All-Time Draft #11 Line-Up Assassination Thread

[arrbez]

(That's why I don't really believe in guys getting picked too soon in a 28-team draft. With few exceptions. I believe in guys being miscast in roles. Few guys are picked too soon).

I agree in that sense. But guys certainly do go too early when they go ahead of similar-but-better players. example: If Doug Gilmour went ahead of Bobby Clarke, he went too early, even if it was in the 15th round. Similar players, similar roles, but one is clearly better.

 

[God Bless Canada]

Come on now. Zubov and Samuelsson as a 4th and 5th, versus Chara and Baun? No contest. LL paid a hefty price to do it, but he's got the best blueline.

(BTW, they're the Thunder Bay Twins; not sure where Minnesota came from)

Well, I'm kicking ass offensively in my baseball pool. (First in four of five offensive categories).

Lidstrom and Pronger as a 1-2 punch trumps Horton and Laperriere. I don't think Stanley's that much better than Suter (I think a case could be made for Suter), I don't think Chara's that much better than Zubov (although Chara will mean more in terms of the history of the game). Baun is a cut above Ulfie. But I'd take Hajt ahead of Kabarle.

I would say the Twinkies have the edge at No. 1, 2 and 6 (without question for No. 2 and 6).

And, as I said before, you can't just look at personnel. It's about which ones will mesh better. And that's where the Twins have the edge.

 

[Spitfire11]

Ok, here’s possibly the final edition of my ATD Detroit Red Wings. I’m really happy with the way this team turned out. I think it has a great mix of everything, and I managed to get a few players I’ve always wanted while also bringing back some old favourites.

Detroit Red Wings
Coach: Tommy Ivan
spares: Paul Henderson, Marty Walsh

Sweeney Schriner - Ted Kennedy - Jarome Iginla
Paul Thompson - Marty Barry - Frank Foyston
Jack Walker - Phil Watson - Ron Ellis
Craig Simpson - Edgar Laprade - Ken Wharram

Red Kelly - Fern Flaman
Bob Goldham - Edward Ivanov
Barry Beck - Tommy Anderson
Tomas Jonsson

Dominik Hasek
Percy LeSueur​

I wasn’t planning on it, but one of the things I like most about this forward group is the options Ivan will have for switching up the lines. Foyston, Walker, and Watson all played all 3 forward positions, Henderson could play on both wings, and even Barry played occasionally at LW. Tom Anderson also played most of his career at LW and could be moved up to forward if necessary. It leaves some interesting possibilities, Walker-Foyston won 3 Cups playing together and they can be re-united on a line. Henderson – Watson – Ellis is similar to the great ’72 Summit Series line with Phil Watson as a poor man’s Clarke, he played a very similar game from what I can tell. Here’s one other possible line-up:

Schriner – Kennedy – Iginla
Thompson – Barry – Wharram
Walker – Laprade - Foyston
Henderson – Watson - Ellis

Even Kelly could be moved up to C just for kicks, although it would deplete my D quite badly:

Schriner – Kennedy - Iginla
Thompson – Kelly – Watson
Walker – Barry - Foyston
Henderson – Laprade – Ellis

I like the defense I ended up with as well. I wanted to start my team with Kelly, so it was a good start landing him with my 1st pick. Flaman is an ideal partner for him, imo. He was the best defensive defenseman in the O6 and will allow Kelly to play his game without worry, and jump into the rush. Flaman also brings the tough, nasty game to offset Kelly’s clean play. Both Kelly and Flaman were also among the very best fighters in the Original Six.

Goldham and Ivanov seem to be similar players, both simple defense-first defensemen that excel at the tough thankless jobs like blocking shots, and clearing the crease. Ivanov also brings the puck moving skills that Goldham lacks, so hopefully my team won’t suffer in transition when that D pairing is on the ice.

Anderson is a bit of a wild card, I believe he only played a single full season on D, although he was a 1st team all-star and Hart trophy winner that year, so I doubt he was poor defensively. Beck is in a perfect spot for him to play, imo. He won’t have any pressure on him, and he can play tough defense to wear opposing forwards down and play the point on the 2nd pp unit with his great shot. Jonsson makes an adequate fill-in for Anderson if Tommy needs to be moved to forward for a stretch of games, or for Beck if he runs into injuries.

Hasek needs no introduction he’s one of the all-time greats, and besides Bowman I think Ivan was the best coach possible for my team.

 

[God Bless Canada]

Glace Bay Miners' review...

*Love the Lach-Geoffrion tandem. Not sure how much they would have played together, but it’s still a fearsome duo. I’m not sold on Bobrov as an ATD first liner. Some GMs love him. Others won’t touch him. Again, I’m somewhere in the middle. Second line, I can dig it. First line? His level of competition is an issue. World Championships and Olympics performances from the 50s don’t do much for me.
*Is the first line physical enough? Geoffrion brings some grit, and he’s fearless, but this first line could be in trouble against a tough pairing.
*I think Joe Primeau is one of the best second line centres in the draft. (And when I say that, I mean guys best-suited to second line duty). He’s very smart. Excellent hockey sense and a good two-way presence. He makes players around him better. George Hay and Dave Taylor are the lucky guys who get to take passes from Gentlemen Joe. It’s also a very good two-way line, so you can play them against the opponent’s best.
*That’s a very smart, steady third line. It won’t get you much offensively – I don’t think Pavelich and Curry ever topped 40 points. Pulford hit 50 points three times. But in terms of defensive ability, and an ability to play against the opponent’s best, it’s one of the best in the draft.
*Solid fourth line. Ezinicki’s another player who’s high on our “We want to get him†hit list. A dangerous hitter. Ab McDonald’s good enough defensively to play on the third line. You’re smiling when you have a Hart Trophy winner on your fourth line.
*An imposing defence. The first and third pairings are robust, physical, aggressive tandems. The second pairing has terrific skating ability and offensive ability. (Although Siebert will likely be facing more two-on-ones than any other defenceman in the draft).
*Potvin-Pronovost is one of my favourite pairings in the draft. They’re so skilled, so talented, but they’re also very tough.
*Worsley’s a good, solid No. 1 goaltender. Trust me. I’d know. I’m not sold on Lindbergh as a back-up. It’s an incredibly sad story, but the bottom line is he has one strong season.
*Brooks is a good coach. His NHL track record isn’t great, but his work with the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, and that team’s impact on the sport in the U.S., punched his ticket to the HHOF. Rudy Pilous has long been the best coach available in the MLD. It’s about time he’s been picked in the ATD. I think he’s better than some of the head coaches.

GM: Transplanted Caper
Coaches: Herb Brooks, Rudy Pilous

Vsevolod Bobrov-Elmer Lach-Bernie Geoffrion
George Hay-Joe Primeau-Dave Taylor
Marty Pavelich-Bob Pulford-Floyd Curry
Ab McDonald-Billy Burch-Bill Ezinicki
Eddie Oatman

Denis Potvin-Marcel Pronovost
Babe Siebert-William 'Flash' Hollett
Bill Barilko-Ed Van Impe
Bert Corbeau

Gump Worsley
Pelle Lindbergh

 

[God Bless Canada]

Lada review...

*One of the best first lines in the draft. It’s a fiercely competitive, highly skilled, and very tough first line. They’ll put up points, and they can score against any team in the draft. They will put up points against anybody. It’s not a line you stop. Mikita and Conacher on the same line is scary enough. But Propp’s there, too. Propp might be better served to second line duty, but he’ll be okay for the role he’s in.
*We gave Ratelle a really long look for our second line. He’s a dynamic player for the second line. Sutter’s a ferocious competitor and a tenacious player who’ll open up room for his skilled linemates. Dillon’s a solid, two-way, second line winger.
*Lehtinen’s No. 3 on my list for third line RWs, after Provost and Armstrong. Jere’s a very solid player. This line should be able to get you some goals, too. Poulin was good offensively. Tremblay topped 25 goals three times in the O6. And Lehtinen’s a multi-time 30-goal scorer.
*I like that fourth line. Unger and Peplinski are high on my fourth line centre and right wing lists, respectively.
*We really wanted McNab as our 13th forward. A very good scorer who has experience at all three forward positions, although he was primarily a centre.
*Earl Seibert’s a rock. One of the top five or 10 defensive defencemen of all-time. You have to love a defenceman with that kind of size, speed and smarts.
*Kasatonov’s a heck of a guy for a second pairing. He’s good enough to be a No. 2 in this draft.
*James Patrick slipped too far in this draft. His mobility and his two-way abilities make him a very valuable player to have for the third pairing. I think a lot of people have forgotten how good he was offensively for the Rangers.
*Mobility might be your blue-line’s calling card. Crawford’s probably the least mobile of the bunch, and he’s teamed with James Patrick. When you have a defence loaded with mobility and hockey sense, you’re in really good shape.
*Belfour’s a good No. 1 goaltender, in that Gump Worsley class of net-minders. He’s a bit of a loon (okay, the guy is nutty, even for a goalie) but he stopped the puck. Beezer’s a good, solid back-up who can get you at least 20 good starts.
*If you wanted to build a good defensive team, then Lemaire’s the coach you want. He’s a great strategist and an excellent teacher.
*Frankly, I think you might be underselling your team’s offensive ability. You’ll get goals from more than just your first line. The defence might not be able to get you a lot offensively, but they can skate and effectively move the puck, and that's really important.

Coach: Jacques Lemaire

Brian Propp - Stan Mikita (A) - Charlie Conacher
Brian Sutter (A) - Jean Ratelle - Cecil Dillon
Gilles Tremblay - Dave Poulin - Jere Lehtinen
Georges Mantha - Garry Unger - Jim Peplinski
Peter McNab
Camille Henry

Eddie Gerard (C) - Earl Seibert
Alexei Kasatonov - Frank Patrick (A)
Jack Crawford - James Patrick
Phil Russell

Ed Belfour
John Vanbiesbrouck

 

[God Bless Canada]

Anyang Halla review...

