Blackwood Bullies
Coach Dan Bylsma
Assistant Coach Terry Murray
Andrew Brunette (A)- Vladimir Zabrodsky -Russ Courtnall
Mike Krushelnyski - Mike Walton -Charlie Tobin
Bep Guidolin -Paul Gardner - Joe Benoit
Doug Smail - Alexei Guryshev - Doug Brown
Harry Meeking - Paul Holmgren
Bob Murray (C) -Sean O'Donnell (A)
Sheldon Souray - Jay Wells
Craig Muni - Igor Kravchuk
Paul Popiel
Carey Price
Jon Casey
PP#1
Andrew Brunette- Mike Walton -Russ Courtnall
Sheldon Souray - Bob Murray
PP#2
Bep Guidolin - Vladimir Zabrodsky - Charlie Tobin
Igor Kravchuk - Paul Gardner
PK#1
Doug Smail - Alexei Guryshev
Sean O'Donnell - Craig Muni
PK#2
Doug Brown - Russ Courtnall
Bob Murray - Jay Wells
Congratulations on completing your first entry in an all-time draft!
If you search my name and "Zabrodsky", you'll see I've been really critical of him. However - that was as an MLD player taken in the 700s-800s, he has fallen appropriately and he suddenly doesn't seem so out of place. There are question marks with him for sure. But the level of dominance coupled with the competition level seem to congeal into a mixture that puts him right around here. Don't ask me to make a detailed comparison to the other 1st line centers here. I'll just say he "belongs". Courtnall and Brunette are both about average 1st liners, too. Brunette's a little better. He just kinda crept up on all of us, slowly putting up points, but he's a good AAA winger. He kinda Vinny Prospaled us all. I worry that the line lacks someone to really win those pucks and cover defensively.
Walton has above average skill for a 2nd line center here, once you factor in his WHA time. He's a free spirited type with a questionable attitude - which is fine, as long as you don't have too many guys like that. Krushelnyski is about average as a 2nd liner. He played a lot more C than LW, though. I read some scouting reports on him tonight. I thought I remembered him as a well-rounded type with solid defensive play and physicality. Apparently he was more of an enigma that you always wished would get more involved. But - good prime offensive numbers. Tobin is the best member of your line. My little study of pre-merger wingers
here demonstrates that he has great numbers for a AAA winger (should likely be an MLD spare at
worst) and this doesn't even take into consideration that he was a defenseman about 1/4 of the time. In fact, I even admitted I'd probably take Tobin over Jack McDonald, the only one on the list I was prepared to say that about. This is a solid line where all the members are at least average. I think Tobin brings some complementary skills for a scoring line too, which are ever-elusive at this level.
Interesting 3rd line. It's pretty much a 3rd scoring line with no regard for defense whatsoever, which is rare. Paul Gardner is maybe the best PP specialist ever. It's a backhanded compliment, I don't mean he was the best on the PP ever, but a larger percentage of his value as a player comes from his work on the PP than perhaps any other forward. I assume the 3rd line is just a place for him to skate a few shifts to keep warm while he waits for his real opportunities. Guidolin is actually really strong for a 3rd line. I see no defense, but I see really solid offense and some combativeness, though he is small. Benoit? A little early for this guy. A one-dimensional scorer who doesn't score as well as most guys here.
Where are the checkers? There they are, on the 4th line. Smail and Brown are both pretty decent for this level. I really like Smail because he showed a real ability to produce at even strength and kill penalties at a pretty high level. Brown was a classic journeyman. He's an interesting case because his overall package says "AAA draft" but I was never really compelled to pick him; his offensive game was unimpressive, he wasn't physical, and though he was a smart, conscientious player, he's not someone I would class as a "defensive forward", either. Kinda of a Sergei Brylin. He's a competent penalty killer, though.
Bob Murray is one of the best defensemen in this draft. I see him right there with Galley; a more offensive-oriented guy who was still pretty good all-around and should have been in the MLD. Why's he your captain? Did I seriously take all the captains in this draft? O'Donnell was a competent player and a good complement to Murray. I just hope he can keep up on the first pairing, as he rarely played there in real life. Souray and Kravchuk are more specialist-type guys who are likely your 2nd and 3rd best D-men overall. Souray was a compelling guy for me throughout this draft because I don't see much defensive worth in him, like a lot of PP specialists in this draft, but he's got two important advantages: 1) his PP points, of which he has a fair amount, are primarily goals, and defensemen who can score PP
goals are rare down here, and 2) the rest of these "strong on the PP, weak defensively" guys tend to be little softies. But Souray is massive, can lay a big hit, likes to stick up for teammates and will drop the gloves. Muni is an excellent defensive specialist here. He won 4 cups as a top-4 defenseman and there are good quotes supporting his skills. I would call Wells your #6, and I gotta say, even though you got him late, he looks pretty good here. Numbers-wise, his minutes aren't all that strong, but they're also not far off from guys we'll be taking to open up the AA draft, and he has the toughness to make him a worthy niche player at this level.
I'm not a fan of Price... yet. He's good
now. Not so good as an all-time goalie. I think he'll get outperformed by a lot of other goalies in this league. Legace was a real stinker of a pick. You recovered well, and Casey was one of the 3 best guys left. still more towards the bottom end for backup goalies, but you got him in the add/drop period, so what did you expect? Won't hurt you though. And Legace would have.
Your group of spares is decent. I wouldn't have minded you keeping Tavares as a spare. but your team
did need checkers, and you got 'em. Meeking and Holmgren can both step in to add muscle if needed. Popiel is ok. I'm not a huge fan of his resume as a defenseman (because he was pretty weak in the NHL) but, did you know he also played a bunch of wing in the WHA? It's a nice added feature there, he is a solid multi-positional spare.
I'm not a Bylsma fan, though. He's a good example of why we need to be really patient with coaches and let a lot of years pass before we pass judgment. Even more than with goalies. He came in and the Pens stormed back to win the cup, that's great. But the team has been a massive disappointment since then. Their playoff record has been terrible compared to the season, and honestly even their season record has been slightly off what you'd expect given their personnel. Eventually it comes down to coaching. I do get the feeling he's not very popular with Pens fans right now, amirite Rob Scuderi?
Your PP pointmen are set up pretty well. With one exception. Gardner. One, can he play the point? Two, how do you draft this guy and not make him the focal point of your PP?
He led the league in PP goals twice! So if he can play the point, switch him with Murray. If he can't, make him the 1st unit center and drop Courtnall down. Also, you have to find a way for Guryshev to play the PP, considering his net presence (they called him the Russian Phil Esposito, in retrospect I imagine). I'd remove Tobin, and I'll explain why.
Your PK defensemen are set up perfectly. Guryshev has to go. There's nothing defensive about him at all. Tobin can take that job, no problem. Smaill is a no-brainer for the 1st pairing. Put Tobin there as a #2 PK forward who can take faceoffs (he played some center). Brown/Courtnall has to be your 2nd unit because there's just no one else. Brown's good and Courtnall is competent. I realize there's no center there but there's no other choice. None of your centers can kill penalties.
Best of luck!
. Such a solid guy on every aspect of the game. Your team's lucky to have him. Art Jackson reads as a solid 2nd line centre who is as good offensively as he is defensively, that should fit in well with Granato. Golikov seems to be a great find as well, like Bodunov he's 1 of the better Russian forwards here and they'll add a lot to both our lineups.
