First time rebuilding a team - help! Will rep

[BJMit]

So I made the decision to take over a very bad team in a 16 team league. The previous GM came in as an expansion team last year and made some seriously questionable trade decisions (the worst of which being trading away his 2018 and 2019 first rounders, the former of which is now #1 overall in this year's draft). This is my first time in a league like this and I know I'm in for a long, long rebuild but I want to ask for some help here so I don't make any rash decisions in regards to trades and have a solid rebuild plan in place.

Scoring system is rather unique, for the most part it's points only (with small bonuses for SOG, Hit, Blk, and bonuses for things like GWG and Hat tricks). The main thing I should mention is that defenseman scoring in general is worth 1.5x forward scoring, so it inflates their value quite a bit.

Without further ado here's my team:

Main Roster:

Skaters:
Teuvo Teravainen
Radek Faksa
Yanni Gourde
Kevin Labanc
Brandon Sutter
Thomas Tatar
Joel Edmundson
Derek Forbort
Olli Maatta
Gustav Olofsson
Anthony Beauvillier
Anders Bjork
Jake DeBrusk
Adrian Kempe
Alex Killorn
Ondrej Palat
Tanner Pearson
Miles Wood
Jake Dotchin

Goalies:
Jaroslav Halak
Chad Johnson
Jared Coreau

Minors:

Skaters:
Zach Aston-Reese
Michael McCarron
Martin Necas
Ryan Poehling
Jeremy Bracco
Jordan Greenway
Charles Hudon
Ivan Lodnia
Zach Senshyn
Oscar Fantenberg
Gustav Forsling
Jeremy Lauzon
Nicolas Meloche
Jan Rutta

Goalies:
Callum Booth
Kristers Gudlevskis
Alex Nedelijkovic
Keith Petruzzelli
Felix Sandstrom
Joseph Woll

Current draft picks:
2018 - 1(9th overall), 2,2,3,3,3,4,4
2019 - 3,3,3,4,4,4,4
2020 - 1,2,3,4

Mostly what I'm asking for is how to start rebuilding and I've gotten several offers already for Teravainen already and I don't want to undersell him before I realize the relative value of players in this league.

It is pretty frustrating that the previous owner already traded away his 2018 and 2019 first rounders as those picks most likely would have been Dahlin and Jack Hughes.

Thanks for your time!

[lucafen4]

The only way I am trading TT is if I am getting a bona-fide starting G - which you so desperately need. Looking at this as a team moving forward

TT, Gourde, Labanc, Beauvillier, Bjork, DeBrusk, Kempe I am keeping (for now). There's not a player on your roster that I would deem untouchable. You've got enough picks in the 2nd/3rd round that you should be able to package them for more players at this stage of development (get them before they explode - Meier a prime example)

Pearson, Tatar, Palat - I am dangling to upgrade my D

McCarron, Rutta I wouldn't hesitate to move on from to make room for incoming prospects. I'd also look at prospects that were drafted a year or two ago that may still be available, depending on how well researched your pool is - Cam Dineen, Ian Mitchell, Max Gordon.

Seeing Lodnia on your roster makes me think, pretty confident Dineen will be gone, likely Mitchell as well, but Gordon I wouldn't be surprised to see him on your WW.

The biggest tip I can give is do not try to do too much too fast. You need to take a week or two and review previous matchups - see how things really played out with the scoring system. If you see an intriguing trade offer - PM the OGM to acknowledge it, but don't reject/accept right away... bring it here, ask for feedback (with full scoring system attached) and make a fully informed decision.

[BJMit]

The only way I am trading TT is if I am getting a bona-fide starting G - which you so desperately need. Looking at this as a team moving forward

TT, Gourde, Labanc, Beauvillier, Bjork, DeBrusk, Kempe I am keeping (for now). There's not a player on your roster that I would deem untouchable. You've got enough picks in the 2nd/3rd round that you should be able to package them for more players at this stage of development (get them before they explode - Meier a prime example)

Pearson, Tatar, Palat - I am dangling to upgrade my D

McCarron, Rutta I wouldn't hesitate to move on from to make room for incoming prospects. I'd also look at prospects that were drafted a year or two ago that may still be available, depending on how well researched your pool is - Cam Dineen, Ian Mitchell, Max Gordon.

Seeing Lodnia on your roster makes me think, pretty confident Dineen will be gone, likely Mitchell as well, but Gordon I wouldn't be surprised to see him on your WW.

