Minstrel Hockey League 2014-15

[nino33]

Congrats to Västerås Vikings for the victory this week!
I trailed all week, and tried to come back today but in the end fell short 5-6-1

Looks like Corinthians and I both lost, so we're now both at 13-3 as are the Sloppy Slippers after their win...
Then it's the Black Bears at 12-4 and then Manimal's Wild Boars at 11-5...and then the rest of the league's teams are all below .500

[visualdarkness]

I thought this season would be brutal, especially due to my mediocre D squad after the draft, but this looks very promising!
Westcan, we are going to can you up in our sloppy slippers and send you to second place.

[coombs14]

.and then the rest of the league's teams are all below .500

Some of us very very far below .500

[nino33]

I thought this season would be brutal, especially due to my mediocre D squad after the draft, but this looks very promising!
Westcan, we are going to can you up in our sloppy slippers and send you to second place.

I too have been happily surprised by my team this season, but I think I'm in tough now...today I lost 2 of my 3 goalies to injury!

[MWE]

At least i have passed my 5 wins from last season

[m0fownz0r]

I'm somewhat happy with my team, considering that I missed the draft. I did several trades - some bad, some good.. I've beaten strong teams along the way

All in all an enjoyable experience so far

[visualdarkness]

One thing that beats me in this league is how easy it is to build a winning team even from FA's. People seems to pick up any mediocre goalscorer out there but the FA is full of shot blockers, PIM's and other soft stats. Come on guys think a bit more out of the box, I want this league to get more competitive.

[getzlaf15]

One thing that beats me in this league is how easy it is to build a winning team even from FA's. People seems to pick up any mediocre goalscorer out there but the FA is full of shot blockers, PIM's and other soft stats. Come on guys think a bit more out of the box, I want this league to get more competitive.

If we had 14 teams competing as fully as possible, the free agent choices would be a lot smaller and the league would be so much better as a whole. We probably have 6 teams that are fully active and that doesn't make for good reading. I enjoy the league a lot but if we had 14 people as active as can be, it'd be 100x better.

[visualdarkness]

One thing that beats me in this league is how easy it is to build a winning team even from FA's. People seems to pick up any mediocre goalscorer out there but the FA is full of shot blockers, PIM's and other soft stats. Come on guys think a bit more out of the box, I want this league to get more competitive.

If we had 14 teams competing as fully as possible, the free agent choices would be a lot smaller and the league would be so much better as a whole. We probably have 6 teams that are fully active and that doesn't make for good reading. I enjoy the league a lot but if we had 14 people as active as can be, it'd be 100x better.

Of course that is a big part of the problem but even with some active managers I find myself scratching my head.
For example a guy like Clutterbuck provide me with an endless stream of hits while also going on streaks in other categories. People that try to trade with me often seem to value Clutterbuck at te same level as a mediocre scorer and get a one star NO from me. People overestimate goals and assists, even though gaining five goals a season in most cases for sure isn't worth losing out in every other category.

Hamonic has been more important for my team than Toews this season as he provides me huge value in "easier to win" categories. If you check the team stats in different categories you will see that the top teams are generally way stronger in the Hits, PIM and Blocked categories than in the point scoring section. Same goes for goalies, goalies that play much and make more saves but win less are more valuable than a winning one with low minutes and saves, two categories beats one.

A lot of it comes down to tactics, trade some flair for grit. If your team is a low scoring one trade away your goalscorers for hitters, blockers and goons and you will have a big chance of winning one or two catagories extra each week. Batdad criticized wimsy teams and still the overestimation of scoring continues today.

[batdad]

Wow, look at visual sounding like a grumpy old man. That refrain sounds familiar young man.....Goals 1/12 of a victory ... hits 1/12 of a victory...which means they are of absolute EQUAL value. The top level hit guy who does not score. in fantasy hockey is EQUALLY as valuable as a top level goal scorer who does not have any hits.

Right now and I bet for the last couple of weeks without looking that one of the top rated players in the NHL is named Ronalds Kenins. Kid has 3 goals 2 assists and umpteen hits, plus a few PIM in 7 games or something. Plus quite a few shots. But my guess is his hot streak to start his career is being underrated by many, and that he would not have any value. Even if he keeps up this run he will be undervalued as he is NOT a name player.

Reasons I did well in fantasy hockey--- Always taking on shot blockers hitters and goalies that were WAY undervalued, and finding guys who were on hot streaks like Kenins and riding them through the hot streaks


I got totally annoyed with the amateurish, not able to properly assess what wins in fantasy hockey GMs who would just poo poo every trade offer and get upset with me asking for someone who scores 20 goals for someone who was a big hitter/shot blocker...a trade that would have helped both teams.

VD--if I recall correcfly.....LOL. Welcome to the old man club.

[Manimal]

The top level hit guy who does not score. in fantasy hockey is EQUALLY as valuable as a top level goal scorer who does not have any hits.

Except that a guy who scores, also gets shots, probably power-play points and casually a game winner, too.

Reasons I did well in fantasy hockey--- Always taking on shot blockers hitters and goalies that were WAY undervalued, and finding guys who were on hot streaks like Kenins and riding them through the hot streaks

When you played we didn't have hits as a stat

[visualdarkness]

Wow, look at visual sounding like a grumpy old man. That refrain sounds familiar young man.....Goals 1/12 of a victory ... hits 1/12 of a victory...which means they are of absolute EQUAL value. The top level hit guy who does not score. in fantasy hockey is EQUALLY as valuable as a top level goal scorer who does not have any hits.

