Kendrick

I can tell you he is doing well!

I can tell you he is doing well!

1. We need to play better defensively. Us forwards could help out a ton in that regard
 
3. Once in junior I wa traded but it was very early on so it was for draft picks in a future bantam draft
 
4. I usually go out to the team bench and tape my stick. Then I play 5 games of X's and O's with the goalie. It helps me get mentally focused.
 
5. Usually yes. I put my right skate on before my left and repeat that for all other equipment.
 
7. Pineapple. Unpopular opinion but it is great on any pizza
 
8. Dream vacation is the Maldives and I have yet to go because I'm not made of money

User @Da Trifecta has been indefinitely banned from discord for violations of the VHL Code of Conduct for the following:
 
1.4 Harassment
- Discrimination towards a member based on gender identity during a chat in discord and refused to acknowledge the seriousness of the offence
 
1.5 Drama, Fighting, and Trolling
- Personal attacks and trolling in DMs after being muted, including admittance to trolling and behaviour to a mod after the warning
 
The league has zero tolerance for transphobia whether the comments are intended to be a joke or not 
 
Thanks,
Mod Team
 

@Doomsday

Review: I like this. It's simple, but sometimes simple is good.I like that Big Ben is subtly in the background and I do like the smoke effect you added. Jersey change looks good. If I was to be critical in anyway, I would say maybe next time you get a more high resolution photo cut or found from google. Is that Tage Thompson? Looks really good and I would have blurred out the Bauer on the stick as it does become a focal point on first look. The name London could have been put into the sig too with a lower opacity.

Alright time to flex a little here. So @JardyB10 made an excellent hecking podcast that everyone should check out ( https://vhlforum.com/topic/120320-jardys-nodesode-17-identity-confusions/ ) and mentioned this week’s earning leaders and I thought it would be fun to talk about that some more.
 
So in first is my recent recruit, @JCarson who earned a whopping 45TPE this week, which I didn’t even know was possible but it definitely is.
 
2nd is @leandrofg, fellow Wranglers prospect and just an excellent member.
 
3rd is yours truly. Bleh.
 
4th! @Eynhallow! Red Wolves teammate, tearing it up!
 
Sorry to the few I’m skipping now I haven’t interacted with you at all that I remember.
 
9th! @Plate , grinding as always for those top minutes with San Diego, and making good on them.
 
10th! @Brandon, another Red Wolves teammate and my captain!
 
14th@Kendrick! 16th@der meister! 21st@badcolethetitan! 24th@Insypher ! So many Red Wolves putting in the work this week (yes I know graduation bonus helped but shut up).
 
Anyways, that’s words and hopefully some more TPE in the bank for me, which is what I’m really here for. Happy earning everyone!
 
 

1. Watching some NHL games, watching MLB now and excited to watch the NFL Draft in a couple weeks time
 
2. Mostly my skating now. I feel like my shot is pretty good at this stage
 
3. I've been skating all off-season so being back on the ice is just normal life. Feels good being at the rink anytime!
 
4. I feel like we have a good shot at the playoffs and as long as we continue to improve, I see that being the reality.
 
5. Second line centre or primary scorer if need be. We have a good roster this year!
 
6. I expect a point per game to build off of last year

Review: I do love the coordination of the colours with the jersey change. I would say next step is putting some time into the text work.  Try experimenting with different fonts, playing with the effects and try doing backing text to your top layered text. One thing I can tell is you have a good grasp of the effects on layers and your lighting seems to be pretty good. You are well on your way to creating a lot of quality graphics!

Calen McKay
Centerman - 6'4 - 203 lbs
Canadian
 
Calen McKay has been a bit of a reclamation project. In his first short stint in the VHLM with Las Vegas he struggled to get anything going, but he was just getting his feet wet. The trouble with youngsters is some of them take longer to become accustomed to the style, speed and strength of other VHLM players. McKay drastically improved in his full official full season in the VHLM with the Mexico City squad down below the wall. McKay turned in a season that made scouts very proud.
 
His overall vision for the ice improved and he was able to play with more confidence and allow for the space to come to him. At times McKay was out there doing veteran moves and feeling like the player that he was so sought after before coming to the VHLM. Mexico City saw a big increase in production when McKay started factoring into the score sheet on the second line. His strength and power could really be seen and he started to find his teammates at a higher frequency.
 
Some pros to this new found confidence were his goal scoring ability. McKay notched a total of 36 goals last year; with 8 of them coming on the power play unit. Pretty good for a second line centre who is committed to face-offs and shutting down opposing players. His defensive game improved as well as he almost averaged a hit per game. Although, he had an increase in his physicality; scouts were hoping he would explode in that area given his large frame.
 
Things McKay needs to continue working on are obviously his physicality but also his ability to look up and find the outlet pass. Many breakaways were missed because McKay had his head down and wasn't ready to make that headman pass. I'm sure in the VHLE, McKay will have a chance to grow a lot and factor into the scoresheet in more ways than just scoring, but scouts did want to see a stronger defensive game from Calen.
 
One of the biggest things going forward for this young prospect is to tap into that confidence and make sure he knows his worth. At times he under estimates himself and it gets in his own head. We would like to see a more complete game from the outset start of the season and hopefully that comes with more challenging opponents now that Calen is making the jump into the VHLE. Toronto got themselves a pretty good player in the middle of the draft, so we will see what he has in store from here on out.

Calen McKay
Centerman - 6'4 - 203 lbs
Canadian
 
Calen McKay has been a bit of a reclamation project. In his first short stint in the VHLM with Las Vegas he struggled to get anything going, but he was just getting his feet wet. The trouble with youngsters is some of them take longer to become accustomed to the style, speed and strength of other VHLM players. McKay drastically improved in his full official full season in the VHLM with the Mexico City squad down below the wall. McKay turned in a season that made scouts very proud.
 
