Keeper League #3 Draft 2009

[Dobber]

This one is with 13 other fellas, most of who write for the Fantasy Hockey Forecaster magazine. The rules in this one are a lot different than my other two keeper leagues. Rosters are 4C, 8W, 6D, 2G, 5 bench, 3 prospects and 2 IR. Goals and assists are one point each, and +/- is 0.5 points. You can only keep 12 (including prospects). Drafting is done via weighted lottery.

As mentioned in another thread in this section, I protected:
C - E.Staal, Kopitar, Jokinen, Hodgson
W - Kovalchuk, Giroux, Filatov, Hemsky
D - Goligoski
G - Price, Osgood, Varlamov

Clearly I need defensemen. And this year, there will be no more rebuilding. With limited keepers like this you should not have to rebuild for more than a year or maybe two tops. I had 17 draft picks and 16 spots to fill - and three of those spots had to be "farm", which means they cannot be in the NHL. If they are called up, I would have to drop someone. Most people in this draft had 13 picks.

I picked 2nd overall. Pretty much forced to go with a D (after Tavares picked). So it was either Hedman, Doughty or something more immediate. I went with Tom Gilbert. I need points now, not keepers. Since I'm only keeping 12, I don't need to pick for the future.


The next best "immediate" points guy out there was probably Rob Blake. Knowing he would fall, I focused on wingers for a bit.
20th - Patrick O'Sullivan
27th - Justin Williams
37th - Rob Blake (I was actually going to take Matt Duchene, but he was nabbed right before I picked - he had fallen far enough, I couldn't let it go again).

At this point, I sock away Paul Martin and...Victor Hedman in my queue. Yes, he's still there. But forwards are going, as are goalies, so I turn to forwards. I could use a center, given Hodgson's uncertainty.
41st - Cory Stillman (I wanted Knuble)
47th - David Backes

Happy to get Backes, because he qualifies as a C/W in our league. I see I pick back to back coming up, so I have my eye on McCabe and Smyth. I don't get McCabe.
65th - Ryan Smyth
66th - Paul Martin

Sixth round, I take my first gamble.
76th - Sergei Shirokov

That's it. I REALLY have to get some defensemen. Another back to back coming up.
93rd - Keith Ballard
104th - Kyle Quincey
105th - Paul Mara - I really like him in Montreal and fingers crossed for 40 points.

Not bad, could be better. But the pickins for d-men were very slim before the draft even started. Ideally, I want another C/W guy so I look at what's left and immediately identify him. Thankfully, I get him:
121st - R.J. Umberger

At this point, I decide to trade my last pick (since I have an extra one) for a 13th rounder next year. Done. Now, for my final three picks, I need to draft ALL farm guys. I don't want that, since I figure Hodgson could very well be useless on my pro team this year. I get approached by a guy offering Kyle Turris. Done. Problem solved. Turris has more upside and he'll come back strong next year. So I deal Hodgson for Turris.

Now to implement my plan - I have a future star in mind on defense, and for goaltendering I want a farm guy as well. I want Markstrom. But Neuvirth is also out there, so I'm wondering if, strategically, I should take him. That way, either he or Varlamov will be classed as "farm". I'm confident in Varlamov, but it can't hurt to cover myself off.

139th - John Carlson (sweet!)
149th - Radim Vrbata - what a great deal at that pick.I get the added depth on the wing. He's having a good preseason.
160th - Michal Neuvirth.

182 picks were made (I traded my 13th rounder).

My team is now:

C- E. Staal, Jokinen, Kopitar, Backes
W - Kovalchuk, Hemsky, Giroux, Ju.Williams, Smyth, O'Sullivan, Stillman, Filatov
D - Gilbert, Blake, Martin, Goligoski, Ballard, Quincey
G - Price, Osgood

Bench
Umberger C/W
Vrbata, Shirokov W
Mara D
Varlamov G

Farm
Turris C
Carlson D
Neuvirth G


With two good trades and a lucky waiver wire move, I think I could win this year. As it stands, I'm probably looking at fourth.


Drafts for my other two keepers are next weekend

[Dean Youngblood]

It's cool to see your thought process. While it seems that there are quite a few gambles in your Dman choices they seem to be good educated risks as all of them are in a position to be 1st PP dmen.

I really like the way you went about developing your farm. You nabbed a top prospect at each position and covered your ass for the chance that varly loses his job to neuvirth. Well done. Very interesting.