ATD 2021 Assassination Thread

[ImporterExporter]

Smaller draft, we're going to consolidate the reviews for teams into this one thread.

Please post your rosters here for review. We should try and give at least one review to each GM who posts their roster.

Thanks everyone!

Click to read more...

 

[ImporterExporter]

Pittsburgh AC:

Original Red and White colours of the AC

"No individuals. One TEAM."

​

Coach: Pete Green

Captain: Scott Stevens
Alternate: Bobby Orr
Alternate: Yvan Cournoyer
Alternate: Joe Malone


ROSTER:


Forwards:

Johnny Bucyk - Joe Malone (A) - Vladimir Martinec

Bun Cook - Jacques Lemaire - Yvan Cournoyer (A)

Rusty Crawford - Dale Hawerchuk - Glenn Anderson
-
Nick Metz - Phil Goyette - Bill Guerin

Dave Poulin

Alex Tanguay


Defensemen:

Scott Stevens (C) - Bobby Orr (A)

Jacques Laperriere - Earl Seibert

Flash Hollett - Ken Morrow

Gennadiy Tsygankov


Goalies:

Johnny Bower

Hap Holmes


Special Teams:

PP1

Malone

Seibert - Cournoyer - Bucyk

Orr

PP2

Martinec - Lemaire - Anderson
Hawerchuk - Hollett

PK1

Cook - Metz
Stevens - Orr

PK2

Goyette/Poulin - Crawford/Martinec
Laperriere - Morrow/Tsygankov​

 

[Habsfan18]

*Minutes charts still to come..

Coach: Hap Day

Captain: Mark Messier
Alternate: King Clancy
Alternate: Boris Mayorov

Anatoli Firsov - Mark Messier - Mark Recchi
Baldy Northcott - Dave Keon - Didier Pitre
Boris Mayorov - Joe Nieuwendyk - Ace Bailey
Wayne Cashman - Red Sullivan - Shane Doan

Spares: Murray Oliver, Ryan Smyth

King Clancy - Hod Stuart
Allan Stanley - Alex Pietrangelo
Gary Bergman - Kevin Hatcher

Spare: Dave Burrows

Frank Brimsek
Rogie Vachon

PP1: Firsov - Messier - Recchi - Clancy - Stuart
PP2: Mayorov - Nieuwendyk - Pitre - Stanley - Hatcher

PK1: Keon - Sullivan - Stanley - Pietrangelo
PK2: Messier - Bailey - Stuart - Hatcher
Extra PK forwards: Firsov, Northcott
Extra PK defenseman: Bergman​

 

[Professor What]

Gallifrey TARDIS

Roster:
Coach: Dick Irvin
Captain: Ted Lindsay
Alternates: Valeri Vasiliev, Derian Hatcher

First Line: Ted Lindsay - Ron Francis - Maurice Richard
Second Line: Reg Noble - Gilbert Perreault - Helmuts Balderis
Third Line: Dick Duff - Connor McDavid - Peter Bondra
Fourth Line: Rick Nash - Dale Hunter - Pit Martin

First Pairing: Bill Gadsby - Valeri Vasiliev
Second Pairing: Derian Hatcher - Sergei Zubov
Third Pairing: Jimmy Watson - Adam Foote

Spare Skaters: Wilf Paiement, Rod Seiling, Ken Linseman

Goaltending: Tony Esposito, Tiny Thompson (These guys are going to split time over the season.)

First Power Play Unit:
Ted Lindsay - Gilbert Perreault - Maurice Richard
Ron Francis - Sergei Zubov

Second Power Play Unit:
Rick Nash - Connor McDavid - Helmuts Balderis
Reg Noble - Bill Gadsby

First Penalty Kill Unit:
Ron Francis - Peter Bondra
Derian Hatcher - Valeri Vasiliev

Second Penalty Kill Unit:
Dale Hunter - Reg Noble
Jimmy Watson - Sergei Zubov

Third Penalty Kill Unit:
Pit Martin - Dick Duff
Bill Gadsby - Adam Foote

 

[rmartin65]

New York Americans

Coach: Tommy Ivan
Toe Blake - Steven Stamkos - Gordie Howe (A)
Dany Heatley - Elmer Lach - Larry Aurie
Bob Pulford - Walt Tkaczuk - Tony Leswick
Vic Stasiuk - Eric Staal - Alexei Kovalev
Ryan O'Reilly - Ron Stewart

Zdeno Chara (C)- Tim Horton
Harvey Pulford (A)- Brent Burns
Vitali Davydov - Joe Hall
Reed Larson

Clint Benedict
Mar-Andre Fleury

PP
Gordie Howe - Elmer Lach
Steven Stamkos - Dany Heatley
Brent Burns

Toe Blake - Eric Staal - Alexei Kovalev
Joe Hall - Zdeno Chara

PK
Bob Pulford - Tony Leswick
Zdeno Chara - Tim Horton

Walt Tkaczuk - Larry Aurie
Harvey Pulford - Vitali Davydov

PK3
Toe Blake - Elmer Lach​

 

[nabby12]

Montreal Maroons

Home: Montreal Forum; Montreal, QC
Two-Time Stanley Cup Champs (1926, 1935)

Coach: Fred Shero
Captain: Jack Stewart
Alternates: Howie Morenz & Aurele Joliat

Aurele Joliat - Howie Morenz - Brett Hull
Vladimir Krutov - Bill Cowley - Bill Mosienko
George Hay - Frank Fredrickson - Bernie Morris
Murray Murdoch - Dick Irvin - Rick Tocchet

Lionel Hitchman - Jack Stewart
Lionel Conacher - Red Horner
Jim Neilson - Red Dutton
Sandis Ozolinsh

Terry Sawchuk
Gump Worsley

Extra Skaters: Ab McDonald, Dan Bain

PP1: Krutov, Cowley, Morenz - Ozolinsh, Hull
PP2: Joliat, Irvin, Hay - Neilson, Mosienko
PK1: Morenz-Joliat, Hitchman, Stewart
PK2: Murdoch, Fredrickson, Conacher, Dutton​

 

[tony d]

Cleveland Spiders

coach; Joel Quenneville

Captain: Bobby Clarke
Alternates: Larry Robinson, Carl Brewer

Bill Barber-Bobby Clarke-Teemu Selanne
Syd Howe-Mike Modano-Gordie Drillon
Mats Naslund-Joe Primeau-Jimmy Ward
Dave Balon-Fleming Mackell-Owen Nolan

Extra: Charlie Simmer, Brad Richards

Ivan Johnson- Larry Robinson
Carl Brewer-Babe Pratt
Art Duncan-Lloyd Cook

Extra: Lars Erik Sjoberg

Martin Brodeur
Gerry Cheevers

Special Teams:

PP 1: Syd Howe, Mike Modano,Teemu Selanne, Babe Pratt, Bill Barber
PP 2: Mats Naslund, Bobby Clarke, Gordie Drillon, Larry Robinson, Carl Brewer

PK 1: Bobby Clarke, Jimmy Ward, Larry Robinson, Ivan Johnson
PK 2: Dave Balon, Fleming Mackell, Carl Brewer, Art Duncan

 

[ChiTownPhilly]

Philadelphia Phantoms: Founder- ted2019, GM- ChiTownPhilly

Home Rink: Philadelphia Spectrum
Coach: Tommy Gorman

#10 Cy Denneny - #6 Frank Nighbor - #7 Hooley Smith
#40 Henrik Zetterberg (A) - #26 Milan Nový - #20 Vaclav Nedomanský
#11 John Madden - #37 Patrice Bergeron (A) - #32 Claude Lemieux
#22 Daniel Sedin - #33 Henrik Sedin - #27 Odie Cleghorn

#5 Denis Potvin (C) - #16 Shea Weber
#4 Alexander Ragulin - #17 Jan Suchý
#46 Mark Giordano- #2 Terry Harper

#1 Bernie Parent
#31 Vladimír Dzurilla

Extras:
#19 Vsevolod Bobrov
#12 Jack Darragh
#25 Yury Lyapkin

PK-1: Madden-Bergeron-Giordano-Weber
PK1a: Nighbor-H. Smith-Potvin-Harper
Spare PKers: Zetterberg, Suchý, Ragulin

PP1: Denneny (Net Front)- Nighbor (Facilitator/Office Manager)- H. Smith (Half-Wall)
Suchý (QB)- Potvin (Trigger)

PP2: C. Lemieux (L Net-Front to Corners)- H. Sedin (Top of Circle to Slot)- D. Sedin (R Net-Front to Top of Circle) >> Weber (L Point)- Nový (R Point)
Spare PPers: Zetterberg, Nedomanský, O. Cleghorn, Giordano

Regular Season Preliminary Time-on-Ice Chart-

Forward	ES	PP	PK	Total
Denneny	15	4		19
Nighbor	15	3	4	22
H. Smith	14	4	2	20
Zetterberg	14	1	1	16
Nový	11	2		13
Nedomanský	13	1		14
Madden	8		3	11
Bergeron	10		4	15
C. Lemieux	10	2		12
D. Sedin	9	3		12
H. Sedin	9	3		12
O. Cleghorn	9	1		10
Totals	137	24	14	175

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Zetterberg will poach occasional shifts on the Bergeron Line- and multiple Forwards are capable of taking an occasional turn at Centre.