His overall vision for the ice improved and he was able to play with more confidence and allow for the space to come to him. At times McKay was out there doing veteran moves and feeling like the player that he was so sought after before coming to the VHLM. Mexico City saw a big increase in production when McKay started factoring into the score sheet on the second line. His strength and power could really be seen and he started to find his teammates at a higher frequency.
 
Some pros to this new found confidence were his goal scoring ability. McKay notched a total of 36 goals last year; with 8 of them coming on the power play unit. Pretty good for a second line centre who is committed to face-offs and shutting down opposing players. His defensive game improved as well as he almost averaged a hit per game. Although, he had an increase in his physicality; scouts were hoping he would explode in that area given his large frame.
 
Things McKay needs to continue working on are obviously his physicality but also his ability to look up and find the outlet pass. Many breakaways were missed because McKay had his head down and wasn't ready to make that headman pass. I'm sure in the VHLE, McKay will have a chance to grow a lot and factor into the scoresheet in more ways than just scoring, but scouts did want to see a stronger defensive game from Calen.
 
One of the biggest things going forward for this young prospect is to tap into that confidence and make sure he knows his worth. At times he under estimates himself and it gets in his own head. We would like to see a more complete game from the outset start of the season and hopefully that comes with more challenging opponents now that Calen is making the jump into the VHLE. Toronto got themselves a pretty good player in the middle of the draft, so we will see what he has in store from here on out.

1. Watching some NHL games, watching MLB now and excited to watch the NFL Draft in a couple weeks time
 
2. Mostly my skating now. I feel like my shot is pretty good at this stage
 
3. I've been skating all off-season so being back on the ice is just normal life. Feels good being at the rink anytime!
 
4. I feel like we have a good shot at the playoffs and as long as we continue to improve, I see that being the reality.
 
5. Second line centre or primary scorer if need be. We have a good roster this year!
 
6. I expect a point per game to build off of last year

Calen McKay
Centerman - 6'4 - 203 lbs
Canadian
 
Calen McKay has been a bit of a reclamation project. In his first short stint in the VHLM with Las Vegas he struggled to get anything going, but he was just getting his feet wet. The trouble with youngsters is some of them take longer to become accustomed to the style, speed and strength of other VHLM players. McKay drastically improved in his full official full season in the VHLM with the Mexico City squad down below the wall. McKay turned in a season that made scouts very proud.
 
His overall vision for the ice improved and he was able to play with more confidence and allow for the space to come to him. At times McKay was out there doing veteran moves and feeling like the player that he was so sought after before coming to the VHLM. Mexico City saw a big increase in production when McKay started factoring into the score sheet on the second line. His strength and power could really be seen and he started to find his teammates at a higher frequency.
 
Some pros to this new found confidence were his goal scoring ability. McKay notched a total of 36 goals last year; with 8 of them coming on the power play unit. Pretty good for a second line centre who is committed to face-offs and shutting down opposing players. His defensive game improved as well as he almost averaged a hit per game. Although, he had an increase in his physicality; scouts were hoping he would explode in that area given his large frame.
 
Things McKay needs to continue working on are obviously his physicality but also his ability to look up and find the outlet pass. Many breakaways were missed because McKay had his head down and wasn't ready to make that headman pass. I'm sure in the VHLE, McKay will have a chance to grow a lot and factor into the scoresheet in more ways than just scoring, but scouts did want to see a stronger defensive game from Calen.
 
One of the biggest things going forward for this young prospect is to tap into that confidence and make sure he knows his worth. At times he under estimates himself and it gets in his own head. We would like to see a more complete game from the outset start of the season and hopefully that comes with more challenging opponents now that Calen is making the jump into the VHLE. Toronto got themselves a pretty good player in the middle of the draft, so we will see what he has in store from here on out.

Review: Love your stuff and this is no different. I love the effect you used on the helmet, which is harder because of those shiny domes they have down in LA. I can see a grain effect on the secondary background text and a clean jersey change here. Really like how simple and clean this sig is and I think a collection of these would be a huge popular choice for many on the site. Great stuff here ol dog!

After being hired as the new general manager of the Toronto Legion, Thomas Landry II faced his first big test as GM with the Season 83 VHL Entry Draft. Off-season developments, such as trading goaltender Boris Tsezar @comrade cat to the HC Davos Dynamo and acquiring Paul Atreides @Mr_Hatter and Aurelien Moreau @Frank from the Moscow Menace set Toronto up with a strong roster to compete with in Season 83, while also providing the team with seven picks in a Season 84 VHL Entry Draft anticipated to be loaded with talent. But before Landry II could look too far ahead, the Season 83 VHL Entry Draft loomed, in which Toronto still had three selections, including seventh overall. With the loss of promising prospects such as Otto Numminen @Otto Numminen to sudden retirement, along with the activity of Harkat Mulds @hylands and George Sanderson @SpicyGecko dropping off, hitting on their first round pick would be absolutely essential to any future success for the Toronto Legion. 
 
However, Landry II had gotten himself a nice head start on preparations. As the assistant general manager, he had started with scouting and interviewing prospects more than a week before officially being named the general manager of Toronto, leaving nothing to chance. With early priorities seeming to lean towards selecting a forward, Toronto was tied to top forward prospects such as Scotty Sundin @fromtheinside, Igor Molotov @Dom, Leandro Goncalves @leandrofg, Ivan Retoslav @eagle_3450, and Tomas Sogaard @Brandon, with Landry II quite pleased with each interview. However, with the activity of George Sanderson dropping off, resulting in Aurelien Moreau coming over in a trade, the need for a blue liner for the future ramped up, and Landry II needed to take a harder look at defense prospects.
 
