Arayvenn

Hey guys, dad had a heart attack, haven't been home for more than a few hours the past couple days. I'll take a look at this tonight.

Since the draft, the Ottawa Lynx have made 3 trades and signed two guys off waivers. In total, this has improved the team significantly while not costing them a great deal in picks or other players. Looking at the trades first and then the acquisitions, we see how far this team has come even since the draft, when they were already favorites, and now are in an even stronger position.
 
The first move was a relatively big one, and of the trades, the one that was the most lopsided in Ottawa's favor. James Lombardi, a defenseman the Lynx selected in the 9th round, went to the Las Vegas Aces for a 2nd and 3rd in the S63 VHLM draft and inactive center Sam Hynes. Lombardi has proven better than your standard 9th rounder, in fact based on post-draft activity if all teams were to redraft based on current knowledge, Lombardi would probably go in the 5th or 6th round. Nonetheless, if the next draft is anywhere near what this one is, the trade heavily favors Ottawa. Delving into hypotheticals here, I'd estimate Vegas to likely finish 4th in the upcoming season, so who were the 9th and 15th overall picks in the most recent draft? Nikita Flipachyev and BB Nat. Flipachyev alone is enough to make the trade favor Ottawa, and while BB Nat has been decent, in the hands of Ottawa the pick would have become Joseph McWolf, the guy I selected with the very next pick. With all due respect to Lombardi, a guy I think is massively underrated at the moment, he's not hardly Flipachyev AND McWolf, or next year's equivalents of the same.
 
Looking into the second trade which was between Ottawa and Yukon, it is much more balanced, and largely equal and beneficial to both - although if pressed to pick a "winner" Yukon might just edge it slightly. Ottawa picked up Roctrion King, a nearly capped scoring winger who will inevitably become capped within a few weeks, bolstering the wings which were the weakest position on the roster (not that the wings were weak, just weaker than the rest). In exchange, Yukon got Athanasios Andrianopoulos, who has been less active than King but certainly has been active and will be a good multi-season contributor to Yukon's roster. Additionally, Yukon got Ottawa's 1st and 2nd in the S63 draft as well as the worse of the 3rds between Ottawa and Vegas (which should also be Ottawa's pick barring a massive fluke in the sim). I know what you're thinking. A 1st, 2nd, AND 3rd, plus Andrianopoulos, for King? The price was expensive, but you pay what you have to in order to get the best player in the trade, which is King. Plus, with Ottawa getting Vegas' 2nd and 3rd in the other trade, which are about half a round from Ottawa's if all goes as I'm projecting it, Vegas' 2nd and 3rd should be nearly as much in combined value as Ottawa's 1st and 3rd, which basically just leaves the 2nd.
 
The third trade, and by far the smallest of the three, was Tomos Walker to Halifax for a 7th. This might be the first time in league history a 7th was traded, but it's a calculated risk. More likely than not, the pick will amount to nothing, but shipping out an inactive winger who had only 38 TPE for basically a lottery ticket isn't a bad value. Risking a little for a chance at a lot, relatively speaking - you'll never get a star from the 7th, but there's a chance to get an active, which would turn out better than Walker. This third trade is essentially a non-entity for both sides, and the entire trade could fit into the margins of either of the other two.
 
All three trades put together to this point from Ottawa's perspective:
 
Coming in - Roctrion King, Sam Hynes, Vegas 2nd, Vegas 3rd, Halifax 7th
Going out - James Lombardi, Athanasios Andrianopoulos, Tomos Walker, Ottawa 1st, Ottawa 2nd, Ottawa 3rd
 
Looking at it combined, again with all due respect to the exiting Lombardi and Andrianopoulos, both of whom I expect to be multi-season contributors to their respective teams and eventually become decent pieces in the VHL in time, there's no debating this team came out ahead in total. King is the type of player who will be competing for awards this season.
 
Additionally, the Lynx have signed two extra players to fill in wing spots on their roster, and these two guys are what made Walker completely expendable and a non-entity as even a line filler for Ottawa. Chace Trepanier, a sniper who is fast and can handle the puck well, and Dan Wilinsky, a speed demon with a decent shot of his own and a bit of an all around game, have signed with the Lynx for 1.5 million each for the year. To start off the year they'll be centered by Jerome Mitchell, whose faceoffs ought to get this line the puck so Trepanier and Wilinsky can put in their fair share of goals. After the first week or two of the season, things will have the opportunity to be evaluated again for lines and Trepanier, Wilinsky, and Mitchell will all have the opportunity to climb their way up if they've surpassed some of the second liners, Braylon James, JP Desjardin, or Rzerk. James' spot is likely safe, but if one of the new guys can slip in ahead of, say, Desjardin, it would actually balance the lines a little better as right now the second line has no dedicated scorer and the third line has no dedicated passer. These things do tend to work themselves out in the sim but surely the most active guys should be rewarded with better lines. Additionally, power play and/or penalty kill depending on builds can bump up the time of each active, and on the whole everyone will get a good chance to perform.
 
Defensively, we've lost one guy in Lombardi, and that's never ideal, but sacrificing a little defensive depth for some added firepower up front was something we were in a position to do out of the draft. The top three guys - Baxter, McWolf, and Rasputinov - will all have opportunities on top pair at different times. Whichever combo works best, for both sim performance and activity of the players, will win out. The third will be able to double shift, in the absence of Lombardi, by playing opposite both Renner on the 2nd pair and Chat on the 3rd. All this in front of Kallis Kriketers, and I see no reason why the cup should find itself anywhere else at the end of the year.
 
1121 words
12 TPE for week ending 19th, with donation doubles
12 TPE for week ending 26th, with other donation doubles

Does Nguyen/Crimson yaoi fanart count for graphic TPE? Please respond

Does Nguyen/Crimson yaoi fanart count for graphic TPE? Please respond

Saskatoon-This season opener for the Saskatoon Wild will also be Ryuu Crimson's first Victory Hockey League Minors opener. "Not much people remember but I joined in the last 2 months of the season, and surprisingly, I scored 10 goals." Ryuu Crimson was excited for this season, his first full season in the Victory Hockey League Minors. "Hoping to win the cup or at least get an award this season. You know, so I at least get an award before I leave the Victory Hockey League Minors."
 
The Las Vegas Aces also showed interest in him before the season began. "The GM actually messaged me asking if I would be okay joining the Las Vegas Aces. I would have accepted if it was an offer, because I'm a Knights fan. But it's not, plus Dylan is now the General Manager of the Saskatoon Wild so hell yeah he's keeping us together! Make #Ryulan a thing!"
 
For those who didn't know, the former Saskatoon Wild general manager is sharing the role with rookie defensemen, Dylan Nyugen.
 
When it comes to the Victory Hockey League Minors playoffs, Ryuu Crimson was surprised by the Oslo Storm's victory against the Yukon Rush in season 61, due to the Rush basically benching their whole first line. "You know, Oslo worked hard, congrats to them. Yukon also did a great job this season, congrats to them as well. Good luck to everyone this season and Go Wild Go!" He also cheers for Riga this season in the Victory Hockey League. "Of course, why wouldn't I cheer for the team I was drafted to. Plus, me and Edwin Preencarnacion are good friends now, and he needs a cup.
Ryuu Crimson has some goals for this season. "I'm hoping to improve on shooting so I can get some lamps light up when I'm on the ice. Also, I really gotta work on my passing. I suck when it comes to assists. I'm so happy I wasn't stolen by another team, because I'm still with Dylan Nyugen. Dylan Nyugen is one of the best defensemen I have ever played with, and I owe him a lot of my goals. He is also really good in terms of defense. I really hope I get to stay with him my whole career if possible. I'm trying to get him to wear the number four, I believe he is the next Bobby Orr!"
Dylan Nyugen also impressed the Wild this season, with his goals and a hella lot more assists. Makes you wonder how he would be as a center.
 