The biggest tip I can give is do not try to do too much too fast. You need to take a week or two and review previous matchups - see how things really played out with the scoring system. If you see an intriguing trade offer - PM the OGM to acknowledge it, but don't reject/accept right away... bring it here, ask for feedback (with full scoring system attached) and make a fully informed decision.

Thank you very much for that detailed, well thought out post. I really appreciate that. Two of the offers I have for TT right now are

Send:
TT
Pick 2.13 in this year's draft

Receive:
Pick 1.8 in this year's draft
Filip Chalpik
Patrick Maroon
Sam Bennett
Noah Juulsen

or

Send:
TT

Receive:
Filip Chlapik
Jordan Kyrou
Thomas Hickey
Ryan Spooner
Noah Juulsen

Both of which I was hesitant on. The GM who proposed these trades does have some more intriguing prospects, including Owen Tippett, Tyson Jost, and Kailer Yamamoto... but I seriously doubt he'd trade all 3 or anything. Is it worth trying to ask for a package that includes those prospects for TT or just hang onto TT for now?

[BJMit]

Full Scoring Breakdown:





Scoring

Scoring Group	Scoring Category	Position	Points
Skaters	Assists (A)	Default	5
Skaters		Defense	7.5
Skaters	Blocks (Blk)	Default	0.25
Skaters	Faceoffs Won (FOW)	Default	0.1
Skaters	Games Played (GP)	Default
Skaters	Game Winning Goals (GWG)	Default	5
Skaters	Goals (G)	Default	5
Skaters		Defense	7.5
Skaters	Shootout Goals (ShG)	Default	2.5
Skaters	Gordie Howe Hat Tricks (GHHT)	Default	10
Skaters	Hat Tricks (HT)	Default	15
Skaters	Hits (Hit)	Default	0.25
Skaters	Overtime Goals (OG)	Default	5
Skaters	Penalty Minutes (PIM)	Default	0.25
Skaters	Penalty Shot Goals (PSG)	Default	5
Skaters	Plus/Minus (+/-)	Default	2
Skaters	Shots on Goal (SOG)	Default	0.25
Skaters	Power Play Points (PPP)	Default	2.5
Skaters	Short Handed Points (SHP)	Default	5
Goalies	Assists (A)	Default	5
Goalies	Goals (G)	Default	5
Goalies	Shootout Losses (ShL)	Default	5
Goalies	Goals Against (GA)	Default	-1
Goalies	Overtime Losses (OL)	Default	2.5
Goalies	Saves (SV)	Default	0.35
Goalies	Shutouts (SHO)	Default	15
Goalies	Wins (W)	Default	7.5

[BJMit]

The only way I am trading TT is if I am getting a bona-fide starting G - which you so desperately need. Looking at this as a team moving forward

TT, Gourde, Labanc, Beauvillier, Bjork, DeBrusk, Kempe I am keeping (for now). There's not a player on your roster that I would deem untouchable. You've got enough picks in the 2nd/3rd round that you should be able to package them for more players at this stage of development (get them before they explode - Meier a prime example)

Pearson, Tatar, Palat - I am dangling to upgrade my D

McCarron, Rutta I wouldn't hesitate to move on from to make room for incoming prospects. I'd also look at prospects that were drafted a year or two ago that may still be available, depending on how well researched your pool is - Cam Dineen, Ian Mitchell, Max Gordon.

Seeing Lodnia on your roster makes me think, pretty confident Dineen will be gone, likely Mitchell as well, but Gordon I wouldn't be surprised to see him on your WW.

The biggest tip I can give is do not try to do too much too fast. You need to take a week or two and review previous matchups - see how things really played out with the scoring system. If you see an intriguing trade offer - PM the OGM to acknowledge it, but don't reject/accept right away... bring it here, ask for feedback (with full scoring system attached) and make a fully informed decision.

Cam Dineen was available but Ian Mitchell was taken. Max Gordon I couldn't find in Fantrax, do I have the name wrong? Lol.

Ended up adding Dineen and dropping Jan Rutta. Hopefully that's a good call. Thanks for the suggestion!

[lucafen4]

Cam Dineen was available but Ian Mitchell was taken. Max Gordon I couldn't find in Fantrax, do I have the name wrong? Lol.

Ended up adding Dineen and dropping Jan Rutta. Hopefully that's a good call. Thanks for the suggestion!

