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Build a City - Post-Draft Voting


jcrell623

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My team has more v's(especially ov's) in their names than anyone else's.  If I know hockey, that's a key tiebreaker 

 

Edit :  just a funny thing I just noticed that happened.  Wasn't intentional 

Edited by bcb1213
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I'm only doing this for hockey since it's the sport I love most. Similar to CHOMP I'm voting based on how your team was built, weighting future success a little more than winning a single game.

Division A: 

New Jersey Devils: Some great young pieces on this roster. Starting with Pastrnak your team has some young scorers with upside. Panarin is your key playmaker/distributor. The fit with Pasta is great, he'll probably be amongst league leaders in assists while Pasta finishes. Great and lethal pairing going forward. Your top two lines have very promising young centers who will likely be top 10 at some point in their careers in Larkin and Barzal. I have trouble with your third line, there's a lot of unknown and inconsistent players there. No true consistent threat there to give me much faith that line will be successful. I love Cole Caufield but his size scares me at the NHL level where he hasn't played a minute yet.. and I think he needs another year, probably two in the NCAA before he makes the jump. If he hits, that line will look a lot better. He will provide the scoring touch that line needs. Defensively you have one great young piece in Sergachev with some fillers in Dumba and Barrie... both of which are solid players, not too flashy, just wish for more consistency out of Dumba as a top pairing defensemen for you. If Boqvist pans out as people expect... I think he's your guy there (this may be your plan?). Carter Hart is a homerun. He was #1 on my board going into round 1. Other than Vasilevskiy he's the one goalie you build your team around right now. 

Boston Bruins: First thing that stands out is the young defensive pairing you have... love it. McAvoy and Heiskanen are two of the top young defensemen in the league. Sets you up great for success now and going forward. Hanifin and Nurse are also a nice young #2 pairing. Defensemen are definitely the strength of this team. Forwards are a little weak. You're missing a consistent scoring threat. DeBrincat could be that guy but he had a down year this year, you'll need him to be a 40 goal scorer again to compete with the other teams built. Petterson is a stud and a fantastic #1 center to build around. Landeskog brings some grit and scoring to the line. I think you'll score but measuring up against some of the other teams in this division I think you're behind them both. Depth wise the center position is so-so. Colin White hasn't done a whole lot... don't love him as a #2 center right now. He's the type of guy who might be ok as your #3 center. He wasn't someone I was expecting to see drafted. If Duchene returns to his 2018 form he's a better fit as your #2 center. Timo Meier I love as an overall player.. good on both ends of the ice. A lot of these teams overlooked this. Gibson is a stud too (all the goalies in this division are terrifying future threats, damn!). He's a top 5 goalie to build around. 

Colorado Avalanche:  The first line is so well balanced. Barkov is one of the best two-way centers in the game. You paired Huberdeau with him... chemistry already there so you get a plus there. Huber is a star in his own right. Svechnikov is a scary young winger with 40+ goal potential, oh and he also has some grit. Love this first line and it's clearly the best in the division IMO. Depth scoring is pretty solid. Pacioretty has a few more years left. Kuznetsov is a strong #2 center. Third line has an up-and-comer in Yamamoto, think he will be a nice future piece in your middle six group that could step in for Pacioretty in a few years when he begins his decline. I wonder about Bryan Rust without Malkin/Crosby. Nug is quite a step down as a player, can he be as effective? Not sure. I like him as your #3 center though. Defensively pretty strong first pairing with a good young pairing behind them waiting. You have the best goalie in the league and in this format so it's a tough team to beat. I have you as the winner in this division decisively, but going forward I think your 3rd line question marks and the age of your top pairing (comparatively) may keep you from being the overall winner. 

FINAL RANKING:

1) Colorado Avalanche
2) New Jersey Devils
3) Boston Bruins

 

Division B:

Orlando Solar Bears:  Team is full of guys who don't get enough recognition in the league... Schiefele, Connor, Boeser, Parayko and Pierre Luc. I think that's why you haven't gotten much love in the voting to this point. I think you're plan was to pair Connor with Schiefele, so maybe that was lost in translation here? I assume so because that's a pivotal piece to that first line. It's a really sound group up top. Love the second line as well... PLD is a really good young center. Bertuzzi brings grit to the third line (every team needs a little) and Kaapo Kakko who I think will eventually blossom to a star... might be a year or two off as we're seeing. Dvorak is a nice 3rd line center. Isn't a "wow" player but really solid for his role. Defensively you have an offensively terrifying pairing with Karlsson and Hamilton, let's hope they both can stay healthy though. Doughty is showing signs of decline... had a couple LA fans tell me he has been downright awful at times this season so that's worrying going forward. Parayko I already mentioned as a guy who doesn't get much recognition... he's a huge dude who can actually score. Defense is the weak link here because I don't know if I can trust all these guys to be healthy or stay in form. Merzlikins > Korpisalo. I like what I've seen from him albeit a small sample size. He's a few tiers below most of the goalies selected but has the potential you look for.  

