Bucky___lastard

@TacticalHammer @Sebster03 @Jayrad28 @Bucky___lastard @BladeMaiden 2nd overall as a team, top 5 in 4 out of 5 events

I have created an algorithm for the All Star Skills Competitions that were featured in the latest NHL all stars weekend. I want each of the VHL teams to nominate one player for each skills competition.
 
The competitions are:
Hardest Shot; Shooting Stars; Fastest Skater; Accuracy Shooting; and Save Streak.  
The skaters nominated will go up against a random teams goalie in the Save streak.
 
Points will be awarded to the players in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th and we will see which team has the best stars.
 
@VHL GM could you please nominate your 5 players (4 skaters and 1 Goalie) and for which event you wish for them to compete in, I will then do all the results by podcast and text for everyone to listen.
 
Everyone in the VHLM don't worry I will be completing yours straight after.
 
 

Prague:
Hardest Shot: Teagan Glover @Bucky___lastard
Shooting Stars: Roll Fizzlebeef @TacticalHammer
Fastest Skater: Seabass Perrin @Sebster03
Accuracy Shooting: Alex Pearson @Jayrad28
Save Streak: Brick Wahl @BladeMaiden

Prague players: I want you guys to know I did this by a formula, based on your existing attributes - in the one case I had to tiebreak, the guy I didn't pick I feel like will be a top choice for 2-3 categories next season, whereas the guy I did pick was more specialized to the one thing. I'll outline this in the discord in a minute.

Loser point, I'll take it. 

Super close game again, another bonus point

Really good goalie battle

Good game boys

Good game boys

Glover with two shootout GWG

Glover with two shootout GWG

Welcome to the first edition of VSN’s S70 Weekly recap (Games 1-48).  We’ll cover a host of things in this recap each week including highlights of important VSN happenings, three stars of the week, power rankings, rookie profiles, and anything else of importance.
 
Recap

And just like that, another season is upon us. We have gotten our first look at this season’s competition with many new faces and old faces in new places. Several rookies have set out to make names for themselves. Jimmy Spyro was flawless in his VHL debut with a shutout against Toronto. Patrick Tallinder beat the snot out of Phantoms’ enforcer Blake Laughton. And Erik Summers leads the Titans in +/-. Meanwhile, several free agents have made waves on their new teams. Codrick Past has already scored two short-handed goals for Riga. JB Rift shut out the New York Americans in his second game as a Wrangler. And former Calgary tender, Brick Wahl, has put up impressive numbers in Prague.
 
It is hard to say that anyone is performing above or below expectations so early in the season, but I think a couple of teams stand out. You can call it a cup hangover or you can call it cap space hell, but I don’t think anyone expected to see Seattle scraping the bottom of the North American Conference. Hulk Hogan even lost a fight! What has become of the reigning champs? On the other end of the spectrum, after the intense locker room drama of S69, the Calgary Wranglers are leading their conference early in the season. Time will tell if they can hold it together is S70, but it has certainly been a promising start. Also of note, Davos… doesn’t suck? I think we all expect great things from Gustav, but turning around Davos this quickly is certainly a shock. We will have to wait and see if they can continue to contend for a playoff spot in the European Conference.
 
As far as league news goes, it has been a fairly slow week. The only major change made this week affects a relatively small selection of players. Players claiming pension will now have to have two players at 700 TPE instead of the previous 400 TPE. This inflation is allegedly a response to uncapped TPE becoming easier to acquire in recent seasons. It seems that teams are still trying to get settled into their new rosters and find their identities. I expect in the new week or so that we will start to see teams begin grappling with whether they intend to contend this season or look to start moving their upcoming FAs to teams that are in the hunt for the cup.
 

3-Stars

First Star
Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen (MOS) - 3 Goals, 10 Assists
Second Star
Julian Borwinn (HSK) - 7 Goals, 10 Assists
Third Star
Owen May (TOR) - 0.936 SV%, 1.83 GAA
 

Power Rankings

European Conference
Moscow Menace - They haven’t played any top teams outside of Vancouver and they went 1-1 with the Wolves. However, leading is leading, and it is hard to argue with results. Prague Phantoms - Prague could be number 1 on this list, but losing to Davos was a bad look for the Phantoms. They are going to have to prove it if they want to win my confidence. Helsinki Titans - Helsinki doesn’t lead the league in much, but they do have more goals than anyone else. If they can start winning close games they will start racking up points. Riga Reign - They beat Davos and lost to Helsinki, then they lost to Davos and beat Helsinki. Riga has been starting their backup goalie a lot so far, so expect them to improve soon. HC Davos Dynamo - 3 OT losses mean Davos might not be behind Riga and Helsinki in the standings, but they are still losses. That being said, the 3, 4, and 5 spots are tight right now. Malmo Nighthawks - Second fewest goals in the league and the second-most goals against. It is hard to know where to start with the Nighthawks problems.  
North American Conference
Calgary Wranglers - Calgary has the best record in the league and they played real teams to get it. At the moment, they are the team to beat if you want to call yourself the best. New York Americans - The top two teams in NA have already played each other five times. The Americans only won two of those games and find themselves in second as a result. Vancouver Wolves - Vancouver is good, beating Moscow proved that, but how good? Getting to play D.C. three times already may indicate that their record is better than they deserve. Toronto Legion - It is a testament to the strength of the NA Conference this season that Toronto is this low. Don’t be fooled, this is a team that can and will beat anyone. D.C. Dragons - Defense is a real concern in D.C. They have the worst point differential and the most goals allowed in the conference. Seattle Bears - The cup hangover is real in Seattle. Don’t expect them to look this bad all season, but for now, they are at the bottom my NA power rankings.  

