The ATD 2014 Lineup Assassination Thread - Jim Robson Division

[VanIslander]

Post your completed line-up, the 25-man roster, with a captain and two alternate captains, then we can "assassinate" each other's teams, which are more like reflective team reviews.

For newbies, here is a nearly 1000-post thread from two years ago to get an idea:
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1138077

Click to read more...

 

[MadArcand]

Hartford Whalers

Coach: Pat Quinn
Assistant coach: Dave Tippett

John LeClair - Wayne Gretzky (C) - Jari Kurri
Gary Roberts (A) - Russell Bowie - Bill Mosienko
Hec Kilrea - Rod Brind'Amour (A) - Trevor Linden
Simon Gagne - Jonathan Toews - Corey Perry
Vincent Lecavalier, Patrick Sharp

Brian Leetch - Moose Johnson
Kevin Lowe - Rob Blake
Steve Smith - Rob Ramage
Erik Karlsson

Tony Esposito
Tim Thomas

PP1: Brian Leetch - Rob Blake - John LeClair - Wayne Gretzky - Jari Kurri
PP2: Moose Johnson - Rob Ramage - Gary Roberts - Russell Bowie - Bill Mosienko

PK1: Kevin Lowe - Moose Johnson - Rod Brind'Amour - Trevor Linden
PK2: Steve Smith - Rob Blake - Jonathan Toews - Jari Kurri

​

 

[markrander87]

We aren't separating into divisions? Can we edit VI post to list the teams.

 

[Hawkey Town 18]

We aren't separating into divisions?

Yes we are. I have turned this one into the Jim Robson division. Someone please make a new thread for the other divisions when you are ready to post your lineup

 

[ImporterExporter]

Pittsburgh Hornets​

GM: 87and71
Head Coach: Scotty Bowman
Captain: Ted Lindsay
Alternate Captain: Daniel Alfredsson
Alternate Captain: Scott Niedermayer


Ted Lindsay C - Adam Oates - Mike Bossy
Ilya Kovalchuk - Mats Sundin - Daniel Alfredsson A
Bob Pulford - Pavel Datsyuk - Dirk Graham
Bob Bourne - Bernie Nicholls - Terry O'Reilly
Boris Mayorov - Craig MacTavish - Boris Mayorov

Serge Savard - Scott Niedermayer A
Flash Hollett - Red Dutton
Viktor Kuzkin - Ken Morrow
Nikolai Sologubov Willie Mitchell

Tom Barrasso
Hap Holmes


Power Play 1:

Ted Lindsay - Adam Oates - Mike Bossy
Ilya Kovalchuk - Flash Hollett


Power Play 2:

Mats Sundin - Pavel Datsyuk - Daniel Alfredsson
Scott Niedermayer - Viktor Kuzkin


Penalty Kill 1:

Bob Pulford - Dirk Graham
Serge Savard - Red Dutton

Penalty Kill 2:

Bob Bourne/Craig MacTavish - Daniel Alfredsson
Scott Niedermayer - Ken Morrow


Round 1 (26) - Mike Bossy
Round 2 (31) - Ted Lindsay
Round 3 (82) - Scott Niedermayer
Round 4 (87) - Serge Savard
Round 5 (138) - Adam Oates
Round 6 (143) - Pavel Datsyuk
Round 7 (194) - Ilya Kovalchuk
Round 8 (199) - Daniel Alfredsson
Round 9 (250) - Mats Sundin
Round 10 (255) - Bob Pulford
Round 11 (306) - Scotty Bowman
Round 12 (311) - Flash Hollett
Round 13 (362) - Dirk Graham
Round 14 ((367) - Red Dutton
Round 15 (417) - Ken Morrow
Round 16 (422) - Tom Barrasso
Round 17 (474) - Terry O'Reilly
Round 18 (479) - Bernie Nicholls
Round 19 (530) - Nikolai Sologubov
Round 20 (535) - Hap Holmes
Round 21 (586) - Bob Bourne
Round 22 (591) - Viktor Kuzkin
Round 23 (642) - Craig MacTavish
Round 24 (647) - Boris Mayorov

Overview:

A lot of time is spent formulating a plan for drafts like these and for the most part i'm happy with how the picks unfolded in terms of what my pre draft thinking was in terms of style/strategy.

I value leadership, two way play, and clutch play very highly in my hockey players. There needs to be balance and role players in any lineup but those are two qualities i hold in high regard. With the roster i have assembled i think, for the most part i covered those 2 wants in spades. Ted Lindsay was a fantastic, hall of fame player, and quite possibly, pound for pound, the toughest SOB to ever lace up skates. He exudes what i want in my Captain. Hard nosed, premier skill and the ability to leave it all the ice and inspire not only by strong words but strong play. He was a character no doubt, and to balance his style i went with 2 other great leaders in the all time scope with Daniel Alfredsson and Scott Niedermayer. Their styles are the perfect contrast to Lindsay's. Much quieter, men of few words but actions on the ice allowed them to be viewed as great all time captains of their respective team(s).

I could have easily tapped a long serving captain like Mats Sundin, or Dirk Graham, Bob Pulford, Terry O'Reilly, Serge Savard, Viktor Kuzkin, Red Dutton etc to wear an A. I certainly didn't make it easy choosing the letter wearers.

If you're looking for clutch play, most of the team has a long resume of it. 4 Conn Smythe winners (Bossy, Pulford(retro), Savard and Niedermayer), while you could make strong cases for both Bob Bourne in 83 and Tom Barrasso in 92 when he won 14 consecutive games in net. Ted Lindsay was very good in the postseason, leading the playoffs in goals, assists and scoring all at least once and has 4 rings. Oates, although he never won a ring was tremendously consistent in the postseason on some lower seeded teams. He had 156 points in 163 games. 114 helpers ranks 15th all time. Alfredsson, like Oates doesn't have a ring but he has managed 100 points in 121 contests, while leading the NHL playoffs in scoring in 06-07.

I wanted to make sure i balanced every line with at least one known and accomplished two way player. In some cases I was able to land multiple players per line to fill that type of role.

Adam Oates was a strong faceoff player and one of only a handful of players to finish a season top 10 in both scoring and Selke voting. He can be counted on to back check and be responsible in his own zone. Ted Lindsay will undoubtedly play all out in all 3 zones. Obviously the top line is built to score with an elite all time goal scorer (Bossy), play maker (Oates) and glue guy, who just happens to be supremely skilled offensively (Lindsay). It's a line that, together, will devastate opposing teams but also not be a liability one way or the other.

