ML Lineup Assasination

[Diving Pokecheck*]

Another beer league version of a big league thread.

Scanlan-Trihey-Farrell
Deadmarsh-Zetterberg-Sheppard
Berry-Prystai-Larose
Brylin-Murphy-Hill

Galley-Driver
Buller-Lewis
Wilson-Ruttan

McNeil
Hebert

Strengths
The Roadrunners have 5 Hall of Fame players on their roster-(Trihey, Scanlan, Farrell, Wilson, Ruttan)
The Roadrunners' first line is a resurrection of the mighty Shamrock line of the turn of the century. It already has great chemistry. Trihey reminds me of a 19th century Sakic or Yzerman, which is why I assigned him #19.
Goaltending Gerry McNeil is arguably the best goalie in the draft.
shutdown line Metro Prystai is an elite defensive forward at this level, and Berry and Larose will complement him well.
Clutch Scoring Trihey, Deadmarsh, Murphy and Hill were all especially known for their clutch playoff performances.

Weaknesses
There is only 1 cup (Driver) amongst all 6 of our defensemen, although our spare (Jay Wells) also won a cup. However, our third pairing (Wilson and Ruttan is composed of 2 HOF amateur defensemen who were never able to compete for the cup.
Our 2nd and 3rd defensemen, Galley and Lewis, were 2 solid, very good but not great players who played a lot of games.
Hy Buller is a question mark- while he had a good peak, his NHL career is nothing to write home about.
Our second line (Deadmarsh-Zetterberg-Sheppard) is well rounded-(Sheppard provides speed and scoring, Zetterberg playmaking, and Deadmarsh physicality and 2-way play) but will not set the world on fire with it offense.
Guy Hebert is a middle-of-the-road backup goaltender.
I did not know this when I made the pick, but Joe Murphy was quite the headcase. Hopefully Coach Carlyle will set him straight. A good thing is that our team has several players who are well known for being good leaders and teammates-(Trihey, Wilson, Lewis, Deadmarsh).

Click to read more...

 

[God Bless Canada]

ADC, who's your 13th forward? Because I just don't see Murphy in that fourth line role, unless you're trying to get a) a third scoring line, or b) a miscellaneous line with no real direction, that will play six to eight shifts a night.

If you're looking for that third scoring line, then Murphy's an okay pick. Any other role, and you're out to lunch. He's not even a guy I'd want as a 13th forward, offensive ringer type - too much of a malcontent.

Your goaltending is strong. Due to the influx of some excellent goalies, who would have normally been selected in the main draft if not for the change in roster set-up, there were several new goalies in the mix. McNeil was the definite class in net of the last draft. I'm not sure it's as much of a lock for this draft. You could make a case for him. But there were several strong goalies in this draft, so I wouldn't have burned a pick in the first or second round on a goalie. Hebert's probably suited to being a No. 3 in this draft, but he won't see much action behind McNeil. A back-up shouldn't be a priority for you.

Not entirely sold on your defence. I think Galley's a No. 2, Driver's a No. 4 or 5, and you already voiced concerns about Huller. But your overall team defence should be strong, and you have McNeil to bail out the defence.

Reuniting the Shamrock line is a nice touch. Getting Prystai was a steal. I gave Metro your team MVP award, to the surprise of nobody. Not sure about Zetterberg as a second line forward, yet. You could conceivably move Murphy into Zetterberg's spot, shift Zetterberg to the wing, and go with Zetterberg-Murphy-Sheppard as a second line. Gives you a little more scoring potential, but you lose Deadmarsh's physical presence. That's if you have somebody who can centre the fourth line. Decisions, decisions.

Moose Jaw's self-evaluation coming later today.

Reminder to all GMs: don't forget to include coaches and spares with your evaluations.

 

[vancityluongo]

ADC, I think you're going to have a solid defense. There isn't really anyone that stands out to me as hell to play against indiviually, but as a unit, I think you'll be pretty solid. Prystai will definitely help tons, while McNeil is one of the top goalies in the draft. I like your top line as well, it's cool that you re-united those guys. Carlyle is also a pretty good coach.

Our team's self-evaluation coming up.

 

[vancityluongo]

Vancouver Giants

coach: Brian Kilrea
assistant coach: Bengt-Ake Gustaffson
captain: Darryl Sutter
alternates: Pekka Rautakallio, Herb Cain

Herb Cain (A) - Barry Pederson - Marian Stastny
Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Bengt-Ake Gustaffson
Darryl Sutter (C) - Ron Stewart - Rich Sutter
Bob Errey - Steve Rucchin - Dallas Drake

Pekka Rautakallio (A) - Yevgeny Paladiev
Bob Plager - Chris Phillips
Dion Phaneuf - Don Sweeney
Bill Juzda

King Brodeur
Reggie Lemelin
Frank McCool
​

I like the team TC and I have put together. I think we have a nice mix of everything.


