By JIMMY D / Fantasy Sports

It is up-tempo, it is fast, it requires bursts of energy and constant movement.
So the new NHL is a young man’s game, then?

Not exactly, at least not on the fantasy front.

If it was all about speed demons and youthful energy and exuberance, the Top 10 scoring list wouldn’t be so generously sprinkled with codgers.

Jaromir Jagr leads the lead, as usual, and turns 35 in February. He uses his size and strength, more than speed.

Rod Brind’Amour is second in league scoring and this is the first time he projects at more than 75 points in a decade. His early career in Philly saw a 97-point season, but watching the 36-year-old catch fire has been fantastic for those lucky enough to own him. Again, no speed here, just veteran guile and a slavish devotion to conditioning (he has been known as Rod the Bod for his workout regimen.)

Michael Nylander is third, a pup at 34. The reason he sits near the top is pretty obvious – he is a Jagr linemate. Still, he managed 79 points and a +31 rating last season, so this is not a fluke.

Two points back is Teemu Selanne, who was thought to be washed up and a candidate to coach in the Finnish League a few years back. He scored twice Sunday to give him 10 and 29 points. The 36-year-old, whose rookie record of 76 goals will probably never be touched, had just 32 points in his full season at Denver, but he healed during the lockout and got 90 points last year.

A point behind him is Brenden Shanahan, who earns much of his point-production living on the power play. Shanny will be 38 in January.

Mark Recchi, who will be 39, is also productive after an Evgeni Malkin-less start. He is almost a point-per-game with a nice +7.

So what does all this mean?

First, it means you are a real hockey fan and will read just about anything on the topic.

Second, don’t shun those veteran skaters who have shown they can remain fit and can adapt. Many players have gone down the drain, retired or settled in to support roles.

See Sandis Ozolinsh, Dallas Drake and Jeremy Roenick.

Others are flourishing. Make sure your pool wagon is hitched to the former type, not the latter. You don’t want to have a season where Brett Hull, Al MacInnis and Ron Francis all retire on your roster, as Jimmy did last season.

Wall Street – money in the bank?

You have heard of the ‘Bulin Wall, now hockey poolies should be aware of Michael Wall. He doesn’t boast Nikolai Khabibulin’s pedigree, but the rookie netminder won his NHL debut for Anaheim on Sunday.

Don’t rush to slot him into your lineup just yet. The 21-year-old was recalled due to nagging injuries to both J.S. Giguere and Ilya Bryzgalov. But he is worth keeping on your keeper-league radar.

Meanwhile, Wall’s backup for the 5-3 win over Calgary was David McKee. He was a call-up this week from ECHL’s Augusta Lynx and may be further away from an NHL job than Wall. Or even Jimmy D himself.

NFL pool update

Every week in his head-to-head NFL pool, it seems one player is out to doom Jimmy’s chances. This week, it was Joseph Addai of the Colts.

Leading his opponent going into Indy’s Sunday night game with the Eagles, Jimmy felt pretty comfortable. After all, Jimmy had running back Brian Westbrook going against the porous Colt run defense and wideout Donte' Stallworth set for some production as well, even with backup Jeff Garcia under center.

But it was Addai’s gaudy, LT-ish night – four touchdowns and 171 yards – that had Jimmy trailing heading into the Monday nighter.

This despite his brilliant decision to start Vince Young ahead of Jon Kitna and Trent Green. Young orchestrated a brilliant fourth-quarter rally by the Titans, who got lots of help along the way from the bumbling, off-key Giants.

Benching T.J. Houshmandzadeh made sense given the favorable Eagles matchup and given T.J.’s questionable status for the game. But he scored a touchdown for the Bengals, while Stallworth did nothing.

Jimmy’s other defensive move was to ditch Bills running back Anthony Thomas to the waiver wire – with Willis McGahee set to return from injury – and scoop up Brandon Jacobs. Jimmy couldn’t use the cement mixer of a fullback, but at least his two touchdowns and 14 fantasy points didn’t wind up on someone else’s roster.

Everyone, altogether now: Poooor, Jimmmmy!

Stay busy, stay lucky.
JPoole@Herald.ca

Jimmy D