Challenge 8.2 Toronto Maple Leafs 2nd season discussion

Post by **batdad** » Wed May 30, 2007 4:08 am

Ok. Phew. Bates taking down Peters is even funnier. Bates' hands must be as quick as his feet in skates. The play by play was an absolute pummeling. Peters never got a shot in.

In my first 17 Macdonald (Andy) has been out 3 times already. He has barely played half the games. I gambled once and dressed him,and he got reinjured...so my fault really.

Post by **CatchUp** » Wed May 30, 2007 4:15 am

I'm just coming up to UFA day in the offseason between year one and two. I don't have too many needs about about 4 million to play with.

Zetterberg-Marleau-Doan
Michalek-Zubrus-Ryan
Roy-Fisher-Hunter
X-X-X

Hannan-Niedermayer
Vanaanen-Morris
X-Eminger

I'm also thinking about trading Niedermayer. While he is pretty great - I want to flesh out my forwards a bit and I need the extra $$$ to do it. I think Nieds and his 6.75 are going to some lucky Western team.

Post by **CatchUp** » Wed May 30, 2007 5:30 am

July has been a busy month. I wasn't able to sign any of the UFA's I wanted. So I went a bit nuts on the trade front...

Lines as of July 21st:

Drury-Marleau-Doan
Michalek-Zubrus-Ryan
Dawes-Penner-Bernier
X-Roy-Hunter

Hannan-McLaren
Brewer-Carle
Vanaanen-Morris
Erhoff

Post by **batdad** » Wed May 30, 2007 5:50 am

You aint seen nothing yet, til you see the new greatest team ever. (of course beating out my season 1 team by a nose)...but new faces, same old power play!!!

Post by **batdad** » Wed May 30, 2007 5:50 am

Oh and you should see it in about 10 minutes.

Post by **batdad** » Wed May 30, 2007 6:02 am

Yes,,,19-1-0 104 goals, 45 against. Insane

I am playing all 4 lines and 3 d-pairs on equal. I felt my top group was too tired last season..

Huselius-Sundin-Cheechoo
Vanek(Wolski)-McDonald-Zubrus
Wolski(Vanek)-Bates-Fedotenko(Ponikarovsky)
Ponikarovsky(Boogie)-Franzen (Betts)-Bernier

Kaberle-Van Ryn
Tallinder-D.Markov
Beachemin (S. Morrisonn)-Martinek

Nitty
Auld

S. Bernier has 10 goals and 8 assists on the fourth line. Only 1 of those is a power play point(goal). He is averaging 10 min 30 sec per nite. I thinks I am gonna hve to give him more ice time. Yet...Huselius,Cheechoo,Vanek, Wolski,Fedotenko, Zubrus do not want to let him have more ice time.

McDonald has only played 9 of the 20 games..when he gets back this team will be even scarier...and yeah his salary is included in my total.

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Thu May 31, 2007 5:34 pm

My second block of 20 for season two wasn't a total disaster. I still managed a decent record. My team just didn't perform on par with the way they had in the first 20 games. We survived two weeks without Mats Sundin! That's no small feat. Unfortunately, he lost the big lead he had in the league scoring race. Right now he's 2nd in the league in points. Michalek is 3rd. There is only a difference of 6 points between 1st and 5th place in scoring. When Sundin went out, he must've had at least 6 points on the second place guy. Everyone caught up. Plus, Sundin's line is firing like clockwork anymore. Before his injury, it was a finely tuned machine. Now... I'm not as impressed. My PP just isn't dominating like it was and that was a good portion of our scoring. I'm hoping they've just got to get their timing back.

I'm still trying to work some deals but I just can't seem to manage to get the guys that I want. I take that back. It looks like I'll be able to land on of the defensemen I want. Unfortunately, I think it's my forwards that need the most help.

I'm just a couple games into my next block of 20 games and I just hit a huge snag! I lost Niitty for 3 weeks (rotator cuff strain). So that means I've got to rely on Boucher to hold down the fort. And I've only got one other goaltender in my system, Justin Pogge. He's not ready for the NHL. Plus, he's a part of the deal I was working for that defenseman. Oh joy!

Post by **batdad** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 12:57 am

Second 20 games not too bad for me either. Slowed down a bit by injuries to Cheechoo, Huselius (overlapped for 2 games or so)...but since the 2 have returned for the last 3 games...Sundin is back in order.

