Roster Reactions - Western Conference

Hey guys. I've never really done any media but I had some extra time on my hands and NHL bidding is over so here we are. Below are my thoughts on the offense and defense of each team in the Western Conference.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anaheim Ducks

Looking at the forwards, this looks like a very strangely structured roster. They basically have a top forward line of @Ix C M xI, @l Hobbs l, and @TINO45cal. Then after that, they have @MrBinxx at 2m who averaged nearly 2 goals per game last season. After those 4 guys, the rest are 500k players that I’ve never heard of.

Looking at the defense, I see a surprisingly solid d-core. I can’t really comment on the abilities of @James HetfieId, but considering how inflated many contracts were from this lackluster bidding pool, I don’t see any terrible contracts here. Not sure if @Nuge and @trevwings will be separated, but these are 2 good defenseman on solid contracts. Also, this team has @Pattelite. Any team with @Pattelite is destined for success.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona Coyotes

Looking at the forwards, they have several good contracts here. Having guys like @lRyan l6l, @Scrotale 17, @Kopi, and even @Stewkos returning at their current price-points is huge. The depth of this forward group shows how beneficial it was to have a lot of returning pieces, pre-bidding.

Looking at the defense, it looks pretty “meh” to me. Nothing amazing, nothing terrible. Long-time cheap stud LW for their organization, @Krejci l46l, makes the switch to D this season. They still have their AGM and good friend, @GunHavok at only 1.25m but the rest of their D looks like they are either paid accordingly or overpaid.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Blackhawks

Looking at the forwards, it looks pretty average/below average to me. This team was blessed by with one of the best contracts in the league in @Thibodd. Besides him, I see mostly players who are either worth their contract or overpaid.

Looking at the defense, clearly this was the focus of the team. It seems like a pretty interesting strategy to grab 3 top-line RDs but it is obvious that they are trying to go all-out on the back-end. I think @Maxwell x 3 is on a very good contract at 1.5m. Of course, @Mxtayer is on his final season of a very good contract as well. Assuming @Mxtayer is RD #3, I think he is capable of carrying the offense for that line. It will be interesting to see if a team with such a focus on defense will be able to score goals and win games.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Calgary Flames

Looking at the forwards, I see a below average group. I see a few big overpays but no contracts that I really love here besides @JafGaming14 who had a very good S34.

Looking at the defense, I think it looks good. I think their top 4 is very solid but the question will be whether or not the 3rd pairing can hold their own. I think @LOopSx91x is on a particularly good contract. A top pairing of @xWeapon 21 and @Desyd19 seems very good.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colorado Avalanche

Looking at the forwards, I thought this was a pretty solid roster until bidding happened. They had the @Oakey and @Fox l1l duo as well as a stud in @Karmuh x 86 as the free contract. Seemed like some good pieces to build around. However, I don’t really see any contracts I am in love with on offense. Seems like a pretty average group here with a few big overpays on unproven players. Assuming those 3 players I just mentioned aren’t playing together, I’m hoping @Karmuh x 86 can carry a line.

Looking at the defense, it looks pretty solid. Bringing in the media guy in @WingelsDGC is something I’m sure the community loves to see. Hopefully rookie draft pick @Utaumau can carry his impressive CHL point totals into the NHL. Back to my comment about the pre-bidding roster looking very solid, @Skoden Uprising and @GeT MuTeDD return for a combined 6.5m which is not bad at all. I don’t know much about @Dunks but I’d say he has a top 5 gamertag on LG so he must be good, right?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edmonton Oilers

Looking at the forwards, I see a pretty weak group. Despite his reputation, I think @l Volcom x 28 l is on a very solid contract. His numbers are insane, he has good thumbs, and I think most people exaggerate how much his line scrub-hunted in the recent seasons. Besides him though, I see a lot of cheap players who are worth their contract and a lot of expensive players who are overpaid.

Looking at the defense, I think it also seems pretty weak. @T Jenx for 1.5m is not a bad contract considering the bidding pool and his history of being a sufficient NHL dman. I really hope I’m proven wrong, but I really just don’t see this d-core being able to compete at the NHL level.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dallas Stars

Looking at the forwards, I think this looks like a solid group. They have several good cheap players in @BkheadshotBk, @Draisy x 29, and @Dieu Charlo which is important this season. If the duo of @x TERRY x 77 and @BigJayAyotte can put the puck in the net, I think this team can have 3 good lines.

