The old how'd I go thread

[Twiggy]

Ugh i had a long post and lost it. Soooo here goes another try!

Ok, so I'm after some feedback on my off season moves to date. It is a bit if reading, so all good if you cbf dealing with that

A little background on things, last season was the first of the league and i was the overall champ. Hooray! The scoring is just the basic sort of stats (in sig) and is a capped league. Each off season we lose players based on contracts running out (which were initially decided via start up drafts), and depending on age they are either RFA/UFA. Each year we get 1 x 5yr contract to offer, 1x4, 3x3, 5x2 and unlimited 1 year deals

At the end of the year I lost to free agency:
Nielsen, Ribiero, Zajac, Campbell, Vlassic, JT Brown and some scrubs

So, during Restricted Free Agency I:
Resigned Donskoi for 3 years at $2m per year
Fast 2yrs at $2m
Kevin Roy for 1yr at $1m

I think i probably paid overs on Fast, but he was offer sheeted, and the compenstion was only a 4th round pick at that price, and i think he's better than a prospect there. I can still send him to the minors without waivers too. Happy with the price/term on Donskoi

Unrestricted FA:
Bobby Ryan 4yrs at $5m
Eric Staal 2yrs at $2m
Ribeiro 1yr at $3.5m
Eller 2yrs at $1.5m
Luongo 3yrs at $1.5m
Radulov 3yrs at $4m
Vermette 2yrs at $1m
Braun 5yrs at $1m
Rodin 2yrs at $1m

Some thoughts on my ufa moves - I'm aware Radulov is currently only signed for 1 year with Montreal, but i did 3 to beat another bid and keep the yearly hit down, but if he resigns i get 2 bonus years.
5yrs is a long time for Braun, and was about the last signing I've done. Had tried to use the 5yrs on a few other much better players, but was either outbid or didn't want to go as high as they went. So i went the theory of getting a guy for next to nothing who has a good +/- with a few points to just chip in.
I landed Vermette before he signed with Ducks. Took a gamble and think it paid off

Trades wise, I moved Dubinsky for Laughton and a 2017 3rd, and Elliot for O. Lindberg and 2017 2nd
The Dubinsky move was purely to shed cap ($6m) and I probably could of got more for Elliot, but I was losing him next year to free agency, i already have Allen and was able to sign Luongo. Plus i get Lindberg for 4yrs at $1.5m so think it works out alright

In the draft i have pick 6 and 16 (and a bunch of later ones), but I'm not sure what to do at 6?

Anyway, that's my long arse thread haha. Any feedback or questions are welcomed

[Eskimo Brother]

Ribeiro is a useless lump.

Sorry, now that that's out of the way I can actually answer. I agree that the Elliott trade wasn't great, but oh well, moving on. I'm sure you have a game plan, having been the winner this past season.

Contracts don't look too bad overall, but no star players. (I don't know if we should have expected any)

As for who to draft 6th, Nylander and Sergeyachev might be the two closest to the show at that point (assuming the top 5 are Matthews, the Finns, Tkachuk and PLD) but if you want to wait and stick him on your farm for a couple years, Keller is probably your best bet.

[stevegamer]

Ribeiro is a useless lump.

Seconded, that contract is for far too much money and probably for too long. Yes, I realize it's a one year deal. If you could've gotten him at whatever the minimum is, maybe he's worth the minimum.

Most importantly, having to make moves solely to shed cap means you aren't using your cap well, since this is not a league where players get real-world salary bumps.

What happens if players retire or leave for the KHL? Radulov & Luongo could be issues.

Braun's contract is also too long for a pretty fungible player who is 29. If it was a hits/blocks league, he'd have more value - I had to look up who he was, honestly. This is a problem contract, not because of the money being a lot, but because the next time you go "Oh, I need to use up my 5 year offer, I got nobody", and offer a minimal contract for long term, you have two of these guys, and it starts becoming real money.

For example: $Braun + $Ribiero is 75% of $Dubinsky ($Name being their salary)

Do all your farm guys have contracts, even if drafted? I note Roy & Fast's contracts.

At 6, I'd take best skater available, the list Eskimo Brother provides makes sense, assuming there are no veterans worth anything in the draft,; which I would guess there aren't. If one of those top 5 falls, grab them.