Notable Games

Game 39 Calgary Wranglers vs New York Americans
Game 5 of the series between the top two teams in the North American Conference, this match certainly lived up to the hype. Both teams came into this game with two wins over the other so we had a rubber match on our hands. It got extremely chippy, with both teams giving up seven power-play opportunities, but Calgary was able to take advantage with the only PP goal of the game. The Wranglers walk away from this one with the conference lead… for now.

Game 40 - Vancouver Wolves vs Toronto Legion
I chose this game at the beginning of the week to highlight a series between what I expected to be two of the top contenders in the North American Conference. It seems I may have overestimated Toronto’s talent and I considered cutting it from my notable games list. However, one thing made me keep it in, goaltending. Rookie tender, Jimmy Spyro has won all three of his first games, including a shutout and one three goals allowed. Part of that is due to Vancouver having one of the best defences in the league, but it is hard to overstate how impress Spyro’s early performance has been. 

Game 46 - Moscow Menace vs Seattle Bears
Last season’s champs against one of the favourites for the cup this season! This game was a clear showcase of the difference between a team that was good but lost a couple key pieces and team currently in their prime. Moscow dominated every facet of this matchup. Moscow has been one of the harder teams to figure out early on this season, which meant even this matchup was in question. They have a good record, but that is mostly from beating up on the worst teams in the league, they go 1-1 with Vancouver, and then they get shut out in their last game against Malmo. Honestly, I want to see them play a couple more real contenders before I’m convinced they’re as good as their record suggests.
 

Events of the Week

Fights
Game 15 - Tallinder beats up Laughton The first fight of the season and it is a fresh face dropping gloves against a seasoned veteran. Tallinder cleanly hit Teagan Glover, but Blake Laughton took exception to the hit and dragged Patrick into a fight. Not only did he take a beating, but Laughton also got a penalty for instigation and ejected from the game. However, the fight inspired the Phantoms, as they went on to score twice shortly afterwards and went on to win the game. Game 16 - Graves beats up Hogan Graves takes the belt! Hulk has a reputation for fighting, and it looks like Benny was in search of some clout of his own. Seemingly unprovoked, Graves dropped gloves and challenged the fighting champion. Never one to back down from a fight, Hogan obliged, but the fight did not go his way. Benny got an additional penalty for instigation and an ejection, but, just like in game 15, the team who went down a player responded with a quick goal and an eventual victory. Game 24 - Aaltonen draws with Stark After sustained offensive pressure in the Dragons’ zone, Aaltonen was able to change things up by dropping gloves with Ambrose Stark. Although the first didn’t really go anywhere before it was broken up, it helped change the momentum enough to bring the Dragons back into the game. D.C. went on to win in the shootout, and they have Aaltonen to thank for the much-needed change of pace. There have been two fights between these teams in the first week of the season, keep an eye on this developing rivalry in the near future. Game 27 - BRAWL! After a high stick from rookie defenseman Shawn Glade Jr., Seabass Perrin took exception and jumped him. Glade didn’t put up a fight, but his teammates stepped in on his behalf and we found ourselves with our first all-out brawl of the season. John Madden, Edward Vigneault, Milos Slavik, Roll Fizzlebeef, Andrej Petrovic, and Willie Dredge all paired off. Although none of the fights had a decisive winner, Dredge went on to score in the early minutes of the following period. His goal became the game-winner, so it would feel wrong to call anyone other than the Phantoms of the winners of the mayhem. Game 44 - Vigneault draws with Nolan Both teams forgot to play defence in the first period. After going up 3-0, Prague let New York come back within one with just over a minute left in the first on a penalty to Roll Fizzlebeef. Taking exception to the call, and to the non-stop scoring, Edward Vigneault and Owen Nolan sought each other out as soon as they got on the ice. Although the fight didn’t really go anywhere before being broken up, it seemed like it might have finally slowed things down… for exactly ten seconds, before the Phantoms scored again.  
Hat-Tricks
Game 21 - Pat Svoboda The first hat trick of the season, Svoboda’s work went to waste as Riga decided to keep their back-up goalie in until Helsinki had put up six goals. However, this is very promising for the Reign’s leading scorer. If he can score three goals against Pepper, he can do it against anyone. Game 22 - Bjorn Scoringsonn Scoringsonn lives up to his name with the first 4-Goal game of the season. Bjorn took over a third of his team’s shots in this game, so Toronto’s game plan seems pretty clear, get the puck to Scoringsonn and let him shoot. Nethila Dissanayake has two primary assists and a secondary assist on these goals, so look for more big games from this duo. Game 43 - Julian Borwinn At first glance, it would be easy to chalk this one up to facing a back-up goalie, but after a closer look you’ll see that Finn Davidson came in just nine minutes into the game and gave up two of Borwinn’s three goals. When you start your backup goalie and go one for four on the penalty kill, you know you are going to have a bad day, but Borwinn put an exclamation point on this one with his first hat-trick of the season.  
Shutouts
Game 7 - Calgary vs New York From zero to hero, JB Rift allowed five goals in the first game with the Wrangler, but he more than made up for it in the second game of their series against the American with the first shutout of S70. Game 18 - Vancouver vs Toronto What a way to start your VHL career! Jimmy Spyro was perfect in his first VHL game for the Wolves. Spyro has an exciting season in front of him if he continues to play like this as a backup goalie. Game 33 - Riga vs Davos It was like watching a VHL goalie face off against a VHLM scrub for the first half of this game. Finally, Riga decided that their backup goalie just wasn’t cutting it but the damage was already done. Davos walks away from a win and Samuel Ross gets his third career shutout. Game 34 - Vancouver vs Seattle Not to be upstaged by his backup, Greg Eagles locked in a shutout of his own, giving Vancouver two shutouts before most teams even have one. This was almost a scoreless game until Julius Freeman was finally able to get on the board with a power-play goal late in the third. Game 41 - Moscow vs Malmo This was certainly an unexpected result. Malmo has struggled early this season, but having to face Moscow over and over makes them look worse than they actually are. That being said, Michael Johnson only had one win in six games going into this matchup, and to walk away with the shutout in this one is a good confidence builder for a team in desperate need of inspiration. Game 42 - D.C. vs Seattle Kallis Kriketers has had a bumpy start to his time in D.C. with the lowest SV% and the highest GAA he has seen in years. Kriketers isn’t unfamiliar with having questionable defensive talent in front of him and every once in a while he just does what he does and puts a whole team on his back. The Dragons seem like 85% of a team and the moment, but they are going to be a real threat if their veterans can continue to play as they did in their peak.  