Strengths: Our top line has a nice mix of everything we believe. These three guys also compliment each other nicely, IMO. My favorite part of this team though is the second line. The Sedins are my guys, and seeing as I watch them play always, I know the type of player they need to succeed. Here's where Bengt-Ake Gustaffson fits in awesome. A fellow Swede, his power forward style of game will, IMO, be awesome with the talent and passing ability of the twins. The Sutters are Sutters. You know what you'll get when they're on the ice. OUr 4th line has some grit and energy - basically what you want from a 4th line. On defense, Pekka and Paladiev give us a top pairing that we can have confidence in. They also provide a good blend of offense along with defensive responsibility. I also like our shutdown pairing. Chris Phillips is arguably the top defensive defenseman in the NHL today, while Bob Plager is exactly the kind of guy you hate playing in the playoffs. On the third pairing, Phaneuf adds another physical dimension, while Sweeney can help jump in on the PP. King Brodeur, while not the best goalie in the draft, should be solid. But he's fairly inconsistent. Good thing we have two very capable backups in Lelemin and McCool. On the coaching side, I believe we may have the most effective coaching duo in the draft. Brian Kilrea, is IMVHO, almost an ATD calibre coach. He always got the best of his players, and his billions of junior records and titles prove that. Along with Kilrea, we have Bengt-Ake Gustaffson as our assistant coach, to be the "player's coach" that may be needed for a Brian Kilrea team. But he isn't a slouch. The National coach of Team Sweden will be good to have around, especially considering how many Euros, most of which are fellow Swedes that we have on this team, including our top two defenseman, and our complete second line. Not to mention one of the players on that second line may be familiar to our assistant coach.

Weaknesses: I will admit I am very biased, and I know for sure that our team won't be destroying anyone. But I see only a couple weaknesses. To start off, I think our shutdown game could be better. Our third line is solid IMO; I just wouldn't say we have one of the top shutdown forward lines. I also think we may be lacking in the leadership department. The Sutter's are leaders. Herb Cain and Bob Plager are leaders. After that, it's kinda thin. Yeah, there a bunch of guys who strike me as "leaders by example" kind of guys - including our assistant captain, Pekka - but that's definitely one area where I think we may be lacking. Overall grit; I think the defense is fine. Phaneuf, Plager and Phillips are the tough guys there. The forwards...bleh. The Sedins will not pound anyones face in. Stastny isn't uber tough. Not a matter of us losing a round or anything, just something that I think TC and I need to be aware of when facing an opponent.

Overall though, like I said, I'm really happy with the team that TC and I have been able to put together.

 

[God Bless Canada]

MOOSE JAW MILLERS
GMs: raleh and God Bless Canada
Head Coach: Don Cherry
Assistant Coach: Dwight McMillan
Captain: George Owen
Alternate captain: Kelly Buchberger
Alternate captain: Dave Balon
Alternate captain: Laurie Boschman

FORWARDS

Dave Balon-Bronco Horvath-Murray Balfour
Dennis Hextall-Eric Staal-Milan Hejduk
Ray Getliffe-George Gee-Kelly Buchberger
John Wensink-Laurie Boschman-Tony Granato
Jeff Friesen

DEFENCE

George Owen-Steve Chiasson
Kjell Samuelsson-Randy Gregg
Jay Bouwmeester-Garth Butcher
Sylvain Cote

GOALTENDERS

Sean Burke
Mike Palmateer

Synopsis: It's the ultimate Don Cherry team. Team toughness is evident throughout the line-up. Balon, Balfour, Hextall, Buchberger, the Momentum Line, Butcher, Chiasson and Samuelsson all love playing a tough physical line. The team also has excellent speed up front, and size, reach and hockey sense on the blue-line. Sean Burke anchors a team that shouldn't surrender a lot of goals. We're playing hard, and we're playing to win, but we think we've assembled the toughest team to play against in the draft.

Goaltending: Sean Burke is one of the top goalies in the draft. He's big, he covers a lot of the net, and he plays an efficient style condusive to appearing in 60-plus games each year. He never gives up on a shot, and he believes that there isn't a shot he can't stop. Backstopped the New Jersey Devils to within a game of the Cup final in 1988.

Mike Palmateer might be the most talented back-up in the draft. He's quick, he's agile, he's aggressive and he has great flexibility and agility. He's brash and confident, some might say cocky. It's the first time he's been in the back-up role. Impressive three-year run in the 1970s.

Defence: A good blend of size, skill and toughness. Samuelsson is 6'6", with imposing reach and strong positioning. Gregg is 6'4" with strong defensive instincts and anticipation. Bouwmeester is a very mobile 6'4". Chiasson is 6'1". Butcher is 6'0". Butcher's one of the toughest defencemen in the draft. Chiasson is tough. Samuelsson's a physical presence. Gregg isn't overly physical, but he's very good at taking care of his own end. But George Owen will carry our defence. He's arguably the top defenceman in the draft. He's our captain. He's our minute-muncher on defence. He's our PP quarterback.

Beyond Owen, Chiasson and Bouwmeester are both very capable of advancing the puck. Samuelsson and Gregg aren't offensive blue-liners, but they aren't liabilities with the puck, either. They can get it to the forwards. Butcher has minimal puck skills, but that's not why he's on the team. Cote can provide both stabilizing presences offensively and defensively.

Mobility might be an issue beyond Owen and Bouwmeester, but what they lack in speed, they make up for in size, reach, positioning and hockey sense.

FORWARDS: An excellent combination of speed, toughness and aggressiveness. All four lines are loaded with excellent skaters. Guys like Granato, Boschman, Hextall, Balfour, Balon and Buchberger are not only tough, but they're fleet of foot, making them naturals for penalty killing roles.

The top two lines will be counted on to carry the offence. The Killer B's line (Balon-Bronco-Balfour line) has already been cited as the best in the draft. Balfour's been picked in the last two drafts; Balon should be a third or fourth line guy in the main draft. Balon's likely the best LW in the draft. Staal is the big, two-way, skilled centre that everyone craves, and Hejduk has those great hands in tight to go with his bullet shot. Dennis Hextall is there because of his speed, toughness and playmaking ability. He'll open up room for those two, although Staal doesn't need help in that regard.

