Roto Exclusive : Guest Contributions and Featured Articles

The Benefits to a Lockout
by Austin “austeane” Wallace
In any article, anywhere, anytime anyone in anyway states that a full year lockout is a good thing for
____ (insert NHL player or team), it is a relative term. Anyhow (there goes my last "any"), there are
definitely players, teams and leagues that are hurt less than others. In fantasy, this is what we should be
concerned about. It doesn't matter if your players all hit career lows in power-play points if that was due
to a massive reduction in penalties called throughout the NHL, as you will likely not be at a disadvantage
in relation to the other teams. The same is true here.
Will the Edmonton Oilers be hurt by a year lockout?
No. A precious year of their ELC induced magic window will have been sacrificed. Any possible chemistry
between the last three first overall picks will almost certainly be set back by a year. If the past is any
guide, they would probably have a better chance at landing Nathan Mackinnon or Seth Jones if the
season was played out rather than by a lottery.
Will the Oilers be hurt by said lockout in relation to other teams?
No. They do not lose a year of a championship window. Players such as Yakupov and Shultz will have
time to play and possibly dominate in a pro league before being thrust into the spotlight. They have
relatively few veterans who will deteriorate with age. And despite reports that Ryan Whitney is healthy,
any rest is good rest for him.
With those differences out of the way, let us look at some players in leagues that will benefit from a
lockout. A quick note: You can read more about this topic in other parts of this Roto guide as well as
multiple superb pieces from Jeff Angus at his blog Angus Certified on the way that specific teams will be
affected. If you are in a knowledgeable, competitive league, the chances that you are the only one of
your league mates reading this is slim. Thus, I will try to give you an advantage by showing you the tools
with which you can find your own gems.
Leagues with players who will benefit (relatively) from a lockout:
Unanimous #1 (voting conducted by Austin Wallace and I):
22