Looking at the defense, I think it is a good group. Based on his history of success in LG, it looks like @APX x 93 is on a pretty decent contract based on this past bidding. @Duncan Queeef always seems to do good no matter what position he is playing so I'm not too worried about him. If @BlG LEW 69 can have another season like his last one, this top 4 is very solid. If @slammerama can keep his PIMs/game down, they can have a decent 3rd pairing as well.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Los Angeles Kings

Looking at the forwards, I see a lot of depth on this roster and a lot of chemistry. The @Zarvek and @Position banc duo for a combined 7m is solid. The @Chicago Liights and @Wooly x 33 duo for a combined 1.75m is just unfair. And I haven’t even mentioned their “toppest” line yet. @ToppestOfTops and @F0G 19, two huge names from LGPSN, will almost certainly have success as well.

Looking at the defense, it looks pretty average. However, I don’t think it will matter when you consider the offensive firepower that this team brings. @NlK5 and @REDWINGSSPEEDY1 are both on good contracts. I’m not too familiar with some of the other names but I’m not sure it matters.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minnesota Wild

Looking at the forwards, Minny’s forward core could either be really good or really bad. It’s an interesting strategy to build through the draft but it may pay off based on some of the names they picked up. I’d imagine they will call up @Dangology as well as the @JTF2x and @KirkLazarus4 duo. I could also see them even calling up @aPsychotik and @SNeroo, but I think these 2 are less likely based on some of the bidding pick-ups. In terms of bidding pick-ups, @MxnsteR 95 can be a great player for them if they are able to get a hold of him before games.

Looking at the defense, I think it will be a bit top-heavy (@Psyc 78 and @Redmile89). I bet these 2 play together but I think it would help the team a lot to separate them. I think there are a few overpaid guys here but overall it is a pretty good group of names on the back-end. I can see this being a sufficient d-core.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nashville Predators

Looking at the forwards, I honestly don’t know a lot of these names. I don’t know if it’s fair to call it a weak group because of that, but I think the contracts speak for themselves a bit. The biggest forward contract (by a 1mil margin) is @Best in Ottawa at 3.5m. It just seems like Nashville had money to spend but chose not to spend it. Nashville might be calling up their 1st round pick in @EDK Momo. One thing I will say about this guy is that I checked out his xbox clips as a potential player for my team to draft and his recent clips were all of him playing Be A Pro.

Looking at the defenseman, they will definitely be calling up @Oakua who went top 5 in the draft. I’m assuming they will pair him with @Its a Full Send to complete a pretty solid west line. So I guess that gives them an advantage. Overall though, a pretty below average d-core. Not exactly familiar with too many of these guys but it looks like a group of 6 that could get the job done.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
San Jose Sharks

Looking at the forwards, this looks like a decent group. Looks like 2 decent lines and then a cheap 3rd line of forwards that have played together in LG before and likely have chemistry (@Soapy412, @Meestah Don, and @MingesaurusRex). No insanely good contracts here, but just a team that is built primarily on chemistry. Most of these guys have been together for several seasons.

Looking at the defense, it looks like a pretty solid group. Again, guys like @Bane Dont Care, @DR0C, and @Proud Gay Dad are usually on the same team and this is no exception. Similar to Arizona, you just expect to see the same names on the roster season after season. They managed to get @Chislett 19 for 2.5m as well which looks to me like a pretty good contract. Overall a pretty good d-core.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seattle Thunderbirds

Looking at the forwards, they had a lot of returning guys here. @jared2112 somehow managed to get his brother @NINETY ElGHT in an absolutely ridiculous trade. This forward duo reunites and I expect them to have a good season. This team has some big contracts and some smaller ones that help balance them out. The forward lines being based on chemistry leads me to believe that these forwards will be able to put the puck in the net.

Looking at the defense, it’s solid. However, I don’t think it’s quite as solid as some of their d-cores from the past few seasons. I’m curious to see if they can continue their success with a few run-of-the-mill guys on the back-end. One very good contract I see here is @Bush WooKie oo. I’ve played against the guy a few times and have been impressed, and his LG numbers from last season were very good.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
St. Louis Blues

Looking at the forwards here, I see one solid line in @Stifmeister x 7, @a1xFREAKx13 and @Rivzky. It was wise to reunite @Stifmeister x 7 and @a1xFREAKx13 after they found success together a few seasons back in Minnesota. I see this line having success. After these guys, I don’t see very many contracts I like and I see this being a 1-line team unless they can add some firepower to their 2nd line.

