Where We Stand: The Ottawa Lynx

[Grape 680]

It should be no surprise to anyone even loosely following the VHLM that Ottawa is in a rebuilding season. After a poor start, seeing Ottawa’s thin roster struggle to amass much in terms of team success, we have sold off our big name pieces to look towards building back up to what we were a season ago. While it appears that Las Vegas will be the one to pick first overall after a massive fall-off from their previous success, Ottawa will be in the thick of it, fighting for second overall. Along with the high first, there are many other picks that Ottawa has acquired in order to reconstruct a juggernaut. The two trades have bolstered their draft capital for the next two seasons, which, if used tactfully, will ensure success for multiple seasons. The two trades are as follows:

Trade 1

Ottawa Receives:
- S95 SSK 1st
- S95 SSK 5th
- S96 SSK 1st
- S96 SSK 5th

Saskatoon Receives: 

- Alphonse Desjardins

- Kevin OConnor

 

Trade 2
 

Ottawa Receives:

- S95 HOU 4th

- S96 SDM 3rd

- S96 SDM 5th

 

San Diego Receives:

- Sammie Kiefer

 

Kevin OConnor and Sammie Kiefer were both part of that magnificent S93 Ottawa Lynx team that topped the regular season and went all the way to the finals. Both being 5th round picks and massive steals in their own right, in what I believe was my best draft yet, getting games out of all 11 picks, with six of those being round five and later. OConnor joins the team that bested us in the finals in Saskatoon, with the player hoping to be on the winning side this time around and the Wild looking to repeat. Kiefer ventures out to San Diego, the team that gave Ottawa the pick that selected Kiefer in the massive Gretzky trade, who’s looking to climb the rankings and make a push come playoff time in a relatively competitive Western Conference. OConnor is joined by blueliner Alphonse, who was our first selection in the S94 draft, and had played admirably with the Lynx this season, and will now look to be the headliner for the Saskatoon defense. These trades show a split in focus. The Saskatoon trade is looking for mainly quality with the picks, as the main pieces are the two firsts coming back. We want to be able to get a capped or near capped player in the first round to ensure early success, while the 5ths are a gamble in hopes of getting some depth pieces to support the team for multiple seasons. The San Diego trade is more quantity focused. With later picks coming back, and only one in the upcoming draft, the focus in that trade was for those depth pieces and supporting characters. While Ottawa will definitely be better in S95, how much cannot be ensured, and so we want to build a core that will stick around in S96, using the guidance of our higher end players to help develop them into top players in their own right come S96. With those two trades, the current draft capital for the next two seasons are as follows:
 

Season 95:
- SSK 1st

- OTT 1st
- OTT 3rd
- HOU 4th
- SSK 5th
- OTT 5th

- OTT 6th

- OTT 7th

Season 96:
- SSK 1st
- OTT 1st
- OTT 2nd

- OTT 3rd
- SDM 3rd
- OTT 4th
- SSK 5th

- OTT 5th

- SDM 5th

- OTT 6th

- OTT 7th

 

With the amount of picks amassed, as well as hopefully another recruitment drive in the works, we feel confident that Ottawa can return to form by next season. We can comfortably expect 5-6 players in the next draft, with at least two being high end players. Goaltending is likely secured for next season, so we will be able to fully take advantage of the skater pool and construct a proper core. Of course, this depends on how the draft class looks. We are not afraid to move down to sacrifice quality for quantity, as developing a larger pool and keeping them around for S96 would benefit long-term success. No matter what happens in the S95 draft, the real damage will be in S96. With a secure estimate of 7-9 players, with 2-3 being high end, along with some carryover from the previous class, the S96 Ottawa team will be one for the record books. The only question will be whether I will still be with the team. I’ve gotten my feet wet and am looking to eventually make the jump to the VHL, and thus have had this team’s future success in mind with my trades. I want to ensure that, whether it’s me making the picks or if it’s someone else, this team will be successful. 

 

Ottawa is a very storied franchise, being one of the original VHLM teams way back in S2. It’s not befitting for them to be a bottom team. It’s also a franchise that has some personal significance to me. Although I was originally drafted by Houston back in S65, I was moved to Ottawa in the middle of that season. Come S66, and we were one of the top teams, with myself being one of the top players, and although in the end we fell short, I am still able to look back fondly. It was my first taste of success, both as a player and as a team. Some of my first VHL connections came from there, as well as my first experience with VHL drama (The Doug incident). And now, coming back in S87, my first chance to GM a team after following the VHLM for literal years, and winning it all in my first ever season, was really special. I’ve made some questionable moves in the past that have bit the team in the ass a fair few times, but now, knowing that my time with the team may come to an end in the near future, I am taking a steady hand with my transactions. I want to make sure things are right, before I move on, rather than handing over a shell of a team and wishing my successor good luck.

(1012 words, 2 weeks of claims)

[Grape 680]

Claiming week 2 of 2