After a long offseason and a Stanley Cup Playoffs, which challenged the very fabric of the NHL norm being completely obliterated, a new season of Fantasy is upon us. With radically new changes to the platform, entry terms, point system and changing the status of the league to a Keeper league, the General Managers must acclimate to a totally new league.
Reworking the league was a must after many glaring issues faced the administration and upper management. The advent of younger players in the league, certain General Managers forgetting to operate or choosing to give up on their teams, the +/- and PIM Stats ruining the daily faceoffs between teams and lack of faith in the Yahoo platform were just some of the concerns that paved the way for the modification of the Discord Fantasy League. These changes pave the way for a hopeful league trying to establish itself as a standard of the New Jersey Devils Discord for years to come.
With a new league comes new teams. New faces fill the league back up to the 16 team format from last season with the emergence of new members jumping on the fantasy bandwagon that many eagerly embarked on last season. But, with members joining and filling the previous spots from last year, the amount of talent is still spread far and wide throughout the league. More talent elsewhere means there is a higher potential for a great division in team success. Although a daunting task to undertake, many of the previous General Managers are batting down the hatches and preparing their camp for the draft.
I got the chance to interview 3 General Managers from different teams to discuss their expectations, preparation and their take on the season approaching ever so quickly. All three are on different ends of the draft board and each have different plans but plenty of high hopes for each of their clubs this season.
First I talked to GM Huntsy of the newly named Spokane Sharpshooters. Last year the formerly known as the Baby Got Backstroms, missed the playoffs despite desperately trying to make a final push at the end of the season. I discussed his new relocation and expectations especially with the 3rd overall pick in the Fantasy Draft.
“What are your expectations when moving into Spokane with the Sharpshooters?
Hunter – “We’re certainly excited for the move to Spokane, Dregs. It’s a passionate hockey community that wants meaningful hockey played there. We’re using this move as a fresh start for the team. Last year was not a great year overall for us, but we’re looking past that and are looking towards the draft to build an excellent team for our fans to see.”
“After learning about your draft position, how prepared do you feel going into the draft and what are your expectations for the upcoming season?”
Hunter – “Well our scouts have certainly done a tremendous job this offseason to identify key players to try and add to the team. Being able to now pick in a high position gives an opportunity to get a fantastic player, as well as begin to figure out who may be available for the remainder of our picks. With a good position in the draft, we hope that leads us to a good position in the standings, and ultimately a playoff run.”
“What was the reasoning behind the name and what could regional rivalries bring to the team and organization?”
Hunter – “Our team worked quite hard to find a fitting name that would be fitting for our team. Last season, our team missed the mark on numerous different levels. We failed to meet established goals, and we commonly made reactionary changes to bolster our squad This year, we have a more refined strategy, and we will be focused on meeting those goals. As to the rivalries, I’m sure our fans remember the matchups versus the now Sunnyvale Shithawks, and those matchups this season will certainly be exciting to watch. We also have many new teams entering the league, which certainly gives the opportunity for new rivalries. These rivalries can certainly help us stay focused and grind out for points, as well as provide some entertainment and excitement for our fans to see.”
The next General Manager I spoke with was with the large market team the South Jersey ShinyFishs. His team who drafted Claude Giroux and Andrei Vasilevskiy with the 16th and 17th selections last year made it into the playoffs but getting eliminated in the First Round. We discussed his heavy research and preparation, upcoming rivalry and how he got the same pick in the lottery as he did last year!
“After learning about your draft position, how prepared do you feel going into the draft and what are your expectations for the upcoming season”
Shiny – “At first it’s a bummer to think you will miss out on a lot of elite talent in the beginning of the first round, but it’s nice to have back to back picks for the whole draft. 16 and 17 have good value and there will always be top tier players that fall.”
“Based on your past experience how do feel about your expectations for your team and what kind of team do you plan to build?”
Shiny – “We want to win now. This is a keeper league so if young, promising players are available during the draft, we will definitely take them, however we aren’t planning on starting in a rebuilding status. For the most part, the players we pick will be decided upon based on how they are going to perform in 2019-20.”
“With the South Jersey ShinyFishs returning, how do you feel about becoming neighbors with the South Jersey Jackalopes, what expectations do you have with this upcoming rivalry?
Shiny – “It will be interesting to play a full season against our South Jersey counterparts in the Jackalopes. We open the season against them and it will be a really fun matchup to kick off the season. It’ll be exciting to have a rival for the full season.
The final General Manager I interviewed was Jhony of the newly rebranded South Jersey Jackalopes. Jhony took over former GM Xpaincakes’ team halfway through the season and oversaw a franchise at the bottom of the league hoping for a rebuild. With a clean state Jhony plans to take the team to new heights.
“After learning about your draft position, how prepared do you feel going into the draft and what are your expectationsfor the upcoming season?”
Jhony – “As far as the draft position goes, yeah we would have liked to get something a little higher but we’re going to try and do the best we can with the situation we are in right now. I think we need to keep working diligently to get our rankings set up for the draft, as you know the stats were still under consideration so now it’s time to finalize all that. I think as far as expectations are concerned, we’re just trying to remain competitive and with some good management and luck we will be in a good position to get into the playoffs.”
“What kind of team do you plan to build and based on that knowledge how do you feel your team will do this season?”
Jhony – “I think with the experience I gained from last season I should be able to assemble a formidable team. The kind of team I want to assemble? A fast paced speedy team, the details of which you will find out soon.”
“Recently we’ve heard you changed your name and location becoming neighbors with the South Jersey ShinyFishs, what expectations do you have with this upcoming rivalry?
Jhony – “I think the rivalry is going to bring some great atmospheres to both arenas and I mean, who doesn’t love a great rivals game?”
From all ends of the draft board, most of the General Managers seem to be generally optimistic about the upcoming draft and season. Expectations may finally meet a harsh reality after the draft. Maybe some middle pick General Manager manages to find some hidden gems and underrated picks to propel them forth into the postseason.
All in all the future is bright for the Devils Discord Fantasy Hockey League and more Interesting storylines will appear once the season is in full swing and probably some huge upsets. Until then, Happy drafting.
Daniel Ivan is a senior DDFHL columnist for The 🅱️athletic. He has been an NHL Insider for BSN since 2018 following six years as an analyst on General MoJo’s Post Game Show.