Looking at the defense, I see a pretty average group. I know @Dumbeast1254 and @DeathByDecay are good defenseman, and it looks like @PolarPenguin is on a pretty solid contract. Just like the forward group, it kind of seems to drop off after a few solid guys. I anticipate the 3rd pairing having a miserable season, but as I reiterate, I hope I am proven wrong!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vegas Golden Knights

Looking at the forward group here, I see a pretty good group of players. I think @mooresy 27 has always been a very underrated player in the community and they have him for only 1.5m. They also will have the duo of @KovalchukI17I and @NBD l Karma l which are 2 forwards from Ground N Pound in the Caps Tourney. For those of you that know nothing about Ground N Pound, it is a solid team that has really made a name for themselves by beating some big-name 6s teams, such as Resilience. To have these 2 players for a combined 3.5m is huge in my opinion. Comparable duos in the community could’ve easily gone for 15m in this past bidding. In my opinion, @NBD l Karma l was the best forward in the S35 draft. Most of the ”top” forwards in this draft just cherry-picked with 5’7” danglers to put up large point totals which is a style of play that will not translate well in the NHL. I see this team having 2 good forward lines.

Looking at the defense, I honestly think it looks like a pretty weak group. @cj142 and @o BlueDream l are definitely the best 2 defenders here, but they needed to pay a pretty penny to get them. Hopefully the 13.5m spent to get these 2 guys can pay off and help carry this team defensively. Maybe one of the cheaper, less established guys here can pitch in and have a breakout season, but only time will tell.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vancouver Canucks

Looking at the forwards, I honestly don’t see a very deep group. To me it looks like a bunch of fringe NHL/AHL guys, and then the only 100% NHLers I really see here are @DontToewsMeBro and @Ksw who are both at 5m (which I don’t think is a bad price at all for these guys in this bidding). Hopefully the lack of experience/recent success at the NHL level doesn’t bite this forward group in the a**, but I can definitely see it happening.

Looking at the defense, I wish I could say it looks better than the forwards but I’m not sure I can. I think I see (at best) a 2nd line dman or 2. A few overpays in my opinion and not really anything I’m too impressed with here. Please prove me wrong!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Winnipeg Jets

Looking at the forwards, I see several good contracts on this team. This team had many returning players which was important this season. @Tha Party Poopa, @NicoH58, @TheFunkyH, and @Bush x 92 are all 1.75 or less. These are 4 solid NHL players at very cheap prices which automatically gives this team an advantage in the offensive department.

Looking at the defense, this looks like a solid group of 6 to me. It will be interesting to see how the 2 former forwards in @Bushook and @Dip City Don will do on defense. I think half the battle with finding good dmen in LG is finding guys who are good with the puck and can make a solid play every here or there. Forwards playing defense are generally at least good in that facet of the game. This team also has @brandovedo and @Doanxr who both appear to be on solid contracts as well. Also my buddy @aeLgi made a return to LG as a dman so it’s great to see him on a solid roster.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope you enjoyed!

-Twist
​

 

Great write up twist ! Thanks for thinking of your local LG pals in your spare time

 

Lol

 

Great write up twistie

 

Looking at the post. Im proud of you

 

Good writeup friend <3

 

Awesome work dude!

 

Nice write up twist

 

solid write up!

 

Nice write up. Need more

 

Someone hasn’t done their research on our fwds

 

Keep sleepin on these psn kids

 

Nice write up , fun to read !

 

Letsgo twister -Fan#1

 

Good job twist you should do Eastern!

 

Soon!

 

Nice write up man

 

“And I haven’t even mentioned their “toppest” line yet. @ToppestOfTops and@F0G 19, two huge names from LGPSN, will almost certainly have success as well.”

nooooooo not the puns

 

@Twistafied thanks for the shout out man, love the read and one of few positive things I've heard so far about my team lol... It's a shame these reviews weren't done after the waivers open up because I'm sure I'm not the only team that will be making some call ups/send downs once that window opens... Regardless I do appreciate the review, best of luck with your season, cheers

 

This is