Elhandon

Good point about LoV.  It has a lot of luck, but still, it is soooo fun.  Plus it fits the theme and is great for nubes!
Yup, I don't play Catan much anymore but I can't hate on the game that got me into this hobby!
 
Nice to see other boardgamers on here!

Nice. Heard good things about Dead of Winter. Own Pandemic (probably over - played it) and have played Ticket to Ride many times. App games are great. 

And Teagan had a big game!!!

Thanks for the assist @tfong!
lol

D - Piotr Jerwa
 
(and @Quik you may as well change the name of my other pick to Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen)
Thanks
 

D - Lando Baxter
 
@Snussu

Yaaaas, Baxter 

markoovskyz - 932.19 (missing 1 player)
bushito - 892.8700000000001 (missing 1 player) [HOW TF?]
elhando - 1121.22
shawnglade - 1116.91
beaviss - 1034.23
wcats - 1129.82
 
Payout:
@wcats - 6 tpe
@Elhandon - 5 tpe
@ShawnGlade - 4 tpe
@Beaviss - 3 tpe
@Markoovskyz - 2 tpe
@Bushito - 1 [wtfrick man]

Not to overly tag you about this @Will but this one actually is showing incorrectly in the Portal. Baxter accepted a S68 extension and with a S69 player option. However in finances it now has added his S67 contract with this bonus that wasn't included. I know your still working on it all so no worries, just figured I'd make sure it's known he did accept an extension with for next season with a player option for 69. As always, thanks for the hard work you do on the portal dude.  

@Devise good news, this behaved weirdly only because the offer was made before the last portal update. Didn't realize but in hindsight it makes sense it wouldnt work. 
 
 

Another regular season has come to a close. That means we can dole out some regular season awards! Welcome everyone to the 2nd Annual Unofficial VHL Regular Season Awards for S67.
 
I’m not really sure if I should call these the 2nd annual seeing as the previous awards were only handed out a couple of months ago at the end of S66. How many seasons do we go through in a calendar year, 4, 6, 8? Should this be called the Quadannual (Septannual, Octannual) Unofficial VHL Regular Season Awards? I don’t know. Is that even how you describe an event that happens multiple times in the same year? Maybe there should be an award for someone that can figure out the best name for these awards.
I appreciate the warm responses I received with last season's post and that's the main reason I'm doing it again. Thank you to everyone that read last season's post. A big thank you to everyone that commented. As you'll see by a newly created award this year that came based off a comment in last season's post, I'm open to suggestions for new awards. Share your ideas with me. 
 
Anyway, these awards have been created by me. There is no voting process and they are not officially recognized by the VHL Board of Governors. I wrote silly little descriptions for most of these award names in Last season's unofficial award post. This year I'm cutting down on that junk and getting straight to business. Without further ado, away we go:
 
The Pylon Award (worst +/- rating) – There’s a tie! Piotr Jerwa @majesiu and Nethila Dissanayake @nethi99.
The New York Americans set the low water mark with a -34.
     Previous Winner: S66 - Bryce Zhields (-49)
 
The Gandhi Award (least penalty minutes) - Diljodh Starload @DilIsPickle!
Lucas Nygren @Advantage, Diljodh Starload, and Ludvig Sederstrom @aleks all tied with 0 PIM.  Based on the tiebreaker of total minutes played the winner is Diljodh Starload! Diljodh had 0 penalty minutes in 2091 minutes played.
     Previous Winner: S66 - Beau Buefordsson (0 PIM, 1939 Minutes Played)
 
The Timex Award (received most hits) – Rauno Palo @jRuutu!
Rauno was the runner up in this category last year. He took the crown this year getting hit 302 times.
                Previous Winner: S66 - Beau Louth (300 hits taken)
 
The John Wayne Award (most shots taken) - Matt Thompson @Beketov!
Matt took 495 shots this season.
                Previous Winner: S66 – Shane Mars (533 shots)
 
The “Hit the Broadside of the Barn” Award (most own shots blocked) - Beau Louth @Beaviss
Beau had 153 of his shots blocked (15.3% of his total shots).
                Previous Winner: S66 - Oyorra Arroyo (142 shots blocked)
 
