WHL (World Hockey League) - The 5-Year Rewind [Summer COVID Thread]

[Pengwin7]

...
Ever wonder what that new dynasty league you have entered will look like in 5 years?
Ever wonder how good the team you initially drafted will stack up in 5 years?
Ever wonder what it will feel like to critique your management skills over those 5 years?

...
Wait no longer.
We are going Back to the Future!
(like... I mean... after we go back to the past.... of course... we then... ahem... have to come... Back to the Future!)




In 2015, the WHL was formed on Fantrax with 24 of the forums greatest members including (alphabetically):
Bobby4Ever, brakli, Brosive, Burgundy, evans334, GinFizz,
GoNucks, glorybe23, gopack26, GretzkysMullet, havanablast21, InForAPenny,
Lemmy, Loch, MCMackerel, newfcollins, Pengwin7, Pit Bulls,
praba, rainydrinkwater, rataylor22, Savvy1982, SeaDawg, VintageVibe.

In 5 years, the league has retained 17 of the original 24 GMs... adding some great new ones along the way!



Some IN-and-OUT GMs over the past 5 seasons!

2015(s1): League Formed

2016(s2):
IN-Juoko-Pouko(Tampere Polar Bears), First Round Pick (Lake Valley Thunder), goldendelicious (Toledo Walleye), Selanne13 (Jokerit Kassel),
OUT-Gretzky's Mullet(Halifax Krakens-s1:4th), rainydrinkwater (CSKA Moscow-s1:5th), savvy1982 (Hartford Whalers-s1:22nd), Seadawg(Highland Scotch Hounds-s1:17th)

2017(s3):
IN-Kofax (Toronto Fighting Turtles), MagicStew (Glasgow Kiss), Sulla (Lake Eerie Monsters), metaldude26 (Dryden Eagles)
OUT-goldendelicious (Toledo Walleye-s2:19th), gopack26 (Cleveland Barons-s2:20th), MCMackerel (Falls River's Finest-s2:12th), Selanne13 (Jokerit Kassel-s2:9th)

2018(s4): IN-none, OUT-none

2019(s5): IN-none, OUT-none

2020(s6): IN-Eskimo Bro (Thornhill Rebels), OUT-Brosive (Wheeling Nailers)




Here is the schedule of discussion for the 5-Years of WHL Rewind:
(feel free, ye outsiders to follow along)

WHL Season 1 Rewind:
July 15 - 1st & 2nd round picks
July 16 - 3rd & 4th round picks
July 17 - 5th & 6th round picks
July 18 - Round 7-10 Picks
July 19 - Round 11-15 Picks
July 20 - Round 16-25 Picks
July 21 - Round 26-35 Picks
July 22 - Pre-Season Trading & GM Roster Prep
...
July 23 - In-Season Add/Drops
July 24/25 - In-Season Trades
July 26/27 - Regular Season Team Performance Discussion
July 28/29 - Playoff Season Team Performance Discussion
July 30 - Season 2 Off-Season (May Rules, June Trading & Protect Lists)

WHL Season 2 Rewind:
Aug 1 - 1st round picks
Aug 2 - 2nd round picks
Aug 3 - 3rd round picks
Aug 4 - 4th/5th round picks
Aug 5 - 6th round picks
Aug 6 - 7th-10th round picks
Aug 7 - Pre-Season Trading & GM Roster Prep
...
Aug 8 - In-Season Add/Drops
Aug 9/10 - In-Season Trades
Aug 11/12 - Regular Season Team Performance Discussion
Aug 13/14 - Playoff Season Team Performance Discussion
Aug 15 - Season 3 Off-Season (May Rules, June Trading & Protect Lists)

WHL Season 3 Rewind:
Aug 16 - 1st round picks
Aug 17 - 2nd round picks
Aug 18 - 3rd round picks
Aug 19 - 4th/5th round picks
Aug 20 - 6th round picks
Aug 21 - 7th-10th round picks
Aug 22 - Pre-Season Trading & GM Roster Prep
...
Aug 23 - In-Season Add/Drops
Aug 24/25 - In-Season Trades
Aug 26/27 - Regular Season Team Performance Discussion
Aug 28/29 - Playoff Season Team Performance Discussion
Aug 30 - Season 4 Off-Season (May Rules, June Trading & Protect Lists)