Despite interviewing Hammer Voss @BUM, Ryuji Sakamoto @der meister, and AirRig GoodSunBrand @Rhynex Entertainment, it initially seemed like Siyan Yasilievich @badcolethetitan would be the one available at seventh overall, and after an interview that left Landry II convinced this was the right pick and fit for the Toronto Legion, the matter seemed sealed. However, Yasilievich had similarly endeared themselves to Alex Johnston @Alex and the HC Davos Dynamo, who went slightly off the board and selected Yasilievich fourth overall. With GoodSunBrand going fifth overall to the Calgary Wranglers, it ensured that either Hammer Voss or Ryuji Sakamoto would drop to Toronto at 7th overall. With Frank Funk @Rayzor_7 unable to resist letting Hammer Voss drop any further, all the guesswork was removed for Landry II and the Toronto Legion, as there was no hesitation on their selection: Ryuji Sakamoto. A defensive defenseman that isn't afraid to play the body, this is the type of blue liner that Oskar Lindbergh surely can't wait to have protecting the net. 
 

 
Having satisfied the pressing need for a blue chip defenseman prospect, Toronto's next pick would not come until the 25th overall pick in the second round. Having scouted prospects such as PJ Daniels @xNJDevilsFanx and Justin Adolfsen @NJDevils24, there was little chance at them falling to 25th, and it did not happen. However, there was one prospect that Landry II had been eyeing all along: Calen McKay, represented by legendary VHL builder @Kendrick. With a vast pedigree of success in the VHL, McKay's work ethic and promise made him an attractive option for Landry II. Amazingly, McKay made it all the way to 25th overall for Toronto, and again Toronto did not have to hesitate to make the selection, and the Legion added another quality talent to their prospect pool.
 
Waiting from 7th to 25th was a long ordeal, but it paled until their next selection: 55th overall, in the fourth round. Late round selections are all about finding value and potential, and despite the fact that Season 84's draft is being touted as the deeper class, there were still several gems waiting in the final round of the Season 83 VHL Entry Draft. While Toronto was hoping to acquire a back-up goaltender after moving Boris Tsezar earlier in the off-season, Zack Gagnon @InstantRockstar had the same idea, selecting Cory Evans @Spaceium to the Los Angeles Stars' prospect pool at 54th overall, just one selection before Toronto. However, Landry II was prepared, and had another prospect in mind: forward Alexandre Forgues @Alex99. Despite not taking the ice in Season 82, Forgues continued to work on improving themselves, and became the fourth round selection for the Toronto Legion, along with a seventh round selection by the Geneva Rush of the VHLE. Forgues was drafted by the Ottawa Lynx in the Season 83 VHLM Dispersal Draft, and will be reporting there to officially begin his VHL career. But if his appearance at team facilities this week is any indication, this is a prospect that's going to continue to work hard and take aim at reaching the VHL one day. Not bad at all for a fourth round selection at all.
 
Even after the VHL Draft was over, however, there was more work to be done. Team scouts had informed Landry II of a prospect to keep an eye on in the fourth round, however, it turned out this player went undrafted, and was available as an undrafted free agent. Despite going undrafted, the player returned to practice, perhaps the reason they had gone unnoticed to begin with, and it was all the motivation that Toronto needed to make their move. Once free agency discussions officially began, Landry II contacted Brodie Landry III @Brodie_Landry (no relation), and an agreement was quickly reached. Although he wasn’t drafted, Brodie Landry III became the fourth Season 83 prospect to join the Toronto Legion, which in my eyes counts enough as a draft addition. Slated to play with the San Diego Marlins of the VHLM in Season 83, Landry III now has the opportunity to continue to work on his skills while working their way towards reaching the VHL with the Toronto Legion.
 

 
With uncertainty in Toronto's future, it was imperative for Landry II to deliver with the Season 83 VHL Entry Draft, and early signs are very promising. Ryuji Sakamoto is a player that Toronto was thrilled to get at seventh overall that should make a big impact both on and for the team in upcoming seasons. Calen McKay is a player with a lot of potential, and with Paul Atreides not getting any younger, he could wind up being an important piece of the puzzle in the Legion's future. Alexandre Forgues and Brodie Landry III are both players who fell deep (or in Landry III's case, off of) the draft board, but still could factor into Toronto's long-term plans if they stick with it. All in all… it's an off-season to be happy with for Toronto.
 
Jethro Novacek is an award-winning writer for the MSFL Times, an esteemed and quality purveyor of simulation sports news. He enjoys a good pretzel, binge-watching Mythbusters, and multi-week claims.

HELLO!
 
I didn't think I was going to do this for this season, but I ended up with--gasp!--an evening to myself! And I'm spending said evening doing what I do best, which is nerding out to fake athletes and their fake numbers. I'll try to get the draft order right this time...
 
Without further ado!
 
 
ROUND 1
 
 
 1st Overall 
Scotty Sundin | C | 404 TPE | Houston Bulls | @fromtheinside
I've actually projected this pick already! In my (apparently controversial) article in which I talk about how I would save Chicago, I have the first step down as Sundin at first overall. Let's face it--the Phoenix could use just about anyone, anywhere. With TPE inflation being what it is, and the offseason being longer to make room for all the meta business, Sundin is the first player in a long time to be drafted with over 400 TPE, and with 9-season careers on the horizon, we might be looking at one of the highest-powered prospects of all time. There's simply no better choice, and if he's willing to stick around through the first half of his career while the team builds up, he could be on top of a very powerful lineup in the future.
 