The 2nd line is much like the first, although stronger defensively, while still being very good offensively in comparison to most other 2nd lines they'll face. Datsyuk is one of the all time great 2 way C's and has the Selke record to prove it, not to mention scoring numbers (be it VsX or straight averages). Daniel Alfredsson was a very strong 2 way player, a do it all type. Ilya Kovalchuk was picked in large part because the line needed a strong goal scorer, which he fills, and also there is strong chemistry between him and Datsyuk from their time playing with the Russian national team in multiple world events. Kovalchuk is not a soft player and will throw his weight around from time to time but he certainly needs players like Datsyuk and Alfredsson, not only for line defensive responsibility but leadership. Kovy had some attitude issues and i know the only way you can minimize those concerns is to make sure he's with familiar faces and players who will push him to be strong in his efforts. I believe i was able to accomplish that.

The 3rd line, like most is more or less a checking, defensive stalwart line, with a slight twist. Most 3rd line will be assembled with 3 more or less similar type players. When Mats Sundin was on the board at 250, i couldn't pass up the value and although i already had Oates and Datsyuk, came up with, what i feel is a pretty good plan. Obviously Sundin is much more a #2 than #3, however having him AND Datsyuk gives me some flexibility. Against a team with a Gretzky or smaller sized high end #1 C's you'll likely see me employ Datsyuk on the 3rd unit as his defense is elite. However, moving him permanently to the 3rd line doesn't really work for me for 2 reasons. One, it leaves me defensively weaker on my 2nd line (with Sundin there) and two, it leaves me slightly weaker offensively on the 3rd. Sundin might not be a typical #3 but his size will allow him to play there vs bigger bodied #1's and lower end guys as well. Obviously Pulford and Graham bring tremendous checking, defensive and penalty kill ability but more or less are short on offensive skill. Sundin can help with that and given his size he's not entirely incapable of moving people in the offensive zone when he's on the puck specifically. The ability of Pulford and Graham as elite #3's allows a bit more flexibility here IMO, than simply running 3 low end offense, defensive minded players as you typically see. And when needed based on matchup, Datsyuk is perfect to drop down a line.

The 4th line is a nice combination of grit/toughness, scoring, defense and all around hustle. Terry O'Reilly was one of the guys i absolutely wanted on my roster before the draft began and was more than happy to get him when i did. He personifies a 4th liner in a draft like this. Plays all out, every shift, was God like in the corners and could hang and bang with anyone, even the most feared fighters. As a bonus he was a pretty good offensive player (0.68 ppg mainly in the 70's) as well, likely because he won so many battles down low and had decent enough hands to make plays passing the puck. He received Selke votes as well 3 different times so he wasn't just a forechecking demon. He can play rough and tough in all 3 zones. Bernie Nicholls was another value pick. If you read the tremendous bio tony d did, you'll see while not a big checker or rough person, he never shied away from the front of the net or corners and scouting reports showed he played better in rough situations. His offensive ability will be tough to match for other teams 4th liner C's. He's the type of guy who will benefit a lot from having an elite corner man in O'Reilly. Nicholls had a wicked shot and it will make for great scoring depth. You will be hard pressed to find an all time scorer like him (over PPG) on a 4th line. As a bonus, while never winning a Cup he was tremendous in the postseason with 114 points in 118 games. Bob Bourne was another guy i discovered fairly early on and after in depth scouting, fit what i wanted to a T. On the bio i did, you'll see that he was very likely the most important piece to the Islander dynasty after the trio of Trottier, Bossy and Potvin (and Billy Smith in net). He averaged better than a PPG from 80-83 in the postseason, was one of the fastest skaters in hockey, good fore/back checker, and a tremendous penalty killer. He's the epitome of the kind of guy you want to win as a 4th liner.

Obviously going W-W with my first 2 picks and picking late in the 1st round, i knew that i'd be getting a lower end #1 defender (Savard), although the pairing has a higher end #2 in Niedermayer.

(http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1299145) Although the list has some flaws, it should be noted that Scotty Bowman (my coach) was a HUGE fan of not only Savard but Niedermayer as well. Scotty Bowman ranked Savard (20th) just ahead of names like Denis Potvin and Larry Robinson on his top 100 Canadian hockey players of all time list. Serge was a player that Bowman put a lot of trust in defensively for his dynasty years coaching the Montreal Canadians in the 70's. Savard had a ton of offensive potential but 2 serious knee injuries earlier in his career forced him to adopt a more defensive minded game which he excelled at tremendously. He's an elite penalty killer and even strength defensive wizard and has a direct link to Bowman which bodes well. He may not be in the top tier of #1's but his style of play and link to Scotty ups his value. Given how Bowman rates Savard, i have no doubt he'd be more than OK putting Savard out there as his #1. A Conn Smthe winner.

Niedermayer is a guy who gets under appreciated by so many. Bowman ranked Nieds 34th on his all time list and for reference he had Scott Stevens at 49 and Chris Pronger 64th. He played huge minutes all the way until the end of his career. He played a shade under 28 minutes per at age 36 for Anaheim and during the playoffs when he won a SC and Conn Smythe, he played 30:51 per, at age 33. His endurance was legendary. He was an elite skater and very good puck mover. Given those traits and his offensive production he's a great partner for Savard. Ranking 33rd in the HOH all time defensive ranking, he makes for a very solid #2 IMO. His leadership qualities are well documented and carried himself extremely well as a captain in the last third of his career. Niedermayer is the only player in hockey history to win every major North American and world title a Canadian can win: the Memorial Cup, World Junior championship, Stanley Cup, World Championship, World Cup and Olympic gold medal as well. He's a winner, plain and simple.

Flash Hollett retired in the late 40's as the all time leading scorer among defenceman. He's a bit of a liability in his own end admittedly, although my research and deep bio suggest he wasn't as bad as previously thought and most definitely was a pretty tough/rough player given some of the collisions and fights i uncovered. He's going to provide ample secondary offense from the blue line and can run the point on the power play, with either unit.

Red Dutton was an absolute beast and rock through the 20's and 30's. PLEASE read the bio on him. It was one of my favorites to dig up. He made the hall of fame despite not being a great offensive threat (he was solid) and never winning a SC. What i uncovered is he seemed to be near unbeatable in his own end and extremely physical as a body checker and i think that helped his HOF legacy. With Hollett's offensive abilities, Dutton can focus on that own end play and making life difficult for opposing players. He'll pair very nicely with Savard to form a big and extremely effective penalty killing pair. He was also noted as a very smart player and great leader.

Kuzkin and Morrow is the 3rd pairing. It will be a defensive focused pairing more than anything. I want a strong defensive presence from both guys and don't need extravagent puck moving. Kuzkin can do that when needed and Barrasso was an excellent handler and puck mover behind and around the net. Both are strong in their own end and can be staples on the 2nd PK unit.

