Eastern Atlantic - Breakdown of potential Playoff teams, and possible Trade Deadline needs

Hey guys, as many of you know the trade deadline is coming up. Which means it’s the last chance for your team to “potentially” improve before the playoffs, besides send downs and waivers. With that being said, I thought it would be fun and beneficial for me to write an article about my “thoughts” on trades that teams who are comfortably in the playoffs or in the play hunt can make or should make. With NHL 17 not being the greatest NHL ever made by any stretch of imagination; many players that are usually seen in LG are just not there this season. However, there is still many quality players, playoff teams can pick up to give them a boost.

- This is a breakdown of my thoughts on potential playoffs teams, and what they could be missing before the deadline. The first segment I did is on the Eastern Atlantic division. I will upload the next 3 divisions as I finish them.

- I hope you guys have the time to read my thoughts, I got a little carried away. But I hope you enjoy reading it.

- Would like to hear comments and reactions about my article from as many people as possible

Eastern Atlantic

Hershey Bears:

The Hershey Bears are run by two of my fellow teammates from last year @Mike Shea 19 and @Brassard x 16, with the newest one on management being @l1l Gabella l9l. They are on fire as a team, they have talent at every position no matter who they throw out against you. This is one of the rare teams that I would consider to not have a declared #1 line, as all three of their lines are dominant. One thing to note is that their forward lines have changed throughout the season, and they are currently down a forward on their roster. Mainly because the NHL has called up some of their forwards, and sent down others. But that hasn’t seemed to faze them in the slightest. Their current forward lines based on this weeks’ games are: LW - Mike Shea 19, C – @Smoskowitz x 13, RW - @BIGBOSSx187x / @l Moniz l ----- LW - @Breckeeezy, C - @Jcsuperduck7, RW - @Payfer89Qc --- LW @l1l Gabella l9l, @Tricky x 91 (ECU), @l9l DRACULA l9l (ECU) / different ECU’s. While although they don’t have a forward among the top 10 scorers in the league (because Gabella got called up for a bit), they have 4 players I would consider 1st line money, and 3 2nd line money players. That’s not to say they don’t belong on a 1st line. A reason why they are a team to be reckoned with is because those 4 (1st line money) players are spread out among the three lines with only two on the same line currently. One reason why this team has been able to flourish as of late even without a complete forward roster, is because the ECU’s they have been using are “gods of the CHL”. Dracula for example is almost averaging 5 points a game in the CHL, while Tricky is also averaging 5 points per game. They even have @dark l2l on their TC to help them when needed. But more importantly as a team they are leading their division and conference in Goals scored. They also currently have the best goal differential for goals scored vs. goals allowed. More importantly their success has come from strategical bidding, an NHL owner that recognizes he has an AHL team, and very smart trading. It’s very interesting to note that their current roster is only comprised of a very few players that they actually bid on, even more interesting is that most of their roster is comprised of players that have killed it in CHL and it’s their first true stint in the AHL, or are long time players of the CHL (by choice), or given to them by their owner. They also have 3 solid defensive pairs, anyone of their pairs could be considered a number 1 pair on the majority of other teams or a strong number 2 on a few teams. The defensive pairs are currently @Leif Ender -- @MasterPils , @Privatizee -- @SlapShot1219 , @Brassard x 16 -- @ButtaBorborygmi based on who played with who this week. You know their defense is solid when Brassard who I consider one of the best RD in the AHL this season has the worst record on defense, and it’s still a winnable record. Last but certainly not least in this situation is their goalies. They have two goalies I would consider a strong number 1 goalie on most teams in @B4NKS , and @ll lllll lllll . It doesn’t matter who gets the call in net for them, they both give the team a great chance to win. Banks is currently rocking a 2.67 GAA and 77.1 save percentage, and barcode is rocking a 3.00 GAA and a 74.1 save percentage.

