Blackdraft/rug Rats Wed.

[goose 0]

Up against the division leading Rug Rats, Blackdraft has the opportunity to pull off an upset, dressing the best lineup it's seen all season (like that says a lot lol). The lineup for wednesday night looks like:Blackdraft:1. Travis Zajac, NJ, OT2. Stephen Weiss, FLA 1A3. Marcel Goc, SJ4. Oleg Saprykin, PHO5. Brian Willsie, LA6. Chris Simon, NYI -7. Aaron Jonson, CBJ 1A8. Anton Volchenkov, OTT -9. Shane Hnidy, ATL 1G10. Jason York, BOS -G - Washington -1.5Rug Rats:1. Brian Rolston (MIN)(OT) -2. Patrick Marleau (SJ)3. Scott Walker (CAR)4. Michel Ouellet (PIT) -5. Saku Koivu (MON) 1A6. Mike Knuble (PHI) 1G7. Brian Rafalsky (NJ)8. Kyle McClaren (SJ)9. Bret Hedican (CAR)10. Patrick Coulombe (VAN) -G - Minnesota -1Noteable info:Players that need to stay hot:Saprykin - 8 points in last 10 games.Zajac - 5 points in last 5 games.Chris Simon - WTF?!?! - 4 points in 6 games, seeing 1st PP ice time? Players that need to step up:Aaron Johnson - I have high hopes for this kid, don't know why he's not seeing 1st PP time with Duvie still out.Marcel Goc - Well okay he's stuck behind Marleau and Thornton in the depth charts, any production would be a blessing, just biding his time until he can be a #2 centreman.Random Sleeper Pick:Jason York to score a goal.

[nell789 0]

Care to share the probable Rug Rats lineup for comparison purposes?

[goose 0]

Care to share the probably Rug Rats lineup for comparison purposes?

That would require work, and then my lineup would look bad. So...... let's just look at mine.

[ajs510 122]

It's posts like these that make me love the FCHL so very much, and love being in it on the ground floor of greatness even more. I'd be bashing my head against the wall if I was riding a 9 game losing streak and the top forward on the best lineup I've iced all year was Travis Zajac. No offense Nate, I know you're doing the best you can with the tools you're given, but that's just bleak.GL tonight.

[nell789 0]

It's posts like these that make me love the FCHL so very much, and love being in it on the ground floor of greatness even more. I'd be bashing my head against the wall if I was riding a 9 game losing streak and the top forward on the best lineup I've iced all year was Travis Zajac. No offense Nate, I know you're doing the best you can with the tools you're given, but that's just bleak.GL tonight.

As the season wears on, my team is starting to resemble Nate's more and more. So you're saying this is a bad thing?

[ajs510 122]

As the season wears on, my team is starting to resemble Nate's more and more. So you're saying this is a bad thing?

Your (arguably) worst forward for tomorrow night is Alexei Ponikarovsky, not exactly in the same ballpark D...<grin>

[goose 0]

Zajac is going to be absolutely sick by the way though. He's only 21 and already a producing 2nd line centre in the NHL. He'll have more assists than goals, as he feeds Parise for years to come, but I can live with that.

[ajs510 122]

Zajac is going to be absolutely sick by the way though. He's only 21 and already a producing 2nd line centre in the NHL. He'll have more assists than goals, as he feeds Parise for years to come, but I can live with that.

I have no doubt you'll have an excellent squad 3 or 4 years from now, but I'm so results oriented that I go crazy if I even lose a single game, let alone 9 in a row. I just don't have any patience...<sigh>.

[goose 0]

I have no doubt you'll have an excellent squad 3 or 4 years from now, but I'm so results oriented that I go crazy if I even lose a single game, let alone 9 in a row. I just don't have any patience...<sigh>.

Ya well my patience did wane, if I had of stuck to my original plan of only getting players from drafting, I honestly think in 7-8 years I'd have a dynasty-quality team. I got bored with this strategy after 20 games though, and so am starting to trade for currently productive players like Weiss etc. I won't be a legitimite contender until around 10/11 I don't think though.

[DanielNegreanu 141]

It's posts like these that make me love the FCHL so very much, and love being in it on the ground floor of greatness even more. I'd be bashing my head against the wall if I was riding a 9 game losing streak and the top forward on the best lineup I've iced all year was Travis Zajac. No offense Nate, I know you're doing the best you can with the tools you're given, but that's just bleak.GL tonight.

Are you kidding me? That's the fun part. Having a bottom end team and going super young. Then watching them blossom into superstars. Kind of like what Pittsburgh is doing now. Wouldn't you be excited to own the Penguins right about now? Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Marc-Andre Fleury. What a solid core that is, wow.

[serge 904]

Are you kidding me? That's the fun part. Having a bottom end team and going super young. Then watching them blossom into superstars. Kind of like what Pittsburgh is doing now. Wouldn't you be excited to own the Penguins right about now? Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Marc-Andre Fleury. What a solid core that is, wow.

Daniel, I think in theory its amazing to have those youngsters however in around 4-5 years right when they are in their prime they are not going to be able to sign all of them..Buffalo will run into that problem soon with all their talent...It really is amazing how the real NHL has modelled itself after our AHL...If those 4 develop like they should they will all command $6-$8 million contracts that will be unable to sign all of them..Just the economics of the new NHL

[Zach6668 513]

Daniel, I think in theory its amazing to have those youngsters however in around 4-5 years right when they are in their prime they are not going to be able to sign all of them..Buffalo will run into that problem soon with all their talent...It really is amazing how the real NHL has modelled itself after our AHL...If those 4 develop like they should they will all command $6-$8 million contracts that will be unable to sign all of them..Just the economics of the new NHL

Meh, I think Staal will be in the $3M to 4M range when he's due for a new contract. Just look at his brother Eric. He gets I think 5M/season over 3 years, or 4.5, don't recall.Crosby will obv be maxed out at whatever the new CBA allows, which is some %age of the total cap space.Malkin will probably be close to that as well, since there could be offer sheets forcing his contract up in his contract year.Fleury will probably be in the $3M-4M range in a few years too, I would imagine. I think his current deal is 2.6M over 2 years, making 1.6M next year.I think it's certainly possible to keep these guys together, but they will definitely be maxed out in terms of cap space, and will probably have a slightly tougher time with the role players and core players, although they have some solid guys right now who would be great 3rd/4th line guys down the road, who they can get for cheap.

[ajs510 122]

Are you kidding me? That's the fun part. Having a bottom end team and going super young. Then watching them blossom into superstars. Kind of like what Pittsburgh is doing now. Wouldn't you be excited to own the Penguins right about now? Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Marc-Andre Fleury. What a solid core that is, wow.

Sure, I'd love to own them now when they're on the cusp of being a top-flight dynasty. 3 years ago when they first started drafting the core they have now...not so much. Hence my point. I don't have the patience to be satisfied with building for the future.