 2nd Overall (from Warsaw) 
Brandt Fuhr | G | 378 TPE | Mexico City Kings | @Tate
This pick was a tough one to figure out. Looking at Vancouver's roster, my first impression is that a rebuild might be in order--Tucker is out after this season, Zolnek is out after this season, and the defensive unit is fairly depleted. In addition, the TPE-efficient model that helped make the past few seasons' lineups so great simply won't fly under the new system. So, why would a team in this situation make the aggressive move to trade up to 2nd overall? Generally, something like this (at least, according to the way I think) would be done to fill one specific gap in one specific way. The one specific gap that can be filled in one specific way, with one specific player, most effectively, is in net, where former first-rounder Aike van Giersbergen hasn't updated since November. Fuhr will likely have to sit through some period of difficult changes, but I can't rationalize the idea of trading up for anyone else. Also likely? Vancouver has done their homework on Fuhr (or whoever else goes here) and gotten a promising answer from someone willing to stick around.
 
 3rd Overall (from DC) 
Igor Molotov | C | 390 TPE | Miami Marauders | @Dom
I actually didn't even consider what might happen at 3 when I projected Fuhr at 2, but this makes me feel much more confident about 2 and 3. Trading into the #3 slot is none other than Dom, general manager of...the Malmo Nighthawks. Here, we've got a team that's got a lot to shuffle around in the coming seasons as well, so it's going to help to have someone who sticks around for as long as they're needed. It's also going to be a good general guiding principle for a rebuilding team to go after the best player on the board, with not a ton of consideration of position. Molotov does both of those things, and the GM factor...doesn't exactly hurt either. And when we ask the same question that we did at 2--that being "why would this team be aggressive in the draft when they're more or less in a rebuild?"--the answer is clear. Molotov is the equivalent of a #1 overall pick for Malmo, and chances are he's penciled into the lineup already.
 
 4th Overall 
AirRig GoodBrandSun | D | 361 TPE | Houston Bulls | @Rhynex Entertainment
I wrestled with this one a bit, and I wasn't sure if I projected this pick for the right reasons. But, I've got my reasons nonetheless and I think it's best if I speak honestly. Purely objectively speaking, if Hammer Voss can be trusted to stick around, that is the pick to make here and anywhere hereafter. I have endless respect for BOOM as a member and a builder, and I don't want any of my analysis to take away from that. His last couple players, though, will raise some questions--though Gunnar Odinsson was the league's best for a brief period of time, it's at least twice in a row that BOOM has both played around with free agency and retired early. There is absolutely nothing wrong with either of those things, but it could make a GM hesitant (and understandably so). As an alternative, a team could pick up GoodBrandSun, whose agent's former (self-named) player stuck around New York long-term. A forward would fit in much better for Davos, but the next seven players on the board play defense. I'd say trading down is in the team's best interest, but I find it hard to believe anyone would trade up to 4 unless Fuhr somehow escapes the top 3.
 
 5th Overall 
Hammar Voss | D | 366 TPE | Houston Bulls | @BOOM
Allow me to clarify something that may not have gotten across in the last spot: Voss is not a bad pick. He's perfectly worthy of being #4, and outside of the top 3 he's got easily the most upside. While some level of risk might turn Davos away, a team like New York might take a swing at the opportunity. Currently, the Americans are in rough shape, and they'll take whatever they can get. But on top of that, they're missing a lot of potential star power. There are very many good players on the board #5, but Voss may be the only one I'd tag in this moment as a potential great. With proper management and a good plan, this may turn out very well for New York.
 
 6th Overall 
Ryuji Sakamoto | D | 339 TPE | Mexico City Kings | @der meister
The need for more defense might not seem apparent in Helsinki, and the team is actually fairly well off across the board as it looks like they'll finally be escaping their rebuild this season. At first, I looked at the Titans' roster and thought they wouldn't need anyone else to play defense, but then I realized that there aren't any glaring needs for the immediate future and started looking deeper (especially because it would be hard to justify reaching down 70 TPE for a forward). There is a potential spot for Sakamoto--though the Titans are set on defense for the immediate future, many of their top players and prospects are from S81, and the team will likely have some cap issues to deal with in S84 when all of them are up for a bigger contract. With three defenders on the roster from two seasons (79 and 80), it might be smart to offload Nano or Remy next offseason to carve out a spot for Sakamoto, thus keeping cap down while sticking with decent players with a proven history of being productive in the league.
 
 7th Overall 
Brian Kowalski | D | 273 TPE | Saskatoon Wild | @Wheaties
Yes, TPE drops off noticeably after Sakamoto. The next few players on the board are fairly similar TPE-wise as well, and one would think that my job would be made harder by that. For this pick? Not really. Vets recognize vets, and I also think former Wild GMs recognize current Wild players. New GM @Doomsday is sure to pick out Wheaties, who's a prominent figure outside the VHL, and it helps quite a bit that the Legion could use a solid defensive prospect. I'd love to see how this pick goes, but if 1-6 follow 1-6 in TPE, as I think they will, I also think 7 won't be a difficult decision.
 
 8th Overall (from MAL) 
Tomas Sogaard | LW | 267 TPE | Mexico City Kings | @Brandon
DC should do something about their forward unit, and I think this is the perfect pick to do that. Let's ignore the overall draft ranking--Sogaard is the #3 forward in the draft, and he's just as good a pick as anyone surrounding him in the rankings, especially for a team looking for a forward. With five of six forwards on the roster being pre-S80, the time to start planning for turnover is now, and Sogaard is a valuable piece of the puzzle. With this pick, too, DC gets yet another member from the good old days who came back to the forum after years of being away, a class of members that's done very well in recent times.
 