Gildon, my bad... I like the ceiling of Dineen personally, other's do not, but he's a boom/bust

[lucafen4]

Thank you very much for that detailed, well thought out post. I really appreciate that. Two of the offers I have for TT right now are

Send:
TT
Pick 2.13 in this year's draft

Receive:
Pick 1.8 in this year's draft
Filip Chalpik
Patrick Maroon
Sam Bennett
Noah Juulsen

or

Send:
TT

Receive:
Filip Chlapik
Jordan Kyrou
Thomas Hickey
Ryan Spooner
Noah Juulsen

Both of which I was hesitant on. The GM who proposed these trades does have some more intriguing prospects, including Owen Tippett, Tyson Jost, and Kailer Yamamoto... but I seriously doubt he'd trade all 3 or anything. Is it worth trying to ask for a package that includes those prospects for TT or just hang onto TT for now?

I don't mind Kyrou & Chlapik but I'm not entirely sold Spooner's for real and Hickey/Juulsen don't have high ceilings offensively. I'd counter TT for Jost, Kyrou & Yamamoto... see what he says about that, I'd follow it up with - sub one for the 1.8 pick.

[Moses]

What a fun and adventurous path you have chosen to go down. Good luck.

The first thing you have to do is evaluate your league and be brutally honest about what you have and don't have. With a quick scan, it looks like this team is not a contending team this year. Start here.

As a rookie GM taking over a new team you are going to have the league sharks out trying to pick the carcass of your team clean*. Do not let them! The only 'trading' that happens this time of year are hyperactive GMs looking to make one-sided deals. Time is on the on the other GMs side. They can keep lobbing shitty trade offers at you until they find your 'lowest acceptable deal'. Wait them out. You are in no rush. This rebuild is a process that does not have a clear cut end any time soon.

* If you take a junk offer now it will be all you see from other GMs all summer. Don't be an easy mark.

Without getting too 'prospect-nerd' it looks like the previous GM was into collecting youth and prospects. This is is your obvious strength. What these players are to you are assets to trade for other assets, or, players to hold until they are productive. Either way, April is not the time to trade these guys. Right now the hockey world is focussed on playoff warriors, not kids. Wait until much closer to the NHL draft or later before entertaining real offers for these assets. This is when their values jump relative to to their value now.

It has to be said... your goaltending is below sub standard. There might not even be an NHL goalie on that roster next year. You are going to need to fix this. However, you don't have to spend any assets to do that right now as you are not trying to compete right away. Use the WW or FA and pluck some longshots. Maybe a 'Steve Mason' or 'JF Berube' can be had for nothing. Scoop up these guys. The more actual NHL goalies you have the better. You are going to need them when trying to trade for a much better goalies when you need them.

[more to come - but my time to type is up for the moment]

[BJMit]

I don't mind Kyrou & Chlapik but I'm not entirely sold Spooner's for real and Hickey/Juulsen don't have high ceilings offensively. I'd counter TT for Jost, Kyrou & Yamamoto... see what he says about that, I'd follow it up with - sub one for the 1.8 pick.

I'll try that and see what he says.

For reference, how would you rank Tippett, Yamamoto, Jost, and Kyrou? I doubt he trades Tippett but I'll see what he thinks about something in that vein.

[BJMit]

What a fun and adventurous path you have chosen to go down. Good luck.

The first thing you have to do is evaluate your league and be brutally honest about what you have and don't have. With a quick scan, it looks like this team is not a contending team this year. Start here.

As a rookie GM taking over a new team you are going to have the league sharks out trying to pick the carcass of your team clean*. Do not let them! The only 'trading' that happens this time of year are hyperactive GMs looking to make one-sided deals. Time is on the on the other GMs side. They can keep lobbing shitty trade offers at you until they find your 'lowest acceptable deal'. Wait them out. You are in no rush. This rebuild is a process that does not have a clear cut end any time soon.

* If you take a junk offer now it will be all you see from other GMs all summer. Don't be an easy mark.

Without getting too 'prospect-nerd' it looks like the previous GM was into collecting youth and prospects. This is is your obvious strength. What these players are to you are assets to trade for other assets, or, players to hold until they are productive. Either way, April is not the time to trade these guys. Right now the hockey world is focussed on playoff warriors, not kids. Wait until much closer to the NHL draft or later before entertaining real offers for these assets. This is when their values jump relative to to their value now.

It has to be said... your goaltending is below sub standard. There might not even be an NHL goalie on that roster next year. You are going to need to fix this. However, you don't have to spend any assets to do that right now as you are not trying to compete right away. Use the WW or FA and pluck some longshots. Maybe a 'Steve Mason' or 'JF Berube' can be had for nothing. Scoop up these guys. The more actual NHL goalies you have the better. You are going to need them when trying to trade for a much better goalies when you need them.

