and is good for an easy 18-20 wins.