124715

Oh damn, was very much not expecting that! Thank you to all who voted for me, really cool to have so early in my career. (Also sorry for beating you Numbers, please don't cut me in the ECFA.)

@124715

My First and Second-Team VHLM All-Stars - S79
VHLM first and second team all-stars were named once, in Season 62. Today I will be bringing them back, unofficially for Season 79, even if it is while the season is still going. I will be as objective as possible, and don't sweat it if you didn't make it, there were a lot of great options! 
 
*Quick note: In parentheses is the player's ranking, for forwards it is among all VHLM skaters; for defenders it is just among defenders.
 
S79 VHLM First Team All-Stars
LW Duncan Montana @124715, Saskatoon Wild: 51 GP, 39 Goals (T-4th), 65 Assists (1st), 104 Points (1st), +38, 6 GWG (T-8th), 9 PPG
C Bryn Yrwy @dylanjj37, Halifax 21st: 52 GP, 44 Goals (1st), 51 Assists (T-5th), 95 Points (2nd), +25, 7 GWG (T-3rd), 13 PPG (T-4th) 
RW Mikey Markov @JetsFan81, Miami Marauders: 51 GP, 43 Goals (2nd), 45 Assists, 88 Points (4th), +22, 4 GWG, 7 PPG 
D Zdeno Chara @Agito, Las Vegas Aces: 52 GP, 30 Goals (1st), 50 Assists (2nd), 80 Points (1st), +3, 139 Shots Blocked (2nd), 127 Hits 
D Pistol Pete @PistolP, Las Vegas Aces: 52 GP, 26 Goals (T-2nd), 43 Assists (6th), 69 Points (3rd), +4, 114 Shots Blocked (4th), 134 Hits 
G Luke Spinelli @Lspinelli, Mississauga Hounds: 40 Wins (1st), .896 Save Percentage (10th), 2.79 GAA (5th), 6 Shutouts (1st), 2 Assists (T-8th) 
 
As you can see, two Aces defenders made the First Team, Zdeno Chara and Pistol Pete. Chara is a frontrunner for the Ryan Sullivan Trophy for best defender this season. If they end up winning it, they'll become the 2nd Vegas defender to win the award in the past three seasons (Shaggy Tipton won it in Season 77).  Among the other selections, the league leaders in goals (Yrwy) and points (Montana) both made it, as well as Marauders star forward, Mikey Markov. Luke Spinelli earned the goalie spot in his second stint with the league-leading Hounds. 
 
Now, onto the Second Team! 
 
S79 VHLM Second Team All-Stars 
LW Zach Kisslinger II @Kisslinger, Halifax 21st: 52 GP, 29 Goals, 61 Assists (3rd), 90 Points (3rd), +18, 3 GWG, 7 PPG 
C Nathaniel Minion @Minion, Mississauga Hounds: 52 GP, 24 Goals, 62 Assists (2nd), 86 Points (T-6th), +42 (T-7th), 6 GWG (T-8th), 6 PPG 
RW Baby Bob @Baby Boomer, Mississauga Hounds: 52 GP, 27 Goals, 50 Assists (T-9th), 77 Points, +45 (T-4th), 2 GWG, 10 PPG (T-8th) 
D Rhys Trenton @DeeGoat, Mexico City Kings: 52 GP, 26 Goals (T-2nd), 48 Assists (T-3rd), 74 Points (2nd), +29, 74 Shots Blocked, 101 Hits
D Corey Kitson @Nykonax , Mississauga Hounds: 52 GP, 26 Goals (T-2nd), 39 Assists (8th), 65 Points (4th), +47 (2nd), 98 Shots Blocked (7th), 32 Hits 
G Bastian Greiss @ThatsGreissy, Mexico City Kings: 36 Wins (2nd), .902 Save Percentage (5th), 2.57 GAA (4th), 3 Shutouts (T-2nd), 4 Assists (T-3rd) 
 
For the second team, we have three Hounds and two Kings, as well as a 21st. Zach Kisslinger, Nathaniel Minion, and Baby Bob lead the team up front. Rhys Trenton and Corey Kitson grabbed the two D spots, and Bastian Greiss got the nod in goal. 
 
Congrats to all the players who earned a spot! Now, time for arguments in favor of and against. 
 
Argument in favor of All-Star Teams: 
It is a unique honor in that it recognizes the top players, regardless of team. If one team is stacked, multiple players can still be selected. 
 
Another positive is that while only one player can win each award at the conclusion of the season, several can be awarded a spot here. This way, more great players are recognized, yet there isn't too many, honoring the integrity of it. 
 
Lastly, why not? The VHL names all-star teams, so why shouldn't the 'M too? 
 
Argument against All-Star Teams: 
They only further reward the cup contenders. A handful of teams have excellent rosters top to bottom in any given season, while others may be in a retool. 
 
Not every team will have a player selected. Although it's possible since there are twelve total spots and twelve teams in the 'M, it is not as probable or required. 
 
They make the awards show too busy. Players who win an award will likely earn an all-star team selection too, which isn't necessarily bad. However, it can make the presentation very repetitive and is one more thing to be determined in an already tight schedule. 
 
 
My Opinion
While I do think All-Star Teams would be a cool addition to the VHLM Awards, there are negatives too, mentioned above. I trust the VHL Staff to do what's best, and whatever that is, I am on board with. 
 
So, what do you think? Should the VHLM bring back All-Star Teams? I hope you enjoyed reading, and as promised last week, I will be doing an article next week about top defense pairings across the VHL, followed by the best goaltending tandems. 
 
Word Count (excluding All-Star Teams): 530 
 
 
 

Welcome to the VHLM Power Rankings Tracker! I have decided to run power rankings in this format for the rest of the season so that I’ll be able to update it every week, I’ll still be doing the full write up occasionally. With this new format we’ll also be able to showcase standout players (selected by each team’s GM or AGM) in order to shine a light on some players in the M who might not get much attention otherwise. Since this whole thing is brand new if you have any questions, comments or concerns please let me know!

Note: roster moves pertain to specifically the last week.
 

Current Rank: 1
Previous Rank: 1
Record: 51 - 10 - 4
Last 10 games: 8 - 2 - 0
Place in standings: 1st
Standout Player: AJ Williams @ajwllmsn - 37 goals, 48 assists, 85 points in 65 games played
Players In: Cameron Elsby @Spence King, added from waivers
 

Current Rank: 2
Previous Rank: 4
Record: 48 - 15 - 3
Last 10 games: 9 - 1 - 0
Place in standings: 2nd
Standout Player: Leroy Johnson @Vkobe-v - 46 - 8 - 3, 2.68 GAA, 0.905 SV%
Players In: None
 

Current Rank: 3
Previous Rank: 3
Record: 44 - 17 - 3
Last 10 games: 5 - 4 - 1
Place in standings: 3rd
Standout Player: Gregory Bates @Tyler - 44 goals, 62 assists, 104 points in 64 games played
Players In: Oskar Kiprusoff @Bobo and Gunnarwolfe Vomacka @Wolfe, added from waivers
 

Current Rank: 4
Previous Rank: 5
Record: 41 - 17 - 6
Last 10 games: 7 - 2 - 1
Place in standings: 5th
Standout Player: Matty Fire @MattyIce - 35 goals, 37 assists, 72 points in 64 games played
Players In: Nezuko @tfong and Maximus Decimus Meridius @Beaviss, added from waivers
James Glove Dropper @Jamomayo and Logain Ablar @Kelsier, acquired through trade
 
 

Current Rank: 5
Previous Rank: 2
Record: 42 - 17 - 5
Last 10 games: 6 - 3 - 1
Place in standings: 4th
Standout Player: Arthur Kimura @FBR - 19 goals, 19 assists, 38 points in 64 games played
Players In: Ben Aky @Lilmar, acquired through trade
 

Current Rank: 6
Previous Rank: 6
Record: 34 - 27 - 4
Last 10 games: 7 - 3 - 0
Place in standings: 6th
Standout Player: Caleb Gaudette @Gaudette - 28 goals, 33 assists, 61 points in 33 games played
Players In: None
 