VD--if I recall correcfly.....LOL. Welcome to the old man club.

I know, that's the worst part about you leaving, now I got the grumpy role.
Winning doesn't feel as good when you feel that there is something rotten in Denmark making you win without really earning it.

Right now and I bet for the last couple of weeks without looking that one of the top rated players in the NHL is named Ronalds Kenins. Kid has 3 goals 2 assists and umpteen hits, plus a few PIM in 7 games or something. Plus quite a few shots. But my guess is his hot streak to start his career is being underrated by many, and that he would not have any value. Even if he keeps up this run he will be undervalued as he is NOT a name player.

Reasons I did well in fantasy hockey--- Always taking on shot blockers hitters and goalies that were WAY undervalued, and finding guys who were on hot streaks like Kenins and riding them through the hot streaks

I got totally annoyed with the amateurish, not able to properly assess what wins in fantasy hockey GMs who would just poo poo every trade offer and get upset with me asking for someone who scores 20 goals for someone who was a big hitter/shot blocker...a trade that would have helped both teams.

That's exactly what I'm going at. A recently called up scrapper that also blocks shots will provide a huge boost in about 1½ categories, still I feel like I'm almost alone noticing it now. I want to miss out on a couple of them but they just sit there in the FA pool rotting away. But that mediocre scorer who got three goals and zero assists in the last 10 games without even shooting at the net get snapped up within 2s.

When you played we didn't have hits as a stat

It's batdad, he went for hits anyway just to make sure that his team was tough enough.

[batdad]

LOL. Yeah I know about not using hits when I played. I got you to put them in for the year after my last one.

And of course I guy who scores gets shots..... and helps win that category. Perhaps not the perfect example,but a guy who hits gets PIM which I assume are valuable in the league still?

Let me use HEnrik Sedin then vs Cal Clutterbuck. Hits vs Assists is basically the choice. League leader in assists vs league leader in hits. Shots are lame, and Cal probably gets more PIM. But 99% of the silly people in this pool overvalue a guy like Henrik vs a guy like Cal. Of course, CAl is probably not as valuable as he was when he played 41 of his games in the Minnesota arena, where if you touch a guy you get a hit as long as you play for the Wild.


And yeah...big hitters get more PIM...so it was still a category that was valuable. So yeah I had them. Power forwards rule the league and fantasy hockey. Hartnell in Philly, Lucic, guys like that are top level forwards in the game. THey win you a few categories. HEnrik Sedin...not so valuable.

[visualdarkness]

And who stole Clutterbuck in the draft with people slightly mocking the GM?
If I offered him for a guy like Sedin I would get a "one star rejection" back almost certainly. That is for a guy in his twilight that potentially could be retiring after couple of seasons now.

[visualdarkness]

ESPN must hate our deadline. Site down most of the day and I had a trade with Cherry going.

[Manimal]

ESPN must hate our deadline. Site down most of the day and I had a trade with Cherry going.

Did you two agree on it?
I can probably put it through

[visualdarkness]

ESPN must hate our deadline. Site down most of the day and I had a trade with Cherry going.

Did you two agree on it?
I can probably put it through

He sent it to me, but I let it expire due to real world issues but soon sent one back. Haven't heard from him since then but the site has been wonky to say the least.

[Manimal]

ESPN must hate our deadline. Site down most of the day and I had a trade with Cherry going.

Did you two agree on it?
I can probably put it through

He sent it to me, but I let it expire due to real world issues but soon sent one back. Haven't heard from him since then but the site has been wonky to say the least.

If both of you guys want to, then I can edit your rosters

[visualdarkness]

It seems like the league messenging system is off too so I can't contact him through there. Looks like we have to ride the storm out.

I still have to set my roster!

[Manimal]

It seems like the league messenging system is off too so I can't contact him through there. Looks like we have to ride the storm out.

I still have to set my roster!

It works for me. I have no problems whatsoever with the site

[visualdarkness]

It seems like the league messenging system is off too so I can't contact him through there. Looks like we have to ride the storm out.

I still have to set my roster!

It works for me. I have no problems whatsoever with the site

I managed to set my roster and send the Bears a message!

[visualdarkness]

I still haven't heard from him since three days ago. Is the bear sleeping through the winter?

[visualdarkness]

I just heard from Cherry and he wants to do the deal. Apparently the site has been wonky for him too lately, that explains why he hadn't set his roster at the start of the week.

So if you still want to do it for us Manimal it's:

SURA trades Derick Brassard, NYR C to BBS
SURA trades James van Riemsdyk, Tor LW to BBS
BBS trades James Neal, Nsh LW to SURA
BBS trades Dougie Hamilton, Bos D to SURA

[Manimal]

I need him to confirm it first.

[getzlaf15]

I just heard from Cherry and he wants to do the deal. Apparently the site has been wonky for him too lately, that explains why he hadn't set his roster at the start of the week.

So if you still want to do it for us Manimal it's:

SURA trades Derick Brassard, NYR C to BBS
SURA trades James van Riemsdyk, Tor LW to BBS
BBS trades James Neal, Nsh LW to SURA
BBS trades Dougie Hamilton, Bos D to SURA

Let's do it. Need a bit of a change up and need some assists and PPP.