Media S28 RFA/Draft Review

This will be an ongoing post covering the RFA results (I will only get covering NHL RFA) as well as the upcoming draft. Both will be covered in this thread, as well as updated playoff chance percentages after each portion of the review.


Anaheim Ducks:
- @l Sakic l (RW): Released by Tampa Bay to Anaheim for $3m.

This is an interesting bid by Vatty, as Sakic was an above average forward for a faltering Tampa team last season. With how expensive RFA Forwards were this season I'd consider this as a good bid by the Ducks.


Arizona Coyotes:
(no players in RFA)


Boston Bruins:
- @Beta Celly (RW): Matched by Boston for $3m.
- @MarcoGoes5H0LE (C): Matched by Boston for $4.25m.
- @Twist3DKingZz (RD): Matched by Boston for $1.5.

Beta split time in the NHL and AHL last season with Columbus, but that with the time he had he performed pretty well at 9-6-1 with 40+ points. Three million is a good price for that kind of production. Marco's price was up a bit more compared to his other teammates, but his numbers at Center are a bit more important. Any Center with an above 50 FO% is going to have people interested and add on a 45 point producer and you get bids like 4.25 million. Twisted went surprisingly cheap considering his S26 numbers (12-4-1 14 assists). He should fit in very well on the 3rd pair.


Buffalo Sabres:
(no players in RFA)


Calgary Flames:
(no players in RFA)


Carolina Hurricanes:
(no players in RFA)


Chicago Blackhawks:
- @SNipeSHow Inc (RD): Released by Chicago to San Jose for $5.75m. SJS owes CHI a 2nd round pick as compensation.
- @zPxcman (LW): Matched for $6.25m by Chicago.
- @xMathQc (RW): Released by Montreal to Chicago for $750k.

Gwan and Gilleh had some very tough decisions to make this week. Snipeshow is a great top 4 dman, but that 5.75 million dollar bid (on top of having to match Pacman at 6.25) would really put them into cap trouble going into bidding. Snipe definitely went above the price most expected, but some teams do expect him to turn back to his S26 form. zPxcman was almost a must match at any price. The Rip/Los?Pac line tallied up very high numbers last season in Winnipeg. NHL18 is placing an emphasis on line chemistry, and there is going to be a lot here. MathQc went under everyone's radar it appears. 750k for a 3rd line scorer is a great bid for a tight cap situation in Chicago.


Colorado Avalanche;
(no players in RFA)


Columbus Blue Jackets:
- @I KiLLTarTED I (G): Matched by Columbus $750k.

Columbus dodged a bullet here. There was a slim chance someone would be stupid enough to smack a large bid on Killtarted if they looked at his AHL/NHL numbers. A S26 Calder champ and reliable NHL tendy, a 750k bid is about as good as it can get. From here Columbus could either go for a top end starter or run with him in the starting role this season and put that cap towards the skaters. Either way, at least they have the options available.


Dallas Stars:
(no players in RFA)


Detroit Red Wings:
- @Dark I2I (RD): Matched by Detroit for $2m.
- @Luffy Qc (RD): Released to St. Louis for $6.75m. STL owes DET a 1st round pick as compensation.
- @Tom 0 (LD): Matched by Detroit for $5.25m.

Unlike Columbus, Lou didn't dodge any bullets here. Dark will fill in the 3rd pair well, but 2 million is a touch too high. Luffy got slapped with a massive 6.75m bid, which I bet Lou was rather unhappy about. Luffy has a reputation as a solid top 4 dman from his performances several seasons ago. Recently he has dropped off a little bit, but that didn't save him here. Tom 0's large bid essentially put an end to any idea of keeping Luffy in Detroit. It is surprising how large the defenseman bids have been so far, especially taking into account that top 4 talent like Tom 0 and Snipe are going for 5 million + price tags.


Edmonton Oilers:
- @AriZona1cedTea (RW): No bids, released into bidding.
- @DONNYWOOD (LD): Released to NYI for $1.25m.
- @Elitsov 27 (C): Matched by Edmonton for $6m.
- @Rockxt 97 (LW): Matched by Edmonton for $4.5m.

The remnants of Poopie's S27 campaign appear to have little value to anyone else in the league. Not even a single bid for one of the best Iced Teas in America (Arnold Palmers are #1). Donnywood was released even at a measly 1.25 million. One of the bigger stories out of RFA is the acquisition of two of the three Wal kids. They came at reasonable prices for the market, the question is how reliable these two will be. I can remember they were drafted so late due to their desire to only play with their friends, will they treat Poopie that way?