*To reiterate what's been said already: that's a scary first line. They provide instant offence. Lemieux controls the game with his size and skill, while the wingers provide excellent hockey sense and two-way play. It's a line that can provide instant offence. They can change the complexion of a game in a short period of time. A 2-0 game can become a 3-2 game in just a few short shifts.
*They're going to need to score, because I don't know where the offence is going to come from. The fourth line is really the second line, the second line is really the third line, and the third line is good enough to be a second third line. (Pop quiz on that one to follow).
*The Backstrom line would be one of the best third lines in the draft. Backstrom and Armstrong are top five on my list for third liners. They go about their jobs different - Armstrong is the small, swift centre and Armstrong is the big, lumbering winger - but both players are excellent defensively, they think the game really well, and they're winners. Armstrong's one of the best leaders in the draft. This is a terrific line, boys, one of the best two-way lines in the draft. Good track record for offence. Just not enough to warrant second line duty.
*Solid third line. McPhee is a very steady and underrated checking winger.
*The fourth line will get you some goals. It's the second most dangerous offensive line you have. I don't buy into Kozlov as a second line LW at all. I don't buy into him as an ATD player. He's an MLD player, and there are several current undrafted LWs who are better players, who fit this line's needs better, or who are just as good offensively as Kozlov. Kozlov's not good enough defensively to play a checking line role, he's not tough enough or aggressive enough to play a fourth line role, and he's not productive enough to play a scoring line role. He's not a complimentary player. Here's the bottom line with Kozlov and his post-expansion track record: zero point-per-game seasons. One point-per-game playoff. (And that year, he went out first round). Good player. Not an ATD player. Not even close.
*If you want the aptly-named Starshinov and Balderis to be on the fourth line, that's two-thirds of a very impressive scoring line. They'll get you points. It'll be one of the most productive fourth lines in the league. But they'd be a lot better with someone different at LW.
*Salming's a very good No. 1 defenceman. He's going to give you 25 minutes of tremendous hockey each night. He's terrific in every single aspect in the league. He was never the best defenceman in the world, but there were a lot of years when he was the second or third best. He can do everything at a very high level. You gotta love it.
*Worth noting on Herb Gardiner: once the NHL became THE hockey league in the world in 26-27, he was the first MVP. He came to the league from the western league, and was instantly the MVP.
*The third pairing is a boom or bust proposition. They're huge. And they're mobile. Especially Iafrate. I trust Korab - he's a pretty solid player, and a good defenceman for a third pairing. I don't trust Iafrate. The guy had HHOF potential. He's sort of like Vladimir Malakhov in that he had so much size and so much ability, but he rarely delivered on his potential. Iafrate's one of the few players in the draft I would refer to as a flake. If Iafrate's head's on straight, he's a difference maker. He's good enough to be a top-pairing guy. But rarely showed it.
*Major props in reuniting the Czech tandem of Holocek and Dzurilla. I like having tandems like that, because you know that one of the goalies will buy into being a back-up. And that's not always easy.
*There's a good news/bad news proposition with Tarasov as the coach. The good news is that his hockey mind is brilliant. He's a master strategist who sees and analyses the game at the highest level imaginable. The bad news is that his outlook towards the game centred around his Communist beliefs. This is not meant to belittle Communists, but the bottom line with Tarasov is that hockey was an extension of Soviet Communism. It's one thing to hope that a guy like Punch Imlach will soften up to handle today's players. But there's a difference between personality and ideology. Tarasov once said that Carl Brewer could never play for him, because the three-time Cup champ Brewer was too much of an individual. (After so many years of Punch Imlach, I don't think the ultra Type A Brewer would want to play for Tarasov). Tarasov also once kicked the captain of his team off the squad for smoking, saying it set a bad example for the younger players. There are a lot of guys on this team who will thrive under Tarasov, because they bring the attitude and the skill level that Tarasov demands from his players. But a guy like Iafrate will not last under Tarasov. They'll clash early and often.

Anyang Halla

Coach: Anatoly Tarasov


Toe Blake - Mario Lemieux - Jari Kurri
Johnny Gottselig - Ralph Backstrom - George Armstrong
Mike McPhee - Vladimir Shadrin - Jim Peters
Slava Kozlov - Vyacheslav Starshinov - Helmut Balderis
Willi Plett

Frantisek Pospisil - Börje Salming
Herb Gardiner - Vitaly Davydov
Jerry Korab - Al Iafrate
Darius Kasparaitis

Jiri Holecek
Vladimir Dzurilla​

C: George Armstrong
A: Vyacheslav Starshinov
A: Mario Lemieux

PP1: Toe Blake - Mario Lemieux - Jari Kurri - Börje Salming - Vitaly Davydov

PP2:George Armstrong - Vyacheslav Starshinov - Helmut Balderis - Frantisek Pospisil - Al Iafrate


PK1: Mike McPhee - Vladimir Shadrin - Herb Gardiner - Vitaly Davydov

PK2:Johnny Gottselig - Ralph Backstrom - Frantisek Pospisil - Bärje Salming

 

[nik jr]

*One of the best first lines in the draft. It’s a fiercely competitive, highly skilled, and very tough first line. They’ll put up points, and they can score against any team in the draft. They will put up points against anybody. It’s not a line you stop. Mikita and Conacher on the same line is scary enough. But Propp’s there, too. Propp might be better served to second line duty, but he’ll be okay for the role he’s in.
*We gave Ratelle a really long look for our second line. He’s a dynamic player for the second line. Sutter’s a ferocious competitor and a tenacious player who’ll open up room for his skilled linemates. Dillon’s a solid, two-way, second line winger.
*Lehtinen’s No. 3 on my list for third line RWs, after Provost and Armstrong. Jere’s a very solid player. This line should be able to get you some goals, too. Poulin was good offensively. Tremblay topped 25 goals three times in the O6. And Lehtinen’s a multi-time 30-goal scorer.
*I like that fourth line. Unger and Peplinski are high on my fourth line centre and right wing lists, respectively.
*We really wanted McNab as our 13th forward. A very good scorer who has experience at all three forward positions, although he was primarily a centre.
*Earl Seibert’s a rock. One of the top five or 10 defensive defencemen of all-time. You have to love a defenceman with that kind of size, speed and smarts.
*Kasatonov’s a heck of a guy for a second pairing. He’s good enough to be a No. 2 in this draft.
*James Patrick slipped too far in this draft. His mobility and his two-way abilities make him a very valuable player to have for the third pairing. I think a lot of people have forgotten how good he was offensively for the Rangers.
*Mobility might be your blue-line’s calling card. Crawford’s probably the least mobile of the bunch, and he’s teamed with James Patrick. When you have a defence loaded with mobility and hockey sense, you’re in really good shape.
*Belfour’s a good No. 1 goaltender, in that Gump Worsley class of net-minders. He’s a bit of a loon (okay, the guy is nutty, even for a goalie) but he stopped the puck. Beezer’s a good, solid back-up who can get you at least 20 good starts.
*If you wanted to build a good defensive team, then Lemaire’s the coach you want. He’s a great strategist and an excellent teacher.
*Frankly, I think you might be underselling your team’s offensive ability. You’ll get goals from more than just your first line. The defence might not be able to get you a lot offensively, but they can skate and effectively move the puck, and that's really important.

Coach: Jacques Lemaire

Brian Propp - Stan Mikita (A) - Charlie Conacher
Brian Sutter (A) - Jean Ratelle - Cecil Dillon
Gilles Tremblay - Dave Poulin - Jere Lehtinen
Georges Mantha - Garry Unger - Jim Peplinski
Peter McNab
Camille Henry

Eddie Gerard (C) - Earl Seibert
Alexei Kasatonov - Frank Patrick (A)
Jack Crawford - James Patrick
Phil Russell

Ed Belfour
John Vanbiesbrouck

thanks, GBC.

the reason i think my team won't be a high scoring team is that it plays a defensive style.
i tried to draft F's who could play D as well as score, and d-men with mobility and decent offensive ability in addition to defensive ability.
i think my team has the ability to be a high scoring team if necessary. i think that gives me more flexibility.

 

[God Bless Canada]

Detroit Falcons review...

*A typically powerhouse entry courtesy of the Falcons. We'll see whether or not this is the year EB reaches up and grabs that brass ring.
*One trait that I see right off the bat is their offensive capabilities from the left side. I have Moore and Jackson at No's 5 and 7 on my LW list. It's rare that a team boasts two left wingers of that calibre. They're both fearless, too, and they're two very tough, physical players. They'll be the driving offensive forces on the top two lines.
*Abel and Lemaire are two of the best two-way centres in the draft. Abel's usually been employed as an LW, but I would say his best days came as a centre. He's good enough to play a first line role as an C. He's around 10-12 as an LW, but around 21-25 as a centre. Bill Mosienko is a nice sniper for that line.
*Lemaire's a good compliment for Jackson - a smart, two-way forward who can set plays up or finish them. And don't forget Lanny McDonald - one of hockey's all-time good guys who is a solid, goal-scoring grinder. I think McDonald's a better player than Mosienko, in fact, I would say he's a definite cut above Mosienko. Ah, for the days when guys like Lanny McDonald were playing a physical brand of hockey ... in the All-Star Game.
*Tikkanen's an elite third line LW. He's also one of the best agitators in the draft. He's abrasive, he's annoying, he's really good. Lemieux's also very high on my third line RW list. (Although there's much more talent out there for No. 3 LWs than No. 3 RWs. Lemieux's in the top five or 10 for No. 3 RWs on my list; he wouldn't crack the top 10 for my LW list). This is one of the all-time agitation lines in the draft, between the innovator of Tikkanese and the man known as Claude the Fraud. Fleming Mackell provides a sort of soothing, steadying presence to those two.
*I'm a big Gord Roberts fan. I think he's one of the best fourth line forwards in the draft. A power forward before there was one. He also boasts one of the most dangerous weapons in the draft: a curved shot. I'm guessing a curved shot isn't a very fast shot, but for a lot of goalies who have never seen it before, it's going to take an adjustment. Roberts and Randall give this line a lot of toughness. It's a Fred "The Fog" Shero type of line.
*How does Buddy O'Connor slip to 13th forward ranks? Too bad he had that car accident the year after winning the Hart. Incredibly, he still led the Rangers in scoring that year. (One of many horrible NYR teams during the O6).
*Bourque-Ragulin is a fantastic pairing. Here's the beauty of that pairing: you can use them in any situation. Bourque was, at once, one of the best offensive defencemen, and the best defensive defenceman, for nearly a decade. While you won't get much from Ragulin offensively - other than a bomb of a shot from the point - he's rock-solid defensively, too. One of the best defensive pairings in the draft.
*As I said a couple times earlier, I think it's better to reunite defence pairings than forward lines. The Gold Dust Twins are a pairing I've always wanted to reunite. They were a top pairing on a dynasty. We've had both Thomson and Mortson, but not at the same time.
*With the Gold Dust Twins, and Bourque-Ragulin - the ice time they'll command and the multiple roles they can play - the third pairing for Detroit might not see a lot of action. I would guess it probably will have less ice time than the average No. 3 pairing.
*Brimsek's an excellent goalie. He led the league in wins a couple times, and picked up eight all-star selections, including two first-team nods. It's incredible how good that Boston team could have been in the mid-40s if they didn't lose most of their stars to war service.
*I'm a Fred Shero fan. He might be the most polarizing coach in the draft, though. A lot of people blame him for the thug hockey of the late 70s. This team has a lot of gritty players, too, which should make Shero happy. How long will it take for a Shero/Busher Jackson bender at a Detroit night spot?