The “Can’t Hit the Broadside of the Barn” Award (most own shots missed) - Beau Louth @Beaviss!
Beau missed a league high 364 of his shots. It’s quite the feat to win both the Can and Can’t Hit awards!
                Previous Winner: S66 – Roctrion King (372 shots missed)
 
The New Shin Pads Award (most blocked shots) – Piotr Jerwa @majesiu!
Piotr blocked 170 shots this season. Imagine how much lower his +/- rating would have been if he didn’t lay down to block all these shots. This award was renamed thanks to Lando’s acceptance speech last year where he asked for new shin pads. The winner of this award needs new shin pads after all the shots they blocked.
                Previous Winner: S66 - Lando Baxter (189 shots blocked)
 
The Tired Legs Award (most minutes played) - Shawn Glade @ShawnGlade!
Shawn played a total of 2,226 minutes this season, averaging 30.93 minutes per game.
                Previous Winner: S66 - Robert Malenko (2,324 minutes)
 
The Snap! Award (most power play minutes) - Beau Louth @Beaviss!
Beau enjoyed 437 minutes on the power play.
                Previous Winner: S66 - Jake Davis (412 power play minutes)
 
The 1 vs. 100 Award (most time on penalty kill) - Aron Nielsen @solas!
Aron spent 374 minutes killing penalties, around 27% of his total ice time.
                Previous Winner: S66 - Lew Bronstein (352 minutes)
 
The Sean Archer Award (highest face-off win %) - Beau Louth @Beaviss!
Beau continues to rack up the awards, winning this award with a face-off win percentage of 63.09%
                Previous Winner: S66 – Rauno Palo (63.10%)
 
The Castor Troy Award (lowest face-off win %) - Gucci Garrop @JG10!
Gucci only won 35.07 of his face-offs.
                Previous Winner: S66 - Bryce Zhields (30%)
 
The Triple Deke Award (most penalty shot goals) - Veran Dragomir @Velevra!
Veran scored 8 penalty shot goals.
                Previous Winner: S66 - Leph Twinger (5 penalty shot goals)
 
The Rocky Award (most fights won) - ACL TEAR @Quik!
ACL beat up 6 people this year. He also did not lose a fight, going 6-0-2 on the season.
                Previous Winner: S66 - Ryuu Crimson (4 fights won)
 
The Glass Joe Award (most fights lost) – It’s a tie! Kronos Bailey @Quik and Hunter Hearst Helmsley @Beaviss!
They share the honors both having lost 4 fights.
                Previous Winner: S66 - Rauno Palo (3 fights lost)
 
The Stars Award (most stars won) - Rauno Palo @jRuutu
Rauno won a total of 25 stars this season, including 11 1st stars. Special nod to Dan Wilinsky @oilmandan who led the league with 14 first stars.
                Previous Winner: S66 - Matt Thompson (28 total stars)
 
The “Always a Bridesmaid” Award (most stars without winning 1st star) - Dan Baillie @wcats!
Dan won 13 starts yet never won the 1st star.
                Previous Winner: S66 - Mikka Pajari (7 stars)
 
Now for a new award…
 
The Biggest Backpack Award
Since we always listen to reasonable requests, last year a new award was requested, the biggest backpack award. This award goes to the player that had the largest difference between their points and the next highest point scorer on their team. They have the biggest backpack because they have to carry their team.
The winner is: Podrick Cast @Victor!
Podrick scored 104 points, 23 more than his next closest teammate, Randoms.
 
This concludes the unofficial award ceremony. Thank you to everyone reading. Congratulations and/or condolences to all the winners! Have a good night!
 
1,014 words will claim for weeks ending 8/25 and 9/1.

Fredrik Elmebeck, D
183 cm/6'0", 79 kg/174 lbs, age 18
Hometown: Ask, Östergötland, Sweden
 
Elmebeck is probably the best up and coming D prospect in VHLM entering S67 so far. The vocal youth has perhaps not impressed in points with only 11 points in 21 games, but has been second on Houston Bulls in both +/- and shots blocked, with "an eye for how to position himself" according to GM @FrostBeard.

As a Swedish product Elmebeck is extremely creative and with good skating for his age, but what stands out is his positioning defensively.

Skating: Fredrik's skating has improved a lot with the coaches in Houston, especially forward top speed and being more agile when skating backwards.
"I really want to get better too," he says, "watching players like @Elhandon and how he can move over the ice is so impressive and a goal of mine."

