Calgary (CP) A couple of good articles that were forwarded to me that I thought the GDHL brass would find interesting. Three separate posts by James Mirtle did some interesting analysis that correlated age and salaries for each team in the NHL. They are broken up by the following:
+ Age
+ Position Versus Salary
+ Salary Versus Age
I'm glad that the GDHL has left the salary aspect out for this version of the pool. That is one issue that would complicate issues ten fold as seen in with my expansion RHL team in Vulcan. Between cap, player demand and contract lengths that is an area that we want to stay clear from until everyone wants to take it to a whole other level.
Fur Engee (CP)
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
GDHL: Player Power Rankings (Pre-Season Edition)
Calgary (CP) In the first of what will be a bi-weekly series when the regular season starts, a list of the Top 20 GDHL players... Pre-Season edition!
Notes:
+ Top 20 are listed with only Top 10 with explanations.
+ Again, this is my opinion. Please leave a comment if you disagree and we can debate.
+ Based on top Fantasy Value heading into GDHL07.
+ Factors include (Besides Stats): Age, Team Success, Linemates.
+ Assumes that S.Niedermeyer and Selanne are retiring.
+ There are many great players in the league... tough to narrow it down to 20. Be patient as I'm working out the formulas.
1. Sidney Crosby, PIT (--): Who can stop Sid the Kid? Answer: Nobody. The defending Art Ross champ is aiming to take it to another level this year especially with a strong cast of players. With Malkin and Staal having one year under their belt, along with the experience of Roberts, Sykora and Recchi, Crosby may hit 140pts this year.
2. Joe Thornton, SJ (--): "No Ordinary" Joe has been making the Bruins look more foolish for making that trade with each passing year he racks up 110+ pts. IMO, the only person with a legit shot of challenging Sidney for the scoring title and only person that may reach 100 assists. On the PP he's automatic which makes him a huge Pool Asset.
3. Martin Brodeur, NJ (--): How can a goalie that has been so good for so long and maybe past his best years be near the top of the rankings? Its because he came off a career year where he posted 47 wins with more than 25% of them by way of shutout. Future Hall-of-Famer should be strong once again if the offence holds up. Slam dunk for another 40+ win season to take another step towards St. Patrick's record of most wins.
4. Roberto Luongo, VAN (--): "The goalie that never could" with a bad team is now "the goalie that can do no wrong" with a mediocore Canucks team. He proved that he was worth every penny as he single handedly was responsible for the Canucks success last year. The Luongo vs. Turco battle in the playoffs will go down in history as one of the best. Another 40+ win season should be attainable especially if the Canucks land another Top 6 forward and will solidify his name along with Brodeur as the games best.
5. Vincent Lecavalier, TB (--): Finally lived up to lofty expectations that was placed upon him right after he was drafted. Won the Rocket Richard, excellent on the PP, faceoffs and will get in the occasional fight too. Can he follow it up with another 50+ goal season? I'm not convinced and if not look for him to drop fast in the rankings. Will get the benefit of the doubt now but expect 40 goals and 90 pts.
6. Dany Heatley, OTT (--): A very tough call between him and Lecavalier with Vinny getting the edge because of PIMs. Back to back 50+ goal seasons haven't been done since Jagr. That's saying something. I predict he'll make it 3 in a row and finish ahead of Vinny in the rankings.
7. Nic Lidstrom, DET (--): The consumate professional and the best defencemen in the league (assuming the retiring of Niedermeyer). Even though the Wings lost Schneider to ANA, they replaced him with Rafalski who can take the pressure off of Nic. After another Norris winning season, look for Nic to continue his outstanding play and lock up another trophy.
8. Marian Hossa, ATL (--): An impending UFA looking to prove that he's also worth $7M+... watch out. Hossa has outshone Kovalchuk during his tenure with ATL by a longshot. I was wrong about Hossa as well and he can do it all... except in the playoffs. OUCH! Outside shot at 50 goals with 90+pts a lock.
9. Jarome Iginla, CGY (--): Where Tkachuk was the model Power Forward of the late 90's, Iggy is the new breed built for the next decade. A natural goal scorer, who can fight and carry his team. If Iginla could just stay healthy for a full season he could score 50+ goals again and 100+ pts. His style of play, however, may not allow him to do that.
10. Marc Savard, BOS (--): Marc Savard? Top 10 in the league? I know that I wasn't the only one thinking this guy was riding off the coattails of Hossa and Kovalchuk. But after he went to the Bruins, he put together a ho-hum 96 pt season and is one of the true playmakers in the game to prove me wrong and grudgingly deserves to be here. Think Daniel Briere with checking wingers as linemates. Wondering what he'll be able to do when he consistently plays with Murray. Expecting another 90+pts with an outside shot of 70 assists.