Defenceman	ES	PP	PK	Total
Potvin	18	4	2	24
Weber	18	2	3	23
Ragulin	16		2	18
Suchý	16	4	2	22
Giordano	14		3	17
Harper	14		2	16
Totals	94	10	14	118

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Projected Goaltender Start Percentage: Parent- 70%, Dzurilla- 30%

Composition of Team by birth-decade:

1881-90=1	1891-00=3	1901-10=1
1911-20=0	1921-30=1	1931-40=1
1941-50=6	1951-60=2	1961-70=1
1971-80=4	1981-90=3

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Composition of Team by Nation/Ethnicity

Anglophone Canada	10
Czechoslovakia	4
Francophone Canada	3
Sweden	3
Soviet Union	3

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Team philosophy: Defence never goes out of style, Transition play never goes out of style.
Squad is built with an eye to compete in any era/any evolutionary set-of-rules/any size barn.

 

[ImporterExporter]

Gallifrey TARDIS

Roster:
Coach: Dick Irvin
Captain: Ted Lindsay
Alternates: Valeri Vasiliev, Derian Hatcher

First Line: Ted Lindsay - Ron Francis - Maurice Richard
Second Line: Reg Noble - Gilbert Perreault - Helmuts Balderis
Third Line: Dick Duff - Connor McDavid - Peter Bondra
Fourth Line: Rick Nash - Dale Hunter - Pit Martin

First Pairing: Bill Gadsby - Valeri Vasiliev
Second Pairing: Derian Hatcher - Sergei Zubov
Third Pairing: Jimmy Watson - Adam Foote

Spare Skaters: Wilf Paiement, Rod Seiling, Ken Linseman

Goaltending: Tony Esposito, Tiny Thompson (These guys are going to split time over the season.)

First Power Play Unit:
Ted Lindsay - Gilbert Perreault - Maurice Richard
Ron Francis - Sergei Zubov

Second Power Play Unit:
Rick Nash - Connor McDavid - Helmuts Balderis
Reg Noble - Bill Gadsby

First Penalty Kill Unit:
Ron Francis - Peter Bondra
Derian Hatcher - Valeri Vasiliev

Second Penalty Kill Unit:
Dale Hunter - Reg Noble
Jimmy Watson - Sergei Zubov

Third Penalty Kill Unit:
Pit Martin - Dick Duff
Bill Gadsby - Adam Foote

First off, congrats on a job well done for your first effort! I really appreciate your presence here and I'm sure others do as well. It's always nice to get new blood, especially when they're engaged and asking questions, participating in the discussion.

This place can feel overwhelming at times and you did a great job navigating your 1st draft IMO.

Let's get started!

Coach:

Admittedly I'm not a big Irvin fan as he has so many instances of coming up short with really good rosters, but at the same time, he has tremendous longevity as a top coach. Started in the late 20's and coached through the mid 50's. Managed 4 titles over 27 years so certainly better than many. I do ding him a bit for his failures with some great Toronto rosters and obviously the Montreal teams in the late 40's/early 50's.

Can he get the most out of Maurice Richard?

Overall, in a draft this size I'd still say he's slightly above average as a coach. Many SCF appearances and 4 titles is hard to ignore.

Leadership:

Pretty decent.

Lindsay is a solid captain here. Definitely a balls to the wall type, he'll inspire by his aggressive play. Vasi is a really nice alternate as well. Hatcher is solid as an A.

Like I said earlier, key will be getting the max out of Richard with Irvin on the bench. I know some will bring up the Lindsay/Richard feud in real life but I think that was more to do about 2 guys being alpha's and battling through an intense rivalry.

Forwards:

Absolutely love the top line.

Lindsay and Richard is a really nasty duo on the wing. Lindsay being a wrecking ball on the ice, capable of producing very strong offensive totals. He can dig, hit, pass, shoot. Should be a great mucker for the line and create space and time for the others. Francis can play a more finesse role here as well between those guys, play a defensive conscious role while clearly being a great play maker for a pair like Lindsay/Richard.

It's a physical line on the flanks, you have a really good defensive C with plenty enough offense to support his elite wingers. Really has everything you want in a top shelf scoring unit.

Solid 2nd line as well.

I do think one area of slight concern is lack of physicality on the whole but from a scoring standpoint it's a really nice complimentary offensive unit, that should get some solid match ups based on how much attention that top line will bring.

Noble brings the much needed defensive presence, which should allow Perreault and Balderis to work some magic and that should happen at times certainly given their offensive flair.

Bottom 6 has an eclectic mix of players to be sure. I think McDavid and Bondra should make some goals happen. Duff is a solid glue guy for them. The caveat being I think this line will give up some chances going the other way so you'll have to hope they can score enough relative to their role/time on ice. You might consider moving Duff down to the 4th line and just going with a 3rd line offensive tilted unit and a solid, more checking type 4th line group. Match up dependent of course.

Power Play:

Top unit is very strong. Richard is lethal here, you have a good point man in Zubov. Francis is a very capable QB on the blue line and with his IQ and defensive awareness as a player, I'm less concerned about him being up there than most. Second unit seems just ok.

Defensemen:

Solid top pair. Gadsby is a lower end #1 this year, but Vasiliev a strong #2. Gadsby can move the puck well enough, though certainly not a world beater. Rock solid partner next to him as well. These 2 are capable of both defending as well, obviously Vasi being the better of the two.

Hatcher and Zubov is such a DPE era classic! Obviously you have the truculence with Hatcher. Zubov could hip a player. Defense/offense combo. One area of concern though is skating. A really fast opposing unit may be able to turn these guys from time to time. I think against a more robust team they'll be at their best. But overall, for a 2nd pair, it's a solid duo.

Watson/Foote is a nice bottom pairing, especially from a defensive standpoint. Not going to generate much at all moving forward, but they'll defend the fort well enough.

Penalty Kill:

Love the top unit except Bondra to be honest. I get the idea, just not sure I'd want him on a top unit in a draft this size. Especially considering Francis is plenty capable of scoring/generating a SH point. I'd move Noble up there to be honest. Then Bondra and Dale Hunter looks better, while still both having the ability to score one on you if you screw up. Hatcher/Vasi is fantastic.

2nd unit is solid enough, regardless of the Noble/Bondra swap. I'd absolutely get Foote up there over Zubov though. Let Zubov play as much on the PP as possible.

Goaltending:

Esposito is a below average goalie here, but in the regular season should be held in higher regard. Obviously he's got his warts in the playoffs, but they are often over exaggerated. However, Tiny Thompson was a nice addition in the case Espo starts to waver. Not a strength to be sure, but certainly not the worst goal tending tandem this year.

Overall:

As I said at the top, this is a really solid effort for a 1st timer. Better than mine easily, you have a good idea of how to build a team already in the traditional sense.

I think your top 6 will certainly generate a lot of scoring chances. 3rd line should get a decent amount.

The issue that I can see creeping up in some games will be defending. Not a ton of really stellar defensive forward types to offset the premium scoring in the top 6 and while the blue line is solid top to bottom, I think this team will likely give up it's fair share of shots against. Espo will be busy more nights than not IMO.

I really like your special team top units, especially with the Bondra swap on the PK.

This team will score some goals. The key will be how does it hold up when pitted against a team capable of attacking with similar or even better offensive groups?

Good luck to you sir and again, great job!

 

[Professor What]

Thank you very much for the feedback. I'll make some responses and then I'll give a shot at returning the favor. I can't promise that I'll do the best job at it, but I'll do my best to give some feedback. It'll be good experience for me anyway. Lol

First off, congrats on a job well done for your first effort! I really appreciate your presence here and I'm sure others do as well. It's always nice to get new blood, especially when they're engaged and asking questions, participating in the discussion.

This place can feel overwhelming at times and you did a great job navigating your 1st draft IMO.

Let's get started!

Coach:

Admittedly I'm not a big Irvin fan as he has so many instances of coming up short with really good rosters, but at the same time, he has tremendous longevity as a top coach. Started in the late 20's and coached through the mid 50's. Managed 4 titles over 27 years so certainly better than many. I do ding him a bit for his failures with some great Toronto rosters and obviously the Montreal teams in the late 40's/early 50's.

Can he get the most out of Maurice Richard?

Overall, in a draft this size I'd still say he's slightly above average as a coach. Many SCF appearances and 4 titles is hard to ignore.

Leadership:

Pretty decent.

Lindsay is a solid captain here. Definitely a balls to the wall type, he'll inspire by his aggressive play. Vasi is a really nice alternate as well. Hatcher is solid as an A.

Like I said earlier, key will be getting the max out of Richard with Irvin on the bench. I know some will bring up the Lindsay/Richard feud in real life but I think that was more to do about 2 guys being alpha's and battling through an intense rivalry.