And um....I had a power play...but where did the pk go? Can I have both at one time please oh EHM gods? Just for fun...

Here is to hoping my version of Nitty does not go down. Alex Auld won't be able to handle the load.

I made ZERO moves in the last 20..in fact since before the season started...but the Oilers have approached me for one of my farm guys...and I have asked for Derek Roy...so I will have to make some moves if that comes through. Fedotenko will be bye bye.

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:24 am

Wow! Our teams performed fairly similar in the second 20 games, huh? My Sundin would be right with your Sundin in points if he hadn't missed those two weeks. That really killed me.

I'll be happy to have my 3rd set of 20 games turn out as well as this batch. Being without Niitty is killing me! I've been using Boucher (who I always want to call "Bobby" thanks to The Waterboy!) and the recently acquired Shantz. Boucher is missing some games now too. Just a few though. I've had to have the "greyed out" scrub fill-ins for backup goaltenders a few times already. I just don't have any others to fill in!

I just made a deal for one of your favorites too, batdad. I was able to get my hands on Brule. IIRC, I just sent prospects and maybe a pick in return. I'll have to check tomorrow. I sent him down to the farm for the time being though. I've got to juggle my line-up a bit before he can join the team. Plus, he had been having a terrible year in Columbus, so he needed his morale boosted with some good games on the farm. I'm working another deal for a really great player. We'll see if it works out. Could be good!

Post by **batdad** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 4:26 am

piddle off. You got Gilbert? I have tried every freaking week. But anyway, in year 2 he is not ready in most games for more than 4th line and occasional pp anyway. So in this challenge I do not care I can't get him now. Same for Alex Picard too.

Post by **batdad** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 4:30 am

BTW ... I forgot this:

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:35 pm

I sent the rights to Nathan Martine and a 4th round pick to Columbus for Brule and their 3rd round pick. Not a bad deal. I've already brought him back up. He's my third line center at the moment. We'll see how it works out. If he struggles, I'll send him back down to the farm.

I was able to get that other deal to work finally. Actually, I worked a couple deals. Back before the Brule deal, I managed to land Seabrook. It cost me Clymer, Pogge, and a 2nd rounder but I got Chicago's 1st rounder along with Seabrook. Then I swung a minor deal for Shantz, sending only an unsigned Russian prospect (Polinin) in return. Then I worked the Brule deal. Shortly after that, I was able to swing a trade for Frolov! I had to send out Morrow in return (plus a couple prospects) but I think it was worth it. Morrow could only play LW. Frolov plays both wings. I needed that flexibility for some line tweaking I wanted to work on.

I finally have all my goaltenders healthy and things are going better. I've only few more games before it's time to post stats. We just had the All-Star Game and Pitkanen was the MVP.

Post by **batdad** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 4:14 pm

Early on..I always play Gilby at Right Wing. Right now CBJ would take: Fedotenko, AJ Sturges rights, my 2008 1st, 2nd and Detroits 2nd. Um yeah...no.

I was thinking about going a fter Seabrook too..but other than picking up Adam Mair for Blair Betts...I think I am done. (Mair plays all 3 forward positions.)

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 6:21 pm

Yeah, that's way too much to give up for Brule. I was okay with what I gave up for him. It seemed fair enough. Martine is going to end up as a good defenseman but not in the span of the challenge.

Seabrook is one of those guys I always go after but don't always get. I've been trying to land him for this team since the challenge started. They just finally took a deal and I think it was only because they were interested in Clymer.

I think I'm probably done trading for the season. It's February, so there can't be much time left anyhow. The only way I would pull the trigger on another deal is if somebody was getting rid of one of the players I really, really wanted. You know those players you're always desperate for? Those guys! If I could get a Bouwmeester, Crosby, Horton, Ovechkin, Phaenuf or somebody like that... I'd do it.

Post by **batdad** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 6:02 am

I am thinking my team is pretty good in year 2. I have just clinched a playoff spot...after game 59. Sheesh. Now I am off to play game 60 and then post stats.

Post by **batdad** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 6:25 am

Okay game 60 done. In my last 20 I only lost 2 OT games. Nothing in regulation. I am freaked out beyond belief. Using new players I have never used (save super Nitty) for the most part I am amazed. Huselius has missed 9 games due to injury in this 60, and Cheechoo has missed 4. Macdonald has missed 11 and Wolski a few as well... My Defense is rotated, so the only one who has played all 60 is Kaberle...I think I will give him a night off soon.

