If Chris Kunitz turns out to be a streaky player, tip #4 suggests you unload him!!

Now that your draft has been completed, don’t think you can rest on your laurels for the entire season.  There is still much work that has to be done if you are going to have a legitimate shot at winning.  Follow these 10 tips during the season and you will blow the competition away.

Make A List And Check It Twice!

After the draft is over, invariably there are players remaining that have not been selected by any team.  Write these players down, first into groups according to their position and secondly, according to the order in which you would have selected them.  As these players get activated by other members of your league, cross them off your list.   Whenever you have a player that has been injured, and yes, you will have at least one player who goes down, refer back to your list and check who is available to be used as an injury substitution.  You will save time and energy this way avoiding scrambling around to see who’s available.

Research Newcomers

Whenever a new player enters the league from the minors, research that player, whether you need to fill a roster spot or not.  Check your fantasy resources: the Internet, team journals or chat lines to find out some stats.  Place that new player on your list along with his team and any other pertinent info.  Other members of your fantasy league may not do their homework giving you first crack at that player if you need a substitution.  A premier player will have more points scored than games played.

Get Rid Of Any Injury Prone Players

Unfortunately, during the course of the season you may have a player that is constantly getting injured.  You must make a decision on whether to hold onto that player or unload him.  My advice is to send him to the showers!  You do not need the aggravation or the headaches in dealing with this type of player.  Find a suitable substitute.

Unload Streaky Players

Players who are hot for a week or two and put up good stats and then disappear for months are about as popular as bank stocks.  Try to package them up in a deal and unload them.

Is There A Sophomore Jinx?

As we noted last week, you must watch your second-year players carefully.  Many rookies suffer the dreaded "sophomore jinx" during their second-year for one reason or another.  During their rookie campaign, they were undoubtedly pumped up to make the big squad and most likely needed to make a big impression.  Remember this, over the past few years, only 45% of rookie forwards and defensemen that finished in the top twenty in rookie scoring equaled or surpassed their rookie stats in their sophomore year.  If you have drafted a second-year player that had an impressive rookie year and you note that he is struggling, then it's time to cut the umbilical cord.  The caveat to this rule are goaltenders-for some reason, goaltenders tend to do better in their second year.  Perhaps they have familiarized themselves with the opposition and have a year of experience under their belt.

Rookie Watch

If you have drafted some rookies for your fantasy squad you must keep in mind that rookies tend to slow down in the second-half of the season.  They are not accustomed to the long NHL season and frequently run out of gas.  If you notice that your rookies are starting to struggle as you reach the All-Star break, then it certainly behooves you to package them in a trade for a player that will help your team down the stretch.

Don’t Hold Onto Slumping Players

If you drafted a player that is severely underachieving, you should cut him loose.  You may have been expecting 20 goals from a certain player, but by the All-Star break he is sitting with only 8 goals.  Find a substitute!

Limit Transaction Fees

If you are in a rotisserie style league, there is a transaction fee for every move that is made.  If you keep making moves, you will keep running up the tab.  Try to limit the amount of moves you make; if a player is injured, find out the type of injury.  It may be something simple like a sprain that will only result in a missed game or two.  There’s no sense putting a player with a minor injury on reserve and accruing 2 transaction fees by filling his spot with a substitute if he will be back in a few days.

Never Say Never

Always keep an open mind whenever a deal is proposed.  You should never deem a player as “untouchable”.  Listen to the offer, think about it, make sure it will improve your team and if needed, make a counter offer.  Don’t be unreasonable in your demands-you will be labeled a hardhead and no one will deal with you.

Don't Panic

If you start the season slow, and you are confident with your selections, don’t panic.  There is plenty of hockey to be played and your players may be off to a slow start.  It’s better to start slow and finish fast than the other way around.

Sometimes your selections just don’t pan out.  It could be for a variety of reasons: injuries, slumps, poor surrounding cast, disagreements with the coaching staff, etc.  If by the All-Star break you are way out of it and have no hope for a money spot and are in a keeper league, then dump.  You might as well trade away some players and start to build for next year.  Get rid of your high salaried players by trading them to teams in contention for lower priced players who have good potential.  If you are in a winning position, then you might have to swing some deals with teams that are out of contention by trading away some young prospects for veteran players who are having a good season.

At the end of the season, re-evaluate your team and your draft day selections.  See what mistakes you may have made and write them down for next year.  Maybe you had lofty expectations for a player and he never reached them; maybe you drafted a highly touted rookie who just didn’t fire; maybe your first-round selection had a serious injury; or maybe a promising second-year player had a major sophomore jinx.  In any event, realize your errors and let experience work for you.