These are good tactics to my mind.

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Yahoo weekly starts 12 team league, keep 17 plus farm

GS, W, L, SV, GAA, SV%, SO G, A, P, +/-, PIM, SOG, GWG, PPP, SHP, HITS, FOW

3C: H. Sedin,Stepan, Stastny, R. Johansen, Hanzal, Anisimov,
3LW: Burrows, Vanek, Ott, Lupul, Dubinsky
3RW: Doan, Pavelski, Brown, Okposo,
6D: Franson, Doughty, Voynov, Subban, Markov, Gonchar, Karlsson
1Util:
2G: Price, Emery


Farm: (< 100 games): S. Elliott, J. Bernier, Galchenyuk, Etem, Eakin, Atkinson

But I also do stupid stuff. Sometimes I get creative without thinking about the longer term or the consequences in enough detail - big name players it really pays to slow down and factor things out.

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Yahoo weekly starts 12 team league, keep 17 plus farm

GS, W, L, SV, GAA, SV%, SO G, A, P, +/-, PIM, SOG, GWG, PPP, SHP, HITS, FOW

3C: H. Sedin,Stepan, Stastny, R. Johansen, Hanzal, Anisimov,
3LW: Burrows, Vanek, Ott, Lupul, Dubinsky
3RW: Doan, Pavelski, Brown, Okposo,
6D: Franson, Doughty, Voynov, Subban, Markov, Gonchar, Karlsson
1Util:
2G: Price, Emery


Farm: (< 100 games): S. Elliott, J. Bernier, Galchenyuk, Etem, Eakin, Atkinson

I work in bulk - that is I make a TON of trades throughout the year...I try to address a particular need, even if it's a marginal gain (IMO) I take it or pursue it.

Of all the trades I make (lets say I average over 15 trades per league), I send out a ton of offers. I call them feelers...checking the temperature. I try to to make it as fair as possible but I always leave "wiggle room" on my offers in case they hit me back with a counter.

I usually like pursuing players on "the trade block" as I find guys who are posted their typically come cheaper as their GM is outright saying he is willing to move him.

I also try to compete every year. Never rebuild...I don't let "age of players" get in the way of competing (just look at my team in sig!).

I ALWAYS like to keep lines of communications open with other GMs. I'm in several leagues where I have never met the GMs in person yet I communicate with them all the time via emails or texts...I find that this is invaluable to making deals.

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10-team Auction League, $160 team salary, weekly H2H, start: 6F, 4D, 1G and 5 Bench

Scoring structure: (F : 1pt G / 1pt A / 0.15pts SOG / 0.15pts Hits / 0.15pts BlkS), (G : 5 pts W / 3 pts SO / 0.01 pts Saves)

Forwards : Ovechkin ($41), Kovalchuk ($24), Kessel ($18), E. Kane ($13), Benn ($5), Sharp ($11), Pominville ($1), Dupuis ($2), Whitney ($2)

Defenses : Letang ($24), Byfuglien ($6), Markov ($1), Bogosian ($1), McDonagh ($2)

Goalies : Schneider ($7), Bobrovsky ($1)

Nice. You're what I call a scavanger.

ya sometimes my tactics piss guys off (as I'm relentless when I want someone in particular)...but it's all fair in fantasy hockey!

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10-team Auction League, $160 team salary, weekly H2H, start: 6F, 4D, 1G and 5 Bench

Scoring structure: (F : 1pt G / 1pt A / 0.15pts SOG / 0.15pts Hits / 0.15pts BlkS), (G : 5 pts W / 3 pts SO / 0.01 pts Saves)

Forwards : Ovechkin ($41), Kovalchuk ($24), Kessel ($18), E. Kane ($13), Benn ($5), Sharp ($11), Pominville ($1), Dupuis ($2), Whitney ($2)

Defenses : Letang ($24), Byfuglien ($6), Markov ($1), Bogosian ($1), McDonagh ($2)

Goalies : Schneider ($7), Bobrovsky ($1)

This is one of those rare situations where I completely disagree with you. I think that's a horrible negotiation tactic, and I practically negotiate for a living.

Negotiation 101 - always be the one to drop the initial anchor because if there's a deal to be done, the final result will most likely gravitate closer to where the anchor was first dropped since it forms the starting point for discussions. ALWAYS be the one to make the first offer - the key is that the offer is compelling to him (ie: addresses his team's needs) and obviously credible (ie: not insulting). Anytime someone has to ask me "who do you want", I almost know instantly that I'm going to be able to get the better of that person.

