(S24) - Ultimus Week

[StamkosFan]

Code:

5) Write 800 words or more on something that interests you. It could be related to statistics, to a league issue you take seriously, or a niche part of history that doesn’t fit neatly into either of the above categories. This must be directly related to the league, so don’t wax 800 words about your team’s Werewolf server. Be warned that freedom comes with risk, and this category will be judged especially stringently for anyone trying to spew complete nonsense.

The future is always something that intrigues me, because you never know what it may hold. I'm referring to the near future and the looming expansion, with two teams that might shape up to be a bit better than is expected. After Sarasota is a competitive team so shortly after entering the league, it really opens the doors and proves what is possible in those first years. Both Gms have been actively scouting the unprotected players, trying to build an active LR and a competitive team, and I really think everyone should have high hopes for their futures. Woelkers is very well known and a friendly fellow, a great candidate for GMing and an obvious choice. He is well liked by just about everyone and has been very involved with the league for many seasons now. Dewalt is obviously newer to the job but just as eager to get the ball rolling and put his team together, and might I add he has great taste in music. He also has gotten some experience in the DSFL, so he has some prior practice and an idea how management works. The plans for Dewalt's team include an open LR to ensure activity and to keep everyone on the team engaged. You don't want a dead chat that makes everyone's activity fall off a cliff and with a newer team, it's harder to build connections and spark conversations. It is refreshing to see someone with a plan to tackle these issues.

Of course, no matter how well managed or how cool the GMs are, it is unlikely that the teams will be in playoff spots in their first year. The inaugural season is usually pretty rough, and these guys won't be any different even with the current teams having shallow 8 man protection lists. I expect the two teams to both be at the bottom of their respective divisions, and I think players who end up there will have to plan to wait a few seasons, maybe even as much as half a career. That is the down side to being expansion selected and why exposed players are really hesitant to be snapped up, but still, if your team doesn't protect you, you might be interested in a change of scenery. The most difficult task might be for the expansion teams to convince these players, many of whom have already been waiting on a rebuild for years, to stick around and wait out some not-so-fun seasons with poor performance in the standings. Money, playing time, and the ability to have a lasting legacy on a team will be the best weapons to sell people. Of course, maybe they can sign a bunch of free agents and turn things around quickly, but I have my doubts. It has not happened in the past, so there is no reason to expect every free agent on the market to go running to an expansion team this time around. One or two signings with expansion teams is a more realistic expectation, and even for that, it will take an epic pitch to persuade unsigned players to pick a new franchise as their top destination. Coveted landing spots usually are the more settled, and more skilled, teams with large fanfare.

The other thing to consider with expansion is how losing some players will effect each team. I think teams like Arizona, who have a bunch of young people and were just getting up to a higher skill level, will be set back quite a bit and could lose two high value targets. The top teams like Colorado, Sarasota, Orange County, and San Jose can expect to have their rosters weakened; their depth is a major factor in their powerful seasons, so they will not be too happy to see value pieces gone for nothing. Not getting any compensation certainly is the worst part of expansion, and it can even feel a bit like theft. I imagine they'll have mapped out some plans and will figure out a way around these losses; I wouldn't expect the effects to be too great, but they will weaken them to some degree. They may not be the same dominant teams they are today. Expansion is an opportunity for the playing field to be equalized and the rebuilders to gain some ground, as they have much fewer valuable assets to lose. It will be a good occasion for bottom tier teams' parity and an injury for the top teams' roster, that seems about certain. There is no way of getting around giving up something to expansion for everyone though, and it will not be easy for teams to part with players who have served them for years. At least the newest prospects and young players are automatically protected; you can't lose someone to expansion right after you drafted them. That certainly comes as a relief to rebuilders, who count on top young guns to get back into the fray and breathe some life into their squad.