 9th Overall (from SEA via HSK) 
Siyan Yasilievich | D | 282 TPE | Philadelphia Reapers | @badcolethetitan
Rebuild incoming! Calgary is tearing things apart. And you know what I like to do to teams that are rebuilding? That's right, I like to give them the best player available without thinking about position. The best player available right now is Yasilievich, who's been passed over a couple times ahead of this in favor of others who potentially represent better fits for their teams. I think it's very possible that Yasilievich could end up going at 7 as well (he's been max earning lately!), but in this projection I have Calgary pulling the trigger and getting someone with underrated potential.
 
 10th Overall 
Jake Thunder | D | 268 TPE | Las Vegas Aces | @Thunder
Yet another one for Calgary, and here they make a similar pick. Thunder is quietly earning very well, and could be a very nice complement to Yasilievich in the future. It's absolutely correct that I make this as another "best player available" pick, but I sincerely promise that "best player available" is a compliment. Thunder represents the chance for Calgary to lay a solid foundation on the blue line in one season, and to move on confidently with who they select in this draft.
 
 11th Overall (from PRG) 
Leandro Goncalves | C | 262 TPE | Mexico City Kings | @leandrofg
What? Yet another member I don't think I've ever interacted with, max earning and being a WJC GM? Unbelievable. I remember a time when I had nothing better to do than stare at the VHL all day, and that certainly wouldn't have happened then. ANYWAY, forwards are at a premium in this draft class, and Goncalves is a valuable pick at 11. I like to think Davos has a decent history with newer players and player enjoyment over the last decade (now included), and it should be a spot that's very conducive to Goncalves' development as the team aims to escape its rebuild over the next couple seasons.
 
 12th Overall 
Ivan Retoslav | C | 252 TPE | Houston Bulls | @eagle_3450
London would do well to pick Retoslav here, deviating ever so slightly from the TPE rankings (which are close enough here as to be inconsequential anyway). I've seen Eagle around league chat every now and then, always a bonus, and Retoslav has demonstrated very solid earning. I think that London would go with someone on defense if they really wanted to draft based on position, but that's a little bit of a reach and I also think that this pick is good enough to make up for that. 
 
And no, I have no super secret insider AGM info about this pick. I just got here.
 
 13th Overall (from RIG via PRG) 
Landon Wolanin | LW | 260 TPE | Las Vegas Aces/San Diego Marlins | @jacobcarson877
I got really excited when I saw that the portal had Calgary for three picks in a row, but NEVER MIND! We should really get the portal draft order ironed out. Wolanin is yet another underrated first-round talent in this draft (and also one whose player...somehow doesn't have a nationality on the portal? What's up with that one?) who may be going under the radar of quite a few people. After picking up two on defense already by this point, Calgary conveniently sits in a spot where a forward is the best they can get--and that is what they will get.
 
 14th Overall (from LA) 
Augustus Kennedy | G | 259 TPE | Saskatoon Wild | @InstantRockstar
In my Chicago article, I had Kennedy going to the Phoenix after a trade up, for the reason that a rebuilding team with needs everywhere shouldn't be shelling out huge assets to get a goaler right away, but that Kennedy is still a very solid pick with fairly assured budget starter potential. That reason holds true for New York here, as they'll pick up the goaler they want (and need!) for the future. Unless another team manages to trade up ahead of 14 for Kennedy, too, he's all but guaranteed to be available here, as neither Calgary nor London nor Davos nor anyone else in the neighborhood has an immediate need for someone in net. Finally, it's a match made in heaven--GM @MexicanCow123 spent much of his early time in the VHL as AGM of San Diego under IR. 
 
 15th Overall 
PJ Daniels | LW | 243 TPE | Las Vegas Aces | @xNJDevilsFanx
Imagine being from New Jersey! Never in a million years could that be me, but it could absolutely be Moscow's GM and there's a definite nonzero chance that it could be this player's agent as well. That's not why I projected this pick the way I did--solid earning did that for me--but it can't hurt, can it? There's a case to be made for Moscow to draft any skater position here--they've got a good handful of forward prospects (as opposed to none on defense), but none that stick out too strongly, so I consider Daniels the best choice here as defense is still a good reach.
 
 16th Overall 
Baxter Arcanum | D | 223 TPE | Ottawa Lynx | @ctots
Another pick, another max earner, and I can say quite safely that I'm very proud of this draft class. Any skater would make sense here, but defense is where the team is most lacking after both Kitson and Nalwa were shipped off elsewhere. Arcanum fills the role of a prospect perfectly, with less TPE and less name recognition than many others but with big potential to be a big solution to some big problems. This may be seen as somewhat of a reach, but it's one that the Wolves should feel comfortable making.
 
 
ROUND 2
 
 
 17th Overall 
Pete Mitchell | LW | 262 TPE | Las Vegas Aces | @Crstats23
Mitchell falls a bit due to a bit lower earn rate than the others ahead of him in this mock, but stays in respectable territory due to past league experience. No matter the earn rate, recreating is a mark of consistency, and it's one that can't be overlooked after Chris Reynolds' steady career with Warsaw. Chicago manages to pick up a player who they can count on (a factor which they desperately need) with this pick, potentially with less expectation of star power but with a good deal less risk.
 
 18th Overall 
Sock Monkey | LW | 209 TPE | Miami Marauders | @chikn
From one recreate we go to another, and it's with this pick that DC hopes to continue building up their future forward lines. The former agent of defender Chicken Wing, also of Warsaw for a while, Sock Monkey is a decent pick for much the same reason as Mitchell--it's a low-risk, team-knows-what-they're-getting type of deal where the team in question gets what's probably a decent second-line player in a competitive lineup. That's conveniently exactly what they need, and with Sock Monkey likely available at 18, it's a smart investment.
 