"People ask me if I'm gay for Dylan, to which I reply yes just to make the fangirls scream. I'm not, but me and him are really good friends."
 
Crimson was drafted first overall in the Victory Hockey League Minors draft and stayed with the Saskatoon Wild. "Being the first overall pick is such an honor. You know, I hope I am able to reach the expectations of such an honor and not become the next Alexandre Daigle. That would suck. Being the first second round pick in the VHL is less stressful for me."

All the eyes in the league are on the Halifax 21sts, to see if they can make noise in year one. Their first order of business included selecting an asset from each team in the expansion draft, in which they selected 3 players and two draft picks. Those draft picks were a key piece in the landing of D Shawn Glade and G Cole Mertz. Halifax also had a strong dispersal draft, landing D Tzuyu, RW Nikita Flipachyev and D B.B. Nat just to name a few. The real area Halifax shined in was activity. Nearly all of Halifax's draft selections are active forum members earning TPE daily. The 21sts also made a notable FA signing in C Anthony Dabarno who has quickly earned the 1C role for his activity and rapidly growing TPE count. The new members Halifax selected are already proving themselves, and it's really going to help this season. Halifax seems to be eyeing a deep run in year one, and they sure have the pieces to do it.

As the start of the VHLM regular season fast approaches, I thought it might be fun to take a look at how everyone drafted and see if there were any clear winners.

Saksatoon Wild
1st OA: LW - Ryuu Crimson (175 TPE)
6th OA: G - Lefty (93 TPE)
7th OA: D - Burnt Toast (76 TPE)
13th OA: D - Dylan Nguyen (171 TPE)
19th OA: LW - Athanasios Andrianopoulos (48 TPE)
25th OA: LW - Anderson Lavey (58 TPE)
37th OA: D - Ryan Dodds (30 TPE)
40th OA: LW - Frenchie French (30 TPE)
43rd OA: C - Derrick Lacroix (30 TPE)
49th OA: G - Kyle Desjardins (30 TPE)
55th OA: D - Magnus Backlund (30 TPE)
61st OA: C - Ethan Sawatzky (30 TPE)

Verdict
The only team in the draft to make a selection in the 11th round, the Wild were determined to find talent, and they certainly did. Selecting the best forward, goalie and a top 3 defenceman in the draft class is a nice kick off to any draft. The main shortcomings of their selections are the lack of quality centres (which this draft was weak on to begin with), and the fact that many of their 30 TPE selections aren't very active on the forum. Overall, the decisions made in the trickier parts of the draft leave some to be desired, but the top end talent they've managed to load their team with will certainly leave the front office excited. Crimson, Lefty, Toast and Nguyen should all be immediate impact players in the M this year. If Lavey and Andrianopoulos stay active, I think this is one of the strongest set of selections in this draft. Unsurprising coming from the team that selected 1st overall.

Final Grade: A-

 
Las Vegas Aces
2nd OA: LW - Karl von Moltke (162 TPE)
8th OA: LW - Julian Borwinn (92 TPE)
10th OA: D - Cayden Saint (143 TPE)
20th OA: D - Juri Rykonen (48 TPE)
27th OA: LW - Jose Gonzalez (58 TPE)
34th OA: G - Alex Pepper (59 TPE)
38th OA: RW - Jack Stucky (38 TPE)
44th OA: RW - Ho-Train (30 TPE)
50th OA: RW - Ian Drake (30 TPE)

Verdict
With only 9 picks up against the Wild's 12, it's impressive that Vegas was able to find similar high end talent and arguably more middle talent. The lack of centre depth in this draft is very evident here as Vegas didn't select a single C. While their two last selections are inactive and unlikely to get much done in the strip, all of their other selections seem to be mostly active on the forum, first gens and vets alike. Big picture, I think Vegas made their most important picks count. Comparing their selections up to 38th with Saskatoon's, we see a talent pool almost as intriguing, if not a little less star studded. I must admit, though, I am not a fan of their early round position spread, somehow coming in less diverse than the Wild's. Still, Moltke, Borwinn, and Saint are high end talent. With consistent activity from Gonzalez, Rykonen, Pepper and the rest of their class, this team could be lethal.

Final Grade: B

 
Halifax 21st
3rd OA: D - Tzuyu (168 TPE)
9th OA: RW - Nikita Flipachyev (66 TPE)
12th OA: D - Shawn Glade (159 TPE)
15th OA: D - B.B. Nat (81 TPE)
21st OA: G - Cole Mertz (66 TPE)
23rd OA: C - Mike Lavallee (47 TPE)
32nd OA: LW - Aaron Butcher (30 TPE)
33rd OA: C - Hunter Kidd (38 TPE)
39th OA: C - Nathan MacKinnon (30 TPE)
47th OA: G - Tyler Smith (42 TPE)
51st OA: D - Jeremy Myalls (30 TPE)
57th OA: G - Potato (30 TPE)


Verdict
There's a lot to like about these selections. So far this is the best positional spread we've seen in the draft, and while there is perhaps less elite talent (which is to be expected as we make our way down the list), almost every player Halifax selected is active on the forum. Finding active players in the 50s is a mark of a successful draft in my books. If Flipachyev, B.B. Nat and Cole Mertz can come into their own, Halifax can turn heads this year. Tzuyu and Shawn Glade are one hell of a D pairing in the M.

Final Grade: A

 
Ottawa Lynx
4th OA: G - Kallis Kriketers (135 TPE)
5th OA: D - Lando Baxter (173 TPE)
11th OA: RW - Vaydar Odinsson (64 TPE)
16th OA: D - Joseph McWolf (71 TPE)
17th OA: C - Braylon James (50 TPE)
22nd OA: C - Chance Matthews (64 TPE)
28th OA: D - Gregor Rasputinov (41 TPE)
29th OA: D - Robert Renner (43 TPE)
46th OA: RW - Rzerk (32 TPE)
52nd OA: D - James Lombardi (34 TPE)
58th OA: C - Jerome Mitchell (42 TPE)

Verdict
Wewlad, that is a lot of selections in the top 30. I only have good things to say about this draft class. Ottawa found viable players in every round. Almost their entire roster is active, they walk out of the draft with one of the best goalies and defenseman available and having not made a single 30 TPE selection. They even found talent at C. If this class stays as active as they have been they may very well become the best set of selections we saw this past Wednesday. Kriketers enters as one of the most exciting goalies in the league, and Baxter enters in contention for best rookie D. All of their middle talent seems to be active and is already accumulating and spending TPE. This team can be very, very good.

Final Grade: A+

 
Yukon Rush
14th OA: D - Ryan Kastelic (84 TPE)
26th OA: C - Theodore Gauthier (61 TPE)
35th OA: G - Victor (30 TPE)
41st OA: D - Jesse Sublime (35 TPE)
45th OA: ?? - Radovan Svejkovsky (30 TPE)
53rd OA: RW - Nick Ward (30 TPE)
59th OA: G - Rhett Stoffiday (30 TPE)

Verdict
Objectively the weakest draft class thus far, which isn't surprising when you've traded away as many picks as Yukon did, worth a chance to play in the final for the founder's cup, I'd say. I'm not a big fan of these selections. The picks that pan out will pan out well, Yukon has certainly injected some talent into a talented group, but they left talent on the board to make some of their middle and later picks, a few of whom seem to be inactive. This class could turn out better than expected if their last 3 selections turn out to be active, as they haven't been away from the forum for very long at all.

