Trade Guidance for my New Dynasty Team?

[Rockies & Hockeys]

Hey All,

I just took over a team in my first ever dynasty league (second team in sig), and it definitely needs some improvement. What I'm specifically wondering is this: are there dudes on my team that you think I should sell high on during the off season? Or some that I should specifically hold onto because they're undervalued/underperforming and will likely improve? I wondering, for example, should I try to sell off someone like Skinner or even Marchand? And do I maybe not know something about Lindberg or Comeau or whoever that would make me want to keep them?

Thanks dudes!

[Moses]

Understand what is available in FA or on the WW before starting to trade with other GMs. They are going to look at you as fresh meat and will try to steal you gold. Don't let them.

[gooding74]

Understand what is available in FA or on the WW before starting to trade with other GMs. They are going to look at you as fresh meat and will try to steal you gold. Don't let them.

Moses is bang on here. I had a guy who took over a dynasty team a couple years ago making a ton of trades thinking he was going to win the title in his first season. Instead he finished dead last because the other owners knew the intricacies of the league such as the scoring system better than he did. I would study the rules and scoring system of the league inside and out before attempting any deals.

[Noddes55]

What are the league scoring cats? Notable free agents? Salary cap league? Your prospects are very good, so that's a start.

[Triplea14]

Love the prospect list

[Rockies & Hockeys]

Thanks! And sorry for the lack of details. Start 4C, 4LW, 4RW, 6D, 1G, set daily lineups. Allowed 3 free agent pickups per week. Best free agents right now are: Mike Smith, Cammalleri, Letestu, D. Brown, Berglund, Moulson, Komarov, Shaw. G=1, A=1, W=2, SO=1.

I've checked out the rules in detail, and the main thing I've noticed is that it's pointless to have several good goalies. No GP limits on skaters, but a max of 4 per week for all goalies combined. I'm actually trying to get that limit raised, since it seems a little overbearing to me. Thoughts?

[Moses]

I'd like to see this thread keep going and have the community help you out.

The first thing you need to understand is that you are a 'mark' for the savy GM's. You aren't going to get any homerun offers out of the gate. Play to that.

The second point is that you are in a totally different format than you have been before and player values are going to be way out of wack from what you are used to.

Thirdly the GM before you left you with a great prospect pool but a iffy player roster. Use this to your ADVANTAGE.

C - Giroux, Monahan, Bennett, Nielsen
L - Marchand, Skinner, Jokinen, Byron
R - R. Smith, Stafford, Williams, Stempniak
D - Chara, Hanifin, Martinez, DeKeyser, Nurse, Ceci
G - Holtby, Jones, Grubauer, Varlamov
Bench - Lindberg, Comeau, Chimera
Top Prospects - W. Nylander, Puljajarvi, Provorov, D.Strome, Konecny, Keller, Fiala, Svechnikov, Sanheim, Crouse, Juulsen, Milano

Looks like your league has a 25 man roster x 11 team (so 275 players). This is not a very deep league and to have a roster of awesome prospects is useful to get good/great "actual" players.

Pull out the final season stats and draw a line after the 70th highest scoring Dman and again at the 180th forward. This is going to be your bar. Your first goal is to roster an ENTIRE team of players that 'should' exceed that bar, as opposed to 'hopefully' will exceed that bar. Identify what you have and be honest with yourself. The bolded player should easily hit this mark.

If you have a WW use it in the offseason to pluck some good 'value' players. They don't have to be flashy but you can find better scorers that Comaeu and Chimera. Having decent mid tier players is just as important as having superstars.

[Moses]

Moses is bang on here. I had a guy who took over a dynasty team a couple years ago making a ton of trades thinking he was going to win the title in his first season. Instead he finished dead last because the other owners knew the intricacies of the league such as the scoring system better than he did. I would study the rules and scoring system of the league inside and out before attempting any deals.

Yes yes yes. 100 times yes.

Example: (Different style league, different format). In one league I am in defensemen have less impact on the final result that wingers do. The savy GM would trade away 'name' defensemen and farm defensemen for high end wingers and fill in the the defense core from the waiver wire. The first time GM might not know in September that come March the waiver wire would be littered wire mid tier reargaurds. X winger for Y defenseman might look like a deal to propose or accept in the offseason but when it the games are being played NEXT season the perspective shifts. In a dynasty format(!) talented GMs will look for these advantages.


The original poster Svbetts ask's this question, "I wondering, for example, should I try to sell off someone like Skinner or even Marchand?"