 19th Overall 
Adison Bond | C | 184 TPE | Ottawa Lynx/Mississauga Hounds | @adison
HOT TAKE! I think it's more likely than not that Bond doesn't end up in the top 20, but this pick makes sense, and here's why. Bond has been earning weirdly lately, with many supporting tasks being completed, but no welfare or 6-point task. Perhaps Bond's agent lacks a bit of clarification on the earning process, perhaps not--but with a little bit of guidance and a little bit of added consistency, we could see Bond moving up the rankings. Also, Davos has already drafted a forward, and with many picks in this draft, they can afford to take a little risk. Last but not least, Bond's agent was a GM in the Junior Showcase tournament...which GM @Alex runs.
 
 20th Overall 
Deron Nesbitt | D | 227 TPE | Ottawa Lynx | @AW13
There's a definite case to be made for Nesbitt to go higher up the board than this, and I wouldn't argue against it. AW is an established member of other leagues, and he's created some decent players here as well, most recently bringing Lexi Glass to Warsaw (is this the Warsaw recreate round? It sure feels like it). This pick offers some level of comfort if Voss ends up not working out for whatever reason, and I'd also argue that Nesbitt is the best player available at this point (certainly in TPE, yes, but there are more factors than that). I think this pick could go either way, but there's nothing wrong with picking someone who keeps coming back, and there's a good deal of potential for expectations to be exceeded.
 
 21st Overall 
Calen McKay | C | 192 TPE | Mexico City Kings | @Kendrick
Speaking of members who keep coming back...well, here's another one. I believe the last time Kendrick played for Helsinki was with Jesse Wilson, way back when I joined the league, and we'd all hope for a happy homecoming with McKay. Helsinki is no stranger to picking somewhat over-the-hill (though still consistent) earners in the second round (think Calix Pearce last season), and though that hasn't (yet) worked out supremely, it's a perfectly viable way to go about things and it's a huge understatement to say that Kendrick is perfectly capable of contributing to a team. I loved having Lewis Dawson (selected--I think--7th overall in--I think--S70?) as a teammate in Malmo, and it's the hope of Titans management that McKay turns out similarly.
 
 22nd Overall 
Justin Adolfsen | LW | 205 TPE | Saskatoon Wild/San Diego Marlins | @NJDevils24
The second round isn't the place to find the solution to your positional need, unless you're lucky, but Warsaw (despite being fairly well-balanced at the moment) could certainly use a forward prospect more than someone elsewhere at the moment and Adolfsen is at the top of the TPE list at this point in our projection. Looking more to pick smartly than to make a splash, the Predators go for Adolfsen here (who's been mainly taking welfare, but doing so consistently, which is more important) and plan for him to fit into the lineup a season or two down the road.
 
 23rd Overall 
James Marino | D | 197 TPE | Ottawa Lynx/San Diego Marlins | @Adrest245
Marino could certainly go higher than this, and I think that's a definite possibility, but Adrest's last player went inactive early on, which could lead to some GMs being hesitant. I don't think there's any way Marino ends up falling much farther than this, though, and I've projected him to Moscow because I know of @Spartan's connection with affiliate leagues, where Adrest is mostly focused. Not only does that bring a level of familiarity from a GM standpoint, it's potentially more conducive to player development and interest--a two-way street that goes well both ways.
 
 24th Overall (from MAL) 
Svatopluk Puk | RW | 186 TPE | Ottawa Lynx/San Diego Marlins | @Otaznik
The player I had going to Chicago in my Chicago article (after some pick movement) instead goes to Davos in this one--we're in mostly-welfare territory for most of our picks at this point, but Puk has been earning a bit more than that and also just so happens to be near the top of the TPE list at this point in the draft. This pick gives Davos some security in reaching for Bond at 19, as Puk should develop into a reasonable second-line option eventually if Bond doesn't pan out.
 
 25th Overall (from SEA via DAV) 
Sam Azjha | C | 140 TPE | Halifax 21st | @Azjha_59
ANOTHER HOT TAKE! This one sees Toronto reaching down 40-ish TPE in the rankings to grab a player at a position they don't even really need. Why, you ask? Azjha's earning has picked up markedly over the past two weeks, with graphics rather than welfare for a whole 10 capped. Though that will need to be kept up, it's an absolute bargain at 25 if it can be. This is also a name I think I recognize, and I believe it's someone I've interacted with on some level at some point. For not-living-here-as-much-anymore me to recognize a newer member at this stage is a mark of promise, and Toronto makes this pick hoping things will work out well.
 
 26th Overall 
Jeremy Davidson | RW | 164 TPE | Halifax 21st |@jpdavidson8787
Calgary shouldn't need to load up on defense any more after the first round, as evidenced by my projection of Wolanin up there. We're certainly in best-player-on-the-board territory at this point in the second round, and Davidson has some upside, mostly welfare but participating in things like press conferences and trivia on occasion. Even a player with potential to make the roster is valuable to a rebuilding team, and that's what Calgary gets.
 
 27th Overall (from PRG) 
Dens Oden | LW | 150 TPE | Saskatoon Wild | @Snussu
There are better picks in terms of both TPE and earn rate to be made here, but I make this projection under the assumption that Davos has done their homework well. I once had Snu as a player and loved having him on the team for his activity in our server--and he felt similarly about playing for Davos. One can look at this pick as a mostly welfare-only player going above their TPE ranking, but one can also look at it as a member who has been a member longer than I have going to a franchise that he's personally connected to. And that's something I think makes a lot of sense!
 
