marshall_222

Dibs next draft

Ashton Galbraith

Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin

Size: 6'4, 215 lbs.

Age: 18

Background:

Some hockey players are clearly headed for greatness the moment they lace up skates. Ashton Galbraith was not one of these players. The Galbraith family was a rather unremarkable in terms of athletics, with neither parent doing anything of significance within sport. Their son Ashton was the same way, being a house league hockey player until bantam, where a growth spurt and a new found interest in the sport saw him move into the AAA stream. Two successful but relatively unremarkable years at the Bantam AAA level had expectations low for him to do anything past the midget level, an assumption that would soon be shattered. Galbraiths initial play at the Midget AAA level left much to be desired but about halfway through his first season he “figured it out” and began absolutely dominating games. His dominance did not go unnoticed and quickly the USA U18 program took an interest in him, culminating in his commitment to the program the following year.

Within the U18 program, Galbraith received elite level coaching and his play rapidly improved. Although never considered to be the most naturally skilled player on the squad, Galbraith meshed well with the top forwards on the team, allowing him to put up some excellent numbers and get noticed by NCAA schools. With his game taking off and several NCAA schools lining up to give him scholarships, Galbraith’s future in hockey seemed extremely promising. After a brief courtship, Ashton decided the Minnesota Golden Gophers offered the best mix of opportunity and team talent and committed to the program for the next year.

Galbraith’s arrival in Minnesota went off with a bang. As an 18 year old who had spent the last several years in an elite program where strict rules and guidelines governed his life, the newfound independence proved to be a little too much. Galbraith soon became a fixture in the campus bar scene and his newfound celebrity status made it hard for him to say no to the free drinks being handed out. Galbraiths marks suffered, his on-ice performance was not up to par, and it was becoming too hard for the hockey program to ignore his lifestyle. A series of ignored warnings and brief team suspensions failed to solve much of anything, and with their season winding down the school decided to revoke Galbraith’s scholarship the following year and place him on academic suspension. Suddenly, Galbraith was out of university without many prospects outside of attempting to play professional hockey. With NHL teams showing little interest in him due to his perceived character problems, Galbraith elected to join the VHL and soon found himself on the way to Oslo to play for the VHLM’s Oslo Storm.

Pro’s:

Size: At 6’4, 215 pounds, Ashton Galbraith is not a small man. In addition to his raw size, Galbraith also has a bit of a lanky quality to him, giving him exceptional reach with his stick and allowing him to extend the puck very far off his body while maintaining control. His large frame also make him extremely difficult to contain down low and when he wants to drive through a defender to the net it is very hard to stop him.

Versatility: Galbraith has the unique ability to play any role assigned to him. He can slide up and down the line-up as desired by the coach and not look out of place. This is largely due to his superior hockey sense, which gives him the ability to quickly mesh with skilled players or grinders. His size also gives him some versatility, when asked to become a grinder it is much easier for a 6’4 player to crash and bang then it is a 5’8 player.

Playmaking: Tying into his hockey sense, Galbraith is an absolutely superb assist man. His understanding of the game allows him to see plays developing ahead of time and be ready to get the puck to the right area at the right time. His size and reach allows him to draw defenders in before dishing off to teammates. If Galbraith is to become an effective scorer at the VHL level it will be off his ability to move the puck and not his goal scoring prowess.

Con’s:

Goal scoring: Speaking of goal scoring, Galbraith is simply not a sniper. While Galbraith has been able to score a respectable amount at the college and junior level, this is due mostly to sheer number of opportunity and not natural ability. Far from a one shot scorer, Galbraith has a relatively weak shot that has an awkward release that goalies don’t seem to have any trouble reading. Maybe with time and coaching Galbraith will more readily convert opportunities, but as it stands now his lack of scoring ability may very well prevent him from becoming a top 6 forward at the VHL level.

Desire: When you go to watch Galbraith you never know what you are going to get. Sometimes you get a determined 6’4 forward who can bull his way through defenders with the puck and dominate entire shifts while others you get a few forgettable periods with the odd flash of talent. While his desire game to game is sometimes in question, there are also questions surrounding his desire of becoming a player at all. Scouts have often said Galbraith can become as good as he wants, but his flunking out of Minnesota and occasional stretches of complete dormancy on the ice beg the question, does Galbraith even want to be a player?