Forwards:

Absolutely love the top line.

Lindsay and Richard is a really nasty duo on the wing. Lindsay being a wrecking ball on the ice, capable of producing very strong offensive totals. He can dig, hit, pass, shoot. Should be a great mucker for the line and create space and time for the others. Francis can play a more finesse role here as well between those guys, play a defensive conscious role while clearly being a great play maker for a pair like Lindsay/Richard.

It's a physical line on the flanks, you have a really good defensive C with plenty enough offense to support his elite wingers. Really has everything you want in a top shelf scoring unit.

Solid 2nd line as well.

I do think one area of slight concern is lack of physicality on the whole but from a scoring standpoint it's a really nice complimentary offensive unit, that should get some solid match ups based on how much attention that top line will bring.

Noble brings the much needed defensive presence, which should allow Perreault and Balderis to work some magic and that should happen at times certainly given their offensive flair.

Bottom 6 has an eclectic mix of players to be sure. I think McDavid and Bondra should make some goals happen. Duff is a solid glue guy for them. The caveat being I think this line will give up some chances going the other way so you'll have to hope they can score enough relative to their role/time on ice. You might consider moving Duff down to the 4th line and just going with a 3rd line offensive tilted unit and a solid, more checking type 4th line group. Match up dependent of course.

Power Play:

Top unit is very strong. Richard is lethal here, you have a good point man in Zubov. Francis is a very capable QB on the blue line and with his IQ and defensive awareness as a player, I'm less concerned about him being up there than most. Second unit seems just ok.

Defensemen:

Solid top pair. Gadsby is a lower end #1 this year, but Vasiliev a strong #2. Gadsby can move the puck well enough, though certainly not a world beater. Rock solid partner next to him as well. These 2 are capable of both defending as well, obviously Vasi being the better of the two.

Hatcher and Zubov is such a DPE era classic! Obviously you have the truculence with Hatcher. Zubov could hip a player. Defense/offense combo. One area of concern though is skating. A really fast opposing unit may be able to turn these guys from time to time. I think against a more robust team they'll be at their best. But overall, for a 2nd pair, it's a solid duo.

Watson/Foote is a nice bottom pairing, especially from a defensive standpoint. Not going to generate much at all moving forward, but they'll defend the fort well enough.

Penalty Kill:

Love the top unit except Bondra to be honest. I get the idea, just not sure I'd want him on a top unit in a draft this size. Especially considering Francis is plenty capable of scoring/generating a SH point. I'd move Noble up there to be honest. Then Bondra and Dale Hunter looks better, while still both having the ability to score one on you if you screw up. Hatcher/Vasi is fantastic.

2nd unit is solid enough, regardless of the Noble/Bondra swap. I'd absolutely get Foote up there over Zubov though. Let Zubov play as much on the PP as possible.

Goaltending:

Esposito is a below average goalie here, but in the regular season should be held in higher regard. Obviously he's got his warts in the playoffs, but they are often over exaggerated. However, Tiny Thompson was a nice addition in the case Espo starts to waver. Not a strength to be sure, but certainly not the worst goal tending tandem this year.

Overall:

As I said at the top, this is a really solid effort for a 1st timer. Better than mine easily, you have a good idea of how to build a team already in the traditional sense.

I think your top 6 will certainly generate a lot of scoring chances. 3rd line should get a decent amount.

The issue that I can see creeping up in some games will be defending. Not a ton of really stellar defensive forward types to offset the premium scoring in the top 6 and while the blue line is solid top to bottom, I think this team will likely give up it's fair share of shots against. Espo will be busy more nights than not IMO.

I really like your special team top units, especially with the Bondra swap on the PK.

This team will score some goals. The key will be how does it hold up when pitted against a team capable of attacking with similar or even better offensive groups?

Good luck to you sir and again, great job!

I can understand the criticism of Irvin's postseason success, but I went with him for his regular season success, hoping that a gritty lineup that can dish out plenty of punishment would carry the day in the postseason. I am at least confident that the team won't get pushed around. I do see the softer side of Perreault and Balderis together, but Noble should add some toughness, and every defensive pair has at least one tough guy to help thwart any bullies as well.

I'm not really worried about Irvin getting the most out of Richard either. I think Richard was too intense to give anything less than his all, and Irvin coached him for so long that I expect the real life Richard based on that too. I do agree with what you say on him and Lindsay though. The two of them were just intense guys that wanted to win, and given a common cause, I have no doubt whatsoever that they would have buried the hatchet.

On the goaltending side, I'd make the case that Esposito's biggest problem in the postseason might have been overwork in the regular season. With Thompson, I've got another goalie that can take a significant part of the load, meaning that both can play roughly half of the regular season games and be fresh for the playoffs. I even see a potential platooning in the playoffs unless one guy just gets so hot that I can't go away from him. Esposito had flashes in the playoffs as it was, such as the 1971 duel with Dryden, so I feel that a rested Espo gives much more. And Thompson was individually pretty stellar in the postseason, but was a victim of bad luck when his team didn't give him goal support. He won't have to worry about that here in any postseason starts he makes.

I do like your suggestion about swapping Noble and Bondra on the first two PK units, and I believe I'm going to do just that. Doing that probably means the suggested Foote-Zubov switch would be best too, so there's likely to be some shuffling on that.

Pittsburgh AC:

Original Red and White colours of the AC

"No individuals. One TEAM."

​

Coach: Pete Green

Captain: Scott Stevens
Alternate: Bobby Orr
Alternate: Yvan Cournoyer
Alternate: Joe Malone


ROSTER:


Forwards:

Johnny Bucyk - Joe Malone (A) - Vladimir Martinec

Bun Cook - Jacques Lemaire - Yvan Cournoyer (A)

Rusty Crawford - Dale Hawerchuk - Glenn Anderson
-
Nick Metz - Phil Goyette - Bill Guerin

Dave Poulin

Alex Tanguay


Defensemen:

Scott Stevens (C) - Bobby Orr (A)

Jacques Laperriere - Earl Seibert

Flash Hollett - Ken Morrow

Gennadiy Tsygankov


Goalies:

Johnny Bower

Hap Holmes


Special Teams:

PP1

Malone

Seibert - Cournoyer - Bucyk

Orr

PP2

Martinec - Lemaire - Anderson
Hawerchuk - Hollett

PK1

Cook - Metz
Stevens - Orr

PK2

Goyette/Poulin - Crawford/Martinec
Laperriere - Morrow/Tsygankov​

Honestly, when I look at the forwards, it doesn't strike a lot of fear into me, especially as I'm not really high enough on Bucyk that I'd want to see him on a top line, but when thinking about your draft, I remember all those defensemen you took early on, and that strength shows when looking at that unit. Honestly, seeing that Stevens-Orr pair would have to be pretty unnerving for an opposing team, and I think you have a high level second pair as well. And, since I assume that your first pair will likely be out there a lot with your first line, Orr will mean that there will be more production out of them than might otherwise be. I think that I'd summarize the forward-defenseman balance by saying that, as another team in your division, I don't find myself too worried by what's up front, but, oh my, at what's on the blue line. I can't really say that I know how that's going to play out thanks to my lack of experience here, but I find your team quite intriguing because of it.

On special teams, I have to say that I really like your top PP unit. That's one area that Bucyk looks good, as I found when studying him for the top 200 project. He got a very high percentage of his points on that top Bruins unit with Esposito and Orr, and so, teaming him up with Orr here looks really good. Adding the Phantom to that and thinking about him playing with Orr makes that unit even more potent. I'd say I'm equally impressed with the top PK unit, and I don't have to look any farther than the Stevens-Orr pairing again to say why. I love Stevens' defense for that situation, and Orr was such a possession monster that he could go a long way toward killing one himself.

Despite the disagreement we found in our discussion about Bower and his proper "greatness" placement in the other thread, I like him as a starter here, provided that he doesn't have to carry too heavy a load, and I think Holmes can take enough of the load to keep him from wearing out. Come playoff time, you'll get no questions out of me about Bower, because we know what he did there. Probably needless to say, I'd ride him more there.

I know there wasn't a lot to that, and I'd ask someone else that reads this to give you a more thorough assassination, but I only thought it right to at least try to return the favor. As I said, because of the unusual balance between the offense and defense, I find your team to perhaps be the most intriguing, and I'll be keeping an eye on it just for that. Good luck to you as well going forward. Well, except our teams meet, of course. Lol

 

[ImporterExporter]

Thank you very much for the feedback. I'll make some responses and then I'll give a shot at returning the favor. I can't promise that I'll do the best job at it, but I'll do my best to give some feedback. It'll be good experience for me anyway. Lol



I can understand the criticism of Irvin's postseason success, but I went with him for his regular season success, hoping that a gritty lineup that can dish out plenty of punishment would carry the day in the postseason. I am at least confident that the team won't get pushed around. I do see the softer side of Perreault and Balderis together, but Noble should add some toughness, and every defensive pair has at least one tough guy to help thwart any bullies as well.