Final Grade: C-


Oslo Storm
18th OA: D - Paolo Nano (88 TPE)
24th OA: RW - Anssi Koivuhaka (53 TPE)
30th OA: D - Mountain Thunderfist (47 TPE)
36th OA: LW - Bobby Larkin (30 TPE)
42nd OA: D - Finn Schaefer (30 TPE)
48th OA: G - Andreas Bergkvist (30 TPE)
54th OA: ?? - The Great Cox (30 TPE)

Verdict
The founder's cup winners manage to get a hold of more quality draft picks than the runner up Yukon Rush, but the talent in both draft classes is very similar. Both select a star D with their first picks and land active forwards and middle D to follow up. All of Oslo's selections seem to be active on the forum save for The Great Cox. Overall, not bad for the league champions.

Final Grade: C

 

As the start of the VHLM regular season fast approaches, I thought it might be fun to take a look at how everyone drafted and see if there were any clear winners.

Saksatoon Wild
1st OA: LW - Ryuu Crimson (175 TPE)
6th OA: G - Lefty (93 TPE)
7th OA: D - Burnt Toast (76 TPE)
13th OA: D - Dylan Nguyen (171 TPE)
19th OA: LW - Athanasios Andrianopoulos (48 TPE)
25th OA: LW - Anderson Lavey (58 TPE)
37th OA: D - Ryan Dodds (30 TPE)
40th OA: LW - Frenchie French (30 TPE)
43rd OA: C - Derrick Lacroix (30 TPE)
49th OA: G - Kyle Desjardins (30 TPE)
55th OA: D - Magnus Backlund (30 TPE)
61st OA: C - Ethan Sawatzky (30 TPE)

Verdict
The only team in the draft to make a selection in the 11th round, the Wild were determined to find talent, and they certainly did. Selecting the best forward, goalie and a top 3 defenceman in the draft class is a nice kick off to any draft. The main shortcomings of their selections are the lack of quality centres (which this draft was weak on to begin with), and the fact that many of their 30 TPE selections aren't very active on the forum. Overall, the decisions made in the trickier parts of the draft leave some to be desired, but the top end talent they've managed to load their team with will certainly leave the front office excited. Crimson, Lefty, Toast and Nguyen should all be immediate impact players in the M this year. If Lavey and Andrianopoulos stay active, I think this is one of the strongest set of selections in this draft. Unsurprising coming from the team that selected 1st overall.

Final Grade: A-

 
Las Vegas Aces
2nd OA: LW - Karl von Moltke (162 TPE)
8th OA: LW - Julian Borwinn (92 TPE)
10th OA: D - Cayden Saint (143 TPE)
20th OA: D - Juri Rykonen (48 TPE)
27th OA: LW - Jose Gonzalez (58 TPE)
34th OA: G - Alex Pepper (59 TPE)
38th OA: RW - Jack Stucky (38 TPE)
44th OA: RW - Ho-Train (30 TPE)
50th OA: RW - Ian Drake (30 TPE)

Verdict
With only 9 picks up against the Wild's 12, it's impressive that Vegas was able to find similar high end talent and arguably more middle talent. The lack of centre depth in this draft is very evident here as Vegas didn't select a single C. While their two last selections are inactive and unlikely to get much done in the strip, all of their other selections seem to be mostly active on the forum, first gens and vets alike. Big picture, I think Vegas made their most important picks count. Comparing their selections up to 38th with Saskatoon's, we see a talent pool almost as intriguing, if not a little less star studded. I must admit, though, I am not a fan of their early round position spread, somehow coming in less diverse than the Wild's. Still, Moltke, Borwinn, and Saint are high end talent. With consistent activity from Gonzalez, Rykonen, Pepper and the rest of their class, this team could be lethal.

Final Grade: B

 
Halifax 21st
3rd OA: D - Tzuyu (168 TPE)
9th OA: RW - Nikita Flipachyev (66 TPE)
12th OA: D - Shawn Glade (159 TPE)
15th OA: D - B.B. Nat (81 TPE)
21st OA: G - Cole Mertz (66 TPE)
23rd OA: C - Mike Lavallee (47 TPE)
32nd OA: LW - Aaron Butcher (30 TPE)
33rd OA: C - Hunter Kidd (38 TPE)
39th OA: C - Nathan MacKinnon (30 TPE)
47th OA: G - Tyler Smith (42 TPE)
51st OA: D - Jeremy Myalls (30 TPE)
57th OA: G - Potato (30 TPE)


Verdict
There's a lot to like about these selections. So far this is the best positional spread we've seen in the draft, and while there is perhaps less elite talent (which is to be expected as we make our way down the list), almost every player Halifax selected is active on the forum. Finding active players in the 50s is a mark of a successful draft in my books. If Flipachyev, B.B. Nat and Cole Mertz can come into their own, Halifax can turn heads this year. Tzuyu and Shawn Glade are one hell of a D pairing in the M.

Final Grade: A

 
Ottawa Lynx
4th OA: G - Kallis Kriketers (135 TPE)
5th OA: D - Lando Baxter (173 TPE)
11th OA: RW - Vaydar Odinsson (64 TPE)
16th OA: D - Joseph McWolf (71 TPE)
17th OA: C - Braylon James (50 TPE)
22nd OA: C - Chance Matthews (64 TPE)
28th OA: D - Gregor Rasputinov (41 TPE)
29th OA: D - Robert Renner (43 TPE)
46th OA: RW - Rzerk (32 TPE)
52nd OA: D - James Lombardi (34 TPE)
58th OA: C - Jerome Mitchell (42 TPE)

Verdict
Wewlad, that is a lot of selections in the top 30. I only have good things to say about this draft class. Ottawa found viable players in every round. Almost their entire roster is active, they walk out of the draft with one of the best goalies and defenseman available and having not made a single 30 TPE selection. They even found talent at C. If this class stays as active as they have been they may very well become the best set of selections we saw this past Wednesday. Kriketers enters as one of the most exciting goalies in the league, and Baxter enters in contention for best rookie D. All of their middle talent seems to be active and is already accumulating and spending TPE. This team can be very, very good.

Final Grade: A+

 
Yukon Rush
14th OA: D - Ryan Kastelic (84 TPE)
26th OA: C - Theodore Gauthier (61 TPE)
35th OA: G - Victor (30 TPE)
41st OA: D - Jesse Sublime (35 TPE)
45th OA: ?? - Radovan Svejkovsky (30 TPE)
53rd OA: RW - Nick Ward (30 TPE)
59th OA: G - Rhett Stoffiday (30 TPE)

Verdict
Objectively the weakest draft class thus far, which isn't surprising when you've traded away as many picks as Yukon did, worth a chance to play in the final for the founder's cup, I'd say. I'm not a big fan of these selections. The picks that pan out will pan out well, Yukon has certainly injected some talent into a talented group, but they left talent on the board to make some of their middle and later picks, a few of whom seem to be inactive. This class could turn out better than expected if their last 3 selections turn out to be active, as they haven't been away from the forum for very long at all.

Final Grade: C-


Oslo Storm
18th OA: D - Paolo Nano (88 TPE)
24th OA: RW - Anssi Koivuhaka (53 TPE)
30th OA: D - Mountain Thunderfist (47 TPE)
36th OA: LW - Bobby Larkin (30 TPE)
42nd OA: D - Finn Schaefer (30 TPE)
48th OA: G - Andreas Bergkvist (30 TPE)
54th OA: ?? - The Great Cox (30 TPE)

Verdict
The founder's cup winners manage to get a hold of more quality draft picks than the runner up Yukon Rush, but the talent in both draft classes is very similar. Both select a star D with their first picks and land active forwards and middle D to follow up. All of Oslo's selections seem to be active on the forum save for The Great Cox. Overall, not bad for the league champions.