 

Current Rank: 7
Previous Rank: 8
Record: 28 - 30 - 6
Last 10 games: 5 - 5 - 0
Place in standings: 7th
Standout Player: Zach Kisslinger II @Kisslinger - 45 goals, 83 assists, 128 points in 64 games played
Players In: Nico Pearce @Spartan and Zaza Colours @McWolf , added from waivers
 

Current Rank: 8
Previous Rank: 7
Record: 27 - 33 - 4
Last 10 games: 4 - 6 - 0
Place in standings: 8th
Standout Player: Lochlan Chisholm @Lochlan Chisholm - 23 goals, 35 assists, 58 points in 64 games played
Players In: None
 
 

Current Rank: 9
Previous Rank: 10
Record: 21 - 37 - 7
Last 10 games: 4 - 4 - 2
Place in standings: 9th 
Standout Player: Oskar Lindbergh @Doomsday - 21 - 35 - 7, 3.50 GAA, 0.903 SV% in 64 games played
Players In: Harkat Mulds @hylands, added from waivers
 

Current Rank: 10
Previous Rank: 9
Record: 21 - 39 - 4
Last 10 games: 2 - 8 - 0
Place in standings: 10th
Standout Player: Louis Vignac @Habs fan - 7 goals, 12 assists, 19 points in 20 games played
Players In: Patrik Jannsen @PiPsen and Lucien Aubert @Magee, added from waivers
Arno Blugers @bukss_a, acquired through trade
 

Current Rank: 11
Previous Rank: 11
Record: 19 - 42 - 4
Last 10 games: 5 - 4 - 1
Place in standings: 11th
Standout Player: Nils Godlander @Moon_50 - 11 goals, 14 assists, 25 points in 25 games played
Players In: Cube Whale @Whalecube, added from free agency
Barry Bonds Jr @Jim Kovtrash, acquired through trade
 

Current Rank: 12
Previous Rank: 12
Record: 11 - 52 - 1
Last 10 games: 0 - 10 - 0
Place in standings: 12th
Standout Player: London Jett @LJFalcon15 - 12 goals, 8 assists, 20 points in 30 games played
Players In: None 

@Zetterberg
 
As we have officially passed the mid-way mark of the season, we here at VSN held a survey to reflect and make some predictions as to which players, and GMs appear to be on their way to winning VHL and VHLM awards come the end of the season. There’s quite a few close races and others where certain players have gotten out to a sizable lead that may just be insurmountable, needless to say it should be interesting! Without further to do let’s dive right into it!
 
VHL:
Mike Szatkowski Trophy (Most Points):
1. Gunnar Odinsson (95)
2. Alex Letang (84)
3. Red Lite (83)
4. Jivere Zolnek (77)
5. Brendan Telker (77)
 
Kevin Brooks Trophy (Most Goals):
1. Gunnar Odinsson (41)
2. Red Lite (40)
3. Brendan Telker (37)
4. Pistil Stamen (31)
5. Groovy Dood (30)
 
Alexander Beketov Trophy (Most Assists):
1. Alex Letang (68)
2. Gunnar Odinsson (54)
3. Jivere Zolnek (52)
4. John Merrick (49)
5. Kristof Welch (48)
 
Scotty Campbell (MVP):
Winner: Gunnar Odinsson (MAL)
Runner Up: Red Lite (NYA) and Zamboni Driver (RIG)
 
Gunnar Odinsson is one of the main reasons for Malmo’s success this season, scoring 41 goals and adding 54 assists for a total of 95  points in 45 games is truly impressive. Currently Odinsson is on pace for over 150 points this season, a mark that was last passed by Podrick Cast way back in season 62. If Odinsson can make it there this will truly go to show that they are one of the best, if not the best player in the VHL right now. There was a two-way tie for second place here with two players who are having great seasons of their own, Red Lite is currently lighting it up with the New York Americans having scored 40 goals already, and Zomboni Driver has been solid all season and maintains a 0.923 save percentage. This race may seem to be out of reach at this point but, it could be one to watch down the stretch.
 
Brett Slobodzian (Most outstanding): 
Winner: Gunnar Odinsson (MAL)
Runner Up: Zamboni Driver (RIG) and Alex Letang (LAS)
 
Going hand in hand with the MVP award this season is the Brett Slobodzian award for the most outstanding player as we have it going to Gunnar Odinsson as their season has been outstanding to say the least. Odinsson is currently on pace for a point total that has not been seen in over 15 seasons with 150, scoring at a pace of just over 2 points per game. Once again we have had a two-way tie for second with Zamboni Driver who has been great in goal all season for Riga, and Alex Letang who could come close to some historic totals as well. Should Letang maintain or improve their play down the stretch this race could be very close.
 
Sterling Labatte (Top Defensemen): 
Winner: Alex Letang (LAS)
Runner Up: Robin Galante Nilsson (VAN)
 
So far this season Alex Letang has been dominant from the back end scoring at an impressive pace already having 84 points in 46 games. Additionally Letang has been having a great defensive season as they have already recorded 148 hits, 86 blocked shots and are a +27. Letang also leads all defensemen in points and the whole league in assists. The runner up here with Robin Galante Nilsson has had a solid season with 61 points in 47 games played, they also have had 127 shots blocked and 96 hits. While Nilsson’s defensive numbers are similar to that of Letang, there is just too much of a gap in their offensive production.
 
Alexander Valiq (Offensive Defensemen): 
Winner: Alex Letang (LAS)
Runner Up: Kristof Welch (DCD)
 
As stated already Alex Letang is having a stand out season for Los Angeles already having 84 points in 46 games putting them on pace for 132 points in 72, just 13 shy of the all-time record for points by a defensemen of 145 set by David Walcott set in season 26. If Letang’s pace picks up a little bit there is a real chance we could see this record that has stood for over 50 seasons fall. The runner up for the best offensive defensemen is Kristof Welch who currently leads all defensemen in scoring with 23 goals scored and is second behind Letang in total points by a defensemen with 71. Although both have put up impressive numbers this season, Letang's season could just be one for the history books and they are the one player to watch as the season nears its end.
 
Jake Wylde (Defensive Defensemen): 
Winner: Mikeal Keef (HSK)
Runner Up: Robin Galante Nilsson (VAN)
 
Mikeal Keef does all the small things right, although their point production isn’t elite as they only have 32 points in 47 games this season. Keef is currently ranked 3rd in shots blocked with 136, and is 1st among defensemen in hits already amassing an impressive total of 184. With their hit total being as high as it is, they have taken their fair share of penalties with 152 PIMs. The runner up here Robin Galante Nilsson could also really push to turn this into a race as realistically this award could very much go to a handful of players.
 
Aiden Shaw (Top Goalie): 
Winner: Zamboni Driver (RIG)
Runner Up: Jean Pierre Camus (CHI) and Artem Tretiak (MAL)
 
Zamboni Driver has been very good this season and has stopped almost everything thrown his way. His play has been so impressive that he received a vote in our survey for MVP. Currently Driver is 4th in the VHL in wins with 26, first in GAA with 2.63, and tied for first in shutouts with 2, and second among starting goalies in SV% with a 0.923. Driver is having a great season and is one of the reasons why Riga is playing as well as they are. There was another tie for runner up for the best goalie with Jean Pierre Camus of Chicago and Artem Tretiak from Malmo, with 26 and 28 wins respectively. Both of these goalies are having great seasons and are very much contributing factors to their teams success this season! With how they have been playing this award is very much in the air if anyone can outperform Driver the rest of the way.
 
Christian Stolzschweiger (top Rookie): 
Winner: Jerome Reinhart (VAN)
Runner Up: Tyler Reinhart (VAN) and Nathan Powers (PRG)
 
This year’s top rookie race was thought that it could have been a bit closer at the start of the season but, of late Jerome Reinhart has started to run away with it having already established a 11 point lead over teammate and sibling Tyler Reinhart. As of right now, Jerome Reinhart is first among rookies in points (53) and assists (28), and goals (25). This has left him with a comfortable cushion over the next 2 closest players as Tyler reinhart (42) and Jaromir Lemiuex (40). Additionally, Prague Defensemen Nathan Powers has made a name for themselves and leads all rookie defensemen with 23 points. Down the stretch this is Jerome’s race to lose and it will be interesting to see if they can be caught.
 