Florida Panthers:
- @BEAUPRE o (G): Released to Philadelphia for $2m.
- @Nightingale l8l (C): Matched by Florida for $3.75m.
- @The Broche (C): Matched by Florida for $3.75m.

Good call on not keeping Beaupre at that steep price tag. He is supposedly focusing on PSN and ESPORTSSSSSS this season and will likely have poor avail as a starter. Broche is 100% worth 3.75m, he plays very well at the center position. This is arguably one of the best bids in RFA. Nightingale on the other hand is unproven at a forward position (in LG) unless you count his AHL stats from several seasons ago. This could either be a steal or a flop, it is very tough to call.


Las Vegas Knights:
- @Chr1s (RD): Matched by Las Vegas for $4m.

This is a surprisingly low bid compared to his RFA peers, especially considering his production at the defenseman position. BigJay must feel like he's hitting the jackpot on the slots atm, with Tomek coming in at 2m and keeping his other top 4 dman at a price well below his peers.


Los Angeles Kings:
- @P i r a t e 87x (RW): Matched by Los Angeles for $4.5m.
- @Scorpio Monarch (G): Retained by Los Angeles for $500k.
- @xRKC (LW): No bids, released into bidding.

Pirate is the third member of the Wal trio, and is also well worth the 4.5 million dollar price tag. He's also the most likely of the three to be complacent with an average team. Scorpio is definitely a good pickup at 500k. He may be a reliable backup, going against his most recent numbers at G. If things don't work out, 500k goalies are easy to move or waive. RKC has just been very unlucky in his NHL career so far. When your first full season is on a bad NYI team, I would lose a lot of motivation to play at defense too.


Minnesota Wild:
(no players in RFA)



Montreal Canadiens:
- @xMathQc (RW): Released by Montreal to Chicago for $750k.

They really missed out on a good forward piece at a very reasonable price. Even if they didn't want to keep him, they could have matched then waived, maybe retaining him for future use. Instead they lost him for nothing, which they could have risked with waivers instead.


Nashville Predators:
- @Sitful (RW): Matched by Nasvhille for $7.5m.
- @M a x y l19l (RD): Matched by Nasvhille for $3.5m.

Sitful went for an insane price tag, there is no arguing that. He's definitely a very talented skater with thumbs and good avail, but that price tag is reserved for some of the best first line forward options in the league. He'll be expected to live up to that price considering Nashville matched that high price. Maxy has potential to be a good top 4 dman once he adjusts to the style that Nashville plays.


New Jersey Devils:
(no players in RFA)


New York Islanders:
- @DONNYWOOD (LD): Released to NYI for $1.25m.

It is interesting to see them choosing Donnywood as their 3rd pairing guy for the season. I guess they do have to go cheap somewhere, are they maybe imitating the Winnipeg strategy from last season?

 

New York Rangers:

- @Anndroo (G): Matched by NYR for 750k.

Anndroo is a questionable choice for a backup goalie. Granted he's started his career on two horrid Vancouver teams, but this is the same management group from Vancouver. I don't know how happy he'll be here, expect to see him be dealt if things go sour.


Ottawa Senators:
(no players in RFA)


Pittsburgh Penguins:
- @Fn Waz (LW): Matched by Pittsburgh for $5.75m.

Waz is a great pickup for under 6 million, and Brando made the right move in putting that price on him. He plays the right style of game to produce with top line guys, so expect him to be paired with the best Brando can muster in bidding alongside Duggan. NOTE: Theos is also in the AHL tc at 5.5 million (THANKS CARCH). Expect him to be on the Pens roster right after bidding.


Philadelphia:
- @BEAUPRE o (G): Released to Philadelphia for $2m.
- @Mr JimmyG 89 (LD): Matched by Philadelphia for $5m.
- @Speedy x 93 (RW): Matched by Philadelphia for $2m.

Speaking of Carch, 5 million for JimmyG? Stats say the guy isn't the same as he is on forward. Maybe there's something I don't know that doesn't show up in the career numbers, we'll see. Compared to the likes of Chris going for 4 million and Snipeshow going at 5.75 it really makes this a confusing bid. Speedy is easily worth the 2 million dollar bid and will fit on their depth lines nicely. Beaupre though, that's a major mistake (as listed in the Florida RFA portion). It is going to be very difficult to extract 5 games a week from him, even then 2 million is very high for him. PS: Yargage (and to all the victims of the recent hurricanes) hope everything is going okay down there.


San Jose Sharks:
- @SNipeSHow Inc (RD): Released by Chicago to San Jose for $5.75m. SJS owes CHI a 2nd round pick as compensation.