This simple answer is no. Marchand, and to a much lesser extent Skinner, are unicorns [someone in these forums used this phrase and I love it!]. "If you have a unicorn don't let it go." The point of this game you have entered in is to collect as many of these players at one point in time as you can.

DO NOT TRADE YOUR UNICORNS AS YOUR OPENING MOVE. NOT IN A DYNASTY LEAGUE. YOU WILL BE MARKED AND STRIPMINED OF YOUR DIFFICULT TO REPLACE TALENT.

[Rockies & Hockeys]

Thanks so much! REP added. I definitely think I'll try to improve on Comeau, Lindberg, Ceci and Dekeyzer via waivers. Do you think I should keep any from this list and that they'll get better? Should I drop Nurse too, or hope for improvement? I'm definitely going to trade away 2 goalies. Should I get rid of Jones, or Grubauer? Think Grubauer is in Washington long-ish term? Top waiver goalies right now are Condon, Johnson, Hutton, Markstrom.

[Moses]

I'm definitely going to trade away 2 goalies. Should I get rid of Jones, or Grubauer? Think Grubauer is in Washington long-ish term?

Over the last two seasons Holtby and Jones have the most wins of NHL goalies. Those are the two you keep. Fullstop. What better way to start out than to have have elite goaltending.

Grubauer is an RFA this summer. If he signs in Washington you can consider keeping him as Holtby-insurance.

If you find a taker for Varlemov (in an 11 team league with 1G start a night and a weekly max of 4) then you accept it, no matter the offer. If Mike Smith is on the WW then Varlemov is worth very little in trade.

[lucafen4]

C - Giroux, Monahan, Bennett, Nielsen
L - Marchand, Skinner, Jokinen, Byron
R - R. Smith, Stafford, Williams, Stempniak
D - Chara, Hanifin, Martinez, DeKeyser, Nurse, Ceci
G - Holtby, Jones, Grubauer, Varlamov
Bench - Lindberg, Comeau, Chimera
Top Prospects - W. Nylander, Puljajarvi, Provorov, D.Strome, Konecny, Keller, Fiala, Svechnikov, Sanheim, Crouse, Juulsen, Milano

PROSPECTS EXLUDED - Bolded are what I would consider as you're foundation - Everything else is trade bait. After following Moses' advice and learning the lay of the land. Start moving pieces. Start with small pieces - if you make a mistake, it'll be a small one and will limit the impact. In a points only pool, your D is awful Everyone should go... but there comes a point you need to hold onto something, that's Martinez & Hanifin (for now)

In an 11 team pool - you need a minimum of 2 45+pt Dmen - Tyson Barrie is a perfect trade target to give you a boost due to his off year. Some Theodore owners are getting restless, also an opportunity. Look at each teams roster for struggling players (Larkin- Bennett) and try to swipe for minimal cost

You’ll notice, I did not bold Giroux – Once comfortable inyour pool. I would trade him and would take nothing less than two solidblossoming forwards in return or one 1D and 1F. I want them in the NHL and withsafe floors with high ceilings. He’syour single most valuable trade chip. You want to try to maximize your returnon him. You can declare the ‘I’m rebuilding’ line as a reason to move him. Whenyou should be moving him because he’s in his 4^th year of decliningstats and is hard pressed to hit 60pts this year. Move him while he’s stillthought of as a 75pt player – he may bounce back… but personally, I don’t wantto stick around to see if he does.

One place to look for hidden waiver value is Vancouver. Likelyno one is rostering Backlund or Baertchi – two players that took big stepsforward to relevancy this year. A third who was likely dropped is Ericksson, hewon’t be nearly as bad next year (and I would consider the ultimate buy lowright now). Either a free add or supercheap trade option. All are 2017/18 options better than Stafford and Stempniak.

Down the road… I would also consider moving Jones in a tradefor a package – returning a slightly lesser thought of goalie – Allen,Schneider, even Andersen (several other options available – these are just themost obvious) + Dman/Forward with solid upside. A slight down-tick ingoaltending to bump your abysmal defence would be well worth it.

Juulsen, Crouse, Milano I would contemplate trading in apackage with another player to improve your return. You’re pool isn’t that deepon prospects. You will likely find better options as UFA’s right now than thosethree. (cross reference Dobber’s prospect rankings with UFA pool & post newthread here (dobber) for further advice/suggestions).


Not every trade needs to be or should be a homerun. If you’retrading a player with a 4/10 value and a prospect with a 5/10 value. I want myreturn to give me a player above a 5/10 value. So that every time I am gettingthe best player in the deal and incrementally improving my roster.

[Rockies & Hockeys]

Awesome, thanks! Amazing detail and great advice. Thanks for the game plan.