Final Grade: C

 

As the start of the VHLM regular season fast approaches, I thought it might be fun to take a look at how everyone drafted and see if there were any clear winners.

Saksatoon Wild
1st OA: LW - Ryuu Crimson (175 TPE)
6th OA: G - Lefty (93 TPE)
7th OA: D - Burnt Toast (76 TPE)
13th OA: D - Dylan Nguyen (171 TPE)
19th OA: LW - Athanasios Andrianopoulos (48 TPE)
25th OA: LW - Anderson Lavey (58 TPE)
37th OA: D - Ryan Dodds (30 TPE)
40th OA: LW - Frenchie French (30 TPE)
43rd OA: C - Derrick Lacroix (30 TPE)
49th OA: G - Kyle Desjardins (30 TPE)
55th OA: D - Magnus Backlund (30 TPE)
61st OA: C - Ethan Sawatzky (30 TPE)

Verdict
The only team in the draft to make a selection in the 11th round, the Wild were determined to find talent, and they certainly did. Selecting the best forward, goalie and a top 3 defenceman in the draft class is a nice kick off to any draft. The main shortcomings of their selections are the lack of quality centres (which this draft was weak on to begin with), and the fact that many of their 30 TPE selections aren't very active on the forum. Overall, the decisions made in the trickier parts of the draft leave some to be desired, but the top end talent they've managed to load their team with will certainly leave the front office excited. Crimson, Lefty, Toast and Nguyen should all be immediate impact players in the M this year. If Lavey and Andrianopoulos stay active, I think this is one of the strongest set of selections in this draft. Unsurprising coming from the team that selected 1st overall.

Final Grade: A-

 
Las Vegas Aces
2nd OA: LW - Karl von Moltke (162 TPE)
8th OA: LW - Julian Borwinn (92 TPE)
10th OA: D - Cayden Saint (143 TPE)
20th OA: D - Juri Rykonen (48 TPE)
27th OA: LW - Jose Gonzalez (58 TPE)
34th OA: G - Alex Pepper (59 TPE)
38th OA: RW - Jack Stucky (38 TPE)
44th OA: RW - Ho-Train (30 TPE)
50th OA: RW - Ian Drake (30 TPE)

Verdict
With only 9 picks up against the Wild's 12, it's impressive that Vegas was able to find similar high end talent and arguably more middle talent. The lack of centre depth in this draft is very evident here as Vegas didn't select a single C. While their two last selections are inactive and unlikely to get much done in the strip, all of their other selections seem to be mostly active on the forum, first gens and vets alike. Big picture, I think Vegas made their most important picks count. Comparing their selections up to 38th with Saskatoon's, we see a talent pool almost as intriguing, if not a little less star studded. I must admit, though, I am not a fan of their early round position spread, somehow coming in less diverse than the Wild's. Still, Moltke, Borwinn, and Saint are high end talent. With consistent activity from Gonzalez, Rykonen, Pepper and the rest of their class, this team could be lethal.

Final Grade: B

 
Halifax 21st
3rd OA: D - Tzuyu (168 TPE)
9th OA: RW - Nikita Flipachyev (66 TPE)
12th OA: D - Shawn Glade (159 TPE)
15th OA: D - B.B. Nat (81 TPE)
21st OA: G - Cole Mertz (66 TPE)
23rd OA: C - Mike Lavallee (47 TPE)
32nd OA: LW - Aaron Butcher (30 TPE)
33rd OA: C - Hunter Kidd (38 TPE)
39th OA: C - Nathan MacKinnon (30 TPE)
47th OA: G - Tyler Smith (42 TPE)
51st OA: D - Jeremy Myalls (30 TPE)
57th OA: G - Potato (30 TPE)


Verdict
There's a lot to like about these selections. So far this is the best positional spread we've seen in the draft, and while there is perhaps less elite talent (which is to be expected as we make our way down the list), almost every player Halifax selected is active on the forum. Finding active players in the 50s is a mark of a successful draft in my books. If Flipachyev, B.B. Nat and Cole Mertz can come into their own, Halifax can turn heads this year. Tzuyu and Shawn Glade are one hell of a D pairing in the M.

Final Grade: A

 
Ottawa Lynx
4th OA: G - Kallis Kriketers (135 TPE)
5th OA: D - Lando Baxter (173 TPE)
11th OA: RW - Vaydar Odinsson (64 TPE)
16th OA: D - Joseph McWolf (71 TPE)
17th OA: C - Braylon James (50 TPE)
22nd OA: C - Chance Matthews (64 TPE)
28th OA: D - Gregor Rasputinov (41 TPE)
29th OA: D - Robert Renner (43 TPE)
46th OA: RW - Rzerk (32 TPE)
52nd OA: D - James Lombardi (34 TPE)
58th OA: C - Jerome Mitchell (42 TPE)

Verdict
Wewlad, that is a lot of selections in the top 30. I only have good things to say about this draft class. Ottawa found viable players in every round. Almost their entire roster is active, they walk out of the draft with one of the best goalies and defenseman available and having not made a single 30 TPE selection. They even found talent at C. If this class stays as active as they have been they may very well become the best set of selections we saw this past Wednesday. Kriketers enters as one of the most exciting goalies in the league, and Baxter enters in contention for best rookie D. All of their middle talent seems to be active and is already accumulating and spending TPE. This team can be very, very good.

Final Grade: A+

 
Yukon Rush
14th OA: D - Ryan Kastelic (84 TPE)
26th OA: C - Theodore Gauthier (61 TPE)
35th OA: G - Victor (30 TPE)
41st OA: D - Jesse Sublime (35 TPE)
45th OA: ?? - Radovan Svejkovsky (30 TPE)
53rd OA: RW - Nick Ward (30 TPE)
59th OA: G - Rhett Stoffiday (30 TPE)

Verdict
Objectively the weakest draft class thus far, which isn't surprising when you've traded away as many picks as Yukon did, worth a chance to play in the final for the founder's cup, I'd say. I'm not a big fan of these selections. The picks that pan out will pan out well, Yukon has certainly injected some talent into a talented group, but they left talent on the board to make some of their middle and later picks, a few of whom seem to be inactive. This class could turn out better than expected if their last 3 selections turn out to be active, as they haven't been away from the forum for very long at all.

Final Grade: C-


Oslo Storm
18th OA: D - Paolo Nano (88 TPE)
24th OA: RW - Anssi Koivuhaka (53 TPE)
30th OA: D - Mountain Thunderfist (47 TPE)
36th OA: LW - Bobby Larkin (30 TPE)
42nd OA: D - Finn Schaefer (30 TPE)
48th OA: G - Andreas Bergkvist (30 TPE)
54th OA: ?? - The Great Cox (30 TPE)

Verdict
The founder's cup winners manage to get a hold of more quality draft picks than the runner up Yukon Rush, but the talent in both draft classes is very similar. Both select a star D with their first picks and land active forwards and middle D to follow up. All of Oslo's selections seem to be active on the forum save for The Great Cox. Overall, not bad for the league champions.

Final Grade: C

 

As the start of the VHLM regular season fast approaches, I thought it might be fun to take a look at how everyone drafted and see if there were any clear winners.