I'm not really worried about Irvin getting the most out of Richard either. I think Richard was too intense to give anything less than his all, and Irvin coached him for so long that I expect the real life Richard based on that too. I do agree with what you say on him and Lindsay though. The two of them were just intense guys that wanted to win, and given a common cause, I have no doubt whatsoever that they would have buried the hatchet.

On the goaltending side, I'd make the case that Esposito's biggest problem in the postseason might have been overwork in the regular season. With Thompson, I've got another goalie that can take a significant part of the load, meaning that both can play roughly half of the regular season games and be fresh for the playoffs. I even see a potential platooning in the playoffs unless one guy just gets so hot that I can't go away from him. Esposito had flashes in the playoffs as it was, such as the 1971 duel with Dryden, so I feel that a rested Espo gives much more. And Thompson was individually pretty stellar in the postseason, but was a victim of bad luck when his team didn't give him goal support. He won't have to worry about that here in any postseason starts he makes.

I do like your suggestion about swapping Noble and Bondra on the first two PK units, and I believe I'm going to do just that. Doing that probably means the suggested Foote-Zubov switch would be best too, so there's likely to be some shuffling on that.



Honestly, when I look at the forwards, it doesn't strike a lot of fear into me, especially as I'm not really high enough on Bucyk that I'd want to see him on a top line, but when thinking about your draft, I remember all those defensemen you took early on, and that strength shows when looking at that unit. Honestly, seeing that Stevens-Orr pair would have to be pretty unnerving for an opposing team, and I think you have a high level second pair as well. And, since I assume that your first pair will likely be out there a lot with your first line, Orr will mean that there will be more production out of them than might otherwise be. I think that I'd summarize the forward-defenseman balance by saying that, as another team in your division, I don't find myself too worried by what's up front, but, oh my, at what's on the blue line. I can't really say that I know how that's going to play out thanks to my lack of experience here, but I find your team quite intriguing because of it.

On special teams, I have to say that I really like your top PP unit. That's one area that Bucyk looks good, as I found when studying him for the top 200 project. He got a very high percentage of his points on that top Bruins unit with Esposito and Orr, and so, teaming him up with Orr here looks really good. Adding the Phantom to that and thinking about him playing with Orr makes that unit even more potent. I'd say I'm equally impressed with the top PK unit, and I don't have to look any farther than the Stevens-Orr pairing again to say why. I love Stevens' defense for that situation, and Orr was such a possession monster that he could go a long way toward killing one himself.

Despite the disagreement we found in our discussion about Bower and his proper "greatness" placement in the other thread, I like him as a starter here, provided that he doesn't have to carry too heavy a load, and I think Holmes can take enough of the load to keep him from wearing out. Come playoff time, you'll get no questions out of me about Bower, because we know what he did there. Probably needless to say, I'd ride him more there.

I know there wasn't a lot to that, and I'd ask someone else that reads this to give you a more thorough assassination, but I only thought it right to at least try to return the favor. As I said, because of the unusual balance between the offense and defense, I find your team to perhaps be the most intriguing, and I'll be keeping an eye on it just for that. Good luck to you as well going forward. Well, except our teams meet, of course. Lol

Thanks for the fellow review sir!

Doing these was definitely one of the most nerve racking aspects for me personally the first few years. Just because I didn't have much knowledge relative to a lot of people and was worried I'd look like a dolt trying to hand out opinions haha. But doing them definitely helps you realize what you can improve on from a knowledge standpoint. I still had to go back and briefly refresh myself on a few players, specific nuances of their games and such. It's a lot of information and can be overwhelming but the good thing is we do have many bio's and other studies that you can always reference pretty quickly.

Yes, there is no doubt my forwards, especially on name value won't be overly impressive, in any match up haha. As you said, basically the by product of taking 4 D with my first 5 picks.

I wanted to go off script from the time the last draft ended. Just wanted to try something unique (Rob Scuderi's 2015 squad served as inspiration) and the 3 D start was the plan all along, and then I manged to snag the #1 overall pick which only enhanced the idea as I've had Bobby Orr as the greatest player ever for a long time.

I focused on even strength scoring mostly at F, and really tried to get a lot of depth scoring that way, as well as 2 way players, knowing that having such a dominant top 4 on the blue line, allows for some more flexibility in who you place up front. Like you accurately mentioned, Orr will tilt the ice any time he steps on it and when you include his offensive value to whatever line he's skating with, any disparity from the Pitt's forward group to the opponents, will largely and sometimes completely disappear.

I've done some ES calculations and Pitt's forward group, especially when Tanguay is on the 3rd line, is actually quite strong league wide, namely due to being able to put more 2 way types in the bottom 6 (Crawford, Anderson, Goyette, Guerin). Hawerchuk was a very fortunate pick (had to trade up for him) as was Martinec in terms of boosting offensive output for the forwards as a whole.

Lemaire-Counoyer was a real life duo and they had their best seasons as pro's skating together. Was a recreation I had in mind knowing I was going so blue line heavy early. They've got proven chemistry and were both such lethal postseason players. Cook's speed and updated defensive ability, and solid enough offensem plays well next to them both I think.

I'm not a huge fan of Bucyk in this format (I do like him as just a really good all around hockey player), UNLESS you can pair him with Orr or higher end offensive Dman. So he is someone I eyed up as a later pick simply because I think his offensive output is maximized on this roster, led by Orr. Malone is a big time goal scorer, many in the manner Espo did for Boston so I really feel like I did a good job putting Bucyk in a position to get the max out out of him.

People do underrated him him though as he scored at a solid rate, on teams prior to Orr/Espo. He's one of those guys who brings so much to table beyond just points though. Elite fore checker and cornerman. Skated his tail off the other way. Was one of the most respected players of his day. You need some of those guys who do all the thankless stuff on the ice and Bucyk was one of the best at that.

As you mentioned same story on the PP. He and Orr are tied together. Cournoyer was very good at putting the puck in the net on the PP and features well in a bumper role, with his powerful shot and elite quickness. He can float and dart around the slot, waiting for passes inward from Buyck, Orr, or Seibert, or slide out opposite Seibert and blast a one timer.

Seibert had a very lethal shot, and was the all time leader in power play goals until Red Kelly passed him in 53-54. He and Orr should command a lot of attention, thus, theoretically opening more chances to get the puck inside to Cournoyer and down low to Malone. This is a unit that is going to force the PK group to skate extremely hard, expending more energy quicker.

Skating is a huge key for Pittsburgh. Orr being the obvious centerpiece but Cournoyer is an elite all time skater. Anderson as well. Other players who were among the best skaters in their era are Seibert, Lemaire, Hollett, Crawford, Cook. Martinec was a wizard on skates, not sure how he'd rank all time in a 70's Euro study, but he was very strong. Stevens was a strong skater for a man of his size and style.

I first put Laperriere up on the top PK unit with Stevens, the idea being that Orr could play even more minutes at ES and the play the entirety of the PP but I do really like the idea of keeping Stevens-Orr together for the reason you mentioned (style). Stevens is the quintessential PK'er. Big, elite physically and defensively. Orr though tilted the ice tremendously based on puck possession as you can see in the special teams study by overpass. Plus you won't have to worry about any communication issues you might see happen from time time by splitting them a part. These 2 will skate together at ES and then seamlessly transition to the kill.

Yeah, I really like Bower in this format and as you also mentioned getting a good backup that can take a few extra starts off him during the regular season would be a good thing and Holmes played a long time and many times posted the best numbers in the league's he played in. No questions about his longevity and in the rare instance he'd need to step into a playoff match up, his playoff resume is very strong, the crown jewel of his career.

Thanks again for taking the time to give my team a review as well sir! I look forward to seeing how your team shakes out down the stretch bud.

