Challenge #43 - 2003 Blackhawks Discussion Thread

[bruins72]

All Challenge #43 talk goes here!

[Peter_Doherty]

This will be fun!

Edit: Oh wow, this team is much worse then i thought they would be, sure will be a challenge to start atleast.

[bruins72]

That first draft is going to be very interesting. There are so many guys that you could be justified in taking #1 overall. Shea Weber is ranked #1 overall but if you didn't want to go with defense, you've got a lot of interesting centers there (and this Blackhawks team is thin down the middle). You've got guys like Staal, Carter, Bergeron, and Getzlaf there. You could take a winger like Perry or Eriksson. Or a goalie like Crawford of Fleury. You've even got some other interesting options at defense but I'm not quite sure they're on Weber's level. My hope is that somebody drafts off the board and I'm able to pick up a stud with that Senators' first round pick.

[Peter_Doherty]

Even the prospects on this team are bad, what did the last GM do?

b72, i'm probably not going Weber, really think this team needs a future #1 C. I really hope one of Burns, Big Buf or Suter drop to our second 1st rounder, i doubt any will but i sure do hope.

[bruins72]

But at least we've got Bouwmeester as a prospect!

[Peter_Doherty]

I think i'm going to trade J-Bouw, i want puck moving D-men during this challenge.

[bruins72]

Sign him first!

I think I'll keep him. He and Phillips are going to be the backbone of my defense.

We've also got Hartnell as a good prospect. He's only 20 years old. Sturm is 24 and already good. Ott is 20 and looking like a good defensive forward. Moulson looks like he can develop into a decent 2nd line wing. He's only 19 years old. There's some decent youngsters in the system but almost all of them are already under contract with the team.

I sure do hope there's some decent staff available in the off-season. My whole coaching staff needs to go, with the exception of the goalie coach. Most of the scouts are trash too.

EDIT:

And because I'm spending so much time looking at stuff and trying to scout, I'm still in April!

[Peter_Doherty]

Yeah, i'll remember to sign him first

Yeah, we have a few good young players, but i see no first liners among them and no C's at all. Actually, Plotnikov looks pretty decent. J-Bouw looks like a great prospect, just doesn't fit the mold i'm trying out this time. Thought the scouts atleast look OK, could definitely use a couple new ones but it's not THAT bad

[bruins72]

Plotnikov does look good but he's got the "may have trouble adapting to life in North America" thing.

[Peter_Doherty]

Yeah, i'm leaving him in Europe for now.

[Peter_Doherty]

I'm at the draft now, such a tough choice for me between Eric Staal and Patrice Bergeron. Staal looks better now but i love Bergerons game and he looks to become the more well rounded player, decisions decisions.

Edit: Went with Bergeron even though all my scouts wanted Staal over him Now for the second decision, both Byfuglien and Goligoski available for my next pick

[stone169]

You things are really bad up front with your team when your assistant GM has Samuel Pahlsson listed as your #1 center.

[bruins72]

LOL! Pahlsson? Yikes!

Smart move taking Bergeron! I think Buffy might be the better of those two choices on D (in this save).

[Peter_Doherty]

Done with the draft, ended up with these players, in order: Patrice Bergeron, Dustin Byfuglien, Brian Elliott, Eric Fehr, Dan Fritsche, Willie Burnes, Ossi Häkkinen and James Thomas. Went a bit off script with Bergeron and Elliott but feel good with this draft

The biggest 'problem' with taking Bergeron over Staal is that Staal looks more or less NHL ready while Bergeron needs a season or two before he's ready.

[bruins72]

I'd rather do better over several years than just one or two.

[stone169]

Done with the draft, ended up with these players, in order: Patrice Bergeron, Dustin Byfuglien, Brian Elliott, Eric Fehr, Dan Fritsche, Willie Burnes, Ossi Häkkinen and James Thomas. Went a bit off script with Bergeron and Elliott but feel good with this draft

The biggest 'problem' with taking Bergeron over Staal is that Staal looks more or less NHL ready while Bergeron needs a season or two before he's ready.

It's funny that they'd make Staal NHL ready and not Bergeron, considering Bergeron headed straight to Boston.

[bruins72]

And IRL Bergeron was a second rounder that wasn't as highly touted as some others. That makes the fact that he forced his way onto the roster as an 18 year old even better. Big props to Martin Lapointe for taking Bergeron into his home with his family to help him make the adjustment. I think more veterans should do that with rookies. It teaches them how to be a professional.

[Peter_Doherty]

I'd rather do better over several years than just one or two.

Not sure Bergeron will become better either, i just like his particular skillset better for what i'm trying to do with this team

[CJ]

I had planed to participate in this challenge. It would have been my first challenge. But as my NHL research/work for the new TBL rosters takes so much time I think I'll have to skip.

[stone169]

That was probably one of the worst drafts I've ever had. The players I had on my list were all gone by the end of the 2nd round. Clearly this will be something I will have to address in the off season.

Here's my picks:

1st Patrice Bergeron
22nd Alex Goligoski
31st Brad Richardson
58th Eric Fehr
61st Clayton Stoner
91st Mike Lundin
121st Daniel Winnik
151st Grant Clitsome
181st James Thomas

It was tough passing up on Eric Staal and Shea Weber, but I just felt that Patrice would be the better fit with what I want to do with the team.

[Peter_Doherty]

I was thinking so hard about that pick #31, went with Elliott to secure some depth at G (he was the only potentially good one left), but was seriously considering Zajac, O'Brien and Purcell.

[stone169]

I just realized that I made a trade when I wasn't supposed supposed to. I drafted Eric Fehr with that pick. Thankfully I can go back.

[stone169]

Still a horrible draft. So did it over because I made a trade before the draft and the rule stipulate, that I cannot do anything of the sort until July 1st.

Here are my picks:

1st Patrice Bergeron
22nd Alex Goligoski
31st Teddy Purcell
61st Brian Boyle
91st Tobias Enstrom
121st Karl Meyhoff
151st James Thomas
181st Ossi Hakkinen

[bruins72]

I had planed to participate in this challenge. It would have been my first challenge. But as my NHL research/work for the new TBL rosters takes so much time I think I'll have to skip.

That's a bummer. I get it though. Manimal has run into that too. Thanks for the hard work though.

[nino33]

I had planed to participate in this challenge. It would have been my first challenge. But as my NHL research/work for the new TBL rosters takes so much time I think I'll have to skip.

Yeah, I know how you feel!...I played a year and a half of the Dallas Stars Challenge (Challenge 20!), and didn't play the two 1974 databases Challenges though I wanted to...the editing bug is very strong for some of us! HaHa

Outside of some online play the Challenge was the only time I "played" EHM; I really enjoyed my time as the Dallas Star GM, brief though it was