Possible positions of need: Center, Winger – Cap space: 3.75 mil

I don’t foresee Hershey making any moves before the trade deadline that would involve any of their defense or goalies. However, I do believe Mike Shea and his staff will work the phones and PM’s hard in order to acquire a forward or two to put with Gabs for the playoffs. Since cap isn’t a big issue for Hershey, and Gabs is more than capable of carrying a line. Hershey won’t be rushed into making a deal. I believe they will look for what’s out there, and determine who is the best fit based on the asking price for said player.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms:

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms are run by season 25 Calder cup champ and Stanley cup champ @Theee DANIMAL and former OHL conference champ @Horvat ll53ll. Their management alone brings experience and a winning mentality. Thee Danimal definitely knows what it takes to win, as he has won big in both the AHL, and NHL. But the main reason why they have enjoyed a lot of success since the start of week 4, has been from the formation of their top line: @Schizostone , @NickyDubya , @RemmyDarko . Schizostone and nickydubya were both acquired in a package deal from Tucson Roadrunners that sent vincesanity91 and l Moniz l. This line in my opinion is the real deal, as they have gone 7-1 since this line was formed. These guys can beat you as a trio, this isn’t a line that relies on one person to score or carry the other two. These guys utilize smart passing, down low plays, strong forcheck, and great cycling in order to create numerous scoring chances every game. I can speak from experience, as I had the unfortunate luck of playing these guys in week 4. If you plan to go up against these guys I hope you don’t plan on using ECU’s or a throw together line. As these guys took advantage of the ECU’s we had playing for us with their strong forcheck that forced numerous takeaways and odd man rushes. But, the Phantoms’ weakness is that they don’t have the luxury of depth at forward to spread amongst their 2nd and 3rd line. One reason being that the NHL has taken a few of their players throughout the season. Their remaining top forwards other than their top line are: Horvat, @Grazzei , @Joonetic, and new comer @Wolves of Turku . In my opinion both their 2nd and 3rd line are missing one player to help complete these lines. I thought it was pretty interesting to see Horvat playing RW instead of Center and with grazzei playing LW on his line, they have been using different plug in players as the third line mate. At first I thought why not put joonetic on Center with that line in order to ensure another 3 wins every week. But the thought is, could a line “without” joonetic or horvat or grazzei be able to win any games for them? So my thought is joonetic is probably playing on a separate line to give them a better chance at winning more games. Another reason why they have a good chance to wins games is because of their strong defense that has improved as of late with the acquisition of @Da Young Buck off waivers and @Banak. No surprise their hottest D-pair right now is Banak -- @Hungry Ducks. @Hamburglar Time , Theee Danimal , and @Cobra CommandoJ are also capable of 1st line playing time, and are helping give the team the support they need every game in order to have the chance to win. But other than their awesome 1st line, their goalies are the true unsung heroes for the Phantoms. Recently acquired stud @Viva La Rangers has definitely given the Phantoms a boost in net, with a 7-2-1 record since being acquired. He is also rocking a 2.55 GAA, and a 79.9 save percentage. @Codester109 is solid as well, and has been in Lehigh all season. He is rocking a 2.97 GAA, and a 77.4 save percentage. Both goalies can carry their own in net, giving the Phantoms no worries when deciding who to give the call to for that game.

Possible positions of need: Winger(s), Center, possibly a D-man

Current cap space: 1.75 Mil

The Phantoms are currently in a tight race for a playoff spot, while although they are in a playoff spot currently. Only a handful of points separates them from the team that is fighting for a spot. That is why I believe the Phantoms will most certainly do everything they can to target a top 6 forward or two if possible. I highly doubt they will make any changes to their net minders, unless given an all-star goaltender for free. Their defensive core is definitely strong, and unless they found a deal that fits their liking they won’t touch their defense either. But I do think it is imperative for them to get a forward any way possible. Because you can’t rely on one consistent line. You need at least two solid lines, so that you can play any matchups thrown at you during the week and playoffs.

