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MD9

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    Claimed: Wild: Pluses and Minuses [1/2]

    in Archived Media Spots

    Posted

    Saskatoon Wild: Pluses and Minuses

    Image result for rouyn noranda huskies

    The Wild salute their fans in their last home game.

     

    Having been defeated by the Las Vegas Aces in the finals, the Saskatoon Wild entered the draft with the possibility of losing a number of their top stars -- the mid-season acquisitions that formed a large portion of their offense down the stretch of the season. However, with a number of picks in the top three rounds, management was able to both secure the return of many core players, as well as bring in new talent to further bolster the line-up. While the team will see the departure of a key player in Bo Boeser, and its goaltender in Chet Manley, it will enjoy the return of post-season star Gabriel McAllister, two-way center Jake Scheel, flashy winger Daring Do, along with the introduction of sophomores such as hard-shooting defender AJ-CXXXVII, and all-around defender Ay Ay Ron. 

     

    On the whole, the Wild have strengthened their defensive corps with the introduction of the two solid sophomore players mentioned, and should have been able to at least make up for the loss of Bo Boeser on offense through the continued development of their returning players. That being said, the Wild aren't without weaknesses - something that management will likely seek to cover off on either prior to the start of the season, or during the season through a waiver pick-up. With that said, here are a look at two 'pluses' and two 'minuses' for the Wild this season.

     

    + Forwards

     

    With his dominant late-season and post-season performance, Gabriel McAllister has shown himself more than ready to take over the reins as the Wild's top offensive player from the departing Boeser. A brilliant goalscorer, McAllister will be supported by the playmaking of center Jake Scheel, and the constant threat of Daring Do on the other wing. With two dangerous scorers to choose from, the Wild's first line has all the makings of being one of the most dangerous in the league this season. In addition, while the second line isn't quite as developed as the first, players such as Shirou, McManahan and Murphy provide additional depth to the team, ensuring that it does not become a one-line team. Lead rookie in goal-scoring Carlo Capitulo is returning to the team as well, and VHL teams will watch eagerly to see if he can rekindle his development and prove himself as a potential professional player in the future.

     

    + Top Defensive Line

     

    If defense was a weakness for the Wild last season, the acquisition of AJ-CXXXVII and Ay Ay Ron should help to ensure that the same won't be said so readily this season. With one defender possessing a booming shot, and the other adding solid, all around play, the Wild have an ideal top defensive pairing. AJ can help run a power-play with his shot from the blue-line, while Ron can add some play-making and defense, while also adding a pretty respectable shot of his own. As a whole, the tandem should be able to mesh well with the forward corps to both make up for any turnovers they commit in flashy offensive plays, and contribute to those offensive plays on their own.

     

    - Goaltending

     

    The loss of Chet Manley is going to be a big blow to the Wild. Although a new goaltender picked up before the season, or after the beginning of the season, could certainly go a long way in filling in for the absence of Manley -- it's still an unknown quantity. Manley may not have had much of a shot at the VHL after his development stalled, but his performance in pressure situations was incredible. There were multiple games when Manley effectively stole the Wild a win, even in the playoffs. Without that presence, the Wild's skaters will need to be all the more responsible with the puck. That could even prove to be a limiter on their offense, as they play a more reserved style to protect the net and prevent breakaways.

     

    - Defensive Depth

     

    Although Martinov and Hamilton are solid players in their own right, one of the Wild's biggest problems may be their defensive depth. With no clear starting goaltender, the defensive team will need to be absolutely dead-on in terms of their play. Unless they're able to pick up solid no. 5 and no. 6 defencemen, or Martinov and Hamilton put in a ton of work in training camp to allow the team to effectively play four defencemen -- and still have said defencemen remain on the ball -- the team will likely struggle in mid to late-game situations when the defense is taxed, and they lack players to relieve them.

     

    Conclusion

     

    There's a lot to like about this year's Wild squad, but there are also a couple of major weaknesses that must be taken into account. Overall, it's difficult to project how the team will perform. It's biggest struggle will be defensively, so in large part the team will need to rely on a superb offensive performance from its top six, as well as from its defencemen. If the team is able to acquire a solid goaltender before it's too late into the season, many of their concerns will be alleviated -- so for fans of the Wild, the story is very much 'wait and see'. At least their problems are such that can be solved with one or two moves: they're a very good team with a couple holes, rather than a poor team with a couple stars.

     

    Scheel Seeks to Prove Himself

    in VHL.com Articles

    Posted

    Scheel Seeks to Prove Himself

    VHL.com // J.S. Augusta

     

    Closing the season, Jake Scheel was touted by many scouts to be a potential 3rd overall selection. After a disappointing playoff outing, he slipped even further to 4th overall in the mock draft. In the end, he slid down another slot to 5th overall, selected by the Calgary Wranglers. While this may have been a fortunate turn for the Wranglers, who walked away with two of the more highly touted prospects of this draft class in Savard and Scheel at 1st overall and 5th overall respectively, it means that Scheel's stock around the league has been slowly, but steadily declining. Continuing to put in work in the gym and on the ice, Scheel appears to be unbothered by his fall in the draft.