Honorable Mentions:
11. Chris Pronger, ANA
12. Mikka Kipprusoff, CGY
13. Daniel Briere, PHI
14. Alex Ovechkin, WAS
15. Jason Spezza, OTT
16. Sheldon Souray, EDM
17. Sergei Gonchar, PIT
18. Martin St.Louis, TB
19. Evgeni Malkin, PIT
20. Sergei Zubov, DAL
Fur Engee (CP)
Notes:
+ Top 20 are listed with only Top 10 with explanations.
+ Again, this is my opinion. Please leave a comment if you disagree and we can debate.
+ Based on top Fantasy Value heading into GDHL07.
+ Factors include (Besides Stats): Age, Team Success, Linemates.
+ Assumes that S.Niedermeyer and Selanne are retiring.
+ There are many great players in the league... tough to narrow it down to 20. Be patient as I'm working out the formulas.
1. Sidney Crosby, PIT (--): Who can stop Sid the Kid? Answer: Nobody. The defending Art Ross champ is aiming to take it to another level this year especially with a strong cast of players. With Malkin and Staal having one year under their belt, along with the experience of Roberts, Sykora and Recchi, Crosby may hit 140pts this year.
2. Joe Thornton, SJ (--): "No Ordinary" Joe has been making the Bruins look more foolish for making that trade with each passing year he racks up 110+ pts. IMO, the only person with a legit shot of challenging Sidney for the scoring title and only person that may reach 100 assists. On the PP he's automatic which makes him a huge Pool Asset.
3. Martin Brodeur, NJ (--): How can a goalie that has been so good for so long and maybe past his best years be near the top of the rankings? Its because he came off a career year where he posted 47 wins with more than 25% of them by way of shutout. Future Hall-of-Famer should be strong once again if the offence holds up. Slam dunk for another 40+ win season to take another step towards St. Patrick's record of most wins.
4. Roberto Luongo, VAN (--): "The goalie that never could" with a bad team is now "the goalie that can do no wrong" with a mediocore Canucks team. He proved that he was worth every penny as he single handedly was responsible for the Canucks success last year. The Luongo vs. Turco battle in the playoffs will go down in history as one of the best. Another 40+ win season should be attainable especially if the Canucks land another Top 6 forward and will solidify his name along with Brodeur as the games best.
5. Vincent Lecavalier, TB (--): Finally lived up to lofty expectations that was placed upon him right after he was drafted. Won the Rocket Richard, excellent on the PP, faceoffs and will get in the occasional fight too. Can he follow it up with another 50+ goal season? I'm not convinced and if not look for him to drop fast in the rankings. Will get the benefit of the doubt now but expect 40 goals and 90 pts.
6. Dany Heatley, OTT (--): A very tough call between him and Lecavalier with Vinny getting the edge because of PIMs. Back to back 50+ goal seasons haven't been done since Jagr. That's saying something. I predict he'll make it 3 in a row and finish ahead of Vinny in the rankings.
7. Nic Lidstrom, DET (--): The consumate professional and the best defencemen in the league (assuming the retiring of Niedermeyer). Even though the Wings lost Schneider to ANA, they replaced him with Rafalski who can take the pressure off of Nic. After another Norris winning season, look for Nic to continue his outstanding play and lock up another trophy.
8. Marian Hossa, ATL (--): An impending UFA looking to prove that he's also worth $7M+... watch out. Hossa has outshone Kovalchuk during his tenure with ATL by a longshot. I was wrong about Hossa as well and he can do it all... except in the playoffs. OUCH! Outside shot at 50 goals with 90+pts a lock.
9. Jarome Iginla, CGY (--): Where Tkachuk was the model Power Forward of the late 90's, Iggy is the new breed built for the next decade. A natural goal scorer, who can fight and carry his team. If Iginla could just stay healthy for a full season he could score 50+ goals again and 100+ pts. His style of play, however, may not allow him to do that.
10. Marc Savard, BOS (--): Marc Savard? Top 10 in the league? I know that I wasn't the only one thinking this guy was riding off the coattails of Hossa and Kovalchuk. But after he went to the Bruins, he put together a ho-hum 96 pt season and is one of the true playmakers in the game to prove me wrong and grudgingly deserves to be here. Think Daniel Briere with checking wingers as linemates. Wondering what he'll be able to do when he consistently plays with Murray. Expecting another 90+pts with an outside shot of 70 assists.