The advantage of those two lines is they're well-built and they can be played in all situations, meaning that line match-ups won't be an issue like it is for other teams.

Our two-way line fits that bill perfectly. Okay, Kelly Buchberger won't give us much offensively, but Gee and Getliffe are very capable in all three zones. Getliffe's two-position success makes him very valuable for a two-way line and for penalty killing.

Our Momentum Line label says it all. Their speed and aggression makes them very difficult to play against. They'll be used when we need to establish momentum: after we surrender a goal, after we have a couple bad shifts, after we score a goal and we want to sustain momentum, after a fight (assuming one of them isn't involved), or at a point in the game when the game is in a lull. And they can score, too.

If you can get a goal from your third or fourth line in this thing, that's huge. And our third and fourth lines can get some offence.

Size isn't overwhelming beyond Staal and Buchberger, but they are tough, aggressive players who won't be bounced around. Balfour and Balon are, I believe, the only players 5'10" or shorter. A lot of players who are 5'11" or six feet tall.

Discipline might be a concern, too, with so many reputed toughies in our line-up. But most of these guys are tough, aggressive players who don't take stupid penalties, or stick fouls. Their penalties were for fighting, sticking up for teammates (the type of penalties that TEAMS kill), aggressive play, and misconducts late in games. Granato had a dirty side, and was known to take an occasional dumb penalty, but he was also abrasive and an excellent agitator who forced the opposition to take more penalties than he took. And we have excellent penalty killers.

COACHING: The ultimate Don Cherry-coached team. They're tough, aggressive and high in character. The only players who would be described as offence-only are Hejduk and Horvath. The rest of the forwards are strong in their own zone, and as established earlier, many of them played the Grapes style of rough and tough hockey.

Dwight McMillan is an icon at the junior level, one of three coaches with 1,000 wins. He'll be counted on for the strategies and tactics, while Cherry takes care of the players' morale.

One thing lacking is a lot of Stanley Cups. I think there are 18 to 20 on this team. But the best players from the dynasties and the other successful teams are already gone. Cups are nice to have, but not essential in this draft.

 

[Transplanted Caper]

Good job vancity,excellent work with the write-up. I'd push Kilrea even more to the forefront. A phenomenal coach. Always gets the most out of his players, he's a hard ass but the players are better for it. Always able to keep a room together as well.

 

[God Bless Canada]

Vancouver Giants

coach: Brian Kilrea
assistant coach: Bengt-Ake Gustaffson
captain: Darryl Sutter
alternates: Pekka Rautakallio, Herb Cain

Herb Cain (A) - Barry Pederson - Marian Stastny
Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Bengt-Ake Gustaffson
Darryl Sutter (C) - Ron Stewart - Rich Sutter
Bob Errey - Steve Rucchin - Dallas Drake

Pekka Rautakallio (A) - Yevgeny Paladiev
Bob Plager - Chris Phillips
Dion Phaneuf - Don Sweeney
Bill Juzda

King Brodeur
Reggie Lemelin
Frank McCool
​

I like the team TC and I have put together. I think we have a nice mix of everything.


Strengths: Our top line has a nice mix of everything we believe. These three guys also compliment each other nicely, IMO. My favorite part of this team though is the second line. The Sedins are my guys, and seeing as I watch them play always, I know the type of player they need to succeed. Here's where Bengt-Ake Gustaffson fits in awesome. A fellow Swede, his power forward style of game will, IMO, be awesome with the talent and passing ability of the twins. The Sutters are Sutters. You know what you'll get when they're on the ice. OUr 4th line has some grit and energy - basically what you want from a 4th line. On defense, Pekka and Paladiev give us a top pairing that we can have confidence in. They also provide a good blend of offense along with defensive responsibility. I also like our shutdown pairing. Chris Phillips is arguably the top defensive defenseman in the NHL today, while Bob Plager is exactly the kind of guy you hate playing in the playoffs. On the third pairing, Phaneuf adds another physical dimension, while Sweeney can help jump in on the PP. King Brodeur, while not the best goalie in the draft, should be solid. But he's fairly inconsistent. Good thing we have two very capable backups in Lelemin and McCool. On the coaching side, I believe we may have the most effective coaching duo in the draft. Brian Kilrea, is IMVHO, almost an ATD calibre coach. He always got the best of his players, and his billions of junior records and titles prove that. Along with Kilrea, we have Bengt-Ake Gustaffson as our assistant coach, to be the "player's coach" that may be needed for a Brian Kilrea team. But he isn't a slouch. The National coach of Team Sweden will be good to have around, especially considering how many Euros, most of which are fellow Swedes that we have on this team, including our top two defenseman, and our complete second line. Not to mention one of the players on that second line may be familiar to our assistant coach.

Weaknesses: I will admit I am very biased, and I know for sure that our team won't be destroying anyone. But I see only a couple weaknesses. To start off, I think our shutdown game could be better. Our third line is solid IMO; I just wouldn't say we have one of the top shutdown forward lines. I also think we may be lacking in the leadership department. The Sutter's are leaders. Herb Cain and Bob Plager are leaders. After that, it's kinda thin. Yeah, there a bunch of guys who strike me as "leaders by example" kind of guys - including our assistant captain, Pekka - but that's definitely one area where I think we may be lacking. Overall grit; I think the defense is fine. Phaneuf, Plager and Phillips are the tough guys there. The forwards...bleh. The Sedins will not pound anyones face in. Stastny isn't uber tough. Not a matter of us losing a round or anything, just something that I think TC and I need to be aware of when facing an opponent.

