8/28/2010

Draft dilemma

Hey all,

So when we booked the ED, I knew it was on my Dad's birthday, but he has always been very minimalist about celebrations, so I felt safe being able to be free by dinnertime after the draft. Also other GMs' conflicts for other dates seemed more major.

Ironically, my Dad has decided to propose a more extensive plan for his birthday, which now poses more of a conflict. While I can still attend on-line, I always do prefer to see everyone in person, so here's the bottom line (and I take no offense and fully understand if it may not work for others either logistically or economically, so speak freely - I have no desire to put anyone in an uncomfortable position):

I will be at the Delta Lodge at Kananaskis for that weekend. I will be inquiring with them this weekend as to the availability of a conference room we could occupy for the draft (with internet access of course) if so desired; and if feasible, I will look at covering that cost for the group (unless it is beyond my ability). That still leaves individual cost of travel/gas, and whatever we decide to do for food in K-country though.

Please give it some thought, as it will only work if it doesn't cause another GM to have to change from attending to not attending. I will post an update on availability of a conference room, and whether I can cover the cost, if people can let me know (through blog or private email) whether a ED "Retreat" on the 2nd would be an option.

Thanks!

Dan

8/26/2010

Rule Proposal Voting

Everyone should have this in their e-mail box by now, but for sake of ease, here it is on the blog as well. Voting can take place here in the comments or by e-mail.

1. Proposed

That GMs be granted the right to waive their team's Franchise Players. This shall include use of both waiver wire and waiver draft. Upon being waived the former FP loses all status. Further to this, I propose that the requirement that a team always have 2 Franchise Players be amended to be a limit of 2 Franchise Players instead.

Implementation:
To start 2010-2011 season

2. Proposal:

That limited Entry Draft trading be allowed. It is restricted to an exchange that takes place post-slot-selection draft between only two GMs, who agree to swap BOTH their 1st and 2nd round ED picks for the current year in exchange for some other consideration in the form of other traded assets like prospects, RFAs, FPs, and/or PrD picks being exchanged.

Trading of other ED picks, or single picks, would not be permitted

Implementation:
2011-2012 season

3. Proposed:

Initial lottery chips (baseline) based on final finishing order as follows:
First place - 12 chips, through to Last place - 1 chip

Earned chips - over the course of the season, a team earns an extra chip for every H2H win in the H2H regular season (Playoffs are rewarded with the Challenge Cup, and only include partial teams hence they are excluded)

4. Proposed:

That a GM holding rights to an RFA at the Entry Draft be allowed to match with any available FP replacement pick or the first available non-FP replacement pick, at his or her discretion.

Implementation:
To start 2010-2011 season

5. Proposed:

- Teams that announce they are intending to select a new FP are seeded at the front of the draft.

- If more than one team is intent on selecting a new FP they are seeded 1st and 2nd (etc.) based on their lottery rankings.

- Teams that are re-seeded are also re-seeded at the end of the 2nd to reflect the snake draft. So if Corey is moved up to pick #1, he is also moved to pick #24 for the purposes of the 2nd round. After the 2nd round lottery placement is in effect.

- Only unrestricted free agents may be drafted by reseeding. No RFAs (even ones own), or prospects may be selected. If a team is going to be re-seeded it must be with the express purpose of selecting an otherwise unrestricted free agent.

6. Proposed:

Be it resolved that the rules are acceptable as they are and that a moratorium on changing the rules be implemented for the next five years barring unanimous decision that there is an emergency need for change.

7. Proposed:

that we modify the current Injury Replacement rules to create two categories of IR: the current form of IR would be Re-callable IR in that the injured player can be brought back up by the GM should they return to health but the cost is, as it is now, your first (or subsequent) WD pick in the upcoming WD; the new category of IR would be Long-term IR in which the player (presumably an FP or valued and promoted Prospect) is placed on IR for the remainder of the FunHL season and can NOT be recalled by the GM until the following season. Long-term IR would not "cost" the GM anything other than the player on Long-term IR would not be available to the GM again that season.

8. Proposed:

Removal of the last place lottery bonus.

Chips based on final finishing order as follows:
First place - 12 chips, through to Last place - 1 chip

9. Proposed:

All teams get one chip in the lottery. (can't work in concert with #9)

If anyone notices any errors, etc. please let me know ASAP.

8/18/2010

10 Things I Look Forward To

10. A healthy Malkin. Of all the problems the Heads had last year, and they were legion, the injury to Malkin was front and center.

9. Iggy gets 1000pts. Probably punches his HOF ticket when he does.

8. The Flames chemistry experiment. Is Jay-Bo an elite shutdown guy or does he have real offense? Will Ollie Jokinen get 50? Or can he still get 70? What about Tanguay? Are Iggy's PPG/40+goal seasons history? Which Kipper will show up?

7. The Oilers. For three reasons; they are going to get greased most every night, Taylor Hall is sure to get prime offensive ice as they build the team around him, and reading Lowetide.

