VanIslander
A 19-year ATDer on HfBoards
The next line-up to be posted here that has completed 24-pick descriptions on their roster thread post is...
The Victorias have two of the top five or six Soviet goaltenders of all time, and while longtime workhorse Puchkov should be expected to get a lot of regular season starts, the Man in net is world class clutch performer Myshkin, who stoned the NHL's best on more than one occasion, though he's not always money as the Miracle on Ice showed.
Goaltending is helped by a blueline core that's as well built as any in the draft in terms of chemistry and tools. It's all there: passing, checking, special teams, toughness, nastiness, stay at home and rushing, shooters and leaders. I personally cannot recommend any changes in alignment because that is exactly how I would play those guys. Looks great. That said... it's not the best top pairing in the draft nor the greatest depth of talent, though that second pairing may be the best and certainly playable in the MLD without a blink of anyone's eyes (though Snepts might have to see third line minutes in an all-time context because his skating is so bad and more than 8-10 minutes a game is beyond what is needed to maximize his excellence).
The forward core is the polar opposite of the blueline in terms of organization and toolset: what the...? was my thought upon seeing the lines. McKerrow may be the Beliveau of the 1890's but on this team he has a Bus instead of a Rocket. And Renberg on the top line? What is this supposed to be, Legion of Doom AAA? Odd line. The Victorias seriously lack a bona fide first line goal scoring winger, with Larochelle on the second line perhaps the closest to a true finisher, but they do have a few guys who had productive peaks offensively, like Bertuzzi and Klima, polar opposites in the work ethic and ethics department. The second line might produce the most points but the other lines will shake things up and dictate the tempo of play. Crisp has gone in the main ATD without any howls of protest and he's certainly a good fit on a third line primarily defensive in focus, the Victorias' third line being above average in that regard, with wingers who could step it up offensively a bit.
The Victorias of Montreal are a hard working, physical bunch with scoring line centers and offensive defensemen to build team strategies around in terms of puck management on the powerplay, and wingers who can forecheck past defenders and create turnovers. This is a team that will score a lot of scrappy, garbage goals and woe be an opposing team that has neither physical defensemen nor tough wingers. Memo to opponents: score first then look to score an insurance goal on transition, as the Victorias are vulnerable to turnovers when they press the play deep and a Snepts or Brisebois can't handle the sudden odd man rushes going the other way. If goaltending wasn't so good, this team would cook its own goose when trying to get that go ahead or tying goal.
The Victorias have two of the top five or six Soviet goaltenders of all time, and while longtime workhorse Puchkov should be expected to get a lot of regular season starts, the Man in net is world class clutch performer Myshkin, who stoned the NHL's best on more than one occasion, though he's not always money as the Miracle on Ice showed.
Goaltending is helped by a blueline core that's as well built as any in the draft in terms of chemistry and tools. It's all there: passing, checking, special teams, toughness, nastiness, stay at home and rushing, shooters and leaders. I personally cannot recommend any changes in alignment because that is exactly how I would play those guys. Looks great. That said... it's not the best top pairing in the draft nor the greatest depth of talent, though that second pairing may be the best and certainly playable in the MLD without a blink of anyone's eyes (though Snepts might have to see third line minutes in an all-time context because his skating is so bad and more than 8-10 minutes a game is beyond what is needed to maximize his excellence).
The forward core is the polar opposite of the blueline in terms of organization and toolset: what the...? was my thought upon seeing the lines. McKerrow may be the Beliveau of the 1890's but on this team he has a Bus instead of a Rocket. And Renberg on the top line? What is this supposed to be, Legion of Doom AAA? Odd line. The Victorias seriously lack a bona fide first line goal scoring winger, with Larochelle on the second line perhaps the closest to a true finisher, but they do have a few guys who had productive peaks offensively, like Bertuzzi and Klima, polar opposites in the work ethic and ethics department. The second line might produce the most points but the other lines will shake things up and dictate the tempo of play. Crisp has gone in the main ATD without any howls of protest and he's certainly a good fit on a third line primarily defensive in focus, the Victorias' third line being above average in that regard, with wingers who could step it up offensively a bit.
The Victorias of Montreal are a hard working, physical bunch with scoring line centers and offensive defensemen to build team strategies around in terms of puck management on the powerplay, and wingers who can forecheck past defenders and create turnovers. This is a team that will score a lot of scrappy, garbage goals and woe be an opposing team that has neither physical defensemen nor tough wingers. Memo to opponents: score first then look to score an insurance goal on transition, as the Victorias are vulnerable to turnovers when they press the play deep and a Snepts or Brisebois can't handle the sudden odd man rushes going the other way. If goaltending wasn't so good, this team would cook its own goose when trying to get that go ahead or tying goal.
. I'll try to give you some more later on.