Coach: Fred Shero

Dickie Moore (A) - Sid Abel (C) - Bill Mosienko
Busher Jackson - Jacques Lemaire - Lanny McDonald (A)
Esa Tikkanen - Fleming Mackell - Claude Lemieux
Gordon Roberts - Tommy Dunderdale - Ken Randall
Buddy O'Connor - Ernie Russell

Raymond Bourque (A) - Alexander Ragulin
Jimmy Thomson - Gus Mortson
THE GOLD DUST TWINS [1946-1952]
Lloyd Cook - Alexander Gusev
Taffy Abel

Frank Brimsek
Riley Hern


Powerplay:
Dickie Moore - Sid Abel - Bill Mosienko
Raymond Bourque - Jimmy Thomson

Busher Jackson - Tommy Dunderdale - Lanny McDonald
Alexander Ragulin - Lloyd Cook

Penalty Kill:
Jacques Lemaire - Claude Lemieux
Raymond Bourque - Alexander Ragulin

Esa Tikkanen - Fleming Mackell
Jimmy Thomson - Gus Mortson

 

[God Bless Canada]

That's it for the night. I'll try to get Nanaimo, Montreal, Dauphin and the Detroit Red Wings reviewed tomorrow. (The pace might slow down a little for the long weekend. Depends on the weather. The golf course, the barbecue and schooners on the patio beckon).

Still waiting for LL to finish his team, and for camper, Nalyd and E-Speak/sturm to post their rosters.

 

[Reds4Life]

*First of all, the line with Hull is your first line. Period. That’s the line that the opposition is going to key on. You have the undisputed best LW of all-time on your team. That’s the first line.
*And frankly, a line with Hull and Forsberg would be overpowering. Tremendous speed, strength and instincts. We actually wanted Forsberg more than Boucher because of Forsberg’s size and strength advantage, even though we hold Boucher as the better player. But Hull’s goal-scoring ability and Forsberg’s two-way playmaking? You could put Sylvain Turgeon on that line, and it would still be one of the best of the draft.
*And how can you deny the world the chance to watch Ovechkin and Crosby on the same line?
*Nedomansky’s a solid top line RW. If you do stick with those lines, the first line will be one of the biggest first lines of the draft. As it stands, that’s a very big, very strong and very talented first line.
*I’m a huge Larmer fan. His instincts, awareness, shooting ability, work ethic and character make him one of the best second line RWs in the draft.
*Bottom lines need help. A fair amount of help. They look thrown together. Tkachuk-Peca-Roenick doesn’t work. Unless you want them as a forechecking physical line. But a line with Tkachuk and Roenick is capable of more than that. Tkachuk-Roenick-Hossa would be a strong third scoring line.
*I don’t know if Draper has played much RW. I remember he was awesome as a fourth line LW on the DDT line (Draper/Doan/Thornton) in the 04 World Cup. Best line in the tournament. Corson-Peca-Draper would be a really effective fourth line if Draper can adjust to playing out of position.
*You’re going to need one of two things to happen to win games: score a lot of goals, or have Bill Durnan steal games. Because defence is a sore spot. Team defence is iffy. As it stands now, the only line that I’d really feel comfortable with as a line that can log big minutes against the opposition is the fourth line. Either Corson-Draper-Hossa or Corson-Peca-Draper. So you’ll probably need to match gunners versus gunners, and hope you can win 5-4 and 6-5.
*You don’t have a strong No. 1 defenceman. Goodfellow’s a very good No. 2. And then you have lots of guys who would be in that average No. 3-average No. 5 range. Ross is a No. 3. Green’s a rock-solid No. 4. Gonchar’s a No. 4 offensive defenceman. Ludwig’s a rock for a No. 5. Ozolinsh is a No. 5/6, and he’s redundant with Gonchar already there. With Goodfellow, Gonchar, Ross and Ozolinsh, plus Brad Maxwell, the transition game won’t be a problem.
*In other words, a lot of defencemen will be playing roles they shouldn’t be playing in an ATD context.
*Durnan is a terrific goaltender. One of the top 10 guys in the draft. Wouldn’t pick him ahead of Turk Broda, but he’s still a top 10 goaltender. He’s going to need to be top-notch, too, because he will face a lot of rubber.
*Is this the prototypical Scotty Bowman team? No. But Bowman did win a Cup with Pittsburgh in 1992 – a team that didn’t always have the greatest commitment to the defensive zone. Bowman loves guys with speed and skill. But he also expects his players to backcheck. And Ozolinsh will drive him nuts at some point. But he’s the best coach ever, though, and a difference-maker behind the bench.
*This team will score a lot of goals. They might score the most goals in the draft. They’ll allow the most shots in the draft. And they’ll be the most offensively entertaining team in the draft. You say they'll play defence-first. Don't tie that parachute to this team. Turn 'em loose.

Thanks GBC

 

[Sturminator]

The Boston Bruins

Coach: Al Arbour
Captain: Bill Cook
Assistant Captains: Hap Day, Peter Stastny

#10 Alex Delvecchio - #6 Frank Nighbor - #5 Bill Cook (c)
#71 John LeClair - #26 Peter Stastny (a) - #13 Vladimir Martinec
#12 J.P. Parise - #20 Don McKenney - #11 Harry Hyland
#7 Ed Sandford - #30 Dick Irvin Sr. - #8 Jim Pappin

extras: #19 Reggie Fleming - #9 Charlie Burns

#2 Doug Harvey - #4 Hap Day (a)
#15 Jim Neilson - #17 Jan Suchý
#14 Graham Drinkwater - #3 Red Dutton

extras: #51 Gilles Marotte

#31 Grant Fuhr
#1 Dave Kerr

1st unit powerplay:

Delvecchio - Nighbor - Cook
Harvey - Suchý

2nd unit powerplay:

Leclair - Stastny - Martinec
Drinkwater - Day

1st unit penalty kill:

Delvecchio - Nighbor
Harvey - Day

2nd unit penalty kill:

Parise - McKenney
Neilson - Dutton

Thoughts on the team:

- Delvecchio - Nighbor - Cook - Harvey - Day is, I think, one of the greatest two-way units ever assembled in the ATD playoff era. This five man even-strength unit also comprises 4/5th of the team's top PP and PK units. These Bruins do not have a traditional 3rd/4th line shutdown unit because the 1st unit is the shutdown unit. Very much like the way Al Arbour handled the Trottier line + Potvin on the Island, and let his lower liners run free a bit, there is no need to worry about line matching here. This is every bit the model of an Al Arbour team.

- I'm very pleased with how the 2nd unit turned out. LeClair - Stastny - Martinec is a terrifying 2nd line, and backed by Jan Suchy and Jim Neilson (whose passing is grossly underrated), this unit will offensively overwhelm a lot of 2nd/3rd units.

- 3rd and 4th lines are similar, offensively oriented with a nod to playoff performers (McKenney, Pappin, etc.) and enough toughness/2-way play to make them balanced. Red Dutton is quite possibly the best #5 defenseman in the league (unless Chara plays the #5, though I would put Dutton above Baun if he's in the role), and Drinkwater should provide strong puckmoving for bottom lines that will seek to attack whenever possible.

- Red Dutton will play a prominent role on this team, enjoying TOI above what would normally be assigned to a #5 defenseman. I think he has been badly underrated in the past and is actually a very solid 2nd pairing defenseman on the same general level as guys like Mortson, Wentworth, Hitchman, Neilson, etc. Two top-5 Hart finishes (and both past his prime - Dutton was 32 and 37, IIRC, in the years he got Hart love) and impressive pre-NHL credentials (Dutton didn't play in the NHL until he was 28 years old), as well, make him one of the more obvious candidates for promotion to a 2nd pairing role in future ATDs.

The fact that his roster position is somewhat expendable (3rd pairing) on this team means that we can get the most of Red's toughness, as well, and part of his role will be to take 2nd/3rd unit matchups in which a little muscle or dirty play is advantageous. Dutton will seek to take more prominent players to the box with him through fights, and when he gets in trouble will be replaced on the PK by shot-blocking extraordinaire Jan Suchy.

 

[God Bless Canada]

Nanaimo Clippers review...

*Nanaimo has arguably the most imposing first line in the draft. All three players are big, tough, and tremendous at what they do. Any line with Gordie Howe on it is obviously going to be one of the most dangerous in the draft. Stewart isn't the stereotypical playmaking centre for the first line, but when you have Gordie Howe on a line, you don't need a great playmaking centre. Olmstead isn't necessarily a great playmaker, despite leading the league in assists twice. But he's one of the best in the draft at winning the battles in the corners, and then getting the puck to more skilled teammates. My only concern with this line is a lack of speed from two-thirds of the line. Against a pairing that can withstand their physical onslaught, and bring the requisite hockey sense to shut them down, they could be in trouble.
*Bondra and Oates have good chemistry, but as I stated before, I have some qualms with giving big responsibilities to a line or a pairing that never won anything. The year that Washington made it to the Stanley Cup final was one of the worst years for the Eastern Conference. There were four or five teams in the west better than Washington. On the surface, Dean Prentice over Markus Naslund for the second line LW spot raises question marks. Prentice has a total of four top 10 finishes in scoring. Naslund has four top-10 finishes in goals. But Prentice is excellent defensively, so it means that Nanaimo can use that line against an opponent's top line. (Although I'd never call a line with Bondra on it as a two-way line). And with Naslund on the fourth line, it gives this team a credible third scoring line. And with Ronty and Hebenton already on the fourth line, this team definitely has three excellent scoring lines.
*If there is a concern, it's a lack of a physical presence on the second and fourth lines. Who's going to do the dirty work? Who's going to play tough? Yes, speed and skill kill, but against defence pairings or lines that can neutralize Nanaimo's speed and skill on the second and fourth lines, the Clippers could be in trouble.
*Any line with Art Chapman on it is a good line. He was our 13th forward in the last ATD. Good to see him move up to regular duty in the ATD. His hockey sense is elite. He's a really good two-way forward who can move into this team's second or fourth lines in a pinch. The two-way line is excellent, with Don Marshall and Tony Leswick.
*One of the things you come to expect from a pit team is a great defence. This entry is no different. The top pairing boasts two legitimate No. 1 defencemen. Those two are going to log top pairing minutes in all situations. They're an elite pairing.
*The second pairing is strong. They're familiar with each other, and while they never won anything, they reached Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final twice. They compliment each other well - Stapleton the slick puck-mover and White the rock-solid, tough, two-way guy.
*The third pairing is solid. Lean on them for 15-18 minutes per night. Expect a yeoman's effort from them. They won't hurt you.
*Time for another Dennis Hull quote: "In 1971, Tony Esposito allowed a goal from centre ice by Henri Richard in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final, and I've hated Italians and the French ever since." I think Espo's a good No. 1 goalie. He has a terrific regular season portfolio, and he was a shoo-in for the HHOF. But his playoff record concerns me. It's not just a team in front of him thing. It's an Espo thing. He was great in 72, he outplayed Dryden for much of the series. (Although a lot of it has to do with Espo's style being a better fit against the Soviets than Dryden's). I just have concerns about a guy who was on a lot of teams that had a legit shot at winning it all, but never did. His only ring came as a No. 2 or No. 3 with Montreal early in his career. This is why Alex Connell is such an important addition as a back-up. Connell back-stopped a couple teams to championships, and he was sensational in 35.
*Art Ross is a solid coach. He's not a top 10 or even a top 15 coach, but he has a great mind for the game. He's not going to hurt this team.
*It's a typically fine entry by pit, with a potentially overwhelming first line, dangerous second and fourth lines, and an excellent defence with four guys capable of logging top-pairing minutes. If Tony O is ever going to win in the ATD, this is the time.