Overall though, like I said, I'm really happy with the team that TC and I have been able to put together.

Lemelin is an excellent pick. Probably the best back-up in the draft. A steady, consistent netminder who can get you 30 solid starts per season.

I'm a big Don Sweeney fan, but don't expect any sort of a PP contribution from him. You'll likely need Pekka to play two minutes on the PP, or you'll need to use a second forward on the PP unit. Sweeney's a solid, steady Eddie type, but he'd be a liability on the PP in this thing.

Maybe it's just me, but I still don't think the Twins are MLD worthy. Good players. But good enough for the MLD? No. Gustafsson is definitely good enough for the MLD, and he can play a second scoring line role, or a two-way line role. I'm not sure if he's the guy to play with the Twins in this draft; I think you need that physical forward to play with the Twins, a Deadmarsh or a Balfour or even an Ezinicki.

Your first line should be one of the most potent in the draft. Cain was a good player who had one monster season during the war years. Pederson was one of the top offensive players available. Stastny's best years were played in Czechoslovakia, before the brothers went to Quebec City. But I think they could be in trouble against a team that hits them hard, or has the speed and smarts to keep up with them. We're in the same division. Our Momentum Line would love that match-up.

I really like the Stewart pick. I picked Pekka for your MVP; Stewart was next on my list. Not sure about the wingers, especially Rich Sutter. But you could drop Gustafsson onto that line for a stronger defensive presence.

As I said previously, I love your coaching. Might be the best tandem in the draft. (Outside of Cherry-McMillan, of course). Kilrea's the master tactician; Gustafsson is the guy who'll reach out to the players. A perfect good cop, bad cop tandem.

 

[vancityluongo]

Lemelin is an excellent pick. Probably the best back-up in the draft. A steady, consistent netminder who can get you 30 solid starts per season.

I'm a big Don Sweeney fan, but don't expect any sort of a PP contribution from him. You'll likely need Pekka to play two minutes on the PP, or you'll need to use a second forward on the PP unit. Sweeney's a solid, steady Eddie type, but he'd be a liability on the PP in this thing.

Maybe it's just me, but I still don't think the Twins are MLD worthy. Good players. But good enough for the MLD? No. Gustafsson is definitely good enough for the MLD, and he can play a second scoring line role, or a two-way line role. I'm not sure if he's the guy to play with the Twins in this draft; I think you need that physical forward to play with the Twins, a Deadmarsh or a Balfour or even an Ezinicki.

Your first line should be one of the most potent in the draft. Cain was a good player who had one monster season during the war years. Pederson was one of the top offensive players available. Stastny's best years were played in Czechoslovakia, before the brothers went to Quebec City. But I think they could be in trouble against a team that hits them hard, or has the speed and smarts to keep up with them. We're in the same division. Our Momentum Line would love that match-up.

I really like the Stewart pick. I picked Pekka for your MVP; Stewart was next on my list. Not sure about the wingers, especially Rich Sutter. But you could drop Gustafsson onto that line for a stronger defensive presence.

As I said previously, I love your coaching. Might be the best tandem in the draft. (Outside of Cherry-McMillan, of course). Kilrea's the master tactician; Gustafsson is the guy who'll reach out to the players. A perfect good cop, bad cop tandem.

Thanks GBC. I agree with mostly everything, other then the comments about the Twins. I think they're definitely MLD worthy; at most, I think you could make a case that we took them a few rounds too early. They don't have the hardware. They don't have the scoring titles. But they have pure talent. I'm sure you've seen the times when they go on the dominating shifts and absolutely school defenses for entire shifts. Of course, nothing like that will be happening playing these defense, particularly teams like the Millers. But even though they won't offensively dominating to that extent, I think they'll find ways to score. I do think Gustaffson is physical enough to play with the twins. But more then anything, he has finishing abilities.

As for your and raleh's team:

Strengths: Basically everything. I'm a fan of your goaltending. Your offense has a lot of potential, IMO, I like the balance of your second line, while as previously mentioned, your top line is one of the best in the draft. The defense will provide to the offense as well. Especially Owen; terrific player at this level. But what really scares me is the shutdown lines, and the overall toughness of your team. I really like the shutdown line you guys have. And your fourth line is one of my favorites in the draft. Tons of grit on both lines. Don Cherry is (along with Kilrea!! ) the best coach in the draft. Nice work building the team to suit your coach.

Weaknesses: Defensive mobility, like you said GBC, may be a problem. I don't think it's a huge factor, just something to be aware of. I also may be off on this, but I think because of the hard-nosed style you play, consistentsy and injury may be a problem. Especially injury.

 

[papershoes]

GM's: shawnmullin and papershoes
Coach: Darryl Sutter
Ass. Coach: Brent Sutter
Captain: Paul Shmyr
Alternate: Dave Maloney
Alternate: Brenden Morrow

Anton Stastny - Cliff Ronning - Tommy Smith
Brenden Morrow (A) - Dave Gagner - Ulf Dahlen
Mark Osborne - Rick Meagher - Stu Barnes
Eric Vail - Aaron Broten - "Cowboy" Bill Flett
Joey Kocur


Harry "Mum" Mummery - John Van Boxmeer
Paul Shmyr (C) - Doug Lidster
Dave Maloney (A) - Bob Turner
Rick Ley

John "Bouse" Hutton
Jose Theodore​

Offence: I really like the offensive lines we’ve assembled, and lines 2-4 are going to be very tough lines to play against.

