Hi Guys,
Lots of fun hooking up with Cam, Dan and Collin last Friday to watch the NHL Draft and do the lottery for our Entry Draft. Congrats to Cam for pulling his own number out of the hat. What now?
We need to settle on a date - the two obvious dates are either Saturday September 20th or Saturday September 27th. The NHL typically starts play on the first week of October but with Games in Europe I suspect that there will be games, like last year, on September 27th.
We also need to settle on a location. I have to admit, I was blown away by Flames Central and when Collin mused aloud about holding the FunHL Draft in one of the boardrooms overlooking the "virtual arena" I was hard-pressed to find fault with the idea. Issues of cost, avaliability, wi-fi and electrical access and capacity are all things that will need to be discussed but the venue itself - pretty swanky.
We also need to have the DC give us a ruling on what the 60 Min shutout baseline will be for goalies. Its currently 4.0pts but I think Cam has made a compelling case that a move down to either 3.5pts or 3.75pts is probably in order.
Trade lines are now open for the Highlanders who are interested in moving up in the prospect draft. I currently have two later first round picks - #9 and #10 - which I would be interested in dealing for one earlier first round in the top 5. Alternatively I would be interested in swaping prospect picks in this years prospect draft for counterparts in the 2009 Prospect Draft (one of my two 1st rounders and the Ramapithicine's 2nd). In any event, looking forward to a quick off-season so we can get back to hockey :-)
6/24/2008
6/21/2008
FUNHL News and Notes
Before I forget, here's a nifty little video recapping highlights of the 2007-08 season. For me its the Nash goal at the very end that says it all.
I was very pleased to be able to attend the lottery this year and even more pleased to see Gms from the Highlanders, Edge and Great Whites in attendance.
With the unfortunate unavailability of the Highlanders GM last year the oversight of his drinking a shot from the cup was rectified (thanks to the Edge GM for his role in this as well), whereafter the trophy was given to the Severed Heads GM for safe-keeping.
The Lottery results were as follows;
1 - Severed Heads
2 - Personal Vendetta
3 - Wolves
4 - Bladerunners
5 - Ramapithicines
6 - Shadowmen
7 - Edge
8 - Lost Boys
9 - Scourge
10- Highlanders
11- Knights Templar
12- Great Whites
It's been just two years since the Severed Heads came out of the hat first, but hopefully this time we won't make the mistake(s) we did last time. Preliminary conversations with the teams GM give no clear indication yet as to who the team will take, though Nabokov, Lecavalier, and Datsyuk are all possibilites, and the team will almost certainly consider a bid on RFA's like the Wolves Phaneuf as well.
As for the goings on at the draft itself I didn't find many of the picks to be a surprise, but I did see some highlights of #2 overall Drew Doughty that moved him way up my draft board.
The Cammalleri and Tanguay trades weren't downers or uppers, but recognition that pieces were being shuffled around. Tanguay wasn't happy and gettng Montreal to part with a 1st and 2nd for him was fair price. To aquire a replacement who is faster, grittier, a better goalscorer and above all, cheaper, for a 1st was also a fair bargain.
Tanguay in Montreal is an intriguing situation as he could very likely be asked to play back at his centre position or remain a top line LW. If he can handle the media pressure he might even rebound to the just sub 100 pt mark.
We all were a little taken aback by the Jokinen trade, as all of us questioned why it was that Phoenix's offer was superior to what the Flames had been rumoured to be offering. On the surface two NHL caliber defensemen and a high 2nd round pick in a very deep draft is fair price, and while Ballard is enough player I don't see All-Star games in his future. Boynton is a reclamation project that Phoenix was patient with after Boynton struggled through several uneven seasons in Boston and wrestled with repeated knee surgeries. At best I see Boynton as a #5 on a good team, or 4 on a bad.
The logjam of D-men on the Panthers roster now makes it virtually certain that Florida will be moving Jay Bouwmeester - probably for scoring help.