Scott Boulet (Top two way forward): 
Winner: Groovy Dood (DCD)
Runner Up: Duncan Idaho (MOS)
 
In the past few seasons no player has been better on both sides of the puck than Groovy Dood as they will be looking to win their third consecutive Scott Boulet award. Currently Dood sits first in hits with 250 hits, Dood has also had a great season offensively for DC as they have 30 goals and 35 assists for a total of 65 points in 46 games. Standing in the way of a potential 3-peat for Dood is Duncan Idaho,  the season 77 Christian Stolzschweiger award winner closely trails Dood in nearly every statistical category and looks to lead the next generation of two-way forwards in the VHL. The question remains though on if we will see a Dood 3-peat or if the torch could be passed on to Idaho.
 
David Knight (top GM):
Winner: @GustavMattias (DAV)
Runner Up: @Ricer13 (CAL) and @hylands (MAL)
 
In what was possibly the closest vote we saw Gustav currently holding a slim lead over both Hylands and Ricer as Davos has taken a huge step forward this season while still having prospects in the system like top prospect Darth Kaprizov. This season Davos has made 1 big mid-season trade to show they mean business acquiring Addison McLaren from Toronto for a prospect and draft picks. The step taken by Davos has been so large that they currently sit only 7 points back of their total from a season ago with 26 games remaining. The two runners up in this category have both shaped their teams into true contenders and it will be a very interesting race that could come down to a couple of games or the trade deadline.
 
Dustin Funk (Most improved):
Winner: Gunnar Odinsson (MAL)
Runner Up: Nils Talinder (CAL) and Pistil Stamen (LAS)
 
This season’s most improved player is almost a lock already with leading scorer Gunnar Odinsson. So far this season Odinsson has been almost unstoppable scoring at an incredible pace and has already surpassed their previous career highs of 34 goals and 70 points from season 77 with Helsinki. This season Odinsson has gone off to lead the league in every offensive category as they are the driving force behind Malmo’s offence and look to be possibly the best signing of the offseason. Other players who have taken considerable steps forward this season would be Nils Talinder who has 12 more points than last season in 24 fewer games with 34 and Pistil Stamen who will be easily surpassing their career high this season.
 
VHLM:
Ethan Osborne Trophy (Most Points):
1. Duncan Montana (100)
2. Bryn Yrwy (91)
3. Zach Kisslinger II (85)
4. Kyle Peace (83)
5. Mikey Markov (83)
 
Alexander Chershenko Trophy (Most Goals):
1. Bryn Yrwy (43)
2. Miroslav Tsarov (40)
3. Mikey Markov (38)
4. Kyle Peace (38)
5. Sunrise van de Schubbekuteveen (37)
 
Vladimir Boomchenko (Most Assists):
1. Duncan Montana (64)
2. Deke Rike (57)
3. Zach Kisslinger II (56)
4. Nathaniel Minion (56)
5. Gregory Bates (49)
 
Mitch Higgins (MVP): 
Winner: Duncan Montana (SSK) 
Runner Up: Bastain Greiss (MEX) and Darth Kaprizov (PHI)
 
Four year VHLM veteran Duncan Montana has back-to-back 110+ point seasons to his credit already, and he’s having an even better year this time around with 36 goals and 100 points in Saskatoon’s first 48 games. A lot has been asked of Montana as the Wild don’t have as much depth as some of the other elite VHL teams, but sporting a 33-12-3 record so far, he and some of the other Wild stars like Kyle Peace have been keeping the team afloat. He’s on pace to threaten the 150-point mark in the VHLM this season, an easy choice for MVP. Mexico City’s Bastian Greiss is currently leading the VHLM with an 0.904 SV% earning himself runner-up honours alongside Philadelphia’s Darth Kaprizov, who isn’t having as strong a season as Montana but deserves mention for his 32 goals and 78 points thus far - setting his VHLM career highs already.
 
Ryan Sullivan (top defensemen): 
Winner: Zdeno Chara (LVA)
Runner Up: Rhys Trenton (MEX) and Corey Kitson (MIS)
 
Las Vegas defenseman Zdeno Chara had 35 points in 72 games with Saskatoon last year, but was a first-round pick in the VHLM draft and a second-round pick in the VHL draft after getting his feet wet in the league. So far, he’s looking like he might provide a good return on investment for both Las Vegas and Moscow as he’s in the middle of a brilliant sophomore VHLM campaign. Chara has 28 goals, 73 points, 119 hits, and 130 blocked shots through 48 games, good enough for a slim lead on Rhys Trenton in the VHLM defenseman scoring race and showing a huge improvement from last year. Trenton is one runner up for this race, but while keeping up with Chara offensively, his defensive numbers (93 hits and 69 blocked shots) simply aren’t quite at that level. Mississauga’s Corey Kitson is the other runner up, and he, like Trenton, has good offensive numbers but simply can’t keep up with Chara on the defensive side of the ice.
 
Benoit Devereux (top goalie):
Winner: Bastain Greiss (MEX) 
Runner Up: Luke Spinelli (MIS)
 
Greiss has been instrumental in leading Mexico to VHLM contender status so far this season (hence the runner-up spot in the MVP race, too) and currently boasts a VHLM-leading 0.904 save percentage. He’s also second among starting goalies in the league with a 2.54 GAA. With a 32-12-4 record, Greiss clearly gives the Kings a chance to win every night he’s between the pipes. Mississauga’s Luke Spinelli has become somewhat of a VHLM legend, especially with the Hounds where he once posted a 50-9-0 record back in S77. Back for another round of Hounds contention, Spinelli is again among the VHLM leaders, with a 37-7-4 record, 0.897 save percentage, and 6 shutouts. Greiss’ consistency gives him the edge at this time, but it could be a race to watch down the stretch (and watch out for Saskatoon’s Leroy Johnson, too).
 
Matt Bentz (top two-way forward): 
Winner: Duncan Montana (SSK)
Runner Up: Sigard Petrenko (MIS)
 
If his offensive dominance weren’t enough, Montana has evolved into a terrific defensive forward for the Wild this season, too. With 85 hits and a +36 rating, the Wild are simply controlling the game while Montana is on the ice. He’s blocked 27 shots, too, a pretty significant number for a forward. It’s not necessarily a side of the game that Montana had been known for, but he’s come a long way in that regard. Mississauga’s Sigard Petrenko, the 7th overall pick in the VHL’s S79 draft, is a player who is more of an expected name in this award race. With 179 hits and a +32 rating, Petrenko has the physicality, smarts, and speed to lock down opposing forwards and has also chipped in 61 points in 48 games.
 
Jack Reilly (top GM): 
Winner: @Zetterberg (MIS) 
Runner Up: @Doomsday (SSK) and @thadthrasher (SDM)
 
After taking a year off to rebuild, Zetterberg’s Mississauga Hounds are right back at the top of the league in S79 with a 37-7-4 record and an offense that, with 239 goals for, is far and away the best in the VHLM so far. Bringing Luke Spinelli back between the pipes has been a big acquisition, and the team has a good mix of talented VHLM veterans like Gaspar Zakrevsky and Russell Dixon alongside high-end VHL prospects like AJ Williams, Baby Bob, Jakub Brozik, Tony Adams, Sven Eightnine, and Corey Kitson. They’ve got an incredibly talented, incredibly deep roster much like the one Zetterberg put together in S77 and the hope is that they will be able to finish off what that team wasn’t able to. If they keep playing like this, one would have to think they have a very good chance to do so.
 
With most of these races being as close as they are it leaves the door wide open for any player to come out of nowhere and take an award, all we really know at this point is that everyone’s predictions might not be looking too good. 
 
cc: @tcookie
 
Player Mentioned:
 

Hi folks, I’ve been putting this piece off for quite a while since it’s taken a decent amount of work, and we all know I’m lazy. However, VHFL is something I’m quite passionate about. Back in my freshman year of college, a couple years before I joined the VHL, I took a course that taught me some pretty nifty Excel skills. I decided to mess around mid-season in S73 to make a spreadsheet that could calculate VHFL scores so that anyone could calculate their fantasy team’s scores, or check on the score for any player in the league at any given time. It was initially designed just to be a fun project for me to test out my skills on, and maybe have it used by the general community once I made it nice enough.
 