Alright, I'm all done:

Nanaimo Clippers

Coach: Art Ross
Captain: Gordie Howe
Alternate Captains: Bert Olmstead, Al MacInnis

Bert Olmstead (a) - Nels Stewart - Gordie Howe (c)
Dean Prentice - Adam Oates - Peter Bondra
Don Marshall - Art Chapman - Tony Leswick
Markus Naslund - Paul Ronty - Andy Hebenton
Billy Reay, Harry Oliver

Bill Gadsby - Al MacInnis (a)
Pat Stapleton - Bill White
Bucko McDonald - Jiri Bubla
Yuri Liapkin

Tony Esposito
Alex Connell


PP1: Bert Olmstead - Nels Stewart - Gordie Howe - Pat Stapleton - Al MacInnis
PP2: Markus Naslund - Adam Oates - Peter Bondra - Bill Gadsby - Jiri Bubla

PK1: Don Marshall - Tony Leswick - Bill Gadsby - Al MacInnis
PK2: Dean Prentice - Art Chapman - Pat Stapleton - Bill White​

 

[chaosrevolver]

*I don't know if Woody Dumart is cut out for first line duty. Great player. One of the best defensive wingers in the draft. But do I believe in him as a first liner? No. Do I believe in Anatoli Firsov as a first-line winger? Yes. Dumart doesn't bring the physical dimension that this line needs, either, so you might as well put Firsov there and try to outgun your opponents.

Alright, my plan was with Bure being a purely offensive player, I wanted some guys who could take his spot defensively. Apps was a fantastic two-way player and one of the better offensive players in the draft, like you stated. But I was wooried that he'd take too much responsibility on the defensive side of things because of the one-dimensional Bure on his wing. So in order to let him go and make the dynamic combo I know he can with Bure, I grabbed Dumart to take a high level of responsibility while also having a guy who can chip-in offensively. Is he a first liner? Not based on skill. But based on what we needed for our first line, yes.

*I can't believe you passed up a chance to reunite Bure and Fedorov. That would be a spectacle to watch. Until they start fighting over Anna. (I'd probably fight with my best friend over Anna, too, for what it's worth).

Well...id rather not have my own players fighting with eachother. They will stick to separate lines and will have to learn to get along off the ice.

*I'm a big Thomas Steen fan. Love his skill, grit and leadership. Perfect guy for a fourth line centre. One day I'll get him. Bengt-Ake Gustafsson is a very smart player for that fourth line. Doesn't bring the toughness I want in a fourth line player. But he's very smart and very reliable.

This is basically our 3rd scoring line, and it will be dangerous if faced off against a weak defensive line. Alexandrov is still underrated in this draft, Gustafsson is a really good all-around player and Thomas Steen has incredible talent and will show some grit as well.

*Defence is solid. I don't know if there's an ace No. 1 in that group. Vasiliev is very high on my list for No. 2's. A No. 1? Not convinced. But he's not out of place.

We wanted to build a 6-man defense. Not a 2-3 man defense. Vasiliev and Lutchenko make a really nice combo. And Konstantinov and Griffis should be really awseome to watch as well. I have had a few GM's tell me they love Stanowski and Pulford together, as well.

*I've always thought that Konstantinov goes way too soon. I can see him as a decent No. 3 or an elite No. 4. But a sixth round pick? No. He shouldn't go two slots after Ragulin. He shouldn't go before Art Coulter or Bill White or Pat Stapleton or Hap Day. What happened to Konstantinov was very sad. He had established himself as one of the league's elite in the two seasons prior to the accident. But does two years in the elite equal a sixth round pick? It shouldn't.

Out of curiosity, how has he only had two years in the elite. He was a consistently great player ever since he came into the NHL. Plus his days in the USSR league weren't so bad either..And considering I had plans at my next few picks and wasn't sure where Vlad would fall, I took him there. Although, I like how he fits on my team as well, so I took that in fact too.

 

[Nalyd Psycho]

Minnesota Fighting Saints

GM: Nalyd Psycho
Coach: Pat Quinn
Assistant Coach: Jaroslav Pitner
Captain: Scott Stevens
Alternate Captain: Bob Gainey
Alternate Captain: Hod Stuart

#7 Doug Bentley-#19 Joe Thornton-#68 Jaromir Jagr
#23 Bob Gainey-#12 Mickey MacKay-#17 Jack Darragh
#16 Gaye Stewart-#11 Frank McGee-#9 Tod Sloan
#8 Rusty Crawford-#25 Orland Kurtenbach-#22 Stan Smyl

#4 Scott Stevens-#44 Cyclone Taylor
#2 Hod Stuart-#52 Adam Foote
#77 Gennady Tsygankov-#3 Joe Hall

#31 Ed Giacomin
#1 Hap Holmes

Spares:
#55 Jack Laviolette
#23 Bobby Rowe

Special Teams:
Bentley-Thornton-Jagr-Taylor-Hall
MacKay-McGee-Darragh-Stevens-Stuart

Gainey-Bentley-Stevens-Foote
Taylor-MacKay-Stuart-Tsygankov​

*This is the regular season roster. In the post season Thornton/McGee and Giacomin/Holmes swap spots.

 

[God Bless Canada]

Montreal Canadiens review...

*One of the fastest first lines in the draft. They have the speed, the creativity and the flair that everybody wants from a first line. They aren't overly physical (although Mahovlich can be physical when he needs to be). But they have the ability to provide instant offence. Mahovlich can be a bit of a frustrating player at times, but he doesn't have to worry about Punch Imlach-related nervous breakdowns this time.
*The second line was onto something before you picked Kovalev. Yakushev's a widely respected player in these parts, while Malkin has accomplished much in the last two seasons. (I don't know if I would have put him on a second line with only two years among the elite, but he's already at ATD calibre player. Yak and Malkin are big players, and while they aren't as physical as you might want for players for their size, they use their size and strength to their advantage with carrying the puck and when in the offensive zone. Kovalev doesn't fit in an ATD. He's too soft, too inconsistent. You can point to his playoff record - I don't think it's good enough for a player who had the ability to consistently challenge for the league goals and points titles. He's inconsistent and he's unreliable. Not a guy I want on my team. One of the few players in the ATD I would refer to as a p*ssy.
*The bottom two lines are excellent, among the best in the draft. There's nobody who I would classify as top five for his role, except for Muller. I have Muller high on my list for third line LWs. If I had him on the fourth line LW list, he'd probably be No. 1, and he'd be near the top for fourth line C - the position he played for most of his career. Those players are the types you need to win at this level.
*When you get to pick first overall, it means you are probably going to get Bobby Orr. Which means you get to have one of the best defence corps in the draft. I'm not sure if Orr-Tremblay is a great fit together as a first defence pairing, I'd rather see Orr with a steady presence instead of a run-and-gun type.
*I'll admit that I was surprised when you went defence in four and five. With Orr already in the fold, I didn't think you'd fill the No. 2 and No. 3 defence spots so soon. I'm not taking you to task. Just saying I'm surprised. Regardless of whether they were what you needed or not, they are fine players. Two defencemen who are among the better No. 2 blue-liners in the draft.
*With the strength of your top three, you could play the waiting game on your defence corps. I'm not sure if any of those bottom three guys are third pairing guys, but Harris is a pretty rock-solid defenceman.
*Two concerns with the defence. One, I'm not certain Keith Magnusson can keep up at this level. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big Magnusson fan. Love his toughness and his character. He's probably one of the toughest defencemen in the draft. But is he going to be able to keep up. The other is the lack of a No. 7. You needed a No. 7 in this thing. You're one injury away from a disaster. Unless you want to drop Tardiff or Palffy back to the blue-line.
*I'm a big Cheevers fan. Love his big-save mentality. Love his hatred of losing. I love the fact that when the "chips are on the line," (sorry for using a cliche), Cheevers was at his best. Good guy. Great personality. Talk to his peers - teammates, opponents, coaches - and they'll tell you about how awesome Cheevers was in the clutch, but also how little he cared about non-consequential goals. His winning percentage is incredible. The one thing he isn't, though, is a regular season workhorse. The only time he finished top five for games played by goalies (according to hockey-reference.com) was in the WHA. That's why Rogie Vachon is a very important part of your team.
*I don't know if Mike Babcock is quite there as an ATD-level head coach just yet. But he's close. He'll love this first line and their abilities in terms of speed and puck possession. And he's going to really love the hockey sense and two-way game of Henri Richard. Bun Cook's a nice compliment as an assistant coach. Babcock's only been a head coach for five seasons, but he's been to the conference final four times, and the Stanley Cup final twice.

Montreal Canadiens

HEAD COACH - Mike Babcock
ASSISTANT COACH - Bun Cook
CAPTAIN - Henri Richard
ALTERNATE CAPTAIN - Tom Johnson
ALTERNATE CAPTAIN - Ed Westfall


Frank Mahovlich - Henri Richard - Teemu Selanne
Alexander Yakushev - Evgeni Malkin - Alexei Kovalev
Don Marcotte - Derek Sanderson - Ed Westfall
Kirk Muller - Pit Martin - Jean Pronovost

Bobby Orr - J.C. Tremblay
Tom Johnson - Ted Harris
Keith Magnuson - Ian Turnbull

Gerry Cheevers
Rogatien Vachon

Marc Tardif
Ziggy Palffy


POWER PLAY UNITS
Mahovlich-Richard-Selanne-Orr-Tremblay
Yakushev-Malkin-Kovalev-Orr-Turnbull

PENALTY KILL UNITS
Sanderson-Westfall-Orr-Harris
Muller-Richard-Johnson-Magnuson​

 

[Canadiens Fan]