Overall Potential: While some aspects of his game have never been in question, namely his feel for the game, other major flaws have some asking questions if he can really be a premier VHL player. If Galbraith doesn’t have the desire or natural abilities to correct his flaws, such as his poor shot, it’s doubtful he will be much more than a fringe player. As already stated, Galbraith can be as good as he wants to be, the problem is he may want to be something other than a VHLer.

Ashton Galbraith

Height: 6’4

Weight: 215

Position: RW

Previous Team: Minnesota Golden Golphers

Place of Birth: Madison, Wisconsin

Playing History: Galbraith has played the entirety of his career within the US, with his minor hockey days within the Madison Minor Hockey Association. At 16 he was recruited to the US U17 Program and then the next year moved onto the U18 program where he stayed for two years. From there he went on to the Minnesota Golden Golphers for one year before electing to leave and pursue a professional career, rumour being his grades forced the decision.

Strengths:

Physical Attributes: Galbraith is not a small man standing at 6’4 and weighing 215 pounds. Players with that size are an asset to any team but players that size who have the speed that Galbraith does are a very valued commodity. His skating doesn’t look top end but he has the ability to surprise defenders with a quick burst or sharp directional change. In addition to his size and speed, Galbraith has a long reach which make him a menace to get around. He is perhaps most effective putting his shoulder down, throwing the puck way out on one side, and bull rushing to the net.

Hockey Sense: A player with exceptional hockey sense is often hard to spot to an average hockey fan but students of the game can notice them quickly, and Galbraith is one of those players that knowledgeable fans point out. Galbraith does not have the raw skill-set that many professional players do, but his ability to feel the game and anticipate plays result in this player being more than the sum of its parts. His high-end hockey sense has also allowed him to play with elite players at every level, he is described as an easy player to play with and one that can fit in on any line.

Maintenance Free: Locker-room dynamics can be a funny thing to manage. Sometimes groups just happen to stir up amazing chemistry and go on to play above the level you would expect, other times a group of skilled players never quite fit right and go on to underachieve. A key component to a good team is having a manageable locker room and players who just put their head down and go to work are crucial to that. Galbraith is one of those players. Completely unconcerned with contract, position in the standings, or ice-time Galbraith is a great player to have on your team. The team that drafts him won’t have to worry about having troubles keeping him if they so desire.

Weaknesses:

Scoring Ability: Galbraith is just not a natural goal scorer. Although he still manages to score at very respectable level, his career shooting percentage is quite low and he is prone to long slumps with multiple goose eggs. Part of the problem may be his lack of strength, which shows in his shooting power and occasional difficulties setting up in front of the oppositions net. With time the goals should come more readily but for now Galbraith cannot be counted on to be a consistent finisher.

Consistency: As previously mentioned, Galbraith can go for long stretches without numbers of any significance. Although he still remains an effective player on the ice, a top 6 forward needs to be able to consistently provide offence and stretches of 6-7 games without a point can be an enormous problem for a team. Perhaps this problem will work itself out with more experience or perhaps this is potentially a bigger problem, a potential symptom of disinterest.

Intensity: For a guy his size, you would expect that Galbraith would have a bit of a mean streak or at least be prone to running the odd guy over. This just doesn’t seem to be the case as Galbraith seems to avoid confrontation and play a bit “softer” than you would like from a 6’4 forward. This can occasionally be a nice factor in his game as Galbraith doesn’t draw retaliation penalties, but players with size and no fire can drive coaches crazy.

Player Comparison: Ryan Clowe

Their size and playing styles are what make this comparison apt. Both are top 6 forwards who have excellent size and are more playmakers than goal scorers. Both players also flourish when paired with elite players and are capable of putting up numbers over what their skill set might otherwise limit them to. Of course inconsistency also help define them both, as both can go long stretches of putting up 0’s before suddenly racking up double digit point streaks. 

Oslo Crying for Scoring

With a recent hot-streak putting the Oslo Storm back into contention for the playoffs, armchair GM’s all over Norway have been speculating what it is the team needs to get into the dance. A quick glance at the roster doesn’t reveal any glaring holes but looking at the statistics tells a different story. Oslo is desperate for some scoring up front. With all due respect to defenceman Sami Kravinen and Jeff Phinney who lead the team in scoring, they really shouldn’t be topping the scoring list. Johan Hallstrom has all the talent in the world on the wing but hasn’t been able to find chemistry with any of the other Oslo forwards as of yet and hasn’t been able to hit his stride. Luke Riggs and Franz Monster are both coming around but need to start potting goals at a higher rate if Oslo is to have a shot at making some noise in the post-season. Likely all 3 of Hallstrom, Riggs, and Monster will experience an uptick in production as they continue to develop as players but Oslo needs to the help now if they are serious about this year.

