Hey guys, my friends and I are transitioning our one-year league into a dynasty league this year. We can't start completely over due to draft picks being traded last year at unequal value. So what we've decided to do is have our regular one-year draft (which will not include 2011 NHL draft picks) to play this year which will be followed by a five-round draft dynasty draft. Players who have played 9 games or less from F and D and 4 or less from G are eligible to be drafted in the farm team draft. Any player drafted is eligible to be kept for next year when we have our full dynasty draft.

However, to complicate things a bit, the farm team roster is eligible to be expanded to 20 spots as soon as the draft is completed. Players eligible for the farm team roster are also expanded to players who have played 24 games or less and goalies who have played 9 games or less in the NHL. Once a player has played his 25th game, you have to decide whether you want to add him to your main roster or send him to waivers. Any player who finishes the season still on your farm team roster is eligible to be transferred for next year.

So there is some strategy to the draft. Players who are likely to play their 25th (or 10th for goalies) NHL game this year have a higher value in the farm team draft because no matter if they finish the year on your main roster or farm team roster, they can be kept for next year, unlike those who were not drafted and added later.

The league is an eight team multi-category league. We do not distinguish LW/RW/C, its just all Fs. Goalies are highly valued and defensemen are less valued by the players. I need some advice on my personal top 25 which I have listed below:

1. Brayden Schenn
2. Ryan Johansen
3. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
4. Vladimir Tarasenko
5. Nino Niederreiter
6. Gabriel Landeskog
7. Evgeny Kuznetsov
8. Jacob Markstrom
9. Brett Connolly
10. Jaden Schwartz
11. Tomas Tatar
12. Jake Allen
13. Cody Hodgson
14. Mikael Granlund
15. Jonathan Huberdeau
16. Jack Campbell
17. Joe Colborne
18. Stefan Elliot
19. Chris Kreider
20. Tyler Toffoli
21. Ryan Strome
22. David Runblad
23. Ryan Ellis
24. Jeremy Morin
25. Ryan Spooner

(Next five are, in order...Zack Kassian, Adam Larsson, Brandon Gormley, Beau Bennett, and Kirill Kabanov--I might be the only one in our league willing to gamble on him that high but I want to get him at some point in the draft)

Who is ranked too high, too low, not on the list who should be, etc? I'm perfectly fine with constructive criticism, that's why I'm posting this here. Just remember, it's the first time we've done this so be nice!

My prospect knowledge is still iffy at best, but I feel like giving my opinion here, so take it with a grain of salt.

1) Rundblad Huberdeau and Strome should be much higher (especially Rundblad)
2) I would rank Granlund over Tarasenko and Kuznetsov personally
3) I would take RNH first overall

Cheers.

__________________
@B0ndon

Goalies: If I'm pickin em you best be sittin em!

Thanks for the reply b0ndon. I am with you on my prospect knowledge being iffy as well so I take advice wherever I can get it.

1) I definitely don't think Rundblad is the 22nd best prospect by any stretch. I'm just trying to set up my pre-draft rankings based on the best value in which I still feel I can get them. Like I said, Dmen are not highly valued in our league, so I think I may could get him there. I may still slide up at least into the top 20 and maybe even top 15.
2) I can see moving Granlund above Kuznetsov but not sure about Tarasenko. Are you that high on Granlund or a little low on Tarasenko and Kuznetsov?
3) If I get the first pick I may not be able to pass on RNH even if it may mean one less keeper I get to have by him not playing this year.

Its hard to believe that Rundblad won't go in the top 10...depends on how much your league members pay attention. Rundblad has been hyped like crazy during these slow summer days, but you definitely have a better idea of your league than I do.

I've seen Granlund play a couple times (one of the few prospects that I actually have seen play) and I love what I see. Plus a rule of thumb that I've picked up (may not be right but I'm comfortable with this mentality), is that if its close I'll take the non-Russian (KHL risk).

__________________
@B0ndon

Goalies: If I'm pickin em you best be sittin em!

Here's are my thoughts...

There's also a few notables guys that haven't made your list that I think should get strong consideration:

Couturier, Lehner (not sure if he fits in your games played rules), Holtby (again same as Lehner, not sure how many games he's played)...

There may be others but those are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head.

Good luck in the draft!

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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)

b0ndon, with Rundblad, I just see no way he gets drafted in our league in the top 10. The first defenseman in our open, one year draft last year was selected in the 7th round.

You do make a good point on the KHL factor, and, to be honest that's the reason I don't have Tarasenko #1 on my list. It all depends on what pick the lottery gives me I guess.

kenz, thanks for the reply. Lehner is not eligible to be drafted, though is eligible to be grabbed on waivers immediately after the draft (played between 5-9 NHL games). Holtby, however, is not eligible at all for the farm team roster.

In terms of Couturier, how high would you rate him and who would you drop off the list? I don't have my list in front of me but I believe I had him somewhere between 30-35.

I personally would put him ahead of any of these F prospects on your list.

17. Joe Colborne
19. Chris Kreider
20. Tyler Toffoli
24. Jeremy Morin
25. Ryan Spooner

That would put him in the 15-20 range (if you moved other guys ahead such as Runblad and Strome).

And Hodgson...as I mentioned above...

__________________
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)

If I took the players on your list and ranked them myself (just going on the limited information you provide us - D are worth less and G are worth more), it would look something like this:

1. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
2. Brayden Schenn
3. Jacob Markstrom
4. Ryan Johansen
5. Gabriel Landeskog (I realize that I rank him higher than most - I just think he's a sure thing)
6. Mikael Granlund
7. Vladimir Tarasenko
8. David Runblad (not sure I could pass on him even with less D pts)
9. Evgeny Kuznetsov
10. Nino Niederreiter
11. Jonathan Huberdeau
12. Ryan Strome
13. Tomas Tatar
14. Brett Connolly
15. Jack Campbell
16. Jaden Schwartz
17. Ryan Ellis
18. Sean Couturier***
19. Stefan Elliot
20. Jake Allen
21. Cody Hodgson
22. Joe Colborne
23. Chris Kreider
24. Jeremy Morin
25. Ryan Spooner

Frankly Spooner and Morin probably wouldn't crack my top 25 either but I can't think of anyone else to replace them with right now...

__________________
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)

Thanks for the personally adjusted rankings kenz. What's the reasons for dropping Nino (-5) and Schwartz (-6)?