also lets hear other opinions on the bench spots...usually only the top 12 people on waivers are even playable. So taking them out would mean having to pick up like wade belak
I'm definitely in favor of keeping the default, while I hate trying to debate the arbitrary arbitrariness of an arbitrary cap like 4 bench slots, I don't think it's really that arbitrary to only have four arbitrary extraneous players for a variety of reasons.
The main issue here I think is that there is no such thing as a bench player in fantasy hockey - you're using everyone in those four slots every time they play anyway so it's more of a utility slot than a bench anyway and as such you're judging utility between players. Especially the idea of "needing" a backup goalie is pretty silly, there's only 30 starting jobs in the NHL anyway so at 2 goalies per team that only leaves us with six leftover, and while some teams have two usable goalies because of tandems or goalie identity crises, there's a lot of "bad" fantasy goalies who see a lot of time and even then many owners choose to pick 3 goalies - using the public league I drafted in the other day for an example the highest rated goalie on the board according to yahoo is Jimmy Howard, who is Detroit's 3rd string goalie. There's a few people on the board I would say are more valuable than him, but the starting goalies still on the board(Lehtonen, Kolzig/Smith, Ersberg) aren't drafted for a reason.
Even at the other positions there's a pretty disappointing waiver wire right now and you have to figure at any given time at least four or five, probably more like eight or nine fantasy caliber players at any given position(defenseman was a big one with injury issues last year and it already sucked in fantasy) and there have to be people at least halfway decent on waivers so there aren't just massive gaps every time someone gets hurt. Using that public league again, the best forwards on the waiver wire are viktor kozlov, mike modano, dan cleary, dustin penner, and david clarkson who are pretty solid real life player sbut not exactly heavy fantasy contributers at this point(although penner, clarkson, and cleary all have potential to be).
This is one of several issues I think the default is just fine on.
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Also in Be a Pro NHL 09 news I figured I'd make an update post mostly because everyone has been suffering through the incompetence that is the AHL teammates and I though I'd offer some light at the end of the tunnel as far as your teammates being less retarded in the pros. The opposing goaltenders(FUCK YOU FLEURY OH MY GOD) are definitely better too, but it's nice to see things even out a bit... here are my stats in each for reference, both in fifteen games on D.
AHL 12g 5a 17p 6 PIM +7
NHL 11g 12a 23p 22 PIM +12
My stats are kinda skewed because I'm coming off a hat trick against the Sabres(scored with 50s~ left and then again 50s~ into OT on a breakaway dangle type deal and then on a wraparound in two nice goals i shouldn't be doing as a defenseman but my teammates were NOT getting the job done ok)
Also for what it's worth I'm curious if all goalies do this(I know my AHL backups didn't) but Brodeur has been super active with loose pucks much like he is IRL - he hasn't been afraid at all to go behind the net or toward the top of the face off circles to fish pucks out within several inches of opposing players. At times I feel like he has Dominik Hasek syndrome but it's worked out nicely so far so I won't complain yet!