As luck would have it, Twists, the then VHFL manager stepped down during playoffs and left the league. Suddenly there was a need for a spreadsheet that could calculate VHFL scores quickly, and my file was soon adopted as the official VHFL calculation/management spreadsheet. All player rankings, user rankings, group rankings/scoring, and team tracking has all occurred in that sheet. I’ve tried to keep modifying and upgrading that spreadsheet to make life as easy as possible for whoever the current manager is, but it’s also allowed me to keep an eye on the state of VHFL over the past 5-6 seasons. I’m not liking what I’m seeing.
 
Warning
I'll preface this piece by saying there are a lot of statistics and numbers explained in here. There are also a lot of words. If you don't want to read it, just skip to the very bottom where I've written out a TLDR. 
 
So What's the Issue?
 
Before we get too deep into the issue at hand, let’s quickly look at VHFL scoring, just to be familiar with it: 

 
It’s pretty standard, 2 points for a goal, 1 point for an assist, 0.2 for hits, 0.8 for shots blocked. At a glance, it makes sense. Goals are worth double an assist, points per hit are pretty low since some folks can get over 300 hits in a season, and shots blocked can be hard to come by, especially for forwards. Makes sense to make them more valuable, right?
 
Well, as time has gone on, and we’ve seen seasons of skater rankings come out, there’s a very clear trend. Defensemen are simply way too good in VHFL. Take a look at this table, where I’ve tracked positional averages of the top 190-ish players in each season (190 chosen since that’s around the end of user controlled players in each season who put up any sort of stats):
 
S79 Positional Averages   S78 Positional Averages   S77 Positional Averages   S76 Positional Averages C 61.98695652   C 131.7755102   C 130.7137255   C 134.5555556 LW 58.81428571   LW 133.3517241   LW 122.4064516   LW 114.16875 RW 62.29090909   RW 125.369697   RW 120.7028571   RW 116.6648649 D 86.5038961   D 198.1835616   D 216.9731343   D 194.7685714  
Looking at these tables, the disparity is quite clear. Consider that around 190 skaters are in each sample size. Even in S79, where the data is as of mid-season - about 32-33 games in, defensemen already have about 24 more points over any other skater position. Going back before S79, the gap is more pronounced. 65 point gap in S78, 86 points in S77, 60 points in S76. Sure, we’ve had some extraordinary defensemen in the league, such as Condor Adrienne in recent seasons, but those sort of defensemen should be outliers. Defensemen shouldn’t be this far ahead of forwards. So where is the problem starting?
 
Brace Yourself, a Shit Ton of Statistics Incoming
 
Before we dive into some of the graphs I have coming up, I’d like to briefly explain a few statistics I’m going to use. In order to see exactly why there was this point disparity between forwards and defensemen, I decided to create a “point share” statistic inspired by the win share statistic that’s used in hockey generally, which is some breakdown of player value to their team. Value of a cog in the machine and all that, it’s super complex and just the inspiration to what I did. Instead of calculating player value to their team, I broke down the point share of each VHFL scoring attribute - goals, assists, hits, and shots blocked - to their final VHFL score.
 
---
 
Let’s use the gorgeous Alex Letang as an example. So far in S79, through 32 games, he has a VHFL score of 133.2, good enough to be the top player in fantasy. He has 10 goals, 48 assists, 106 hits and 55 shots blocked. In order to figure out his Hit Point Share and Shots Blocked Share, I individually calculated the amount of points generated by his hits and shots blocked.
 
Hits: 106 hits -> 21.2 points
Shots Blocked: 55 SB -> 44 points
 
When calculating the point share, we simply divide the points per attribute by the overall score of the player:
 
Hit Point Share: 21.2 hit points/133.2 total points = 15.92%
SB Point Share: 44 SB points/133.2 total points = 33.03%
Combined Hit+SB Point Share: 48.95%
 
So this shows a pretty normal point share of these statistics, for Alex Letang at least. Around 50% of his points are coming from 2 out of 4 scoring stats, which isn’t anything to worry about. But that’s only for Letang, who’s had the benefit of allowing his scoring on the ice to carry his VHFL score.
 
---
 
Let’s shift over to the 3rd best VHFL player this season: Mikeal Keef, a defenseman on the openly tanking Helsinki Titans. His combined Hit+SB Point Share is 75.57%. Over 75% of his 131 points are coming from hits and shots blocked! He has 8 goals on the season which is pretty good for a defenseman, but also only 16 assists. For comparison, he has more VHFL points than Red Lite, who has 29 goals and 33 assists. That just doesn’t make sense to me. The graphs even show the issue in scoring.
 

S79 Data (through 32-33 games)
 
I’ll be the first to admit that I should have broken the graph up into forwards and defensemen to make my point a bit more obvious, but I’ll just hope you take my word for how I break it down. I calculated the Hit Point Share and SB Point Share for every skater in the 190-200 sample from each season, and then graphed it out to see the distributions on a larger scale. There are two obvious clumps of red, which are the SB Point Shares. The lower group, which largely falls under 25%, are just about all forwards. The sole red dot under 25% between 120-140 VHFL points belongs to the aforementioned Red Lite. The entire clump that largely falls around or above 50% belong to defensemen. In the 120-140 range, there are 6 defensemen who are getting a significant chunk of their points from shots blocked. That’s a massive problem in my opinion, and the trend continues in all the seasons I observed. Take a glance:
 

S78 Data
 

S77 Data
 

S76 Data
 
In every single one of these seasons, there is a significantly large chunk of red hovering above 50% made up of defensemen, leeching a majority of their points from shots blocked. There’s also a bit of a parallel observation to be made here that forwards simply aren’t getting enough value either, outside the 2 or 3 outlier forwards that exist every season. The Boulet candidates for example who have massive amounts of hits, such as Groovy Dood, Christian Mingle, Mikko Lahtinen, and then the best players with checking on the worst teams who get a nice boost in shots blocked. It’s a very clear trend and it’s making VHFL too predictable. Don’t believe me? Let’s show you how the current scoring is creating a clear-meta in VHFL drafting that’s ruining the game.
 
Is There Really a Clear Meta?
 
In order to see if there’s a meta that users follow to win VHFL, I went back through the top users of S79 (as of 8/8) through S76 and pulled the top 5 in each season. I then went to their groups for drafting and noted down what positions they selected with their first, second and third picks of the draft. 
 
Here’s that breakdown:
 
S79 Top Users First pick Second pick Third Pick Doomsday (filler) Vaakanainen - F Letang - D Nilsson - D Fishy Dood - F Odinsson - F Lite - F Leafsman Dood - F Letang - D Campbell - F Tate Lite - F Letang - D Lamb - F Esso2264 Dood - F Lamb - F Pines - D         S78 Top Users First pick Second pick Third Pick Thunfish Mingle - F Kankkunen - D Dear - F Juice Sandstrom - F Mingle - F Winter - F Dasboot Mingle - F Sandstrom - F Hornet - F Renomitsu Sandstrom - F Elsby - D Tsujimoto - F GustavMattias Hornet - F Tsujimoto - F Winter - F         S77 Top Users First pick Second pick Third Pick GustavMattias Lahtinen - F Dood - F Walker - D Victor Killinger - D Brown - F Dood- F Kylrad Lahtinen - F Killinger - D Brown - F gorlab Letang - D Dood - F Marsh - D leafsman Lahtinen - F Dood - F Killinger - D         S76 Top Users First pick Second pick Third Pick OrbitingDeath Lahtinen - F Graves - F Mitchell - D Dasboot Lahtinen - F Mitchell - D Bob - F Juice Lahtinen - F Mitchell - D Krishna - G Esso2264 Dood - F Hylands - F Davis - D Patrik Tallinder Vikingstad - F Hylands - F Davis - D  
Let’s all point and laugh at the poor folks in Doomsday's filler group. Must suck to suck. But charting out the picks made by each user and in each round, you get this table:
 
  Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 F 18 12 11 D 2 8 8 G 0 0 1  
In the first round, 18 out of 20 users picked a forward first. The two exceptions were in S77, where Erik Killinger and Alex Letang were selected first, and they were 2nd and 4th overall in that season respectively - so really not a bad decision if you’re confident in landing a top 5 player, and also confident in your ability to find a top forward with your next few picks. Keep in mind, you have to select 3 forwards and 2 defensemen though. In all other situations where forwards were selected first, the forwards selected by these teams ended up top 3 in VHFL forwards. There’s a significantly higher emphasis on selecting a top forward with your first pick, as high end forwards are difficult to come by. There are usually only 2 or 3 forwards that land in the top 20 of overall skaters, and our top 20 users have prioritized those forwards with the first pick of their drafts.
 