Saksatoon Wild
1st OA: LW - Ryuu Crimson (175 TPE)
6th OA: G - Lefty (93 TPE)
7th OA: D - Burnt Toast (76 TPE)
13th OA: D - Dylan Nguyen (171 TPE)
19th OA: LW - Athanasios Andrianopoulos (48 TPE)
25th OA: LW - Anderson Lavey (58 TPE)
37th OA: D - Ryan Dodds (30 TPE)
40th OA: LW - Frenchie French (30 TPE)
43rd OA: C - Derrick Lacroix (30 TPE)
49th OA: G - Kyle Desjardins (30 TPE)
55th OA: D - Magnus Backlund (30 TPE)
61st OA: C - Ethan Sawatzky (30 TPE)

Verdict
The only team in the draft to make a selection in the 11th round, the Wild were determined to find talent, and they certainly did. Selecting the best forward, goalie and a top 3 defenceman in the draft class is a nice kick off to any draft. The main shortcomings of their selections are the lack of quality centres (which this draft was weak on to begin with), and the fact that many of their 30 TPE selections aren't very active on the forum. Overall, the decisions made in the trickier parts of the draft leave some to be desired, but the top end talent they've managed to load their team with will certainly leave the front office excited. Crimson, Lefty, Toast and Nguyen should all be immediate impact players in the M this year. If Lavey and Andrianopoulos stay active, I think this is one of the strongest set of selections in this draft. Unsurprising coming from the team that selected 1st overall.

Final Grade: A-

 
Las Vegas Aces
2nd OA: LW - Karl von Moltke (162 TPE)
8th OA: LW - Julian Borwinn (92 TPE)
10th OA: D - Cayden Saint (143 TPE)
20th OA: D - Juri Rykonen (48 TPE)
27th OA: LW - Jose Gonzalez (58 TPE)
34th OA: G - Alex Pepper (59 TPE)
38th OA: RW - Jack Stucky (38 TPE)
44th OA: RW - Ho-Train (30 TPE)
50th OA: RW - Ian Drake (30 TPE)

Verdict
With only 9 picks up against the Wild's 12, it's impressive that Vegas was able to find similar high end talent and arguably more middle talent. The lack of centre depth in this draft is very evident here as Vegas didn't select a single C. While their two last selections are inactive and unlikely to get much done in the strip, all of their other selections seem to be mostly active on the forum, first gens and vets alike. Big picture, I think Vegas made their most important picks count. Comparing their selections up to 38th with Saskatoon's, we see a talent pool almost as intriguing, if not a little less star studded. I must admit, though, I am not a fan of their early round position spread, somehow coming in less diverse than the Wild's. Still, Moltke, Borwinn, and Saint are high end talent. With consistent activity from Gonzalez, Rykonen, Pepper and the rest of their class, this team could be lethal.

Final Grade: B

 
Halifax 21st
3rd OA: D - Tzuyu (168 TPE)
9th OA: RW - Nikita Flipachyev (66 TPE)
12th OA: D - Shawn Glade (159 TPE)
15th OA: D - B.B. Nat (81 TPE)
21st OA: G - Cole Mertz (66 TPE)
23rd OA: C - Mike Lavallee (47 TPE)
32nd OA: LW - Aaron Butcher (30 TPE)
33rd OA: C - Hunter Kidd (38 TPE)
39th OA: C - Nathan MacKinnon (30 TPE)
47th OA: G - Tyler Smith (42 TPE)
51st OA: D - Jeremy Myalls (30 TPE)
57th OA: G - Potato (30 TPE)


Verdict
There's a lot to like about these selections. So far this is the best positional spread we've seen in the draft, and while there is perhaps less elite talent (which is to be expected as we make our way down the list), almost every player Halifax selected is active on the forum. Finding active players in the 50s is a mark of a successful draft in my books. If Flipachyev, B.B. Nat and Cole Mertz can come into their own, Halifax can turn heads this year. Tzuyu and Shawn Glade are one hell of a D pairing in the M.

Final Grade: A

 
Ottawa Lynx
4th OA: G - Kallis Kriketers (135 TPE)
5th OA: D - Lando Baxter (173 TPE)
11th OA: RW - Vaydar Odinsson (64 TPE)
16th OA: D - Joseph McWolf (71 TPE)
17th OA: C - Braylon James (50 TPE)
22nd OA: C - Chance Matthews (64 TPE)
28th OA: D - Gregor Rasputinov (41 TPE)
29th OA: D - Robert Renner (43 TPE)
46th OA: RW - Rzerk (32 TPE)
52nd OA: D - James Lombardi (34 TPE)
58th OA: C - Jerome Mitchell (42 TPE)

Verdict
Wewlad, that is a lot of selections in the top 30. I only have good things to say about this draft class. Ottawa found viable players in every round. Almost their entire roster is active, they walk out of the draft with one of the best goalies and defenseman available and having not made a single 30 TPE selection. They even found talent at C. If this class stays as active as they have been they may very well become the best set of selections we saw this past Wednesday. Kriketers enters as one of the most exciting goalies in the league, and Baxter enters in contention for best rookie D. All of their middle talent seems to be active and is already accumulating and spending TPE. This team can be very, very good.

Final Grade: A+

 
Yukon Rush
14th OA: D - Ryan Kastelic (84 TPE)
26th OA: C - Theodore Gauthier (61 TPE)
35th OA: G - Victor (30 TPE)
41st OA: D - Jesse Sublime (35 TPE)
45th OA: ?? - Radovan Svejkovsky (30 TPE)
53rd OA: RW - Nick Ward (30 TPE)
59th OA: G - Rhett Stoffiday (30 TPE)

Verdict
Objectively the weakest draft class thus far, which isn't surprising when you've traded away as many picks as Yukon did, worth a chance to play in the final for the founder's cup, I'd say. I'm not a big fan of these selections. The picks that pan out will pan out well, Yukon has certainly injected some talent into a talented group, but they left talent on the board to make some of their middle and later picks, a few of whom seem to be inactive. This class could turn out better than expected if their last 3 selections turn out to be active, as they haven't been away from the forum for very long at all.

Final Grade: C-


Oslo Storm
18th OA: D - Paolo Nano (88 TPE)
24th OA: RW - Anssi Koivuhaka (53 TPE)
30th OA: D - Mountain Thunderfist (47 TPE)
36th OA: LW - Bobby Larkin (30 TPE)
42nd OA: D - Finn Schaefer (30 TPE)
48th OA: G - Andreas Bergkvist (30 TPE)
54th OA: ?? - The Great Cox (30 TPE)

Verdict
The founder's cup winners manage to get a hold of more quality draft picks than the runner up Yukon Rush, but the talent in both draft classes is very similar. Both select a star D with their first picks and land active forwards and middle D to follow up. All of Oslo's selections seem to be active on the forum save for The Great Cox. Overall, not bad for the league champions.

Final Grade: C

 

As the start of the VHLM regular season fast approaches, I thought it might be fun to take a look at how everyone drafted and see if there were any clear winners.

Saksatoon Wild
1st OA: LW - Ryuu Crimson (175 TPE)
6th OA: G - Lefty (93 TPE)
7th OA: D - Burnt Toast (76 TPE)
13th OA: D - Dylan Nguyen (171 TPE)
19th OA: LW - Athanasios Andrianopoulos (48 TPE)
25th OA: LW - Anderson Lavey (58 TPE)
37th OA: D - Ryan Dodds (30 TPE)
40th OA: LW - Frenchie French (30 TPE)
43rd OA: C - Derrick Lacroix (30 TPE)
49th OA: G - Kyle Desjardins (30 TPE)
55th OA: D - Magnus Backlund (30 TPE)
61st OA: C - Ethan Sawatzky (30 TPE)

Verdict
The only team in the draft to make a selection in the 11th round, the Wild were determined to find talent, and they certainly did. Selecting the best forward, goalie and a top 3 defenceman in the draft class is a nice kick off to any draft. The main shortcomings of their selections are the lack of quality centres (which this draft was weak on to begin with), and the fact that many of their 30 TPE selections aren't very active on the forum. Overall, the decisions made in the trickier parts of the draft leave some to be desired, but the top end talent they've managed to load their team with will certainly leave the front office excited. Crimson, Lefty, Toast and Nguyen should all be immediate impact players in the M this year. If Lavey and Andrianopoulos stay active, I think this is one of the strongest set of selections in this draft. Unsurprising coming from the team that selected 1st overall.