Galbraith - Oslo

The VHLM Waiver Carousel

Being a hockey player is not a choice for those seeking a life of stability. Professional hockey players can have their lives shaken up with a few words almost every single one has heard at least once in their career, “there’s been a trade.” A trade means a player has to uproot their entire life and move to another city to start fresh, a tough process but one that mercifully may only happen one or two times in a players career. It is also a process that is very definitive, you move from city x to city y, the end. For VHLM rookies they face a process even more uncertain, the process of passing through VHLM waivers. To be assigned to a VHLM squad, rookies must pass through a waiver system which can see multiple teams place claims, with the top priority team “winning” the bid. Complicating this system however, is a teams ability to withdraw and re-place claims on players, sometimes resulting in a strange shell game, with players being the prize. Perhaps the most bizarre sequence the VHLM will see this season took place recently, with 3 wingers and 5 teams playing musical chairs ending in all sides dizzied as each player was matched with a team.

Playing hockey is the easy part of being a rookie in the VHLM

The Beginning

The action began on January the 23^rd with Ashton Galbraith, a prospect with moderate potential, being placed on VHLM waivers. Forty minutes into the process the Bern Royals placed a claim on the RW. Bern was fairly low on the priority list and was expected to be out-bid. “I knew that there were a couple other teams interested in bringing me in” Galbraith explained “I think everyone knew that this claim was really just getting the ball rolling and the odds of me ending up there weren’t very high.” This turned out to be true, as soon after Saskatoon placed a claim, edging out Bern. Saskatoon was a relatively high priority but was soon bested by a bid from Oslo, who had higher priority than both Bern and Saskatoon. At this point most VHLM prospects pack their bags and head out to their new city. With Oslo being the highest priority team with any interest, Galbraith was almost certainly heading to the Storm.

"I'm very happy to go to Bern, no Oslo, no Saskatoon"

The VHLM Carousel Gets Moving
What should have been a straight forward waiver claim process was soon confused by the entrance of an extremely talented and highly regarded prospect, Logan Laich. With Laich now eligible, teams were falling over themselves to claim him. Ottawa started the clock on the young winger with an early claim but were soon outbid by… Oslo? Roughly the same time Galbraith was purchasing a plane ticket to Norway, the Storm were withdrawing their bid on him and putting a claim on Laich. With Oslo withdrawing their bid, Saskatoon became the high bid again and likely destination for Galbraith, a fact Saskatoon wasn’t even aware of as they had already put in a claim on ANOTHER young winger, Walt Pringle. Several hours later the SNAFU was discovered at the VHLM front office and with time running down on Galbraith’s waiver eligibility, Saskatoon was told to pick between Pringle and Galbraith. Saskatoon chose to uphold their original claim on Galbraith and with time running short on his eligibility and no interest from teams further up the waiver priority, Galbraith purchased plane tickets to Saskatoon and began packing.

Should have stayed in school kids

”Carnival of Shenanigans”

As time expired for his waiver eligibility, Galbraith had already received the phone call from Saskatoon welcoming him to the team and setting him up with a team apartment. Galbraith was ready to play for Saskatoon the next night in Saskatoon, the only problem was he was scheduled for a home game in Oslo, the team that now held his rights. At the 11^th hour Minot had come in and snagged Laich from Oslo, leaving them scrambling and replacing a waiver claim on Galbraith, while Galbraith was on a plane to Saskatoon. “I didn’t realize I was heading to the wrong city till after I had landed in Saskatoon” Galbraith explained “my phone blew up with messages and missed calls as soon as I turned it back on.” The GM of Oslo had himself named the whole process a “Carnival of Shenanigans” but for better or worse Galbraith finally knew where his new home would be. “The process was extremely stressful and very confusing” Galbraith laughed “but at least it’s over now and I can focus on playing for Oslo and getting adjusted to life over here.” The life of a hockey player isn’t a stable one as your life can be uprooted with a simple phone call, even for players who haven’t suited up for a team yet.