[more to come - but my time to type is up for the moment]

Thank you, that's helpful! So one thing that will help a ton is the league is doing a goalie redistribution draft in which each team is going down from 3 goalies to 2. The lowest ranked team in the standings (yours truly) gets to pick first from this pool. So I'll be adding someone along the lines of Cam Talbot for free soon.

Notable tenders on the WW right now from a quick look are

Khudobin
Lehtonen
Stalock
McElhinney
Condon
Niemi
Neuvirth
Mason
Appleby
Pickard

Think it's worth adding any of them over anyone on my roster currently?

[lucafen4]

I'll try that and see what he says.

For reference, how would you rank Tippett, Yamamoto, Jost, and Kyrou? I doubt he trades Tippett but I'll see what he thinks about something in that vein.

Jost -- with his soft 1st season in the NHL - he's prime pickin's
Tippett
Yama
Kyrou

[BJMit]

Jost -- with his soft 1st season in the NHL - he's prime pickin's
Tippett
Yama
Kyrou

Thanks! Few more questions sorry...

Would you add any of the following prospects over anyone currently on my roster? These guys are all available. Compher was just dropped though so I'd have to burn waiver priority to get him.

Alex Iafallo
JT Compher
Joakim Ryan
Jordan Osterle
Ryan Carpenter
Tanner Fritz
Kevin Roy
Justin Bailey
Austin Czarnik
Jordan Szwarz
Peter Cehlarik
Slater Koekkoek
Brendan Leipsic
Hunter Shinkaruk
Tyler Steenbergen
Kyle Wood
Kenny Agostino
Henrik Haapala

Mostly just not sure who to add/drop if I wanted to make room.

Also thinking of adding Calvin Pickard but not sure which Goalie prospect to drop or if that's worth it.

And finally (for now) I just received a trade offer to move some draft picks:

Send:
1.9 (#9 Overall)

Receive:
1.12 (#12 Overall)
2.2 (#18 Overall)

This seems like a good deal to me because this draft seems very deep. Guessing there must be someone he's targeting at #9, but is there any reason I shouldn't make this trade?

Again thanks so much to anyone that takes the time to look at this and help me out!

[stevegamer]

Good luck in your efforts. Ranking the goalies on waivers:

Pickard - Easily more worthwhile than some of the goalies on your team. He's not old, could be the backup in Toronto next year or maybe a bigger role elsewhere. I'd grab him. He's ben a decent NHL goalie, and isn't old.
Appleby - He's 23 and has had success in junior, and awards. You should be rostering him, probably. He's got to be closer than some of your fringe distant goalie prospects.
Mason - I am probably the most bearish guy on the boards about Mason. Still, he is likely the backup on the Jets next year. That has value.
Khudobin - Probable Bruns backup next year, not young. Some value.
Neuvirth - If he could stay somewhat healthy he'd possibly be useful. Likely backup in Philly next year again. Some value here.
Stalock - Probable Wild backup next year, not young. Some value.


Condon - NHL backup, but floats around the league. Probably not worth picking up, depends on situation going forward. Not convinced he's much more than a backup on any NHL team.
McElhinney -Old backup on Toronto, unsure if he keeps that job. Under contract for one more year, so he's a tick above those below here.
Lehtonen - Old, not good, UFA pass on him.
Niemi - Old, not good, UFA pass on him.

[BJMit]

Good luck in your efforts. Ranking the goalies on waivers:

Pickard - Easily more worthwhile than some of the goalies on your team. He's not old, could be the backup in Toronto next year or maybe a bigger role elsewhere. I'd grab him. He's ben a decent NHL goalie, and isn't old.
Appleby - He's 23 and has had success in junior, and awards. You should be rostering him, probably. He's got to be closer than some of your fringe distant goalie prospects.
Mason - I am probably the most bearish guy on the boards about Mason. Still, he is likely the backup on the Jets next year. That has value.
Khudobin - Probable Bruns backup next year, not young. Some value.
Neuvirth - If he could stay somewhat healthy he'd possibly be useful. Likely backup in Philly next year again. Some value here.
Stalock - Probable Wild backup next year, not young. Some value.


Condon - NHL backup, but floats around the league. Probably not worth picking up, depends on situation going forward. Not convinced he's much more than a backup on any NHL team.
McElhinney -Old backup on Toronto, unsure if he keeps that job. Under contract for one more year, so he's a tick above those below here.
Lehtonen - Old, not good, UFA pass on him.
Niemi - Old, not good, UFA pass on him.

Thanks, I was thinking of picking up Pickard as well. Assuming I were to pick up Pickard and Appleby, any suggestions on who I should drop?

[Moses]

Steve Mason is the best of that bunch.