Final Grade: A-

 
Las Vegas Aces
2nd OA: LW - Karl von Moltke (162 TPE)
8th OA: LW - Julian Borwinn (92 TPE)
10th OA: D - Cayden Saint (143 TPE)
20th OA: D - Juri Rykonen (48 TPE)
27th OA: LW - Jose Gonzalez (58 TPE)
34th OA: G - Alex Pepper (59 TPE)
38th OA: RW - Jack Stucky (38 TPE)
44th OA: RW - Ho-Train (30 TPE)
50th OA: RW - Ian Drake (30 TPE)

Verdict
With only 9 picks up against the Wild's 12, it's impressive that Vegas was able to find similar high end talent and arguably more middle talent. The lack of centre depth in this draft is very evident here as Vegas didn't select a single C. While their two last selections are inactive and unlikely to get much done in the strip, all of their other selections seem to be mostly active on the forum, first gens and vets alike. Big picture, I think Vegas made their most important picks count. Comparing their selections up to 38th with Saskatoon's, we see a talent pool almost as intriguing, if not a little less star studded. I must admit, though, I am not a fan of their early round position spread, somehow coming in less diverse than the Wild's. Still, Moltke, Borwinn, and Saint are high end talent. With consistent activity from Gonzalez, Rykonen, Pepper and the rest of their class, this team could be lethal.

Final Grade: B

 
Halifax 21st
3rd OA: D - Tzuyu (168 TPE)
9th OA: RW - Nikita Flipachyev (66 TPE)
12th OA: D - Shawn Glade (159 TPE)
15th OA: D - B.B. Nat (81 TPE)
21st OA: G - Cole Mertz (66 TPE)
23rd OA: C - Mike Lavallee (47 TPE)
32nd OA: LW - Aaron Butcher (30 TPE)
33rd OA: C - Hunter Kidd (38 TPE)
39th OA: C - Nathan MacKinnon (30 TPE)
47th OA: G - Tyler Smith (42 TPE)
51st OA: D - Jeremy Myalls (30 TPE)
57th OA: G - Potato (30 TPE)


Verdict
There's a lot to like about these selections. So far this is the best positional spread we've seen in the draft, and while there is perhaps less elite talent (which is to be expected as we make our way down the list), almost every player Halifax selected is active on the forum. Finding active players in the 50s is a mark of a successful draft in my books. If Flipachyev, B.B. Nat and Cole Mertz can come into their own, Halifax can turn heads this year. Tzuyu and Shawn Glade are one hell of a D pairing in the M.

Final Grade: A

 
Ottawa Lynx
4th OA: G - Kallis Kriketers (135 TPE)
5th OA: D - Lando Baxter (173 TPE)
11th OA: RW - Vaydar Odinsson (64 TPE)
16th OA: D - Joseph McWolf (71 TPE)
17th OA: C - Braylon James (50 TPE)
22nd OA: C - Chance Matthews (64 TPE)
28th OA: D - Gregor Rasputinov (41 TPE)
29th OA: D - Robert Renner (43 TPE)
46th OA: RW - Rzerk (32 TPE)
52nd OA: D - James Lombardi (34 TPE)
58th OA: C - Jerome Mitchell (42 TPE)

Verdict
Wewlad, that is a lot of selections in the top 30. I only have good things to say about this draft class. Ottawa found viable players in every round. Almost their entire roster is active, they walk out of the draft with one of the best goalies and defenseman available and having not made a single 30 TPE selection. They even found talent at C. If this class stays as active as they have been they may very well become the best set of selections we saw this past Wednesday. Kriketers enters as one of the most exciting goalies in the league, and Baxter enters in contention for best rookie D. All of their middle talent seems to be active and is already accumulating and spending TPE. This team can be very, very good.

Final Grade: A+

 
Yukon Rush
14th OA: D - Ryan Kastelic (84 TPE)
26th OA: C - Theodore Gauthier (61 TPE)
35th OA: G - Victor (30 TPE)
41st OA: D - Jesse Sublime (35 TPE)
45th OA: ?? - Radovan Svejkovsky (30 TPE)
53rd OA: RW - Nick Ward (30 TPE)
59th OA: G - Rhett Stoffiday (30 TPE)

Verdict
Objectively the weakest draft class thus far, which isn't surprising when you've traded away as many picks as Yukon did, worth a chance to play in the final for the founder's cup, I'd say. I'm not a big fan of these selections. The picks that pan out will pan out well, Yukon has certainly injected some talent into a talented group, but they left talent on the board to make some of their middle and later picks, a few of whom seem to be inactive. This class could turn out better than expected if their last 3 selections turn out to be active, as they haven't been away from the forum for very long at all.

Final Grade: C-


Oslo Storm
18th OA: D - Paolo Nano (88 TPE)
24th OA: RW - Anssi Koivuhaka (53 TPE)
30th OA: D - Mountain Thunderfist (47 TPE)
36th OA: LW - Bobby Larkin (30 TPE)
42nd OA: D - Finn Schaefer (30 TPE)
48th OA: G - Andreas Bergkvist (30 TPE)
54th OA: ?? - The Great Cox (30 TPE)

Verdict
The founder's cup winners manage to get a hold of more quality draft picks than the runner up Yukon Rush, but the talent in both draft classes is very similar. Both select a star D with their first picks and land active forwards and middle D to follow up. All of Oslo's selections seem to be active on the forum save for The Great Cox. Overall, not bad for the league champions.

Final Grade: C

 

As the start of the VHLM regular season fast approaches, I thought it might be fun to take a look at how everyone drafted and see if there were any clear winners.

Saksatoon Wild
1st OA: LW - Ryuu Crimson (175 TPE)
6th OA: G - Lefty (93 TPE)
7th OA: D - Burnt Toast (76 TPE)
13th OA: D - Dylan Nguyen (171 TPE)
19th OA: LW - Athanasios Andrianopoulos (48 TPE)
25th OA: LW - Anderson Lavey (58 TPE)
37th OA: D - Ryan Dodds (30 TPE)
40th OA: LW - Frenchie French (30 TPE)
43rd OA: C - Derrick Lacroix (30 TPE)
49th OA: G - Kyle Desjardins (30 TPE)
55th OA: D - Magnus Backlund (30 TPE)
61st OA: C - Ethan Sawatzky (30 TPE)

Verdict
The only team in the draft to make a selection in the 11th round, the Wild were determined to find talent, and they certainly did. Selecting the best forward, goalie and a top 3 defenceman in the draft class is a nice kick off to any draft. The main shortcomings of their selections are the lack of quality centres (which this draft was weak on to begin with), and the fact that many of their 30 TPE selections aren't very active on the forum. Overall, the decisions made in the trickier parts of the draft leave some to be desired, but the top end talent they've managed to load their team with will certainly leave the front office excited. Crimson, Lefty, Toast and Nguyen should all be immediate impact players in the M this year. If Lavey and Andrianopoulos stay active, I think this is one of the strongest set of selections in this draft. Unsurprising coming from the team that selected 1st overall.