Honorable Mentions:
11. Chris Pronger, ANA
12. Mikka Kipprusoff, CGY
13. Daniel Briere, PHI
14. Alex Ovechkin, WAS
15. Jason Spezza, OTT
16. Sheldon Souray, EDM
17. Sergei Gonchar, PIT
18. Martin St.Louis, TB
19. Evgeni Malkin, PIT
20. Sergei Zubov, DAL
Fur Engee (CP)
GDHL: GM Power Rankings (Pre-Season Edition)
Calgary (CP) In the first of a monthly series, The Eye Drop would like to present the GM Power Rankings... Pre-Season Edition!
Factors used to calculate the rankings are:
+ Current and Past overall team performance
+ Moves made to improve the current team roster
+ Streaks and general direction the team is headed towards
+ Only the top 4 GMs will be listed to avoid any hurt feelings.
+ I'm trying to be as unbiased as I can, therefore I do not qualify for the rankings.
+ Again this is personal opinion. Disagree if you wish.
1. Kevin Kwasny (--): In order to be the best, you have to beat the best. Kevin proved his prowess last season by taking the title by a comfortable margin when it was a 3 horse race between Mike and Victor. The list of players that he had to let go due to sheer depth is a testament to his eyes for the current and future situation. The fact that people that he let go will be keepers on other teams shows that his team was the deepest of them all. An early odds on favourite to repeat as GDHL Champ.
2. Ihor Triska (--): Is there anyone more active than Ihor Triska? GDHL Commish Mike MacCormack may come a close second, but on sheer volume of deals done, Ihor gets an A+ for effort. Always willing to tinker with his line-up, Triska does what it takes to give him the best chance. A 4th place finish last year was personal disappointment but an off-season aquisition of Marleau may be the final piece to make a run.
3. Adam Byrne (--): From beginning to end, has there anyone that's improved their team as much as Adam? After inheriting a crap-ass team (we all know its true) midway through GDHL06, Adam made several smart moves throughout the year to set himself up for a huge GDHL07 season. He made a questionable deal involving Sundin and Bernier, but more than made up for landing big Sheldon Souray. Although not many are expecting him to win this year he is my pick to make the biggest leap in the rankings. If everything is calculated right, his time could come in GDHL08.
4. Mike MacCormack (--): The commish gets big props for having one of the most deep teams last season which propelled him to a second place finish. Even though having the depth may have hurt his superstar power, you can bet that Mike will be one of the busiest GMs again retooling his team to challenge for the title.
Fur Engee (CP)
Factors used to calculate the rankings are:
+ Current and Past overall team performance
+ Moves made to improve the current team roster
+ Streaks and general direction the team is headed towards
+ Only the top 4 GMs will be listed to avoid any hurt feelings.
+ I'm trying to be as unbiased as I can, therefore I do not qualify for the rankings.
+ Again this is personal opinion. Disagree if you wish.
1. Kevin Kwasny (--): In order to be the best, you have to beat the best. Kevin proved his prowess last season by taking the title by a comfortable margin when it was a 3 horse race between Mike and Victor. The list of players that he had to let go due to sheer depth is a testament to his eyes for the current and future situation. The fact that people that he let go will be keepers on other teams shows that his team was the deepest of them all. An early odds on favourite to repeat as GDHL Champ.
2. Ihor Triska (--): Is there anyone more active than Ihor Triska? GDHL Commish Mike MacCormack may come a close second, but on sheer volume of deals done, Ihor gets an A+ for effort. Always willing to tinker with his line-up, Triska does what it takes to give him the best chance. A 4th place finish last year was personal disappointment but an off-season aquisition of Marleau may be the final piece to make a run.
3. Adam Byrne (--): From beginning to end, has there anyone that's improved their team as much as Adam? After inheriting a crap-ass team (we all know its true) midway through GDHL06, Adam made several smart moves throughout the year to set himself up for a huge GDHL07 season. He made a questionable deal involving Sundin and Bernier, but more than made up for landing big Sheldon Souray. Although not many are expecting him to win this year he is my pick to make the biggest leap in the rankings. If everything is calculated right, his time could come in GDHL08.
4. Mike MacCormack (--): The commish gets big props for having one of the most deep teams last season which propelled him to a second place finish. Even though having the depth may have hurt his superstar power, you can bet that Mike will be one of the busiest GMs again retooling his team to challenge for the title.