Washington Capitals:  Pairing Backstrom with Ovi is wise. Those two are money and have been forever. Age will be a factor very soon but I think each have a couple good-great seasons left (Backstrom just signed an extension keeping him in Wash until 2024-25). I'm guessing you're trying to spread the scoring out by putting Kucherov on the second line, which I like. O'Reilly is more of a distributor... so Kucherov can finish from the wing. Second line overall is really strong compared to most. Logan Couture is a really nice 3rd line center to have. One of the strongest of the teams I've look at so far. Defensively a little weaker than you'd like up top from an actual 'defensive' standpoint. Both guys can score but defending isn't their best asset. I really like Trouba on pairing two. Yandle is also lacking in the defense category... more of a power play specialist at this point. I think this team will find itself in some high scoring games. If their offense has a bad night, they might end up in trouble. I like Lehner, hard to admit coming from a Sabres fan. He wasn't very good with us but has shined elsewhere. An overall solid goalie to have, safely in the tier below Gibson, Hart and Vasi in this format. 

Pittsburgh Penguins:  I knew I wouldn't like this team as it was being drafted. Sorry @kurgan. The strengths are super obvious, but so are the weaknesses. Makar and Hughes are freakin nasty blueliners. That top pairing has you set for years. You also added two other elite level defensemen, one of which is arguably the best in the game today in Carlson. You have one of the best goalies in the game today in Rask... but in this format I'd knock him down a tier, maybe two given he may start to decline very soon. I think your intention was to win early, which you may have a chance at with that defense and goalie, but offensively, regardless of age, I don't think you have the scoring to beat some of these teams. You went way to heavy on the old-school hockey DNA. That slow, bruising type of player is hardly relevant these days and you grabbed all 3 of the more noteworthy ones (Wilson, Lucic, Reaves) lol. Benn-Malkin-Wheeler are all guys heading into the downside of their careers. Kane is a nice younger piece with the scoring and grit you look for, and Bergeron is the best two-way center in the game. The issue lies with scoring potential across the board. I see this team relying too heavily on Malkin and your defense to score the goals. Just because you have elite level defensemen doesn't mean they're elite level defenders... so stopping everything coming your way isn't likely. Rask will still get a fair share of shots on him with the skill level of these teams at forward, better hope he stops them all :) 

FINAL RANKING:

1) Washington Capitals
2) Orlando Solar Bears
3) Pittsburgh Penguins

 

Division C:

Milwaukee Admirals: First line is lethal but aging. In this format I don't love all those players together. Second line is pretty scary as well. Not sure if you did it on purpose but I'd put Tavares as your 2nd line center of Karlsson. Mark Stone is a great two-way player to have. I'm noticing as I go how weak the third line becomes and it might end up separating a lot of these teams going forward. All good players, but nobody really stands out as someone who will carry the line against some of the best in the group. Kubalik is a wild card... is he a product of having good linemates in Chicago? I don't think Domi or Burakovsky can carry him. Defensively you're looking ok. Shea Weber probably has one really good year left, beyond that I'd be concerned with him given his recent injury history. Don't love him even getting a look in this style draft. Slavin and Theodore is a fantastic future pairing up top though! Pionk has surprised me with his success in Winnepeg. Not a bad second pairing guy at all... and just 24 years old! Goalie is strong... Binnington proved his past success wasn't a fluke. I don't think he's going to win you games on his own some nights like Vasi, Gibson or Hart might, but he's still someone you can feel confident in each night.

San Antonio Rampage:  I remember this team getting a few of my late round targets and I thought they were steals... namely Olofsson and Krug. First forward line is dirty. Tkachuk is one of those players that are so hard to find nowadays. An elite blend of grit and scoring. Stamkos isn't showing signs of slowing down yet but I think he has just a few elite years left, enough to keep you competitive. Marner is a nice playmaker here. Second line is pretty strong, I'm not a big fan of Nylander overall. Inconsistent player. Konecny blossomed this year into a player worthy of the second line role you gave him. Love his game, he's also not afraid to lay the lumber. Ehlers has elite speed, a player I've been wanting on Buffalo for years. Third line is interesting, Kopitar is showing signs of slowing down but your have him with two up-and-coming scoring threats to distribute to. Olofsson is a pure sniper. Weak on the defensive end though. Lafreniere is going to be a superstar. Love this pickup! Overall a really solid group of forwards. Defensively Krug and Seth Jones might be the best top pairing in this right now. Chabot on the second pairing is incredible... Chychrun is underrated by nature of playing in Arizona. Overall a strong defensive group. Korpisalo is the one thing that holds your team back. I don't love him, in fact I think Columbus' Elvis Merzlikins is the better goalie of the two. 