Rookie Spotlight

Jimmy Spyro

At this point, I’m done saying there is anything Jimmy Spyro can’t do. Becoming the starter for Ottawa halfway through his first season in the VHLM, Spyro scraped together only four wins in thirty-two games that year. However, the Mississauga Hounds saw something they liked and snatched him up that off-season. He went on to lead the team to second place in the regular season and a cup final with a 0.885 SV% and a GAA just a hair over 2. Jimmy Spyro became the shutout master, racking up 10 shutouts throughout S69.

Probably more impressive than his time in the VHLM was Spyro’s performance at the WJC for Team Asia. Taking home silver and the tournament MVP award.
“Coming in as an underdog and being passed off to Team Asia by his qualifying country Jimmy Spyro decided to make a name for himself. Going 7-0-1 with a .932 save percentage in the round-robin and going 1 -1 with a save percentage of .903 in the medal games.” - WJC Commissioner Acydburn

What do you know? He continued his reputation with a shutout in his first VHL game. Facing the veteran Owen May, each goalie faced 36 shots, and Spyro stopped every single one. If Jimmy sees more than the 8 games minimum that is required from a backup, he may even see some votes for Rookie of the Year.
 

 

Hello everyone, if you do not know who I am you may not have figured it out or heard through the grapevine. My is Kendrick and I used to be a member here under that username. I left on terms that weren't what I would have preferred to go out on. I have left a few leagues on better terms than this one, and I find that disappointing because for a large chunk of my time online; this was the place to be. For a while there there seemed to be some people I clashed with for whatever reasons they may be (every interaction with some users was a different experience). I won't deny that I got into it with some people when I could've either avoided it or simply bit my tongue. I owe a bunch of people apologies and a public airing of those seems the best way so they can see it here for reference. I tend to usually make private discussions to do so, but some of those people don't have discord so I don't know how to find them. Anyways, figured I'd get to the nitty gritty.
 
First off, @Beketov. I was hard on you in the days/weeks leading up to me leaving as I was also overwhelmed with the lack of respect from others and putting pressure on you was unfair on my part. I should've handled that better and you do a stand up job at making sure things are running smoothly around here.
 
@Tagger I think in the past I've been hard on you and it bugs me a bit because you've shown to be a man of integrity and class. I apologize for anything that I may have let get away from me.
 
@Beaviss for a while we worked hand in hand in trying to pump this website full of new members. We saw a bunch of things fail and a bunch of things turn a recruiting profit. You're committed to it and that should tell me all I need to know about you. You really do have the VHL as a thing that you pride yourself on positively promoting.
 
@Banackock At times I was very hard on you. I would never personally attack you as I didn't often do that with people on here (more of a passive aggressive type). You re good shit and do a standup job. Your commitment to your team and the leagues growth is something this league is lucky to have.
 
@Victor We have gotten into it from time to time. There were periods of your reign that irked me a little because of the wishy washy rules or what not, but you also never attacked anyone and seemed to have the VHL's growth at the top of your list.
 
@flyersfan1453 I'm not sure what exactly I did, but there was a time when you started to dislike my actions. I would appreciate  a private message so I can begin to understand what it was that set us apart because when I brought you to Cologne, I was very excited and for a long period of time we worked like a good tandem.
 
@Devise I have no clue if you will see this (because I don't know if this is your username) but I respect you, appreciate your knowledge on many different things and can always get behind your ideas when it comes to this league.
 
