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2. Know the league
The state of the rest of the league, the competition, will be a major determining factor in choosing the
right time to transition to being a contender. How strong, or weak, the competition is will determine
how quickly it is possible to become a contender and the price to become a contender. To this end it is
necessary to be knowledgeable of the entire league, not just the top end teams. The following league
factors are important:
A. How good are the top teams?
- If there’s a large gap between the transitioning team and the top teams in the league it
may not be reasonable to assume that becoming an immediate contender is an option.
In that case it may not be the best time to make a major jump, a smaller interim step up
may be appropriate. The transition does not have to happen in one fell swoop. TIMING!
B. How many teams are rebuilding?
- The more rebuilding teams there are in the league the easier it is to trade prospects for
established players. Simple supply and demand.
- The more rebuilding teams there are the less legitimate competition there will be when
becoming a contender.
C. How many other teams are transitioning?
- If there are a lot of teams also trying to make the transition it may be harder to
successfully transition and become a contender. The state of the other transitioning
teams and whether they are ahead or behind in their rebuild should inform when to
make a move.
- A large number of transitioning teams may also mean that it makes more sense to wait
a year to transition. Teams that have not accurately assessed their situation may be
more willing to pay a very high cost to make the jump. If those teams end up like the
NHL Thrashers the assets they move will only increase in value. In this sense consider
the value proposition of taking advantage of teams over-anxious to get out of the
rebuild. TIMING!
3. Know the Cost
This summer in the NHL we saw the Minnesota Wild make two major transitional moves in
signing Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. While the Wild may not be an immediate contender before
prospects like Granlund, Coyle, Phillips and Brodin become legitimate NHLers these acquisitions will
make becoming a contender easier. Acquiring Parise and Suter cost the Wild nothing, except cap space,
something that is often not an option in fantasy hockey. Thus it is all the more important to ensure that
a plan is in place, an accurate idea exists of the pieces needed and the assets that can be moved to add
those pieces.
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