Barrasso is a lower end starter in the draft but he's got a good Vezina record and multiple rings for being the last starter selected and the biggest advantage is his direct connection to the Hornets coach Scotty Bowman. Bowman drafted TB right out of high school and coached him in Buffalo and then again in Pittsburgh winning 2 SC's (one in the front office and one behind the bench) so there is trust and familiarity. I think that is something to value when looking at how teams are built. Hap Holmes is one of the top 3 or 4 backup netminders IMO. I knew getting a higer end backup was important given the fact that i have a lower end #1. He was an early star and has a very good SC record as well as retro PCHA Vezina's and even a retro PCHA Hart award. I think given his calm nature and playoff success he'll be a nice security blanket if i need him to steal a series in lieu of Barrasso.

Scotty Bowman is the Hornets coach. No matter how you slice it, he's the greatest hockey coach and mind the game has ever seen. His legendary career spanned 4 decades, winning 9 SC's a coach and another 4 in front office roles. Strangely his bio was not in the master archive so i put together a pretty in depth one, although i could add scores more to it, but it gets redundant. He won with defensive minded teams, explosive offensive teams, 2 way teams, etc. He adapted to multiple shifts in style the NHL saw and never lost a step along the way. He adapted to players who were paid next to nothing to multi millionaires. I didn't go into the draft expecting to draft Bowman but once he slipped outside 300 the value was just to good. At that point 3rd liners and low end #4's were going off the board. It's hard to distinguish between players and coaches in some ways, but i think i'll take Bowman and the legendary resume over those types and not look back.

Most of the team fits the style of the prominant Bowman teams over the decades. Strong 2 way or defensive minded play from the F group (Lindsay, Oates, Datsyuk, Alfredsson, Pulford, Graham, Bourne, O'Reilly). And while Bossy and Kovalchuck are not known for their own end play, they are both sheltered on lines that have players who are. Both happen to be world class offensive weapons, with Bossy having played under Bowman for team Canada and being ranked highly on Scotty's all time Canadian players list (link above). And it's not like Scotty couldn't get the best out his players (see bio on Guy LaFleur and Steve Yzerman) who didn't fit Bowman's style much but adapted their games to do so. Kovalchuk is a wild card, but i made sure i put him on a line with a familiar face (Datsyuk) and another euro in Alfredsson to ease any concerns. Bernie Nicholls was a scrappy player who killed a lot of penalties in LA so i think he'd be liked by Bowman as would the reserve C Craig MacTavish who was a strong defensive player and PK wizard.


TBC...


​

 

[markrander87]

VICTORIA SALSA​

Head Coach: Punch Imlach
Captain: Jean Beliveau
Alternate Captains: Alex Delvecchio, Earl Seibert


Doug Mohns - Jean Beliveau (C) – Rod Gilbert
Alex Delvecchio (A) – Mickey MacKay – Vic Stasiuk
Don Marshall - Ralph Backstrom –Claude Provost
Camille Henry - Ivan Hlinka - Cully Wilson

Extra: Eric Staal, Dave "Tiger" Williams


Doug Wilson - Earl Seibert (A)
Barry Beck – Alexei Kasatonov
Carol Vadnais - Jamie Macoun
Brian Engblom


Martin Brodeur
Mike Vernon



PP1
Camille Henry - Jean Beliveau – Rod Gilbert
Alex Delvecchio – Doug Wilson

PP2
Doug Mohns – Ivan Hlinka - Mickey MacKay
Barry Beck – Carol Vadnais


PK 1
Don Marshall – Claude Provost
Earl Seibert - Alexei Kasatonov

PK 2
Alex Delvecchio - Mickey MacKay
Jamie Macoun – Barry Beck
​

 

[ResilientBeast]

Edmonton Eskimos

Coach : Jacques Lemaire
Assistant : Pete Muldoon

Captain - Lanny McDonald
Alt : Adam Foote, Woody Dumart

Woody Dumart --- Stan Mikita --- Cam Neely
Vincent Damphousse --- Peter Stastny --- Lanny McDonald
Harry Watson --- Igor Larionov --- Marian Gaborik
George Mantha --- Pit Lepine --- Jerry Toppazzini

Ex - Glen Skov (C/LW), Billy Boucher (RW)

Bill Quackenbush --- Tim Horton
Si Griffis --- Adam Foote
Hamby Shore --- Gennady Tsygankov

Ex - Wade Redden (D)

Ed Belfour
John Vanbiesbrouck

PP1: Si Griffis - Bill Quackenbush - Vincent Damphousse - Stan Mikita - Cam Neely
PP2: Hamby Shore - Tim Horton - Marian Gaborik - Peter Stastny - Lanny McDonald

PK1: Bill Quackenbush - Tim Horton - Pit Lepine - Jerry Toppazzini
PK2: Gennady Tsygankov - Adam Foote - Stan Mikita - Woody Dumart

​

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

VICTORIA SALSA​

Head Coach: Punch Imlach
Captain: Jean Beliveau
Alternate Captains: Alex Delvecchio, Earl Seibert


Doug Mohns - Jean Beliveau (C) – Rod Gilbert
Alex Delvecchio (A) – Mickey MacKay – Vic Stasiuk
Don Marshall - Ralph Backstrom –Claude Provost
Camille Henry - Ivan Hlinka - Cully Wilson

Extra: Eric Staal, Dave "Tiger" Williams


Doug Wilson - Earl Seibert (A)
Barry Beck – Alexei Kasatonov
Carol Vadnais - Jamie Macoun
Brian Engblom


Martin Brodeur
Mike Vernon



PP1
Camille Henry - Jean Beliveau – Rod Gilbert
Alex Delvecchio – Doug Wilson

PP2
Doug Mohns – Ivan Hlinka - Mickey MacKay
Barry Beck – Carol Vadnais


PK 1
Don Marshall – Claude Provost
Earl Seibert - Alexei Kasatonov

PK 2
Alex Delvecchio - Mickey MacKay
Jamie Macoun – Barry Beck
​

An interesting team built around great team defence, Sandpaper, and goaltending. If they can get some good production from the forwards they should be a high seed, and could go a long ways in the playoff, all though I have concerns with the firepower.

Coaching and leadership:

Imlach is a brilliant hockey mind, a task master. He's a really good coach who we underrate and I think he's going to like his roster. Beliveau might be the greatest captain for a franchise ever.

Forwards:

Line 1 - Beliveau is a premiere player, solidly the third best centre in the league. I wish you would have gotten him at least one player who is in the elite talent group though. Gilbert is a elegant player, heady, good shooter but he's undersized and I would rather see him on a 2nd line with 28 teams TBH. Im not thrilled with Mohns at 1st line LW either. Beliveau's presence makes the line tick but it must be below average in the grand scheme.