Creativity: "Growing up and playing in Sweden I think I got a lot from playing on a larger ice, you can really build up your eye for the ice. Sure, it's faster in North America, but I feel like what I learned on a bigger ice is even more applicable."
Elmebeck currently has most of his points, 9 out of 11, in assists and has increased almost 50% according to coaches, with more to follow.

Defensive: Great positioning is clear from having the best +/- record and most shots blocked by all Houston Bull defensivemen, trailing @banko and @fin_daddy in hits. 
@Dalton Wilcox reminices, "I made a really bad play, I could see @StaticShocked ahead of me and knew I had made a huge mistake with losing the puck. But as I looked behind me Elmebeck was there and saved the play. His positioning is second to none!""

Elmebeck has gotten a lot of flack for being a bit vocal, attacking teammates and opposition alike.

Fighting: "I never saw @BarzalGoat fight, so I don't know why that is levied at Fredrik", @Sixersfan549 said in an impromptu interview. And as hockey has lost a lot of the fighting element in recent years it's certainly true that Elmebeck would not be a a great leverage to put some energy into the team by fighting. @Peace went as far as calling the Swede "Coward."

Checking: Elmebeck is following the European mold of not being very physical, rather working with his feet and head. "We've been trying to work up his physique though," GM @FrostBeard offered, "I think he has to grow a bit more and be able to hit harder in order to play well here."

Puckhandling: While not bad the puckhandling, it does need work, and VHL teams looking to draft Elmebeck should probably keep an eye on his development there.

Elmebeck is one of the more impressive new players for S67, especially as a relatively balanced defensive player with a great drive to improve.
"He's a darling when he's not irritating you, and with such a massive talent that I am sure will just explode," @SweetMike666 added.
Fredrik Elmebeck is playing second line defence for Houston Bulls, 11 points in 21 games.

Official Team Announcement:  Link to Release
 
 
Introducing S66 Team Western Europe
 
 
FORWARDS 
Podrick Cast | United Kingdom | S61 (Captain) @Victor
Mark Gebauer | Germany | S64 @Sova
The Charm | Ireland | S59 @Tyler
Hans Gruber | Germany | S66 @TheFlash
Lew Bronstein | United Kingdom | S61 @troy
Aston Martin | United Kingdom | S67 @Sullvino
 
DEFENSE 
Joseph McWolf | United Kingdom | S63 @McWolf
Konstantin Mulligan | Ireland | S62 @Pandar
Lando Baxter | Ireland | S62 @Elhandon
Denver Wolfe | Ireland | S65 @InstantRockstar
 
GOALIES 
Finn Davison | United Kingdom | S64 @Poptart
JB Rift | Ireland | S64 @Devise

Introducing Team Western Europe
VHL.com
 
The VHL announced this week that it will hold the World Cup of Hockey as part of it's Season 66 off-season; a tradition that takes place every two seasons. For Team Western Europe, the past two World Cup's have not been all that successful; finishing with a losing record in round robin play both years. This season the team hopes to assemble a roster to change that trajectory. The executive management of Team Western Europe has reviewed the eligible players and finalized the roster for this tournament. The roster will feature players from three different countries: Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The team will also include three players who have played in three previous World Cups (S60, S62, S64) and four players making their international World Cup debuts. While they will not be picked as the favorite to win the tournament, they have a nice mix of veterans and young talent that may prove to be difficult to play against. Let's meet the team. 
 
FORWARDS [Average TPE: 457] 
Podrick Cast | United Kingdom | S61 (Captain)
Mark Gebauer | Germany | S64
The Charm | Ireland | S59
Hans Gruber | Germany | S66 
Lew Bronstein | United Kingdom | S61  
Aston Martin | United Kingdom | S67
 
The offense is led by superstar center and captain of Team Western Europe, Podrick Cast, who has played in three previous World Cups (S60, S62, S64). In the last World Cup in S64, despite the teams lack of success, Cast eclipsed a point-per-game in round robin play with 11 points in 10 games. Without a doubt the team will be relying on him for goal scoring and if they do make a cinderella run, Cast will be the main reason why. Cast is flanked by a mix of veterans and younger players to round out the offensive group. The Charm and Lew Bronstein have also played in the same aforementioned 3 World Cups, but havent quite amounted the VHL success that Cast has. Gebauer, Gruber and Martin have less international experience than the rest of the group, but will be hungry to produce at this level and on this international stage. Overall, this is a pretty scrappy bunch and definitely have some top end talent with Podrick Cast.
 