Lines (goals in brackets) right now with Huselius injured.

Vanek (16) Sundin (34) Cheechoo (37)
Wolski (36) MacDonald (14) Zubrus (20)
Grabovsky (2-6gms) Bates (6) Ponikarovsky (22)
Boogie (1) Franzen (2) Bernier (20)

Huselius has 30. So the balanced scoring is amazing. I have 7 20 goal scorers in 60 games. Vanek has been a bit of a disappointment this season, but noone is scoring as much because my lines are more balanced and ice time is distributed more equally.

I picked up Adam Mair and he has played alot of 4th line and PK since I got him. IS doing great...my PK is way up again. Grabovsky up from Marlies, and I don't think I will be able to send him back when Mr. Huselius comes back...he is playing so well. Not sure what to do there. Hopefully, won't put me over $38, cause I think I had some salary taken off when Huselius went to IR for three weeks.

I also did one more thing. I traded an annoyingly underachieving (as usual) Fedotenko, and a couple of farm players, and Shawn Morrisonn for Kimmo Timmonen to round out my blue line.

So d now looks like this.

Kaberle-Van Ryn
Timander-D Markov
Tallinder-Martinek
Beauchemin

As I said there is a rotation, so next game Beauch will be in, and one of the other guys (lowest morale) out.

Nitty
Auld

I am also actually happy with my pp. Lowered expectations, but I averaged one per game over the last 20...so that is fine by me. Even though I went 0-12 once.

Post by **batdad** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 6:27 am

Oops Timander should read Timmonen. Always mix em up.

Post by **CatchUp** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 7:12 am

batdad wrote: Hopefully, won't put me over $38, cause I think I had some salary taken off when Huselius went to IR for three weeks.

Looks like I'll have to pull my socks up in Season Two to keep pace!

About your cap issue - IIRC we don't take any penalty points until we're 1.1 mil over the cap. Which for season two is $38 mil. So you should be fine as long as you can stay under 39.1 mil.

Post by **batdad** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 3:48 pm

I know, but I want to stay under 38 for some reason. I was at 38.3 and my injuries and two trades brought me under, which is what I was hoping for. I did not expect Grabovsky to play so well. But like Vanek, Huselius and Wolski...he seems to like playing with old man Mats. Gonna be some tough LW battles for ice time on this team.

And yeah...your socks are a little low.

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 4:28 pm

Wow! You killed in that last block of games, batdad! No losses! Pretty darn good. I won't get to finish my 41-60 until I get back to work on Monday but I can assure you... it wasn't as good as that. Nice work!

I've had a similar situation with LW in my game too. That's where I seem to be the deepest. I've got an abundance of LWs. Several of them are LW/C though. I've done a lot of juggling to see what works best. One of the reasons I got rid of Morrow was that he was pure LW and everyone else had some versatility.

Post by **CatchUp** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 7:47 am

My preseason game against Phoenix - but not the Phoenix you're thinking of!

http://www.ehmtheblueline.com/forums/al ... pic_id=758

Post by **Calv** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:03 am

CatchUp wrote:My preseason game against Phoenix - but not the Phoenix you're thinking of!

http://www.ehmtheblueline.com/forums/al ... pic_id=758

For that you're definitely not getting any bonus points

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 1:48 pm

They actually did pretty well against you. You've got to give them some credit!

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 2:50 pm

Well, I just logged the stats for games 41-60 in the second season and I'm not very pleased with my team's performance. I was lucky in the first season in regards to my team staying healthy. We haven't bee so fortunate in the second season. I've lost Sundin for a couple weeks, Niitty for a few weeks, Boucher for a week or two while I was already without Niitty, and other guys have gone out for a few games here and there. The guys just didn't seem to click like they had last season either. I ended up juggling lines and making a few deals in hopes that it would turn things around but I don't know if it made things worse. Oh well! 22 games left to go and then the playoffs. Let's hope the boys can keep it together enough for a good playoff run.

Post by **batdad** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 3:38 pm

CatchUp---That is playing dirty...and then boy only 6-1?? You should have some poor morale now! And Calv should be happy with his team's work in that one.

Bruins--Conidering what you had for injuries, 3 losses is pretty darn good I should say!