Wilkes Barre Scranton Penguins:

The penguins are run by my fellow friend and longtime member @Hilly , longtime member @Mees Top Cheese , and longtime member @KingSuper x 29 (supertom111). Their biggest asset in my opinion is definitely their fire power. No matter what forward line they throw out at you, you better be on your toes and either match them in firepower or be able to counter their attack with strong defense. Another interesting thing to note about their team, is that most of them especially their forwards have been around the block a few times when it comes to league and LG in particular, and more importantly most of these guys have been big offensive threats in the past, and continue to show it this season. Their current lines are: Hilly, @Aarskog, @Big Blaster 14 -- Mees Top cheese, @Smitter , and @KingSuper x 29 -- @SpruceMoose91 , @Dimitri x 91 , and an ECU. While Hilly, Aarskog, and big blaster lead the way as far as wins vs losses, each one of their lines contains talented players, and their team will continue to improve with most of the pieces finally falling into place for them. The piece that really kicked their success into hyper drive by balancing out the lines, was the acquisition of Smitter from Milwaukee for @qcskylard24. I think this was a phenomenal pick up for the baby pens. Not because Milwaukee didn’t receive fair value. Qcskylard is a an amazing player who dominated last season in the CHL. But, the kicker is that Qcksylard didn’t seem to have steady availability this season as he has only played 7 games so far. So, why would Milwaukee trade for a guy that has NOT been showing up consistently? The world may never know, ha-ha. But, in this case you can, smitter didn’t start off the season as planned, and was passed around quite a bit. He also didn’t even play a game for Milwaukee before being moved, so at the time of the trade, maybe qcksylard’s availability improved and is good for the rest of season, and in that case the Admirals have definitely received fair value in return. Anyway, I think the baby pens did their homework before acquiring smitter. As they’re off to a 4-1 start in week 5, and their forwards finally seem to have consistency. An aspect that didn’t seem to be there before acquiring smitter. The baby pens have also benefited from luck and dumb choices by other teams. For example, they won the jackpot with acquiring offensive stud Dimitri from random assignment. They got another stud for free in Kingsuper via waivers by Bridgeport. I’m not sure why Bridgeport, a team that hasn’t done well would put a powerhouse on waivers instead of shopping him. But hey, this would be a question for Bridgeport’s management. But without defense there cannot be offense, and the penguins certainly have the luxury of some “extremely talented” defenseman. Leading the way for them on defense is the “curious case of Benjamin” @Maxwell x 3 , the “thank the random assignment god’s again” @JTRx91 , my fellow buddy and solid defenseman @l2l YANN l5l , and “holy cow we got a golden goose” @ SyNIKal l34l. @adidaht88 record does not reflect his talent at all, he is a strong defenseman. But, it takes “two to tango” as they say, so I might look for them to swap defense partners a bit to allow each pair to flourish. But, might wait to see if the new forward lines help reflect his true talent. Maxwell is currently leading the way when talking about record, but that is due to jumbled lines and switching D-pairs because of being down a D-man. Thus, they definitely have two very strong defensive pairs who provide stability, and create offense on their own. The biggest reason for their success is their season 25 Calder cup Champion goalie, @l Scopes x l20l. Who has taken the max load every week, and besides an unlucky week 1 that saw 3 games decided by 1 goal. Has backstopped his team to a 14-4-3 record while he has been in net. But, are in need of someone to take at least 3 games every week that Scopes can’t play. @blue666 has proven that he can be that guy in past seasons. With “all” their lines finally picking up, blue and scopes should be able to comfortably ride the passenger seat more often.

Possible positions of need: Winger/Center, LD, possibly a goalie.

Cap Space: 1.5 Mil

The baby Pens have among the strongest and most experienced forward core. But, could use one more forward “if” “a blast from the past” @Willis x 97 can’t play this season. If he can play, and is anything like he used to be from season 15. Their offense will be a masterpiece, and I only see a few teams who have the resources to go hand in hand in an epic “goal derby”. If they do come across a team that also has the firepower, they are going to need a counter-attack. For the most part they do, but if it comes down to a pivotal game 6 in the playoffs, where you might have to rely on your 3rd D-paring. You’re going to have to find a guy to fill that role if @RPTG is unable to bring his shutdown presence to the team, and ability to stay out of the box because of cap restrictions and max ECU games during the playoffs. The other slim possibility I see the baby pens making before the deadline is trying to acquire a sure 1 2 punch in net from a team that won’t make the playoffs. But what will the asking price be? But is the potential improvement worth the cost? I think the most feasible option for them to improve is to hope the two positions they are really in need of are already covered by the Willis, and RPTG. Both are probably better than people they can acquire.