Snipeshow will be expected to perform far better than his numbers have been for the likes of Saint Louis. San Jose is trying to be a cup contender, so when you see them slap that kind of money for your name you have immediate expectations to be one of the better top 4 dmen in the league at the very least. It is yet to be seen if he can do that.


Saint Louis Blues:
- @Luffy Qc (RD): Released to St. Louis for $6.75m. STL owes DET a 1st round pick as compensation.
- @aeLgi (RD): Matched by St. Louis for $4m.
- @Amiot x 04 (RW): Matched by St. Louis for $1.5m.
- @Gros Tabarnack (C): Matched by St. Louis for $1.75m.
- @Shawn I24I (LW): Matched by St. Louis for $2.75m

Negi and Fizzi are no slouches. They found people they liked and got them for mostly reasonable prices. If aelgi's avail improves he'll be well worth that 4 million dollar contract. Aimot, Tabarnak, and Shawn is are good depth pickups (all under 3 million) and will fill in the 2nd and 3rd lines very well. Luffy is their big gamble at defense. He's going to be their top 2 dman with whomever they get in bidding.


Tampa Bay Lightning:
- @Curb_Stomp123 (LD): Matched by Tampa Bay for $5.25m.
- @l Sakic l (RW): Released by Tampa Bay to Anaheim for $3m.

RFA was rather straightforward for George and Hendry. Hold on to Frank barring a ridiculous bid and let go of any turds left from the old owner's team. Although Sakic was one of the very few that you could consider keeping, they couldn't with that price tag attached to him. Frank is going to fit in very well in that Tampa top 4, channeling his inner Matt Cooke and getting about a dozen major penalties this season.


Toronto Maple Leafs:
(no players in RFA)


Vancouver Cancuks:
(no players in RFA)


Washington Capitals:
- @Fl0de (C): Retained by Washington for $500k.

Almost anyone that has NHL level thumbs can be worth a 500k contract no matter the position. Flode at center is an interesting experiment, and at 500k there isn't a large risk if things go sour. It sucks he moved out of the defenseman spot though, as Washington is in serious need of dmen.


Winnipeg Jets:
- @ImxMrxSoLoDoLo (LD): Matched by Winnipeg for $4m.
- @Poooch (RD): Matched by Winnipeg for $6m.

Pooch actually performed a lot better at forward last season compared to his several seasons at defense. It should also be noted 6 million is a pretty high price but they may of had the cap to overpay for these two. Based on the prices they've matched, expect Pooch to be on their top pairing with Freestlye while SoloDolo gets paired with Pont40 in the top 4. With this, their d core is already set before bidding, which is always good.




PLAYOFF PERCENTAGES


East Metropolitan

Many of the top teams in the division either stayed put or made some good acquisitions, meanwhile the bottom teams made poor choices or lost good pieces to position changes.

Penguins - 90%
Islanders - 85%
Devils - 80%
Blue Jackets - 65%
Capitals - 50%
Flyers - 45%
Hurricanes - 30%
Rangers - 15%



East Atlantic

Most of the teams in this division made good moves with nobody really making a critical error. Some teams like Detroit lost a player, but it should still be expected for Lou to make some magic happen in bidding.

Lightning - 95%
Panthers - 85%
Maple Leafs - 65%
Red Wings - 60%
Bruins - 60%
Sabers - 40%
Canadiens - 35%
Senators 20%



West Central

This is another division that has gotten a bit tighter after RFA, with Chicago losing a top 4 dman and the likes of Winnipeg, Nashville, and Saint Louis taking the opportunity to fill out their roster. It's still the Blackhawks division at this point though.

Blackhawks - 85%
Jets - 80%
Predators - 75%
Wild - 60%
Avalanche - 50%
Blues - 35%
Stars - 25%


West Pacific

The Pacific was mostly quiet except for a few big pickups at the top which will solidify the playoff chances of some and give bottom teams hope to succeed. It still is a clear cut three-way race for the lead, but things could heat up for that final wild card spot. Duky coming back for the Ducks management is also very important to note.

Golden Knights - 85%
Sharks - 85%
Coyotes - 80%
Canucks - 60%
Kings - 55%
Flames - 45%
Oilers - 35%
Ducks - 30%

 

DRAFT RECAP

This portion will be a recap of the Season 28 NHL draft's first round. For the top 15 pick I wills dd on their projected spot according to @bMaJuH who also is helping provide some info on these players which can be seen here: http://leaguegaming.com/forums/inde...t-mock-draft-version-2-0.263134/#post-1677424.


