Pool safety rules

Where are my water wings?

The start of the NHL season is almost upon us, and so the online hockey pool drafts have begun in earnest. I've joined two online pools this season (and started one also). Prior to this year, I've only ever participated in two other season-long pools, and I am finding that there are some important drafting guidelines to learn. Here are four:

1. Read the rules? Me?

As a guy, I typically eschew reading rules and instructions. With hockey pools, though, failing to read the rules can get you way in over your head. A couple of years ago I was in a pool where faceoff wins were 1 point each. Centremen were a huge commodity, but not everyone realized that. Make sure you know how to get points in your pool!

2. You gotta choose your priorities, man.

If you don't draft live, set up your autopick list. Today I was in a draft where it was pretty obvious that one of the absentee poolies had not set up their draft list properly. Big mistake -- the server "helped" this person by auto-drafting Alex Radulov (will he even play?), Daniel Carcillo (whose main stat is penalty minutes, which don't count in our pool) and yes, I don't know how we all missed him, Miika Wiikman. What, you don't know him? Me neither!

3. Let me just look at my list, here...

It's easy to draft just based on a list of stats from previous seasons. Problem is, you have to also consider things like who that player played with, who they'll be playing with this year, how their stats were affected by injury, and so on. Use stats, yes, but look down your list for sleeper picks and also prune off those players who aren't in a good position this year.

4. Pyatt -- check, Cowan -- check, Pettinger -- check...

Don't be a homer. It's hard, but sometimes it just makes sense to pass over players from your team and to pick someone from a hated rival. Hm... Jarome Iginla or Danny Sedin? As much as I'd love to win my pool with a team brimming with Canucks, it's not likely to happen. Swallow that pride, and pick to win.

Having used these guidelines for my pool picks this year, I fully expect to win.

Yeah, right.

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