Line 2 - MacKay and Delvechhio are going to be counted on heavily by the club. They need to score regularly to help the team win, they should succeed a lot, but again I would be more confident if they had a better talent than Stasiuk to work with. It's pretty well constructed, and I think they're an effective line.

Line 3 - One of the real strengths of the team. I didn't like the value you gave yourself with Provost, but along with Backstrom, who I think is an awesome #3, the two of them as well as Marshall should be a handful.

Line 4 - I like it. You didn't make Patrick Marleau-Vincent lecavalier-Corey Perry your 4th line.

Defence:

Top pair - A lower tier #1 and a decent #3. I like that you have a great big defensive guy in Seibert as your #1, it fits the engine of the team and Wilson is not out of place on a top pair at all.

Second pair - A beast and a graceful Soviet. Im still not sure about Kasatonov to be honest. I think it was BC who said his NHL resume was pretty underwhelming. (Is it just me or were there a lot of underwhelming Soviets in the NHL in the early 90's??....). I am a huge fan of Beck. A bone jarring hitter, a soldier out there. It's a another solid pair strengthening the team.

Third pair - They shouldn't be asked to do much. Vadnais seems like he owuld be used as a pp specialist almost for this club and he and Macoun probably will see limited time at even strength.

Goaltending:

For my money Marty Brodeur is the 5th best goalie ever behind only Roy, Hasek, Sawchuk, Plant. He may be Victoria's second best player. Not much needed to be said other than you're set in goal and it's a key advantage to flaunt over most.

All in all it's a differen't kind of team (this year anyway) with some great potential. I don't know if they can keep up with the skill level up front most teams this year have, but I defintely can buy that they can frustrate them and win low scoring games.

 

[markrander87]

Coaching and leadership:

Imlach is a brilliant hockey mind, a task master. He's a really good coach who we underrate and I think he's going to like his roster. Beliveau might be the greatest captain for a franchise ever

First and foremost, thank you for taking to the time to evaluate my team.

To me this is the best team stylistically that Imlach has ever had in the ATD.

My team is extremely strong/great defensively down the middle with Beliveau, MacKay and Backstrom. Imlach was a big fan of two-way centres.

I really think people need to understand then way this team will operate. Building from the goal out we are utilizing Brodeurs puck handling skills by taking large, mobile and physical dmen who will step up, create a dump in and then Marty will handle the dump in. I have fast, 2-way forwards who will generate more offense from the transition game.

Forwards:

Line 1 - Beliveau is a premiere player, solidly the third best centre in the league. I wish you would have gotten him at least one player who is in the elite talent group though. Gilbert is a elegant player, heady, good shooter but he's undersized and I would rather see him on a 2nd line with 28 teams TBH. Im not thrilled with Mohns at 1st line LW either. Beliveau's presence makes the line tick but it must be below average in the grand scheme.

I really think you need to look at the line as a whole more:

Beliveau is an ELITE forward (arguably top 5) do not underrate his ability to make all of his line mates better as well as creating his own offense.

Gilbert is in the perfect position to succeed. He had his best success on the GAG line with Ratelle and Hadfield and Beliveau/Mohns have them beat in spades.

Mohns is exactly the kind of wing that Beliveau/Gilbert need. A physical/great skater who can create spade for them, drive the net as well as handle the defensive responsibilities.

Line 2 - MacKay and Delvechhio are going to be counted on heavily by the club. They need to score regularly to help the team win, they should succeed a lot, but again I would be more confident if they had a better talent than Stasiuk to work with. It's pretty well constructed, and I think they're an effective line.

A very fast skating 2-way line Delvecchio-Mackay has got to be one of the better two way duos on ANY second line. This line will be the biggest beneficiaries of Brodeurs outlet passes.

Again, we have the 3rd member of the line creating space, playing stron defensive hockey and chipping in offensively.

Line 3 - One of the real strengths of the team. I didn't like the value you gave yourself with Provost, but along with Backstrom, who I think is an awesome #3, the two of them as well as Marshall should be a handful.

Check out the LW in my divisions...Provost value is massive in this division

This has got to be one of the best checking lines in the league.

Top pair - A lower tier #1 and a decent #3. I like that you have a great big defensive guy in Seibert as your #1, it fits the engine of the team and Wilson is not out of place on a top pair at all.

100% disagree, what separates Earl Seibert from that entire tier including Stevens, MacInnis, Pilote, Cleghorn etc?? He had a season where he was 4th in Hart voting and then 12 continuos seasons as a 1st/2nd team all star

Second pair - A beast and a graceful Soviet. Im still not sure about Kasatonov to be honest. I think it was BC who said his NHL resume was pretty underwhelming. (Is it just me or were there a lot of underwhelming Soviets in the NHL in the early 90's??....). I am a huge fan of Beck. A bone jarring hitter, a soldier out there. It's a another solid pair strengthening the team.

Kasatonov was known to adapt and outplay Fetisov when they first moved to the NHL. 8x 1st Team All-Star (1981-1988) in the USSR league if anything he is underrated around here.

Goaltending:

For my money Marty Brodeur is the 5th best goalie ever behind only Roy, Hasek, Sawchuk, Plant. He may be Victoria's second best player. Not much needed to be said other than you're set in goal and it's a key advantage to flaunt over most.

No complaints here. I will mirror my above post, where my team is built around getting the most out of the best puck handling goalie of all time. On top of that I have a very large/physical blue line who will be able to clear the front of the net and allow Marty to track the puck.

All in all it's a differen't kind of team (this year anyway) with some great potential. I don't know if they can keep up with the skill level up front most teams this year have, but I defintely can buy that they can frustrate them and win low scoring games.

I just can't see teams in my division who stack up well against my team. The team with the best 2nd line is very very weak defensively. My checking line ail be the difference in this division.

