ATD2018 - Draft Thread 2

[jarek]

I'm locked and loaded once @markrander87 and @Stoneberg pick. Would really like to make my second selection tonight as I will be very, very busy next week.

 

[VanIslander]

I'm locked and loaded once @markrander87 and @Stoneberg pick. Would really like to make my second selection tonight as I will be very, very busy next week.

I hear ya. I have so much to do in the next 12 hours. I shouldn't be here even now. Am hoping to either make my end-of-round pick in the next hour, or else will do so six hours from now.

 

[Stoneberg]

Halifax can't resist selecting a dynamic playmaker with a better 7yr (87.7) and 10 year (79) vsX scores than many top six, even first line players, selected many rounds ago.

One of the best playmakers of the last decade, he's finished top 3 in assists 6 times, including leading the league once. He's also finished top 9 in in points 5 times. By now I'm sure you're all aware Halifax is selecting Nicklas Backstrom, C.

Backstrom will likely be setting up Dye on our 3rd line, which should provide the Citadels with plenty of secondary scoring. He's been a defensively responsible player with a decent Selke record (7, 10, 11, 12), but clearly we're going with a 3rd scoring line.

 

[Habsfan18]

Backstrom and Dye will make a great duo.

 

[ResilientBeast]

To be fair he has those scores because he's setting up the best shooter of this generation

 

[VanIslander]

Alright. Now if jarek makes his pick in less than an hour, I'll follow suit!

 

[Sprague Cleghorn]

Took a long look at Backstrom, but I needed someone more physical.

 

[VanIslander]

To be fair he has those scores because he's setting up the best shooter of this generation

The thing is: Ovechkin OFTEN makes something out of nothing. I'm a huge Caps fan but I see Backstrom as a face off and positionally responsible forward, a guy whose job is to get the puck to the star winger and let HIM WEAVE MAGIC.

It's not like Gretzky and Kurri, where they each MADE PLAYS off of each other. Backstrom-OV have a more one-sided relationship. Backstrom very often gets an easy assist for making a simple pass in the neutral zone and watching OV dance into the offensive zone and around or through defenders, and put shots on net.

Sometimes a number on a stat list has to be taken with a grain of salt.

 

[jarek]

Alright, this is a bit of a risk, but I recently (as in last night) discovered this book:
Considering the price point and the ridiculous ease of access to the material, I can't believe nobody has made a bio using the material found within. It is an absolute gold mine of information and insight into Ross' career as a coach.

Obviously I am selecting coach Art Ross.

@Velociraptor's turn.

 

[Sprague Cleghorn]

Alright, this is a bit of a risk, but I recently (as in last night) discovered this book:
Considering the price point and the ridiculous ease of access to the material, I can't believe nobody has made a bio using the material found within. It is an absolute gold mine of information and insight into Ross' career as a coach.

Obviously I am selecting coach Art Ross.

@Velociraptor's turn.

Glad you pointed that out. I thought you were drafting Eric Zweig to write a book on your team

 

[Habsfan18]

Been over 30 hours since Velociraptor has been online. Hopefully he gets the email notification soon.

 

[Johnny Engine]

Glad you pointed that out. I thought you were drafting Eric Zweig to write a book on your team

Still a better pick than the Montreal Forum

 

[ImporterExporter]

I have Velo linked on facebook. Just sent him a message. He usually gets and responds fairly quickly....

Folks should consider joining that ATD facebook group I posted about at the start of the draft. There's a thread in the non sticky portion...

 

[jarek]

I am looking forward to making a very extensive bio largely using the material in that book. Ross is typically considered a defense-first coach, but after skimming through some of it, I believe he was really good at adapting his game plan to exploit the rules that existed at the time.

He did have issues with Shore, Weiland and Cowley, but at least with Shore, it purely had to do with him becoming a team owner himself. Ross felt insulted that a lowly player could even afford a team and that served as the foundation for their falling out.

I'll chronicle as much as I can.

 

[ImporterExporter]

Sorry folks, Velo said it would be 1-2 hours until he picks.

 

[Habsfan18]

I have Velo linked on facebook. Just sent him a message. He usually gets and responds fairly quickly....