@boubabi We clashed a lot. Many people have heard about the clash. It was like an oil and water sort of things. I think you're a dedicated member when you're here and you taught me a bit about graphics (something I still have room for improvement on). You've said somethings that I scratch my head at, and at times touch topics that are better left in the mud but I honestly feel that maybe it's just a bunch of different personalities that don't see eye to eye. I honestly don't feel like that pits us against each other though, you have a view on things as you are opinionated and I appreciate that. To be honest, if you didn't state your opinions on matters I'd probably be pissed because "if you have a voice, use it".
 
To anyone else that may feel slighted by no personalized note, feel free to get ahold of me to hash things out, shoot the shit, take the piss or whatever you want to address. I've met some pretty talented, knowledgable, generous (the recent donation fund was great to see!) & inspiring people here and I don't think that will change.
 
For some that may need some air to be cleared. In relation to my voting habits, for a long period of time I was a very unbiased voter for league awards and trophies. A few times I did vote biased because I did see some other members pump their own tires when I felt it wasn't justified. Not saying it was a reactionary thing, but I let my own emotions get in the way of voting. There were times when my personal life seemed like it was raked over hot coals for some to destroy; which I felt pretty disappointed in. I'm a good man, work hard and yes at times wear my heart on my sleeve but I do think this site has grown and I still feel there is more positive growth coming it's way. Thank you for reading, enjoy your day!

2-1 to open the season, nice!
 
Only one point for Roll isn't ideal, but 67/102 on faceoffs is pretty slick. 

Glover pulled from the abyss

Won't be around Sunday or Monday a whole lot, so I used the time I had to write this tonight. Claiming for the weeks ending on the 26th and beyond (next four weeks). 
 
 
Last time I did an 'inside the mind' article, people seemed to enjoy it, and I recently just made a pretty big trade (in my honest opinion) that lingers on what many consider 'gambling' - so I figured I'd do another one, but this time breaking down a few of my moves and what I was thinking about when they happened. Firstly, I simply don't understand the fear from particular GMs about first generations and recreates. I know, I know, they've been burned in the past and recreates are usually going to stick around for a career. Well, as a VHLM GM, I've seen a lot of turnover in the league - in fact, I've probably seen more in the past year than every single VHL GM combined, since I was a GM of a team within the league that dealt with it. Bold for me to assume, but I'd almost guarantee it. I'm not talking just on Saskatoon's roster, and while we directly saw quite a bit of players go inactive, as a GM I also monitored other teams and their rosters. 
 
So for me taking a gamble on a first generation was part of the job description, and often times it worked out, and I found out that if one stayed beyond the VHLM season(s) it's because they genuinely enjoyed this place, or at the very least were still interested in what the VHL has to offer. The primary reason for a player leaving after making a VHL roster - based on my observations and inquiries - usually had a reason over those who simply left the league and came back during a mass PM; some would leave because life was getting busy, they didn't have enough time to commit to the player or team; some would leave because they lost enjoyment after they were done in the VHLM, which makes sense because some first generations went to better teams and had polar opposite experiences in the VHL (less ice time, less production, etc); a lot would leave because of drama (*cough* SBA Drama *cough*), which again is understandable because it causes a rift in the community and people are going to back who they're more loyal too; and finally others would leave because they didn't like the team they were drafted too, and quietly slid into the darkness of inactivity instead of complaining - yes, I've had this story shared to me more than once while I was GM of Saskatoon. 
 
So taking a 'gamble on a first generation' isn't much of a gamble. If I'm inclusive, communicate with them, and make them feel welcomed then I can help them become a member of our community. I feel like that's supposed to be my job as a general manager of any team, but maybe that's because I was raised up through the VHLM system where retention is key to being a successful GM in the minors. I understand the VHL is a different beast, but my values don't change just because the team I GM has. I think this is clearly seen by my desire to trade for active members lately, rather than taking on inactive cap. Instead of turning my cap space into a weapon - which would have been the 'wise' idea - I just wanted active players back, typically. 
 
But let's move on to my trades I've completed as a GM so far. 
 
 
 
 
FIRST TRADE: TOR/HSK
 
Toronto acquires Nethila Dissanayake for a third round pick. 
 
When I took over Toronto, I think it was the same day (or later that evening) Jubo contacted me looking to move the inactive Dissanayake out. I told him I was interested, but I wanted to make sure what Netha was doing with his player, so I asked for permision to talk to him. I knew Netha from my time in Saskatoon, so it was worth a shot. Jubo was asking for a late third or forth, but had an offer for him already.
 
Jubo gave me permission to talk with Netha, and I think it was about a day later Netha got back to me and pretty much confirmed that he'd be at a level of activity I thought he'd be. I got back to Jubo, told him the price was reasonable for Dissanayake, and we agreed to the trade. 
 
At first I was adding assets, because I truly did want to compete with Toronto, or at least make the playoffs in my first season as general manager. I was eagerly awaiting free agency, and the general plan with the team was to 'see what happens in free agency' before deciding on a route. 
 
Obviously I'm happy with adding Dissanayake, I was his GM in the minors and while he is older (S66) he'll be a great utility forward for Toronto even after regression hits. It won't take him a lot to get back to 500, where he hopes to average out at and save for future depreciations. At least that's the initial plan, if Netha wants to keep upgrading his player, that's a win-win for both of us! 
 
