StamkosFan

Pat Svoboda, the much-hyped and overdramatic 5th overall pick, was already discontent with his situation in Quebec. But with only 3 goals in 15 games, Svoboda appears dejected and demoralized. "Well, frankly the numbers are terrible. I have no assists which I'm not surprised about since I don't like passing, but the goals total is dismal too. I'm shooting 12%, so clearly, it's what happened with my start in Ottawa all over again. I'm just not getting enough shots, and I have no clue why. I have a 90 Scoring rating, so it makes no sense. I just have to go back to basics and throw pucks on net, re-calibrate my attributes. If I can make some changes soon, maybe I'll be able to have a stronger finish. But I've given up on that idealistic 20 goals mark. It's a terrible season for and I just have to accept that. It's like nothing can go right for me right now, what a shame. If I hadn't signed, at least I would've saved myself this pathetic embarassment. Maybe I'm playing so poorly because my heart is elsewhere now; there's a lack of excitement and motivation on my end for sure," said Pat Svoboda.

1) I want the sponsorship that pays me the top dollar; ultimately, I want to be on a brand that gives me the top sponsorship slot. Right now, I play for True North, and it's been a good place to start. 2) I want to eventually earn the scoring title in the VHL and to win many awards over the course of my career. I would love to earn a captaincy with a team, to win a Cup, and to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. 3) Off the ice, I meet fans occasionally, sign autographs and stuff, watch NHL games on TV, and play video games, I love the EA games. But the main thing is I do a ton of training to stay in tip-top shape. 4) Sweden is a great country; we have a focus on being great puck-movers and we've produced a lot of great hockey players over the years, so we have a great history. It's a great country to represent on the international stage because we perform when it counts. 5) I really liked Davos and the New York Americans, McWolf is on New York so they were high on my list and I was kind of expecting to go to them. I've talked to the Davos GM too and I think he's a solid guy. 6) My weaknesses are definitely passing, I'm a puck hog, and checking is also a weaknesses, I'm not very physical. If I had to pick another weakness, I would pick strength, but I'm working on that.

New York 3-2

New York Riga Seattle Calgary

F- Dan Wilinsky @diamond_ace

Pekka Pouta got 50 TPE, claiming +1 https://vhlportal.com/players/goaliefocus/1409

Riga Seattle New York Quebec City

Riga 3-2

F- Jake Davis @Bushito am I caught up or do I need to make two picks, this never ends lol and the 12 hour time limit is brutal

Pat Svoboda hopes to be able to score 20 goals out of the bat, as he has a bonus written in his contract if he reaches that total. According to sources, he looks to be slotted in on Line 2, so at least he cannot gripe that he is buried in the lineup. Beyond even strength, he is looking to receive power play time; as a guy who deems himself a volume shooter, power play specialist, it would likely be a source of further frustration if he does not. The bulky Swede seems unconcerned with penalty killing and defensive time; he prioritizes putting shots into the back of the net. Additionally, after accidentally allocating TPE to penalty shot ratings, he could be in the running to be one of the five designated for the penalty shot lineup. With a 90 Scoring rating already, he seems to be putting his TPE where his mouth is; he is a true offensive forward in every sense of the phrase. "I shoot the puck a lot, because like Gretzky said, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take. The fans are going to get headaches from all the red lights they're gonna see because of me. I'm ready to take the VHL by storm," said Pat Svoboda.

