Thanks to a tremendous two-month run at the end of last season, I somehow managed to wedge my way up to 10th place overall. I would like to send my gratitude to my final two pick-ups (Alex Tanguay and Pavel Davtsuk) along with Jarome Iginla who finally caught fire long after many had dropped him from their rosters. The margin over the 11th and 12th place teams were so close that I am still worried that the league might (after further review) still rule that Ziggy Palffy did not redirect that shot in for a goal way back in January � which would change the final standings. However I am finally becoming convinced that last years results are now official beyond official.

This years scoring changes for CDM Hockey are not quite as dramatic as last years were. Goals will now be worth five points with assists being worth three, as opposed to four and two respectively last year. That puts more value back into assists, which are now worth 60 percent of goals as opposed to 50 percent. The new system also further diminishes the impact of the plus-minus (+1/-1 point) as well as PIM (.25 per minute) and shot (.2 per) categories. This also gives the value of skaters more value as opposed to goalies, whose scoring system (five points for a win, two for a tie, and an additional five for a shutout, .2 per save, -1 per goal allowed).

Dan Cloutier (VAN � 1532) � Still very reasonably priced despite 64 wins and a 2.40 GAA over the past two years. Has his flaws, but as is the case with Colorado goalies has plenty of firepower behind him. Should be good for all weeks when the Canucks don�t play Colorado.

Marty Turco (DAL � 1894) � Only the 13th most expensive goalie on the board despite setting modern records in regards to save pct. and GAA in just his first season as a starter. On an elite team with virtually no risk of being benched.

Dominik Hasek (DET � 4750) � After wrecking havoc on roller hockey rinks in his homeland, Dom comes out of retirement just two years removed from a 41 win/2.17 GAA campaign. The Wings have not unloaded Curtis Joseph and his expensive contract as of yet, but Dom still figures to start most nights. Both Dom along with his team are long in the tooth, but should still be a good value as the sixth most expensive netminder on the board.

Rick DiPietro (NYI - 2414) - #1 overall draft pick from a few years back (a rarity for a goalie) finally got a sniff following the trade of Chris Osgood and figures to share part of the workload with veteran Garth Snow (currently a UFA). Look for flash-mobs to pickup this potential mega-bargain especially if Snow is out of the picture.


KNOWN QUANTITIES

Martin Brodeur (NJ � 5500) � A lock for 40+ wins with a GAA just over two every year, and is a lock for 70+ appearances per year. Sure thing for four-game weeks if you can create enough cap room.

Olaf Kolzig (WSH � 5140) � Sees a ton of action and a lot of rubber, but gets touched up (around a 2.50 GAA) some and can�t be counted on to be too much above .500. The normally soft Southeast division is beginning to heat up as well, not making Ollie a good play.

Patrick Lalime (OTT � 4920) � Has now been solid three years running and turned it up yet another level last year, finishing 39-20-7 along with seven shutouts and a 2.17 GAA. Has proven he�s not a fluke.

Ed Belfour (TOR � 4870) � Many (myself included) wrote off the Eagle after a final shaky year in Dallas, but immediately served notice with an opening night shutout in Pittsburgh. Belfour finished with seven shutouts on the year along with 37 wins and a sparkling .922 save pct.

Tommy Salo (EDM � 4610) � If you like to play conservative stocks with a steady track record, Tommy�s your guy. Look for a heavy workload (65-70 games), a record slightly above .500 and around a 2.50 GAA � with the season ending with a valiant playoff effort but a loss in six games to Dallas.

Roman Cechmanek (LA � 4600) � Run out of Philly with a rap amidst allegations of giving up �soft goals�. With a .925 save percentage and 1.83 GAA last year one wonders what the record could look like without allowing cheap goals. A great acquisition for the Kings who may prove to upstage J-S down the freeway.

Jocelyn Thibault (CHI - 4460) - Has quietly silenced some critics with 86 wins over the past three seasons while annually playing 60+ games. However, a winning record would be stretch for the Hawks which lowers T-Bo's value.

Evengi Nobokov (SJ - 4290) - A perfect illustration on how a training camp holdout can absolutely wreck a season. GAA rose from 2.29 to 2.71 as the wheels completely came off the team around him. Not crazy about him especially considering the Sharks go through goaltenders like no one this side of the Flyers, meaning Nobokov's on borrowed time.

Jean-Sebastian Giguere (ANH - 4210) - Was a revelation in the fantasy world (34 wins, 8 shutouts) well before his playoff exploits (five more shutouts, including three straight on Minnesota) making him one the best values of last year. But now the honeymoon is over (literally and figurativly) as the Ducks were hit hard with off-season losses. Cinderella teams can fall quickly in this league, just ask Carolina. And here's a dark secret should J-S go down for an extended period, backup Martin Gerber had a better save percentage and GAA last year.

Pasi Nurminen (ATL � 1740) � Became the featured goaltender as the Thrashers caught fire in the second half, with Pasi finishing on the sunny side of .500 (21-19-5). Veteran Byron DaFoe is still in the picture, but would be hard pressed to make the Braves rotation with his 4.53 from last year, let alone stick as an NHL goalie. Nurminen�s 2.88 GAA is not much to write home about neither, but a new coach is vowing to clamp down on the team defensively. Nurminen is a restricted free agent, so keep an eye on contract talks � DaFoe is pulling in $3.5 million per year which I imagine will be a baseline for his agent to shoot for.

Tomas Vokoun (NSH � 3140) � Carried the Predators on his back for much of the season�s second half, playing in 69 games with a 2.20 ERA. Good pick from an emerging team that stresses defense.

Nikolai Khabibulin (TB � 3560) � The Lightning were yet another perennial loser who turned it around last year, with Nik as one of the teams centerpieces. From a fantasy perspective there were no complaints as Nik finished 30-22-11 with a 2.47 GAA. However the team acquired John Grahame in mid-season and is considering using him while dangling Nik as trade bait.

Jeff Hackett (PHI - 2760) On the surface, this sounds like a bargain - and no doubt Hack will find himself on plenty of CDM rosters. The Flyers acquired Hackett in hopes that he will provide a steady veteran hand making a minimum of mistakes. What the Flyers will probably find out will be the same verdict that Chicago, Montreal, and Boston has handed down - that Hackett is little more than a reliable backup. Robert Esche is this teams best goaltender and the organization will come to that conclusion by mid-season.

Steve Shields (BOS - 1710) - Officially listed first on the Bruins depth chart, which is inriguing since the team has a ton of firepower offensively. However Shields talent is limited, so look for the team to turn either to Andrew Raycroft or to look towards a trade.

Chris Osgood/Brent Johnson (STL) - Osgood's resume is pretty much established. His best entertainment value will probably be when he tangles with Dom Hasek when things heat up between the Blues and Wings. BJ is 72-44-1 with a 2.25 GAA in his St. Louis career, but the team can't seem to wait to get rid of him. Don't be surprised if the Blues GM has his Tampa counterpart on 1-touch messerging.

Manny Fernandez/Dwayne Roloson (MN) - And you thought the Minnesota Twins were a baseball team. Both are very effective with roles that suit Jacque Demers system to a tee. However they are of little use fantasy-wise unless one ends up seeing the bulk of the work.