 28th Overall 
Nicholas Blue | D | 165 TPE | Miami Marauders | @lidz
Nicholas who? That's right, it's Nicholas Blue. Here in the draft, it's really, really small things that can set one player apart from another, and there's one really, really small thing about Blue that I'm a really, really big fan of. In both of the last two weeks, he's taken himself from welfare to welfare-plus-trivia, and with a couple press conferences done in the past, it's clear that we have more than just a clicker on our hands. There are more people doing more than just welfare, here, sure--but it's the trend that interests me. Just ask Jimmy Spyro--a player drafted right as they start to improve their earn rate can blow up if given the right attention.
 
 29th Overall (from RIG) 
Babushka | D | 186 TPE | San Diego Marlins | @BrutalBoost
"CaLgArY iSn'T dRaFtiNg MoRe DeFeNsE," said some idiot not long ago. Well, guess what: they are. It's not like that option is completely off the table, as everyone here has room to grow into an eventual future role. With Babushka, Calgary gets the top-TPE player on the board, and a former VHLM GM and current VHLM AGM at that. Though former-GM-now-on-welfare can often spell BUST, it doesn't always--and if it doesn't, Calgary gets more than what one would expect.
 
 30th Overall 
Hasbulla Magomedov | LW | 178 TPE | Mexico City Kings | @Motzaburger
It should make some GMs raise an eyebrow that Motza burned out fairly quickly on the last time around, but it should also be a point of interest that Micheal (yes, I spelled that right) Gary Scott was a good earner for a good while and that Motza is a former VHLM GM. IR is someone who's been around long enough to remember the latter, and it's for that reason that LA takes a chance on Hasbulla, who gets the chance to prove whether or not he is truly NUMBER ONE in the seasons ahead.
 
 31st Overall 
E Man | D | 165 TPE | Las Vegas Aces | @Ian Kingston
I can see E Man going as high as 26th, and this is another Moscow-projected pick that I think would be great value at its spot. Though there's been a slight hiccup in his earning over the last week-ish, E Man earned quite well for someone who would go at this point before that. If he can get back on track, this pick is a steal, and there's plenty of room to exceed even that with the proper coaching.
 
 32nd Overall 
Boston | LW | 154 TPE | Halifax 21st | @CanucksFan
This pick is projected for just about the same reasons as with E Man--earning ever so slightly less in the last week or so, Boston has better upside than just a welfare player. As an apparent Canucks fan, too, Boston's agent will have something in common with both the team's location and with Nyko, who hopes to keep the Wolves going strong after this offseason's changes.
 
 
As always, tell me what you think! I tried to actually get the draft order from the rulebook this time, so...fingers crossed on that one I guess? I'm looking forward to a great draft, and I'd love to see how the results of the draft stack up to my projections!
 
 
4,267 words | See you in a month!

Hey as someone who is usually not okay with changes, I like that you guys/girls were brainstorming and running tests. Excited to see what this means going forward for each player!

Hey as someone who is usually not okay with changes, I like that you guys/girls were brainstorming and running tests. Excited to see what this means going forward for each player!

Hey as someone who is usually not okay with changes, I like that you guys/girls were brainstorming and running tests. Excited to see what this means going forward for each player!

Hybrid Attributes: Ending the Meta
 
Hello @Members!
 
As I’m sure you’re all aware by now, the VHL has a meta problem. If you aren’t aware…. where have you been? I’ll explain though: at its core, the “meta” in the VHL refers to building a player with max Scoring (as well as ideally max Defense) and absolutely no Passing, or as little Passing as you can possibly manage. This tricks the engine into taking an insane amount of shots rather than passing and more shots means more goals. An individual player doing this has minimal impact on the engine as a whole but an entire team doing it is not only salary efficient (since not much TPE is needed), but can also be very beneficial to that team as they outshoot and outscore their opponents rather consistently. As more and more users have started to discover this, more and more teams have come to adopt this “meta” strategy, intentionally or otherwise.
 
The SHL discovered this a few years ago and completely changed engines to eliminate it. Before I get into our fix I want to explain something to eliminate a misconception: we did know about this and we weren’t just ignoring it in hopes that it wouldn’t be a problem. At the time it was discovered, we ran tests and found the impact to be lesser with our engine version and roster composition. It was present but not extreme - combined with re-rolls being much harder to acquire here, we thought it best not to rock the boat believing changes would be more detrimental to league health than the problem which, at that point, had not really come up in the VHL.
 
Unfortunately times changed and as we know, the meta has been on our doorstep for a bit now. That is why the @BOG has been working very hard the last few seasons to come up with a solution that would not only eliminate the meta without changing engines (something that would be nuclear to the portal and unwanted if it can be avoided) but also improve build diversity, roster makeup, and hopefully league enjoyment.
 
Therefore, I present your new VHL Player Attributes:
 
 
"But Beketov..." I hear you asking, "if we aren't changing engines and we can't change the attributes inside of STHS how do we have new attributes?"
 
Good question theoretical member! The short answer is: we don't. The above are the attributes you as members will be seeing but they are not the attributes STHS will be seeing. We are calling these hybrid attributes and their job is to give us more control over builds without directly limiting what can and can't be added to. They work by spreading out the TPE placed into them into different STHS attributes at different ratios. Specifically the ratios that are used are:
 
 
I know that looks like a lot of numbers and attributes but I promise it's not as complicated as it seems at first glance.
 
Essentially 1 point into a Hybrid attribute = a ratio of 1 or more STHS attributes. For example adding 1 point to Offensive Vision will add 0.3 points to PA and 0.3 points to SC (this sounds quite low but I promise it works out). To make it so that this doesn't completely break how much TPE is needed for a build all values will be rounded down (since STHS cannot accept decimals) but the points aren't lost, they simply aren't used until you hit a new whole number. I also want to assure you that these values were not randomly determined - they were the byproduct of many test sims to ensure they would mitigate all of the issues we were aiming to address.
 