The Umberger to Philly trade was good for both teams. The Blue Jackets need NHL calibre players right now, and can't wait for a low-end first round pick to develop into a mainstay. Philly was pressed against the cap and Umberger despite his upside as a 60 point 2nd line centre with tremendous physical tools (Keith Primeau is my favourite comparison), was odd-man out thanks to Carter and Richards hitting the cookie jar first. Getting a 1st for the burly Ohio State graduate was a solid return.
As for my drink from the trophy? The Jagrmeister never tasted better.
I was very pleased to be able to attend the lottery this year and even more pleased to see Gms from the Highlanders, Edge and Great Whites in attendance.
With the unfortunate unavailability of the Highlanders GM last year the oversight of his drinking a shot from the cup was rectified (thanks to the Edge GM for his role in this as well), whereafter the trophy was given to the Severed Heads GM for safe-keeping.
The Lottery results were as follows;
1 - Severed Heads
2 - Personal Vendetta
3 - Wolves
4 - Bladerunners
5 - Ramapithicines
6 - Shadowmen
7 - Edge
8 - Lost Boys
9 - Scourge
10- Highlanders
11- Knights Templar
12- Great Whites
It's been just two years since the Severed Heads came out of the hat first, but hopefully this time we won't make the mistake(s) we did last time. Preliminary conversations with the teams GM give no clear indication yet as to who the team will take, though Nabokov, Lecavalier, and Datsyuk are all possibilites, and the team will almost certainly consider a bid on RFA's like the Wolves Phaneuf as well.
As for the goings on at the draft itself I didn't find many of the picks to be a surprise, but I did see some highlights of #2 overall Drew Doughty that moved him way up my draft board.
The Cammalleri and Tanguay trades weren't downers or uppers, but recognition that pieces were being shuffled around. Tanguay wasn't happy and gettng Montreal to part with a 1st and 2nd for him was fair price. To aquire a replacement who is faster, grittier, a better goalscorer and above all, cheaper, for a 1st was also a fair bargain.
Tanguay in Montreal is an intriguing situation as he could very likely be asked to play back at his centre position or remain a top line LW. If he can handle the media pressure he might even rebound to the just sub 100 pt mark.
We all were a little taken aback by the Jokinen trade, as all of us questioned why it was that Phoenix's offer was superior to what the Flames had been rumoured to be offering. On the surface two NHL caliber defensemen and a high 2nd round pick in a very deep draft is fair price, and while Ballard is enough player I don't see All-Star games in his future. Boynton is a reclamation project that Phoenix was patient with after Boynton struggled through several uneven seasons in Boston and wrestled with repeated knee surgeries. At best I see Boynton as a #5 on a good team, or 4 on a bad.
The logjam of D-men on the Panthers roster now makes it virtually certain that Florida will be moving Jay Bouwmeester - probably for scoring help.
The Umberger to Philly trade was good for both teams. The Blue Jackets need NHL calibre players right now, and can't wait for a low-end first round pick to develop into a mainstay. Philly was pressed against the cap and Umberger despite his upside as a 60 point 2nd line centre with tremendous physical tools (Keith Primeau is my favourite comparison), was odd-man out thanks to Carter and Richards hitting the cookie jar first. Getting a 1st for the burly Ohio State graduate was a solid return.
As for my drink from the trophy? The Jagrmeister never tasted better.
6/20/2008
FunHL 2008 Entry Draft: Draft Order
In order:
1 - Severed Heads
2 - Personal Vendetta
3 - Wolves
4 - Bladerunners
5 - Ramapithicines
6 - Shadowmen
7 - Edge
8 - Lost Boys
9 - Scourge
10- Highlanders
11- Knights Templar
12- Great Whites
Trade lines are now open.
1 - Severed Heads
2 - Personal Vendetta
3 - Wolves
4 - Bladerunners
5 - Ramapithicines
6 - Shadowmen
7 - Edge
8 - Lost Boys
9 - Scourge
10- Highlanders
11- Knights Templar
12- Great Whites
Trade lines are now open.
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