 
 
 
SECOND TRADE: VAN/TOR
 
Toronto acquires Edu Stava, S70 VAN 1st and S71 VAN 3rd in exchange for Tzuyu and S72 TOR 2nd. 
 
If you thought this trade was the beginning of Toronto's rebuild, you would actually be wrong - plainly put, it wasn't, as TFong had a no trade clause and we were still talking at the time about what to do - it just so happened to be the first to actually be put through on the portal, but two others were 'agreed to' before then. The true start of the rebuild begun when Tonn approached me and requested a trade out of Toronto, that was the beginning of a proper rebuild for Legion. Tonn's trade request swung the pendulum to 'rebuild', and it got stuck there, but I had a plan in motion and I wanted to stay in motion over the course of the draft. 
 
Tzuyu eventually waived his no trade clause after Fong and I talked on Discord about the state of the team without Tonn there, and our core players being missing in action after the SBA drama. I'm not kidding when I say the SBA drama really hurt Toronto, because if they had stayed around, Toronto would have been in a much healthier place. A lot of people look at Toronto and think Devise sucked this team dry of any future, but that wasn't the case. Bjorn Scoringsson is S67, young, and was earning TPE at a rate to replace Slade who was likely leaving in the off season anyway. Others included Koda Adok and Matthew Kai, but things happen and that's alright. 
 
Acquring Vancouver's first round pick was an absolute requirement for me, as I told Beaviss in our trade negotiations, and eventually we came up with a deal. I didn't like sending a second round pick back because it felt like I had just given Vancouver a great player and a decent pick for a late round pick in a weaker draft, but the nail in the coffin for me was that despite this drafts weakness I had a player I really wanted. We'll get more on that later, though. 
 
 
 
 
THIRD TRADE: TOR/DCD
 
Toronto acquires S70 RIG 2nd and S71 MOS 3rd in exchange for Elasmobranch Fish.
 
This is the only trade I've made (the other is the void one) where I feel like I made a rookie mistake. I knew there were people in the VHL also in the EFL - which is where Fish's interests are - and focused a little too much on the fact that he was inactive rather than the fact that he was recoverable, or rather I should say he was reachable. He'd be informed that he was traded on the VHL and come back to check, which sure enough did happen. I contacted him later to see clear the air - it was a good exchance between him and I. But honestly the Dragons' undressed me here, made me look like a fool, and since this trade I've been more 'anal' so to speak about trades I'm conducting. It should be noted that this trade is actually the fifth trade to be completed by Toronto, just the third on the portal. 
 
There's really not much more to say about this one beyond what I've already said, though. 
 
 
 
 
FORTH TRADE: TOR/CGY
 
Toronto acquires Owen May, Roadkill Steve, Teemu Lehtinen Jr, S71 CGY 1st and S72 CGY 2nds in exchange for JB Rift and Jordan Tonn.
 
This was the first trade completed by Toronto during my rebuild, and included sending Tonn to the Wranglers, but I was in constant communication with MexicanCow during the whole exchange. Asking him if he preferred this team over that one, if he was okay staying as a forward or wanted to go to defender, and eventually we found him a new home. This was the movement that started the rebuild, as I said earlier, and I was laser focused on getting Tonn to a new team. He had his desires, we made sure there was no bad blood and burning bridges during the transaction, and everything went smoothly... for a while, anyway, and I only say that because the trade was put on hold by the league for a little bit. 
 
Obviously the value went back and forth, and despite that, this was still the first trade to be 'accepted' by both parties. The huge thing about this trade was I reacquired a S71 first round draft pick I could use on claiming my own player, Erik Killinger, and that was always part of the plan - even if Toronto had been in a playoff position. I never had the chance to run a GM Player, which is alright by me, but I'm thankful for this clause existing. Currently, at this moment, I think it's a huge bonus that Killinger will be joining the Legion in the S71 draft to join prospects we acquired in a later trade... more on that soon. 
 
We took on a lot of inactive players, which wasn't all too impressive for me, but Calgary needed to clear some cap in order to take on Tonn and Rift. That makes sense, and while I would have rather just moved Tonn and Rift for the picks, I don't mind filling my roster with some cap. I didn't turn my cap into a weapon here, just a tool, and was also advised at this time that Toronto had to meet a roster minimum. With that in mind I agreed and the trade was eventually completed when Bush got off work/back from school IIRC.
 
 
 
 
FIFTH TRADE: TOR/VAN
 
Toronto acquires S70 VAN 2nd in exchance for S71 MOS 3rd and S71 VAN 3rd. 
 
Beaviss was nice here, but also the depth of the S70 draft class was kinda worrying for him, and as the former head of recruitment... well let's just say he knows the S71 draft class is much better. When we think about this trade as a 'hockey trade' for the scouting department, it makes sense for both teams. Vancouver gets two third round picks that may realistically be used on players with the same potential compared directly to players available in the second round of the S70 draft class. I get the opportunity to add an active player to Toronto's prospect pool, and I had someone in mind - spoiler alert, I tried trading up to 19th overall to secure the player I wanted but Bana pulled the most obvious card in GM history: 'Oh I'm in talks with another team,' while he went and scouting the remaining active players for best value. Oh I know what you were doing, as do other GMs.
 