Line One: This line may be the weakness of the team – very one-dimensional, built to be primarily a scoring line. Tommy Smith, the focal point of the line, may be slightly undersized when compared to others in the league (similar to Bowie). Ronning may be better suited for second-line duty however, his speed and offensive skills will be a nice addition to the line. If this line starts to get pushed around, some of the bigger bodies (Vail, Flett) can easily be slotted into the first line to create more room for Smith and Stastny. Toughness from our top-line may be the biggest problem.

Line Two: This is my favourite line on the team – the “Star Line.†This will be one heck of a line to play against. With Dahlen’s ability to retrieve and control the puck, Morrow’s aggressive and physical forecheck, and Gagner’s slick offensive ability, this line can do it all – Momentum, defense, and scoring. Neither Dahlen or Morrow will be afraid to head into the corners after the puck, opening up room for Gagner to thrive.

Line Three: This line will be the Leafs shut-down line throughout the regular season and playoffs. All three players are defense-oriented yet, have the ability to chip on the scoresheet every now and then. Meagher brings a Selke into the mix and, both he and Osborne, spent their days checking the opposing teams best players every night.

Line Four:
Another tough line to play against – Vail, Flett, and Kocur are big, tough players that will be aggressive every shift. Not expected to log big minutes each game, they’ll be used primarily to rattle the opposing team. Vail, Flett, and Broten all have the ability to put the puck in the net as well, so they won’t be an offensive, or defensive, liability on the ice. I like what I see for a forth line.

Defence: I really like this teams defense. A nice blend of size (Mummery), skill (Lidster, Maloney, Van Boxmeer), toughness (Shmyr, Ley), and stay-at-home defense (Mummery, Turner).
I think Ley may be the best 7th defenceman in the draft. He’s tough, rugged, and skilled offensively. He can easily be slotted into the line-up without the team missing a beat.

Goaltending: There are a lot of fantastic goalies in the draft, and Hutton gives the Leafs a chance to win every night. Described as one of the ‘top all-around athletes’ of his era, Hutton’s conditioning will be top-notch, especially when it counts – in the playoffs. Also, with five Stanley Cups backstopping the Silver Seven, we know he’ll be clutch.
Theodore, though not strong enough to be a starter, will be the perfect back-up, with the ability to steal games in any of his starts throughout the season. A Hart and a Vezina don’t hurt either.

Coaching: The Sutter coaching tandem may not be the strongest in the draft but, is a nice fit for the current Nelson Leafs roster. The line-up is stocked with hard-working, tough, physical, grinding players who rarely give up on a play – the Sutter’s will know how to maximize these assets to their full potential. Each player has been selected based upon exemplary work ethic, which the Sutter’s will love.

 

[Diving Pokecheck*]

MOOSE JAW MILLERS
GMs: raleh and God Bless Canada
Head Coach: Don Cherry
Assistant Coach: Dwight McMillan
Captain: George Owen
Alternate captain: Kelly Buchberger
Alternate captain: Dave Balon
Alternate captain: Laurie Boschman

FORWARDS

Dave Balon-Bronco Horvath-Murray Balfour
Dennis Hextall-Eric Staal-Milan Hejduk
Ray Getliffe-George Gee-Kelly Buchberger
John Wensink-Laurie Boschman-Tony Granato
Jeff Friesen

DEFENCE

George Owen-Steve Chiasson
Kjell Samuelsson-Randy Gregg
Jay Bouwmeester-Garth Butcher
Sylvain Cote

GOALTENDERS

Sean Burke
Mike Palmateer

I would switch Granato and Buchberger. I think that Burke is a solid goaltender, but one has to wonder why he was moved so many times during his career.

 

[VanIslander]

I would switch Granato and Buchberger. I think that Burke is a solid goaltender, but one has to wonder why he was moved so many times during his career.

Yeah, I really like Buchberger but his skating nonskills alone makes him a fourth liner in an all-time context. Like Yelle, I think Buchberger is best as a career fourth liner to begin with, solid NHLer but even as fan one has had to shake their heads at him from time to time. There's no way in hell a healthy Granato sees less ice time than Kelly.

 

[God Bless Canada]

Yeah, I really like Buchberger but his skating nonskills alone makes him a fourth liner in an all-time context. Like Yelle, I think Buchberger is best as a career fourth liner to begin with, solid NHLer but even as fan one has had to shake their heads at him from time to time. There's no way in hell a healthy Granato sees less ice time than Kelly.

But it also has to do with role. I think Buchberger is better defensively than Granato. That's why he's in that spot. (And Buchberger wasn't that bad of a skater). Granato fits that Momentum Line role really well.

The beauty of Granato is he can do it all. I really like Hextall in that second line LW role, but if we get in a pinch, we can move Granato up to that spot. And he can play RW or LW. He played a lot of RW for the Kings in 1991-92 and 1992-93, with two undrafted, turbo-charged players that might have been the fastest line in the league. (Normally I would name those players, but thanks to the AAA draft...)

Granato will play more than Buchberger. It's just that Buchberger fits the Gee line better than Granato; Granato fits the Boschman line much better than Buchberger.

 

[Diving Pokecheck*]

those two players...
If I had gotten Granato, I would have liked to reunite him with those two on my 4th line.