DEFENSE [Average TPE: 600]
Joseph McWolf | United Kingdom | S63 
Konstantin Mulligan | Ireland | S62
Lando Baxter | Ireland | S62
Denver Wolfe | Ireland | S65 
 
The defense is likely the strongest group of Western Europe's roster. Led by veteran Joseph McWolf, who will be making his third World Cup appearance, this defensive core definitely can compete with the rest of the teams in this tournament. Mulligan and Baxter also provide previous World Cup experience and veteran presence; both being S62 draft picks that have had successful VHL careers so far.  Denver Wolfe is a S65 draft pick who just wrapped up his first VHL season with Vancouver. He'll be playing in his first World Cup and will provide the back end with a smooth offensive defenseman. This is a solid veteran group that can set the tone for the team and help shut down the top-end talent we will see in this tournament.  
 
GOALIES [Average TPE: 577]
Finn Davison | United Kingdom | S64
JB Rift | Ireland | S64
 
The netminders are a pair of S64 draft picks in Finn Davison and JB Rift. The likely starter will be Finn Davison to begin the tournament, who statistically had his best season of his VHL career this past season with Davos. Davison was also on the S64 Team Europe team in the World Cup so like a lot of his teammates, he has experience playing in these types of games. JB Rift will also see some action in the tournament, who is coming off a fairly solid year for Toronto despite their struggles. Both goalies have proved they can play in the VHL and Western Europe is in good hands with both of them. 

Updated Rankings:
 
1. @VanCanWin - 551.94
2. @Jubo07 - 544.72
3. @Radcow - 541.75
4. @11 Eleven - 533.39
5. @Galdoblame - 514.4
6. @Elhandon - 508.69

1. @Galdoblame
2. @11 Eleven
3. @Elhandon
4. @Radcow
5. @VanCanWin
6. @Jubo07
 
The list after the randomizer is done, it is a snake draft so it'll be starting with @Galdoblame 12-hour time limits per pick, move on after that, don't wait for me or anyone else. If someone has missed 2 picks in a row they will be disqualified and I will finish drafting their team.
 
@Galdoblame
F -  Matt Thompson
F -  Teagan Glover
F - Mikka Pajari
D - Basaraba Moose
D - Vaydar Odinsson
G -  Johnny Havenk Carison
 
@11 Eleven
F -  Podrick Cast
F -  Oyorra Arroyo
F - Jake Davis
D - Robert Malenko
D - Dan Montgomery
G -  Ismond Kingfisher
 
@Elhandon
F - Kronos Bailey 
F - Randoms
F - Scott Shawniganen
D - Elasmobranch Fish
D - Maxim Kovalchuk
G -  Roger Sterling
 
@Radcow
F -  Beau Louth
F -  Sebastian Ironside
F -  Leph Twinger
D - Shawn Glade
D - Ryan Sullivan Jr.
G -  Brick Wahl
 
@VanCanWin
F -  Veran Dragomir
F -  Ryuu Crimson
F -  Elias Dahlberg
D - Ryan Kastelic
D - Sidney Crosby
G -  Kallis Kricketers
 
 
@Jubo07
F -  Julian Borwinn
F -  Rylan Peace
F - Diljodh Starlord
D - Joseph McWolf
D - Samuel Gate
G -  Alexander Pepper

Davos unlucky to lose this game. PDO was 909. Paddywagon with his 1st minus game of the season.
Credit to Lando Baxter for having a very strong game for the Bears.

Group 3
6tpe @Elhandon 1260.3
5tpe @Matt_O 1236.69
4tpe @Banackock1201.55
3tpe @Bushito 1171.47 (CLONE BUSHITO)
2tpe @Galdoblame 1165.69
1tpe @DilIsPickle1110
 

Thanks for the reminder dude

Nice.  Thanks for the shout-out.
I've decided not to put too much more into scoring because I'm thinking (rightly or wrongly) a d-man doesn't get as many scoring chances. 
I want my man Baxter to use his speed and passing to rack up assists.  He was in the top 10 for assists not too long ago but alas, a recent slump has not been kind...