 

[MadArcand]

Hartford Whalers

Coach: Peter Laviolette

Valeri Kharlamov - Doug Gilmour (A) - Andy Bathgate
Sweeney Schriner - Pavel Datsyuk - Dino Ciccarelli
Igor Liba (A) - Vyacheslav Starshinov - Nikita Kucherov
Craig Ramsay - Ryan Kesler - Jere Lehtinen

Dave Andreychuk, Pat Verbeek

Duncan Keith - Ray Bourque (C)
Brad McCrimmon - Eric Desjardins
Doug Mohns - Bob Baun
Al Iafrate

Jiří Holeček
Harry Lumley

PP1: Kharlamov - Gilmour - Ciccarelli - Bathgate - Bourque
PP2: Schriner - Starshinov - Kucherov - Datsyuk - Desjardins

PK1: Ramsay - Kesler - Keith - Bourque
PK2: Lehtinen - Gilmour - McCrimmon - Baun
PK3: Liba - Datsyuk - Mohns - Desjardins​

 

[BraveCanadian]

Guelph Platers
1986 Memorial Cup Champions

Home Rink: Guelph Memorial Gardens (1948)
GM: BraveCanadian
Coach: Al Arbour
Captain: Syl Apps Sr.
Alternates: Hap Day / Alf Smith


Alexander Ovechkin - Adam Oates - Bryan Hextall Sr.
Paul Thompson - Syl Apps Sr. - Alf Smith
Kevin Stevens - John Tavares - Bobby Rousseau
Gilles Tremblay - Don Luce - Jean Pronovost

"Moose" Johnson - Brad Park
Hap Day - Sylvio Mantha
Andrei Markov - Jiri Bubla

Ken Dryden
Pekka Rinne

Reserves
Nathan MacKinnon - Bill Hajt - Jason Pominville

Powerplay:
PP1: Alexander Ovechkin - Syl Apps Sr. - Bryan Hextall Sr. - Andrei Markov - Brad Park
PP2: Paul Thompson - Adam Oates - Kevin Stevens - Bobby Rousseau - Jiri Bubla

Penalty Kill:
PK1: Don Luce - Gilles Tremblay - Moose Johnson - Sylvio Mantha
PK2: Adam Oates - Jean Pronovost - Hap Day - Brad Park​

 

[overpass]

Ottawa Senators

Home: The Arena on Laurier Ave

Coach: Scotty Bowman
Captain: Jonathan Toews
Alternates: Red Kelly, Dickie Moore

Dickie Moore - Denis Savard - Mike Bossy
Sergei Kapustin - Sergei Fedorov - Igor Larionov
Pavol Demitra - Jonathan Toews - Marian Hossa
Wendel Clark - Derek Sanderson - Ron Ellis
Spares: Ivan Hlinka, Steve Thomas

Red Kelly - Bob Goldham
Alexei Kasatonov - Sergei Gonchar
Leo Reise Jr - John Carlson
Spare: Mattias Ohlund

Bill Durnan
Percy LeSueur​

​

Power Play 1: Moore - Savard - Bossy - Kelly - Gonchar
Power Play 2: Kapustin - Fedorov - Larionov - Kasatonov - Gonchar/Carlson

Penalty Kill 1: Sanderson-Fedorov-Reise-Kasatonov
Penalty Kill 2: Toews-Hossa-Kelly-Goldham
Other PKers: Larionov, Ellis, Carlson

Coach Scotty Bowman will have the option to run out an all-Russian five man unit, designed on the model of the Soviet Green Unit of the 1980s and the Russian Five of the Detroit Red Wings in the mid-90s. Kasatonov played in the Green Unit with Larionov, and Fedorov played in the Russian Five with Larionov.

Kapustin-Fedorov-Larionov
Kasatonov-Gonchar

 

[ResilientBeast]

Coach: Anatoli Tarasov

Busher Jackson --- Cyclone Taylor --- Daniel Alfredsson
Tommy Smith --- Newsy Lalonde (A) --- Mickey MacKay
Gordon Roberts --- Pit Lepine --- Eddie Oatman
Dean Prentice --- David Backes --- Jack Walker

Ebbie Goodfellow (A) --- Dit Clapper (C)
Ken Reardon --- Jack Crawford
Frank Patrick --- Lennart Svedberg

Patrick Roy
Hugh Lehman​

Spares: Bruce MacGregor (RW/C), Glen Harmon (D), Patrick Sharp (F)

PP1: Jackson - Lalonde - Smith - Taylor - Goodfellow
PP2: Clapper - MacKay - Roberts - Patrick - Alfredsson

PK1: Lepine - Walker - Reardon - Clapper
PK2: MacKay - Prentice - Goodfellow - Crawford

 

[Johnny Engine]

The Verafin Huskies Brought To You By Browning Harvey

Coach: Ken Hitchcock
Captain: Eddie Gerard
Alternate: Chris Chelios
Alternate: Lester Patrick

Brendan Shanahan - Evgeni Malkin - Rick Middleton
Frank Foyston - Ryan Getzlaf - Babe Dye
Johnny Gottselig - Rod Brind'amour - Joe Pavelski
Clark Gillies - Gregg Sheppard - Blair Russell

Lester Patrick - Chris Chelios
Georges Boucher - Eddie Gerard
Ted Harris - Kris Letang

Dominik Hasek
Mike Liut

Konstantin Loktev, Hamby Shore, Jason Spezza

Brendan Shanahan
Babe Dye - Rick Middleton - Evgeni Malkin
Georges Boucher

Joe Pavelski
Ryan Getzlaf - Frank Foyston - Lester Patrick
Chris Chelios

Rod Brind'amour - Johnny Gottselig
Eddie Gerard - Chris Chelios

Gregg Sheppard - Blair Russell
Ted Harris - Georges Boucher

​

Ice Time Estimates:

	ES	PP	PK	TOT
Malkin	15	5	0	20
Shanahan	14	5	0	19
Middleton	14	4	0	18
Foyston	13	3	0	16
Getzlaf	12	3	0	15
Dye	12	4	0	16
Brind'amour	12	0	4	16
Gottselig	11	0	4	15
Pavelski	10	2	0	12
Russell	10	0	3	13
Gillies	8	0	0	8
Sheppard	7	0	3	10
Chelios	17	3	4	24
Patrick	17	2	0	19
Gerard	16	0	5	21
Boucher	15	4	2	21
Letang	14	0	0	14
Harris	13	0	3	16

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[tabness]

Florida Sunbursts​

coaching
Glen Sather

forwards
John LeClair • Eric Lindros (A) • Jaromir Jagr [legion of cool]
Luc Robitaille • Phil Esposito (C) • Ziggy Palffy [sub for Stumpel]
Esa Tikkanen • Bernie Nicholls • Steve Larmer [physical counter]
Don Marshall • Ralph Backstrom • Bengt Ake Gustafsson [speed counter]

defense
Doug Wilson • Paul Coffey (A)
Ulf Samuelsson • Larry Murphy
Mark Tinordi • Ted Green
Ed Jovanovski • Robert Svehla

goalies
Roberto Luongo
John Vanbiesbrouck

spares
Brett Lindros​

powerplay​

• Robitaille/Nicholls/Palffy with Coffey/Wilson
• Esposito/Lindros/Jagr with Wilson/Murphy
• LeClair/Esposito/Jagr with Coffey/Murphy

penalty kill​

• Samuelsson/Murphy and Tinordi/Green will be the main penalty killers
• Gustafsson/Marshall and Tikkanen/Larmer will be the main penalty killing forwards
• when a shorty is needed Nicholls and Palffy along with Wilson and Coffey can do their thing

 

[RustyRazor]

Portland Penguins

Coach: Cecil Hart
Captain: Sidney Crosby
Alternates: Joe Sakic & Boris Mikhailov

Nels Stewart - Sidney Crosby - Boris Mikhailov
Herbie Lewis - Joe Sakic - Punch Broadbent
Don Marcotte - Neil Colville - René Robert
Kirk Muller - Butch Goring - Tim Kerr*

*Broadbent/Marcotte will take shifts in defensive zone faceoffs and for specific match-ups

Börje Salming - Guy Lapointe
Herb Gardiner - Rob Blake
Jim Schoenfeld - Ott Heller

Roy Worters
Tim Thomas

Extra Skaters: Rejean Houle (F), Danny Gare (RW), Albert "Battleship" Leduc (D)

PP1: Blake - Lapointe
Stewart - Crosby - Sakic

PP2: Robert - Salming
Kerr - Goring - Mikhailov

PK1: Gardiner - Schoenfeld
Colville - Marcotte

PK2: Salming - Lapointe
Goring - Broadbent​

 

[Dreakmur]

Lester Patrick

Tommy Phillips - Wayne Gretzky "C" - Charlie Conacher "A"
Brad Marchand - Marty Barry - Bobby Bauer
Artemi Panarin - Cooney Weiland - Claude Provost
Brian Sutter - Camille Henry - Floyd Curry

Scott Niedermayer "A" - Drew Doughty
Pat Stapleton - Bill White
Ryan McDonagh - P.K. Subban

Jacques Plante
Henrik Lundqvist

Spares: Lynn Patrick, Jack Marshall, Carol Vadnais

PP1: Conacher-Gretzky-Henry-Subban-Stapleton
PP2: Marchand-Barry-Bauer-Doughty-Niedermayer

PK1: Phillips-Curry-McDonagh-White
PK2: Weiland-Provost-Niedermayer-Doughty
PK3: Marchand-Gretzky

​

Forwards	ES	PP	PK	Total
Wayne Gretzky	16	5	1	22
Tommy Phillips	14		3	17
Charlie Conacher	15	5		20
Marty Barry	14	2		16
Brad Marchand	13	2	1	16
Bobby Bauer	13	2		15
Cooney Weiland	12		3	15
Artemi Panarin	11			11
Claude Provost	12		3	15
Camille Henry	4	5		9
Brian Sutter	8			8
Floyd Curry	6		3	9
Totals	138	21	14	173

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Defensemen	ES	PP	PK	Total
Scott Niedermayer	19	2	3	24
Drew Doughty	19	2	3	24
Pat Stapleton	17	5		22
Bill White	17		4	21
Ryan McDonagh	10		4	14
P.K. Subban	10	5		15
Totals	92	14	14	120

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[ImporterExporter]

*Minutes charts still to come..

