ATD 2022 DRAFT THREAD I

[VanIslander]

The Admirals select 2-time Art Ross, Hart, 3-time Lady Byng hustling HHOF playmaking right winger Martin St. Louis!

 

[nabby12]

Scott Niedermayer

 

[Dreakmur]

Orillia selects shut-down defenseman with a bomb from the point, Shea Weber

 

[ResilientBeast]

We'd be interested in trading up for 108

If you want to move back pm us

Still interested

 

[tony d]

I'm currently debating between 2 players so give me an hour to decide.

 

[tony d]

There was another direction I was tempted to go in here but instead I'll go and complete my 1st line and select Left Winger Johnny Bucyk.

Next has been notified they're up.

 

[ResilientBeast]

There was another direction I was tempted to go in here but instead I'll go and complete my 1st line and select Left Winger Johnny Bucyk.

Next has been notified they're up.

So we considered Bucyk pretty heavily

I guess, does anyone know why they didn't play together (he and esposito, need more coffee) at ES? Was it just to spread the wealth between 2 lines, because Espo played IRL with ATD trash

 

[ImporterExporter]

Ovechkin needs a C and this gentlemen fits the bill the nicely.

Led the league in scoring twice. Led the NHL in assists 3 times. Won the Hart convincingly over Rocket Richard during his 50 in 50 season. Was incredibly tough, hard nosed player who had excellent skating ability, forechecking and possibly most importantly playing next to Ovi, was highly regarded defensively as well.

Three Rivers is pleased to welcome:

Elmer Lach, C

Some nice tidbits about Lach:

A former HOF coach called him the "4 way player"

"You've heard of the one-way player...the man who only scores goals but doesn't back-check. Then there's the two-way player who's good at both. Well, Lach is the perfect four-way player. He not only is able to go up and down the ice but he goes to both sides as well.

"Lach has that happy faculty that made Babe Ruth such a terrific baseball player. He's able to do the right thing at the right time just as naturally as can be. He doesn't make mistakes in a hockey game and he has a great will-to-win."

Dave Stubbs had a wonderful piece written after Lach's passing in 2015.

One quote from the great Jean Beliveau stuck out:

Dave Stubbs: Canadiens legend Elmer Lach dies at age 97 | Montreal Gazette

“Elmer was … one of the finest passers in the league,” Béliveau wrote. “He could give you a quick, soft pass that would nestle on your stick; it just seemed to settle on the blade without a bounce. In addition, he was a very smooth and shifty skater. Although his shot wasn’t particularly heavy, his quick release made him dangerous. He would use a defenceman to screen the goalie, especially when he got to within 15 or 20 feet of the net. If Maurice and Toe were covered, Elmer could take the netminder by surprise. If a goalie tried to look around his defenceman for Elmer’s shot, that wonderful passing ability would come into play and one of the wingers would find himself with an easy score after the puck appeared as if by magic on his blade. I knew I would have a long career in the NHL if I could learn to pass half as well as Elmer.”

The Hockey Writers highlighted his highly regarded face off ability as well. Again, Beliveau credited Lach for his tutelage in this area.

https://thehockeywriters.com/elmer-lach/

Lach was arguably the finest playmaking center of his era; an explosive skater, a master at the face-off dot (Jean Beliveau, himself a face-off dynamo, credited Lach for helping him become so strong on face-offs), and a pinpoint passer who also played a responsible, exhaustive, two-way game, Lach deserves a place within that small, special group of hockey players who quietly, methodically, make their teammates much better than they might have been without him.

And lastly, a great quote from 1950, in the Saturday Evening Post:

To some, [Elmer Lach] is hockey’s greatest competitor; to others, ‘the nastiest so-and-so in the league.‘ — Trent Frayne. “You Can’t Kill a Hockey Player,” Saturday Evening Post (1950).

 

[tony d]

Elmer lach was the other guy I considered when I went with Bucyk.

 

[Sturminator]

Elmer lach was the other guy I considered when I went with Bucyk.

I figured you'd take him due to the punch line connection.

 

[VanIslander]

I've taken Lach several times.