Folks should consider joining that ATD facebook group I posted about at the start of the draft. There's a thread in the non sticky portion...

Just joined.

 

[rmartin65]

Sorry folks, Velo said it would be 1-2 hours until he picks.

Which means... leave lists!

 

[ResilientBeast]

I am looking forward to making a very extensive bio largely using the material in that book. Ross is typically considered a defense-first coach, but after skimming through some of it, I believe he was really good at adapting his game plan to exploit the rules that existed at the time.

He did have issues with Shore, Weiland and Cowley, but at least with Shore, it purely had to do with him becoming a team owner himself. Ross felt insulted that a lowly player could even afford a team and that served as the foundation for their falling out.

I'll chronicle as much as I can.

I've read the book it's quite good.

But I believe the issue with Ross was that his Bruins choked a lot

Teams that he coached were first in the league 7 times. Only twice out of those 7 did they win the cup.

 

[ImporterExporter]

I've read the book it's quite good.

But I believe the issue with Ross was that his Bruins choked a lot

Teams that he coached were first in the league 7 times. Only twice out of those 7 did they win the cup.

Still better than Washington today

 

[Pominville Knows]

Folks should consider joining that ATD facebook group I posted about at the start of the draft. There's a thread in the non sticky portion...

I tried joining like when you posted that, but i guess it took until you pointed it out here to get things rolling since i was just today cleared into there.

 

[markrander87]

Classic ATD lol. Let's downgrade a modern era player because you watched some sportcenter highlights and formed a ten second opinion. I'm sure Sid Abel didn't have his numbers inflated at all etc etc.

 

[ResilientBeast]

Classic ATD lol. Let's downgrade a modern era player because you watched some sportcenter highlights and formed a ten second opinion. I'm sure Sid Abel didn't have his numbers inflated at all etc etc.

I watch the Caps semi frequently

Not including the current season, Backstrom has played 734 games and 728 points, of those 728 points 540 of them are assists.

Of those 540 assists 247 of them are on the powerplay

45.7% of his assist total comes from the power play, and especially passing it to a practical guarantee in Ovechkin.

33.9% of his total points are power play assists.

His voting record for AST is not crazy great which is slightly suspect.

So our concerns are valid, but by all means make another post saying I don't understand why Nicklas Backstrom goes so far behind *insert playmaking center here*

 

[TorontoTrades]

Quite possibly the biggest defensive liability selected so far. Packs a nice offensive punch from the backend though. Just hope you have someone extremely reliable in his own end to pair him with.

Ya he'll be on my 3rd pairing and PP.

 

[jarek]

I've read the book it's quite good.

But I believe the issue with Ross was that his Bruins choked a lot

Teams that he coached were first in the league 7 times. Only twice out of those 7 did they win the cup.

In fairness to Ross, between 1924 to 1941, inclusive, no team really stood out as dominant with respect to winning the cup. I think what he was able to do in building a franchise from the ground up to eventually becoming a very strong team is still very remarkable.

 

[ResilientBeast]

Playing with Ovechkin has been a significant part of Backstrom's success. Since Backstrom joined the Capitals as a rookie in 2007-08, Ovechkin has scored 442 goals and Backstrom has an assist on 201 of them (45.5 percent).

"Of course it's chemistry," Ovechkin said. "We started playing together when we were really young and now we're grown up and we have connection on the ice. He knows where I am because he mostly controls the puck, so I just have to be open. I have to find the open space and he will find me there."

To Backstrom, the connection with Ovechkin was a natural one from the start.
"He's a good goal-scorer, he shoots a lot and I like to pass," Backstrom said. "So it's been a good fit like that."
The chemistry between Backstrom and Ovechkin has drawn comparisons to past center-wing tandems Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri, who played together on the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings, and longtime Islanders linemates Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy.

Gretzky assisted on 364 of Kurri's 601 NHL goals (60.6 percent) and Trottier assisted on 310 of Bossy's 573 goals (54.1 percent), according to the Elias Sports Bureau. They also played during a time when line combinations were more stable.

Nicklas Backstrom of Capitals nearing 500 assists

Now I think we can all agree in an all time sense Gretzky/Kurri and Trottier/Bossy are closer in an all time sense than Backstrom and Oveckin