Eric Maltais recently hosted the third annual Industry Experts Fantasy League. DobberHockey has always had a strong presense in this one - Dobber exploded out of the gates the first year, leading for the better part of five months before injuries took the big man down in the final weeks. Last season, DobberHockey's Maltais won the whole she-bang. This year will be no different.

The format has changed this year to that of a keeper league. Below is an uncensored account of the draft from Eric Maltais (okay - it's censored once...Dobber's call!)

Draft Diary

Thursday night was the draft for the Industry Experts league, which is in its third season. TSN's Scott Cullen won the league in its initial season while yours truly finished at the top of the 15 experts last season. The league was converted to a 12-team keeper league this year where each team will be able to keep four players with a maximum of one goaltender the following season.

Here are the league participants;

Eric Maltais -  Dobber Hockey

Jeff Angus - Dobber Hockey

Ray Flowers - Fanball

Scott Cullen - TSN

Ian Gooding - FantasyHockey.com

Jan Levine - Rotowire

John Topper - Rotowire

Gus Katsaros - McKeens Hockey

Matt Romig – Yahoo! Sports

Michael Finewax - Rotoworld

Nicolas Chabot - The Sports Forecaster

Rocky Bonnano - NHL.com

Rosters: C, C, C, C, LW, LW, LW, LW, RW, RW, RW, RW, D, D, D, D, D, D, G, G, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, IR, IR 

Scoring categories: G, A, +/-, PIM, PPP, SOG, W, GAA, SV%

The following are my thoughts written during the draft, an insight in my mind while I processed the goings as picks were made.

8:30 - Draft is in 30 minutes I'm about to log on hoping to get one of the top three picks so I can draft Ovechkin, Crosby or Malkin. There are plenty of other young studs available, but the drop-off is big after the top three.

8:32 - Draft room is open, I log on and %*&@, I got the fourth pick, I really wanted top 3 or something later. I'm really tempted to go with Zetterberg but his injury history scares me. On the other hand he was awesome during the playoffs and is a five-category stud. So is Dany Heatley . There's also Iginla but he's four years older than Zetterberg and Iginla. And there’s still Thornton.

8:55 - Zetterberg is fourth in my queue, the fact that he plays with Detroit who is so awesomely strong this year ways in his favor. I'll be looking for a goaltender in the second round.

8:59 - Draft is about to start and I change my mind scared off by Zetterberg's bad back. Seconds are counting down; I'm hoping a goalie goes in the top three, nervous to find out.

 Round 1 

Draft starts quickly the top three go as expected and I take Heatley and Iginla goes right after. Unlike the last two years no goalies have gone in the top five.

Zetterberg went after Iginla and then Brodeur is the first goalie taken, followed by Luongo, I wonder if we'll see a goalie run. Nabokov is the only other goalie to go in the first round so I'm confident to get a good one in the second round

Round 2 

Lundqvist and Turco go back-to-back to start the second round. I'll probably draft goalies with my next two picks; this crowd always drafts goalies early. Carey Price is tops in my queue. Three picks to go I'm nervous, Fleury and Giguere went off the board, one pick and then I take Price.

YES!!!! Getzlaf is drafted leaving me Price. I got my goalie for the next 10 years!

Round 3 

I take Ryan Miller hoping he has a better season this year, hesitated between Miller and Bryzgalov. Now I can forget about goaltenders for the rest of the draft.

I'm surprised to see Alfredsson go so early considering his age, than again it is the 3^rd round and he doesn’t have to be a keeper.

Mike Green just got drafted, was hoping to make him my next pick. Patrick Kane is next on my list but plenty of picks before it’s my turn. Kane, Morrrow, Parise are in my queue.

 Round 4 

I add Vanek and Brent Burns to my queue.

A lot of defensemen are going early, Morrow goes, damn I just had put him ahead of Kane.

I've got a feeling I'm not getting Kane....but WOOHOO it's suddenly my turn and he's there.

Round 5 

I'm wondering when to pick Stamkos, I'll wait at least another round

Another good one, Burns is still there, the draft is going very well. My pick is applauded. Wow, huge suprise to see McCabe go right after Burns after his season last year and the poor +/- he should post in Florida.