WHL Season 4 Rewind:
Sep 1 - 1st round picks
Sep 2 - 2nd round picks
Sep 3 - 3rd round picks
Sep 4 - 4th/5th round picks
Sep 5 - 6th round picks
Sep 6 - 7th-10th round picks
Sep 7 - Pre-Season Trading & GM Roster Prep
...
Sep 8 - In-Season Add/Drops
Sep 9/10 - In-Season Trades
Sep 11/12 - Regular Season Team Performance Discussion
Sep 13/14 - Playoff Season Team Performance Discussion
Sep 15 - Season 5 Off-Season (May Rules, June Trading & Protect Lists)

WHL Season 5 Rewind:
Sep 16 - 1st round picks
Sep 17 - 2nd round picks
Sep 18 - 3rd round picks
Sep 19 - 4th-10th round picks
Sep 20 - 11th round picks
Sep 21 - 12th-15th round picks
Sep 22 - Pre-Season Trading & GM Roster Prep
...
Sep 23 - In-Season Add/Drops
Sep 24/25 - In-Season Trades
Sep 26/27 - Regular Season Team Performance Discussion
Sep 28/29 - Playoff Season Team Performance Discussion
Sep 30 - Season 6 Off-Season (May Rules, June Trading & Protect Lists)


And away we go...

[Pengwin7]

A peak into the 2015 first round:

1 1 1 C Connor McDavid EDM Manitoba Moose (GinFizz)
1 2 2 C Sidney Crosby PIT Amsterdam Red Lights (rataylor22)
1 3 3 C John Tavares NYI Edmonton Road Runners (Lemmy)
1 4 4 C Tyler Seguin DAL Braham Pietasters (glorybe23)
1 5 5 LW Alex Ovechkin WSH Highland Scotch Hounds (seadawg)
1 6 6 C Claude Giroux PHI Windsor Spitfires (Pengwin7)
1 7 7 C Steven Stamkos TB Markham Waxers (praba)
1 8 8 G Carey Price MON Hartford Whalers (Savvy1982)

1 9 9 LW Jamie Benn DAL Wheeling Nailers (Brosive)
1 10 10 RW Vladimir Tarasenko STL District-5 Ducks (evans334)
1 11 11 C Jack Eichel BUF London Nationals (VintageVibe)
1 12 12 C Evgeni Malkin PIT Fall River's Finest (MCMackerel)
1 13 13 LW Taylor Hall EDM Montreal Canadiens (newfcollins)
1 14 14 G Braden Holtby WSH Cleveland Barons (gopack26)
1 15 15 C Ryan Johansen CBJ Sierra Sasquatch (Pit Bulls)
1 16 16 D Erik Karlsson OTT Guelph Storm (havanablast21)

1 17 17 C Nicklas Backstrom WSH Halifax Krakens (GretzkysMullet)
1 18 18 C Jonathan Toews CHI Victoria Dead Hookers (Loch)
1 19 19 RW Patrick Kane CHI Vancouver Voodoo (GoNucks)
1 20 20 RW Phil Kessel PIT Grand Rapids Griffins (brakli)
1 21 21 C Ryan Getzlaf ANA Oshawa Generals (Bobby4Ever)
1 22 22 D P.K. Subban MON Saanichton Cougars (InForAPenny)
1 23 23 RW Nathan MacKinnon COL CSKA Moscow (rainydrinkwater)
1 24 24 RW Jakub Voracek PHI Fort Frances Muskies (Burgundy)


***We shall see if we can wrangle in some departed GMs to discuss their picks as well!!!***


P7's Colour-Code Analysis
GREAT PICKS
SOLID PICKS (have had good value thru now)
PROBABLY, PRETTY BAD PICKS (in retrospect)

*McDavid was obviously a really smart 1st pick. Crosby was elite and warranted thought at #1, lock at #2. Most of these picks were very solid players.
*The MacKinnon pick was an absolute GEM, but I think rdw traded him way too low - which unfortunately is something Voodoo has definitely taken advantage over the years - snagging underperforming upside prospects with GMs that have no patience.