Coach: Hap Day

Captain: Mark Messier
Alternate: King Clancy
Alternate: Boris Mayorov

Anatoli Firsov - Mark Messier - Mark Recchi
Baldy Northcott - Dave Keon - Didier Pitre
Boris Mayorov - Joe Nieuwendyk - Ace Bailey
Wayne Cashman - Red Sullivan - Shane Doan

Spares: Murray Oliver, Ryan Smyth

King Clancy - Hod Stuart
Allan Stanley - Alex Pietrangelo
Gary Bergman - Kevin Hatcher

Spare: Dave Burrows

Frank Brimsek
Rogie Vachon

PP1: Firsov - Messier - Recchi - Clancy - Stuart
PP2: Mayorov - Nieuwendyk - Pitre - Stanley - Hatcher

PK1: Keon - Sullivan - Stanley - Pietrangelo
PK2: Messier - Bailey - Stuart - Hatcher
Extra PK forwards: Firsov, Northcott
Extra PK defenseman: Bergman​

A strong entry my friend! I like this squad a lot as it doesn't appear as having many holes.

Coaching:

Hap Day could get argued as the 5th best coach of all time. He's certainly a lock for top 10 status IMO. A pretty specific style (defensive hockey, taskmaster) but one of the best ever at making it work and getting the best out of his rosters.

You did a very good job at putting together a roster Day should love, mostly across the board. The only players I see as not really good/great fits are Recchi, Pitre and Hatcher but again, that's a very small % of the roster and they're not the key members of the team.

All in all, Day is a strong coach here and I think the roster he has at his disposal is a good one.

Leadership:

Messier is one of the all time greats.

He's a put the team on his back, get in your face type and he'll push players to adopt the hard working style of Day IMO.

Clancy and Mayorov are both nice alternates. Keon is a player Day should love as well and turn to in clutch moments beyond Messier.

Forwards:

Like the top line.

Maybe a touch lighter than you'd ideally want from a goal scoring standpoint but it's a line that should generate chances pretty consistently either on the cycle or transition. Firsov brings a really nice 200 foot game, with strong offense, capable of impacting the game as a scorer or playmaker. Messier is a wrecking ball, a Recchi on a ton of steroids so to speak. The Mark's should really lean on opposing defenders and their speed will cause some turnovers on the forecheck. It has 2 players capable of being counted on to defend at a better than average rate when they don't have the puck. Strong playoff trio as well. They'll show up more than they won't.

I like the 2nd line as far as a heavy unit, capable of making life miserable on folks, especially Northcott. It's definitely light in terms of scoring for a 2nd line but from a stylistic standpoint it shouldn't have too many issues. I think it will have to be more of a counter unit, depending on match up of course, but with Keon and Northcott you have 2 really strong defensive players and Pitre more of an offensive talent, though he did play a good bit of D during his own career, though he's not very physical at all. Still he brings a heavy shot and solid scoring for a 2RW, though not spectacular. But like the the top line, you have a pair of players that can defend and lean on people on the fore check.

Bottom 6 has a really nice mix of 200 foot types.

You did a good job off adding some complimentary offense to this part of the roster. The 3rd line has a lot of speed, solid defensive acumen but all 3 are capable of contributing beyond a normal checking player offensively. 4th unit isn't quite as good but again, it's not a pure checking unit. Lot of truculence and ability to bang and skate back so Day should be a happy camper with these guys.

Overall, not a super potent scoring bunch, but strong defensive ability top to bottom, good mix of skating and heavy players capable of making an impact on the fore check and they are supported by a nice group of capable puck movers from the blue line.

Power Play:

Solid top unit.

I may consider moving Pitre up to the 1st squad just for his bullet shot and goal scoring ability which are pretty darn good. Would give the 1st group a pretty strong trigger as a right handed shot, ala Ovechkin. Messier can really cause a bunch of problems near the net and Firsov on the half wall should be a good facilitator. Clancy and Stuart seem like the right choice for the blue line.

2nd unit isn't really good, but that's mainly because you don't have the strongest offensive depth so in this case it impacts the quality.

Defensemen:

Clancy/Stuart is a solid top pairing.

Clancy being a perfectly average #1 in a draft this size, a 200 foot type, though with Stuart, you'll definitely see him take on a more conservative role. Smart player. Found and developed by Pete Green and capable of playing well in a defensive system. A ton of playoff and SC success so you know he'll be ready for the biggest moments.

Stuart probably comes in as an average to below average #2 in a 24 team draft, though he profiles as a really strong puck mover and having read on on a good bit, seemed like a very capable defender in his own right. Not a one way player by any stretch, he'll still likely be the primary offensive catalyst from the back end on this roster.

Stanely-Piets is just a good 2nd pairing. Both probably feature as average #3's this year, certainly inside #4 status. It's physical, capable of defending or attacking, though most would lean towards being better in their own end, as evidenced by their PK1 duties.

Bergman-Hatcher is an OK bottom unit. They'll both play a role on special teams and it's definitely more of the classic D-O pair. Bergman will want to play a very simple defensive game with Hatcher capable of producing some really dumb blunders.

Penalty Kill:

Strong top group. Piets is one of the better PK'ers of the cap era. Stanley isn't a world beater but capable here and Keon/Sullivan should do a well above average job at the forward position. Capable of really forcing opposing players to move the puck at an increased rate of speed, seeing more pressure out on the points than normal.

I might consider taking Stuart off the 2nd unit and getting Clancy on there. If there is any D you can claim able to go on a 1st and 2nd unit it's Clancy. Let Stuart soak up more PP and ES time.

You also have some really nice depth killers capable of taking regular turns in Firsov and Northcott. Either one of those guys can easily take 2nd unit shifts and they wouldn't be out to lunch on the top unit if need be.

Goalies:

Brimsek is an above average #1, with fantastic regular season data and a solid playoff resume. Vachon a quite capable #2, especially as a guy able to take a few extra regular season starts if need be.

Overall:

Really nice entry top to bottom sir!

You have a strong #1 C, coach, above average G, and average #1D. A roster full of players that should make Hap Day happy more often than not.

The top line will really need to consistently produce offense for this team to be a contender but you have a team capable of playing a defensive style, with really good forecheckers up and down the lineup.

Maybe a few tweaks in there, mentioned above, but overall a team that may not wow you in too many places but I look at the group as "greater than the sum of its parts".

Good luck bud!

 

[Habsfan18]

Thanks for the review/feedback, IE. Very much appreciated.

I think your assessment is pretty accurate. I knew early on that I was building a hardworking, strong forechecking and solid two-way club identity. I knew that while my team can’t compete with some others in terms of pure offensive firepower, I could try to build a club that has the ability to outwork them, make them work for every inch of the ice at both ends, can play physical, defend well and be tough to score on, and on the counter attack can pot their share of goals as well. I know that I may not score 6 goals a game, but I think this club can win a lot of 3-1 or 4-2 games. I don’t think we’ll be easy to score on. Opponents will have to work, that’s for sure.

I wanted to create a club with an obvious two-way identity, and I think I did that. I also had my sights set on Hap Day, and I think it’s the perfect fit. I think he would LOVE this roster.

It’s funny you mention Pitre on PP1 and Clancy on PK2. I was actually toying with those ideas myself.

Overall, I think it’s the best club I have built up to this point and I feel good about how it came together. But it will be up to the voters, of course, to see of they feel the same way. I’m in a strong division.

A strong entry my friend! I like this squad a lot as it doesn't appear as having many holes.

Coaching:

Hap Day could get argued as the 5th best coach of all time. He's certainly a lock for top 10 status IMO. A pretty specific style (defensive hockey, taskmaster) but one of the best ever at making it work and getting the best out of his rosters.

You did a very good job at putting together a roster Day should love, mostly across the board. The only players I see as not really good/great fits are Recchi, Pitre and Hatcher but again, that's a very small % of the roster and they're not the key members of the team.

All in all, Day is a strong coach here and I think the roster he has at his disposal is a good one.

Leadership:

Messier is one of the all time greats.

He's a put the team on his back, get in your face type and he'll push players to adopt the hard working style of Day IMO.

Clancy and Mayorov are both nice alternates. Keon is a player Day should love as well and turn to in clutch moments beyond Messier.

Forwards:

Like the top line.

Maybe a touch lighter than you'd ideally want from a goal scoring standpoint but it's a line that should generate chances pretty consistently either on the cycle or transition. Firsov brings a really nice 200 foot game, with strong offense, capable of impacting the game as a scorer or playmaker. Messier is a wrecking ball, a Recchi on a ton of steroids so to speak. The Mark's should really lean on opposing defenders and their speed will cause some turnovers on the forecheck. It has 2 players capable of being counted on to defend at a better than average rate when they don't have the puck. Strong playoff trio as well. They'll show up more than they won't.

