NHL Trade Talk Podcast – Ep. 13 – Our 2022-23 Fantasy Team Draft

In this episode, Brooke and Jim take part in the annual Hockey Writers NHL Fantasy Draft and we make our selections and build a team. Drafting in the No. 12 spot, we knew we wouldn’t get a top-five player, so the question became, how do we start our team? Do we take one of the best goalies available? Do we go with a forward or a defenseman?

This was Brooke’s first fantasy draft so we talked through each decision while on the clock and I believe we got a pretty solid team, all things considered. Without the luck of the draw and no Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, or Auston Matthews to get us big points guaranteed, what would be our game plan?

As far as our finished team goes. You can see it below:

• C – Nazem Kadri (Flames)
• C – Patrice Bergeron (Bruins)
• LW – Artemi Panarin (Rangers)
• LW – Jordan Kyrou (Blues)
• RW – Drake Batherson (Senators)
• RW – Zack Hyman (Oilers)
• D – Morgan Rielly (Maple Leafs)
• D – Evan Bouchard (Oilers)
• D – K’Andre Miller (Rangers)
• D – Brady Skjei (Hurricanes)
• G – Andrei Vasilevskiy (Lightning)
• BN 1 – Michael Bunting (Maple Leafs)
• BN 2 – Ryan O’Reilly (Blues)
• BN 3 – – Matthew Beniers (Seattle)
• BN 4 – Cody Ceci (Oilers)

We’re happy with our team and believe we have a pretty well-rounded roster. We stuck with teams we thought would compete and we looked at the playoffs and we took an early candidate for the Calder Trophy. Perhaps we went a bit heavy on the Oilers, but we felt that was a team that would produce a lot of offense this season.

If there’s one place we may have erred, it’s in not taking a second goaltender to slot in and out of the lineup for when Vasilevskiy isn’t playing or in the event of an injury. There are waiver transactions during the season, so we can potentially grab another goalie down the road.

Next: Maple Leafs’ Lines & Pairings If the Season Started Today