VHL Headquarters – The S66 draft is unprecedented. Don’t believe me? Take a look at my intro here.
 
For the number of ‘firsts’ we’re seeing in this draft with respect to volume (which is commendable in its own right), there is frighteningly little talk of possible elite defenders in this draft. After all, you have to go down twelve spots in the live draft rankings to find a single defender. Rhye Tyr, the highest-ranked defenseman in last week’s rankings, is a startling 125 TPE below from the top prospect in this year’s class; the young Canadian sits below three centers, five left wings, and three right wings. In the first-round mock draft released less than a day ago, Tyr was expected to go fifth overall – but his TPE compared to the next three draftees is sorely lacking, and @DilIsPickle astutely notes that his draft spot is partially due to a scarcity in defense in this draft.
 
Let’s investigate – what defensemen might be best to draft (and briefly, why?), why is this historically-deep draft short of them, and how can we rectify the problem?
 
Best in Class

#1) Aron Nielsen @solas | Minnesota Storm | Canada
6’0” | 205 lbs. | TPE: 166 (+32 from 3/10-3/24)
We can argue ‘til we’re blue in the face about whether Nielsen or Rhye Tyr should be ranked the best defenseman in S66’s draft class, but ultimately Nielsen has shown more upside, has improved faster, and may be more likely to have a successful rookie season. In a league that constantly asks, "what have you done for me lately?", week-to-week improvement is a must. He’s a high-quality two-way prospect that frankly has a skill-set that resembles a center nearly as much as he does a defender.
 
We’ll save the discussion for what type of defender is ‘best’ for later in the article. With 39 points, a +16, 72 hits, and 49 shots blocked in 44 games, however, Nielsen has proven that he can do it all. He’s not as flashy as some of this class’s forwards, but he doesn’t have to be if he’s competent on every inch of the ice. He’ll likely hit the VHLM TPE cap before the draft happens, and although he has some stiff competition from some promising newer players (like our next couple of draftees), Nielsen is a safe bet for a defense-needy GM.
 

 
#2) Charlie Paddywagon @DMaximus | Las Vegas Aces | United States
6’4” | 208 lbs. | TPE: 154 (+52)
Nope, number two in the draft class still isn’t Tyr: it’s the Buffalo, NY-native Irishman Charlie Paddywagon, and only part of the reason is because one of his cop buddies is named Chet (https://vhlforum.com/topic/58556-charlie-paddywagon-an-oral-biography-12/). Paddywagon is a hard-nosed, coach’s dream of a defender: strong, immovable, and capable of stopping pucks and passing as those needs arise. He’s certainly important in the ‘best defender’ argument for this class in spite of a limited offensive repertoire (25 points in 45 games, -5): he averages nearly 2 SB and 1.5 hits/game, and devastates opposing forwards in the process.
 
Paddywagon is possibly the fastest-improving defender in the draft, and scouts have been impressed with his progress especially in the last few weeks. There’s plenty of tape for him, as he participated in S65’s Dispersal Draft, and I wouldn’t question a GM that drafts him in the late first or early second round.
 

 
#3) Jerry Garcia @GustavMattias | Houston Bulls | United States
6’1” | 194 lbs. | TPE: 150 (+54)
We covered this guitar-legend-turned-hockey-player in last week’s article about mid- and late-round steals, and it’s for good reason. While not quite as polished a raw defender as Paddywagon, Garcia has shown excellent puck-handling skills and a willingness to lay hits down on opposing forwards like nobody’s business – in fact, he’s fifth in hits (at 143) in the VHLM and first among Entry Draft-eligible players in S66.
 
He blocks shots (78) at a pace comparable to Paddywagon and Rusty Shackleford, further showcasing his willingness to be physical, but this physicality is also something to refine: Garcia currently has 108 penalty minutes, good for second only to teammate Viktor Kozlov in the minors.
 
#4) Rhye Tyr @Plate | Halifax 21st | Canada
5'10" | 205 lbs. | TPE: 159 (+8)
For most, this will be something of a surprise - Rhye is generally projected to be one of the first two defensemen off the board, possibly mid first round; I'm not dismissing that possibility, as he's considered to be one of the better prospects in the field. Certainly, this young Canadian has the scoring and defensive chops to make that argument; he has 37 assists to his name and earns about a point per game. In recent weeks, however, scouts have suggested Tyr hasn't been improving at as rapid a rate as he was previously.
 