Providence Bruins:

The providence bruins are currently in a dog fight against the wolf pack for the final playoff spot in the eastern Atlantic. Their management is @Gumba l11l , season 23 memorial cup winner @Outlaz75 , and season 23 memorial cup winner @Bigmo QC. Gumba brings a lot to the table for Providence including: tons of playoff experience, two trips to the conference finals and his ability to consistently produce year after year at a high level. While his two AGM’s are fairly new to LG, Outlaz has proven to be a solid D-man the past few seasons, while occasionally providing a boost to the offense. Bigmo’s season hasn’t gone as he would like, but most of that I think comes from the lack of consistency on RD. I don’t think they been able to give Bigmo much of a chance to succeed, since a lot of his losses are with ECU’s. Therefore, he hasn’t be able to build chemistry with a D-partner. But one reason why they have been able to capture a playoff spot as of now, is because they are led by three players who were blessed by the virtual hockey gods in Gumba l11l, @DatsyukianxDeke , and @Drake0807, but an interesting thing to note is that they haven’t blowout teams, except for two games. But, what matters is they have won all but 4 games as a line together, with one of those games being an OT loss and “two losses from this past week”. It’s also pretty interesting that they have used the same defensive pairing for every game. Providence also has an offensively gifted second line in @ShortyxLOSE , @Jude le Polski , @axemurderer29 . But don’t let the mention of “2nd line” fool you, as most teams would gladly accept one of these players to put on their 1st line. Even though their record doesn’t reflect their skill, they are not a line you want to play shootout with. I think the one problem that they have experienced throughout the season is from the inconsistent Defensive pairing. They don’t seem to have the luxury of playing with the same defensive pairing every single game like Gumba’s line does. Which has led to the mixed results every week. I think it’s imperative to note that they have only lost one game by a blowout, and that was against one of the best lines in the AHL this season in @legacy, @VVaGs82, and @bullbreed, and they were without jude le polski in that game. All but one of their losses has come from a “1” goal difference. So I think this team desperately needs to find consistency, and shutdown defense on the backend to allow this line to do what it does best. Because if not, no matter how many “Wheaties” Shorty eats before the game, his line and him will not be able to outscore a team without defense. But one weakness Providence has is their 3rd line, it’s been altered quite a bit over the season and hasn’t quite taken shake. “Twiddle’s McGee” @rG Breezyy is by all accounts a great player who can beat you with his excellent thumbs and knack for finding the back of the net, so is @Slavsky x 21, who is almost averaging 3 points per game, and @SPLIFF N RUM is also not a person to shy away from being seen on the score sheet quite a bit. So in order for this team to succeed and make the playoffs their bottom 4 defenseman and 2nd and 3rd lines need to step it up. Besides the red hot dynamic duo of @ChiToWnB3atDown and @shanebobane19 who continue to tune the Rolls-Royce, and make it comfortable for everyone driving, @DropDcrap is the only other D-man they have who has the experience and strong track record they can rely on. Their back-up goalie situation has changed over the season and has hampered them quite a bit in their search for wins, but a guy by the name of @BR Younggun continues to enjoy a stellar breakout season on Providence, and is responsible for 15 of their 23 wins and is only responsible for a mere 4 losses of their 15 losses and 2 of their 7 OT losses. They recently acquired @Cleppatron a few weeks ago, who was a brick wall for the most part last season. Even though he has had a rough start in his new net, I think he can regroup and find his old form from last season. But, better do it quick because people in Rhode Island are not always friendly and take sports serious there.

Possible positions of need: Winger/Center, Defense, Goalie

Cap space: 4.5 mil

The providence Bruins enjoy a strong forward core that is eager to win and get as many goals as they can in the process. But for that dream to come true for every line, you need chemistry on the back end. Where each D-man can trust and gel with their partner. So I can see Providence looking at their options, and considering what moves they feel they should make. I also see a lot of Tim Horton’s or Starbucks nights coming up where they’ll need to spend a few hours looking at films, stats, and hidden advantages to each player on the trade block. Since they have a ton of cap, there options are completely wide open, this includes overpaid players that might be easy to acquire, since not all of the teams have a lot of cap space. If a top tier goalie becomes available before the deadline ends, and they can’t acquire a defenseman or forward, they might go all in to acquire this goalie, since goalies can be a deciding factor in a series and cup run.

