We get a bit of a late start in the fantasy hockey “actual” drafts (not mocks as we have done plenty of those) tonight at 7pm ET with the epic SSHL draft. It is always good to have some drafts early, some around training camp and some very close to the start of the regular season because it helps a GM set up their teams. One will learn what works and what does not.
The advantage of the early draft is almost strictly a learning experience. The pace of drafts especially with a high amount of teams will be slow. So if you are in a 16-20 team league, just expect to have a little patience along the way.
So what are the league settings for this league tonight? Well let’s take a look……
| Draft Type: | Live Standard Draft |
| Max Teams: | 16 |
| Live Draft Pick Time: | 1 Minute, 30 Seconds |
| Scoring Type: | Points Only |
| Max Moves: | No maximum |
| Max Trades: | No maximum |
| Trade Reject Time: | 1 |
| Trade End Date: | March 8, 2012 |
| Allow Draft Pick Trades: | No |
| Waiver Time: | 1 day |
| Waiver Type: | Continual rolling list |
| Can’t Cut List Provider: | Yahoo! Sports |
| Trade Review: | League Votes |
| Post Draft Players: | Follow Waiver Rules |
| Max Games Played: | 82 |
| Weekly Deadline: | Daily – Tomorrow |
| Start Scoring on: | Thursday, Oct 6 |
| Make League Publicly Viewable: | No |
| Roster Positions: | C, C, LW, LW, RW, RW, W, F, D, D, D, D, Util, G, G, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, IR, IR |
| Forwards/Defensemen Stat Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Goals (G) | 1 |
| Assists (A) | 1 |
| Plus/Minus (+/-) | .5 |
| Powerplay Goals (PPG) | 1 |
| Powerplay Assists (PPA) | .5 |
| Shorthanded Goals (SHG) | 2 |
| Shorthanded Assists (SHA) | 1 |
| Game-Winning Goals (GWG) | 1 |
| Hits (HIT) | .2 |
| Blocks (BLK) | .2 |
| Goaltenders Stat Category | Value |
| Wins (W) | 1 |
| Losses (L) | -.5 |
| Shutouts (SHO) | 2 |
This is going to be interesting. Remember ladies and gentlemen this is a POINTS ONLY league. Now we will think backwards in this scenario and look at the goaltending categories because there are only three. However, doing the math. 2 x 16 = 32. Plus if you want to get real technical, there are five bench slots which almost guarantees a bench slot for a goalie. There will be teams who will be scrambling throughout the season more than others. Though it seems to have less value league wise, goalie runs will not surprise anyone here.
In a league like this goalies like Henrik Lundqvist, Carey Price, and Tim Thomas are probably 1,2 and 3. They rack up wins and get shutouts. Sure they will lose some but with two points for a shutout, that is a clear premium. Less losses would be nice so that is where you may take a shot at a juggernaut goalie like Luongo, Howard, etc. Goals against and save percentage do not matter here. Leagues always have different settings. Analyze them upside down and sideways before your draft so you do not miss out.
Now if you allot two or three slots to goaltending, that will set you up well so you can take your other four bench slots and liberally spread them in case of injury. Basically after the initial “goalie runs” mixed in, you will then be able to make picks pretty much like a normal draft. The points are pretty much set normally and defensemen may go a little higher for those extra hits and blocks. Those do add some but at the same time, no one should go overboard and draft too high on D.
Forwards are a dime a dozen after the top guys so go searching the Yahoo database or whatever platform you are on. Search well before the draft and create a simple strategy on how you will draft. This leaves room for Plan B, C, D, E, etc when you need it. Going too complex with this will leave one with the unenviable “draft uh-oh” where a GM sees “his player” go and does not have a backup. Then the dreaded autopick seals his or her fate.
We will also be live tweeting some of the more interesting picks and some analysis as well via Twitter of course. So stay tuned and enjoy the beginning of our version of NHL Draft Madness for fantasy owners. Enjoy.
Sincerely,
Chris Wassel
Director Of The Program