McWolf's mock draft forecasted Swedish right winger Pat Svoboda getting snapped up by the New York Americans, and the Scandinavian forward all but said he would be pleased with this outcome. But the day of the draft came, and in spite of Svoboda's high TPE count, it was center Joel Ylonen who was taken at pick #3. Perhaps New York wanted a center, or perhaps it is just that folks in VHL administrations are unaware of his agent's ventures in the SHL and other leagues. As Ylonen walked to the podium, Svoboda was visibly distraught, wringing his hands and whispered with agitation to his family. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. Pick #4 came, pick #4 went with another center, Mark Gebauer, being taken off the table. Svoboda had hinted that he wanted to play for a rebuilding team so he could compete during his prime; but the three rebuilding teams had come and went. Québec, a team with cap struggles that planned to make one final run at the Cup, called his name. The Swede, being a bona fide linguist, muttered in the general direction of the cameras, for good measure in French, "Pourquoi est-ce arrivé?" (Why did this happen?) He walked to the stand regardless, and donned the jersey with a strained smile. He already lived in Canada, he wouldn't have to move far; surely the initial discontent would breeze over. Some began to say it looked like a good fit after all when he strolled over to the Canadian media and took a press conference in French, insisting to the Québécois reporters that he was "heureux d'être ici" (happy to be here). He talked about the potential for winning the Cup this year, and expressed his love for the province. But when Svoboda went to speak with his general manager about signing his entry contract and getting started with the team, he was unpleasantly surprised to be offered the absolute minimum (1.25) salary for a player of his caliber. Meanwhile, he saw players such as Elias Dahlberg making 4 million out of the game, and Ylonen was making 3 million first year. The Swede demanded a pay raise, but initially the GM refused to budge, insisting that he would sign it or enjoy the press box. Svoboda said that he would ride the press box on a matter of principle, and that he was insulted by the offer. "This offer is a slap in the face and impugns the quality of my play. Watching the William Nylander saga, I never thought that would be me, but here we are and here I'll stay. I'll wait for arbitration, and this has definitely squashed any chance of me staying past the 3 years I'm forced to be here. I deserve a fair deal; I didn't ask to be lowballed because of cap issues, nor did I ever give any indicators that I would be willing to take a pay cut. In fact, I was never even talked to before the draft by the Québec management. Total breakdown of communication," said Pat Svoboda. Holdouts are rare in the VHL, so the public standoff garnered attention in VHL Sportsnet, with the outlet labeling the story "Big Oof". Many encouraged Svoboda to work something out with his team rather than burn bridges, but the Swede was adamant on his demands. He lobbied Québec's assistant GM to reason with the general manager, and consulted fellow rookies for advice on fair value. He would be okay with sitting out for a year to prove a point; however, he would burn a precious year before regression. With VHL careers being so short, Québec knew that he could not afford to skip a season. The Svoboda camp pushed fervently for a trade, reportedly reaching out to HC Davos and New York asking them to trade for him, or a 2 million dollar pay day; only half of what Dahlberg was making. But he "realized he had no better options" when Québec gave him a meager raise to $1.5 first year, and then gave him a raise second year (2.2) and third year (3) instead. The Swede is reportedly very unhappy with the deal, and statements he made to the media after signing seem to corroborate this. "I feel as though I was forced to sign this; as an RFA, I have no leverage. This is not how you should treat a 5th overall pick. I feel as though I've been treated like dirt, and I haven't seen any other prospect signings handle this way," said Pat Svoboda. "It's not about the money, it's about showing me that I'm valued and that the team will try to make me happy. And so far, I'm quite the opposite. I hate to be a complainer, but my discontent is skyrocketing more and more with each passing day." And so, much like William Nylander, Svoboda barely received more than he was initially given, and the drama ended with wounded feelings and tempers flaring. If falling on the draft board wasn't enough to demoralize the Swede, this series certainly should do the trick. A player previously excited to play in the VHL is now bemoaning his feet and dragging his feet on the ice; a shame to see half of his career spiraling into disarray over a few hundred thousand bucks. "Three years is a long time; there's nothing I can do right now. It seems all my hard work was for nought; if I hadn't made that last minute push, I wouldn't be in this situation right now. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, ain't that the truth? This experience was quite unpleasant and disappointing," said Pat Svoboda. "If only I had been more vocal about going to a rebuilding team, I'd have the money and the ice time. And then I could make a run at the Cup in the future, when I have fully developed as a player." 1005 Words, 2x Point Tasks (Claiming 1 for Week of 12/30, 1 for Week of 1/6)

D- Maxim Kovalchuk @diamond_ace

Done

F- Julian Borwinn @Ty343

It’s Christmas smh G- Norris Stopko @diamond_ace

D- Mats Johnsson

Pekka Pouta @Snussu (reply here to confirm I recruited you please )