6. Heatley+Thornton part deux.

5. The Heritage Classic. I even like the hybrid throwback jerseys.

4. Playing the Great Whites like a bridge hand. We have similar holes in our roster and he has some nice RFA pieces that will make strategy important, and fun. If he doesn't express loathing and disgust at least once I will be dissapointed.

3. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. He scored the clinching goal for Canada in a recent 1-0 victory over the US in the latest U18 tournament, and scouts are using 'Sakic' and 'Yzerman' as comparables. He's in a dogfight for1st overall next year so expectations are high.

2. Watching the World Jr finals with Oliver for the third year in a row. He's 3 and has his own Team Canada Uni.

1. Drinking Jagermeister from the Predator Cup.

4.

8/17/2010

Rule Proposal 10

Cannot work with #9.....

All teams get one chip in the lottery.

8/14/2010

500 Goals?

History books say that Rocket Richard was the first player to ever amass 500 goals in professional hockey.

Turns out he may not even be the first Montreal Canadien to do the trick.

Here's how history short changes one of its all time greats.

Rule Proposal 9

Lottery change:


Removal of the last place lottery bonus.


Chips based on final finishing order as follows:
First place - 12 chips, through to Last place - 1 chip


I just wanted to have this change on the books until something better comes along.

8/13/2010

The Bible is Out/ Rule Props/Darrell to DC?

I was chatting with Rob...he got his Bible.

Mine is coming next week saith the Hockey News.

Rob and I talked about some changes

Large RW slant

Semin and Kovalev to RW

Hall is LW

Any many more...

I look fwd to the final list of proposals for voting. Proposal deadline is the Tomorrow.

Then Discussion

Then voting in early September - the 4th.

Oh I nominate Darrell if he's willing for the DC vacancy.

8/12/2010

Rule Proposal #8 (I think)

I propose that we modify the current Injury Replacement rules to create two catagories of IR: the current form of IR would be Recallable IR in that the injured player can be brought back up by the GM should they return to health but the cost is, as it is now, your first (or subsequent) WD pick in the upcoming WD; the new catagory of IR would be Long-term IR in which the player (presumably an FP or valued and promoted Prospect) is placed on IR for the remainder of the FunHL season and can NOT be recalled by the GM until the following season. Long-term IR would not "cost" the GM anything other than the player on Long-term IR would not be available to the GM again that season.

Reasoning: Corey cites a very rare situation whereby an FP is so useless that he wants the right to waive him. Like Cam, I really don't like this but I do recognize that a GM can get handcuffed by an FP who is experiencing unchecked uselessness. The current IR rule was designed to address situations like this but there is the presumption that the player will heal and be available at some point during the season (indeed the player is returned to the roster at each WD). For a player that is coming back, this makes a lot of sense. The current IR rule is akin to an advance on the upcoming WD but where the player needing to be replaced due to injury is gone for the season is simply NOT coming back, the IR rule seems unreasonably expensive.

This is similar to the NHL in that, in cases of injury, the normal rules of bringing players up through waivers are suspended (indeed you can even recall players from the junior ranks, if needed).

Rule Change Proposal

Lottery or No Lottery?

I put forth the following proposal regarding slot selection determination.

Implimentaion 2011-2012 determined by this coming year.

During the course of the FuNHL regular season, a franchise is awarded 12 points for finishing a week with the most Predator Cup points. All remaining teams are awarded points in decreasing increments of 1 for thier standing during any given week. We will call these points Slot Selction Points (SSL) for this proposal.

eg. 12 SSL points for most Predator Cup points down to 1 point for fewest Predator Cup points per week. This gives a franchise the possibility to accumulate up to 240 SSL points (12 points/week x 20 weeks), or as few as 20.

At years end the franchise with the most SSL points selects thier ED slot first, the next selection goes to the franchise with the next highest SSL points until each franchise has selected thier ED slot.

Final Predator Cup standing would determine the winner in the case of ties.

I feel this system is unbiased and rewards franchises accordingly.

8/11/2010

Rule Change Proposal #2: Re-submitted

Thanks to Dan for his wordsmithing.

Proposal:

That limited Entry Draft trading be allowed. It is restricted to an exchange that takes place post-slot-selection draft between only two GMs, who agree to swap BOTH their 1st and 2nd round ED picks for the current year in exchange for some other consideration in the form of other traded assets like prospects, RFAs, FPs, and/or PrD picks being exchanged.

Trading of other ED picks, or single picks, would not be permitted

Implementation:
2011-2012 season

Rationale:
To allow GMs more latitude in choosing their FP and to increase league parity.

1.) Currently the only way to acquire an elite level UFA is to win the draft lottery or work out an overly complex and slightly questionable trade with the lucky GM who did win the draft lottery. This proposal simplifies the trade and brings it entirely above board.

2.) Universal access to elite UFAs for the purpose of making them Franchise Players will disperse the best players throughout the league and potentially promote parity.

Apologies to those who want greater restrictions, however for practical reasons this proposal does not require an FP replacement at the Entry Draft as part of the trade.

Rule Change Proposal #4: Re-submitted

Also not any changes on this one.

I propose that a GM holding rights to an RFA at the Entry Draft be allowed to match with any available FP replacement pick or the first available non-FP replacement pick, at his or her discretion.