Exactly half of them (10) also went back to selecting a forward with their 2nd pick as well. Common names here have been Groovy Dood in S77, Chris Hylands in S76, and Onde Sandstrom/Taro Tsujimoto in S78. The third round pick is usually one of the more crucial picks, and also similar to round 2 where most people go back to selecting a forward. Top scorers such as Robin Winter in S78, Grooby Dood in S77, Jim Bob in S76 have all been selected with the third pick of a user. One person, Juice, took Ajay Krishna with his third pick in S76, but also had Latrell Mitchell and Mikko Lahtinen with his first two picks to bail out that decision :P. Krishna was a top goalie that season anyways, so I suppose we can let it slide. 
 
The emphasis on forwards is undeniably clear. Out of the 60 picks made by the top 20 users in the past 4 seasons, over 66% of those picks are forwards. People know that they need to get the best forwards possible if they want a chance to win in fantasy. Defensemen are, as I like to say in Moscow, “a dime a dozen” simply because there are always 20-25 defensemen who will outscore the 5th best forward - VHFL-wise. The people who do select defensemen in the 2nd or 3rd rounds get it right though. They consistently selected defensemen who landed top 5 in the final rankings. Doomsday’s filler so far in S79 has both the #1 and #2 skater, in Letang and Nilsson. That kind of power can make up for a weak 3rd forward. And Vaakanainen, his 1st overall pick, was certainly the weak 3rd forward in the group as he went on to select Red Lite, the top forward in VHFL right now. But again, the argument here is that Nilsson shouldn’t be the 2nd best VHFL player just because he’s on a horrible defensive team that gives up plenty of shots against, that he can just stand in the way of.
 
---
 
This piece is already around 2,000 words, so I’ll save my “solutions” article for another day. I’ve thought of a few different ways to fix fantasy, but I’d love to hear suggestions from the community in case someone can think of something that I haven't. I’m happy to run testing on any kind of idea!
 
---
 
TLDR for you bums who skipped to the end: VHFL is broken because scoring favors the best defensemen on bad/average teams who block shots. Defensemen as a whole score way too much, with even average defensemen scoring up to 60-70 more fantasy points than the average forward. Therefore, VHFL success depends on how well a user can follow the meta of selecting the best forwards with their first few picks, and simply picking passable defensemen and an average goalie to finish out their team, since the top 20 skaters in every season have like 17 defensemen in them anyways. I think it's an issue, and will propose solutions to fix this down the road. If you have any thoughts, please comment them .
 
(2.4k+ words, 4 weeks claim)
 

1. We just acquired Aurelien Moreau from Toronto for an S80 1st and S81 2nd. What are your thoughts on the trade?
 
I think it's a great trade! Our roster is looking set up to win everything in a few seasons.
 
2. We've been building this team up for the past few seasons, do we have all the pieces we need to be contenders? If no, what position do you think we need to bolster?
 
I think all the players we need are already on the roster. Just a bit of development time and we'll be set!
 
3. We've chatted a lot about Monopoly in the locker room recently. What are some of your favorite games to play with teammates?
 
Monopoly is great but Risk is my favorite game to play with friends. Strategy, drama, backstabbing, it's always fun
 
4. For the third or fourth season in a row, we have a rookie in the top 3 of league-wide rookie scoring. Why do rookies just do so well in Moscow?
 
Moscow goated obvs
 
5. Assess your performance so far through this season. Are you meeting your expectations? What do you want to be doing better in?
 
I'm not playing for Moscow but honestly I couldn't have asked for any better, a bit surreal to be leading the entire league in points by 11!
 
6. How are you doing today? How's life going? Drop a sentence or two about what's going on in your life, I want to know what you're up to
 
Trying to savor the last few weeks before school starts up again!

Aurelien Moreau has accepted a Signing Offer from Moscow:

S80: $1,000,000 (NTC)

S81: $1,000,000 (NTC)

S82: $1,000,000 (NTC)

S83: $1,000,000 (NTC)

S84: $1,000,000
Option: Mutual

1. First line. Tbh I don't really know why lines exist. But I'm sure the first line's been doin a great job, I'm proud guys
2. 4 in the top 10??? Congrats, not easy to do! Can't believe sporton wouldn't draft 5 top 10 earners
3. Rome, super cool city with a really nice culture.
4. Moscow A person or thing that is likely to cause harm; a threat or danger.
5. Caps. I don't know if they were eliminated but I bet they were cuz Caps
6. Vibing, school almost over

1. How excited are you to play our first playoff game?
Well, it's already passed now, but I was super excited.
2. Is there a specific player on the Bulls that we should target?
Nope. If you think you're the best player, then show it. We don't need to decide for you.
3. Who do you think will score our first playoff goal?
Me, hopefully. Did I?
4. Bowman has shutout the Bulls 3 times during the season, can he do it again?
Easy. Keep that momentum going.
5. Do you have any pre game rituals that you'd like to share?
Take a deep breath and relax!
6. How many hits do you think Tanky will get in the opening round?
100. Why not?

Regular Season MVP Award "Mitch Higgins Trophy"
 
The Mitch Higgins Trophy is awarded to the player who is most valuable to their team during the regular season. This season featured a lot of fringe teams that easily could have missed the playoffs if they lost only a couple more contests throughout the year. That being said, what players really helped act as a catalyst for their team to push them over the edge? Let’s take a look at what players were the biggest difference-makers for their clubs!
 
Our runner-up comes from the plains of Saskatoon. @124715 just finished his sophomore season, and it was a campaign to remember. He broke out in every single category and was a huge reason why the Saskatoon Wild were first place in the Western Conference all season. He notched 52 goals and added 59 helpers for a total of 111 points. The Wild were second in the league this season in goals scored with a whopping 273 goals. Of those goals, Duncan Montana contributed to 40.65% of them. In addition to that, he buried 10 game winning goals which proves he was an essential player for Saskatoon when they needed a player to step up in big moments. Montana should be back for another season for the Sasky Bois next year, and we expect him to have another dominant showing.
 
 
This season, the regular season MVP goes to @Willy Myers of the Houston Bulls. In their three seasons in the VHLM, Myers has bounced around to three different clubs. But despite that, Myers has shown promise and has showcased his ability to produce for his club. After a successful stint in Halifax during Season 76, Willy ended up in Houston for this season and he immediately made his presence felt. In 69 contests this season, Willy posted 59 goals which led the league, 54 assists and 113 points in total. He finished with a +21 plus/minus on a team that was just barely over .500, so that is a bit of a testament to how he used his minutes. Myers turned the VHLM into a shooting gallery, totaling a massive 381 shots this season. On top of that they even laid out 106 hits and blocked 56 shots which is an impressive number for a winger. Of Houston’s 208 goals this season, Myers was in on 53.36% of them which is a ridiculous stat to think about! When you are involved in over half your team's total offense, you definitely deserve to be in MVP talks. Congrats Willy!
 
 
Up Next - Playoff MVP - Skylar Rift Trophy!

The pick used to draft my player to Moscow was originally held by Calgary...

 
Tried to incorporate feedback from the first sig, I think it turned out better!

