EHM The Blue Line

Yeah, Yahoo has the minimum starts per week requirement as an option but IIRC, it's not an option with ESPN.

Yeah, I've been thinking of the goalie minimum as well. Unfortunately, though, ESPN seems to not have any option for this. Their only options for roster limits is to 'limit acquisitions per matchup', and 'max. games started per slot'.

The 'max. starts per slot' is the limit we had in last year's roto. league, where each roster position was limited to 82 games per year (can be set to a different number). After a slot reached 82 games, stats would stop being tracked for that slot. This could add a heap of strategy to lineup selections, and would provide a way to prevent teams from getting any more games-played than any other just-as-active team in the league (as we definitely saw happen in the first several weeks of our current league). However, this didn't seem to be a popular feature of last year's league.

Manual enforcement wouldn't be an option, either, since the elimination of stats, and altering of outcomes would have to be involved in a goalie games-started minimum. I personally think it's a lame strategy, and ruins the spirit of fantasy sports, but I'm afraid the only real option is to just let it go, and use the strategy to stay competitive.


On another note: I'd like to thank everyone for your participation in the league. Looking over the activity logs, it looks like everyone in the league is really active, with lineups being set/adjusted on an almost daily basis.

I would think it would be more fun to have a bigger roster. Maybe 3 lines instead of 2?

Lidas wrote:I would think it would be more fun to have a bigger roster. Maybe 3 lines instead of 2?

Definitely a possibility. Personally, I'm all for it.

If we do add another line, we should probably also look into adding a few more scoring categories to help give those "depth" players fantasy value. The good news is, ESPN is really deep when it comes to scoring categories; We have plenty to choose from.

B. Stinson wrote:

Lidas wrote:I would think it would be more fun to have a bigger roster. Maybe 3 lines instead of 2?

Definitely a possibility. Personally, I'm all for it.

If we do add another line, we should probably also look into adding a few more scoring categories to help give those "depth" players fantasy value. The good news is, ESPN is really deep when it comes to scoring categories; We have plenty to choose from.

Thats's cool. What are the categories we can choose from?

I would definitely be for adding another line.

ESPN Scoring Categories:

Skaters:

G - Goals
A - Assists
PTS - Points
+/- - Plus/minus
PIM - Penalty Minutes
PPG - Power Play Goals
PPA - Power Play Assists
PPP - Power Play Points
SHG - Short Handed Goals
SHA - Short Handed Assists
SHP - Short Handed Points
STG - Special Teams Goals
STA - Special Teams Assists
STP - Special Teams Points
GWG - Game-Winning Goals
FOW - Faceoffs Won
FOL - Faceoffs Lost*
SHFT - Shifts
TOI - Time on Ice
ATOI - Average Time on Ice
HAT - Hat Tricks
SOG - Shots on goal
GP - Games Played
HIT - Hits
BLK - Blocked Shots
DEF - Defensemen Points


Goaltenders:

GS - Games Started
W - Wins
L - Losses*
SA - Shots Against
GA - Goals Against*
EGA - Empty Net Goals Against*
SV - Saves
SO - Shutouts
MIN - Minutes Played
OTL - Overtime Losses*
GAA - Goals Against Average*
SV% - Save Percentage
GW% - Goalie Winning Percentage

I think Faceoffs Won, Hits, Blocked Shots, Defensemen Point, Time on ice & Shots Against would be a good addition for next season.

I think Faceoffs is a bad categorie as only C's can score the points on that.

I think i'd have these categories:

Skaters:

G - Goals
A - Assists
+/- - Plus/minus
PIM - Penalty Minutes - Maybe take this out if we include Hits.
PPP - Power Play Points - Maybe take both of these out and condense it into Special Teams Points
SHP - Short Handed Points - Maybe take both of these out and condense it into Special Teams Points
GWG - Game-Winning Goals
ATOI - Average Time on Ice
SOG - Shots on goal
HIT - Hits
BLK - Blocked Shots

Goaltenders:

W - Wins
SV - Saves
SO - Shutouts
GAA - Goals Against Average
SV% - Save Percentage

Note to all TBLHL managers, from the commissioner's office:

Next week, being Christmas week, we'll see only five game-days. Therefore, the acquisition limit will scale down to two acquisitions.

Bigger roster is totally fine by me. I love when I see guys like Stortini and Crombeen on someone's roster full time. As for categories, we definitely need hits and blocked shots...just to make d-men stronger. Ice time can be a bit of an inflator for d-men whether it be average or regular total ice time.

I think PP Points and SH points are a good idea. Not all guys score on the PP but they do make nice plays. Nick Lidstrom is the prime example of a player like that.

Saves-Useless stat. Period. When you are using Save percentage that is the stat. Having Wins, Save %, SO and Average is already enough of a percentage of your team relying on goalie stats. I mean this year we have what G, A, +/-, PIM, Shots, PPG, SHG, GWG...so we have 12 stat categories....

This means goalies are worth 1/3 of your team's chance to win. If we add in hits, shotblocks to amp up the D, and PP Assists and SH assists(or another category) we have 16...and goalies make up 1/4 of your team stats. Considering there are 6 guys on the ice at a time (save special teams) and that goalies are extremely important individuals I think that 1/4 is a good number.