Implementation:
To start 2010-2011 season

Rationale:
RFA status is supposed to confer an advantage on the team which owns the player. This proposal secures that advantage during Franchise Player replacement.

Rule Change Proposal #1: Re-submitted

Essentially no changes from the initial proposal.

I propose that GMs be granted the right to waive their team's Franchise Players. This shall include use of both waiver wire and waiver draft. Upon being waived the former FP loses all status. Further to this, I propose that the requirement that a team always have 2 Franchise Players be amended to be a limit of 2 Franchise Players instead.

Implementation:
To start 2010-2011 season

Rationale:
If a Franchise Player is doing so poorly that they do not deserve a spot on the roster for whatever reason, the GM should be allowed to deal with him as if he were any other player. Sometimes the FP will have sufficient value to be tradable. Sometimes, not so much. Regardless, it should fall to the GM to solve the problem as best he or she can.

RULE PROPOSAL #5 and #6

Ok, first off, I tend to hate everything proposed so far, but I do detect a theme to most of the proposals;

'There is an FP I want available in Free Agency, but there is no way for me to get a shot at drafting him outside of winning the lottery'.

And of course, that player in this case is Getzlaf (three years ago or so it would have been Lecavalier).

I'd made this suggestion in the comments to one of the proposals, or in conversation with Doug, and I think it works much better than ED pick trading (Pandora's box should be so ripe with Evil), or the other suggestions;

Proposed:

- Teams that announce they are intending to select a new FP are seeded at the front of the draft.

- If more than one team is intent on selecting a new FP they are seeded 1st and 2nd (etc.) based on their lottery rankings. For example if Corey and I both announce we are selecting new FPs, Corey gets #1, and I (as pick 11), get #2.

- Teams that are re-seeded are also re-seeded at the end of the 2nd to reflect the snake draft. So if Corey is moved up to pick #1, he is also moved to pick #24 for the purposes of the 2nd round.

- Only unrestricted free agents may be drafted by reseeding. No RFAs (even ones own), or prospects may be selected. If a team is going to be re-seeded it must be with the express purpose of selecting an otherwise unrestricted free agent.

As I see it this proposal accomplishes several things;

- it increases the likelihood that the best unrestricted free agents become FPs
- it allows teams that are trying to rebuild to move up in the draft
- it does not allow ED pick trading
- it does not allow teams to move up with the intent of 'spiking' another teams RFA
- it retains the 'cost' of replacing an FP.

Proposal #6


Simple enough; be it resolved that the rules are acceptable as they are and that a moratorium on changing the rules be implemented for the next five years barring unanimous decision that there is an emergency need for change. My annual 'lets stop screwing around' proposal,

Rule Change Proposal #3

Revised after some excellent discussion:

I would like to blend some of the ideas proposed - I think the "activity" reward is too cumbersome to track, but the H2H reward is being tracked anyway for the Challenge Cup. So here we go:

Initial chips (baseline) based on final finishing order as follows:
First place - 12 chips, through to Last place - 1 chip

Earned chips - over the course of the season, a team earns an extra chip for every H2H win in the H2H regular season (Playoffs are rewarded with the Challenge Cup, and only include partial teams hence they are excluded)

This way a team can improve their odds for the draft lottery right up until the last 6 weeks, which should mean right up to the trade deadline for practical purposes, which will hopefully motivate them to do as well as possible for as long as possible

Rules Proposals

Just a follow-up to Bob's posting...
Now that we have had discussion back and forth on the proposals, can the GMs who submitted the original proposals please re-post, and please include any changes to the proposal based on the discussions. We need to work toward final forms for voting purposes...
Dan

8/04/2010

Invasion of the Magazine Pop Mart

It has BEGUN!

the THN Ultimate Fantasy Pool Guide is OUT for 2010-11...

beware...

hehe

8/02/2010

I hope the Barbarians are back and other FUNHL business

Dear FUNHL,

Rumor has it by email and by facebook and by this very blog that Mike B., former GM of the Barbarians is at least temporarily reclaiming his role as GM of the Lost Boys, while Richard takes a year off to consider his role in the pool for the future other than commentator etc. I hope someone has told Mike B. that the entry draft will be most likely held at Collin and Colleen's place on saturday October 2nd starting around 11AM MST. Having just booked my airline tickets for this date, I certainly expect the entry draft to be then.

Because of the time pressures we all have, Chris from the Scourge had put forth two names to me in private in case we needed them which brings the entire expansion debate up again. I dont think we need to address that now, but we may want to in the future.

To my knowledge there are 4 or 5 rule proposals that are being discussed. I would like them to be fine tuned for mid-August ie. August 15th and final discussions about these rules to be completed by the labor-day weekend and the vote being due on September 10th. Please email your vote to myself at b0bc@yahoo.com or to Cameron at severedheads@shaw.ca.

Which brings me to my next point, with Richard not being around during the year, we have a vacancy on the disputes committee (DC) and I'll be fielding nominations for the one vacancy by your email or your response to this post.

Thank you for your attention and your comments