What is up VHL, we are back with the first edition of Under 250 in a while. We'll be looking at all the happenings of our very own junior league. Make sure to check out some other featured VSN content.
 
Game 7 Stories S61 | BoG Update | VHLM Power Rankings #2 | Talents Behind the Trophies: Jake Wylde Trophy
 

 
Standings Overview
 

Western Conference Standings
 
As per normal, we have a very good idea of what the standings will look like come playoff time based on what they look like now. After a brief stint where they had a fight for 1st place with Houston at the beginning of the season, the Saskatoon Wild have taken over the West. It seems they have a perfectly built team based off of past champions and, well, their resounding success so far. They just came off a 5 game winning streak, and their dynamic trio of Duncan Montana, Griff Mackenzie, and David Tavau are all over the league leaderboards.. The Houston Bulls started off very strong, but their apparent lack of players in general eventually caught up with them as they trailed into second place. As is with their up and down success pattern, they are definitely suffering a ‘down’ season this epoch. The Las Vegas Aces, forever competitive, boast a decent squad that should crack the playoffs. They have a talented mix of both experienced returnees and fresh rookies. The San Diego Marlins completely rebuilt their team after a crazy S74, which saw them deal away a huge number of futures, and they are still feeling the repercussions. They also have a truckload of waiver signings. The Yukon Rush spent their picks and prospects in hopes of a championship the last few seasons, and now their pipeline runs dry. New management hopes to bring a plentiful S78 after stocking up at the recent draft. The Mexico City Kings are reeling from two consecutive Founders’ Cup finals where they sacrificed the vast majority of their future to achieve greatness. They have struggled mightily with a small pool of players, most of whom came from the minors not long ago. They also do not have a cupboard full of draft picks.


Eastern Conference Standings

 
The East, from a first glance, looks to be significantly stronger than the West in terms of points and wins. The Mississauga Hounds lead the way, with only 4 losses in the entire season and just coming off an insane 11 game winning streak. Their management, although youthful in the league, have proved to be quite adept. The Miami Marauders follow, with a picture perfect team and a new yet veteran general manager. They saved up assets for this season, and now is their time to contend. The Minnesota Storm once again exhibit a high amount of players and draft picks, setting them up for years of playoff time. Their uber-experienced management group has excelled after a few seasons of basement dwelling. The Halifax 21st possess a startling amount of players, alas mostly freshmen and not showing any capabilities of topping the rankings. The Ottawa Lynx, for what seems to have become a norm, own a measly 6 players and not a single defenceman. Finally, we have the Philadelphia Reapers, who have been weighed down by loss of assets by trading them away at past deadlines. They have, however, kept some key pieces and collected numerous draft selections so we should expect a better showing next season.
 
Feature Story
 
The Mississauga Hounds’ Revival


 
Since their inception into the VHLM in S66, the Mississauga Hounds have not won a single Founder’s Cup. Not even a Prime Minister’s Cup. However, in only brand new general manager Zetterberg’s second season at the helm of the Hounds, they are atop of the league, and a championship could be just on the horizon. In this feature story, I’ll be looking at how Zetterberg and his loyal assistant tcookie built the juggernaut that is the S77 Mississauga Hounds.
 
S76
 
The Hounds had a horrid S76, finishing last in the Eastern conference and 2nd last overall. They had spent a lot of valuable assets in pursuit of the S74 cup, and suffered from that lack of fresh blood for the next few seasons, as they floated listlessly in mediocrity. However, as we know from the cases of the Reapers and the Marauders before them, in the VHLM, success comes after mediocrity. They were able to sell off some players during the S76 season and gather loads of draft selections to set them up for this season’s run. Going into the draft, they had forwards Owen Taylor, Guy Lambert, Miks Sunish, and Miles Johnson as well as defenseman Kirby Pandora (who they traded for after losing in the S77 draft by Ottawa), Chris P Bacon, and Elvis Michael, and then goaltender Luke Spinelli. This was the main core that rode with them into the middle of the standings.
 
S77 Dispersal Draft
 
With a good portion of their core secured, Z and tcookie went to work drawing fresh blood at the draft. They made their presence known, taking Gustislav Nasherov, Hard Markinson, and Joe Madison at 3rd, 4th, and 5th overall. It was clear from the start that they had a defensive core to rival some VHL teams. In the second round, they nabbed Tynan Sylvester, JaredN Jr., and Innunguaq Kiak, and opposing squads watched as the Hounds grew stronger as every round passed. Skip to the fourth round and Jlloyoid Blloyoiderson, and then Brighton Grisby in the fifth joined the roster, which was full to the brim with talented players. They went quiet in the final two rounds, meme picking Rolf Fizzlebeef Jr. as he was already headed up to Calgary. 
 
S77
 
The season arrived. Anxious to see how their team would do, the Hounds management watched as they won eleven games straight to start the campaign. Before the draft, they had swapped Kman and a 6th rounder in exchange for Davey Jones Jr., and sent Ashton Hauff in a separate deal for Lorgo Pompronkimishkonov (whom they would later trade for Jonny Pacheco). The only deals they made at the draft were trading up for Markinson and swapping late round picks. After they recognized how much of a powerhouse they had built, Pacheco as well as Gaspar Zakrevsky from Yukon and Kirby Pandora from Ottawa were acquired. Grisby, Kiak, and picks went the other way. 
Although the leaderboards are dominated by mostly other teams, they depth-rich Hounds don’t need to play the same players 30 minutes a game, so they have a reason for being concealed. However, their scoring is spread out nicely. Guy Lambert leads the way with 74 points, and Nasherov and Michael are both defenders over a point per game. They have seven players with over 50 points, which is incredible. By contrast, Ottawa has zero and Halifax has only one. 
As the season went on, Joakim Lund, a VHLM journeyman, signed as a free agent in Halifax, and backup goalie Tobias Reinhart was added to the team as a waiver signing. 

 
The Mississauga Hounds could not be a more complete team. There is hardly anything they could possibly do to further improve at this point. All they can do is hope that the erratic engine that is Simon T will nod their way when it matters most.

 
That will be all, thank you for reading and stay tuned for more VSN coverage of everything VHL and VHLM.
 
Player mentions:
 
 

The pick used to draft my player to Moscow was originally held by Calgary...

 
Tried to incorporate feedback from the first sig, I think it turned out better!

Review:
Great sig for your first one. You have a great theme and for the most part all the elements follow your theme. Render isn't bad and you did a great job with the logo/shoulder patch swap. Font fits perfectly. I would say with a little formatting correction this would be amazing. Your top layer is a bit heavy but that all comes down to practice. You are well on your way as this does show you know your way around a photo editor. Great job.
8.5/10

Welcome back to another addition of the VHLM Power Rankings! We are nearing the halfway point of the season and one thing has become certain this season, and that is nothing is certain. Aside from one team, 11 of our 12 teams are at least in playoff contention in some way or another. A couple teams have certainly pulled ahead overall, but it's been a pretty interesting season and there's potential for a decent amount of movement both in the standings, and in the Power Rankings. Because of this, I expect there could be a very interesting trade market leading up to the trade deadline this year, as many teams may feel like they have a shot at contending for the Founder's Cup. This makes for an exciting finish down the stretch of the regular season, so buckle in, it's going to be a wild second half!
 

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Led by the expert leadership of Assistant General Manager @tcookie, Mississauga has exceeded all expectations this season, and vaulted themselves solely into the top position of the Power Rankings. Having already found themselves in a good spot heading into the start of the season, the Hounds opted to make additions to their squad to solidify themselves as one of the major threats going into this year's playoffs. The Hounds welcomed in longtime Yukon Rush forwards @jpach Johnny Pacheco and @Pythonic Gaspar Yakrevsky to give themselves even more firepower up front.  While these moves undoubtedly strengthen their team, it also means they are all in for this season seeing as how they shipped off alot of future assets to accommodate these trades.  Pacheco and Yakrevsky join their old Rush teammate @Spartakiller2 Guy Lambert, who is having quite a year for himself thus far. Through 28 games Lambert has 10 goals and 35 assists. The Hounds are solid from top to bottom and have a balanced attack. The defense has been great, and goaltender @Lspinelli Luke Spinelli is having a career year with a 23-2-0 record with a 1.99 goals against average and a .910 save percentage. If Spinelli continues to play like this, it would be hard to imagine many teams contending with the Hounds this season. Again, with the timely trades and the solid draft, I commend tcookie for doing a great job with his squad this season, way to go Trevor!
 