So my thoughts:
G
A
PPG
PPA
SHG
SHA (or something else)
+/-
PIM
GWG
Blocked shots
Hits (although I prefer something else because this stat is ridiculously calculated by the NHL in each individual arena)
Shots

Wins
Save %
GAA
Shutouts

we have a good ratio. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not put in stats that double up on things..IE PPG--and PP POINTS--getting credit for the goal 3x. Once as a goal, once as a PPG, once as a PP Point. That is too much.

Not sure what Defensemen points are--can someone explain how they work?



Finally--12-0. I am guaranteed a 500 record!! WAhoo!! And I Gotta watch out for some new guy in 2nd place now. Who has won every game since I kicked his arse. Wow...he got mad.

Also, I am all of 3 or 4 wins away from clinching a playoff spot.

As it is now, I feel that goalies are a bit overpowered with 1/3 of the categories, but only have 2/17 spots (although they have about 3 times as much ice times as other players.) If we want to keep 12 scoring categories I suggest:

G - Goals
A - Assists
+/- - Plus/minus
PIM - Penalty Minutes
PPG - Power Play Goals
SHG - Short Handed Goals
SOG - Shots on goal
ATOI - Average Time on Ice
BLK - Blocked Shots
GAA - Goals Against Average
SV% - Save Percentage
W - Wins or SO - Shutouts (Not sure which one is best. Wins is more of a team effort, and Shutout are quite rare)

if we boost it up to 15 categories I suggest

G - Goals
A - Assists
+/- - Plus/minus
PIM - Penalty Minutes
PPG - Power Play Goals
PPA - Power Play Assists
SHG - Short Handed Goals
GWG - Game-Winning Goals
SOG - Shots on goal
ATOI - Average Time on Ice
BLK - Blocked Shots
GAA - Goals Against Average
SV% - Save Percentage
W - Wins
SO - Shutouts

Holy rubbish Kuulapaa. If your two freaking goalies go to a shootout against each other without giving up any goals I am going to lose it.

This is one hell of a goalie battle folks. And although at this moment it is 9-1-2 for my team, everything is SUPER CLOSE..save shots and +/-.

Goalie #s

Me: 2 W, 1 SO. 1.010 GAA, .9639 Sv%
K: 1 W, 0 SO, 1.200 GAA, .9459 SV%

K is guaranteed one win tonight and through 1 period he has 2 shutouts tonight. NO BLOODY WAY...

I YELL SHUTOUT AT MASON AND KIPRUSOFF AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS> SHUTOUT SHUTOUT SHUTOUT SHUTOUT

Ahhhh.,... 1 down 1 to go. I will even take the - to Iggy on that. Now he must score and set one or two up.

Are there any weird rules for getting a GWG?

DET-CLB ended 2-1 (after full time - no OT or SO). Todd Bertuzzi scored both goals for DET, but did NOT get a GWG. Does anyone have an idea why, or did ESPN screw up?

Lidas wrote:Are there any weird rules for getting a GWG?

DET-CLB ended 2-1 (after full time - no OT or SO). Todd Bertuzzi scored both goals for DET, but did NOT get a GWG. Does anyone have an idea why, or did ESPN screw up?

They screwed up... but now they've fixed it

I think I remember reading from last year's league that ESPN "finalises" each night's stats the following morning at 06:00. And from what I've seen this year, I think game-winning goals aren't recorded until then. Because, I've had two particular occasions already where I know one of my players scored the game-winning goal, but they weren't recorded until later.

So, we're now a couple weeks passed the half-way point in the league. What does everyone think of it so-far? Good? bad? ugly? fun? not fun?

Personally, I'm enjoying this year's league far more than last year's. The switch from rotisserie to head-to-head scoring, in my opinion, is proving to be a brilliant recommendation from bruins72. I also think 14 teams has worked out much better this year than 20 did last year. Lastly, I'm excited that this is a keeper league; Next year should be really fun having to decide who we want to "re-sign" vs. who we want to let go. And then of course, drafting to fill those voids.

Most importantly, though, everyone is pretty active. Normally, there's always a handful of fantasy GMs who drop-off and get bored by now, but you all have been great in keeping-up with your teams.

Fantasy's always thoroughly enjoyable. As discussed earlier there needs to be a bit of tweaking here and there, but that's expected with any first year league. Another change i would make maybe is the tie break situation.
Stinson, you beat me this week because you scored more goals, whereas the scores were 5-5-2. Maybe we should make that situation a draw.

Speaking of Keepers Stinson. Everyone have theirs set? Anyone undecided? Anyone want to trade.

I'm always up for a good trade if you want.

All is good in the league for me...

Wow, what an event in the league right now...

Seven match-ups: five stuck in a tie; One separated by only one goal.

Definitely the tightest scoreboard I've seen so-far!

Also worthy of noting: the one game not tied or close: A true and complete shutout at 12-0-0.

And the guy winning that match is almost last place. Wow.

I'm definitely having a rare week. Hopefully a sign of things to come.

For the right price...Joe Pavelski could be yours. I mainly need a dman, but it would have to be ok forward, strong dman from you for my strong forward, ok dman.

Edit: Oh and I believe that since we have 8 weeks of regular season left, I have clinched a playoff spot. I think Archi is 9th and he is 5-9 (also Chilliwack team) so at 14-0 they cannot catch me!!!

Worst I can do is tie for 7th, and that is if I lose every game and STinson or Marsac win every one of theirs.

Oh BTW--Will someone please please please beat me. Soon. Not in the playoffs.