[evans334]

I was not expecting this type of public performance review

Looking forward to the nostalgia trip

Great work, Peng!

I remember hoping that Price, Seguin or Stamkos would fall to me at 10.

I went back and forth between Tarasenko and Karlsson, but landed on Tank cause I wanted a dominant winger.

[Pengwin7]

I remember being SO excited to draft a favourite player (Giroux) and Flyer at #6 overall.
Being age 27 in 2015... I knew that he very near to the peak stats of his career.
Giroux posted disappointing 67 & 58pt seasons the first two years I had him... which was tough to stomach & hold... but glad I did.
Then he posted a monster 102pt season in 2017-2018, followed by 85pts in 18-19.





But last season he posted 53pts (in 69gp) and at age 32, it's amazing how hard he is to sell, displaced just a few years from the 102pt season!!!
I've really noticed that the GMs that went SUPER-youth (Braham, Moose, Nats, Voodoo) are in the best shape for the league right now.

This was my first "draft from inaugural year" fantasy league... and looking back should help me learn a lot for a future keeper!
Draft.Young!

[havanablast21]

I was actually quite surprised I was able to land Karlsson at 16 (worst possible place to be... dead centre of the draft). But Karlsson (the old reliable pushing for PPG D) Karlsson fell to me. Helped me get the player (Matthews) I wanted (through Eichel).

[VintageVibe]

Eichel... my guy.

Turned him into Keller + Karlsson.

Turned them into Marner and Rielly and some picks (I think)...

Good times.

[Bobby4Ever]

well at the time Getz seemed like a good 1st pick but damn, coulda had a big Mack!! lol

[glorybe23]

When your team name is the Pietasters, you have to take Tyler Seguin with your first pick, no?

My hands were tied.

[GinFizz]

IMO, i had the easiest pick. McDavid is a great foundation for any team in an inaugural draft but if i remember correctly there was some discussion on whether or not it should be Crosby or McDavid as the first pick overall.



Glad i traded him...

[Eskimo Brother]

New GM of the Wheeling Nailers franchise here. We just traded away Jaime Benn after a few up and down years. If it was me making the 9th pick at the time I probably would have taken Benn there too. I'm pretty sure I ended up with him in a handful of leagues that year actually.

[newfcollins]

Around pick 8, I was starting to hope that Malkin would fall to me at 13. Around pick 11, I started planning on it. Instead, he went 12, and it honestly through me for a bit of a loop. Hall was a good replacement, but I was still pretty disappointed.

[GinFizz]

with the 48th pick Overall and the last in rd 2, the #Moose grabbed Sean Monahan. i remember being a bit peeved Jake Allen was picked before i had a chance as there was quite the run on Gs in the 2nd rd.

After i made the selection of Monahan, i made the decision that i was going to just continue selecting youth and build for year 3 of this league. Has year 3 come yet?

all i do is rebuild........

[GinFizz]

My 3rd and 4th rd picks went G. Landeskog and then A. Vasilevskiy.

Of note: i believe #Vas is the only remaining player on the #Moose from the first draft.

[Eskimo Brother]

I don't have access to the initial draft so unless it gets posted I can't comment on how the Wheeling Nailers did and how it affects the current state of the franchise.

[VintageVibe]

London Nationals (VintageVibe)

Pos	Player	Rnd	Pk	Ov	Type
C	Jack Eichel (R) - BUF	1	11	11	LS
G	Pekka Rinne - NSH	2	14	38	LS
RW	Mark Stone - OTT	3	11	59	LS
LW	Sam Bennett (R) - CGY	4	14	86	LS

... we make up for our 2nd and 4th round picks in the coming rounds. Stay tuned...