 

[MXD]

Vancouver Giants

coach: Brian Kilrea
assistant coach: Bengt-Ake Gustaffson
captain: Darryl Sutter
alternates: Pekka Rautakallio, Herb Cain

Herb Cain (A) - Barry Pederson - Marian Stastny
Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Bengt-Ake Gustaffson
Darryl Sutter (C) - Ron Stewart - Rich Sutter
Bob Errey - Steve Rucchin - Dallas Drake

Pekka Rautakallio (A) - Yevgeny Paladiev
Bob Plager - Chris Phillips
Dion Phaneuf - Don Sweeney
Bill Juzda

King Brodeur
Reggie Lemelin
Frank McCool
​

I like the team TC and I have put together. I think we have a nice mix of everything.


Strengths: Our top line has a nice mix of everything we believe. These three guys also compliment each other nicely, IMO. My favorite part of this team though is the second line. The Sedins are my guys, and seeing as I watch them play always, I know the type of player they need to succeed. Here's where Bengt-Ake Gustaffson fits in awesome. A fellow Swede, his power forward style of game will, IMO, be awesome with the talent and passing ability of the twins. The Sutters are Sutters. You know what you'll get when they're on the ice. OUr 4th line has some grit and energy - basically what you want from a 4th line. On defense, Pekka and Paladiev give us a top pairing that we can have confidence in. They also provide a good blend of offense along with defensive responsibility. I also like our shutdown pairing. Chris Phillips is arguably the top defensive defenseman in the NHL today, while Bob Plager is exactly the kind of guy you hate playing in the playoffs. On the third pairing, Phaneuf adds another physical dimension, while Sweeney can help jump in on the PP. King Brodeur, while not the best goalie in the draft, should be solid. But he's fairly inconsistent. Good thing we have two very capable backups in Lelemin and McCool. On the coaching side, I believe we may have the most effective coaching duo in the draft. Brian Kilrea, is IMVHO, almost an ATD calibre coach. He always got the best of his players, and his billions of junior records and titles prove that. Along with Kilrea, we have Bengt-Ake Gustaffson as our assistant coach, to be the "player's coach" that may be needed for a Brian Kilrea team. But he isn't a slouch. The National coach of Team Sweden will be good to have around, especially considering how many Euros, most of which are fellow Swedes that we have on this team, including our top two defenseman, and our complete second line. Not to mention one of the players on that second line may be familiar to our assistant coach.

Weaknesses: I will admit I am very biased, and I know for sure that our team won't be destroying anyone. But I see only a couple weaknesses. To start off, I think our shutdown game could be better. Our third line is solid IMO; I just wouldn't say we have one of the top shutdown forward lines. I also think we may be lacking in the leadership department. The Sutter's are leaders. Herb Cain and Bob Plager are leaders. After that, it's kinda thin. Yeah, there a bunch of guys who strike me as "leaders by example" kind of guys - including our assistant captain, Pekka - but that's definitely one area where I think we may be lacking. Overall grit; I think the defense is fine. Phaneuf, Plager and Phillips are the tough guys there. The forwards...bleh. The Sedins will not pound anyones face in. Stastny isn't uber tough. Not a matter of us losing a round or anything, just something that I think TC and I need to be aware of when facing an opponent.

Overall though, like I said, I'm really happy with the team that TC and I have been able to put together.

A few things....
VCL, that's the first draft that you're a GM in that you have a GOOD defense... and you ain't far from a great one. No bad picks at all. I had Rocky has your MVP (and see that I'm not alone)... Brodeur was good were you got him (we would have liked him here as we had something of a WHA thematic, even if we only ended up picking 2 WHA'ers, but he would have been a reeaally early backup and that wasn't really a necessity). I'm not a fan of the Sutters, but they ain't nuisances, and we heavily considered to pick Ron Stewart untill we realized that, well, he wasn't a top-PK'er in TO... and I wonder if he ever killed penalties at all (but he probably did). Kind of an energy 3rd line that will score here and there and won't really hurt you. If I do see a weakness on your team, it's your 4th (it's not bad, just pretty ordinary, and won't bring A LOT of things that your 3rd won't bring... and they're somewhat softer as well). You're exposing yourself with the Sedins, as some GM's might wonder what they'll bring as a 2nd pairing. But you paired them with a terrific 2-way player... Overall, that line could be tougher AND/OR could score a bit more, but you still have a rather good balance on it. Reggie Lemelin is a good backup, pretty much the calibre you wan't for backing up Brodeur, and Ulcers McCool is a very interesting 3rd pick. Extremely short career...and a Cup. I think I had your team pretty high in the rankings....I HAD them pretty high, actually (just looked at my post again)

 

[MXD]

Another beer league version of a big league thread.

Scanlan-Trihey-Farrell
Deadmarsh-Zetterberg-Sheppard
Berry-Prystai-Larose
Brylin-Murphy-Hill

Galley-Driver
Buller-Lewis
Wilson-Ruttan

McNeil
Hebert

Strengths
The Roadrunners have 5 Hall of Fame players on their roster-(Trihey, Scanlan, Farrell, Wilson, Ruttan)
The Roadrunners' first line is a resurrection of the mighty Shamrock line of the turn of the century. It already has great chemistry. Trihey reminds me of a 19th century Sakic or Yzerman, which is why I assigned him #19.
Goaltending Gerry McNeil is arguably the best goalie in the draft.
shutdown line Metro Prystai is an elite defensive forward at this level, and Berry and Larose will complement him well.
Clutch Scoring Trihey, Deadmarsh, Murphy and Hill were all especially known for their clutch playoff performances.