1 TomekNYC (LD) (Projected #1)

Tomek was undoubtedly going to be the first overall pick and for good reason. In a league always in need of defense and a game that places emphasis on a defensive game Tomek is already a complete player for Las Vegas. He is very disciplined and avoids penalties, he still gets a reasonable amount of takeaways, and can also work the puck in the offensive zone better than most.

Pick Grade: A+

2 Laine x 29 (RW) (Projected #2)

Laine was part of the big line that lit up the CHL this season. He himself tallied 100 total points with the Calgary Hitmen in the WHL. From BMajuh's article: "Laine is a playmaker and a sniper and I honestly feel like he has the most individual potential to be a franchise guy in this draft pool with the likes of guys like RioRio, Tomek, Monster, etc. People liked to call his line the riorio line but all 3 evenly contributed to be honest, and his amazing 43.4% shooting helps too."

Pick Grade: A

3 riorio56 (LW) (Projected #3)

With Stick having both the 2nd and 3rd overall picks these two were definitely interchangeable. Riorio was a league hero coming over to LG with plenty of experience on how to play the game the right way. With this and a line that contained like-minded players he put up a whopping 122 points last season. New Jersey picked up two 2nd/3rd line forwards with plenty of chemistry for under 4 million. Not a bad deal at all.

Pick Grade: A+


4 lVl e w T w 0 (LW) (Projected #5)

Mewtwo has finally benefited from over a month of CB harassment and getting into games with NHL players. He may not have the same ability like Tomek but the drive and interest to play is there. Mewtwo has the cycle passing down pat, but there is still some areas he will need to improve on (one of which is defensive responsibility). Vatty is in desperate need of people who really want to play and not be turned away simply because of Anaheim being a bad team last season. This is a much needed top 5 pick.

Pick Grade: B+


5 APX 7080 (RW) (Projected #21)

APX rounds out an interesting top five that only contained one defenseman. APX was rated much higher earlier in the season, a projected top 10 pick, and backed that projection with 89 points on the Rimouski Oceanic. His projection oddly went down in the eyes of the CHL, but not in the eyes of LikeABoss, who is in need of a top 6 forward. Expect APX to be on the Carolina roster after bidding, otherwise this is a wasted pick where he could have picked a defenseman.

Pick Grade: B

6 Skjei x 76 (D) (Projected #6)

Although Mewtwo may be the more recognizable name from the North Bay Battalion this season Skijei was the star of the team. With a 23-1 record, a +59 and only 32 points it shows how committed he is to keeping the puck out of the net. Defense is something Colorado will need in a very tough Western Central division.

Pick Grade: A+

7 HugoQc27 (C) (Projected #7)

Hugo is the third forward in the trio that dominated the WHL for Calgary last season. 115 points and 69 assists is nothing to scoff at, but many did note that Hugo is likely the weakest forward out of the trio. Nonetheless, being a top 10 pick expect Hugo to either be a NYR 3rd line Center or the star of Hartford until it's necessary to call him up.

Pick Grade: B+

8 l5l Dangle l3l (LW) (Projected #17)

With Vatty's second pick in the top 10 he takes another forward from North Bay in Dangle. With 78 points and a Memorial Cup he seems to be a reliable forward. More info from BMajuh "I feel like Dangle was a very under-looked player on an all-around stacked team. Look for him to make his mark in the AHL and spend some time in Hershey for the Bears before being able to make the jump.. but my opinion isnt the only one that thinks positively of him. I got comment from a competitor of the North Bay Battalion and a player that battled his line and got to see first hand what this guy was capable of, see what he had to say. "Dangle can play, just like most of his North Bay teammates Dangle’s season was nothing short of phenomenal..."

Pick Grade: B+

9 x MonsteR x Qc (D) (Projected #4)

Most of the CHL was surprised that Monster QC dropped this low. He was easily the best defenseman on the Calgary powerhouse last season with a +59 and 36 points. Maybe with being a QC dman there is a bit of a stigma of them lacking defensive ability that the NHL requires. Yargage overruled Carch on this choice, as according to Carch "It wasn't my decision to pick him". Well, you did just try to waive the goalie you paid 2 million in RFA today, so I wouldn't trust you to make a meaningful draft pick either.

Pick Grade: A

10 xGuNsHoWQcx99 (D) (Projected #9)

Back to back QC dmen? I better get my French ready for this season. GunshowQC is the the other dman from North Bay that is of any merit. This is likely a 3rd pair pick or an AHL top pair to start the season, as 2 million is a bit of a cap hit for a team that has limited cap space.