Really hope you stay with it and we can recreate some Legion magic possibly on Riga.

I think I may... MS's might drop off when I get busy again but the 4TPE/week pension thing is a godsend for that.

oh hey

Rising Oslo Storm adds Galbraith

A disastrous opening to the season for the Oslo Storm had many VHLM pundits writing them off. A lack of scoring and dependence on young players had them floundering out of the gate and putting themselves out of playoff contention before the season had even really begun. However, things have changed as of late as the Storm have seemingly out of the blue began to play good hockey again.

Solid goaltending from Kimmo Salo has headlined the Storm’s resurgence, while veterans on the back end have helped settle down the team’s younger players. Veteran defenceman Jeff Phinney has proven invaluable lately as he leads the team in scoring and plays heavy minutes in all situations, without Phinney playing half the game, Oslo is likely in the European Conference’s basement.

Sal has been lights out for the Storm recently

In an effort to address the teams lack of scoring, Oslo placed a claim on rookie RW Ashton Galbraith. While Galbraith looked very shaky during his debut (going pointless and -1) scouts insist as the season goes on he can provide some offence from the 3^rd line. “It takes time to adjust to a new league” an Oslo executive was quoted as saying “the VHLM is quicker than a lot of people give it credit for, it’s rare for a guy to jump in and make a huge impact immediately.”

MEEEEEEEEE

Old Name Returns to VHL

With 36 years of history, the Victory Hockey League has seen its fair share of names transform themselves into brands. Names like Sterling and Kendrick have been institutions in the league virtually from day 1, while other names have had their days in the sun before fading away to obscurity. It seems that one of these names has decided to return in an attempt to get back to these heights. The player agent of Hall of Fame defenceman Jochen Walser and former premier forwards Ondrej Skokan and Geoff Gartner has announced he is re-entering the VHL with another promising young forward.

Galbraith looks to parley a successful NCAA career into a VHL career

While Ashton Galbraith isn’t thought to have the upside of a Walser or Gartner he still brings an intriguing skill set to the table. “I think Galbraith will end up being more of a complimentary guy” his agent explained “he can definitely be a part of a top line but not be the engine that drives it… more a guy that will make room for skilled players but still be able to play with them.” Scouts who have watched Galbraith play insist that his description of a complimentary guy may be selling him short; that his size and physicality combined with playmaking acumen will see him become an impact player in short order. “Guys his size who can move that fast are rare, that combined with his ability to create offence make him a very intriguing prospect” one scout argued “I could see him being in the mix for best player in his draft class as long as teams are patient with him.”

While there are certainly plenty of questions surrounding Galbraith, there are perhaps more questions surrounding his agent. While initially his name was attached to many big name players, his ability to find effective VHL players was certainly called into question after a string of relatively poor players. Forgettable names like Milos Langdon, Gabriel Rheaume, and Ondrej Skokan Jr. followed all-stars like Walser and inevitably questions arose as to if this agent had just “lost it.” “I am well aware that some of the more recent players I brought in haven’t performed up to expectations” Marshall explained “but don’t forget that a couple perennial all-stars came in under my name. I’ve done it before and I believe Galbraith will be closer to a Skokan than a Rheaume.”

Rheaume never quite got his legs at the VHL level

Perhaps the most promising aspect of Galbraith and his agents return is their determination to start fresh, and not skate by on previous reputation. “I would rather people just forget my past history with players” Marshall explained “I don’t even necessarily think it’s an advantage. If I were a GM I would be more concerned with the recent run of mediocre players than the one Hall of Famer I brought in.” “I think everybody wants to be judged on their own merits rather than compared to somebody else” Galbraith added “I think I have the ability to become an effective player in the VHL, all I ask is for a clean slate and to not be judged by the careers of others.”

Your name sounds very familiar to me. What was your player(s) called?

 Ondrej Skokan was my first, Jochen Walser second, then Geoff Gartner 3rd. After that a string of shitty guys.

Where there's a name I never thought I'd see again, one of the few to join before me haha. Welcome back man.

Yea randomly thought about this place the other night... may as well give it another go.

Hey yall, I have a ton of free time this month so I decided to make an account. I used to go under the username marshall_22... WHICH WAS MEMBER #13 SO YEA NO BIG DEAL. Yo.