Lach > Abel imo.
Certainly no less than =.

 

[ResilientBeast]

I've taken Lach several times.

Lach > Abel imo.
Certainly no less than =.

Too bad Lach never played wing or he'd go a lot higher

 

[rmartin65]

I've taken Lach several times.

Lach > Abel imo.
Certainly no less than =.

Abel is almost always selected to play LW, a position with significantly more scarcity than C.

So while I tend to agree with you in terms of player ranking in a vacuum, it makes sense for Abel to go higher in the draft.

 

[VanIslander]

I've never taken Schmidt for that reason.

 

[tabness]

Sorry for the wait I will take Pavel Bure

I really thought of taking one center that's fallen a bit and fits the team (a couple others also fell but don't fit), but I need to stick to the plan.

The Russian Rocket will fill the role of the Rocket with Henri and Moore, and while Maurice Richard got to play and has points together with a bunch of guys who have already been drafted (one more to be drafted), Bure's points together briefly has a few guys who will get drafted later, but mostly features guys who won't get drafted.

With a great skater and playmaker like Richard, and another offensive option that does a lot of the dirty and defensive work like Moore, Bure should thrive on this line. Not to mention a guy like Coffey.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

I've taken Lach several times.

Lach > Abel imo.
Certainly no less than =.

Yes, as two-way playmaking center, Lach is better.

Abel can play LW and was also more physical than Lach. Compare him to Toe Blake and Jarome Iginla, not pure centers. Even as a center, Lach is too injury prone to be the only physical player on his line; Abel doesn't have that issue.

 

[rmartin65]

I usually think Bure goes a bit early, but he is a really good fit for that line. Nice job, @tabness .

 

[VanIslander]

... Bure should thrive on this line. Not to mention a guy like Coffey.

Two players I'd never want my team to ice at the same time are Bure & Coffey.

Play away from the puck? *shudder*

 

[tabness]

I usually think Bure goes a bit early, but he is a really good fit for that line. Nice job, @tabness .

Was thinking of taking you guys up on the 108th but I had burned enough of my clock and kept everyone waiting, and didn't want to risk him being gone given the other right wingers who recently got picked.

 

[Sturminator]

With the 101st pick of the draft, the Montreal Canadiens are proud to select left wing Ralph "Busher" Jackson.

BB and I really sweated these picks as our shortlist evaporated, but ultimately we got our guys (next pick coming soon). Jackson should be an excellent fit for the Makarov line...sort of like Sergei's real-life left wing on steroids.

edit: greatest hockey-playing Ralph of all-time? We sure think so.

 

[VanIslander]

Love. That. Photo.

Gawd how i pine for historical quotes over stats, but that kind of photo takes the cake.

 

[BenchBrawl]

We're glad to select a goalie who is his long career proved his worth behind different types and strengths of teams and defenses, Georges Vézina, G.

 

[VanIslander]

I have never drafted Busher Jackson or Charlie Conacher because I read Frank Selke's autobiography (which i bought from @seventieslord about 15 years ago).

 

[VanIslander]

Georges Vézina, G.[

I decided predraft: Plante and Hall ain't going beyond my 50ish pick and Vezina ain't slipping past my top 100.

Great pick.

The only player on the ice 100% of the time facing near 50% of the play against, in his zone, is the goaltender.

When coaches are asked what they need: top 3 includes a goaltender.

Only dynasty-laden teams could thrive without the best goalies of their era.

 

[The Macho King]

I decided predraft: Plante and Hall ain't going beyond my 50ish pick and Vezina ain't slipping past my top 100.

Great pick.

The only player on the ice 100% of the time facing near 50% of the play against, in his zone, is the goaltender.

When coaches are asked what they need: top 3 includes a goaltender.

Only dynasty-laden teams could thrive without the best goalies of their era.

I mean... this strikes me as very untrue outside of maybe the O6 era. Outside of one team, who won the Cup in the past say... 20 years with someone who was considered to be the best goalie in the league?

Don't want to drive this point too hard since we will be referring to undrafteds in a way that is basically saying their name, but plenty of successful teams are so without an elite goaltender.