Hasek Wings It

June 30, 2001

Buffalo avoided having to pick up a huge option year on goaltender Dominek Hasek, instead trading him to the Detroit Red Wings for Vyacheslav Kozlov, a 2002 1st Round Pick and Future Considerations. 

Fantasy Impact: People have always wondered what kind of fantasy numbers Hasek could put up if he played for an elite team. And while the Red Wings are not in the Colorado or New Jersey realm as far as franchise depth, they are now there as far as goaltending. Look for Hasek to push for the "double" in 2001/02 (the Olympic Gold and the Stanley Cup). If he gets in a zone he could play 70 games and pick up 45 wins. The defense other than Lidstrom, could be a little weaker than what was developing in Buffalo, but let's face it, Hasek doesn't care. If his GAA is above 2.10 we'll be surprised. He should pick up his fair share of shutouts and have a phenomenal SV%. The only thing that could hurt Hasek is the travel schedule.