Complete 2010 Projections
PROJECTED 2010 SEASON STATS
| 1. Pavel Datsyuk, Det C | YEAR | | G | A | +/- | PIM | PPG | ATOI |   | 2009 Statistics | | 32 | 65 | 34 | 22 | 11 | 19:12 | | 2010 Projections | | 36 | 55 | 31 | 18 | 9 | 20:35 | | 2010 Outlook: Plus/minus is one of the more unpredictable fantasy categories, but we still project it because it's equally unpredictable for 99 percent of the league. Then there is Pavel Datsyuk. He has averaged (averaged!) plus-37 for the past three seasons and has averaged a plus-23 for his seven-year NHL career. He is to plus/minus what Alexander Ovechkin is to shots on goal: a significant advantage. Then there is the fact that Datsyuk is also quite the accomplished scorer. His four-year average is 92 points. He won't help you in penalty minutes, but that is Datsyuk's only drawback in fantasy hockey. |
| 2. Henrik Zetterberg, Det LW | YEAR | | G | A | +/- | PIM | PPG | ATOI |  | 2009 Statistics | | 31 | 42 | 13 | 36 | 12 | 19:52 | | 2010 Projections | | 35 | 38 | 19 | 30 | 11 | 21:17 | | 2010 Outlook: Consider our projection for Zetterberg as the absolute basement for his season. If you are feeling a bit daring, you can bump him up several spots in the rankings. The arguments for leaving him here: He was quite effective as Detroit's second-line center and spreading out the offense really did make the Red Wings a better team last season. The arguments for bumping him up: With Marian Hossa out of town, Zetterberg could easily slide back onto Pavel Datsyuk's line, where he finished the 2007-08 season with 92 points and a plus-30. Zetterberg is a nice, safe second-round pick with first-round upside. |
| 3. Nicklas Lidstrom, Det D | YEAR | | G | A | +/- | PIM | PPG | ATOI |  | 2009 Statistics | | 16 | 43 | 31 | 30 | 10 | 24:49 | | 2010 Projections | | 19 | 39 | 27 | 27 | 7 | 26:20 | | 2010 Outlook: To say that last season was a bit of a disappointment says more about the high expectations we have for Lidstrom than it does about his performance on the ice. The six-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman had 59 points to finish a season that saw many questioning whether he still had 'it' during a slow start. Even though the Red Wings lost a few pieces over the summer, they have the prospects to promote as replacements, and the power play won't lose a step. Look at Lidstrom, again, as one of the top five defenders in the fantasy realm. |
| 4. Johan Franzen, Det C, RW | YEAR | | G | A | +/- | PIM | PPG | ATOI |  | 2009 Statistics | | 34 | 25 | 21 | 44 | 11 | 18:05 | | 2010 Projections | | 37 | 19 | 16 | 42 | 11 | 20:10 | | 2010 Outlook: He'll probably miss a dozen games and he may fail to get 25 assists, but boy can Johan Franzen put the puck in the net. Franzen will still have lots of finishing opportunities in Detroit, as the loss of Marian Hossa, Mikael Samuelsson and Jiri Hudler will be mitigated by a couple of key free agents and the promotion of some prospects to keep the Red Wings flush with offensive talent. Franzen has value as a No. 2 forward, but he works best as a scoring complement if your other top picks are short in the goals department. |
| 5. Tomas Holmstrom, Det RW | YEAR | | G | A | +/- | PIM | PPG | ATOI |  | 2009 Statistics | | 14 | 23 | 18 | 38 | 8 | 15:15 | | 2010 Projections | | 22 | 23 | 16 | 46 | 9 | 18:27 | | 2010 Outlook: Always an injury risk, but a consistent source of power-play goals and plus/minus; that's Holmstrom in a nutshell. We suppose there is some concern over the signing of Todd Bertuzzi, as Big Bert occupies the same power play role as Holmstrom -- standing in front of the net causing trouble. But there is room enough for two to do the job and Bertuzzi is far from reliable these days. Take Holmstrom as a No. 4 or No. 5 forward, knowing he may miss two dozen contests. |
| 6. Brian Rafalski, Det D | YEAR | | G | A | +/- | PIM | PPG | ATOI |  | 2009 Statistics | | 10 | 49 | 17 | 20 | 5 | 23:10 | | 2010 Projections | | 13 | 37 | 17 | 20 | 6 | 25:29 | | 2010 Outlook: The move to Detroit two seasons ago has turned Rafalski from a really good fantasy defenseman to a great fantasy defenseman. The added value from his plus/minus and power-play work have elevated him to No. 1 status in fantasy. But while he may be a solid choice as your first defenseman, he doesn't come with the upside of others. Rafalski will get you more than 50 points and a solid plus rating, but he won't exceed those expectations. |
| 7. Niklas Kronwall, Det D | YEAR | | G | A | +/- | PIM | PPG | ATOI |  | 2009 Statistics | | 6 | 45 | 2 | 50 | 4 | 22:53 | | 2010 Projections | | 11 | 35 | 8 | 43 | 2 | 24:31 | | 2010 Outlook: Kronwall continued his meteoric rise on the Detroit blue line, but expect some levelling off in 2009-10. Kronwall went from 22, to 35, to 51 points over the past three seasons. He doesn't take a lot of shots, score a lot of power-play goals or get a lot of penalty minutes though, so his value is somewhat muted. The real difference maker here is whether he finishes with a plus-2 like last season, or a plus-25 like in 2007-08. An improved goal differential would vault him up to No. 2 defenseman stature. |
