Nice story on Former Sioux hockey player Jason Blake

Here is a nice story I found on former Sioux hockey player Jason Blake. Jason Blake had what some might call a tough season; Blake was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), a rare but treatable form of cancer but was still able to play all 82 games. For his efforts Blake was awarded the Masterton Memorial Trophy for this efforts this season. Blake was also the second consecutive former WCHA to win the Masteron Memorial Trophy.

With the supporting cast that Toronto has on it's roster going to be tough for Blake to get points, especially if Matts Sundin ends up in Vancouver like it has been suggested.

NHL Fantasy Focus: Jason Blake

Jason Blake is a player I have a lot of respect for and one that I enjoy watching. The dude plays like a border collie, bouncing around the ice with boundless energy. It's hard not to like a player that works so hard and seems to enjoy the game as much as he does.

Blake is also a very adept 2-way player, and is the type of guy a coach can feel comfortable about playing in any situation. Blake's hustle makes him a great penalty killer as well as a team picker-upper. Just look at the way he battled back from his cancer!

What Blake is NOT, however, is a big offensive producer. Yes, he once scored 40 goals for the lowly New York Islanders, but one need only look at his career history to see what an outlier that was

The people who got suckered in the most were, obviously, the Toronto Maple Leafs, who inked the diminutive winger to an expensive, long-term 5-year $20M contract.

Blake will be 35 years of age (yes, older than you thought!) when next season starts, and despite getting loads of shots on net, is only going to decline from here on out. Losing Mats Sundin will also be a blow to his offensive chances.

Prediction: 50 points. Age and a lack of support will make times tough for Blake, but he should be able to come close to his average numbers. Just don't take the bait thinking that Blake is going to get 40 goals again, or even 30. It's just not going to happen.