Fur Engee (CP)
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Keeper Lists Released: Initial Thoughts
Calgary (CP) At exactly 10:00am MST, GDHL commish Mike MacCormack released the much anticipated protected lists for the 12 team league. While most were par for the course, there were some initial surprises. "No doubt I was surprised at the quality of players made available. I'm sure I wasn't alone when I made preliminary keeper lists for all teams ahead of time. I was right on about 90% of the picks, its just that last 10% which really surprised me." said GM Khoo during the interview at the local water cooler.
When asked to provide specifics, Khoo declined to comment and added "If I told you who I was talking about, they'd be all gone by the time my turn came around! Since I'm picking 3rd last in most rounds, I'm in a situation where you have to just sit back and wait until its your turn. I'm very sure that by the time my pick comes around, all my top rated free agents will be gone. That being said, knowing how deep the pool is, I suspect that you will be able to get a lot of quality players for the first 4 rounds. But like every year, its not the first couple of picks that will separate you from the pack, but more likely the last 3 or 4 picks."
Upcoming articles will include:
- Team-by-Team Analysis
- Steals of the GDHL 07 Draft
- Rating of Sather's Eyes Roster
Fur Engee (CP)
When asked to provide specifics, Khoo declined to comment and added "If I told you who I was talking about, they'd be all gone by the time my turn came around! Since I'm picking 3rd last in most rounds, I'm in a situation where you have to just sit back and wait until its your turn. I'm very sure that by the time my pick comes around, all my top rated free agents will be gone. That being said, knowing how deep the pool is, I suspect that you will be able to get a lot of quality players for the first 4 rounds. But like every year, its not the first couple of picks that will separate you from the pack, but more likely the last 3 or 4 picks."
Upcoming articles will include:
- Team-by-Team Analysis
- Steals of the GDHL 07 Draft
- Rating of Sather's Eyes Roster
Fur Engee (CP)
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Tension Mounts for Upcoming Draft
Calgary (CP) As the date quickly approaches for GMs to submit keeper lists on Monday, there is wide speculation to who will be protected, but more importantly who will be available. "I've had a ton of talks with some GMs and I think for the most part there shouldn't be any surprises. But then again, I've been blown away before by some moves in the past so we'll see." said Eye's GM Victor Khoo, who is also the GM of the RHL's Vulcan Mind Melds.
General Dynamics Hockey League (GDHL) commish Mike MacCormack to date has seen 4 different protection lists made available to him with 8 more to go. MacCormack, who is also GM of the Bruins, hasn't ruled out any last minute transactions. "I've been making some calls around the league this morning. But no bites. I have a feeling there won't be much movement from now until the August 20th deadline."
Khoo concurred with MacCormack's comment while adding, "With the all important draft coming up on the 27th of August, GMs are holding tight on their picks. Since this will be the first draft with established keepers, it'll be interesting to see who people concentrate on."
With Sather's Eyes finishing 3rd in GDHL's inaugural season, the Eyes will have the 10th pick. The optimistic GM added "We believe that there will be some high quality players that will be available in the draft for at least the first 4 rounds. I feel extremely comfortable with our protected list and believe that we can make another run at a title. We expect the competition to be much tougher this year with the separation from top to bottom being closer than ever. I think that now some GMs that struggled last season have gotten their feet wet and they'll have a better gameplan to stay competitive."
Expect a ollow report on this subject after the list of protected players have been made available.
Fur Engee (CP)
General Dynamics Hockey League (GDHL) commish Mike MacCormack to date has seen 4 different protection lists made available to him with 8 more to go. MacCormack, who is also GM of the Bruins, hasn't ruled out any last minute transactions. "I've been making some calls around the league this morning. But no bites. I have a feeling there won't be much movement from now until the August 20th deadline."
Khoo concurred with MacCormack's comment while adding, "With the all important draft coming up on the 27th of August, GMs are holding tight on their picks. Since this will be the first draft with established keepers, it'll be interesting to see who people concentrate on."
With Sather's Eyes finishing 3rd in GDHL's inaugural season, the Eyes will have the 10th pick. The optimistic GM added "We believe that there will be some high quality players that will be available in the draft for at least the first 4 rounds. I feel extremely comfortable with our protected list and believe that we can make another run at a title. We expect the competition to be much tougher this year with the separation from top to bottom being closer than ever. I think that now some GMs that struggled last season have gotten their feet wet and they'll have a better gameplan to stay competitive."
Expect a ollow report on this subject after the list of protected players have been made available.
Fur Engee (CP)
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