 

[ResilientBeast]

Pittsburgh Hornets​

GM: 87and71
Head Coach: Scotty Bowman
Captain: Ted Lindsay
Alternate Captain: Daniel Alfredsson
Alternate Captain: Scott Niedermayer


Ted Lindsay C - Adam Oates - Mike Bossy
Ilya Kovalchuk - Pavel Datsyuk - Daniel Alfredsson A
Bob Pulford - Mats Sundin - Dirk Graham
Bob Bourne - Bernie Nicholls - Terry O'Reilly
Boris Mayorov - Craig MacTavish - Boris Mayorov

Serge Savard - Scott Niedermayer A
Flash Hollett - Red Dutton
Viktor Kuzkin - Ken Morrow
Nikolai Sologubov

Tom Barrasso
Hap Holmes


Power Play 1:

Ted Lindsay - Adam Oates - Mike Bossy
Ilay Kovalchuk - Scott Niedermayer


Power Play 2:

Mats Sundin - Pavel Datsyuk - Daniel Alfredsson
Flash Hollett - Viktor Kuzkin


Penalty Kill 1:

Bob Pulford - Dirk Graham
Serge Savard - Red Dutton

Penalty Kill 2:

Mats Sundin/Bob Bourne/Craig MacTavish - Daniel Alfredsson
Viktor Kuzkin - Ken Morrow


Round 1 (26) - Mike Bossy
Round 2 (31) - Ted Lindsay
Round 3 (82) - Scott Niedermayer
Round 4 (87) - Serge Savard
Round 5 (138) - Adam Oates
Round 6 (143) - Pavel Datsyuk
Round 7 (194) - Ilya Kovalchuk
Round 8 (199) - Daniel Alfredsson
Round 9 (250) - Mats Sundin
Round 10 (255) - Bob Pulford
Round 11 (306) - Scotty Bowman
Round 12 (311) - Flash Hollett
Round 13 (362) - Dirk Graham
Round 14 ((367) - Red Dutton
Round 15 (417) - Ken Morrow
Round 16 (422) - Tom Barrasso
Round 17 (474) - Terry O'Reilly
Round 18 (479) - Bernie Nicholls
Round 19 (530) - Nikolai Sologubov
Round 20 (535) - Hap Holmes
Round 21 (586) - Bob Bourne
Round 22 (591) - Viktor Kuzkin
Round 23 (642) - Craig MacTavish
Round 24 (647) - Boris Mayorov
​

Alright newbie going to review another newbie.

Lindsay - Oates - Bossy

Love this first line, has everything you need, grit, playmaking and goalscoring. Only thing missing is two way play, but given this being your top line I see no issues with the two way play being a bit lacking. Overall I think one of the best top lines in this draft.

Ilya Kovalchuk - Pavel Datsyuk - Daniel Alfredsson

A modern line, built much like your first line. Kovalchuk is an excellent goal scorer albeit a bit of a puck hog. Don't know if he's mesh great with Datsyuk, because Datsyuk is a guy who does his work with the puck on his stick. It's a decent fit but there are a couple of other centers which might have fit better. Alfie is a good "glue guy" and compliments the other two well. Only issue I can see is this line will get bullied physically by some of the bigger lines and stronger D pairings

Bob Pulford - Mats Sundin - Dirk Graham

A shutdown line by the looks of things, Pulford and Graham look good for the role, Sundin perhaps a little miscast, but he can physically match up with any center in the whole draft. Almost took him over Larionov, but liked the professor a bit more. No complaints here about this line.

4th line not completed

But I agree with those who said it in the draft thread I think Mactavish would be better suited in MLD or as a spare. But he's serviceable in the role on this team.

Serge Savard - Scott Niedermayer

Lower tier number 1 dman and a lower tier number 2 in my eyes. Given how you drafted it's a decent pairing but by no stretch of the imagination a strength of your team. Savard provides some size which is good, because there are some very large forwards in this division.

Flash Hollett - Red Dutton

Defense first guy covering for an end to end rushing offence first guy. No don't really know enough to comment, but seems like a guy pairing stylistically

Viktor Kuzkin - Ken Morrow

Another decent pairing, Morrow doesn't seem to have much in hardware or voting, someone more experienced could chime in but I don't know if he's a good fit as a 6th or not. Kuzkin, good 5th I think in this draft.

Barasso

Lower tier starter, good enough solid playoff goalie. I think given your drafting strategy you got the right guy.

Bowman

I can't say anything that hasn't already been said. Excellent coach

 

[ImporterExporter]

Alright newbie going to review another newbie.

Lindsay - Oates - Bossy

Love this first line, has everything you need, grit, playmaking and goalscoring. Only thing missing is two way play, but given this being your top line I see no issues with the two way play being a bit lacking. Overall I think one of the best top lines in this draft.

Ilya Kovalchuk - Pavel Datsyuk - Daniel Alfredsson

A modern line, built much like your first line. Kovalchuk is an excellent goal scorer albeit a bit of a puck hog. Don't know if he's mesh great with Datsyuk, because Datsyuk is a guy who does his work with the puck on his stick. It's a decent fit but there are a couple of other centers which might have fit better. Alfie is a good "glue guy" and compliments the other two well. Only issue I can see is this line will get bullied physically by some of the bigger lines and stronger D pairings

Bob Pulford - Mats Sundin - Dirk Graham

A shutdown line by the looks of things, Pulford and Graham look good for the role, Sundin perhaps a little miscast, but he can physically match up with any center in the whole draft. Almost took him over Larionov, but liked the professor a bit more. No complaints here about this line.

4th line not completed

But I agree with those who said it in the draft thread I think Mactavish would be better suited in MLD or as a spare. But he's serviceable in the role on this team.

Serge Savard - Scott Niedermayer

Lower tier number 1 dman and a lower tier number 2 in my eyes. Given how you drafted it's a decent pairing but by no stretch of the imagination a strength of your team. Savard provides some size which is good, because there are some very large forwards in this division.

Flash Hollett - Red Dutton

Defense first guy covering for an end to end rushing offence first guy. No don't really know enough to comment, but seems like a guy pairing stylistically

Viktor Kuzkin - Ken Morrow

Another decent pairing, Morrow doesn't seem to have much in hardware or voting, someone more experienced could chime in but I don't know if he's a good fit as a 6th or not. Kuzkin, good 5th I think in this draft.

Barasso

Lower tier starter, good enough solid playoff goalie. I think given your drafting strategy you got the right guy.

Bowman

I can't say anything that hasn't already been said. Excellent coach

Thanks for reviewing my team RB! I'll be doing some on Tuesday on my day off.


1. Datsyuk and Kovalchuk have meshed very well on the international scene (WC's/Olympics). Datsyuk, if you check his bio was voted smartest player by his peers on multiple occasions. I think given his ability to see the ice extremely well and his smarts make for it a good combination, with the obvious time spent together in real life. PD is smart enough to play a game that will maximize Kovy's goal scoring skills.

While some very big lines might give us a little trouble, Kovy is a huge player at 6'3" 230 and wasn't afraid to use the size when it was needed. Alf played bigger than his size as well and Datsyuk (more bio info) is one of the toughest players to knock off his skates or off the puck.