Buffalo Sabres: Warning... this is my team, I'll try not to be too much of a homer but it's hard not to be confident in this roster top to bottom. What should stand out is the strength down the middle on all 3 lines and the strength of the forwards defensively. Eichel is a young proven superstar with 100+ point potential for the next 8-10 years. Zibanejad is underrated as a two-way center... he had 41 goals in 57 games, also coming off a great year the year before on a bad team. He's also relied upon as a penalty killing specialist. Perennial Selke candidate (award for best defensive forward) Sean Couturier is a standout as a third line center comparatively to other teams here. He provides plenty of scoring for his role here too. On the wings we have a number of good players in Guentzel, a 40-goal candidate and Rantanen, a star playmaker. Mantha was dominating early on this season–I think he will thrive on a team that is simply better. The Wings were historically bad this year–he was one of few bright spots. Lindholm is a nice complementary two-way player that is great for the third line. Fiala and Bjorkstrand are weakest of the bunch but are still very young... so they are the risk in facing other teams. Both guys were on pace to reach 55-60 points, so scoring potential is there. Defensively the top pairing is deadly, Josi is a top 5 defensemen in the league and Dahlin is a generational defensemen prospect who has already proven to be a star (also just turned 20). Girard and Hronek are both quietly strong young defensemen, both top pairing guys on their respective clubs that would thrive in a second pair. Blackwood is one of the more promising young goalies, not the best (like Hart, Vasi, Gibson) but definitely someone to feel confident in going forward. With a better team around him I think he will prove just how good he is. 

FINAL RANKING:

1) Buffalo Sabres
2) San Antonio Rampage
3) Milwaukee Admirals

 

Divison D:

Toronto Maple Leafs: The obvious: you have the best player in the game on your team. That always puts you in the conversation as the best team here. You surrounded McDavid with two star wingers to make that first line pretty friggin scary. Laine will hit his 50 goal potential with McDavid dishing him perfect passes on a nightly basis. And Gaudreau will be there to get his fair share of secondary assists and 30 goals. Monahan is an underrated center who I really like in that #2 center role. The depth around him and on the 3rd line is good, not great. Jack Hughes has struggled to get going but I see him eventually getting there. Him and McDavid are exciting to think about going forward. Unfortunately you inherited some awful choices. Adam Fox had no business being taken where he was. He is a nice piece to have but I know you would've made a better selection there. Ivan Provorov is honestly your best defensemen, not a bad thing, but beyond him it looks pretty rough. Risto is a disaster in the defensive end, him on the top pair has already been a proven disaster in Buffalo and I don't see it being any different here. Bowen Byram is promising but an unknown. Shestyorkin is safely in the second tier, but has the potential to hit the first tier. He's really promising and has already made a strong mark with the Rangers. 

Tampa Bay Lightning: Facing this teams first line would have me losing sleep at night. Very clear top first line in this draft. MacK and Drai are both McDavid challengers for points... and Aho is dirty on his own. Like his brother Matthew, I love Brady Tkachuk's game. Bo Horvat is a faceoff winning machine and improving as a scorer. Reinhart is a smart player with a good net-front presence capable of hitting 60 points consistently. I think this line will have some trouble keeping up with the faster teams but don't see them being without the puck much otherwise. Third line is full of potential. I love Cirelli's two-way game and his special teams ability. A really well built forward lineup from top to bottom. Defensively well-built as well, smart pairings. You paired guys who are known defensive-defensemen (Cernak and Lindell) with some offensively talented defensemen (Werenski and Ekblad). Not a group that wows you but overall very strong. Goalie is similar to Shestyorkin in terms of potential and the tier I'd put him in. He has had some really strong stretches in Washington already and IMO has proven he is worthy of the starting spot next season. Hard to find too many weaknesses with this roster–I'd point to the 3rd line with Suzuki/Vrana if I had to only because they still have to prove consistency. 