     

    "The top ten or so were all fantastic players. Teams will draft who they think fits their roster and their play-style. I'm thrilled to be a part of Calgary, and I'm looking forward to putting in as many successful seasons as I can with them once I finish my junior career in Saskatoon. If anything, this is just motivation. I still went high, but I'd like to do whatever I can to overcome -- well, whatever it was that led people to start dropping me down their rankings. After all, if you're not trying to be the best player of your draft class, you might as well just pack up and leave, right?"

     

    From what correspondents saw from Scheel in training camp this week, it's apparent that this effort to prove himself a steal at the fifth spot is translating into credible, on-ice work. Skating and passing seem to be what he's focused on primarily over the past few days, with a mind to both prevent the scoring slump that saw his playoff performance so inferior to his regular season campaign, and to eventually progressing to the point that he can be an offensive threat in the VHL itself.

    Claimed: No Chance for Vengeance? [1/2]

    in Archived Media Spots

    Posted

     

    No Chance for Vengeance?

     

    Image result for memorial cup loss

     

    Saskatoon Wild fans may have reason to be pleased with their team taking the Las Vegas Aces to six games in the finals, but it’s hard to deny that an air of disappointment is looming over the fanbase. A good showing only goes so far: players, management and fans alike want to win championships. They don’t want to play second fiddle to anyone, not even a team as stacked as the Aces had become this year. A loss like that means heartbreak, plain and simple -- it’s hard to say whether it stings worse for players like Gabriel McAllister, Bo Boeser or Chet Manley, whose outstanding play largely carried them against a team some thought they had no right competing against, let alone winning multiple games against, or for players like Jake Scheel, Daring Do and Carlo Capitulo -- all of whom struggled over the course of the playoffs.
     
    Certainly, Scheel and Do played a better series against Las Vegas than they had in the rest of the playoffs, but that provides little comfort when you’re forced to watch the other team raise the cup across the ice. However, this article isn’t just about the disappointment being felt in Saskatoon, nor about the performances, good and bad, of the Wild’s players. Rather, it’s to discuss the future -- and whether or not there's really a future to speak of.
     
    Drafts are approaching. Two of them, in fact -- and call ups to the pros are also waiting in the works… as is early retirement, in at least one case. The team that Saskatoon assembled a couple dozen games into the season was far and above stronger than the one it began the campaign with. An impressive feat, perhaps, but one that comes with a host of problems. Bo Boeser was not expected to stay down for another full year -- and although anything can happen, the smart money is on him seeing time in the VHL next year. Jake Scheel and Daring Do will both re-enter the VHLM draft, as well as the VHL draft itself, and could either be taken by another VHLM team, or be called up to the VHL itself. Chet Manley, a surprising standout for the team, is likely done with hockey altogether.
     
    When you lose in the finals like that, your first thought is towards exacting vengeance. Coming back next season better than before, ready to take what was taken from you. However, for the Wild -- for this wild, at least -- there may be no chance for that. The complexion of next season’s Wild team could be completely different. Although McAllister, the late-season hero may be back with the team, no Boeser, Manley, and the potential to lose Scheel, Do, and perhaps even more core players on top of them could mean that even if the Wild do claw their way back to the finals, it will largely be with a different team. Players who fought bitterly against Las Vegas this season could be -on- Las Vegas next season. Or perhaps on another team, taking Las Vegas’ place as the league’s standout franchise. 
     
    Whatever happens, one thing is a given: fans of the Wild should stay tuned to the drafts tonight, and keep an eye on the news to see who their team can manage to bring back into the fold, once the smoke settles in the off-season.
     

    S55 Discussion Thread

    in Saskatoon Wild

    Posted · Edited by MD9

    On 5/28/2017 at 10:50 PM, DollarAndADream said:

    Bo Boeser will be in the VHL next season.

     

    I really want to have another run at things here, but he's at 180 TPE now and it only makes sense. :lol:

     

    Make sure you light up things for us next season. ;) 

    New Vegas GM

    in VHLM

    Posted

    2 hours ago, Jericho said:

    The greatest Lucio I've ever seen.

     

    Until you play with me. :ph34r:

     

    ... who am I kidding, I'm a Mercy main. Congratulations, anyways!

    S55 Discussion Thread

    in Saskatoon Wild

    Posted

    11 minutes ago, Corco said:

    Oh wow I didn't realize you, Clarke, Hamilton, and Do were all waiver pickups. In that case, I'll definitely be looking to bring some of you guys back in the draft. If you create after the draft, like you did last season, you're put back into the VHLM draft the next season.

     

    Huh. So I'll be in both the VHLM and VHL drafts? 

    S55 Discussion Thread

    in Saskatoon Wild

    Posted

    Are players being re-drafted? I'm not quite sure how it works.

     

    I'm assuming I'm going to be back unless I'm drafted by a team desperate for low-TPE centers. I would definitely like to be back for another season. We came so close to winning, it'd be nice to put in some more work on Scheel and see if we can't knock off Vegas next season.

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