I ended up using that second round pick on GlowyGoat's Olsen, which I was also happy with. It filled a positional requirement and added an active player to the Legion's depth chart. We selected his recruit with the next pick - I'm hoping these two join Toronto real soon, it's nice having a group of friends together. 
 
 
 
 
SIXTH TRADE: TOR/SEA
 
Toronto acquires S70 SEA 3rd in exchange for Orion Slade.
 
Sure, lately Slade has tested free agency every season, it's his go-to tactic - if there was a deal with Devise before he let me sit in the GM chair, I wasn't aware of it. I had to operate under the assumption that Slade was going to the free agency, but truthfully he wasn't a fit in Toronto regardless. He's old, depreciating, and not extremely valuable. I took the trade that made sense, a pick for his signing rights. Bana originally wanted to trade him for a forth, but I ignored those until a portal trade showed up for a third.
 
Just like a VLDL clip... "Accept!" 
 
 
 
 
SEVENTH TRADE: NYA/TOR
 
Toronto acquires Frans Eller, Kisshan Shan and S71 NYA 2nd in exchange for S70 SEA 3rd. 
 
This is the only time you can even consider me turning my cap into a weapon, but the reality is I was helping Esso get under the cap by making a reasonable deal. If we look back at other cap trades, we can point out Shawn's history of 'Yeah that'll cost you a first!' when making these types of deals. I want to build a repport with my GMs and not have a soured reputation, so I'm not going to charge inane prices to shed some inactive cap.
 
There is only a bright side: Easier negotiations in the future! 
 
 
 
 
EIGHT TRADE: TOR/DAV
 
Toronto acquires Chad Magnum, Jaxx Hextall, Damien Wolfe and Kristopher McDagg in exchange for Teagan Glover, S71 NYA 2nd, S71 TOR 4th, S71 HSK 4th, S72 TOR 1st, S72 CGY 2nd and S72 TOR 4th. 
 
A lot of people, and I mean a lot of people think Toronto lost this trade... but let's look at the voting. There are 19 votes between Davos and Toronto, and it's 58/42 in favor of Davos. I have to argue entirely with that outcome, as I honestly believe Toronto came out ahead on that deal. Obviously - well... I agreed to the trade, after all, right - even after I told myself I would try hard to not make rookie mistakes again? I liked the trade for four main reasons:
 
1. Teagan Glover was a depreciating asset I managed to get value on, you can see how I broke this trade down in my head below this short list. Glover is a  S65 player, was a pending free agent (with an option IIRC), and wasn't overly active. Now I understand he was on Christmas vacation, and that's totally awesome - I hope he enjoyed them - but let's be honest, he wasn't exactly a 12 capped earner. Six here and there, four periodically, but generally between 4-7 TPE is what he earned. To get value on a depreciating asset that won't recover his TPA pool was significant for me. If Glover was S67, S68 I would have simply resigned him because he's an awesome person to have in the locker room when he's around.
 
2. I got my active prospects I was seeking. Adding Corco's Magnum, ROOKIE's Hextall, Laflamme's Wolfe and Viper's McDagg was a huge victory in my book - made the price of the trade instantly worth while. I had just drafted three active prospects: Graves, Olsen and Cheezy - all active within the Discord - so I had to add to that list. There are some, er, people going around saying I'm doomed because three of them have been inactive in the past. 
 
I have the utmost confidence in all four of them, because if you scroll up to the beginning of this media spot, I believe it is up to me to give them all I've got based on the values I've learned. They deserve it, Toronto deserves it, and damn it I deserve it too after serving as a VHLM GM for a year and being passed up on numerous openings. 
 
3. I got my goalie! I attempted to trade up to many different picks during the first round. I inquired about 5th overall, I inquired about 8 and 11 (without giving up 10), I inquired about 9th and even 4th. I had a lot of plans during the draft, but clearly none of them came to fruition. Shawn wasn't present during the draft, so Davos' second anual 'BPA' strategy landed them players I desperately wanted on my team. When I acquired Jaxx Hextall, I was beyond happy, I was thrilled. I proceeded to get absolutely destroyed by Fallout 4's hardest mode a dozen times without punching the monitor! Yes I have issues. 
 
4. I got my top line! Adding Magnum was awesome, adding Wolfe made it better, and adding McDagg secured the depth aspect of the Legion. With Killinger coming in S71, and Graves being an absolute rockstar so far, my top line was sealed: Killinger - Magnum - Graves. 
 
Killinger is a two-way player, because I liked the build I had with Peace. Magnum is a power foward, and Graves is a playmaking right winger.
 
I know these combinations don't always work well, but that recipe is what got Peace and Dahlberg 100 points alongside Svoboda. I have huge hopes for this line in the future, and I have nothing but confidence it'll show strength. 
 
So let me break down the value of this trade: 
Chad Magnum for S72 TOR 1st. 
2x 2nds for Jaxx Hextall. 
Teagan Glover for Damien Wolfe
3x 4ths for Kristopher McDagg

Alright. Now that that's all done... here is the potential roster for Toronto in S71 based on a rough TPE estimate (capped earnings plus TC, practice facility)... and also pending some free agents I'll hopefully be signing. 

Killinger (380) - Magnum (430) - Graves (308)
Dissanayake (500*) - Stava (330) - Scoringsson (491) 
Wolfe (270) - Cheezy (229*) - McDagg (285)
 ?-?-?
 