*One of the fastest first lines in the draft. They have the speed, the creativity and the flair that everybody wants from a first line. They aren't overly physical (although Mahovlich can be physical when he needs to be). But they have the ability to provide instant offence. Mahovlich can be a bit of a frustrating player at times, but he doesn't have to worry about Punch Imlach-related nervous breakdowns this time.
*The second line was onto something before you picked Kovalev. Yakushev's a widely respected player in these parts, while Malkin has accomplished much in the last two seasons. (I don't know if I would have put him on a second line with only two years among the elite, but he's already at ATD calibre player. Yak and Malkin are big players, and while they aren't as physical as you might want for players for their size, they use their size and strength to their advantage with carrying the puck and when in the offensive zone. Kovalev doesn't fit in an ATD. He's too soft, too inconsistent. You can point to his playoff record - I don't think it's good enough for a player who had the ability to consistently challenge for the league goals and points titles. He's inconsistent and he's unreliable. Not a guy I want on my team. One of the few players in the ATD I would refer to as a p*ssy.
*The bottom two lines are excellent, among the best in the draft. There's nobody who I would classify as top five for his role, except for Muller. I have Muller high on my list for third line LWs. If I had him on the fourth line LW list, he'd probably be No. 1, and he'd be near the top for fourth line C - the position he played for most of his career. Those players are the types you need to win at this level.
*When you get to pick first overall, it means you are probably going to get Bobby Orr. Which means you get to have one of the best defence corps in the draft. I'm not sure if Orr-Tremblay is a great fit together as a first defence pairing, I'd rather see Orr with a steady presence instead of a run-and-gun type.
*I'll admit that I was surprised when you went defence in four and five. With Orr already in the fold, I didn't think you'd fill the No. 2 and No. 3 defence spots so soon. I'm not taking you to task. Just saying I'm surprised. Regardless of whether they were what you needed or not, they are fine players. Two defencemen who are among the better No. 2 blue-liners in the draft.
*With the strength of your top three, you could play the waiting game on your defence corps. I'm not sure if any of those bottom three guys are third pairing guys, but Harris is a pretty rock-solid defenceman.
*Two concerns with the defence. One, I'm not certain Keith Magnusson can keep up at this level. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big Magnusson fan. Love his toughness and his character. He's probably one of the toughest defencemen in the draft. But is he going to be able to keep up. The other is the lack of a No. 7. You needed a No. 7 in this thing. You're one injury away from a disaster. Unless you want to drop Tardiff or Palffy back to the blue-line.
*I'm a big Cheevers fan. Love his big-save mentality. Love his hatred of losing. I love the fact that when the "chips are on the line," (sorry for using a cliche), Cheevers was at his best. Good guy. Great personality. Talk to his peers - teammates, opponents, coaches - and they'll tell you about how awesome Cheevers was in the clutch, but also how little he cared about non-consequential goals. His winning percentage is incredible. The one thing he isn't, though, is a regular season workhorse. The only time he finished top five for games played by goalies (according to hockey-reference.com) was in the WHA. That's why Rogie Vachon is a very important part of your team.
*I don't know if Mike Babcock is quite there as an ATD-level head coach just yet. But he's close. He'll love this first line and their abilities in terms of speed and puck possession. And he's going to really love the hockey sense and two-way game of Henri Richard. Bun Cook's a nice compliment as an assistant coach. Babcock's only been a head coach for five seasons, but he's been to the conference final four times, and the Stanley Cup final twice.

Being in my first ATD, I was looking forward to your review GBC. In response to some of your points.

-Kovalev is a true enigma and one of the most controversial players of our time and maybe in hockey history. Clearly, there are two opposing views on his play and on his career. You call him a p**sy and Mark Messier calls him a thoroughbred. Kovalev was one of the most crucial players on the 1994 Rangers Cup winner alongside Messier and Adam Graves and two years ago was pretty much responsible for the Habs first place finish in the East. You dismiss his playoff record (98 points in 116 games) but don't mention his similar record internationally (44 points in 59 games). Simply put when the stakes are higher he plays at a high level, and paired alongside countrymen Malkin and Yakushev I don't see that changing.

-I agree on your assumption about Orr-Tremblay and will probably move Johnson up to the spot alongside Orr and put Tremblay back with Harris as my second pairing.

-I plan on playing Magnuson and my third defense pairing a little less than ten minutes a game. When you have Orr, Johnson, Tremblay, Harris as your top four you're not going to rely on your 5 and 6 very much. By limiting Magnuson's ice time to that amount I don't have many worries about him keeping up, especially considering the amount of ice-time he used to log in Chicago. As for a number seven defensemen with the amount of ice-time my top four will log I decided that a scoring forward would be the way to go (Tardif). Each of my top-four consistently played 25 minutes plus a game throughout their career. And truth be told if Orr gets hurt, who is available as a low-round pick that can even begin to approach his contribution.

-Tardif and Palffy are nice goal-scoring insurance against an injury up front.

-In the regular season, Cheevers and Vachon will split the schedule evenly. I think the two of them represent one of the better tandems in the ATD so why not use them both. It also gives me some options around playoff time, although Cheevers will probably be the guy.

-As for my head coach. I might agree with you on Babcock but if the Red Wings win the Cup in a couple of weeks, I think it's hard to argue with his record. That was the reason I backed him up with Cook, who with his unmatched coaching record in the AHL I think makes the ideal assistant coach, in that he brings in experience what Babcock lacks.

 

[God Bless Canada]

Dauphin Kings review...

*First of all, Sather deserves applause for coming in during the draft and taking over for Hoff. It's not an easy situation to step into, especially when the predecessor decides to build a team that really limits the eligible talent.
*You have to be impressed with the talent that the Kings have up front. They have three credible scoring lines, and a lot of forwards who love to play rough-and-tumble hockey.
*I'm surprised that Sather doesn't have Leach on the front line, for a couple reasons. One is that we know what Barber-Clarke-Leach can do together as a unit. The other is that Andreychuk-Lindros-Kerr would be the most physically imposing scoring line in the draft, even moreso than pit's top line. Regardless, the top two lines have plenty of size, skill and toughness.
*More of the same from the third line: lots of size, lots of toughness, lots of skill. Smith's that big, physical centre that every team craves. Few players have Bobby Smith's size and hands. I believe Bellows and Thomas played both wings. I know Bellows did - he was an all-star at LW in 1990, and he was an RW for Montreal in 1993 when the Habs won the Cup.
*I don't like the 13th and 14th forwards. For one thing, this team has lots of offence. And Turgeon doesn't fit this team's identity one bit. The other issue is character. Do you honestly want guys like Turgeon and Sandstrom to be spare parts? I don't. They aren't going to accept the role. It could become a distraction. Frankly, I think Sandstrom is as good offensively as Bellows, and better than Thomas. He might be a dirty player and a turtle, but he was a highly skilled guy who would have topped 100 points several times if he could have stayed health.
*Defensive depth is where this team takes a hit. And that shouldn't be a surprise. With the direction that Hoff took this team, he didn't have many top-end defencemen to draw from. He got the best Flyer defenceman ever (Howe), who's good enough to be a last-tier No. 1 defenceman, but then depth takes a hit. When Phil Housley is your No. 2 defenceman, you know you have problems. (Although a Housley-Howe PP tandem will be a source for concern for penalty killers).
*The rest of the defence is imposing, although they might have to shoulder a little more responsibility than Sather would like. McCrimmon, Foote, Hatcher and Smith do have a lot in common - they're all tough, rugged defensive defencemen who love to punish opposing forwards. They'll make opponents think twice about crashing the net. Two concerns: none of them are overly effective at moving the puck, and there could be problems with more mobile opponents. Hatcher and Foote could have some problems.
*As much as I don't like the spare forwards, I love the spare defenceman. Calle Johansson had been on our radar for several rounds. We were prepared to take him if we didn't get St. Laurent. Johansson was criminally underrated. He was the type who you had to watch repeatedly to appreciate. So smart, so steady, so skilled, so wonderfully non-descript. But the one time at his peak when everyone saw him play on a nightly basis - the 1996 Canada Cup - he was a deserving pick as a tournament all-star. One last thing worth noting: for most of the 1990s, the Caps were viewed as having one of the best defences, if not the best defence in the league. They meshed together very well. The one common denominator through those years: Calle Johansson.
*Bernie Parent is an excellent goaltender. Longevity wasn't his strength, but his two-year run is as good as any goalie in NHL history. Record setting seasons punctuated by Stanley Cups and Conn Smythe Trophies. It's incredible to look back on all that he did. As the old Flyers' bumper sticker said: "Only Jesus made more saves." He was a workhorse who, incredibly, saved his best for last. I don't know if he ever recovered from the back injury that followed his magnificent seasons. Mike Liut's a solid back-up.
*Keenan's an okay coach. He's another guy who gets punished because people don't like him. And for good reason. He could be a pr*ck, and difficult to deal with. He bailed out on Chicago and the Rangers. St. Louis and Vancouver couldn't wait to get rid of him. He sabotaged Florida when he dealt Luongo. But when you look back on Keenan, when he was at his best in Philly, Chicago and New York, he was incredibly effective. He changed the culture in the locker room in Chicago and New York. He's not a guy who will have long-term success, but we're not looking for long-term success. We're looking at one year. He's definitely not a first-tier coach, and he's probably not even a second-tier coach. But he's a good coach, a decent third tier bench boss.

Dauphin Kings:

Coach: Mike Keenan

Bill Barber - Bobby Clarke - Tim Kerr
Dave Andreychuk - Eric Lindros - Reggie Leach
Steve Thomas - Bobby Smith - Brian Bellows
Yvon Lambert - Doug Risebrough - Mario Tremblay
Pierre Turgeon, Tomas Sandstrom

Mark Howe - Brad McCrimmon
Derian Hatcher - Adam Foote
Dallas Smith - Phil Housley
Calle Johansson

Bernie Parent
Mike Liut

PP1: Barber-Clarke-Kerr-Howe-Housley
PP2: Andreychuk-Lindros-Bellows-Leach-Housley

PK1: Barber-Clarke-Hatcher-Foote
PK2: Risebrough-Tremblay-McCrimmon-Smith

 

[God Bless Canada]

Detroit Red Wings review...

Last one of the night...
*First thing's first, Spit: I think I speak for everyone when I say that I hope this isn't your last draft. You, LL, BM, Evil Sather and, to a lesser extent, JFF (only because he's taken several drafts off) made this thing what it is. We probably don't have this if not for you and the other four guys. HF wouldn't be as exciting without the ATD. (Although I'd get more done at the office without the ATD).
*I also think it's worth noting that in the summary page, a lot of people are giving very high praise for this team.
*The first line is the prototypical ATD first line: a slick, skilled winger on one side, a power forward on the other, and a two-way centre up the middle. Kennedy, to me, is sort of like Henri Richard, in that he's a true all-time great (both guys are in my all-time top 60 players), yet I wonder if maybe he's a little better suited to second line duty instead of first line duty. He does have a couple non-war year top five finishes in the scoring race. But once the playoffs hit, Kennedy's a guy every team wants on their team.
*If you aren't back, then it means I'll finally have a shot at Marty Barry. One of the best goal-scoring centres in the draft. He's a very dangerous player. You might here the concern that I've heard about my second line - a lack of a statistically-proven playmaking centre - but it's a very good second line.
*I don't know if you necessarily needed a strong two-way line, since that Kennedy line can certainly get the job done against the opponent's best, but it is a good two-way line. I think Edgar Laprade might be a little better defensively than Phil Watson, which would then move Watson down to the fourth line to feed Simpson the puck. But Laprade wouldn't make that third line that much better.
*It's too bad Simpson's back went out on him. He was on his way to establishing himself as one of the best of his generation in front of the net. He wasn't going to be the next Glenn Anderson, but he was going to bring that same presence in front of the net, and the same abrasiveness that Anderson brought. I think Simpson's a credible fourth line grinder in a 28-team ATD. His back is what prevented him from being an excellent second line grinder.
*Red Kelly's an incredible asset to have on your team. For my money, he's the No. 3 offensive defenceman of all-time. He can play a second line centre role in a pinch. But his impact doesn't end in the offensive zone. That first pairing of yours can play the shut-down pairing role. It's a big asset to have when your best pairing is also your best defensive pairing.
*Dominik Hasek was a goalie who didn't like teammates who blocked shots. He wanted to see the shot all the way. He didn't want a teammate to go down and try to block a shot, because it does create a screen, and the possibility of a deflection. We'll see if Hasek's so adverse to shot-blocking after playing with Bob Goldham in front of him. Goldham's one of the best shot-blockers out there.
*We took a long look at Barry Beck for our third pairing anchor. He has a lot in common with Ron Greschner. They're both former New West Bruins who do everything well, but nothing incredibly well, which makes them perfect guys for the third pairing.
*As for Anderson, yeah, it's an issue how much he played defence, but a Hart Trophy-winning defender with a lot of skill is hard to pass up.
*Hasek's quirky and eccentric, even for goalie standards. At times, he could be difficult, even by goalie standards. But there's never been another one like him, and there may never be another like him. His technique sucks, but he stopped the puck. People talk about his flexibility, but just as important were his resiliency - he never gave up on a play - and his ability to get into opponent's heads. The key to Hasek is to get in front of him, generate lots of traffic, and give him those small bumps and nudges to throw him off his game just a little. (I think that's why Philly was so successful against Dom in 1995 and 2000). Getting to the front against Detroit team, with their team defence and some of the blue-liners they have, is easier said than done.
*I have Tommy Ivan at No. 4 on my coach list. We were prepared to take him if we didn't get Blake. Ivan's an awesome coach. Probably the best player's coach of all-time. Unlike most of his coaching contemporaries, he wasn't a screamer or a totalitarian. But he was a great strategist. He expected the most of his players, and he got it. He might be the coach best suited to the ATD, because of his ability to work with the players while still formulating great strategies.