Hartford Wolf Pack:

The wolf pack are currently on the outside looking in, as the deadline approaches and teams try to push to improve. These wolves need to get hungry and all buy in to make the “pack” stronger. This basically needs to be the message from their Management staff @Soapy412 , @Daddy Burnout , and @LowLyfeSociety . Soapy has tons of experience and skill, and is definitely a guy who knows what it takes to win a cup, being a Calder cup champion from season 23. Being one of the alpha males on the team, if he is able to get that spark going in his game, I think the others can benefit from this and momentum will follow. Daddy burnout also brings tons of experience as well a lot of skill. Burnout went 2-1 on the week, and was able to grab wins from two other hard playoff teams in Hershey and St Johns. Low was also able to capture 2 out of 3 wins this week, one being against providence, the team they are fighting against for the last spot. If Burnout’s line can continue this success and is able to take on divisional rivals or split them with Low’s line the rest of the way, as well as making sure you win the winnable games based on matchups, there is no reason they can’t make the playoffs. It won’t be an easy task, as providence shows no signs of taking it easy the rest of the way, but the Wolf pack have 6 players that bring the firepower in Burnout, soapy, Low, @vBack in Blackv , @DSA Caron18 , and @DINIx91 . I have faith that the management staff will be able to figure out what they need to improve on before it’s too late, as they have a combined 21 seasons of experience in LG. The great thing about having 6 top line players, is that you don’t have one 1st line but instead two. One top line is Caron, Low, and vBack in Blackv -- and the other is Burnout, DINIX91, @Toxic N1gHtMaRe / soapy. But the weakness with Hartford is that they don’t have a true third line yet, one thought could be to stack your top two lines to ensure 6 wins, and try and acquire another forward to fill the void on that third line. If achieved they could be looking at 6+ win weeks the rest of the season. Another weakness they currently have is they haven’t figured out chemistry for every Defensive pair, leaving them vulnerable against high powered attack teams. Their top defensive pair is @Cavanaugh53 and @epeople , who share a record of 9-4-1, but the only other defenseman that seems to be winning them games is @DiegoFuego19 . Who switched to defense last season, and flourished on a team that was surrounded by talent. He might be finally finding that stability with @WeezyFnSwamprat, as they both went 2-0 this week together against two playoff teams. If the second D-pairing continues to stay hot for the remainder of the season, it will only help their chances. Thus, the only possible change could come from the 3rd D-pairing. @xHedman77 is a strong shutdown defenseman who enjoyed an awesome season last season in St. Johns, and is looking to get back to that form he had last season. But their biggest asset is decorated goaltender @Pascal Siakim formally known as go heels 2 who has won at every level as a goaltender, including a Calder cup in season 23. He has a career 75 save percentage in 182 games, safe to stay is the real deal. It also looks like he is getting on a roll this week, as he is currently 3-1 for the week. His best week since week 2, and if they get him going, there isn’t much “going in that net”. They also have @Ballzy06 who is a capable number 1 goalie as well, don’t judge him based on his record this season. The guy still a beast, and is rocking a 76.6 save percentage. I think they just need to as a team lower the amount of shots allowed on their all-star goalies, and be able to provide more goal support for their goalies along with control the time on attack.

Possible positions of need: Winger, Center, defenseman

Cap Space: 1.5 Mil

With Hartford so close to gaining a playoff spot, I can see them doing all they can to acquire a few missing pieces before the deadline comes. In my opinion they will definitely stress all their options before pulling the trigger. I could see them shaking up the defense a bit, if they find a suiter from a team that isn’t making the playoffs who could give them a person for cheap. I can also see them acquiring a talented winger or center from a few possible teams who currently aren’t close to a playoff spot. But, they might want to hurry, since there is quite a few teams that have similar needs and will target the same common people first. I don’t think they will target a goalie, since the goalie are “not” the problem in my opinion. They just need to focus on defensive play as a team, and make sure you make smart paces and limit the turnovers.