 

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Coming in at two is none other than the Sasky Bois! The Wild have come flying out of the gate this season and currently sit atop the Western Conference with a record of 22-5-2.  Saskatoon currently leads the entire league in scoring, having already amassed a whopping 130 goals. Even more incredibly, 30 of those goals have come at the hands of winger @124715 Duncan Montana. Not far behind him has been his linemate @HoneyBadger25 Griff Mackenzie who has 25 goals of his own! And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention one of the major catalysts for the team's offense. Defenseman @Ahma David Tavau has been the ultimate dishmaster so far this season with a mind-boggling 46 assists already. If he keeps it up, he will be on pace for 100 assists this season!  Apart from scoring in heaps, the Wild have also done a great job of keeping the puck out of their own net so far this year. Up to this point they have only allowed 71 goals against which is the second best total in the league. While the defense should definitely get credit for shutting down the opposing offense, goaltender @BrutalBoost Andrew Bowman has looked stellar so far in the campaign. With an .898 save percentage, a sparkling 2.36 goals against average, and 3 shutouts already, Bowman looks poised to take the Wild deep into the playoffs!
 

Prev: 4  |  Current: 3 ⬆️
The Aces currently sit at 17-9-3 and have been red hot as of late, riding a five game win streak heading into this weekend. Vegas is one of four teams that have scored into the triple digits so far this year, but when you look at the scoring breakdown for the team, it's very odd. Leading the way is left winger @Wolverine Darryl McDagg who currently has enjoyed an amazing start to his season with 21 goals, 22 assists for 43 points. From there it gets a little wacky. Including McDagg, they have 5 total skaters with 30 or more points, which is great to have that kind of offense spread out amongst your team. The weird part is that the other four players are all defensemen. It's great to get offense for your blueline, but it's pretty odd that 4 d-men are in your top 5 for scoring. Newly acquired defensemen @Jakefufu Shaggy Tipton is among those who have chipped in on defense. He has himself 31 points but also sports a tidy plus-13 to boot. The Aces gave up a couple of high end draft picks to acquire the services of Tipton, so hopefully he can keep up the good work. Meanwhile, the Aces will need to get more from their forwards if they want to compete in the playoffs. Goaltender @Erik Morgan Karlsson has started in all 29 games and went 17-9-3 with a 2.69 GAA and an .890 save percentage.  If he can keep up his stellar play, the Aces will be a legit threat going forward.
 

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In the first installment of the S77 Power Rankings, I penned Miami in as the number one team in the VHLM. This time around they are down to the fourth position, but they still seem to be a strong club who could do some damage this season.  Miami sits in second in the Eastern Conference with a 15-11-2 record and have a 3 point cushion on Halifax. Right winger @LilHCorny Trevor Wallace leads the team with 17 goals thus far and has found real good chemistry with linemate @Shiny Alexander the Great.  Alex the Great has put up 41 points in total, which is best on the team, and has proven to be a solid playmaking center. The Marauders have been decent offensively, but could definitely use a little extra firepower from other players. @CptSquall Napoleon Bonaparte is a player to watch in that respect. Although he has a respectable 26 points through 28 games, he is a max capped player and has already produced at more than a point per game pace in his past, so there's definitely room for improvement. Defensively the Marauders have been very efficient, only allowing 79 goals against thus far which is second best in the league. The defensive core as a whole has been terrific. Czech checker @Bojovnik Jan Hlozek has chipped in 25 points and leads the team with 37 blocked shots, while Swedish blueliner @ThomasSysterJocke Jockesson has 22 points (all assists) and tops the team in hits with 53. Between the pipes @ClapbombsRus has started all games for Miami has sports an .872 save percentage with a 2.77 GAA. While these numbers are respectable, there is still some room for improvement. I predict Miami to float around second in the East for most of the remainder of the season, but Halifax will be right there every step of the way so they will need to stay vigilant. It will be interesting to see if management opts to add any pieces ahead of the trade deadline.
 

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Previously coming in at #10, the Bulls have moved up five spots to fifth. Their surge up the power rankings is largely thanks to their 18-9-2 record. While they have been winning games a great clip, I still don't believe the Bulls are built for success this season. With only six forwards and two defensemen, they are getting a lot from their meager roster. Center @Senjo1706 Bradley Senjo and winger @Willy Myers lead the way offensively with 56 and 50 points respectively. On the blueline @RicoTheTrapGod has posted a very impressive 38 points (16G, 22A) through 29 points. Their high-end players certainly have produced the way they had hoped, but they are just way too lean and lack the roster depth needed to compete with the stronger teams in the league. I think they would be better off selling their high end assets at the deadline and reloading for next season, but we will have to see how Bulls' management wants to play things. Goalie @enigmatic Aike van Giersbergen continues to develop nicely. He's started all games for Houston and has an .884 save percentage and a 3.03 GAA. Despite his strong development, his numbers may not improve since the Bulls only roster 2 defensemen and are forced to play bot defensemen who are a huge deficiency. If the Bulls were able to sign a couple of defensemen to plug up those holes, their team would be a lot better for it.
 

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While the Halifax 21st find themselves down a spot from where they were previously, it's only be the slimmest of margins and overall, I still think they have a great squad. They currently sit just above the .500 mark with a record of 13-12-3, which places them third in the Eastern Conference. The 21st feature four full lines of forwards ranging in skill and experience. Leading them statistically is American right winger @Tbeez99 Kyle Glass, who has 19 goals and 20 assists for 39 points. His 19 goals matches his total from last year in just 28 games, so there is no denying the fact he is having a massive breakout sophomore season. He's also chipped in 83 hits, making Halifax that much tougher to play against. Another sophomore to watch is winger @GlowyGoat Baldur Poulsen. Poulsen has averaged just under a point per game with 26 points (12G, 14A) through 28 games. While Halifax hasn't gotten a ton of scoring from their back end, defenseman @bluesfan55 has played very solid and leads the team with 95 hits and is a plus-1. Halifax has split duties between two goalies this season, but @williamirc Johnathan Bustard seems to have emerged as the teams starter. In 15 appearances so far, Bustard has posted a record of 8-6-1 with a tidy 2.61 GAA, an .897 save percentage and two shutouts to boot. The Warsaw prospect has played very well thus far. If the players on Halifax continue to develop throughout the season, I think they could be a major player come playoff time.
 

Prev: 2  |  Current: 7 ⬇️
For whatever reason, the Minnesota Storm haven't found what made them so dominant in Season 76. Their offense has struggled, and although there's been some bright spots, they find themselves in the bottom half of the league for goals scored so far this year. A good sign your offense may be underachieving is when two of your defensemen are in your top three for goals scored.  @VOID Stiles Markuss Puhovs currently leads the team in points with 37 (11 goals, 26 assists). While right winger @Grapes-Tophat_Clan- Grapes has performed admirably with 20 goals and 16 assists, the rest of the forward core has really come up short. I expected more from the likes of @2hawkCalvin Hobbes and @Patrik Tallinder Nils Tallinder, but for whatever reason they just can't seem to get any momentum this season. I think they have the pieces in place to be a great team, and I definitely wouldn't count them out yet. I could see Minnesota management making a trade to bolster their lineup before the trade deadline. In goal, @Flames1Fan Dexter Vaughn has faired so-so, but he will need to find another gear in order to help carry his team to success.
 