I’m in

Well it's 1 AM and I'm bored soooooooooo.........human CO2 emissions are 60x more annually than volcanic eruptions. You're right that volcanic eruptions may match the rate of human CO2 emissions, but that only lasts for a few hours, not a year. Also keep in mind that CO2 is not the only greenhouse gas; one of the major ones that I'm thinking of is methane, which derives from animal agriculture (mainly cows). While I'll agree that fear-mongering can go a bit too far, it's because the public isn't doing anything lol, they don't care unless it affects them right now. What has changed you ask? Glaciers are melting at an unprecedented rate; for the past 400,000 years, CO2 in the atmosphere has never been above 300 parts per million, and now it's around 410 parts per million. Unfortunately, I fear it's too late to do much; it's what we call a positive feedback loop. Glaciers have a much higher albedo (reflectivity) than water, so as glaciers melt, the water will absorb more heat from the sun and in turn, cause the oceans to become hotter and more glaciers to melt. Rising sea levels, melting glaciers, rising global temperature, warming oceans; the evidence for climate change is overwhelming, but of course, it's your prerogative to believe conspiracy theories. How do we know that climate change is caused by these human greenhouse gas emissions? They have records from ice cores that correlate CO2 levels to temperature. 97% of scientists believe in man-made global warming, it’s not a 50-50 split in the scientific community like the main stream media would have you believe.

For players deciding what teams they want to end up in that aren't location-biased, they must consider the things that make them feel at home with a team. Pat Svoboda discussed the three most vital elements for him to be happy wherever he winds up: "1. OPPORTUNITY. While I don't expect ice time to be handed to me, I'll work hard and earn it, so I don't want to be buried in the lineup. I want to have a chance to play a major role for my team and to become a franchise player. Playing on the power play is one of my top priorities, because it's my specialty. I don't want to be stapled to the bench for the whole season, that's for sure. 2. COOL GM. I want a GM that is willing to work with me and that can be understanding and accommodating of my needs. I'm thinking here in terms of contract, in terms of build, and just anything else that might arise. You never want conflict with your GM, so I want a GM that strives to make the players feel at home. You can be a team player without compromising your personal happiness, and I think understanding that shows that a team values you. That you're not just another name on the roster." 3. PATH TO TEAM SUCCESS. I'm completely okay with playing for a rebuilding team, I think it actually gives a bigger opportunity for me to step up and fill a role that is needed. But there has to be the right mentality too. If you're rebuilding, you need to be stockpiling young talent and to blossom into a contender within the span of a few seasons. It's no fun to be a bottom feeder every year. I want to see moves that are carrying the team in the right direction and that will prepare the team well for the future."

Will answer the other questions next week lol since I just claimed my PC TPE lol xD I'm not an SHL Graphics Grader, I'm a Media Grader, but if you have a media backlog I'm happy to help with that I assure you my disdain for the slowness of the graphics team matches yours xD Proof? I wrote this http://simulationhockey.com/showthread.php?tid=90922

Review: It's a good start, but needs a bit more; you said you'd finish it later so I'm sure it'd be fine. Good to see that you touched on the family aspect as some biographies tend to overlook that. Maybe add a bit of formatting, at least some bolding, to the headers of each section just so it's easy for the reader to distinguish. Looks promising and is bound to be an excellent read when completed.

Review: This took a much less serious tone than the traditional biography, but it was enjoyable to read and checked all the boxes. I admire your creativity; deciding to have your player be a robot is definitely the definition of unique. Pretty early in the career to have so much drama, but it'll be interesting to see how it pans out and if you end up being a steal. Nice job on the bio!

Review: As DollarAndADream mentioned above, the lack of formatting and paragraphing makes it a bit difficult to read. I do like your ideas and your creativity; an injury is an excellent way to explain joining midseason in the VHLM. Your guy had a pretty similar path to mine, with parents looking for him to follow a healthcare profession and his sibling obeying their wishes, but the love of the game winning out for him in spite of the external pressure. I do think it's a solid background, just needs to be a bit neater and easier on the eyes. The internet has destroyed even us English majors' ability to digest large chunks of text lol