So what do GMs actually look for when drafting?

[8Ovechkin8 262]

So in order to understand what and how the league has changed, I pose a question to the GMs of the league. What is the single most important factor in drafting a player? Do you look at numbers heavily? I would imagine that making sure the TPE is high and the weekly average being important statistics, but do you look at advanced stats and numbers such as how much TPE the player has accumulated since their creation? 

 

The next part of the this question has to more so do with the activity of the creator. How much does that actually factor into the decision? I know that it's standard for GMs to message around and ask, how active will you be? How about in the locker room? Questions that we have all been asked for years, even back to the days when I was on my second and third players. However, I challenge the relevancy of these questions and said personal messages. I'm in the party that thinks these things are more for formality rather than actual weight to the process. Now I open it up to all you chicken nuggets. What do you feel makes, "a good draft?". 

[Dom 1,445]

First priority for me has always been the user’s behavior. If the guy always get in the middle of drama or always get mad over everything. I’ll skip even if it’s a good earner.

[Spartan 4,402]

Honestly the interview part means more than you think. GM's always talk about drafting active people who earn well, but everyone in the league can't be that way. It's a pretty time-intensive sim league lifestyle. It generally just comes down to personal comfort and for me, going with my gut. For example all I knew of @Bulduray_1 before S81 was that he was a quiet guy who earned decently and shared a Russian background with his player. Usually I'd pass over those folks since we're always on a "draft the most active people" train or something. It was only after we had a draft chat that I was like "Alright, we should definitely get him if we can" because he responded well and meshed with what we were trying to do. Now he's one of the most underrated centers in the league and pops into the LR here and there and has grown into an M GM job as well. There isn't really a set thing for me that I look for, but holistically reviewing a prospect and having a chat with them can just make you feel like they're the one.

Edited August 10, 2022 by Spartan

[Spade18 1,305]

When I was a GM I generally looked for consistent updating, and consistency of build.  Like it's great if you update every week, but if one week you want to be a playmaker, and the next week decide you want to be a goal scorer, and then you're musing about being a goalie... that doesn't bode well for the longevity of the player.  It doesnt help me if you're maxing your TPE every week, but your player never lasts into their 4th season cause you changed your mind.

[Alex 3,199]

Funny Names. That is all.

[Daniel Janser 2,169]

17 minutes ago, Alex said:

Funny Names. That is all.

You'll like my next player then

 

[jRuutu 2,464]

I am not a GM, but I know GMs want commitment and loyalty. In those interviews, it is a good idea to mention that you want "NTC" in your deal. That lets the GM know you are serious about playing for the team and that you want to play there for a long time.

[jacobcarson877 2,534]

My list (as a VHLM GM)
- vibes (this is more of a so long as the vibes aren't bad you pass kinda deal, if I were a VHL GM I'd be more focused on this as I would have the player longer term)
- weekly capped TPE earning (I keep a spreadsheet of every player in the draft class's capped TPE earnings week by week, this season across the entire season, the one before was just the last 4 weeks or so before the draft)
- when looking at capped TPE earnings I then look at 2 thing, how and how often? (method of earning, are they missing out on really easy opportunities that I can add to their routine, and are they missing weeks or having poor weeks REGULARLY of course you're allowed to have an off week here and there)

- pretty much lastly I might look at build but for 90% of VHLM draftees its either too late to change much (they're close to the cap and kinda have their stuff sorted out) or its early enough (they have like ~50TPE) that I can implement any player type they're looking for. This bullet point is mostly for goalies where TPE allocation is CRITICAL, and build variation is non-existent, you pretty much either follow the mold or you're bad.

To answer the second question, I've had a good draft when my team does well that season of course, but more importantly that I've kept up motivation, given experience and helped players grow into the players they want to be, or at least set them on that path. My real satisfaction comes at the VHL draft and seeing how eager those GMs are to draft my players, and how eager my players are to progress to the VHL.

Edited August 10, 2022 by jacobcarson877

[v.2 1,406]

Max earners who commit to 8 seasons with an NTC.

[Jubis 1,348]

Loyalty out weighs earning 

[Gustav 6,407]

When I was a GM, my spreadsheet had (and I'd consider more or less in the following order):

 

-My overall impression/general feeling (usually based on interviews)

-Average capped earn rate

-TPE

-Build type

 

I didn't care about VHLM stats at all because a good earner is a good earner. I also personally didn't try to ONLY go for one specific build or anything--maybe that was the way to win, but I've always been against making people fit my ideal version of a player. I also hate it when teams ask if you're willing to stick with them for your entire career, but I did ask for general thoughts on potentially re-signing and never drafted anyone who told me they were going to walk as soon as they could (as a few did).

 

A huge factor for me, particularly in the later rounds or with members I wasn't all too familiar with, was HOW my questions were answered more than what they said. If my reply was along the lines of:

 

Quote

-Good

-I am a good earner

-I would re-sign

-Yes

 

...that player would immediately go down my list even though none of the answers were "bad answers" per se. Anyone giving me complete sentences and well-developed thoughts on my questions, even if there were one or two things in there that weren't 100% ideal, would move up. Showing that you care enough to give me good answers to my questions shows me that you care about the future of your player, that you will value communication with your GM in the future (thus building a stronger relationship), and that you don't mind writing a little (which, coincidentally, is quite a helpful thing to have when you're trying to earn).

 

Also, from a player's perspective--if a GM welcomes you to the league or sends you a list of questions that should have obvious answers to anyone who pays attention or that are obviously geared towards new people ("what type of player are you building?", "are you a good earner?", "are you on Discord?", "how are you enjoying the VHL so far?"), you've just been sent a MAJOR red flag that tells you that the GM has no idea who you are, is completely unfamiliar with your history in the league, and has gone down the entire draft board one-by-one and sent everyone the same exact copy-paste. A good GM will realize that you've been around the block and should be sending you more of an informal message asking for your thoughts on your player in general and recognizing that you already know what's important, so there's no need for a question list.

 

I'm sure you already know just about all of the above, but that's what happens when I start writing about something...sometimes I never stop. Good luck in the draft!