Does this mean Tyr is as good as he'll be against VHLM competition, or is this something more worrisome for the future? If he gets back to work, Tyr could still be a first-round/early second-round pick.
 
#5) Codrick Past @Kylrad | Ottawa Lynx | United Kingdom
6’0” | 190 lbs. | TPE: 133 (+38)
One of the more promising two-way defenders in the minors, Codrick Past talks and plays a big game. He recently announced his preferences for draft destinations, but importantly showed that the choice of General Manager (and fantasy league results, heh) are moreimportant than current team success for him. He also recently accused some fellow VHLMers of doping.
 
On the ice, he’s shown to be an excellent passer (48 assists in 44 games) and a pretty good defender (83 hits & shot blocks) through his 44 games; he’s anchored an otherwise talent-depleted Ottawa Lynx defense and could go as early as the late second round for GMs in need.
 
#6) Rusty Shackleford @K1NG LINUS | Saskatoon Wild | United States
6’5” | 225 lbs. | TPE: 121 (+51)
Rounding out our top five is an actual steak-and-pulled-pork-eating, PBR/Bulleit Bourbon-drinking cowboy’s son in Rusty Shackleford. He brings his tough Texas attitude to the ice, where he’s the closest thing to an enforcer this class has; like Garcia, he has an abundance of hits (126), blocked shots (79), and penalty minutes (94).
 
Some scouts make an argument that Shackleford may actually be worth taking as high as the early third round; he’s improved quickly and has similar upside to many of the defenders higher up in this list, but simply had a later start (first TPE added in week ending March 3rd)
 
#7) Andreas Sundell @VisualDarkness | Minnesota Storm | TPE: 120 (+38) | Playmaking Defenseman (SK, DF, PH)
Sundell has a solid chance of breaking into the mid or early fourth round for the astute GM. He’ll get a chance on the big stage with fellow Euro Codrick Past as a part of Team Europe in the World Junior Championship before you know it. Doesn’t get a lot of chances to contribute points-wise due to limited minutes, but does generate a good number of hits and blocked shots. He has to share ice-time with four or five competent defenders, some from last season’s VHL Entry Draft – so the stats don’t say everything with this promising Swede.
 
#8) Cody Parkey @SaltyTalty| Saskatoon Wild |TPE: 103 (+62) | Playmaking Defenseman (DF, PA, SC)
Parkey is a solid defender with lots of scoring potential (65 passing, 55 scoring); currently projected as a 5th-rounder but has breakout potential and may go early in the fourth or even in the third. Produces plenty of hits; has only played in 36 games this season. Has an excellent +15, and is a relatively young player (created week of 3/3)
 
#9) Edward Vigneault @Patpou22 | Halifax 21st |TPE: 105 (+46) | Playmaking Defenseman (SK, DF, PA)
Like Parkey, Vigneault is a younger player (34 games played) but has slightly better defensive stats (57 hits, 53 shots blocked). Has shown high-quality passing ability on top of defensive fundamentals. Currently sitting behind S64 draftee Basaraba Moose and Rhye Tyr, but has better draft stock than the latter due to recent improvement, per scouts. Like many of his colleagues, will likely need to spend another half or full season in the VHL before any ice time with the pros.
 
#10) Dwin Championship @Award97 | Saskatoon Wild | TPE: 78 (+41) | Offensive Defenseman (PA, SK, SC)
Dwin is a strange defenseman, with subpar defensive technical skills but a good eye for passing lanes. Primary strength right now is finding high-quality assists and laying out hits. Like most of our defensemen ranked 5th or lower, Championship shares ice time with other defensemen in his class (Parkey, Shackleford) and hasn’t gotten much of a chance to shine yet.
 
#11) Beau Buefordsson @Radcow | TPE: 89 (+28) | Defender (DF, SK)
Beau is one of the few defense-first defenders in the draft, but he has shown smooth skating and glimpses of scoring potential in recent games. At this point, he’s a bit difficult to evaluate due to limited ice time and his rawness as a prospect - but pro teams looking for some depth at defenseman will find a solid pick in Buefordsson.
 