Chicago Blackhawks: Another team with a lethal first line. Matthews can pot 50 on an annual basis, and Tarasenko can probably top 40 with him. Brayden Point is one of my favorite players in the entire league, just a gritty two-way machine capable of scoring plenty on his own. Seguin is coming off a down year, but as a second line guy I like the fit. Forsberg when healthy is a very good winger to pair with. Third line has proven to be where many of you stash your potential as is the case here with the more proven Hischier and the lesser proven Zadina. Hertl was coming off a career year, slumped a little this year so I'm not sure what you can expect to get out of him going forward. Are you getting a 35 point player or a 75? That's a huge difference. Defense really helped me decide this division. Hedman is the undeniable stud and workhorse of the group going forward. Pairing him with OEL gives you an offensively dynamite top group.... and to think that top forward line with them... goals are coming, lots of goals. That said, I don't like the second pairing much at all. Burns is 35, how many years does he have left? Plus, he's already slow and doesn't play actual defense well. Ghost was surprisingly drafted ... he hasn't seen the ice much this year and when he has, he hasn't produced to his usual level. Part of that is due to the Flyers being stacked on D, but that shows that there must've been better options out there. Hellebuyck probably belongs in that first tier of goalies... I'd put him in a tier 1B type of situation only due to his comparative age. Regardless, you are all set with an elite level goalie.  

FINAL RANKING: 

1) Tampa Bay Lightning
2) Chicago Blackhawks
3) Toronto Maple Leafs

Edited by NickChowaniec
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4 minutes ago, NickChowaniec said:

Tagging you guys so you can disagree with me xD ...and because I spent way too long typing that, hope you all have a chance to see it. 

@RaykwonDaChef @BillsGuy82 @I_GET_SAX @djw4bucs @bcb1213 @kurgan @Heymangold @jcrell623 @MikeT14 @festiveonion @CHOMP_CHOMP

Clearly u put a ton of work into this. Helps a bunch honestly.

 

Love the write up even if I don’t love the outcome personally lol. Super readable. Great work man 

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39 minutes ago, NickChowaniec said:

Tagging you guys so you can disagree with me xD ...and because I spent way too long typing that, hope you all have a chance to see it. 

@RaykwonDaChef @BillsGuy82 @I_GET_SAX @djw4bucs @bcb1213 @kurgan @Heymangold @jcrell623 @MikeT14 @festiveonion @CHOMP_CHOMP

Pretty accurate.. I disagree on Ristolainen. As Sabres fans were likely gonna watch him go to another team and flourish 

Nice write up !!

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16 minutes ago, BillsGuy82 said:

Pretty accurate.. I disagree on Ristolainen. As Sabres fans were likely gonna watch him go to another team and flourish 

Nice write up !!

I think you're right. It's the Buffalo way. I love the physicality he brings and the scoring ability but his role and minutes needs to be managed properly. He should be a second pairing defensemen with PP2 minutes. Would also be wise to pair him with a strong defensive defensemen. 

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2 hours ago, NickChowaniec said:

I'm only doing this for hockey since it's the sport I love most. Similar to CHOMP I'm voting based on how your team was built, weighting future success a little more than winning a single game.

Division A: 

New Jersey Devils: Some great young pieces on this roster. Starting with Pastrnak your team has some young scorers with upside. Panarin is your key playmaker/distributor. The fit with Pasta is great, he'll probably be amongst league leaders in assists while Pasta finishes. Great and lethal pairing going forward. Your top two lines have very promising young centers who will likely be top 10 at some point in their careers in Larkin and Barzal. I have trouble with your third line, there's a lot of unknown and inconsistent players there. No true consistent threat there to give me much faith that line will be successful. I love Cole Caufield but his size scares me at the NHL level where he hasn't played a minute yet.. and I think he needs another year, probably two in the NCAA before he makes the jump. If he hits, that line will look a lot better. He will provide the scoring touch that line needs. Defensively you have one great young piece in Sergachev with some fillers in Dumba and Barrie... both of which are solid players, not too flashy, just wish for more consistency out of Dumba as a top pairing defensemen for you. If Boqvist pans out as people expect... I think he's your guy there (this may be your plan?). Carter Hart is a homerun. He was #1 on my board going into round 1. Other than Vasilevskiy he's the one goalie you build your team around right now. 

Boston Bruins: First thing that stands out is the young defensive pairing you have... love it. McAvoy and Heiskanen are two of the top young defensemen in the league. Sets you up great for success now and going forward. Hanifin and Nurse are also a nice young #2 pairing. Defensemen are definitely the strength of this team. Forwards are a little weak. You're missing a consistent scoring threat. DeBrincat could be that guy but he had a down year this year, you'll need him to be a 40 goal scorer again to compete with the other teams built. Petterson is a stud and a fantastic #1 center to build around. Landeskog brings some grit and scoring to the line. I think you'll score but measuring up against some of the other teams in this division I think you're behind them both. Depth wise the center position is so-so. Colin White hasn't done a whole lot... don't love him as a #2 center right now. He's the type of guy who might be ok as your #3 center. He wasn't someone I was expecting to see drafted. If Duchene returns to his 2018 form he's a better fit as your #2 center. Timo Meier I love as an overall player.. good on both ends of the ice. A lot of these teams overlooked this. Gibson is a stud too (all the goalies in this division are terrifying future threats, damn!). He's a top 5 goalie to build around. 