Ok, here’s possibly the final edition of my ATD Detroit Red Wings. I’m really happy with the way this team turned out. I think it has a great mix of everything, and I managed to get a few players I’ve always wanted while also bringing back some old favourites.

Detroit Red Wings
Coach: Tommy Ivan
spares: Paul Henderson, Marty Walsh

Sweeney Schriner - Ted Kennedy - Jarome Iginla
Paul Thompson - Marty Barry - Frank Foyston
Jack Walker - Phil Watson - Ron Ellis
Craig Simpson - Edgar Laprade - Ken Wharram

Red Kelly - Fern Flaman
Bob Goldham - Edward Ivanov
Barry Beck - Tommy Anderson
Tomas Jonsson

Dominik Hasek
Percy LeSueur​

I wasn’t planning on it, but one of the things I like most about this forward group is the options Ivan will have for switching up the lines. Foyston, Walker, and Watson all played all 3 forward positions, Henderson could play on both wings, and even Barry played occasionally at LW. Tom Anderson also played most of his career at LW and could be moved up to forward if necessary. It leaves some interesting possibilities, Walker-Foyston won 3 Cups playing together and they can be re-united on a line. Henderson – Watson – Ellis is similar to the great ’72 Summit Series line with Phil Watson as a poor man’s Clarke, he played a very similar game from what I can tell. Here’s one other possible line-up:

Schriner – Kennedy – Iginla
Thompson – Barry – Wharram
Walker – Laprade - Foyston
Henderson – Watson - Ellis

Even Kelly could be moved up to C just for kicks, although it would deplete my D quite badly:

Schriner – Kennedy - Iginla
Thompson – Kelly – Watson
Walker – Barry - Foyston
Henderson – Laprade – Ellis

I like the defense I ended up with as well. I wanted to start my team with Kelly, so it was a good start landing him with my 1st pick. Flaman is an ideal partner for him, imo. He was the best defensive defenseman in the O6 and will allow Kelly to play his game without worry, and jump into the rush. Flaman also brings the tough, nasty game to offset Kelly’s clean play. Both Kelly and Flaman were also among the very best fighters in the Original Six.

Goldham and Ivanov seem to be similar players, both simple defense-first defensemen that excel at the tough thankless jobs like blocking shots, and clearing the crease. Ivanov also brings the puck moving skills that Goldham lacks, so hopefully my team won’t suffer in transition when that D pairing is on the ice.

Anderson is a bit of a wild card, I believe he only played a single full season on D, although he was a 1st team all-star and Hart trophy winner that year, so I doubt he was poor defensively. Beck is in a perfect spot for him to play, imo. He won’t have any pressure on him, and he can play tough defense to wear opposing forwards down and play the point on the 2nd pp unit with his great shot. Jonsson makes an adequate fill-in for Anderson if Tommy needs to be moved to forward for a stretch of games, or for Beck if he runs into injuries.

Hasek needs no introduction he’s one of the all-time greats, and besides Bowman I think Ivan was the best coach possible for my team.

 

[God Bless Canada]

Boston Bruins review...

*Well, sturm, you made my job a little easier with your preemptive strike. Some thoughts on this entry:
*As you said before, a smart, well-rounded first line. It's probably one of the smartest top lines in the draft. Of course, when you have Delvecchio and Nighbor on the same line, hockey sense will abound. Cook's toughness is an excellent compliment. All three players have excellent offensive ability.
*I think Stastny is the better player than Nighbor, but I would say that Nighbor fits the role on that first line better than Stastny. The remarkable thing about Stastny is that he came to the NHL later in his career. People forget he was in his mid-20s when he did debut. He didn't play 1,000 games in the show. Your second line isn't one that I would play against the opposition's top line, but that's a minor qualm. LeClair - who I consider to be a poor man's Bucyk - is a perfect compliment to Stastny and Martinec's skill level.
*JP Parise was one of the (many) guys we put on our hit list for our two-way line LW spot. Love his grit and his playmaking skills. Zach Parise definitely inherited his father's aggressiveness and fearlessness. McKenney's solid. One of the few guys from those late 50s/early 60s Bruin teams worthy of consideration in this thing.
*Pappin's a very good defensive winger. He's one of the guys who usually goes a little later than he should.
*I love seeing Charlie Burns selected in the ATD. He's better defensively than a few of the defensive line centres available. So who will be the best defensive forward in MLD 11?
*The Harvey-Day tandem is one of the best in the draft. It's the type of tandem that will succeed in the ATD: mobile, aggressive, physical and capable of controlling the game in all zones.
*Are you looking to have five-man units? I can understand the reasoning for it, but I'm not sure it works in the ATD. If you go with five-man units, it means that your fourth line isn't going to get much work. It would lead to overworked top three lines, which could be an issue playing two or three straight seven-game series.
*I don't understand the Fuhr detractors. I think it's a croc. He was great in the playoffs. He was great when the game was on the line, whether it was in a 2-1 game (as he showed during the St. Louis years) or in a 6-5 game (as he showed during the Edmonton years). His rebirth in St. Louis, after several years of disappointing play that saw him dispatched from Toronto, Buffalo and LA, was remarkable. And he's a workhorse: he set a record for GP in a season by a goalie in 1988 (when he was second in Hart voting), a record he held until 1995-96, when he broke his own record. (He should have been a Hart finalist that year, too, and he set a record for consecutive starts in a season that year).

The Boston Bruins

Coach: Al Arbour
Captain: Bill Cook
Assistant Captains: Hap Day, Peter Stastny

#10 Alex Delvecchio - #6 Frank Nighbor - #5 Bill Cook (c)
#71 John LeClair - #26 Peter Stastny (a) - #13 Vladimir Martinec
#12 J.P. Parise - #20 Don McKenney - #11 Harry Hyland
#7 Ed Sandford - #30 Dick Irvin Sr. - #8 Jim Pappin

extras: #19 Reggie Fleming - #9 Charlie Burns

#2 Doug Harvey - #4 Hap Day (a)
#15 Jim Neilson - #17 Jan Suchý
#14 Graham Drinkwater - #3 Red Dutton

extras: #51 Gilles Marotte

#31 Grant Fuhr
#1 Dave Kerr

1st unit powerplay:

Delvecchio - Nighbor - Cook
Harvey - Suchý

2nd unit powerplay:

Leclair - Stastny - Martinec
Drinkwater - Day

1st unit penalty kill:

Delvecchio - Nighbor
Harvey - Day

2nd unit penalty kill:

Parise - McKenney
Neilson - Dutton

Thoughts on the team:

- Delvecchio - Nighbor - Cook - Harvey - Day is, I think, one of the greatest two-way units ever assembled in the ATD playoff era. This five man even-strength unit also comprises 4/5th of the team's top PP and PK units. These Bruins do not have a traditional 3rd/4th line shutdown unit because the 1st unit is the shutdown unit. Very much like the way Al Arbour handled the Trottier line + Potvin on the Island, and let his lower liners run free a bit, there is no need to worry about line matching here. This is every bit the model of an Al Arbour team.

- I'm very pleased with how the 2nd unit turned out. LeClair - Stastny - Martinec is a terrifying 2nd line, and backed by Jan Suchy and Jim Neilson (whose passing is grossly underrated), this unit will offensively overwhelm a lot of 2nd/3rd units.

- 3rd and 4th lines are similar, offensively oriented with a nod to playoff performers (McKenney, Pappin, etc.) and enough toughness/2-way play to make them balanced. Red Dutton is quite possibly the best #5 defenseman in the league (unless Chara plays the #5, though I would put Dutton above Baun if he's in the role), and Drinkwater should provide strong puckmoving for bottom lines that will seek to attack whenever possible.

- Red Dutton will play a prominent role on this team, enjoying TOI above what would normally be assigned to a #5 defenseman. I think he has been badly underrated in the past and is actually a very solid 2nd pairing defenseman on the same general level as guys like Mortson, Wentworth, Hitchman, Neilson, etc. Two top-5 Hart finishes (and both past his prime - Dutton was 32 and 37, IIRC, in the years he got Hart love) and impressive pre-NHL credentials (Dutton didn't play in the NHL until he was 28 years old), as well, make him one of the more obvious candidates for promotion to a 2nd pairing role in future ATDs.

The fact that his roster position is somewhat expendable (3rd pairing) on this team means that we can get the most of Red's toughness, as well, and part of his role will be to take 2nd/3rd unit matchups in which a little muscle or dirty play is advantageous. Dutton will seek to take more prominent players to the box with him through fights, and when he gets in trouble will be replaced on the PK by shot-blocking extraordinaire Jan Suchy.

 

[God Bless Canada]

Minnesota Fighting Saints review...