I like the 2nd line as far as a heavy unit, capable of making life miserable on folks, especially Northcott. It's definitely light in terms of scoring for a 2nd line but from a stylistic standpoint it shouldn't have too many issues. I think it will have to be more of a counter unit, depending on match up of course, but with Keon and Northcott you have 2 really strong defensive players and Pitre more of an offensive talent, though he did play a good bit of D during his own career, though he's not very physical at all. Still he brings a heavy shot and solid scoring for a 2RW, though not spectacular. But like the the top line, you have a pair of players that can defend and lean on people on the fore check.

Bottom 6 has a really nice mix of 200 foot types.

You did a good job off adding some complimentary offense to this part of the roster. The 3rd line has a lot of speed, solid defensive acumen but all 3 are capable of contributing beyond a normal checking player offensively. 4th unit isn't quite as good but again, it's not a pure checking unit. Lot of truculence and ability to bang and skate back so Day should be a happy camper with these guys.

Overall, not a super potent scoring bunch, but strong defensive ability top to bottom, good mix of skating and heavy players capable of making an impact on the fore check and they are supported by a nice group of capable puck movers from the blue line.

Power Play:

Solid top unit.

I may consider moving Pitre up to the 1st squad just for his bullet shot and goal scoring ability which are pretty darn good. Would give the 1st group a pretty strong trigger as a right handed shot, ala Ovechkin. Messier can really cause a bunch of problems near the net and Firsov on the half wall should be a good facilitator. Clancy and Stuart seem like the right choice for the blue line.

2nd unit isn't really good, but that's mainly because you don't have the strongest offensive depth so in this case it impacts the quality.

Defensemen:

Clancy/Stuart is a solid top pairing.

Clancy being a perfectly average #1 in a draft this size, a 200 foot type, though with Stuart, you'll definitely see him take on a more conservative role. Smart player. Found and developed by Pete Green and capable of playing well in a defensive system. A ton of playoff and SC success so you know he'll be ready for the biggest moments.

Stuart probably comes in as an average to below average #2 in a 24 team draft, though he profiles as a really strong puck mover and having read on on a good bit, seemed like a very capable defender in his own right. Not a one way player by any stretch, he'll still likely be the primary offensive catalyst from the back end on this roster.

Stanely-Piets is just a good 2nd pairing. Both probably feature as average #3's this year, certainly inside #4 status. It's physical, capable of defending or attacking, though most would lean towards being better in their own end, as evidenced by their PK1 duties.

Bergman-Hatcher is an OK bottom unit. They'll both play a role on special teams and it's definitely more of the classic D-O pair. Bergman will want to play a very simple defensive game with Hatcher capable of producing some really dumb blunders.

Penalty Kill:

Strong top group. Piets is one of the better PK'ers of the cap era. Stanley isn't a world beater but capable here and Keon/Sullivan should do a well above average job at the forward position. Capable of really forcing opposing players to move the puck at an increased rate of speed, seeing more pressure out on the points than normal.

I might consider taking Stuart off the 2nd unit and getting Clancy on there. If there is any D you can claim able to go on a 1st and 2nd unit it's Clancy. Let Stuart soak up more PP and ES time.

You also have some really nice depth killers capable of taking regular turns in Firsov and Northcott. Either one of those guys can easily take 2nd unit shifts and they wouldn't be out to lunch on the top unit if need be.

Goalies:

Brimsek is an above average #1, with fantastic regular season data and a solid playoff resume. Vachon a quite capable #2, especially as a guy able to take a few extra regular season starts if need be.

Overall:

Really nice entry top to bottom sir!

You have a strong #1 C, coach, above average G, and average #1D. A roster full of players that should make Hap Day happy more often than not.

The top line will really need to consistently produce offense for this team to be a contender but you have a team capable of playing a defensive style, with really good forecheckers up and down the lineup.

Maybe a few tweaks in there, mentioned above, but overall a team that may not wow you in too many places but I look at the group as "greater than the sum of its parts".

Good luck bud!

 

[overpass]

Pittsburgh AC:

Original Red and White colours of the AC

"No individuals. One TEAM."

​

Coach: Pete Green

Captain: Scott Stevens
Alternate: Bobby Orr
Alternate: Yvan Cournoyer
Alternate: Joe Malone


ROSTER:


Forwards:

Johnny Bucyk - Joe Malone (A) - Vladimir Martinec

Bun Cook - Jacques Lemaire - Yvan Cournoyer (A)

Rusty Crawford - Dale Hawerchuk - Glenn Anderson
-
Nick Metz - Phil Goyette - Bill Guerin

Dave Poulin

Alex Tanguay


Defensemen:

Scott Stevens (C) - Bobby Orr (A)

Jacques Laperriere - Earl Seibert

Flash Hollett - Ken Morrow

Gennadiy Tsygankov


Goalies:

Johnny Bower

Hap Holmes


Special Teams:

PP1

Malone

Seibert - Cournoyer - Bucyk

Orr

PP2

Martinec - Lemaire - Anderson
Hawerchuk - Hollett

PK1

Cook - Metz
Stevens - Orr

PK2

Goyette/Poulin - Crawford/Martinec
Laperriere - Morrow/Tsygankov​

This is a challenging team to evaluate and I think you know that, lol. Going all in on the top 4 D like that! But I appreciate the different approach so I'll start with Pittsburgh.

Let's start with the team strength, that top 4. Are they going to give you enough bang for the buck? Will they put enough pressure on the opposing team to allow your forward group to keep up?

Orr on the first pairing and, to a lesser extent, Seibert on the second pairing should provide a lot of pressure up that right side, without giving much up the other way. Alongside Orr, Stevens should provide enough puck moving at the left to keep the other team honest. And when Orr isn't caught up ice, these two should be a formidable duo when defending, with Stevens' intimidating presence constantly in the back of opponents' minds.

Really good second pairing too. The intelligent two-way game of Laperriere should mix well with the more explosive Seibert. I think Jacques Laperriere was overkill though...you don't really need his penalty killing, and I think you could have drafted someone closer to pick 200 that could fill this spot and give you more punch up front. But again it is a very good pairing.

Moving to your forwards, again the obvious point is that you don't have any top end ATD forwards. The first line is a solid group of second-tier top liners. Can Malone and Martinec carry the playmaking load for an ATD top line? This is where Bobby Orr comes in to lift this line. Joe Malone and Bobby Orr is a classic ATD combo. But I think they're a little underpowered when Orr is off the ice, lacking a bit of playmaking and a bit of two-way oomph.

I like Lemaire and Cournoyer on a second line. Great speed and shooting. They'll need some playmaking and some two-way play, and Bun Cook is actually a very good fit here. Cook and Lemaire make this a very brainy line and Cournoyer is a dangerous weapon alongside them.

Moving on to your third line, we're looking at a third scoring line here. Great speed on the wings from Crawford and Anderson, and Hawerchuk will be making the plays in the middle. I think Rusty Crawford might be a line too high though...he wasn't much of a scorer and I don't know if I'd rate him as a third liner in this size of draft. Is fast skating, hard work, and playing 30 years enough? Maybe it depends how much weight you put on his status as a HHOFer. (By the way...did you know Crawford played for teams called the Prince Albert Mintos and the Saskatoon Hoo-hoos? I think Wikipedia might be having me on.)

I would expect Poulin to end up as your fourth line centre over Goyette. You need a matchup centre and penalty killer from that spot, and Goyette is more of a two-way guy. He almost never killed penalties, I have him at 2% SH from 1959-60 on.

Overall, you got some very good value with your forward corps (especially your whole second line and Hawerchuk) to make up for the lack of high draft choices. I wish there was a bit more established two-way play from your centres and right wingers to help cover for Orr and Seibert's rushes. Some great attackers in that group but your checkers are more on the left side. I realize forwards move around and this isn't just tabletop hockey, but still.

Bower is a solid goalie in this format. He played behind a strong defensive group in Toronto and he's doing that here too. Expect Holmes to play a fair bit too.

Pete Green was a great coach but I don't know if your team has as much two-way ability from the forwards as he would like. On the other hand, he's one of the better choices to be creative with this defence corps and find ways to create pressure from the back.

I wouldn't have set up the special teams exactly the same but I'm not going to nit-pick. Orr, Malone, and Cournoyer on the first power play is very dangerous. I feel like I'd want to find room for Dale Hawerchuk and his playmaking on the top unit, and I think you are missing a bit of high-end playmaking for the power play as a result of your draft strategy. The penalty killing defencemen are ridiculous. They're so good it seems like overkill. And you could use a bit of help up front (again, Phil Goyette is not an ATD penalty killer). Could Pete Green roll out a penalty kill with Bobby Orr or Earl Seibert at a forward position? I wouldn't bet against it!

Also, thanks for running the draft! Much appreciated.