Colorado Avalanche:  The first line is so well balanced. Barkov is one of the best two-way centers in the game. You paired Huberdeau with him... chemistry already there so you get a plus there. Huber is a star in his own right. Svechnikov is a scary young winger with 40+ goal potential, oh and he also has some grit. Love this first line and it's clearly the best in the division IMO. Depth scoring is pretty solid. Pacioretty has a few more years left. Kuznetsov is a strong #2 center. Third line has an up-and-comer in Yamamoto, think he will be a nice future piece in your middle six group that could step in for Pacioretty in a few years when he begins his decline. I wonder about Bryan Rust without Malkin/Crosby. Nug is quite a step down as a player, can he be as effective? Not sure. I like him as your #3 center though. Defensively pretty strong first pairing with a good young pairing behind them waiting. You have the best goalie in the league and in this format so it's a tough team to beat. I have you as the winner in this division decisively, but going forward I think your 3rd line question marks and the age of your top pairing (comparatively) may keep you from being the overall winner. 

FINAL RANKING:

1) Colorado Avalanche
2) New Jersey Devils
3) Boston Bruins

 

Division B:

Orlando Solar Bears:  Team is full of guys who don't get enough recognition in the league... Schiefele, Connor, Boeser, Parayko and Pierre Luc. I think that's why you haven't gotten much love in the voting to this point. I think you're plan was to pair Connor with Schiefele, so maybe that was lost in translation here? I assume so because that's a pivotal piece to that first line. It's a really sound group up top. Love the second line as well... PLD is a really good young center. Bertuzzi brings grit to the third line (every team needs a little) and Kaapo Kakko who I think will eventually blossom to a star... might be a year or two off as we're seeing. Dvorak is a nice 3rd line center. Isn't a "wow" player but really solid for his role. Defensively you have an offensively terrifying pairing with Karlsson and Hamilton, let's hope they both can stay healthy though. Doughty is showing signs of decline... had a couple LA fans tell me he has been downright awful at times this season so that's worrying going forward. Parayko I already mentioned as a guy who doesn't get much recognition... he's a huge dude who can actually score. Defense is the weak link here because I don't know if I can trust all these guys to be healthy or stay in form. Merzlikins > Korpisalo. I like what I've seen from him albeit a small sample size. He's a few tiers below most of the goalies selected but has the potential you look for.  

Washington Capitals:  Pairing Backstrom with Ovi is wise. Those two are money and have been forever. Age will be a factor very soon but I think each have a couple good-great seasons left (Backstrom just signed an extension keeping him in Wash until 2024-25). I'm guessing you're trying to spread the scoring out by putting Kucherov on the second line, which I like. O'Reilly is more of a distributor... so Kucherov can finish from the wing. Second line overall is really strong compared to most. Logan Couture is a really nice 3rd line center to have. One of the strongest of the teams I've look at so far. Defensively a little weaker than you'd like up top from an actual 'defensive' standpoint. Both guys can score but defending isn't their best asset. I really like Trouba on pairing two. Yandle is also lacking in the defense category... more of a power play specialist at this point. I think this team will find itself in some high scoring games. If their offense has a bad night, they might end up in trouble. I like Lehner, hard to admit coming from a Sabres fan. He wasn't very good with us but has shined elsewhere. An overall solid goalie to have, safely in the tier below Gibson, Hart and Vasi in this format. 

Pittsburgh Penguins:  I knew I wouldn't like this team as it was being drafted. Sorry @kurgan. The strengths are super obvious, but so are the weaknesses. Makar and Hughes are freakin nasty blueliners. That top pairing has you set for years. You also added two other elite level defensemen, one of which is arguably the best in the game today in Carlson. You have one of the best goalies in the game today in Rask... but in this format I'd knock him down a tier, maybe two given he may start to decline very soon. I think your intention was to win early, which you may have a chance at with that defense and goalie, but offensively, regardless of age, I don't think you have the scoring to beat some of these teams. You went way to heavy on the old-school hockey DNA. That slow, bruising type of player is hardly relevant these days and you grabbed all 3 of the more noteworthy ones (Wilson, Lucic, Reaves) lol. Benn-Malkin-Wheeler are all guys heading into the downside of their careers. Kane is a nice younger piece with the scoring and grit you look for, and Bergeron is the best two-way center in the game. The issue lies with scoring potential across the board. I see this team relying too heavily on Malkin and your defense to score the goals. Just because you have elite level defensemen doesn't mean they're elite level defenders... so stopping everything coming your way isn't likely. Rask will still get a fair share of shots on him with the skill level of these teams at forward, better hope he stops them all :) 

