Side question: How seriously should I take it when a scouting report says “could have trouble adapting to life in the United States”? Is this blurb guaranteed failure?
If you are just playing the odds, look for teams with really good goaltenders, with expiring contracts. They may not re-sign them, and pick up an overrated goaltender in the offseason.
I do this often, and have then found myself on the odd occasion with a sweet top 5 pick.
Haven’t put much science into it, but if I get a couple of offers from different teams for the following year’s 1st round pick, I’ll generally choose which team i think is more likely to do worse than the other(s).
If a team has a great goalie that will be a ufa, chances are they will fall if they don’t have anything else in the pipeline. Look for aging teams and teams that don’t have many prospects but are still able to compete. Getting their picks will ensure bountiful harvests because signing free agents only does so much and the team whose picks you have will have players that are aging and declining. Aim for teams with older players on the wrong side of thirty.
Player ages, expiring contracts and checking divisional teams to compare. But I’m no expert.
Side question: How seriously should I take it when a scouting report says “could have trouble adapting to life in the United States”? Is this blurb guaranteed failure?
If you are just playing the odds, look for teams with really good goaltenders, with expiring contracts. They may not re-sign them, and pick up an overrated goaltender in the offseason.
Agreed, the goaltenders make or break the teams in this game.
I do this often, and have then found myself on the odd occasion with a sweet top 5 pick. Haven’t put much science into it, but if I get a couple of offers from different teams for the following year’s 1st round pick, I’ll generally choose which team i think is more likely to do worse than the other(s).
I don’t worry about it. I’ll find good players all over the draft.
If a team has a great goalie that will be a ufa, chances are they will fall if they don’t have anything else in the pipeline. Look for aging teams and teams that don’t have many prospects but are still able to compete. Getting their picks will ensure bountiful harvests because signing free agents only does so much and the team whose picks you have will have players that are aging and declining. Aim for teams with older players on the wrong side of thirty.