2. Bernie Nicholls is my 4th C, not MacT.....MacT will be my spare


3. Morrow used to cover up for Potvin in NY and was a very good PK player both for team USA in 1980 and then NY throughout the 80's.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

100% disagree, what separates Earl Seibert from that entire tier including Stevens, MacInnis, Pilote, Cleghorn etc?? He had a season where he was 4th in Hart voting and then 12 continuos seasons as a 1st/2nd team all star

I guess I was a little harsh calling him a lower tier #1. He's closer to average, you're right. Like I said I like his playing style and it fits.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Sorry I'm late to the party.....

GM: Modo
Head Coach: Roger Nielson
Captain: Steve Yzerman
A.Captain: Steve Larmer
A.Captain: Sid Smith

Valeri Kharlamov - Steve Yzerman - Steve Larmer
Sid Smith - Mike Modano - Brett Hull
Yvon Lambert - Vyacheslav Starshinov - Ed Litzenberger
Brian Rolston - Tod Sloan - Pat Verbeek
x - Dick Irvin, Jan Erixon

Jack Stewart - Fern Flaman
Vitaly Davydov - "Bullet" Joe Simpson
Pat Stapleton - Don Awrey
x - Fred Lake, Oldrich Machac

Hugh Lehman
Gerry Cheevers

PP1: Kharlamov - Yzerman - Hull - Stewart - Simpson
PP2: Smith - Modano - Larmer - Stapleton - Flaman

PK1: Modano - Larmer - Flaman - Davydov
PK2: Litzenberger - Sloan - Awrey - Simpson
​

 

[BillyShoe1721]

Gilbert is in the perfect position to succeed. He had his best success on the GAG line with Ratelle and Hadfield and Beliveau/Mohns have them beat in spades.

Mohns is exactly the kind of wing that Beliveau/Gilbert need. A physical/great skater who can create spade for them, drive the net as well as handle the defensive responsibilities.

It could be said that the vast majority of ATD players are playing with better linemates, like Gilbert is so I don't think that's really a valid argument. But Beliveau is one exception where he is probably playing with worse linemates. He regularly played with Moore, Geoffrion, and Olmstead to name a few. Mohns is a strong fit stylistically, but you cannot deny his offense is weak for a first line. He's broken a VsX score of 70 just once in his career, in 1966-67.

100% disagree, what separates Earl Seibert from that entire tier including Stevens, MacInnis, Pilote, Cleghorn etc?? He had a season where he was 4th in Hart voting and then 12 continuos seasons as a 1st/2nd team all star

It was only for 10 seasons.

Kasatonov was known to adapt and outplay Fetisov when they first moved to the NHL. 8x 1st Team All-Star (1981-1988) in the USSR league if anything he is underrated around here.

Huh? I'm guessing you're basing this on Fetisov being 20th in AS voting their first year here and Kasatonov being 16th, which is a poor assumption considering both got just one vote, and Kasatonov's happened to be a 4th to Fetisov's 5th. When they were both playing in the NHL at the same time, Fetisov outscored Kasatonov by 26 points, and had a better PPG(.4387 to .4178). Fetisov also made two all-star games to Kasatonov's one. Do you have any evidence of people saying this?

 

[markrander87]

It could be said that the vast majority of ATD players are playing with better linemates, like Gilbert is so I don't think that's really a valid argument. But Beliveau is one exception where he is probably playing with worse linemates. He regularly played with Moore, Geoffrion, and Olmstead to name a few. Mohns is a strong fit stylistically, but you cannot deny his offense is weak for a first line. He's broken a VsX score of 70 just once in his career, in 1966-67.

I'm not surprised you're going after my team, I am probably the biggest competition you have in our division.

Quite a bit surprised you are going after my first line considering Petrov is on yours.

Considering Mohns spent the majority of his career back and forth between D and LW it is obvious why his VSX numbers don't look impressive.

It is quite impressive that his AS voting record at LW is:

Top-10 in All-Star Voting 5 Times - LW - (3rd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th)


While his Norris record is:

5th (56-57), 5th (61-62), 8th (59-60), 8th (69-70), 10th (60-61), 10th (63-64), 11th (62-63)

How are you taking his Norris years into consideration?? By the sounds of it they add zero value to his career?

It was only for 10 seasons.

Unless Hockey reference is wrong...nope it was 12 http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/s/seibeea01.html

Huh? I'm guessing you're basing this on Fetisov being 20th in AS voting their first year here and Kasatonov being 16th, which is a poor assumption considering both got just one vote, and Kasatonov's happened to be a 4th to Fetisov's 5th. When they were both playing in the NHL at the same time, Fetisov outscored Kasatonov by 26 points, and had a better PPG(.4387 to .4178). Fetisov also made two all-star games to Kasatonov's one. Do you have any evidence of people saying this?

The answer is in the bio I linked Billy....

From the Hockey News after the 1989-90 season:

Quote:
Kasatonov, who joined the New Jersey Devils Jan. 2, finished the regular season as their best defenseman. He adjusted faster than Fetisov and Starikov and exhibited a higher skill level.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

It could be said that the vast majority of ATD players are playing with better linemates, like Gilbert is so I don't think that's really a valid argument. But Beliveau is one exception where he is probably playing with worse linemates. He regularly played with Moore, Geoffrion, and Olmstead to name a few. Mohns is a strong fit stylistically, but you cannot deny his offense is weak for a first line. He's broken a VsX score of 70 just once in his career, in 1966-67.

Not to mention, when Mohns played forward, he was the 3rd best scorer on his line next to Mikita and Wharram.

Huh? I'm guessing you're basing this on Fetisov being 20th in AS voting their first year here and Kasatonov being 16th, which is a poor assumption considering both got just one vote, and Kasatonov's happened to be a 4th to Fetisov's 5th. When they were both playing in the NHL at the same time, Fetisov outscored Kasatonov by 26 points, and had a better PPG(.4387 to .4178). Fetisov also made two all-star games to Kasatonov's one. Do you have any evidence of people saying this?

When both were on New Jersey, Kasatonov definitely outplayed Fetisov. Then Fetisov was traded to Detroit, where he was rejuvenated in a more European-style system with much better coaching, while Kasatonov faded away. Kasatonov played a much simpler style, which IMO was a big reason he adjusted more quickly.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

I'm not surprised you're going after my team, I am probably the biggest competition you have in our division.

Quite a bit surprised you are going after my first line considering Petrov is on yours.

Considering Mohns spent the majority of his career back and forth between D and LW it is obvious why his VSX numbers don't look impressive.

It is quite impressive that his AS voting record at LW is:

Top-10 in All-Star Voting 5 Times - LW - (3rd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th)


While his Norris record is:

5th (56-57), 5th (61-62), 8th (59-60), 8th (69-70), 10th (60-61), 10th (63-64), 11th (62-63)

How are you taking his Norris years into consideration?? By the sounds of it they add zero value to his career?