After the next couple of picks I won't worry about keeper value I'll have my four keepers already

Backstrom (WAS) goes, damn wanted to make him my next pick, I'm huge on the guy, three straight picks out of my queue with Parise and Perry. I've got Horton and Zherdev on deck. I add Kopitar and Hemsky.

Round 6 

Picks are taking longer now, four picks before me and I like my queue of four, I'd have to be really unlucky for them to all go before I pick

I add Sean Avery to my queue hoping to get him in round 7.

I hesitate between Zherdev and Horton but go with Zherdev since I think he'll score 40 goals, Horton goes next and I'm not surprised, then Kopitar who was in my queue and who I might have taken over Avery.

Round 7

Again I glad with my pick since I get Avery, if I can add Carcillo I've got the category sewn up but I wouldn't take him until round 11 and I'm sure he'll be gone by then.

I was surprised to see Souray and Carter go so early.

Selanne goes, good pick in round 7. I'm thinking hard about Stamkos. It looks like nobody trusts Ribeiro who went in round 5 in the Dobber Expert draft.

I wonder how long Gonchar will be out, he could be worth a gamble in round 8 Carcillo goes so so much for me matching him up with Avery.

Round 8

Ribeiro finally goes in round 8, I guess I'm not the only one who doesn’t trust him, he's followed by Gonchar...so much for that tought.

My turn, Hemsky or Stmakos...hmmmm Hemsky it is.

Round 9

Round 9 and still I have no centers, if he's there on the way back I'm taking Stamkos.

YES!!! got him. Now I have to wait a while for my next turn.

Bergeron goes, damn he could have been my next pick, I need centers. I  Put Sedin and O'Sullivan in my queue.

Comment appears about Stamkos going late for a keeper league

Satan goes, he was about to go in my queue. I add Ryan Whitney in my queue, don't want to forget about him.

Letang goes, I'm not as high on him as others even with Gonchar and Whitney, but he could bust out. Tangay goes 4 rounds later than in the Dobber draft

I'm thinking Sedin might fall to me...at least I'm hoping but still 8 picks before me.

Round 10

Ryan Clowe goes way too early but Romig is a Shark fan. Prospal also goes way early for my taste and so does Lehtonen for that matter, but very few goalies left. Dipietro is the best left, but I put Conklyn in my queue so I don't forget about him.

Damn it, Sedin goes 2 picks before my turn. I take Gomez for the assists and power play points...oops I wrote that in the Yahoo comment box…this isn’t easy writing this thing and doing the draft at the same time.

Round 11

Defensemen are going fast so I need to add another and Timonen is next on my list...and I get him, I really like my team overall even if I am weak at center.

My queue now consists of O’Sullivan, Ryan Whitney, Conkly, Meszaros, Brown and Franzen.

Brown goes and there are plenty of picks before my turn. One of my sleepers, Kuba goes, I wouldn't have taken him over Meszaros.

I'm asking myself when to take a chance on Havlat.

Round 12

I add guys in my queue I don't want to forget about. Turris, Okposo, Doughty. Meszaros is my next pick if he's still there, 3 more to go before my turn.

Damn I was almost forgetting one of my favorite sleepers, Kessel, so I add him to my queue.

Got Meszaros, giving me three solid blueliners. I'll gamble on Havlat in round 13.

Round 13

I get Havlat as planned, but I really need to draft a few centers, I've still got O’Sullivan in my queue as well as Nylander and Turris. I add Jason Arnott. I’m thinking Havlat is worth it here if he plays 60 games.

Arnott goes so it won't be him, would have made a nice third center.

Antropov so early???? You know that I can't stand him.

Round 14

Three more picks and I take O’Sullivan, I really need him and I do believe he will sign a contract soon

Huselius is still out there, another guy we experts don't believe in.

Phew I get O’Sullivan, and already thinking about my next pick, I think it'll be Ryan Whitney.

Just talked about him and Huselius goes, seven rounds later than in the Dobber draft.

Round 15

When do I gamble on Sundin???

I get Whitney and a few comments appear, it seems I took him just in time.

I thinking Nylander for my next pick , hopefully he'll stil