Another Team Assessment

[Deuces6]

Hey guys,

Looking for an honest assessment of my team. I tend to wear these really nice rose colored glasses when looking at my team, trying to forecast how the season might shape up, on paper anyways. I think i have a very strong group of young guns, problem is that most of them wont be playing this year. As for my main roster, well, i feel like i have a couple of key pieces, bu tthe majority may be nothing more than bit players or waiver fodder.

What youngs guns should play and be rostered, what main roster cast could be traded and what return could they fetch, or who should i just cut bait and run from?

I went from last in the first year, to fourth last year, just missing out on the money! Hoping this year i can make that move into the top 3 but i am not overly hopeful. If i were to get last, it wouldnt be the end of the world, Auston Matthews year and all, but not having to pay for another season is top priority for me.

Does this squad have a chance, or am i firmly still in rebuild mode?

Thanks for any replies, constructive criticism, downright shredding of my team, rep for all replies!!!

[Big Baby]

In a 9 team, salary keeper, you're spending way too much on your D. With 94 million in cap and 30 spots you should try to dress high$ quality F's and low$ value D. Burns AP and Fowler are not worth the cost. Maybe Burns with a move to forward but that's not guaranteed.

I would try to trade your over priced D and try to acquire some value D instead. I'm not sure who's available. And then try to acquire some higher price goaltending and forwards.

Just my 2 cents.

[JHM]

In a nine team league, I tend to think the fourth line is pretty suspect. Perhaps the bottom four or five forwards.

I am not a fan of "rebuild". I've seen guys do a rebuild for a decade. Trade young players that are exactly what they are looking to build their team with, on a consistent basis. They consistently over value prospects, seeing bust after bust, and then trade the good ones in hope that they can achieve two good young ones for one good player. I would suggest you need to continue to 'build'. Drive as high as you can every year. Don't count on time building your team, work harder and build it today.

Big Baby is on the right path with his advice in regard to the high priced D-men. Keep reading below.

Cap - for simple numbers, pretend your cap was $100M and you needed 1000 points to win the pool. Therefore, a $5M player would need 50 points to justify himself. 10 points per million. When assessing trades, make this your mantra. Don't be enamoured with the names. Crosby needs 87 points to justify himself. It's that simple. If you see him doing less, then he holds you back. A D-man making $7M holds you back. Only Karlsson can be counted on for 70 points. Spend all your money responsibly. That's how you win. Make an excuse why you can't do this, and it is an advantage for your opponent. Reality is that a Crosby needs about 100 points to justify himself. Take a hard line stance. Battle to acquire winning pieces. Voracek would be one of those guys this year. If your entire cap is being spent responsibly, then you'll discover you have a bit left over, and are able to be proactive in moving the guys that have big contracts coming up (like Voracek next year). When you spend all your cap correctly, and can achieve a 30 point D-man for $900,000, then he is giving you 20 bonus points towards your championship. He is valuable. Of course you can't have a roster full of these guys, because you must spend all your cap and spend it all wisely. It's a matter of you managing the cap, rather than the cap managing you. Hard work is involved.

[PenguinHunter]

I think you got a great group of prospects in the system. There are two ways I see that you could improve.

1) Short term and build around your consistent older guys like Thornton, Sharp, Carter Plekanec, Burns. This would result in moving some of your prospects in order to get consistent older guys and make a run for a championship team this year. A key area would be looking at an upgrade for Allen. Would you be able to slot him in the minors if you were able to move a minor leaguer for a better older goalie (ie Luongo or Miller)

2) Long Term - simply trade the older guys that I mentioned in option 1 for younger guys that have potential that has not shown through yet. Some guys that come to mind for me are (Couturier, Galchenyuk, Scheifle, Silfverberg, Hagelin) - These guys combined with P.KAne, Drouin, Joahnsen, Huberdeau could make a nice nucleus for your team in a few years.

If it were me, I would try doing option 1 cause I like to always try to win now... and you have a nice crop of minors that can fill in for older players when the times comes. but that's just me!