Mohns does have a good AS record at LW, but he still has poor scoring numbers. I think it's evidence he provided a lot more than scoring, but as a scorer, he's definitely very weak as a first liner. I agree with you that we can't take his scoring stats at face value because Mohns spent the majority of his career on D. But... it's not like his peak scoring in the years he was a forward are anything to write home about, either.

Unless Hockey reference is wrong...nope it was 12 http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/s/seibeea01.html

Did you check the dates? H-R has 1935-36 listed 3 times because Seibert was traded in the middle.

The answer is in the bio I linked Billy....

From the Hockey News after the 1989-90 season:

Quote:
Kasatonov, who joined the New Jersey Devils Jan. 2, finished the regular season as their best defenseman. He adjusted faster than Fetisov and Starikov and exhibited a higher skill level.

Keep in mind that that was a pretty terrible Devils team, so it was more like Kasatonov was the best of a pretty bad bunch. But yes, he was quite solid in his first few years in North American, much better than Fetisov who basically sucked in NJ.

 

[markrander87]

Not to mention, when Mohns played forward, he was the 3rd best scorer on his line next to Mikita and Wharram.

Is this a negative? He is playing the exact same role he played while playing LW on the Scooter line.

My top line is an absolute perfect fit recreating the GAG line and Scooter Line.

Considering the amount of time Mohns played on defense is there that much separating him from 1st line glue guys like Shanahan, Neely, Cashman, Larmer, Leclair etc…


I really think Beliveau is being underrated here. He is a clear level above Mikita.

When both were on New Jersey, Kasatonov definitely outplayed Fetisov. Then Fetisov was traded to Detroit, where he was rejuvenated in a more European-style system with much better coaching, while Kasatonov faded away. Kasatonov played a much simpler style, which IMO was a big reason he adjusted more quickly.

He will be playing that same style for the Salsa…also thought i'd bold that first line as well.

 

[markrander87]

Mohns does have a good AS record at LW, but he still has poor scoring numbers. I think it's evidence he provided a lot more than scoring, but as a scorer, he's definitely very weak as a first liner. I agree with you that we can't take his scoring stats at face value because Mohns spent the majority of his career on D. But... it's not like his peak scoring in the years he was a forward are anything to write home about, either. .

And how did that line make out with him on the LW? He played his role on one of the top lines of his era.

There is more to winning then "Hockey card stats".

 

[BillyShoe1721]

I'm not surprised you're going after my team, I am probably the biggest competition you have in our division.

Quite a bit surprised you are going after my first line considering Petrov is on yours.

I didn't go after your team(yet), just pointed some things out. I'll go after it when I get time for assassinations. As for Petrov vs. Mohns, I think Mohns sticks out much more than Petrov. Mohns was outscored by his linemates pretty regularly, whereas Petrov lapped Kharlamov and Mikhailov in domestic finishes, outscored them on a number of occasions in the WC, and has more WC All Stars than both.

Considering Mohns spent the majority of his career back and forth between D and LW it is obvious why his VSX numbers don't look impressive.

It is quite impressive that his AS voting record at LW is:

Top-10 in All-Star Voting 5 Times - LW - (3rd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th)

While his Norris record is:

5th (56-57), 5th (61-62), 8th (59-60), 8th (69-70), 10th (60-61), 10th (63-64), 11th (62-63)

How are you taking his Norris years into consideration?? By the sounds of it they add zero value to his career?

His time as a defenseman definitely adds value to his career. That's why he's usually used as a defenseman in the ATD(in 2012, 2011, and 2010) because his resume as a defenseman is more impressive than as a LW. DoMakc probably used him as a LW last year because he has Mikita as a center and wanted the guaranteed chemistry. It adds value to his prestige as an all-time great player, but it doesn't add anything to his merits as a first line LW in the ATD, other than showing he was a good two-way player.

From the Hockey News after the 1989-90 season:

Quote:
Kasatonov, who joined the New Jersey Devils Jan. 2, finished the regular season as their best defenseman. He adjusted faster than Fetisov and Starikov and exhibited a higher skill level.

Interesting, I didn't know Fetisov struggled early in NJ. I guess it makes sense considering Kasatonov plays a very North American style.

 

[BillyShoe1721]

Philadelphia Flyers
Coach: Jack Adams
Captain: Johnny Bucyk
Assistant Captains: Jim Schoenfeld, Larry Aurie

Bobby Hull-Vladimir Petrov-Theo Fleury
Johnny Bucyk-Jean Ratelle-Dany Heatley
John Madden-Don Luce-Larry Aurie
Al Secord-Troy Murray-Jimmy Ward
Lynn Patrick, Ken Linseman, Tom Anderson

Borje Salming-Mike Grant
Hod Stuart-Jim Schoenfeld
Gary Bergman-Glen Harmon
Miroslav Dvorak, Tom Anderson

Glenn Hall
Mikka Kiprusoff

PP1
Dany Heatley-Vladimir Petrov-Theo Fleury
Borje Salming-Bobby Hull

PP2
Johnny Bucyk-Jean Ratelle-Larry Aurie
Hod Stuart-Mike Grant

PK1
Don Luce-John Madden
Hod Stuart-Jim Schoenfeld

PK2
Troy Murray-Larry Aurie
Borje Salming-Mike Grant

PK3
Don Luce-John Madden
Gary Bergman-Glen Harmon​

Specifically looking for advice on captains/assistants, and what to do about pointmen on my second PP unit. Against teams that don't have a line really worth shutting down, we're considering dropping John Madden to 4th line center, removing Troy Murray from the lineup, and placing Lynn Patrick at 3rd line LW.

 

[BillyShoe1721]

Hartford Whalers

Coach: Pat Quinn
Assistant coach: Dave Tippett

John LeClair - Wayne Gretzky (C) - Jari Kurri
Gary Roberts (A) - Russell Bowie - Bill Mosienko
Hec Kilrea - Rod Brind'Amour (A) - Trevor Linden
Simon Gagne - Jonathan Toews - Corey Perry
Vincent Lecavalier, Patrick Sharp

Brian Leetch - Moose Johnson
Kevin Lowe - Rob Blake
Steve Smith - Rob Ramage
Erik Karlsson

Tony Esposito
Tim Thomas

PP1: Brian Leetch - Rob Blake - John LeClair - Wayne Gretzky - Jari Kurri
PP2: Moose Johnson - Rob Ramage - Gary Roberts - Russell Bowie - Bill Mosienko

PK1: Kevin Lowe - Moose Johnson - Rod Brind'Amour - Trevor Linden
PK2: Steve Smith - Rob Blake - Jonathan Toews - Jari Kurri

​

Forwards

Gretzky-Kurri is certainly a proven combination and LeClair is the type of guy that you want complementing them. He'll have a field day in front of the net with those two working their magic. I think Kurri is drafted a little too high in general, but I can see why you'd go for the proven combo. A very strong first line, probably one of the best in the draft.