Honorable Mentions
#12) Papa Gage
#13) Samuel Sparrow
#14) Duncan Jeffers
#15) Richard Hejtsel
#16) Anthony Amberback
#17) Srraxxarrakex II
#18) Finn Theismann
 
[author note: excluded my player so as to avoid some bias]
 
Where Are the Defensemen?
Last season’s (i.e. S65's) Week Two Draft Rankings by @McWolf showed a much different picture than S66’s class: three defensemen in the top four prospects and six in the top twelve actually demonstrated a defense-dominant class. Wings were virtually nowhere to be found – with the first showing up at rank 13 (but centers were abundant through the top half of the class). Is this class's top 20 normal variance, or is it something more?
 
1) Is there a need for defensemen?
One possible explanation for the lack of high-TPE defensemen is that the professional league has enough. After all, if the league is saturated, veteran player builders wouldn’t want to sit behind players 4-5 seasons into their career for their first several seasons. Similarly, if there are a high number of excellent prospects sitting in the VHLM waiting for a chance to start, S66 draftees may need to wait a while before getting any significant ice time.
 

 
As shown above, there hasn’t been significant variance in defensemen among the top 20 prospects (until this season), though it is worth noting that the increase in LWs may be because of a limited wing class last season. Their distribution is important, too - with players like Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen, Dallas Jones, and Brady Stropko Jr. (in a class dominated by defensemen) all projected in the first round, veteran players might have just decided that there are too many S65 draftees just ahead of them.
 
More important, however, is the availability of defensemen to major league teams. Ideally, teams should be able to sport two lines’ worth of capable defenders – or have the means to replace them. Consider how many teams needed to worry about their future or depth in defense last season. Some GMs may have placed their hopes of fielding a good defense on this draft, but relatively few teams (Helsinki, Riga, and to some extent HC Davos, Riga, and New York) have a defensive corps worth talking about. Riga in particular has an excellent defensive lineup and future, with 4 active major leaguers and 4 active prospects to which they have the rights.
 
If teams want to field two complete lines of defensemen, there’s clearly a need – so maybe we need to diversify our search or have GMs reach further down these deep draft ranks for depth at defense.
 
2) Is there motivation to make defensemen?
A few VHL.com articles, Media Spots, statuses, and league chatter (Discord) conversations suggest that a lack of defensive stats may drive (1) members to make non-defensive players and (2) defensive players to be built as two-way, or even offensive players. The predominant build is a high Defense attribute with Passing, Scoring, and Skating; depending on the build, Puck Handling and (more rarely) Checking is seen on defensemen.
 
Let’s take Calgary’s defensemen as an example. Lando Baxter @Elhandon, the team’s highest-rated defender, has exceptional skating, roughly 85 Puck Handling, Defense, and Passing, and 75 Scoring. Their other defenders Dallas Jones @Trifecta and Elasmobranch Fish @Sharkstrong both have about 75 Scoring; Jones is very balanced between scoring, playmaking, and defense, while Fish is a bit more defensively oriented (90 DF, 80 PH, 60 CK) but still possesses average passing and scoring. In fact, among all players on the Wranglers, the lowest Scoring attribute is 73; only one player has Checking above the first TP threshold (70).
 
Even last year’s champions, the Toronto Legion, started two defensemen with 90+ scoring – each within one point of their defense (Tzuyu @tfong and Robert Malenko @pennypenny), and neither of which invested heavily in checking (40 and 50, respectively). These builds (and builders – looking at you, tfong <3) are so successful that the Best Defenseman trophy was split in three several seasons ago – producing the Jake Wylde, Alexander Valiq, and Sterling Labatte trophies for best defensive, offensive, and overall defenseman, respectively. Furthermore, the last defenseman to earn either of the Scotty Campbell or Brett Slobodzian trophies was Guntis Petenis (who earned both) in S54. Before that, Daniel Braxton took home the Slobodzian trophy in S27, and we have to dig to S20 until Patrick Bergqvist, the second-to-last defenseman recipient of the Campbell trophy.
 
In an offense-driven league, however, a lack of defensive MVPs/MOPs seems like a given. Importantly, diversity in defense builds is just as important as diversity in forward archetypes. On top of that, defensemen have three position-specific awards and equal representation (due to lower player population & fewer positions for defensemen on teams), and we had  high-quality defense in the S65 draft, so we have to ask...
 