Weaknesses
There is only 1 cup (Driver) amongst all 6 of our defensemen, although our spare (Jay Wells) also won a cup. However, our third pairing (Wilson and Ruttan is composed of 2 HOF amateur defensemen who were never able to compete for the cup.
Our 2nd and 3rd defensemen, Galley and Lewis, were 2 solid, very good but not great players who played a lot of games.
Hy Buller is a question mark- while he had a good peak, his NHL career is nothing to write home about.
Our second line (Deadmarsh-Zetterberg-Sheppard) is well rounded-(Sheppard provides speed and scoring, Zetterberg playmaking, and Deadmarsh physicality and 2-way play) but will not set the world on fire with it offense.
Guy Hebert is a middle-of-the-road backup goaltender.
I did not know this when I made the pick, but Joe Murphy was quite the headcase. Hopefully Coach Carlyle will set him straight. A good thing is that our team has several players who are well known for being good leaders and teammates-(Trihey, Wilson, Lewis, Deadmarsh).

I'll be brief... And I talked about it on main draft board.. But Bruce Driver??!?!?! There WERE worse picks in the draft (relative to roster-spot... and overall usefullness) but not much. I can't see who were the 4 D-Mens picked after, but damn... You had the potential of being my shoo-in 1st place in my rankings (really liked the Buller pick, which is in a perfect role on a 2nd pairing due to short career), but damn... That was one of the biggest head-scratcher in the draft, coming from somebody who always "underpicks" his D-Mens (at least, in the main draft). That might sound crude, but how somebody can draft such a team AND draft Bruce Driver as a 2nd D-Men is a bit above me.

 

[Diving Pokecheck*]

I have never seen Driver play. He seems like a solid, veteran defenseman. I am considering switching him with Phat Wilson. Defensemen are harder to judge then forwards. He did captain a Stanley Cup winning team, and put up decent career totals.
I considered switching Wilson, but I do not know how his accomplishments will be weighed.

We do have 2 HOF on the defense, which I believe is more than anyone else in this draft.

 

[MXD]

GBC... Why is Coté not on your regular squad? I might like him more than some other people do, but he's IMO your 2nd best D-Men offensively, and wasn't a defensive liability. Granted, he wasn't a tough D-Men, and you wanted a tough team from the start, but he's IMO, as far as skill/achievements are concerned...

(Did I answer my own question?)

 

[VanIslander]

I'll be brief... And I talked about it on main draft board.. But Bruce Driver??!?!?! There WERE worse picks in the draft (relative to roster-spot... and overall usefullness) but not much.

I listed Driver as an interesting pick, and by that I was thinking of him as in the #5 or #6 slot, not for the top pairing!

I remember not being too impressed with him, but he was a part of the devils machine, a team guy.

I am surprised at his career stats, having overlooked him for most of his career.

486 NHL points for a defenseman is pretty good, as is 50 NHL playoff points in 108 playoff games.

Those stats indicate he'd be at least decent on the second pp unit and third pairing in an all-time context. No more than that is demanded by the stats. Unless I'm missing something, which is possible, as I didn't watch the Devils play much until they first won the cup, and then I was cursing their defensive system more than individual exploits.

 

[Diving Pokecheck*]

I did switch the players.
Wilson-Galley
Buller-Lewis
Driver-Ruttan
I like keeping the 2nd pairing together, as It is a good combination of solid defense and rushing offense.

 

[MXD]

I listed Driver as an interesting pick, and by that I was thinking of him as in the #5 or #6 slot, not for the top pairing!

I remember not being too impressed with him, but he was a part of the devils machine, a team guy.

I am surprised at his career stats, having overlooked him for most of his career.

486 NHL points for a defenseman is pretty good, as is 50 NHL playoff points in 108 playoff games.

Those stats indicate he'd be at least decent on the second pp unit and third pairing in an all-time context. No more than that is demanded by the stats. Unless I'm missing something, which is possible, as I didn't watch the Devils play much until they first won the cup, and then I was cursing their defensive system more than individual exploits.

Pretty much how I perceive him. Actually, I wasn't aware of his playoffs numbers so that helps out his case. He can effectively pass the puck.

 

[MXD]

I did switch the players.
Wilson-Galley
Buller-Lewis
Driver-Ruttan
I like keeping the 2nd pairing together, as It is a good combination of solid defense and rushing offense.

Galley-Driver was actually not only the worst 1st pairing, but also the worst pairing when it comes to defense, of the whole draft. (nothing against Galley, but he needs either a rock, or a great 2-way D-Men with him to be featured on the 1st line). Needless to say, those pairings really GOT BETTER.

 

[Diving Pokecheck*]

Galley-Driver was actually not only the worst 1st pairing, but also the worst pairing when it comes to defense, of the whole draft. (nothing against Galley, but he needs either a rock, or a great 2-way D-Men with him to be featured on the 1st line). Needless to say, those pairings really GOT BETTER.

you really think so?

 

[Diving Pokecheck*]

I would like to ask how the board views my 5 extremely old Hall of Famers. The knock may be that they cannot play modern hockey,but they were very influential in the development of the modern game.

 

[God Bless Canada]

paper, I thought you did really well in this draft, considering you were basically thrust into flying solo, and you didn't have the advantage of tracking previous drafts. (I thought that was an advantage that sakicfan had). That tracking experience is definitely beneficial, as you not only learn the players, but you get a read on the GMs - learning what each guy wants, his preferences, his analysis, his strengths, his weaknesses, etc.

Your team will need to win a lot of 2-1 type games. Your top line has the potential to do damage, but I think they can be stopped. Not sure about Ronning as a first line centre. I think he's better as a second line guy, but with your team, Ronning's either the first line guy, or he isn't dressed. Stastny is one of the top three to five offensive LWs in the draft.

