Re: Dobber Pro Wales 2022-23
I'm not sure how I feel about my team this year. I was using my Dobber cheat sheet to help build my queue, but somewhere around round 15 I realized that there were just way too many D men listed in the top 250 players on my list, so I wasn't thrilled about some of my late round picks. My D is strong and I have some considerable top end forward talent, but the forward ranks are thin and my goaltending is... a gamble, to say the least.
Round 1 - Matthews: hummed and hawed between him and Draisaitl, but ultimately decided that the G/SO combo was too good to pass on, in spite of Matthews being a centre.
Round 2 & 3 - JT Miller & Letang: Svechnikov got snagged right in front of me, so I had to 'settle' for Miller (the LW eligibility helped), and then Letang. Wasn't planning on taking a D so early, but Letang was the last of the big 5, with Makar, Hedman, Fox, and Josi already gone. If I passed on a D this round, I probably would have had to pass for a few more rounds after.
Rounds 4 & 5 - DeBrincat & Jarry: there was a pretty hard run on goalies going on in round 3, but with just one person picking twice after me and Hellebuyck and Jarry still left, I decide to chance it and take DeBrincat and sure enough, Jarry is still there for me at the start of the next round. I had decided to try to do goaltending on the 'cheap' this year, but this was as 'cheap' as I was willing to go. At this stage, I have 1 C, 2 LW, 1 D, and 1 G. I really need a RW eligible player.
Rounds 6 & 7 - Theodore & Tavares: I'm eyeing Tarasenko all the way here, but he gets grabbed a few picks before me, so I pivot back to D. I'm not seeing the kinds of options at RW that I want, so I decide to pick the guy who I think stands to put up the most points in terms of remaining skaters, and that's Tavares. I'm a Sens fan with TOR's two top centres on my roster - unplanned and unexpected.
Round 8 & 9 - Pavelski & Sergachev: my RW options are dwindling, but Pavelski goes unpicked so I jump at him. Savages picks Batherson, my next intended pick, so I pivot back again to D, selecting Sergachev. i'm not super thrilled with this one, but at least he brings some HIT, which, excepting Letang, I have been neglected.
Rounds 10 & 11 - Keller & Merzlikins: the goalie offerings are getting dire, but I stay the course and take Keller, hoping he can flirt with PPP status this year; on the swing back, I bite the bullet and take Merzlikins. Heaven help me, I'm all in on cheap goalies now.
Rounds 12 & 13 - Petersen & Pionk: I'm eyeing Francouz all the way here, but Kofax takes him right in front of me, so I scramble and take Petersen. The picks others are making now are really varying with the top end of my list. I decide to grab another steady D in Pionk. My D is going to have lots of guys who put up 35-40 points and big HIT numbers.
Round 14 & 15 - Horvat & Morrissey: here I'm just looking to add the best scorer I can find (Horvat) and then another solid D with good points/HIT spreads.
Rounds 16 & 17 - Petry & Bjorkstrand: I think this is the point in the draft when I realize that my forward selections have been a little short. I have 6 guys who will flirt with PPP status or better, but that's it. That is a big concern. I grab Petry as insurance on Letang and to add to my stable of D, and then plug my nose and take Bjorkstrand - I suspect his +/- numbers are going to hurt bad.
Rounds 18 & 19 - Crouse & M. Foligno: at this point, I have 8 forwards, 6 D, and 3 goalies, so I have to add forwards. The picks are now all over the place, but I decide to load up on HIT with Crouse and then M Foligno. Not excited about these picks, but if they bring me 40 points and 200+ HIT, they've done their job.
Rounds 20 & 21 - Roslovic & Hronek: Kofax grabs Killorn right in front of me, so I grab my backup, Roslovic, and cross my fingers that he ends up playing with Laine and Gaudreau. I grab Hronek on the swing back - I'm already thinking I might have to trade D to add a forward with more PPPs.
Rounds 23 & 23 - Tolvanen & Kubalik: straight up just looking for points here, high risk with some upside. I am pleased to see afterwards that Tolaven is a hitter.
Rounds 24 & 25 - Korpisalo & DeSmith: I know I'm going to grab some junk goalies here, but I can't decide which ones. As the picks are coming my way, I decide I'm going to try to lock up what I have, so grab the backups to Merzlikins and Jarry. Lordy, my goalies are going to be a bit of a rodeo.
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LEAGUE: keeper -- 6 keepers per year, no farm; roto; 10 managers, 18-man rosters; 2 C, 2 LW, 2 RW, 4 D, 1 UTIL, 2 G, 5 Bench; limits of 99 games per skater position & 82 games per goalie position; daily roster moves; max 100 waiver wire transactions per year; scoring categories of G, A, +/-, HIT, PPP, SOG, DEF (points by d-men), W, GAA, SA%, and SV.
ROSTER:
C: Draisaitl* (LW), Dubois, Nelson
LW: Svechnikov* (RW), Hagel
RW: Kucherov*, Tarasenko, Wilson, Stone, Laine, Reinhart, P. Kane (IR)
D: Fox*, Karlsson*, Chabot (IR), Faulk, Martinez
G:: Vasilevskiy*, Vanecek, Adin, Knight (IR)
* = 2023 keepers