@Brassard x 16 @Mike Shea 19 @l1l Gabella l9l @Smoskowitz x 13 @BIGBOSSx187x @l Moniz l @Breckeeezy @Jcsuperduck7 @Payfer89Qc @Tricky x 91 @ @l9l DRACULA l9l @Dark I2I @Leif Ender @MasterPils @Privatizee @SlapShot1219 @ButtaBorborygmi @B4NKS @lIllllIIIlI @Theee DANIMAL @Horvat ll53ll @Schizostone @NickyDubya @RemmyDarko @Grazzei @Joonetic @Wolves of Turku @Da Young Buck @Banak @Hungry Ducks @Hamburglar Time @Cobra CommandoJ @Viva La Rangers @Codester109 @Hilly @Mees Top Cheese @KingSuper x 29 @Aarskog @Big Blaster 14 @Smitterr @SpruceMoose91 @Dimitri x 91 @qcskylard24 @Maxwell x 3 @JTRx91 @I2I YANN I5I @SyNIKal l34l @adidaht88 @l Scopes x l20l @blue666 @Willis x 97 @RPTG @Gumba l11l @Outlaz75 @Bigmo QC @DatsyukianxDeke @Drake0807 @ShortyxLOSE @Jude le Polski @axemurderer29 @The Legacyyyyy @VVaGs82 @BullBreed333 @rG Breezyy @Slavsky x 21 @SPLIFF N RUM @ChiToWnB3atD0wN @shanebobane19 @DropDcrap @BR Younggun @Cleppatron @Soapy412 @Daddy Burnout @LowLyfeSociety @vBack in Blackv @DSA Caron18 @DINIx91 @T0xiC N1gHtMaRe @Cavanaugh53 @epeople @DiegoFuego19 @WeezyFnSwamprat @xHEDMAN77x @Pascal Siakim @Ballzy06

 

Excellent read, Bolts. This took a lot of time and effort and you completely met expectations by your teaser post regarding this topic. Very informative and gave tons of description of each team while trying to get every player involved. 10/10 would read again

 

wow first time, ive ever been called a third liner @Motown

 

Great write up man good work!!

 

@RPTG is a stud.

 

Awesome in depth article! Can't wait to read what you write about the other divisions!

 

What in the actual f*ck has happened too the AHL to make @l1l Gabella l9l capable of carrying a line??

 

Very well done. This is how you do print media. All others take notice.

 

Nice read! Thanks for taking time to do this kind of stuff.

 

Greta read bolts, question though I though your teaser said you were going to name players that might be a good fit for these teams or are you doing a breaknown of "target" players in one of the other threads ?

 

@l Bolts x 91 l
Great read and awesome work !
10/10

 

good look on the shout out !

 

Thanks buddy, I really appreciate the comments. Yeah it took me about 2 and half hours of writing/thought per team. Good luck to you guys the rest of the way. Hope to play with you again in coming seasons or in another league again.

 

Yeah not what I meant, you're obviously a first liner. But after finding out that cap is the reason you aren't fully called up, I was just implying 3rd d-pairing. Not actually 3rd line in any way. Hopefully they can shift things around for you to get called up. As I believe you will be a huge part in their success the rest of the way and in the playoffs.

 

Thanks dude, I'm really looking to watching your team battle for the playoffs. You definitely deserve to be in the there.

 

I'm fully aware, haha. Sucks is cap is the reason he can't be called up. As he is a huge part to their team

 

Thanks dude, I'm gonna try and start on the next division tonight if I have time. I might do the "players teams could target section" depending on how May trade get down tonight before I start, haha.

Looking forward to watching you guys in the playoffs. Great job, creating an awesome roster.

 

That's a question you'll have to ask people who decided not to ply this season, haha.

 

Thanks bud, looking forward to helping your media segments out in anyway I can. I really loved the in depth advice you provided in other media threads on ways they could improve.

 

No problem dude, looking forward to the magic you line can bring the rest of the way for the wolf pack. Good luck the rest of way.

P.s. Thanks for whooping my butt in weak one, haha.