Said it before: love the second line. It's rough and tumble, yet talented. As I stated before, I wanted Gagner ahead of Bosch for my Momentum Line pivot. Only concern is there isn't a natural playmaking presence. Gagner was smart, with great hockey sense, but never had huge assist totals.

The bottom two lines will be tough to play against. I think you went with Meagher a little early - I think Burns is better, and I think there might be a couple others who are better. But he's still a top-notch shadow. Aaron Broten might be a guy who could slide into that second line C spot if you feel you need a bigger playmaking presence.

John Van Boxmeer is one of the top offensive defencemen in the draft. Top five, maybe top 10. And Mummery is one of the top defensive defencemen available. Together, it might be the best pairing in the draft. (I think I gave Mummery your team MVP award, and he'd be a strong candidate for an all-star team).

I don't view Lidster as that strong of an offensive defenceman. He does hold the Canucks' record for points in a season by a defenceman, but never topped 40 points again.

Bob Turner's a nice addition for a role player, a guy who was a role player on a dynasty.

Schmyr's a pick that would make pappy or Ogopogo proud - a guy who flies a little under the radar because his best days were in the WHA. Good physical defenceman and a strong leader.

Your goaltending is excellent. Learned a lot about Hutton as he was eliminating my team in the last MLD.

This is a solid Sutter team. Gritty, hard working, tough and lots of character. Don't know if Stastny and Ronning are Sutter types, but there are a lot more Sutter types.

I don't think your team has the offence to win it all, but I think your team is strong enough, and certainly tough enough, to give any, or all, of your opponents a long, tough series.

GM's: shawnmullin and papershoes
Coach: Darryl Sutter
Ass. Coach: Brent Sutter
Captain: Paul Shmyr
Alternate: Dave Maloney
Alternate: Brenden Morrow

Anton Stastny - Cliff Ronning - Tommy Smith
Brenden Morrow (A) - Dave Gagner - Ulf Dahlen
Mark Osborne - Rick Meagher - Stu Barnes
Eric Vail - Aaron Broten - "Cowboy" Bill Flett
Joey Kocur


Harry "Mum" Mummery - John Van Boxmeer
Paul Shmyr (C) - Doug Lidster
Dave Maloney (A) - Bob Turner
Rick Ley

John "Bouse" Hutton
Jose Theodore​

Offence: I really like the offensive lines we’ve assembled, and lines 2-4 are going to be very tough lines to play against.

Line One: This line may be the weakness of the team – very one-dimensional, built to be primarily a scoring line. Tommy Smith, the focal point of the line, may be slightly undersized when compared to others in the league (similar to Bowie). Ronning may be better suited for second-line duty however, his speed and offensive skills will be a nice addition to the line. If this line starts to get pushed around, some of the bigger bodies (Vail, Flett) can easily be slotted into the first line to create more room for Smith and Stastny. Toughness from our top-line may be the biggest problem.

Line Two: This is my favourite line on the team – the “Star Line.†This will be one heck of a line to play against. With Dahlen’s ability to retrieve and control the puck, Morrow’s aggressive and physical forecheck, and Gagner’s slick offensive ability, this line can do it all – Momentum, defense, and scoring. Neither Dahlen or Morrow will be afraid to head into the corners after the puck, opening up room for Gagner to thrive.

Line Three: This line will be the Leafs shut-down line throughout the regular season and playoffs. All three players are defense-oriented yet, have the ability to chip on the scoresheet every now and then. Meagher brings a Selke into the mix and, both he and Osborne, spent their days checking the opposing teams best players every night.

Line Four:
Another tough line to play against – Vail, Flett, and Kocur are big, tough players that will be aggressive every shift. Not expected to log big minutes each game, they’ll be used primarily to rattle the opposing team. Vail, Flett, and Broten all have the ability to put the puck in the net as well, so they won’t be an offensive, or defensive, liability on the ice. I like what I see for a forth line.

Defence: I really like this teams defense. A nice blend of size (Mummery), skill (Lidster, Maloney, Van Boxmeer), toughness (Shmyr, Ley), and stay-at-home defense (Mummery, Turner).
I think Ley may be the best 7th defenceman in the draft. He’s tough, rugged, and skilled offensively. He can easily be slotted into the line-up without the team missing a beat.

Goaltending: There are a lot of fantastic goalies in the draft, and Hutton gives the Leafs a chance to win every night. Described as one of the ‘top all-around athletes’ of his era, Hutton’s conditioning will be top-notch, especially when it counts – in the playoffs. Also, with five Stanley Cups backstopping the Silver Seven, we know he’ll be clutch.
Theodore, though not strong enough to be a starter, will be the perfect back-up, with the ability to steal games in any of his starts throughout the season. A Hart and a Vezina don’t hurt either.

Coaching: The Sutter coaching tandem may not be the strongest in the draft but, is a nice fit for the current Nelson Leafs roster. The line-up is stocked with hard-working, tough, physical, grinding players who rarely give up on a play – the Sutter’s will know how to maximize these assets to their full potential. Each player has been selected based upon exemplary work ethic, which the Sutter’s will love.

 

[God Bless Canada]

My concern with Phoenix's five HHOFers is that the HHOF was a lot easier to get into until about 1970. I'm not concerned whether they could play or not. How easy was it to get into the HHOF? 27 players were inducted in 1962. There were 31 in the 70s, 31 in the 80s, 24 in the 1990s, and 22 this decade.