Pick Grade: B+

11 Marchand x l63l (D) (Projected #23)

Speaking of French, Edmonton QC is in full effect now. Supposedly this is Karmuh's cousin, so expect to see a lot of la poooosiee in Edmonton. For having a 46 point season (second in the CHL for defesemen) it is a bit interesting to see a lower plus/minus compared to fellow draftees at +26. It will be interesting to see how this works out, as he will almost certainly be on the NHL roster this season.

Pick Grade: A-

12 justlax10 (LW) (No Projection Available)

The first player not mentioned in the CHL Prospect Projections, justlax appears to have been a late signup for this season (only two days prior to the draft). Interesting move by Stick to take on another forward over some of the remaining defenders let in the draft. Maybe the 83 points and a +36 is what made up Stick's mind. Expect this guy to be an AHLer, but a very good one.

Pick Grade: B

13 M 1 N D T R i P (D) (No Projection Available)

This seems like an interesting pick overall. The reason why he wasn't projected in the first round was because he didn't have the stats to back a 2m price tag. 18-6, 20 points, and a +36 are above average at best. With other Dmen like Peteymac still available in the draft this is the first reach of the draft.

Pick Grade: C-

14 getzlaf9815 (D) (Projected #26)

Nashville made an interesting decision taking a forward switching to defense, but I think it may be a huge win if it works out. Getzlaf rocked the CHL at center with a 123 point season as well as a +94. I feel like he has the skill set that could transition very well into the NHL. The ability to play lock down defense as well as having the thumbs at the point to make plays happen are going to be critical for defensemen to learn in this game. Expect him to fit in perfectly on the third pairing while he builds up his confidence.

Pick Grade: A+

15 Fireph03nix46 (D) (Projected #18)

FirePhoenix is kind of in the same category as Mindtrip. At this point in the draft most of the good dmen are picked and there are some decent forwards still available. It feels like a throwaway pick to place 2 million on. 16-4-3 with 22 points and a +22 in the CHL will mean a likely transition into the AHL roster.

Pick Grade: C


16 xxpeteymacxx (D) (Projected #11)

I am very surprised that Petey was on the board this long as he is far ahead of the likes of Mindtrip and FirePhoenix in terms of stats and thumbs. Fisher made the right call in picking up the dman that put up an impressive 39 points with a +45.

Pick Grade: A-


17 trevwings (D) (Projected #24)

Pick Grade: B+


18 VacuumCube (D) (Projected #12)

Pick Grade: B-


19 WPN x DePo x (D) (No Projection Available)

Pick Grade: B


20 POT SHOT122 (D) (No Projection Available)

Pick Grade: B-

 

21 K40Sx ELiTEz (C) (No projection available)

Pick Grade: A


22 Cormier x 99 (C) (Projected #22)

Pick Grade: A-


23 DurkRiot (D) (No projection available)

Pick Grade: C+


24 XxSgtSketchiexX (D) (No projection available)

Pick Grade: B-


25 dvetts10 (D) (No projection available)

Pick Grade: B+


26 BubbleKushZ (D) (No projection available)

Pick Grade: B


27 NewfiePennell (D) (No projection available)

Pick Grade: B-


28 m3x1cAn NiNjA (RW) (No projection available)

Pick Grade: C


29 NYGiants5655 (RW) (No projection available)

Pick Grade: A-


30 IV Garbz VI (RW) (Projected #20)

Pick Grade: A-


31 Dip City Don (C) (No projection available)

Pick Grade: B


32 DRDANGLESON (RW) (No projection available)

Pick Grade: C

 

Sitful for 7.5 LOL

 

Ayeee no longer last in our division, fucking progress @xFizzii

 

Flode going to center dropped our chances 5%? Yikes

 

It's a combination of: Other divisional teams gaining good players, you losing a decent dman (hard to replace) for an unknown forward situation. Sorry :/

 

It okay no big deal lol. My boy flode will certainly be a wild card for us. Good write up though taco thnx for taking time to do this stuff

 

Flode is an irl friend and played with him for years, he plays a very solid center

 

Edmonton with the biggest boost in the rankings. From 1% to 35%... I like it

 

Its harder to stay at 1% than it is to go up.

 

damn all the d bids in rfa kind of scare me about bidding on monday. RIP my 500k bid.

 

Did sitful put in his tr yet?

 

Guess my 2 year deal with Dallas is a write off

 

Draft write up ?

 

Bruh I mean it's not likely Taco has a life since he plays 6 games a week as a G and everything... But damn the nearly 3 hour long draft didn't end all that long ago

Plus he needs to take his time and learn some French after this draft that just unfolded... Tabarnak

 

My bad bro , you're right I jumped the gun on him lmao. Just straight up "draft write up " lol with a question mark .