FINAL RANKING:

1) Washington Capitals
2) Orlando Solar Bears
3) Pittsburgh Penguins

 

Division C:

Milwaukee Admirals: First line is lethal but aging. In this format I don't love all those players together. Second line is pretty scary as well. Not sure if you did it on purpose but I'd put Tavares as your 2nd line center of Karlsson. Mark Stone is a great two-way player to have. I'm noticing as I go how weak the third line becomes and it might end up separating a lot of these teams going forward. All good players, but nobody really stands out as someone who will carry the line against some of the best in the group. Kubalik is a wild card... is he a product of having good linemates in Chicago? I don't think Domi or Burakovsky can carry him. Defensively you're looking ok. Shea Weber probably has one really good year left, beyond that I'd be concerned with him given his recent injury history. Don't love him even getting a look in this style draft. Slavin and Theodore is a fantastic future pairing up top though! Pionk has surprised me with his success in Winnepeg. Not a bad second pairing guy at all... and just 24 years old! Goalie is strong... Binnington proved his past success wasn't a fluke. I don't think he's going to win you games on his own some nights like Vasi, Gibson or Hart might, but he's still someone you can feel confident in each night.

San Antonio Rampage:  I remember this team getting a few of my late round targets and I thought they were steals... namely Olofsson and Krug. First forward line is dirty. Tkachuk is one of those players that are so hard to find nowadays. An elite blend of grit and scoring. Stamkos isn't showing signs of slowing down yet but I think he has just a few elite years left, enough to keep you competitive. Marner is a nice playmaker here. Second line is pretty strong, I'm not a big fan of Nylander overall. Inconsistent player. Konecny blossomed this year into a player worthy of the second line role you gave him. Love his game, he's also not afraid to lay the lumber. Ehlers has elite speed, a player I've been wanting on Buffalo for years. Third line is interesting, Kopitar is showing signs of slowing down but your have him with two up-and-coming scoring threats to distribute to. Olofsson is a pure sniper. Weak on the defensive end though. Lafreniere is going to be a superstar. Love this pickup! Overall a really solid group of forwards. Defensively Krug and Seth Jones might be the best top pairing in this right now. Chabot on the second pairing is incredible... Chychrun is underrated by nature of playing in Arizona. Overall a strong defensive group. Korpisalo is the one thing that holds your team back. I don't love him, in fact I think Columbus' Elvis Merzlikins is the better goalie of the two. 

Buffalo Sabres: Warning... this is my team, I'll try not to be too much of a homer but it's hard not to be confident in this roster top to bottom. What should stand out is the strength down the middle on all 3 lines and the strength of the forwards defensively. Eichel is a young proven superstar with 100+ point potential for the next 8-10 years. Zibanejad is underrated as a two-way center... he had 41 goals in 57 games, also coming off a great year the year before on a bad team. He's also relied upon as a penalty killing specialist. Perennial Selke candidate (award for best defensive forward) Sean Couturier is a standout as a third line center comparatively to other teams here. He provides plenty of scoring for his role here too. On the wings we have a number of good players in Guentzel, a 40-goal candidate and Rantanen, a star playmaker. Mantha was dominating early on this season–I think he will thrive on a team that is simply better. The Wings were historically bad this year–he was one of few bright spots. Lindholm is a nice complementary two-way player that is great for the third line. Fiala and Bjorkstrand are weakest of the bunch but are still very young... so they are the risk in facing other teams. Both guys were on pace to reach 55-60 points, so scoring potential is there. Defensively the top pairing is deadly, Josi is a top 5 defensemen in the league and Dahlin is a generational defensemen prospect who has already proven to be a star (also just turned 20). Girard and Hronek are both quietly strong young defensemen, both top pairing guys on their respective clubs that would thrive in a second pair. Blackwood is one of the more promising young goalies, not the best (like Hart, Vasi, Gibson) but definitely someone to feel confident in going forward. With a better team around him I think he will prove just how good he is. 

FINAL RANKING:

1) Buffalo Sabres
2) San Antonio Rampage
3) Milwaukee Admirals

 

Divison D:

Toronto Maple Leafs: The obvious: you have the best player in the game on your team. That always puts you in the conversation as the best team here. You surrounded McDavid with two star wingers to make that first line pretty friggin scary. Laine will hit his 50 goal potential with McDavid dishing him perfect passes on a nightly basis. And Gaudreau will be there to get his fair share of secondary assists and 30 goals. Monahan is an underrated center who I really like in that #2 center role. The depth around him and on the 3rd line is good, not great. Jack Hughes has struggled to get going but I see him eventually getting there. Him and McDavid are exciting to think about going forward. Unfortunately you inherited some awful choices. Adam Fox had no business being taken where he was. He is a nice piece to have but I know you would've made a better selection there. Ivan Provorov is honestly your best defensemen, not a bad thing, but beyond him it looks pretty rough. Risto is a disaster in the defensive end, him on the top pair has already been a proven disaster in Buffalo and I don't see it being any different here. Bowen Byram is promising but an unknown. Shestyorkin is safely in the second tier, but has the potential to hit the first tier. He's really promising and has already made a strong mark with the Rangers. 