You've certainly surrounded Bowie with the right style of players to make him work. It was good to see Gary Roberts take a nosedive in the draft, it needed to happen. Opinions vary widely on Bowie, but I think he's a very strong second line center. The big weakness with this line is they've got no defensive qualities to speak of. With a guy like Bowie, I would have like to seen a defensive conscious on his wing. This line could have trouble if they get pinned in their own zone.

Third line seems like a jack of all trades, master of none. They're decent defensively, but not enough to be used as a shutdown line against a very good offensive line. They provide decent scoring and some grit.

Not sure what function the fourth line will serve. Gagne-Toews is a good start to a modern two-way line, but Perry doesn't have the defensive credentials to complete it. They'll score some goals, but aren't a typical fourth line, in the sense that they aren't a shutdown and aren't overly gritty.

A strong first line, an offensively talented second line that is devoid of defense, a useful third line, and pretty much another scoring 4th line. My biggest concern is the lack of defense from the second line, and lack of a line that you could really use as a shutdown unit.

Defense

Leetch and Johnson fit well together. Leetch is a slightly below average #1, and Johnson an above average #2. They come out to around average, maybe slightly above.

Blake could pass as a #2, so having him as a #2 is a nice luxury. Lowe is a solid, but unspectacular #4. Blake make this an above average pairing.

Solid 3rd pairing that should complement each other well.

Goalies

Esposito is probably slightly above average in a 28 team draft. Timmy Thomas is a strong backup who was good in the playoffs, which is important considering some of Esposito's struggles in that area.

PP

Very good looking first unit, probably one of the better first units in the draft. I don't really like Moose Johnson on an ATD PP, always thought of him more as a defensive defenseman. However, I'm not sure you really have any better options because I don't recall any of your forwards every playing point on the power play.

PK

Kevin Lowe seems a bit out of place on an ATD first unit PK. I'd consider putting Blake in there, and tell him to just destroy everyone in the front of the net where his propensity to sometimes get out of position isn't as much of a problem. First unit is pretty meh, and second unit is the same. Surprisingly, Toews hasn't killed many penalties in Chicago. You would think his defensive resume would mean he would be good at it, but the two years he did it in any real capacity (10-11 and 11-12), the Chicago units were well below the league average. With how offensively-leaning your forwards are, it's not a surprise that your penalty kill is somewhat weak.

Coaches

Quinn's probably a below average coach. He works as a motivator that will let the guys play. I'm not sure Tippett's style really fits with the style of this team considering its gung-ho offensive style.

I like: The first line, Bowie, strong power play units, good scoring from the bottom six
I don't like: lack of a real shutdown line, lack of defensive presence on the second line, somewhat questionable PK units, what use does the fourth line serve?

 

[markrander87]

I didn't go after your team(yet), just pointed some things out. I'll go after it when I get time for assassinations. As for Petrov vs. Mohns, I think Mohns sticks out much more than Petrov. Mohns was outscored by his linemates pretty regularly, whereas Petrov lapped Kharlamov and Mikhailov in domestic finishes, outscored them on a number of occasions in the WC, and has more WC All Stars than both.

It's pretty easy to compare Petrovs offense to Mohns offense, they are 2 completely different players.

Is Petrov going to do the dirty work for your line? I can't imagine it will be Fleury or Hull.

His time as a defenseman definitely adds value to his career. That's why he's usually used as a defenseman in the ATD(in 2012, 2011, and 2010) because his resume as a defenseman is more impressive than as a LW. DoMakc probably used him as a LW last year because he has Mikita as a center and wanted the guaranteed chemistry. It adds value to his prestige as an all-time great player, but it doesn't add anything to his merits as a first line LW in the ATD, other than showing he was a good two-way player.

And Beliveau is a clear cut better then Mikita as well as Gilbert over Wharram. This is the perfect type of line for all 3 players to succeed.

Interesting, I didn't know Fetisov struggled early in NJ. I guess it makes sense considering Kasatonov plays a very North American style.

Same here, that was the determining factor for when I went with Kasatonov.

 

[Dreakmur]

And Beliveau is a clear cut better then Mikita.

Is he?

Their offense is pretty close. Mikita has a better peak and Beliveau has more longevity. Despite the difference in championships, their play-off production is close.

I would think that Mikita has the edge in defensive play.

 

[MadArcand]

Third line seems like a jack of all trades, master of none. They're decent defensively, but not enough to be used as a shutdown line against a very good offensive line. They provide decent scoring and some grit.

'Decent' defensively? 'Decent' scoring? Brind'amour is legit second line center and about as elite third line two-way center as it gets. He's also elite defensively, and with both his wingers good+ defensively, that's not just 'decent' defensively. And compared to the offensive black holes that many third lines contain, it's also really good offensive line for a 3rd line.

Not sure what function the fourth line will serve. Gagne-Toews is a good start to a modern two-way line, but Perry doesn't have the defensive credentials to complete it. They'll score some goals, but aren't a typical fourth line, in the sense that they aren't a shutdown and aren't overly gritty.

Why do you think a two-way line needs to have three great two-way guys to be two-way? Toews is elite defensively and gritty enough, Perry is gritty and Gagne is good defensively. That adds up to a gritty two-way line that can outscore most 4th lines easily.

Kevin Lowe seems a bit out of place on an ATD first unit PK. I'd consider putting Blake in there, and tell him to just destroy everyone in the front of the net where his propensity to sometimes get out of position isn't as much of a problem. First unit is pretty meh, and second unit is the same. Surprisingly, Toews hasn't killed many penalties in Chicago. You would think his defensive resume would mean he would be good at it, but the two years he did it in any real capacity (10-11 and 11-12), the Chicago units were well below the league average. With how offensively-leaning your forwards are, it's not a surprise that your penalty kill is somewhat weak.

A PK with Brind'Amour and Kurri can't be weak by definition

As for Lowe, he was the #1 defensive guy of a dynasty. I might swap him for Blake though, if that doesn't seem like overtaxing Blake.

Quinn's probably a below average coach. He works as a motivator that will let the guys play. I'm not sure Tippett's style really fits with the style of this team considering its gung-ho offensive style.

Quinn is primarily a really offensive player's coach and motivator, and Tippett is there to make up for his shortcomings - he's there to take care of the defense and the Xs and Os.