*The first line packs a potent offensive punch. It's one of the most fearsome first lines in the draft. All three players are gifted with the puck, and they're all great playmakers. Jagr and Bentley are also great shooters. To top it off, Thornton and Jagr are both huge players who use their size to protect the puck and power around opposing defences. Jagr (along with Messier) is the blueprint for power skating that will be used for years to come. Doug Bentley obviously doesn't pack Thornton and Jagr's size and skill combo, but he's a fantastic skater and a fine two-way winger.
*It's a weird set-up for the lines. The Mackay line is slated as the second line, even though by traditional ATD thinking, they're the third line. The McGee line is slated as a third line, even though by traditional ATD thinking, it's the second line. The fourth line is the fourth line, and it's a fine fourth line, with Kurtenbach and Smyl being GBC favourites.
*Are Gainey, MacKay and Darragh the second-best LW, C and RW on this team? I think so. So from that perspective, it is the second line. But traditionally you want a second line that's a little more capable of offence. And a line with Gainey on it won't get you offence. It's not a slight against Gainey - he's just outside of my top 100, and he's in a lot of top 100s. But the bottom line with Gainey is he doesn't get points. With the exception of one magical playoff, his post-season numbers are a reflection of his regular season numbers. It's the least productive second line in the draft, but obviously, it's the best defensive second line in the draft.
*I wouldn't do the Thornton-McGee flip for the playoffs. For one, Frank McGee isn't good enough to play on a first line in the ATD. He's not going to be effective playing big minutes against the opposition's top players. And Thornton doesn't bring the desperation needed to succeed in the post-season, no matter which line he's on. And chemistry could be an issue, too. Sometimes players gel right away. Often they don't. So you're going to ask Thornton and McGee to thrive with new linemates. And you're going to ask them to do it in a seven-game series.
*That's a magnificently eclectic first pairing. The fiercely physical and competitive Scott Stevens, combined with the offensively gifted and mobile Cyclone Taylor. First time in several drafts that Taylor has been a D. (Bentley-Taylor-Jagr come playoff time? Hmmmm). Of course that would slot Hod Stuart into the No. 2 D spot (might be a bit of a stretch, but not much), some guy into No. 3, and Peter Laviolette would be a regular.
*I thought Sather had Adam Foote. Would someone please clarify this?
*I'm also not a fan of flip-flopping goalies in the playoffs. The guy who was the No. 1 in the regular season should be the No. 1 at the start of the playoffs. If Giacomin was the No. 1 in the regular season, he should be the No. 1 to start the playoffs. Same goes for Holmes. Do you honestly think a goalie is going to buy into being the back-up once the playoffs start, even though he played No. 1 minutes throughout the season? It wouldn't happen. Moves like that create divisions in locker rooms, and they're bad for team morale. No coach or GM would ever do that to a goalie. If Giacomin does something in the first game or two to warrant going with Holmes, then you go with Holmes. But Giacomin should get the start in Game 1 if he's the guy in the regular season.
*Incidentally, I believe that Giacomin is absolutely good enough to be a No. 1. His playoff record is underwhelming, but he was an all-star five straight seasons, he led the league in wins three straight years (even though the Rangers weren't anything to get excited about), and he had four pretty good post-season performances late in his career.
*I view Pat Quinn as one of the top player's coaches in the draft. That's why he's such a great pick for this team. He's not a great X's and O's guy, but he knows how to handle the egos (he did pretty well with Pavel Bure - one of the biggest egos in the draft), and if you talk to the guys who played for him, they'll tell you that every one of his players will go through a wall for the guy. He treats the players like men, and he favours an up-tempo style that allows the skill players to showcase their skills. Thornton, Jagr and Taylor will like that very, very much.

Minnesota Fighting Saints

GM: Nalyd Psycho
Coach: Pat Quinn
Assistant Coach: Jaroslav Pitner
Captain: Scott Stevens
Alternate Captain: Bob Gainey
Alternate Captain: Hod Stuart

#7 Doug Bentley-#19 Joe Thornton-#68 Jaromir Jagr
#23 Bob Gainey-#12 Mickey MacKay-#17 Jack Darragh
#16 Gaye Stewart-#11 Frank McGee-#9 Tod Sloan
#8 Rusty Crawford-#25 Orland Kurtenbach-#22 Stan Smyl

#4 Scott Stevens-#44 Cyclone Taylor
#2 Hod Stuart-#52 Adam Foote
#77 Gennady Tsygankov-#3 Joe Hall

#31 Ed Giacomin
#1 Hap Holmes

Spares:
#55 Jack Laviolette
#23 Bobby Rowe

Special Teams:
Bentley-Thornton-Jagr-Taylor-Hall
MacKay-McGee-Darragh-Stevens-Stuart

Gainey-Bentley-Stevens-Foote
Taylor-MacKay-Stuart-Tsygankov​

*This is the regular season roster. In the post season Thornton/McGee and Giacomin/Holmes swap spots.

 

[God Bless Canada]

Edmonton Oilers review...

*This review is based on what shows up in the roster thread. I've held off on this review, waiting for camper to post the finished product here. He hasn't, so I'm going ahead with the review now. If camper does make tweaks, I'll edit this review accordingly.
*I love the first line. I'd love it even more if Gartner's speed and scoring ability were added to the line. Between Yzerman's two-line skills and Lindsay's complete game, you can afford to have a one-trick pony goal-scorer on the first line. Regardless of who's on that line, it's going to be a very dangerous line, one of the best in the draft. You can't go wrong when you start with Terrible Ted and Stevie Wonder. (Incidentally, as much as I love Yzerman and what he brings to the table, Lindsay should be the captain).
*The second line is where problems begin. Clark could be a bullish second line grinding goal scorer. He certainly has the toughness and the shooting ability. It's just that he couldn't stay healthy. From 87-88 to 94-95, he missed at least a fifth of the season each year. Even with the injury problems, he topped 30 goals six times, and his pro-rated goal-scoring clip was nearly 35 goals. Under this current line formation, it's a very tough, rugged second line. I can buy into Clark and Bailey as second line wingers. I'm not sold on Dale Hunter as a second line centre. 1,000 points is an impressive feat, but that doesn't necessarily make him a top two centre in an ATD. Bottom line: a post-expansion centre with zero 30-goal seasons, zero 60-assist seasons, zero 80-point seasons, one point-per-game season, and no top 10 finishes should not be on the second line. Best fourth line centre in the draft. Fantastic leader. Not second line material. I'm guessing Fred Stanfield played centre with Boston. He'd be a better fit for this line, although he's not an ideal solution.
*Stanfield-Jarvis would be the start of an awesome third line. Stanfield's solid. Jarvis is one of the best third line centres in the draft. Mike Gartner is not the bookend you want. Gartner's a one-trick pony. His one dimension is a doozy of a dimension, but he's not good defensively.
*John (Pie) McKenzie is one of the best fourth line RWs out there. We had him last draft. He played on a line with Stanfield. He brings skill, and he brings a trait that is often underrated in the ATD: agitation. He knew how to get under the opponent's skin. He might take a penalty, but he'd cause the opposition to take two penalties.
*This team is one or two centres away from having one of the most dangerous offences in the draft. But you need quality centres to have great offences).
*I'm not a fan of the defence. Rob Blake is a good No. 2. Not a great No. 2. And he's definitely not a No. 1. Hartsburgh and Plager are really miscast. They're good No. 4's, but as a No. 2 and a No. 3, you're asking way too much of them.
*The rest of the defence is good. Numinnen's solid. Much like Calle Johansson, he was a steady, reliable, underrated presence for many years. Numinnen was better than Johansson, of course, but you can't go wrong with Teppo as a No. 4. Schneider's a good puck-mover for the No. 5 spot, and Daneyko offsets him well. There's good depth on this defence, but the top-end isn't there.
*Johnny Bower's going to face a lot of rubber. That should be fine by you. He's awesome. I have him in my top 10 ever. I know I'm not the only one. Best goalie in our division.
*raleh and I are big Don Cherry fans. I think he's one of the best player's coaches in the draft. Much like Pat Quinn, he's great at working with the egos, and his players will go through the wall for him. There's something to be said for that. I'd like to see an assistant with Grapes, someone who can take care of the X's and O's. But Cherry is absolutely ATD worthy.
*One thing I absolutely love about this team (and I think it was a strength of your team in the last draft, too), is leadership. Lindsay and Yzerman are terrific leaders. So are Clark, Hunter, Jarvis, MacTavish and Blake. There are a lot of players capable of wearing letters on this team. Few teams in the draft have so many fine leaders.

Coach: Don Cherry
Captain: Steve Yzerman
Assitaint Captain: Ted Lindsay
Assitaint Captain: Rob Blake


Ted Lindsay -Steve Yzerman - Glenn Anderson
Wendal Clark - Dale Hunter - Ace Bailey
Fred Stanfield - Doug Jarvis - Mike Gartner
Tomas Holmstrom - Craig MacTavish - John McKenzie
Kirk Maltby - Tiger Williams

Rob Blake - Craig Hartsburg
Barclay Plager - Teppo Numminen
Mathieu Schneider - Ken Daneyko
Mattis Norstrom

Johnny Bower
Roger Crozier

 

[Sturminator]

I think Stastny is the better player than Nighbor, but I would say that Nighbor fits the role on that first line better than Stastny.

Although I agree with you if we are only comparing offensive credentials, there's no way Stastny is the better player, overall. I've already shown in a previous post just how close a prime Nighbor was to Lalonde's offensive level (I won't quote myself, but you can find it here and here), and his defensive genius is well-documented. Nighbor's offensive credentials are virtually identical to those of Bobby Clarke (with a bit more goal-scoring/playmaking balance), and both men can lay claim to the title of best defensive forward of all time. Besides grit, cheapshotting and dental problems, there is very little to seperate Nighbor and Clarke.

Are you looking to have five-man units? I can understand the reasoning for it, but I'm not sure it works in the ATD. If you go with five-man units, it means that your fourth line isn't going to get much work. It would lead to overworked top three lines, which could be an issue playing two or three straight seven-game series.

No. Five-man units are not a philosophy to which I subscribe. The top line will generally be on the ice with the top pairing (as it is for most teams), but player combinations are not set in stone. Even the defensive pairings may be altered somewhat from game-to-game or shift-to-shift to make the most of Red Dutton's physical dominance in matchups. I'm quite sure Al Arbour is up to the task.

 

[God Bless Canada]

Toronto Maple Leafs review...

