Fantasy Anaheim

Kids Are Alright will examine some hot minor league prospects and their potential to be fantasy relevant towards both seasonal and keeper leagues.

Brandon Wood, who was called up by the Angels Monday night, is the epitome of potential/upside/etc. He was once heralded, in certain circles, as the next Alex Rodriguez. This is based on the perception that he could hit 45 home runs from the shortstop position. A few things derailed that silly notion though. First, his fielding was inadequate for the position. And second -- also more importantly -- he has almost zero patience at the plate.

Witness his 2007 season, which saw him strikeout an absolutely ridiculous 120 times in 111 minor league games. He walked a whopping 45 times and posted a pedestrian .338 OBP. But, man, can he crush the ball. He had 23 homers in 2007, and that has to be considered pretty mediocre as well.

Are things different this year, as we turn a fantasy eye towards the newest prospect to hit the major league scene? Well, a little. He has a ridiculous Pacific Coast League leading eight home runs. And he has six doubles as well, so the power potential is there. But he also has an embarrassing 29:5 K:BB ratio. That's just not good for anyone. And his average is at .273, which isn't entirely shocking, given his past production in that area.

But, Wood's power potential, all of those strikeouts and failures to get on base aside, makes fantasy owners drool. It's a lot less appealing from third than short, sure, but it's still enticing. Which is why Wood is a nice pickup as long as you are not using him for starting purposes. If he comes out hot, you deal him. No questions asked. Don't be suckered, just hope the hype builds and then bank off of it. His second look around the league is going to be a lot uglier, and if you end up starting him for too long, you'll have to eat the average hit he's gonna give you.

Not too long ago, there was talk that the Ducks might let go of high-priced J-S Giguere, and go with the much cheaper Ilya Bryzgalov as their #1 goalie.

Well, with Bryzgalov's pending UFA status, GM Brian Burke decided to waive the kooky Russian netminder.

If Bryzgalov isn't claimed, he'll be assigned to the team's American Hockey League club in Portland, Me.

Bryzgalov, who is making $1,362,500 this season, will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

For sure, this is a cost-saving measure, and one would have to speculate that the Ducks may be preparing for the return of one indecisive Scott Niedermayer. Why else would the Ducks just waive their long-time backup, who is generally above-average in his play? While Giguere has often been injured in the playoffs, Bryzgalov has always been there, picking up the proverbial ball and running with it.

Looking at this season's stats, Bryzgalov is the superior keeper in save percentage, and has provided with the Ducks with a guy they can depend on when Giguere isn't there.

Chris Kunitz, the former Hobey Baker finalist, joined the list of Anaheim Ducks scoring a big payday, as he signed a 4-year/$14.9mil extension this morning. Coming off of a Stanley Cup winning performance and break-out season, a raise was well-deserved for the 27-year old.

Kunitz will earn $1.15 million in the last year of his old deal this season before the new contract kicks in, paying him $3.5 million in 2008-09, $3.6 million in 2009-10, $3.8 million in 2010-11 and $4 million in 2011-12.

"Chris has been a very important multi-dimensional player for us the last two seasons, providing skill, physical play and leadership," Ducks GM Brian Burke said in a statement. "We are very pleased to have him signed prior to his eligibility as an unrestricted free agent next summer."

What's easy to forget, especially given the kind words Burke has for his player, is that it wasn't too long ago that Kunitz wasn't even wanted by his own team!

Despite all of Brian Burke's huffing and puffing, he did not, in fact, match Kevin Lowe's offer sheet to chunky winger Dustin Penner. Hence, the 29-goal scorer is going to Edmonton with a fat-like-Louie Anderson $21.5mil contract over five seasons.

Desperate for an injection of offense that only a free agency syringe could provide, Lowe paid heavily for a young forward who has just 101 games of experience and one productive season under his hockey pants. Not only are the Oilers coughing up $4.3mil per season for an rather unproven commodity, they also have to give up three draft picks (a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounder).

I understand that Kevin Lowe wants some offense, but for that much money, and those kind of draft picks, you better be getting a star. The chances are, Penner will be a solid winger, but nowhere near the kind of assets that Lowe just pissed away. The Oilers would have been better off saving these assets for another day, rather than over-spending in a desperate attempt to get SOMETHING!

"But Jes, they need the offense just to make the playoffs!"

Right, and when they try and make improvements in the future just to make the playoffs (because they are a long way away, folks), or make other moves to strengthen their team, they'll realize that they are hamstrung because they paid so much for a 2nd-line winger.

Many Oilers fans, obviously, aren't too thrilled with having their GM pay SO MUCH for so little. Yet, despite of Lowe's fantasy GM-type moves, you'll be hard-pressed to get any game tickets in Edmonton this fall.

The Anaheim Ducks took another big step in keeping their loaded team together after locking down goalie J-S Giguere to a four year deal late Thursday night.

Giguere's pending free agent status, together with Scott Niedermayer making rumblings about retiring, made it seem like the Ducks domination would be short-lived. Ever the master he is, Burke made sure Giguere didn't go anywhere else.

The terms? Six million buckaroos a season for four seasons, plus all bra padding he requests.

"He's an important part of our hockey team, not just the way he's played in the regular season but in the way he's excelled in the playoffs," said [Ducks GM Brian] Burke. "His work ethic is the best I've ever had at his position. He's a vital part of our ability to compete and repeat."

"This is a player who, had he gone to July 1, could have obtained a greater deal," Burke said from Columbus, Ohio, where he and his staff were preparing for the first round of the entry draft Friday night. "When a player makes that commitment, which is so rare in professional sport, it should never go unnoted.

"GMs should say `thank you' when a player does that. It is rare in this landscape, this modern era of pro sport."

Calm down, Brian! Considering Giguere is making more on one year than many people make in 30, I don't think Jiggy is being all THAT generous.

Still, you had to know other teams would have open the vaults to sign Giguere. With J-S signed, only Dominik Hasek remains as a free agent goaltender that doesn't suck. This free agent market really is a famine for the remaining GMs looking for a juicy goaltending morsel.

One would think that Anaheim Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer, who just won the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe trophies, would be kicking ass and taking names for years to come.

Apparently not, claims Ducks GM Brian Burke, who relayed a shocking bit of info to the hockey world.

"Scott has indicated that he's thinking about retirement," Ducks GM Brian Burke told The Canadian Press on Tuesday.

The Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP informed Burke of the possibility during the players' exit interviews a few days after Anaheim won its championship.

Now that Scott, who is 33 years of age, has fulfilled a life-long dream of winning the cup with his brother, Rob Niedermayer, there isn't much for Scott to play for other than large paychecks and groping groupies.

Some players don't need or have the desire to play until their legs fall off and they are booted out unceremoniously. Wayne Gretzky quit at the right time, while Mark Messier played long after his best-before date.

I just can't fathom how Scott Niedermayer could possibly retire when he's on top of the hockey world. This isn't a Barry Sanders situation, where Scott is stuck with a bad franchise. The Ducks are favorites to win the Cup next year, and Scott couldn't ask for a better situation to be in.

After a few fishing trips, I'm sure the hockey craving will come back to Scotty, and he'll be leading the Ducks to another successful season.