Tampa Bay Lightning: Facing this teams first line would have me losing sleep at night. Very clear top first line in this draft. MacK and Drai are both McDavid challengers for points... and Aho is dirty on his own. Like his brother Matthew, I love Brady Tkachuk's game. Bo Horvat is a faceoff winning machine and improving as a scorer. Reinhart is a smart player with a good net-front presence capable of hitting 60 points consistently. I think this line will have some trouble keeping up with the faster teams but don't see them being without the puck much otherwise. Third line is full of potential. I love Cirelli's two-way game and his special teams ability. A really well built forward lineup from top to bottom. Defensively well-built as well, smart pairings. You paired guys who are known defensive-defensemen (Cernak and Lindell) with some offensively talented defensemen (Werenski and Ekblad). Not a group that wows you but overall very strong. Goalie is similar to Shestyorkin in terms of potential and the tier I'd put him in. He has had some really strong stretches in Washington already and IMO has proven he is worthy of the starting spot next season. Hard to find too many weaknesses with this roster–I'd point to the 3rd line with Suzuki/Vrana if I had to only because they still have to prove consistency. 

Chicago Blackhawks: Another team with a lethal first line. Matthews can pot 50 on an annual basis, and Tarasenko can probably top 40 with him. Brayden Point is one of my favorite players in the entire league, just a gritty two-way machine capable of scoring plenty on his own. Seguin is coming off a down year, but as a second line guy I like the fit. Forsberg when healthy is a very good winger to pair with. Third line has proven to be where many of you stash your potential as is the case here with the more proven Hischier and the lesser proven Zadina. Hertl was coming off a career year, slumped a little this year so I'm not sure what you can expect to get out of him going forward. Are you getting a 35 point player or a 75? That's a huge difference. Defense really helped me decide this division. Hedman is the undeniable stud and workhorse of the group going forward. Pairing him with OEL gives you an offensively dynamite top group.... and to think that top forward line with them... goals are coming, lots of goals. That said, I don't like the second pairing much at all. Burns is 35, how many years does he have left? Plus, he's already slow and doesn't play actual defense well. Ghost was surprisingly drafted ... he hasn't seen the ice much this year and when he has, he hasn't produced to his usual level. Part of that is due to the Flyers being stacked on D, but that shows that there must've been better options out there. Hellebuyck probably belongs in that first tier of goalies... I'd put him in a tier 1B type of situation only due to his comparative age. Regardless, you are all set with an elite level goalie.  

FINAL RANKING: 

1) Tampa Bay Lightning
2) Chicago Blackhawks
3) Toronto Maple Leafs

Love the writeup if not the results.  Does make me know a lot of newer hockey players though....

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I had so many spelling errors in my division pictures lol.

Here are my thoughts/votes:

Division A
This was pretty close for me between the Devils and Avalanche. I think the Bruins are on the outside looking in. John Gibson has been up and down (mostly down) the last few years and was a big reach. Petterson is a great 1st line center to build around, but I'm not sure the team really panned out. A few nice picks in there, including Heiskanen and Meier, but I don't think the offense stacks  up. The Devils have a great young set of forwards, spearheaded by the unbelievable David Pastrnak. I love Barzal, and Panarin is having a Hart-Caliber season. 2nd line is phenomenal and young as well. I love the Carter Hart pick as probably the 2nd or 3rd most valuable goalie in the NHL . My winner is the Avalanche for the Devils and the offense is stacked. What separated the Avalanche for me was the fact that despite the rock-solid Hart pick, the Avalanche had the only guy who you can really say without argument is the best for this type of draft and that is Vasilevskiy. I think the defense, while older, is also a step ahead in terms of talent. Barkov is one of the most underrated players in sports, period. I don't love the Pacioretty pick, but I think the team's first line, Kuz, and Miller make up for it.