*Last of the team reviews. As is the case with camper's team, this team hasn't been posted yet. This team also needs to make three more selections. If any necessary amendments need to be made, we will do so.
*Even though LL waited until the eighth round to select his second forward, he does have a good assortment of scorers on his team. Any line with Jean Beliveau is going to be a dangerous line. Le Gros Bill is surrounded by a couple good offensive players who aren't afraid to do the dirty work in order to succeed. Shutt's a very good goal scorer who goes to the front of the net. Recchi's adept at making plays or finishing them off. He could be a member of the 1,500 point club by this time next year. And Recchi's very good in the corners, too. This line will get a lot of goals.
*The second line does have some potential. A lot depends on Mogilny, though. He's one of the biggest underachievers in the draft. We harp on Kovalev for Kovy's inconsistent, often apathetic play. Mogilny might be an even bigger waste of talent. He had the potential to be one of the top offensive RWs ever. I thought he had more offensive ability than Bure. But Mogilny didn't have Bure's passion for scoring goals. If the enigmatic, somewhat eccentric Mogilny is a motivated Mogilny, he'll dominate. But I don't think a team coached by Punch Imlach is a favourable climate for Mogilny. Nieuwendyk's a valuable guy to have for his leadership, face-off ability and goal-scoring ability at centre. One of the best puck-tippers in the draft. Naslund has excellent offensive ability, and he's fearless. But the guy who will determine this line's success is one of the most difficult-to-read players of all-time.
*Bob Davidson doesn't seem to fit on the third line. That third line could be a powerful third scoring line on a team that could use a third scoring line. Lecavalier is the big, skilled centre that every team has craved. Consistency has been an issue in his career, but no debate over what he's capable of. Rick Vaive is a goal-scoring power winger. Bob Davidson is an average-sized grinder who was never much of a point-producer outside of the war years. Lecavalier and Vaive's presence says to me that this is a power scoring line. Davidson's presence says it's a two-way line, momentum line or defensive line.
*I moved Stu Barnes to the No. 4 LW spot for the sake of this review. Barnes did play a lot of LW in his career. The year he topped 60 points, he had "The luckiest man in the NHL" role: he played LW alongside Francis and Jagr. (That's not a shot at Stu, it just reflects the fact that every player in the game would have wanted that role). Barnes-Oliver-Nevin is a very good two-way line. Barnes isn't an overwhelming guy offensively - he never topped 50 points outside of 97-98 - but he can make plays. Oliver and Nevin are very good two-way players by anyone's standard. They're also LL faves.
*LL went top-heavy on defence. Five of his first seven picks were defencemen. The only thing this defence is lacking is an elite offensive guy. But when you can get three mainstays from what many herald as the best defensive team ever (the 62-67 Leafs), you're a very happy person.
*Horton's one of the best defensive defencemen of all-time. He's a guy who, if given the green light, can make an impact in the offensive zone, too. The same thing goes for Laperriere. Not a force offensively, but if he gets a chance, he can make an impact. It's an excellent top pairing, with a guy I rate as a top 15 defenceman ever (Horton) and a guy who's right on the borderline for a No. 1/2 defenceman spot (Laperriere). It's also a pairing that can log shut-down minutes.
*The second pairing provides stability, and they can also play somewhat of a shutdown role. The steady play of Stanley is offset by the robust, physical game of Baun. Some might have concerns about Stanley's mobility issues, but he's a very, very smart defenceman with good size. He always figured out a way to play against the opposition's best.
*Chara anchors the third pairing with Kabarle. Chara's a force. He's so big and dominant out there. Footspeed might be an issue in a few instances, if he's facing a line loaded with great speed an hockey sense. (That was an issue in 2006 in the Ottawa-Buffalo series). But his size, smarts, reach, positioning and aggressiveness make him a very tough nut to crack. Kabarle brings a good puck-moving presence.
*Broda's the man in net. One of the best clutch goalies of all-time. He backstopped five Cup champions. He backstopped the first post-26 team to win three straight Cup championships. And he did it even though the late 40s Leafs had a good, but not a great, defence. (With all due respect to Jimmy Thomson, he is the worst No. 1 defenceman on a dynasty). Joseph gives this team a very good back-up who'll play 20 to 25 games a year.
*I'm probably a bigger Punch Imlach fan than most. Give him the right team, and he's an awesome coach. I think he's one of the top 10 coaches ever. I'm just not certain whether he's one of the top 10 coaches for an ATD. he needs the right type of players to succeed. On this team, he clashed with Baun towards the end of Baun's Toronto tenure. And Mogilny and Lecavalier are train wrecks waiting to happen. Imlach's as tough and demanding as any coach in the draft. We'll see whether it pays dividends, or whether it creates big problems.

Toronto Maple Leafs
GM: Leaf Lander
Coaches: Punch Imlach

Steve Shutt-Jean Beliveau-Mark Recchi
Mats Naslund-Joe Nieuwendyk-Alexander Mogilny
Bob Davidson-Vincent Lecavalier-Rick Vaive
Stu Barnes-Murray Oliver-Bob Nevin

Tim Horton-Jacques Laperriere
Allan Stanley-Bobby Baun
Zdeno Chara-Tomas Kaberle
xxx

Turk Broda
Curtis Joseph

 

[pitseleh]

Sorry I haven't been participating much of late, I've been traveling a fair bit for work and have spent much more time away from home than at home. Here are some thoughts on some teams (I just picked the most recent rosters posted):

Minnesota Fighting Saints

GM: Nalyd Psycho
Coach: Pat Quinn
Assistant Coach: Jaroslav Pitner
Captain: Scott Stevens
Alternate Captain: Bob Gainey
Alternate Captain: Hod Stuart

#7 Doug Bentley-#19 Joe Thornton-#68 Jaromir Jagr
#23 Bob Gainey-#12 Mickey MacKay-#17 Jack Darragh
#16 Gaye Stewart-#11 Frank McGee-#9 Tod Sloan
#8 Rusty Crawford-#25 Orland Kurtenbach-#22 Stan Smyl

#4 Scott Stevens-#44 Cyclone Taylor
#2 Hod Stuart-#52 Adam Foote
#77 Gennady Tsygankov-#3 Joe Hall

#31 Ed Giacomin
#1 Hap Holmes

Spares:
#55 Jack Laviolette
#23 Bobby Rowe​

- though they're not the most physical lot, Thornton and Jagr playing on a line together is going to be a handful for most defensive pairings. Both guys can be next to impossible to separate from the puck once it's on their stick and generally can't just be outmuscled.

- Gainey - MacKay - Darragh aren't going to get you many goals compared to a traditional second line but will be murderous to play against, especially if you can get them out against a 'soft' scoring line on another team.

- I'd give Holmes more starts than Giacomin even in the regular season personally. Giacomin has some pretty impressive regular season accomplishments in terms of all-star selections but I do think it's a bit misleading because his peak coincided with the decline of the O6 goalies and prior to the emergence of the seventies greats. That's not to say that he wasn't a good goalie but I think Holmes is better.

- If I had to give one criticism is that I think secondary scoring may be an issue, especially relative to what other teams will be able to put out on their second PP unit. Having an elite offensive defenseman like Taylor and a very good second pairing rushing defenseman like Stuart will help offset this, however.

The Boston Bruins

Coach: Al Arbour
Captain: Bill Cook
Assistant Captains: Hap Day, Peter Stastny

#10 Alex Delvecchio - #6 Frank Nighbor - #5 Bill Cook (c)
#71 John LeClair - #26 Peter Stastny (a) - #13 Vladimir Martinec
#12 J.P. Parise - #20 Don McKenney - #11 Harry Hyland
#7 Ed Sandford - #30 Dick Irvin Sr. - #8 Jim Pappin

extras: #19 Reggie Fleming - #9 Charlie Burns

#2 Doug Harvey - #4 Hap Day (a)
#15 Jim Neilson - #17 Jan Suchý
#14 Graham Drinkwater - #3 Red Dutton

extras: #51 Gilles Marotte

#31 Grant Fuhr
#1 Dave Kerr

Wouldn't have expected anything less from two guys like Sturm and ES.

- I love my two way players and as you say you've put together a heck of a two-way first line.

- Stastny feeding pucks to Leclair on the second line is ridiculous.

- I agree that Dutton's been underrated in these things for quite a while now but I don't know how much luck you're going to have in convincing others of that.

- Overall I think you got good value on your defense but if I had to point to an area that's deficient on your team relative to the rest of your team it would be #s 2-4 on the defense. That's not to say they're bad in their roles so much as it shows the strength of the rest of your roster.

Detroit Red Wings
Coach: Tommy Ivan
spares: Paul Henderson, Marty Walsh

Sweeney Schriner - Ted Kennedy - Jarome Iginla
Paul Thompson - Marty Barry - Frank Foyston
Jack Walker - Phil Watson - Ron Ellis
Craig Simpson - Edgar Laprade - Ken Wharram

Red Kelly - Fern Flaman
Bob Goldham - Edward Ivanov
Barry Beck - Tommy Anderson
Tomas Jonsson

Dominik Hasek
Percy LeSueur​

Just to echo GBC's comments, hopefully this isn't your last draft.

- Your first line is probably lower in scoring potential than many first lines in the draft, but despite that you make up for it by having three quality lines, all of which are capable of putting the puck in the net.

- You've also put together a heck of a collection of two-way forwards to play in front of brick wall Hasek. Schriner's the only player in the top-9 with questionable defensive ability and guys like Kennedy and Thompson were excellent defensively, especially so for scoring line players.

- Considering where you were able to draft the players, Walker - Watson - Ellis is a heck of a third line.

- The biggest question that I have about your team is the offensive ability of the defense. Kelly is obviously one of the best ever and Anderson is pretty good for the third pairing (though I think some of his better offensive seasons came at LW - anyone know for sure?) but the second pairing will do a good job of preventing goals but who's going to get the puck to the forwards?

Thunder Bay Twins

GMs: VanIslander & Hockey Outsider
Coach: Billy Reay

Roy Conacher - Bill Cowley - Alexander Maltsev
Paul Kariya - Mike Modano - Daniel Alfredsson
Adam Graves - Phil Goyette - Bobby Rousseau
Louis Berlinquette - John Madden - Martin St. Louis
Milan Novy, Tumba Johansson

Chris Pronger - Nicklas Lidstrom
Sergei Zubov - Gary Suter
Ulf Samuelsson - Bill Hajt
Steve Duchesne

Ken Dryden
Andy Moog​

Another great entry from two veteran GMs.

- Surprising to see such a modern slant on the team. Was this a conscious thing or did the value of players just work out that way (goes to show you how much things have changed in the last several drafts - it used to be impossible to get value on modern players)?

- I think you guys made a smart move getting both Conacher and Maltsev where you did. While Cowley is a lower end top-line center I think the difference between the careers of Conacher and Maltsev and the players picked 50 or so picks before them is insignificant. You also get the chemistry of a Conacher-Cowley duo.

- Modano and Alfredsson are both very good two-way players but Kariya is going to have to do much of the heavy lifting offensively on that line.

- Graves - Goyette - Rousseau is another prototypical two-way third line.

- Pronger and Lidstrom are an imposing top pairing to play against and bring basically everything you could want from an ATD top pairing.​

 

[pitseleh]

On the surface, Dean Prentice over Markus Naslund for the second line LW spot raises question marks. Prentice has a total of four top 10 finishes in scoring. Naslund has four top-10 finishes in goals. But Prentice is excellent defensively, so it means that Nanaimo can use that line against an opponent's top line. (Although I'd never call a line with Bondra on it as a two-way line). And with Naslund on the fourth line, it gives this team a credible third scoring line. And with Ronty and Hebenton already on the fourth line, this team definitely has three excellent scoring lines.

Appreciate the review GBC, and I basically agree with everything you say.

Just to address this one point - the reason I want Prentice playing ES minutes with Oates and Bondra is exactly for that reason. Prentice isn't a big physical presence that will throw his body around but he's a good digger who can be a defensive conscience but still has enough talent to put in the glorious scoring chances that Oates should provide him with.

The reason I think it works is the presence of a credible second line caliber PP threat in Naslund. The difference between Prentice and Naslund offensively at even strength is small but the difference between the two defensively is huge. If you look at the information that overpass has gathered about 1961/62-66/67, the difference between Prentice and Dave Keon or Alex Delvecchio in ESP/game was on the order of an extra point every 20 games but he was never a very big PP scorer. With Naslund to spell him in that role I think he can be an effective second liner with Oates and Bondra at even strength while utilizing Naslund's strength on that line on the PP.