Angus Audits Your Team – The Icehawks
Jeff Angus
2010-06-02
Wondering what your plan of attack should be this summer? Preparing for a draft? Upset about some trades you made in the past? I'll weigh in with my thoughts on the interesting and important issues.
This week, I took a look at the team submitted to me by DobberHockey reader and member Brendan G (known on the message boards as 'teamramrod').
League: The MJHL
Team: The IceHawks
League Rules:
Dynasty League
11 teams in league
Forwards: Goals = 1, Assists = 1
Defensemen: Goals = 1, Assists = 1, +/-
Goalies: Wins = 3, Ties = 1, Shutouts = 2
Active Roster size: 14 forwards (no positional requirements), eight defensemen, and two goalies
The Roster:
Forwards |
Niclas Bergfors |
Mikkel Boedker |
Derrick Brassard |
Nikita Filatov |
Valtteri Filppula |
Claude Giroux |
Anze Kopitar |
Ville Leino |
Josh Bailey |
David Perron |
Jordan Staal |
Steve Stamkos |
Kyle Turris |
James van Riemsdyk |
Jakub Voracek |
Defensemen |
Cam Barker |
Zach Bogosian |
John Carlson |
Erik Karlsson
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|
Alex Pietrangelo |
Michael Del Zotto |
Kris Russel |
Ryan Sutter |
Marc-Edouard Vlasic |
Bobby Sanguenetti |
Goalies |
Jonathan Bernier |
Jimmy Howard |
Jaroslav Halak |
Tuukka Rask |
Michal Neuvirth |
Jeff Deslauriers |
Jacob Markstrom |
The Breakdown:
This team is STACKED for the future, especially on the blue line and in goal. The Icehawks finished dead last in the league in 2008-09, and 10th in 2009-10. I would expect a top three or four finish with this group in 2010-11, and then some serious, serious dominance. To add to the embarrassment of riches, Brendan has accumulated the first three draft picks, and he plans on taking Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin, and Jordan Eberle.
Brendan wants to shop Halak, and now may be a good time with the uncertainty surrounding his future with Montreal. However, only move him if you get fair value. Don't settle for a downgrade in goal and a minor add-in.
I have never seen a team with so much young talent before. Ever. I’m frankly surprised that you have been able to accumulate such an embarassment of riches. Even though you have been a bottom-feeder for two years, I still don’t get it. Do any of your competitors read DobberHockey at all?
Recent trades:
Ray Emery for Anze Kopitar, Ryan Suter, and the 11th overall pick
Unless Ray Emery's mom is in your league, I am not even sure what to say here…
Marc Staal, Brent Burns, and three 3rd round draft picks for Josh Bailey and the 1st overall pick in the supplemental draft
Depending on who you pick, this is a solid trade. Staal is nothing special with the scoring categories in this league, and same goes for Burns. He has upside, but so do the rest of your defensemen. Bailey has lots of upside, and I like him even more in leagues that don’t count PIM.
The Recommendations:
1) Sit back and enjoy. More seriously, start to accumulate some veteran talent. All of your young players are great, but hedge your bets by trading some of them for proven offensive producers. You have the depth to overpay in certain situations. Your patience (finishing dead last and second last over the past two seasons) is going to pay off, but do your part to speed up the process.
2) Give the GM who made the Emery/Kopitar trade a psychiatric exam.
3) Get ready to win often.