Prev: 12   |  Current: 8 ⬆️
In the previous edition of the Power Rankings, I had Yukon ranked dead last, but that was solely due to the fact they were without a goalie heading into the start of the season. Shortly after that article was posted, the Rush management were able to come to terms with free agent goalie @Tropicalfire Darcy Cat. Having Darcy Cat in net changes alot for Yukon, but at the end of the day the Rush are focused more towards next season than the current one. As previously mentioned, they dealt away two of their top forwards for draft picks and players that will be under contract for future seasons. That being said, they still have center @Jake Sumner The Great who is tied for the league lead in goals with 30, and fourth in league scoring with 54 points. So for now, the Rush still have a major offensive weapon. If they choose to move him before the deadline, the Rush will undoubtedly fall out of the Top 8 of the Power Rankings. For now they are still a pretty solid team and as far as "the war" is concerned with San Diego, the Rush are the better team. If they finished behind the Marlins it's purely because they moved out their assets to focus on a strong Season 78. For the time being though, young rookies like @Alex_J32 Alex Johnston and @JB123 Nathan Powers have gave Rush fans a reason to keep cheering and have been developing at a great rate!
 

Prev: 8  |  Current: 9 ⬇️
Down one spot, and notably one spot below the aforementioned Yukon Rush, we have the San Diego Marlins coming in at number nine! San Diego is a young squad brimming with potential and enthusiasm and they've already made leaps and bounds from last season. Thad has his squad working hard and developing and that's what the M is all about. Left winger @Mistxh J Nicholas Mariani has enjoyed a solid campaign thus far and leads the team with 17 goals and 20 assists for 37 points. Meanwhile his teammate and also Assistant GM @Eldredman Aldwin Craig continues to bring the pain as he's already amassed 125 hits this season. On the blueline, Swedish defender @Gwdjohnson Arvid Johansson has been the Marlins best player, leading all d-men in points with 27. Additionally the Swede leads his entire team in blocked shots with 50. His development has been solid this season and he could get himself on the radars of some VHL executives if he continues working hard. In between the pipes netminder @Jericho Anime Protagonist continues to work on his game and is getting ample opportunity to show what he is made of. It will be fun to watch how Anime progresses through his San Diego story arc. NANI?
 

Prev: 11  |  Current: 10 ⬆️
Much like how Yukon was rated towards the bottom of the Power Rankings, Philly also found themselves on the bottom of the heap mostly due to the fact they were goalie-less heading into the start of the season. Since then they have picked up goaltender @Kuba-Fleury. That being said, they still have a ways to go , but they are certainly trending in the right direction. It should be interesting what they decide to do heading into the trade deadline as they have some moveable assets should they choose to defer to competing in next season. The Reapers have been active in waiver claims and have been able to scoop up a decent number of bodies to help round out their roster. Props to @KaleebtheMighty for his successful waiver recruitment design that certainly caught the eye of many.  On the ice there's not many surprises at @glass Kjell Nilsson continues his dominance of the M with 26 goals and 29 assists for 55 total points. Not far behind him is winger @caltroit_red_flames Genghis Khan who has 48 points of his own, including 25 goals, four of which are game winners.  @ColeMrtz Zeljko Ranogajec continues to show he is a high level playmaker as he already has 39 assists which is best on the team. On top of his assists, Ranogajec has also laid out 98 hits and blocked 53 shots. Philadelphia is currently 10-16-3 which is last in the Eastern Conference, but if they kept their team together or even added a player or two,  they could still make a run to make the playoffs.
 

Prev: 7  |  Current: 11 ⬇️
I admit, putting Ottawa as high as seven last Power Rankings was a blunder. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, and I thought maybe they could build off an okay foundation that they had started with. Many of the teams at the start of the season were around the same spot as Ottawa. The problem is Ottawa hasn't done anything to improve themselves. With just 8 players on their roster, they are still 13-15-0 which is is technically the seventh best record in the league. But do not be deceived. Their 66 goals scored is the lowest total in the league, and their minus-29 is the second worse in the league. At least the team in last place is clearly in tank mode. I'd take that over this Lynx squad that just seems dormant and lacking any direction at all. It's very disappointing as I was hoping the Lynx would finally turn the corner this season and start competing again, but alas, it was not meant to be. 
 

Prev: 9  |  Current: 12 ⬇️
And last, and absolutely least we have the Mexico City Kings who have went full tank mode. And to be honest, I respect it. New management come in and assessed things. It's time to blow up what's left and start fresh. The Kings are coming off three seasons of successful hockey, highlighted by a Founder's Cup win last season. No better time then now to start fresh. This is also a great example of what your team will look like without a player goalie.  2-29-0 and a goal differential of -109. Yikes, On the plus side, rookie players like @McKelvie Amze Miklavz and  @duckberg32 Watson Stonebridge have showed great promise and  will surely go high in next season's VHLM Dispersal Draft. Keep up the good work lads!
 
Well there you have it folks! Another edition of the Power Rankings in the books. Mississauga has clearly distanced themselves from the field and seem like the clear-cut favorite to be a cup contender right now. Saskatoon also has alot of great things going for them and should not be overlooked either. After that I'd say teams 3 through 10 all have a legitimate shot at being playoff bound. It's going to be truly fascinating to watch how the VHLM execs handle the new couple of weeks leading into the trade deadline. Who are the contenders and who are the pretenders? Thanks for reading and until next time, happy Easter, and stay safe out there!

1. Which team do you think has most surprised you this season?
Us! I mean, what a turnaround. And yes, I am aware that other teams have had some impressive turnarounds as well. But, I'm sure we're better!
 
2.We're currently the highest scoring team in the VHLM with 41 goals so far. Do you think we can keep that up until season's end?
It all comes down to consistency, which we struggled with last season. IF we can just trust ourselves and trust each other, nobody can stop us.
 
3.  What are your thoughts on the league's longer than usual offseason?
Love it! I love offseasons. Wait, did I say that out loud? Hopefully none of my coaches are listening.
 
4. If you end up working your way to riches in the VHL what is one of the first things you'd buy?
Probably a nice house for my mom. Then a nice house for me. I like nice houses.
 
5. Tell me something good that's going on with your life right now.
Got some ups and downs right now. Mostly downs. But winning makes everything better!
 
6. What is one thing you'd like to recommend to the younger generation of players behind you?
Be good. Work hard. Trust yourself, trust your teammates. If it's bad, don't worry - it'll get better. If it's good, be careful - it'll get worse.

1. Which team do you think has most surprised you this season?
Us! I mean, what a turnaround. And yes, I am aware that other teams have had some impressive turnarounds as well. But, I'm sure we're better!
 
2.We're currently the highest scoring team in the VHLM with 41 goals so far. Do you think we can keep that up until season's end?
It all comes down to consistency, which we struggled with last season. IF we can just trust ourselves and trust each other, nobody can stop us.
 
3.  What are your thoughts on the league's longer than usual offseason?
Love it! I love offseasons. Wait, did I say that out loud? Hopefully none of my coaches are listening.
 
4. If you end up working your way to riches in the VHL what is one of the first things you'd buy?
Probably a nice house for my mom. Then a nice house for me. I like nice houses.
 
5. Tell me something good that's going on with your life right now.
Got some ups and downs right now. Mostly downs. But winning makes everything better!
 
6. What is one thing you'd like to recommend to the younger generation of players behind you?
Be good. Work hard. Trust yourself, trust your teammates. If it's bad, don't worry - it'll get better. If it's good, be careful - it'll get worse.

Questions for Week 2/15 - 2/21
 
 
How do you feel about the Wild's playoff chances after all the new pickups?
It didn't quite work out, but I think they've been huge not just for our play as a team but for our culture in the locker room. We won't be able to keep the team intact, but hopefully we'll be able to come close.
 
The team has been playing with a win one lose one streak lately how do you feel we can get on a winning streak?
We have the same consistency problem we've had this whole season. The only way to get out of it is by trusting everyone around you and trusting yourself.
 
What are your expectations for yourself in the final stretch?
Win - there'd be no better way to close out the season than with some consistent playing.
 
How many wins do you believe we will end up with?
Well, we've got 26 with 3 games left, so... 29. Let's gooooo
 
Do you feel you can take the next step and become a legend in either the VHLM or VHL
I don't need to be a legend. I just want to be an effective contributor on either the team I land on for the VHLM or the VHL. I think I can do that!
 
Who is your favourite new addition to the team?
Honestly everyone has been great. The LR has become a much more fun place since they joined!