| 8. Jason Williams, Det RW | YEAR | | G | A | +/- | PIM | PPG | ATOI |  | 2009 Statistics | | 19 | 28 | -4 | 24 | 7 | 15:51 | | 2010 Projections | | 23 | 26 | 4 | 23 | 7 | 18:16 | | 2010 Outlook: Williams returns to the rink where he put up a fantasy season that had him on sleeper lists the past three years. In 2005-06 with the Red Wings, Williams managed 21 goals and 58 points. But over the last three years in Chicago, Atlanta and Columbus, he never managed 20 goals or 50 points again. Detroit has some prime ice time available with the departures of Marian Hossa, Jiri Hudler and Mikael Samuelsson, but Williams will have to battle Todd Bertuzzi, Ville Leino and Justin Abdelkader for it. |
| 9. Daniel Cleary, Det RW | YEAR | | G | A | +/- | PIM | PPG | ATOI |  | 2009 Statistics | | 14 | 26 | 0 | 46 | 3 | 16:56 | | 2010 Projections | | 16 | 21 | 5 | 36 | 3 | 18:51 | | 2010 Outlook: Cleary is clearly a 40-point player as a Detroit Red Wing, finishing close to that benchmark for three straight seasons. The fantasy appeal to Cleary is his tendency to be a star player in short bursts. He had had two months of double-digit point production in each of the last two seasons. But when Cleary fades into the background, he really fades into the background. He has four months over the past two seasons with six or fewer points. Draft him to your bench and wait for the hot streaks to activate him. |
| 10. Todd Bertuzzi, Det LW | YEAR | | G | A | +/- | PIM | PPG | ATOI |  | 2009 Statistics | | 15 | 29 | -13 | 74 | 6 | 18:36 | | 2010 Projections | | 17 | 29 | -3 | 84 | 6 | 19:13 | | 2010 Outlook: If Bertuzzi is truly over his back problems, he could be one of the biggest sleepers on draft day. Unfortunately, he hasn't produced a healthy season since 2005-06 and can't be trusted enough to draft him in a spot commensurate to his potential. You might question the minus-3 rating projection, but remember that Big Bert managed a minus-13 wih a pretty good Calgary team last year. A healthy Bertuzzi should have no problem netting 20 goals and 30 assists for the Red Wings, with a ceiling closer to 30 goals and 70 points should he end up on a solid line and get power-play time. |
| 11. Jimmy Howard, Det G | YEAR | | W | GAA | SV% |  | 2009 Statistics | | 0 | 4.10 | .857 | | 2010 Projections | | 18 | 2.57 | .905 | | 2010 Outlook: We don't necessarily think Howard can pass Chris Osgood on the Red Wings' depth chart this season, but he might put himself in a position to do that next season. Even penciling him in for 30 starts, he should be more valuable to fantasy owners than the fast-fading regular-season version of Osgood. Howard has been biding his time in the AHL waiting for a chance. Howard holds the record in NCAA hockey for save percentage (.954) and goals-against average (1.19) in a single season, when he went 14-4-3 in 22 starts for the University of Maine in 2003-04. With an increased workload the next season he had a 1.96 goals-against average in 39 starts. Howard is well worth a flier in every league, but it would be irresponsible to declare him a No. 2 goalie with Osgood still around to steal starts. |
| 12. Chris Osgood, Det G | YEAR | | W | GAA | SV% |  | 2009 Statistics | | 26 | 3.09 | .887 | | 2010 Projections | | 29 | 2.69 | .897 | | 2010 Outlook: Osgood, like Miikka Kiprusoff, wins his NHL team plenty of games and keeps them near the top of the standings, but his numbers are crummy for fantasy owners. Of course, who knows exactly what we'll get from Osgood, who posted the best goals-against average in his 15-year career in 2007-08 (2.09) and then posted his worst in 2008-09 (3.09). The tipping point is that future star Jimmy Howard is now assured of a consistent chance to knock on the door for more starts. We've gone ahead and projected Osgood to come close to his four-year average for goals-against average, and play the bulk of games for Detroit, and he still ranks as a fantasy reserve. The wins aren't worth the ratios. |
| 13. Chris Chelios, Det D | YEAR | | G | A | +/- | PIM | PPG | ATOI |  | 2009 Statistics | | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 11:40 | | 2010 Projections | | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 14. Aaron Downey, Det RW | YEAR | | G | A | +/- | PIM | PPG | ATOI |  | 2009 Statistics | | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 5:12 | | 2010 Projections | | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 15. Dallas Drake, Det RW | YEAR | | G | A | +/- | PIM | PPG | ATOI |  | 2009 Statistics | | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | | 2010 Projections | | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
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