[Deuces6]

I think you got a great group of prospects in the system. There are two ways I see that you could improve.

1) Short term and build around your consistent older guys like Thornton, Sharp, Carter Plekanec, Burns. This would result in moving some of your prospects in order to get consistent older guys and make a run for a championship team this year. A key area would be looking at an upgrade for Allen. Would you be able to slot him in the minors if you were able to move a minor leaguer for a better older goalie (ie Luongo or Miller)

2) Long Term - simply trade the older guys that I mentioned in option 1 for younger guys that have potential that has not shown through yet. Some guys that come to mind for me are (Couturier, Galchenyuk, Scheifle, Silfverberg, Hagelin) - These guys combined with P.KAne, Drouin, Joahnsen, Huberdeau could make a nice nucleus for your team in a few years.

If it were me, I would try doing option 1 cause I like to always try to win now... and you have a nice crop of minors that can fill in for older players when the times comes. but that's just me!

Awesome responses guys, i truly appreciate reading the insight from veterans like yourselves!

1. Our league settings prevents any player 23 years old and older from being placed in the minors, so Allen has to rostered. The only option there is to try and trade him for a bonafide starter. There are teams that are in serious cap trouble so i might be able to work sokething out there. dubnyk and Miller are avaialble FA's so i might be able to snag one in our FA off season draft, if not, miller for sure will be around at seasons start.

2. Everyone in this pool is very, very, tough to pull prospects from. Because of the cap aspect, and so many with cap problems, gm's aren't willing to take on "older" more expensive players in exchange for youth. Everyone wants to have their cake and eat it too, i'm no different though i guess. A mindset i need to change probably! Galy, Scheif require serious overpayment. I would have to offer an Eichel, or Marner, or RyJo to get Scheifle. Its kindof ridiculous really. I offered a trade today of Eberle and Klingberg for Foligno, Burns, and Gost and was rejected in record time! Couturier might be the only guy from those listed that i might be able to get, but it will likely require overpayment.

- - - Updated - - -

I think you got a great group of prospects in the system. There are two ways I see that you could improve.

1) Short term and build around your consistent older guys like Thornton, Sharp, Carter Plekanec, Burns. This would result in moving some of your prospects in order to get consistent older guys and make a run for a championship team this year. A key area would be looking at an upgrade for Allen. Would you be able to slot him in the minors if you were able to move a minor leaguer for a better older goalie (ie Luongo or Miller)

2) Long Term - simply trade the older guys that I mentioned in option 1 for younger guys that have potential that has not shown through yet. Some guys that come to mind for me are (Couturier, Galchenyuk, Scheifle, Silfverberg, Hagelin) - These guys combined with P.KAne, Drouin, Joahnsen, Huberdeau could make a nice nucleus for your team in a few years.

If it were me, I would try doing option 1 cause I like to always try to win now... and you have a nice crop of minors that can fill in for older players when the times comes. but that's just me!

Awesome responses guys, i truly appreciate reading the insight from veterans like yourselves!

1. Our league settings prevents any player 23 years old and older from being placed in the minors, so Allen has to rostered. The only option there is to try and trade him for a bonafide starter. There are teams that are in serious cap trouble so i might be able to work sokething out there. dubnyk and Miller are avaialble FA's so i might be able to snag one in our FA off season draft, if not, miller for sure will be around at seasons start.

2. Everyone in this pool is very, very, tough to pull prospects from. Because of the cap aspect, and so many with cap problems, gm's aren't willing to take on "older" more expensive players in exchange for youth. Everyone wants to have their cake and eat it too, i'm no different though i guess. A mindset i need to change probably! Galy, Scheif require serious overpayment. I would have to offer an Eichel, or Marner, or RyJo to get Scheifle. Its kindof ridiculous really. I offered a trade today of Eberle and Klingberg for Foligno, Burns, and Gost and was rejected in record time! Couturier might be the only guy from those listed that i might be able to get, but it will likely require overpayment.