Division B
Ultimately the Solar Bears (lol) take the cake for me with their stellar defense. The team has arguably 3 of the best 5 or 6 defensemen in the league right now. Karlsson could be the GOAT if he stays healthy and plays late into his career. Dougie was having a Norris-type season and is recovering well from his injury. Doughty is Mr. Reliable, and Parayko is huge and has great potential. The forwards are great too. As a Devils fan, f*** Hall but the first line is great. Schiefele is one of, if not the best 2-way center in the game. Boeser is young with loads of potential. To get Kyle Connor on the second line is robbery, and love the Kappo pick. The weakest link for me here is the goalie. Merzlikins is having on okay season, but jury is still out. Tuuka is by far the best goalie in the division and should win the Vezina this year but he is 33. If there was another team here that I loved with a better goalie it would have been closer. Capitals have a very good team w Kucherov on the second line (although there is no reason why Dadonov should be on your first ;) ). Defense is very solid as well, but not on the Solar Bears level which is probably what kept them from being #1 for me. Can't knock anything else about this team except maybe the age/ability to win in a few years, but we know that Washington's strategy is win-now. I just think the Solar Bears are prepared to do both. The Penguins certainly have talent but the forward group is too old for me/lacks goal scoring. Lucic has no business on a roster in this draft format. I do love building around Makar/Hughes, and to have Letang and Carlson as your 2nd pairing is unreal. Probably the most desirable set of 4 defenseman across all teams all things considered. Again, not surprising knowing the draft style of Pittsburgh. I just have concerns about who will put the puck in the net in what is becoming a scoring league.

Division C
This is the closest division for me. Milwaukee has top 3 of all time in Crosby with great complementary talent. Binnington is a great pick in a league that has very few young, elite goalies at the moment with big talent/consistency dropoffs between tiers.  The team's defense is just okay for me, w/ geriatric Shea Weber leading the way. Slavin is a good pick, but this team has the weakest defense in the division. The Sabres have an excellent 1-2 punch of Eichel/Rantanen, who should terrorize teams for years to come. 2nd line is also great, love Mika and he is really blossoming into an elite player. Lindholm was a great pick. The defense is built around one of the best in Josi and Dahlin, who should be the best in the next few years. Blackwood pick I like as a Devils fan. What separates the Rampage for me is the elite and young defense. Seth Jones and Krug are a great pairing. Krug is extremely underrated and is in the top 30 all time in PPG for a defenseman. Chabot is unbelieveable and I was pissed I couldn't snag him. He and Chychrun are insanely good and insanely young. Offense is also elite with great 1st, 2nd, and 3rd lines. Korpisalo is a risky pick for me. Long touted the replacement for Bobrovsky, he is likely to lose his job to Merzlikins next year. I think this is offset by an equally

Division D
This division definitely has the most talent. I love my team. Hellebuyck for me is the clear #2 goalie in this draft and should also be #2 in Vezina voting. My first and second lines are lethal. Built around Matthews and Point, I should have scoring for the next decade and a half. Hedman is probably the best defensemen in the league and I love my other 3 despite people saying how old and slow Burns is. The Lightning and Maple Leafs have the best first lines in the whole draft. I can't pick a favorite there. McDavid is the best player in hockey and to put him along side Laine and Gaudreau is scary. Lightning have their own big three in Aho, MacKinnon, and Draisaitl. I would lean Leafs over Lightning for the 2nd/3rd lines, but its also close. Lightning have a significantly better defense than the Leafs given that my friend took Fox in the cornerstone rounds. I am going to vote for myself, Chicago, on the basis that while the Leafs and Lightnings first lines would give opposing coaches nightmares, I think my first line could keep up and could be equally lethal on given nights. I prefer my 2nd/3rd lines over both other teams, and have the best (and probably 2nd best) defenseman in the division. I have the far superior goalie . Go me

 

I will tally up once we decide if we are allowed to vote for our own divisions.

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Current voting tallies after 10 of 12 voters.

We have two clinched divisions (A and D) and 2 that are up to @RaykwonDaChef and @I_GET_SAX.

Division A 
Avalanche - 8 (clinched)
Devils - 2
Bruins - 0

Division B
Orlando Solar Bears / Washington Capitals - 4
Pittsburgh Penguins - 2

Division C
Milwaukee Admirals / Buffalo Sabres - 4
San Antonio Rampage - 2

Division D
Chicago Blackhawks - 6 (clinched)
Tampa Bay Lightning - 3
Toronto Maple Leafs - 1

Let's get this done by midnight tonight, otherwise we can have the guys who voted for the eliminated teams re-vote as tiebreakers.

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Sorry guys I don't have time to go as detailed as others right now.

Basically I am looking at this in a 7 year window and assuming replacement level players take over for the older guys. A championship now is as good as a championship in 7 years.

A - Colorado
B - Orlando
C - San Antonio
D - Tampa Bay

 

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Easiest division to judge was A, evident by the voting.

Division B was close, I went back and forth a bit with Orlando and Washington.

Division C was hardest for me. Almost have a 3 way tie now. 

Really surprised Chicago is 3 votes ahead... now 2 but still "clinched". 

Edited by NickChowaniec
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