3) Is scarcity of defensemen in S66's draft even a problem in the first place?
Ultimately, providing some arbitrary, undeserved impetus (e.g. extra TPE, overrepresentation in awards or All-Star teams) to make defensemen would be an overreaction – and if there is a scarcity of defensemen, GMs are much more likely to value high-quality players at this position anyway. For new and old players alike, the most important quality is staying power: will users stick around long enough for their players to see continued success? Is it even reasonable for every team to field a high-quality D1 pair? Artificially overpopulating the pool of D-men will make those users who only want to make defensemen less likely to stick around, and possibly make veterans who would otherwise make forwards enjoy their time in the VHL less.
 
So I ask @VHLM GM and @VHL GM – is this draft's lack of high-TPE defensemen a problem? Does the strength of defense in the S65 draft compensate for this offense-dominated draft?
 
Maybe most relevantly -- who's your top pick on defense, and where do you think they'll go?
 
Also tagged here: @PapaGage, @Birdman, @Tophdaddy, @hejta, @Oost, @flan, @StaticShocked
[Length >2,000 words; I'd like to use this MS for 4/14, and will claim others after the turn of the season. Am I allowed to do this?]

HOUSTON--As we all know, Texas is a very Republican state. 
 
...which makes it a perfect perennial landing spot for right-wing commentator Ben Shapiro, who visited Houston's Toyota Center Friday night for one of his often-controversial, trademark speeches. It was filled with all the usual: the LIBTARD FEMINIST being RIPPED TO SHREDS and the LEFTIST PROFESSOR LEFT SPEECHLESS by Shapiro's LOGIC and FACTS. Though political matters occupied much of the discussion here, Shapiro took some time to address a question on his opinion on the VHLM, which has, as of this season, moved into Houston through expansion and gained a particularly strong following in a remarkably short time. 
 
"Now you know what I like about hockey? All these white guys beating each other up. All this white-on-white violence really helps destroy the myth of white male privilege," said Shapiro, to thunderous cheers from his predominantly conservative audience. "And it's great that our two new teams are American. It's great that we're taking back hockey as the all-American sport that it is. I mean, who needs Canada for anything anyway? ...Justin Trudeau? More like Justin Tru-don't." 
 
And it didn't stop there. Shapiro proceeded to rip into the city of Halifax, and their first-place team, the 21st, who have been the source of ridicule from many a Houston supporter with numerous preseason (and in-season) stories and comments from multiple Houston players regarding potentially illicit practices on the part of the team. "When I think of Halifax," said Shapiro, "you know what I picture? Nobody's walking around with a gun. Illegal aliens everywhere. No bald eagles dropping American flags on liberals. Just socialists with taxpayer-funded healthcare and no economy. I went to Halifax last week and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was living there. That's right, Houston: she's Canadian and ready to take over." 
 
When asked what, in particular, he disliked about the city of Halifax, Shapiro had a ready answer. "You know what I don't trust about Halifax? It's so far east. It's way out in the Atlantic Ocean, way out close to Europe. And you know what you find in Europe? Libtards and socialism. Imagine the peso becoming the official currency for all of North America. Imagine the USA being responsible for all the Mexicans. We wouldn't have President Trump to build us the wall because we'd have so much liberal influence over our country's wonderful leadership. That's what the European Union is, just a bunch of liberals letting Greece go down the drain. Halifax is so close to Europe that you could stand in Ireland and scream across the ocean and they'd hear you in Halifax. That's why I don't trust that city. If you go to Ireland you'll find a flock of liberals on all the beaches screaming across the water. That's what they're doing. They're using their liberal influence on Canada through Halifax. That's why I'm not a fan of the 21st. When I went to Halifax last week, I could just hear screaming libtards in the air and it took all my all-American patriotism to fight it off. But here I am, Houston, destroying those libtards, and here I will stay." 
 
Shapiro stood there in the Toyota Center for the next four and a half hours, destroying libtards whether the questions he received asked for it or not. 
 
 
*Possibly an obligatory disclaimer: the above does not reflect any political opinion of mine in any way, nor is it intended to promote any sort of political belief or ideology. I could be far-right, far-left, or anywhere in between, and what's important at the end of the day is that the VHL is a place where anyone who loves their hockey can come together and talk about it and have themselves a bit of fun, regardless of political belief or background. Please do not take this as any sort of endorsement for either side.