My fantasy hockey team

Had our draft tonight, and here's the starting line-up I came away with:

1. Naslund, Markus LW VAN
2. Sakic, Joe C COL
3. Tanguay, Alex LW COL
4. Alfredsson, Daniel RW OTT
5. Blake, Rob D COL
6. Zidlicky, Marek D NSH
7. Modano, Mike C DAL
8. Shanahan, Brendan LW DET
9. Rafalski, Brian D NJ
10. Kolzig, Olaf G WAS
11. Pitkanen, Joni D PHI
12. Thibault, Jocelyn G PIT

Plus, a bench consisting of:

1. Jokinen, Olli C FLA
2. Ovechkin, Alexander LW WAS
3. Zhitnik, Alexei D NYI
4. Grahame, John G TB

Overall, I'd have to say I'm very pleased with the results. My weakest spot is clearly in goal, and that will certainly be a challenge all season. I missed the first round run on most of the top net-minders, which left me to choose between reaching on a mediocre guy (a David Aebischer or Dan Cloutier type) in the mid-rounds, or just being patient and picking up the best available later on. I opted for the latter, and I suppose one could do worse than Thibault and Ollie the Goalie in the 12th and 10th rounds, but it's still hardly an intimidating brick wall back there.

Nonetheless, my offence is an embarrassment of riches, and round after round, I couldn't believe these guys were falling to me. It boggles my mind that I could get Ovechkin in the 14th (!) round, and I am so tempted to start him right away (doesn't get much better than two goals on opening night) but I just don't have a wing I can justify sitting for him. Yet. Modano's really going to have to impress me in the early going, or he may be riding the pine for the kid. Or, ideally, I can find a way to package Modano or Shanahan with Thibault and end up with something better for the net -- maybe someone like an Andrew Raycroft.

But most of all, I'm just happy to see action on the ice again. It's been too damn long. And though I know my Devils are likely in for a long, hard season, adjusting to losing the Scotts -- Stevens and Niedermayer -- that 5-1 victory to spoil Sidney Crosby's coming-out party tastes mighty sweet, indeed.