Also, I find it kind of insulting and lazy to just go to a guy and ask "I want Malkin, who do you want?". YOU'RE the one interested in HIS player... so it's on you to do the research and make him an enticing offer. Can you imagine Stevie Y calling up Mike Gillis and saying "Hey Mike, I really want Luongo, what would it take?". It reeks of desperation and shows that you've put no thought or work into it.

Always consider the potential value of additional throw In's. Always try to make any deal a multi-player deal and having more than 1 potential offer on the table can create a perfect timing scenario out of thin air.

In an effort to get Halak, I researched my opposing GM's team and realized who he didn't value on his roster, just before stating keepers. In this case, it was Denis Wideman following his trade to Calgary. He was eager to strip his team down so that he wasn't dumping quality or marginally quality players. Just when the deal was nearly done, I thought...who could I flip to maybe get "Marginally Better".

I told the other GM...Hey...I'll send you the hyped young D, McBain (who really had done nothing of fantasy significance) for Wideman who I know you're bitter about since he was traded from Washington. He agreed not thinking much of it.

At the same time, I was in talks with another GM who I know was thin on Defence. As soon as the deal was posted, he asked if I'd be interested in moving Wideman.

(Now what I got for him was rediculous but...) I tested how badly he wanted Wideman (him being a Calgary fan helped) and ended up getting a 1st round pick.

2 months later I was able to parlay that 1st round pick into Nail Yakupov.

Essentially...Nail Yakupov was a throw in on a deal that netted me Halak, a much needed tender for my squad.

It can get crazy, but having mutiple trade talks at once, along with always asking for those little add ins could pay huge dividends down the road.

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Team:
C - Tavares, Getzlaf, Ribeiro, (C/R)
L - Hall, Semin, Macdonald(C/L), Healtey(L/R),
R - Perry, Yakupov, Voracek, Voracek, Williams, Boyes
D - Streit, OEL, Edler, Karlsson, B. Smith, Beauchemin, Seidenberg
G - Rinne, Bryzgalov, Anderson, Bernier, Vokoun
10 Team Keeper league with Yahoo

Roster (14 Kept Players): C, C, LW, LW, RW, RW, D, D, D, D, Util, Util, G, G,

(Weighted Category Points: see below).

Skaters -
(Points: G a/o A) 6
(+/-) 3
(PIM) 1
(PPP) 5
(GWG) 5

Goaltenders
(W) 15
(GA) -10
(SV) 1
(SHO) 15

I"ll qualify my last statement by admitting that I am...by FAR...the most active GM in my league. So I usually have a pretty good idea who the untouchables are and who's likely to be moved on any given roster. If you put the time in...you'll know more...and the more you know...the more likely you are to be able to pull off these unlikely deals.

(Trading for Waiver picks...when waivers are limited is an interesting tactic that I've mastered as well). But I'll save that for another day.

I often will try and put myself in the others guys shoes and think what he would probably accept that i would also be willing to part with. Then I whittle it down a little so I have room to move before sending an offer, it shows I've thought about it and I'm not just trying to rip him off.

On the other hand I often send out feelers to see if players I want are on the market, the odd email asking if a GM is even willing to talk about trading a given player can prove fruitful. Not necessarily a "who do you want for Stamkos?", but rather "is Stamkos on the market at all?" I find you will often get a more positive response.

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ASKL - 10 Team dynasty,G/A=1,PIM=.1,+/- =.2 SOG=.05 (W=2,SO=3) Keep 12F 6D 2G 8BN + farm
F-Perry,Ryan,Giroux,Stastny,Ribeiro,Krejci,Plekanec, JvR,Bergeron,Fleischmann,Grabovski,Cammalleri
D-Letang,Chara,Edler,Boyle,Giordano,Gardiner,
G-Rinne,Crawford
Bench-Bernier,Reimer,Parenteau,Callahan,Downie,Kulemin, Meszaros,Nikitin
Farm- Namestnikov,Khoklachev,Rundblad,Despres,Jensen, L.Adam,Barberio,Galiev,Telegin,Hertl,Aberg

I also disagree with everything you have written.
But since you do this for a living... I'll let you take control of this thread, boss.