Final Grade: A-

 
Las Vegas Aces
2nd OA: LW - Karl von Moltke (162 TPE)
8th OA: LW - Julian Borwinn (92 TPE)
10th OA: D - Cayden Saint (143 TPE)
20th OA: D - Juri Rykonen (48 TPE)
27th OA: LW - Jose Gonzalez (58 TPE)
34th OA: G - Alex Pepper (59 TPE)
38th OA: RW - Jack Stucky (38 TPE)
44th OA: RW - Ho-Train (30 TPE)
50th OA: RW - Ian Drake (30 TPE)

Verdict
With only 9 picks up against the Wild's 12, it's impressive that Vegas was able to find similar high end talent and arguably more middle talent. The lack of centre depth in this draft is very evident here as Vegas didn't select a single C. While their two last selections are inactive and unlikely to get much done in the strip, all of their other selections seem to be mostly active on the forum, first gens and vets alike. Big picture, I think Vegas made their most important picks count. Comparing their selections up to 38th with Saskatoon's, we see a talent pool almost as intriguing, if not a little less star studded. I must admit, though, I am not a fan of their early round position spread, somehow coming in less diverse than the Wild's. Still, Moltke, Borwinn, and Saint are high end talent. With consistent activity from Gonzalez, Rykonen, Pepper and the rest of their class, this team could be lethal.

Final Grade: B

 
Halifax 21st
3rd OA: D - Tzuyu (168 TPE)
9th OA: RW - Nikita Flipachyev (66 TPE)
12th OA: D - Shawn Glade (159 TPE)
15th OA: D - B.B. Nat (81 TPE)
21st OA: G - Cole Mertz (66 TPE)
23rd OA: C - Mike Lavallee (47 TPE)
32nd OA: LW - Aaron Butcher (30 TPE)
33rd OA: C - Hunter Kidd (38 TPE)
39th OA: C - Nathan MacKinnon (30 TPE)
47th OA: G - Tyler Smith (42 TPE)
51st OA: D - Jeremy Myalls (30 TPE)
57th OA: G - Potato (30 TPE)


Verdict
There's a lot to like about these selections. So far this is the best positional spread we've seen in the draft, and while there is perhaps less elite talent (which is to be expected as we make our way down the list), almost every player Halifax selected is active on the forum. Finding active players in the 50s is a mark of a successful draft in my books. If Flipachyev, B.B. Nat and Cole Mertz can come into their own, Halifax can turn heads this year. Tzuyu and Shawn Glade are one hell of a D pairing in the M.

Final Grade: A

 
Ottawa Lynx
4th OA: G - Kallis Kriketers (135 TPE)
5th OA: D - Lando Baxter (173 TPE)
11th OA: RW - Vaydar Odinsson (64 TPE)
16th OA: D - Joseph McWolf (71 TPE)
17th OA: C - Braylon James (50 TPE)
22nd OA: C - Chance Matthews (64 TPE)
28th OA: D - Gregor Rasputinov (41 TPE)
29th OA: D - Robert Renner (43 TPE)
46th OA: RW - Rzerk (32 TPE)
52nd OA: D - James Lombardi (34 TPE)
58th OA: C - Jerome Mitchell (42 TPE)

Verdict
Wewlad, that is a lot of selections in the top 30. I only have good things to say about this draft class. Ottawa found viable players in every round. Almost their entire roster is active, they walk out of the draft with one of the best goalies and defenseman available and having not made a single 30 TPE selection. They even found talent at C. If this class stays as active as they have been they may very well become the best set of selections we saw this past Wednesday. Kriketers enters as one of the most exciting goalies in the league, and Baxter enters in contention for best rookie D. All of their middle talent seems to be active and is already accumulating and spending TPE. This team can be very, very good.

Final Grade: A+

 
Yukon Rush
14th OA: D - Ryan Kastelic (84 TPE)
26th OA: C - Theodore Gauthier (61 TPE)
35th OA: G - Victor (30 TPE)
41st OA: D - Jesse Sublime (35 TPE)
45th OA: ?? - Radovan Svejkovsky (30 TPE)
53rd OA: RW - Nick Ward (30 TPE)
59th OA: G - Rhett Stoffiday (30 TPE)

Verdict
Objectively the weakest draft class thus far, which isn't surprising when you've traded away as many picks as Yukon did, worth a chance to play in the final for the founder's cup, I'd say. I'm not a big fan of these selections. The picks that pan out will pan out well, Yukon has certainly injected some talent into a talented group, but they left talent on the board to make some of their middle and later picks, a few of whom seem to be inactive. This class could turn out better than expected if their last 3 selections turn out to be active, as they haven't been away from the forum for very long at all.

Final Grade: C-


Oslo Storm
18th OA: D - Paolo Nano (88 TPE)
24th OA: RW - Anssi Koivuhaka (53 TPE)
30th OA: D - Mountain Thunderfist (47 TPE)
36th OA: LW - Bobby Larkin (30 TPE)
42nd OA: D - Finn Schaefer (30 TPE)
48th OA: G - Andreas Bergkvist (30 TPE)
54th OA: ?? - The Great Cox (30 TPE)

Verdict
The founder's cup winners manage to get a hold of more quality draft picks than the runner up Yukon Rush, but the talent in both draft classes is very similar. Both select a star D with their first picks and land active forwards and middle D to follow up. All of Oslo's selections seem to be active on the forum save for The Great Cox. Overall, not bad for the league champions.

Final Grade: C

 

Name: Gregor Rasputinov
DOB: February 14, 2000
Birthplace: Norilsk, Russia
Height: 71in (6ft1)
Weight: 200lbs
Position: LD
Handedness: Left
Shot Preference: Wrist

OVERVIEW
Gregor Rasputinov is projected to be a mid-round pick this season, offering a high offensive upside but carrying some defensive baggage. With some time and proper development, he could prove to be a highly effective low-risk puck-mover on the back end. Teammates generally praise his willingness to kickstart the rush and even drive deep as a puck-carrier at times. This corsi monster excels in seeing the ice before him and springing teammates with bullet-like stretch passes. Many teams will opt to avoid him due to his defensive pitfalls, but Rasputinov's prideful offensive style could find himself fitting in well on any powerplay in the league.
 
"A gamble that could see the team that selects him very happy in the future." - McGuire
"One of the brightest young offensively-minded players in the QMJHL" - McKenzie
"Proper defensive development could see this player as one of the most valuable in the VHL." - Dreger
"Not particularly fond of him." - Cherry
 
HOT TAKES
Gregor "Russia's Greatest Cup Machine" Rasputinov is entering the draft following a decorated career in minor through junior. Being a key part of multiple successful campaigns with the Halifax Mooseheads and the Russian World Junior squad, the smooth-skating puck-moving defenseman enters the draft with high hopes to have a positive impact wherever he lands. As one of the premier powerplay quarterbacks in the league, Rasputinov finished his sophomore junior season with 48 of his 71 assists on the man-advantage. Despite his tight-gripped control of the play in the offensive zone, Rasputinov lacks the physical attributes to be a truly effective shutdown defenseman, often bullied in front of the net and often coming out on the wrong end of hits.
PROS
Rasputinov is scouted for his exceptional skating ability, often using it to carry the puck out of sticky situations and exit his own zone with confidence. His ability to see passing lanes and trigger a laser-like pass has been compared to Penguins blue liner Kris Letang. A high offensive upside is in the cards for Rasputinov at any level of play. Rasputinov has looked impressive at training camp, displaying various times his ability to escape a tight forecheck and create a lopsided breakout. As previously mentioned, Rasputinov brings forth an excellent understanding of the transition game, pairing well with high-scoring forwards.
CONS
His work on the man-advantage is the main talking point on his resume, for better or for worse. About 68% of Rasputinov's total points come on the powerplay, which makes some scouts hesitant due to possible even strength production struggles. Rasputinov also seems to find himself on the losing end of physical battles quite often, inspiring some to say he won't be able to keep up with the big leagues. Often caught out of place with greedy offensive plays, Rasputinov could use a mindset shift to focus on restraint. Rasputinov's leadership is often questioned due to a captaincy strip on the Mooseheads last season.

