Phantom Payne's dream team

[Scurvy 1,125]

Phantom Payne’s Dream Team

 

Well… I am still considered a rookie player so my knowledge of past greats is limited to what I can see in the stat columns and records.  Many times, I feel that stats and analytics is a poor way to determine someone’s value to a team.  Would the great Steve Yzerman say that Bob Probert or Joey Kocur’s play wasn’t valuable to those struggling Red Wings? How about Ken Daneyko to Scott Gomez?  Some would say that Daneyko played those hard minutes punishing opposing forwards during their Stanley Cup year.  So, I have decided to make my Dream Team which included some unsung heroes who care little of stats but all about grit and doing what is best for the team. 

 

I will start with goalie as it’s easier to pick from the list of greats.   

 

GOALIE

For this pick one can’t really look past the future Hall of Famer, Thadius Sales @thadthrasher  

This goalie has done it all.  51W-12L last year and a 12W-4L playoff Sales dominated in a championship year and just seems to get better with age.  Already off to a 35W-7L season for the nearly unstoppable Vancouver Wolves he is my Dream Team goalie of choice. 

 

FORWARDS

 

My quiet pick for my first forward selection is Vinny Detroit @dasboot.  At 608 250 he should be crushing rocks with his bare hands and not playing solid unnoticed hockey in Seattle(his teammates know).   Every night Vinny shows up to play an amazing defensive game and lays the BOOM on opposing players.  In 2.5 seasons in VHL he has 904 bone crushing hits and is on pace to maybe hit 400 this season.  He opens ice, plays solid D, and is scoring when he can.  He might not lead the team in points but the team benefits from his style for sure.

 

Vasile Lamb @dlamb.  Ok not too many rookies drafted in S82 could or should make a Dream Team.  I think Lamb is an exception.  After playing against him in the M and usually losing to seeing him go straight to the show as the #1 pick for the New York Americans I had high hopes.  Now that the season is half over, he has truly surpassed all expectations of just being a great rookie.  He is an all-around stud that plays with some grit and scores.  With 25 goals already and a whopping 251 hits and 95 PIMS he plays the game with a bag full of knuckles and I am excited to see where he takes the Americans.

 

Duncan Idaho @OrbitingDeath .  OK Idaho is not unsung or unknown by any stretch, but I cannot in good conscience leave him off this list.  In short, he does it all.  Scores, hits, fights, and earns TPE like a beast.  In 405 games he already has 1889 hits and 522 points.  Who wouldn’t want this beast on the wing?  

 

DEFENSE

 

Nathan Powers @JB123- This Phantom’s defenseman has all the tools to be an all-star defenseman. Powers goes about his game quietly and plays a defensive team first game.  He scores, hits, and blocks shots.  He is the defenseman I want when the game is on the line. 

 

Hard Markinson @STZ-  Another beast of the blue line.  Has the potential to hit 100 assists this season and averages over a point a game.  Another Dman that does everything and can hurt the opposing team in every way possible.  

 

 

Obviously, there are some amazing all-star players not on this list and this is no disrespect to anyone.  This is my dream team for my very short time here in the league.  Best of luck!

 

[thadthrasher 1,692]

7 hours ago, Scurvy said:

For this pick one can’t really look past the future Hall of Famer, Thadius Sales

I appreciate the vote of confidence here, but you may be the only one who has “Sales” and “Hall of Fame” in the same sentence