These values can be more easily tweaked over time if a new meta develops and give us granular control over the STHS attributes in a way that simply having an update scale never has and never could. In the specific case of the meta, the eagle eyed among you have probably already noticed that there’s no way to achieve max scoring without adding to passing. In fact if you max all the scoring attributes you will end up around 64 passing by association. This was the crux of the meta fix, build attributes together in a way that making a purely “meta” player is impossible.
 
The additional bonus of course is build diversity, or at least that's the hope. I'm hitting this explanation over the head a bit and I promise I'll stop soon but I wanted to touch on this very quickly because I can see the comments now from that theoretical member again, "couldn't we have achieved the same thing by adding archetypes or simply a required gap between passing and scoring?" Yes, theoretical member, we could have. However we chose to take longer to make this than go one of those routes because the VHL's attributes have always been based around adding what you want, where you want. We do not have limits on specific attributes or requirements like gap; it would be easier but that doesn't inherently make it better. @Beaviss originally came up with an early version of this a few years back (so credit to him) and I shot it down because I didn't think it made sense at the time. However when looking at all of this again it seemed to fit perfectly. Fix the meta and add a whole new world of build theorycrafting. We don't have any new actual attributes but having different ways to get things up and having to balance certain trade offs inherently creates more opportunity to diversify. You can try this out for yourselves since @Spartan ohas graciously simplified our testing spreadsheet here (originally designed by @Enorama, credit where due because I certainly couldn't do all that math) which you can use to start designing your build right now before this all comes into play.
 
--- 
 
Which leads me out of the meat of this announcement and into the nitty gritty details: Implementation and what it all means.
 
First off, this is going into effect for the start of S83 which will likely mean extending the off-season slightly because we need to accommodate the fact that every skater in the league will be re-rolled down to TPA + banked after depreciation is run, which will happen early. This is done so that you can re-apply your TPE into the new attributes as you please. You can choose to change your build if you'd like or you can try and build exactly the same, the choice is ultimately yours. Inactive players will be re-rolled by their GM's and any players not re-rolled by the start of the season will be retired.
 
We recognize this is a large change though and builds may not be perfectly finalized even with the extra tools and preparation time. For that reason we will be offering a 3 season window (ending at the start of S86) in which you will be able to re-roll your player again for free. Everyone will be able to do this once regardless of if they have previously used the paid re-roll or not.
 
We do also recognize that this is a WC off-season as well as the other usual off season tournaments and those will not be affected. We will download a ratings file for them the last day before everyone is reset and run the tournaments off of that file. You may have noticed by now that none of those attributes above and nothing I have said thus far relates to goalies; that is because goalies shall remain untouched for now. They will not be re-rolled or affected in any way at this time. If changes to their attributes need to be made in the future we shall do so but for now we want to gather data without adjusting them.
 
The update scale and depreciation will also remain unchanged, again at least for now. From our testing depreciation should be roughly the same difficulty to fight as before for the higher TPE players and should be slightly easier for the lower TPE players. Additionally the update scale does not appear to require changing and will operate in exactly the same way as before with 1 caveat: attributes will start at 0 and go to 99 instead of the 40-99 that the VHL has ran with for 82 seasons. This only applies to the hybrid attributes with the ones inside STHS still having a baseline of 40. The update scale for 0-70 will remain at 1 TPE per point. The process of updating will also remain unchanged however it will look slightly different. We will be upgrading the update page to showcase not only which points go into your hybrid attributes but also the effect of your STHS attributes. It is worth noting, however, that there will be disheartening moments in this system on occasion. Because of how the ratios work and the rounding down there will be times where you add a point and see nothing change. Again I would like to clarify that every point added does get counted, it may just not be enough to push you over the rounding threshold. The TPE tool shall also be adjusted accordingly to help people figure out their builds and see exactly what adding to everything does. It will work the same as the above link but be a lot less manual.
 
I recognize this is a long explanation, a lot of words, and a lot to take in. It is not a decision we made lightly but it is a decision we are excited about. It should hopefully fix a lot of player attribute problems we have been facing in one move and allow the league to grow without destroying everything we have built with STHS. This will allow our attributes to be closer to the expectation of the engine without suppressing the creativity to do as you please, it will put an end to the meta build, it will make for an increase in build diversity, and it will allow the VHL to continue to thrive. Please know that we will be keeping an eye on things over the next few seasons as, regardless of the amount of testing we did, ultimately the biggest test is getting it in all of your hands. If we need to adjust sliders or change goalies or anything else we will do so. We ask that you all embrace this change and help to make the league better.
 
If you have any further questions, points of clarification, or concerns, please reach out to a Commissioner or a BoG member. We'd be happy to explain details to prevent incorrect information from circulating.
 
- @Commissioner

Review:
Good team! Definitely had some of the top earners of that generation on that team. The sig is decent - text is solid and the red on screen layer is good. I don't think there's much to it other than that. The texture in the middle of the sig kinda seems out of place, and the fact that there isn't really any effects on the right side doesn't look very good. Not sure if you were going for like a burn effect on the piece, but probably could use some refining. Then again could have just been a quick gfx made for theme week. More to be desired, maybe a JC or some effects to give depth. 7/10

Really dig this signature. I find light sigs to be harder to work with than dark sigs, especially ones that are a cleaner style. Solid blending, really great font choice and positioning, and overall great coloring and flow in the entire signature. Only suggestions I could make would be to add a grey color dodge lighting source on the the players, and add a low opacity / dark brush on the sides to pull the focal point even tighter. Maybe an extra Image > Apply Image > Filter > Sharpen (then erase the sides) to make it pop even more. Overall, great work. 9/10