 

[Claude The Fraud]

Coach: Jacques Demers
Captain: Steve Yzerman
Assistant: Viacheslav Fetisov
Assistant: Rod Langway
Assistant: Émile «Butch» Bouchard

Bert Olmstead - Steve Yzerman - Cam Neely
Alexander Yakushev - Vladimir Petrov - Pavel Bure
Vincent Damphousse - Mike Peca - Ed Litzenberger
John Tonelli - Brent Sutter - Bob Bourne
Spare: Bernie Federko - Trevor Linden

Viacheslav Fetisov - Émile 'Butch' Bouchard
Rod Langway - Dan Boyle
Phil Housley - Zinetula Bilyaletdinov
Spare: Vasili Pervukhin

Vladislav Tretiak
Carey Price

Power Play
Alexander Yakushev - Vladimir Petrov - Pavel Bure
Viacheslav Fetisov - Zinetula Bilyaletdinov

Bert Olmstead - Steve Yzerman - Cam Neely
Phil Housley - Dan Boyle

Penalty Kill
Mike Peca - Brent Sutter
Rod Langway - Émile ‘Butch’ Bouchard

Steve Yzerman - Bob Bourne
Viatcheslav Fetisov - Zinetula Bilyaletdinov

 

[overpass]

Coach: Jacques Demers
Captain: Steve Yzerman
Assistant: Viacheslav Fetisov
Assistant: Rod Langway
Assistant: Émile «Butch» Bouchard

Bert Olmstead - Steve Yzerman - Cam Neely
Alexander Yakushev - Vladimir Petrov - Pavel Bure
Vincent Damphousse - Mike Peca - Ed Litzenberger
John Tonelli - Brent Sutter - Bob Bourne
Spare: Bernie Federko - Trevor Linden

Viacheslav Fetisov - Émile 'Butch' Bouchard
Rod Langway - Dan Boyle
Phil Housley - Zinetula Bilyaletdinov
Spare: Vasili Pervukhin

Vladislav Tretiak
Carey Price

Power Play
Alexander Yakushev - Vladimir Petrov - Pavel Bure
Viacheslav Fetisov - Zinetula Bilyaletdinov

Bert Olmstead - Steve Yzerman - Cam Neely
Phil Housley - Dan Boyle

Penalty Kill
Mike Peca - Brent Sutter
Rod Langway - Émile ‘Butch’ Bouchard

Steve Yzerman - Bob Bourne
Viatcheslav Fetisov - Zinetula Bilyaletdinov

Fun team concept! I'm always fascinated by the Russian style of play and how it would mix with North American hockey. As you can probably tell from my team.

Steve Yzerman is going to be flying around with a ton of room playing between Olmstead and Neely, a pair of bad bad men. Cam Neely in his prime was incredible and may be underrated here now. I question Olmstead as a first liner, considering he hardly scored goals at all, but it worked for the Canadiens so...ok I guess. He'll be digging pucks out of the corner and Stevie Y and Sea Bass will be sniping.

Pavel Bure is someone who had so much more talent than he got to show in the NHL. Always fun to dream on him in the ATD. With Big Yak and Petrov, you should have a strong second line. Speed, size, and tons of skill. I wish it had a better playmaker though.

Damphousse, Litz and Peca is a solid 3rd line. With Peca setting the tone and playing hard hockey from the middle, and the other two bringing some skill on the wings. I wonder about Peca's offensive ability on a third line, but both wingers can help move the puck.

Nice job with the all-Islanders fourth line. You took John Tonelli right before I had him lined up. Probably one of the better even strength fourth lines out there, they can come in and give you a good energy shift.

The defence corps is interesting. Each pairing has someone who can rush the puck, especially Fetisov and Housley. And then there's the Secretary of Defense, Rod Langway, to lock it down when needed. Bouchard will need to be prepared to handle the puck while playing with Fetisov. He was known for his passing, so he may be up for it -- in any case he'll have the season to figure it out.

Vladislav Tretiak and Carey Price are a formidable duo on the back end. Size, athleticism, and technique. They should push each other to be better.

Interesting move running the Russians as the top power play, but it might be the right one. You don't really have a top playmaker on that unit so they'll have to rely on moving the puck well as a unit. Housley and Yzerman on the second unit is a luxury. Penalty kill units look rock solid.

Jacques Demers will love the leadership group here. Steve Yzerman and Slava Fetisov will be looking to bring the Russians and Canadians together like they did in Detroit, and there's a lot of potential here if they can do it!

 

[BenchBrawl]

Lester Patrick

Tommy Phillips - Wayne Gretzky "C" - Charlie Conacher "A"
Brad Marchand - Marty Barry - Bobby Bauer
Artemi Panarin - Cooney Weiland - Claude Provost
Brian Sutter - Camille Henry - Floyd Curry

Scott Niedermayer "A" - Drew Doughty
Pat Stapleton - Bill White
Ryan McDonagh - P.K. Subban

Jacques Plante
Henrik Lundqvist

Spares: Lynn Patrick, Jack Marshall, Carol Vadnais

PP1: Conacher-Gretzky-Henry-Subban-Stapleton
PP2: Marchand-Barry-Bauer-Doughty-Niedermayer

PK1: Phillips-Curry-McDonagh-White
PK2: Weiland-Provost-Niedermayer-Doughty
PK3: Marchand-Gretzky

​

Forwards	ES	PP	PK	Total
Wayne Gretzky	16	5	1	22
Tommy Phillips	14		3	17
Charlie Conacher	15	5		20
Marty Barry	14	2		16
Brad Marchand	13	2	1	16
Bobby Bauer	13	2		15
Cooney Weiland	12		3	15
Artemi Panarin	11			11
Claude Provost	12		3	15
Camille Henry	4	5		9
Brian Sutter	8			8
Floyd Curry	6		3	9
Totals	138	21	14	173

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Defensemen	ES	PP	PK	Total
Scott Niedermayer	19	2	3	24
Drew Doughty	19	2	3	24
Pat Stapleton	17	5		22
Bill White	17		4	21
Ryan McDonagh	10		4	14
P.K. Subban	10	5		15
Totals	92	14	14	120

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Interesting team. It has a lot of different units, so lacks a clear identity, but Lester Patrick is an ideal coach for this kind of lineup, as he can handle the different styles and maximize their utility and potential.

Gretzky-Conacher has been done many times before, both because they're a natural fit and because their placement in the snake draft fall in the range of the 2nd overall team. What they lack is defense and Tommy Phillips was probably the best choice around where he got picked. Gretzky and Conacher is no doubt the most dangerous forward duo in the draft.

Marchand-Barry-Bauer brings two playmaking wingers to complement Barry's goalscoring, and the line is not unlike a Kraut-lite unit. Not sure about Barry's defensive acumen, else Marchand will have to shoulder the heavy lifting all by himself, and leave the Top 6 with its defense all on the left side. But on memory Barry brought a reasonable all-around game? Bauer is underrated by VsX and I have no problem with him as a Top 6er.

I think I was the one to introduce Panarin to his "ATD career" last year, and he has five excellent seasons under his belt (not bad this year, but NYR is struggling). It was also my understanding that despite being a soft finesse player, he was at least responsible defensively, which I guess is counterintuitive to the image we have of players like him. This is an excellent unit defensively that can bring some offensive support; however unless I'm misreading Weiland the line appears to be very soft. That's the weakness I can see on this line, especially if they faced a power offensive line.

The 4th line wingers are alright, though Henry is a PP specialist, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

The blueline is lacking a true #1D, but the top pairing is very good at even-strenght, and can both defend and move the puck. Both are also major winners, with multiple Smythe-level runs between the two of them.

Excellent 2nd pairing reuniting Stapleton and White. Though again it lacks a really solid #3D, the synergy compensates for that, but I'd have loved a more high-end #3 after lacking a true #1. That said, the Top 4 as a whole is as good as any "defense by committee" as you can get without having elite players.

Not a fan of PK Subban. I see him more fit as an MLD #1D, where his warts are compensated by his talent. Here he's a bottom-pairing defenseman with a questionable character, which I don't like in role players. But I know that he was drafted to fill that PP1 triggerman spot, which is the price you had to pay for getting ES specialists on your top pairing.

Jacques Plante is arguably the greatest goaltender of all-time. In my book he's 2nd behind Patrick Roy, and he doesn't come with Roy's volatile personality. Feels more "steady" than Roy even. In that sense, I feel like Lundqvist was overkill, but Lundqvist is an elite backup, and more suited for that role, never having won the Stanley Cup (something I would avoid at all costs with my starter, obviously except for europeans). Having Plante there stabilizes an already stable Top 4 on defense, so while lacking in top-heavy blueliners, I see the entire defensive unit including Plante as reliable and steady. That said, Plante did play behind Doug Harvey in his prime, as well as Tom Johnson, so he was used to have top defenders in front of him. But that's not a real problem as I see it, just something to note.

The 1st PP unit is solid, but you had to pay some price to get Henry and Subban there. The pointmen are not that good, but the forwards are so good that it salvage the unit.

The 2nd PP unit is good, no huge strenght but all honest players and natural units from your ES lineup.

How good has McDonagh's PK resume become? I'm off the beat with this. Both PK units seem solid, just not sure how much.

Overall a team build around three major strenghts: Jacques Plante, Gretzky-Conacher and Lester Patrick, the latter giving the best chance to capitalize on (as opposed to get burned by) the diversity of styles throughout the forward units.