Olsen (180*) - Adok (322) 
?-?
?-?
 
Hextall (360)
May (425)
 
Clearly if our top six forwards develop, Toronto will have a strong forward core. Now it's time to focus on defender, or maybe I'll switch Killinger to D. :thinking: 

 

The Prague Phantoms have been the most active team on the trade front since season's end as they currently lead the VHL with 6 trades made so far, and the puck hasn't even dropped yet. They already had a few trades lined up to be announced even before the VHL playoffs were even done. It was a nice surprise after seeing GM, Glasser not make many impactful moves during his first two seasons with the team, but this year he's making a statement. The Phantoms are here to compete in S70.
 
In this article i'll be focusing on the new members of the Prague Phantoms that we've welcomed to our team. I'll be giving a short history on each player and ramble on about their stats. I will also explain how each player will fit in on the roster and what to expect out of them this season.
 
Brick Wahl
@BladeMaiden
 
January 8th was a very big day for the Phantoms. After trading away their captain, Erik Draven for picks, the Phantoms reached out and acquired one of the VHL's elite goaltenders, Brick Wahl in exchange for their 1st round pick and Owen May. Wahl has been the face of the Calgary Wranglers in my opinion and has backstopped the team since S64 reaching a total of 169 career wins in the 376 games he has under her belt. Wahl has also never had a season with a save percentage under the .914% posted in her rookie season which is absolutely amazing numbers. The Phantoms really needed a goaltender as last year's goaltender tandem didn't  work out very well last season. Owen May was also not committing to the team by not showing up to practice, so the Phantoms had to do something. Wahl brings a whole wealth of experience to the team and also brings a much needed stability in net for the team. Also what better veteran can you think of than Wahl to mentor team captain, Solomon Crawford so he can take over once Wahl retires, again. I think Wahl will be the most important addition the GM can make for this team and she instantly makes the team harder to beat. 
 
 
Edward Vigneault
@Patpou22
 
On the same day that GM, Glasser acquired Wahl, he also acquired Edward Vigneault. Vigneault was acquired from the Moscow Menace for a 2nd round selection adding to a already deep Phantoms defense corps. Vigneault is not much older than the current core of players which makes him a good fit for the team. Vigneault however has more experience than any other D man on the team with 3 full seasons under his belt already. He hasn't really put up much offensive numbers as he has a career best 21 points in S68 but that's not what to expect out of him. Vigneault prides himself more on the defensive area of the game as he is slowly growing up to be one of the leagues better defensive defensemen. He had a plus/minus of +38 in his last season in Moscow so it's pretty mind boggling on why Moscow Gm, would get rid of the young player for a measily 2nd in the first place.  Either way the team is quite happy to welcome him aboard and I figure the man will be featured on the Phantom's first pairing this season.
 
Roll Fizzlebeef
 
@TacticalHammer
 
Phantom fans were really excited when news broke out that the team had acquired Fizzlebeef. The team had just lost their top point scorer to UFA and didn't have to wait long to see a possible replacement for that lost scoring in Fizzlebeef. The Phantoms and Wranglers once again were trade partners in this deal that seen both a first round pick in S72 and a third go to Calgary as they embrace a rebuild. Fizzlebeef, despite Calgary's poor season last year is coming off a career best 67 points and 2nd 30 goal season in a row. His season was also good enough to make him Calgary's top point getter in S69. Fizzlebeef has the potential to become Prague's next top scorer in S70 as he's expected to play important minutes as the Phantom's 1st line center and will be amongst the teams most experienced forwards along with Don Draper and newly acquired Teagan Glover, all drafted in the S65 VHL entry draft. He and Wahl should be able to help each other settle in nicely amongst the Phantoms. 
 
 
Teagan Glover
@Bucky___lastard
 
The route Glover took to finally end up as a Phantom was an interesting one. He was traded twice in two days. First, the Toronto Legion traded him and a package of picks to Davos in return for multiple players. Then Davos traded him once more to the Phantoms in return for for Matthew Materazo, more of a cap saving move by the Phantoms. Glover is coming off a 49 point season where he failed to come near the bar he set for himself after S68's 72 point season. Prague is deep at center having 5 capable centerman on the roster (Fizzlebeef, Glover, BigShotty, Havlova and Pearson) so it'll be interesting to see where Glover will slot in the lineup as it appears someone is going to have to shift to the wing next year.I figure he'll be a part of the teams top 6 either as a centerman or winger.Glover is a player to watch as he has a lot to prove after last year.
 
Next season will definitely be an exciting one with all the new big name additions to this years roster. Fans has shown some of that excitement already as they sold out of season tickets for next year and many analysts have the Phantoms as a team poised to contend to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The Phantoms are coming off a season where they seen a slight improvement over their inaugural season in S68. They finished only ahead of the DC Dragons and Davos HC but still fell well short of making the playoffs. These past moves have completely changed the identity of this team and it should be a fun season to watch. I hope my article have offered some insight and information on the new members of the team
 
Go Phantoms!
 
WORD COUNTER 1040something

Weeks after the Seattle Bears lifted the cup, the Prague Phantoms hsve pressed reset on their roster, I’m gonna do a breakdown of all the players and what their role should be, Barring no future moves, as their pretty close to the cap.
 