Hey Gregor, Nik here from Ottawa.

1. Some have compared your playstyle to the Ottawa 67s superstar RW, Nikita Flipachyev. Calling you Flipa-lite. How do you feel about your God emperor and are you honored to receive the comparison?

2. Putting aside the fact that you'd be honored to play in any city, do you have a preference for where you land tonight? Any Johnny T sheets-esque stories?

3. Which NHLer would you be the most excited to truly replicate?

4. What do you like about playing D?

5. Do you think you can be the best Russian OFD of all-time?

1. I don't think I'm overhyped at all, so I don't see the comparison. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
2. I've always enjoyed playing in Halifax. To be able to continue a career there would be a dream.
 
3. I've always dreamed of playing like Erik Karlsson. If I could model my game after any player it would be him.
 
4. Scoring.
 
5. I think I can be the best Russian D all together. My potential is endless.
 
Thanks for the questions, Nik. See you on the ice.

Live Draft Press Conference
 
Here's my rookie report: https://vhlforum.com/topic/51612-gregor-rasputinov-rookie-profile/?tab=comments#comment-539571
 
Ask away!

@Joobles - 1 TPE for creation, 1 TPE for earning 50 TPE.

I think I can speak on behalf of the entire Seattle Bears organization, when we extend our appreciation and gratitude towards the recruitment team and their leader, @Beaviss for all the work they've done for the league. Furthering, we'd like to congratulate @Toast, one of our own on the Bears team, on making the leap so quickly and becoming the VHLM's most powerful man - the commissioner. It's a great group of guys that will be working together in the future and both sets of teams are extremely important in having this league succeed. Also, without forgetting, a special shout out to @Tagger for hopping on as a retention specialist. Cool name for the job, but in seriousness, he's kicking ass on the discord helping out every new member. These are the kind of guys the league needs to thrive and we appreciate your efforts. 
 
I think I may also be able to speak on behalf and congratulate and wish all players the best of luck in tonights VHL draft. In case you missed it, the draft is roughly 3.5 hours away and we're anxiously counting down the clock. For awhile, the leagues drafts were looking thin and lonesome, but lately the drafts are filled with so many great, new and exciting members. The league may seem confusing, tough or frustrating, but there's many amazing members here who are willing to extend their services and lend a hand, and the VHL community and sim itself has very much to offer you.
 
Again, good luck tonight and moving forward in your VHLM/VHL careers.  
 
+2 Kovalchuk

1. What are your thoughts on the league so far?
2. How did you think of your name? Just thought it was cool or?
3. Any teams you'd like to play for in the VHLM or VHL?
4. What are your goals as a player?
5. Any suggestions as a new member to improve the site, make things easier or to better accommodate you?  
 
@Arayvenn
+1 Kovalchuk

Sounds good! I'll join the discord tonight and sort out any remaining confusion I have.

Early Life
Born in Moscow on January 1st, 2000, Nikita Flipachyev arrived determined to make an impact on the new millennia. As the son of a poor factory worker and stay at home mom he did not have much opportunity to play hockey. He got onto the streets for a game of ball hockey when he could, but outside of the occasional pond hockey game Nikita did not often lace them up. He watched Dynamo Minsk and any KHL game he could catch at the time religiously, and followed the NHL on weekend nights, pining for the chance to get on the ice and play. He frequently watched old hockey clips on Youtube, becoming a fan of the 90s Vancouver Canucks. Nikita would dawn a 'Nucks jersey and sit himself in front of the TV for every Vancouver game he could reasonably catch. When he wasn't able to stay up so late he would make an effort to watch former Canucks playing in the KHL, becoming a big fan of Pavol Demitra leading up to the Yaroslavl disaster. Alas, he could still not afford to join a local competitive hockey team. In the meantime, Nikita found other ways to scratch his athletic itch, performing as a top track and soccer athlete for his age group.

At age 10 the Flipachyev's moved to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in pursuit of a higher quality of life. Nikita's father, Andrey, grew tired of working long hours in the steel factory and had begun taking night classes to become a software engineer. After years of classes and self-training, Andrey was finally able to secure a job at Shopify through the referral of a family friend. The Flipachyev's lives were about to take a drastic turn for the better.

One of his father's first major purchases was a set of hockey equipment and enrollment in a Canadian squirt league. Working less hours, Andrey and his wife, Natasha, had more free time and were able to attend each and every one of Nikita's games. Nikita was determined to not let his parents' efforts go to waste, he had seen the hours his father had spent learning a difficult craft so that he might have a chance to chase his dreams. It quickly became clear to Nikita's coaches that he was too much of a force for squirt and so Nikita began his Canadian hockey career a year up in peewee, playing for Ottawa's Kanata Blazers. He would go on to set all-time team records in goals and points before moving onto midget and eventually Junior. Nikita adjusted well to life in Canada. He took English classes in Moscow and spoke fluent English before the move so he had no difficulties making friends and assimilating. He was also a fiery, passionate, hockey fan and clung to other die-hard fans at school quickly, still repping the Vancouver Canucks. Inspired by his father's work ethic and discipine, Nikita worked hard himself and was able to maintain straight As throughout high school. He showed interest in pursuing an undergraduate degree and eventual PhD in neuroscience at Carleton University, but ultimately decided to hit the road and join a major junior squad to better his chances at turning pro. He is open to the possibility of returning to academia should his pro career not workout, but he has little doubt that it will. Nikita was kept on an intense workout routine and strict diet by his junior coaches.

Major Junior
Selected in the 2nd round of the OHL priority draft, Nikita has spent his entire junior career with his new 'hometown' Ottawa 67s. Desperate for some talent along the boards, Nikita quickly rose through the ranks and was given an opportunity to play on the first line within his first 20 games in the league, a post he has held since. His parents still attend every home game and make the trip out to Oshawa and London when it's convenient, cheering their son on and eagerly anticipating the day he turns pro. Though the 67s have not been good during his tenure, Nikita has made a name for himself and has managed to put up respectable numbers. He attempts to emulate his favourite player of all-time, the Russian Rocket, Pavel Bure and has drawn comparison's to the Winnipeg Jets' Patrik Laine. With a shot as hard as he is fast, Nikita has taken the OHL by storm scoring nightly. As a result of his late start with the sport his hockey sense can use some work, but he has a powerful first step and soft hands allowing him to make space for himself on the ice where his positioning may otherwise fall flat. A disciplined and fast winger who loves to score, Nikita is hoping to make an immediate impact after turning pro. The more physical, gritty areas of his game are lacking, but the Russian forward doesn't shy away from the play along the boards and is eager to learn how to play the body better. 

Nikita has announced his eligibility for the 62nd VHL draft in lieu of a position in the NHL and is expected to be drafted this upcoming season. When asked if he has a preference on where he lands he said he would be grateful to play for any team in the league, but couldn't help but admit that the prospect of staying at home and playing with the Lynx where he started his new life was "more than appealing".

Word count: 950-ish. It was 1100+ but there was so much fluff I wasn't happy with it. If this doesn't count for TPE, don't worry about it.