Well start with the forwards of the team, Which has been improved by the addition of some veterans.
 
Roll Fizzlebeef @TacticalHammer
 
Roll was added in the second trade with Calgary of the offseason, more on the first one later. He is except to play the top line Center roll and help Take some of the pressure off the young core. 
 
Teegan Glover @Bucky___lastard
 
At first Prague aquired veteran Matthew Materazo. But after the cap situation became difficult to navigate he was shipped of to Davos in exchange for Glover, who was acquired from Toronto earlier. He will probably end up playing wing, Either on the second or first line, he’s not gonna drive play but he will be an efficient playmaker.
 
The core of the phantoms has relatively been the same, with the minus of Zeno Miniti and Captain Draven, who made it known he had lost the room and when wouldn’t resign he was shipped off to Vancouver.
 
They still have a number of young talents that have signed on to stick around for a bit.
 
 
Alex Pearson @Jayrad28
 
After back to back 51 point seasons, Pearson goes into this season as a sure fire top 6 option on either the wing or Center, as he is very versatile. Look for him to have a breakout season this year, and potentially translate to the wing.
 
Don Draper @Infernal
 
The sniper had a down season and looks to bounce back to form. He will likely be a top line scorer for Prague this season, as he hopes to bounce back to 30 goal form.
 
Willie Dredge @sjs88speed
 
He has been improving tremendously, He was a bit of a risk pick but he’s blossomed into a true top 6 Forward who can forecheck hard and provide a playmaking touch. He might be a shoe in for the most improved award.
 
Blake Laughton @Grape

The versatile forward is in the boat as Draper, looking to bounce back after a dissapointing season he looks to cement his spot as a top 6 forward.
 
A couple rookie forwards are also looking to lock down a roster spot, as they will likely have decreased roles this season.
 
Dagmar Havlova @diamond_ace
 
After winning a championship with Saskatoon, she will look to provide a solid depth option for Prague this upcoming season.
 
Ben Mcgirr  @cartoes
 
The Young sparky forward will also provide depth with Havlova, Gm Glasser worked hard to keep this guy around as he hopes he developed into a solid role player.
 
The real strong area of this team is for sure defence, with many young stars and strong shutdown players, they have a tremendous amount of depth and will for the upcoming future.
 
Seabass Perrin  @Sebster03
 
The shutdown defenceman has been a steady presence on the blue line since the club formed. He’s been mainly paired with WSJ and been a beloved member of the locker room. He will likely be a second pairing guy this year, but will no doubt continue to be effective.
 
Wolf Stansson Jr @Cornholio
 
Wolf was Pragues first draft pick ever, and will hopefully grow as a strong offensive puck moving Defenceman who can help with the puck transition game that Prague will likely imploy this year. 
 
Jacob Perry @Liberty_Cabbage
 
Perry, Like Perrin has been a solid shutdown option with a little more offensive skill, he’s been an absolute steal from the draft, and stepped into a leadership role on this young team.
 
Cinnamon Block @omgitshim
 
What else can be said about block other then damn! She has been absolutely dynamic. Striking fear into whatever offensive line matches up against her. She will look to step into the role not number one defenceman this season.
 
Gert B Frobe @NumberJ5
 
Like block, Forbe strikes fear into his opponents. Hes a very hardworking guy and great team player. Currently undefeated in fights, he will always defend his teammates, the kind of player every team needs.
 
Edward Vingenault @Patpou22
 
Vingenault will help with the transition of the puck up the ice this upcoming season, a very active member in the lockerroom, he has been a welcome addition to the team after Glasser stole him in a deal.
 
Last but Certinly not least, The goaltending.
this has been an area of weakness, but after the addition of a world class goalie it is instantly a strength, as young goalie Crawford looks to learn from the vet.
 
Brick Wahl @BladeMaiden
 
Wahl has been a very good netminder in Calgary for ages, and now will move on this new and promising situation. He will look to finally get that Cup he’s always come short of. He will also teach the young netminder in Crawford the reigns when he steps down.
 
Soloman Crawford @AndrewWarren13
 
Crawford had a rough year last season,  but after acquiring wahl there is much less pressure on the youngin. He will likely step into the starter role after wahls time passes.
 

 
The Phantoms have made significant improvements this off season, and will look to continue to build off of an improvement last season and finally make the playoffs, because once you’re in, anything can happen.

Bek right now:
 

The step works well when you consider the other parts of his offer. The point of a debate is to provide constructive criticism not just to shut someone down for ideas. This makes people scared to give ideas which defeats the point of a debate. 

No, not at all, that's why I said I understand (if that were the reason). I saw talk on the discord of me being IA, which I was for a couple weeks so it was not a big deal. I appreciate my time in Toronto and have no ill will towards you or the team.

Toronto is also trading away everything they've got for picks or prospects because they're entering a rebuild. You probably just got a lower return because you were inactive.

Thank you, looking forward to another great season.
 
I'm assuming TOR canned me because I went "IA" over the holidays, which I can kind of understand.

I'm planning on keeping you around. You're cheaper than matt so you solve the cap issue, and you're active so will be better than him in the long run. Welcome to prague

Teagan is the VHL doorknob, everyone is getting a turn this week