xsjack

It’s great to be back. One of the first things I did when I logged back on earlier today was check my notifications and I was surprised to see I had an actual mention and it was from you and here I was thinking Lynch was gonna be lost to history so that was nice to see.

It’s great to be back. One of the first things I did when I logged back on earlier today was check my notifications and I was surprised to see I had an actual mention and it was from you and here I was thinking Lynch was gonna be lost to history so that was nice to see.

Well there's an old name. Welcome back to the league @xsjack! Hope you're doing well.

Welcome back

In perhaps the most meta image the VHL has ever seen, here's my computer with this article in progress. I've had the same laptop the whole time I've been in the VHL--so imagine how many times I've pressed the space bar you see here for your enjoyment.
 
 
There have been thirteen World Junior Championships in the VHL since I took part in my first one back in S65. And before you ask, that one was a nightmare.
 
The WJC is a big opportunity for anyone new looking to make a difference. It's true that not many people care about the tournament if they're not in it. It's also true that not many people in our tournaments care about them. But for many, it's a big deal. That's especially true when those people are very new and are finally getting a chance to get their hands on STHS. And it was true for me as well when I applied to run Team USA in hopes of GMing my player to success. I'd never touched the STHS client before and I was ready to do what I'd seen in my own locker room in terms of helping players have a good time.
 
I didn't get exactly what I asked for, but it still felt great to be picked as GM of Team Asia. That feeling didn't even change when I found that there weren't enough players eligible for my team, or that the ones I had were mostly inactive. Lots of people wanted a WJC job, and it felt really good to be important. I picked my roster, made the right complaints, and soon received notice that I could fill in those inactive spots with players that had been left off of other teams. And that helped to some extent--we still had a worse roster than most other teams, but I at least brought in a few people that helped us out. @Kuch9's Viktor Kozlov and @xsjack's Jack Lynch were wrecking the M at the time, while I always appreciated seeing "Srraxxarrakex II" (I wonder how many others can spell that!) on the play-by-play. I announced the roster and sent out the proper invites, and then I got in the business of figuring out how to run STHS.
 
And then I broke my computer.
 
Running STHS on Mac is something that's been figured out by different people, in one way or another, over the years, but no one I knew had done it and neither did anyone they knew. The STHS client is Windows software, meaning that you'll need to find a workaround if you want to get your hockey jollies with any other OS. These workarounds exist for Mac, but they're janky to say the least--I eventually came across one fully functioning, but that was after I spent $100 on Parallels (a program that drained both my battery and my storage). Before "eventually," I found out how to make it work on a very janky level with Wine. Do you enjoy not being able to see where you just put your players in your lineup and just having to remember? I've got quite the program for you if you do.
 
Many of you know that I'm not great with computer stuff, so I'm also assuming that you know how much of an accomplishment it was that I got it to work to begin with. The STHS website has two "versions" of the client, one for Windows and one that's allegedly for Mac. The thing is, the Mac "version" is the same exact .exe file as the Windows one, and the only difference is that it downloads itself in a folder with a text file that basically tells you you're shit out of luck. I don't remember this file being particularly helpful to me, and that's what led to me eventually finding my way to Wikihow trying to figure out how I could open this thing with my computer.
 
"Download Wine" seemed easy enough, so I followed the link that was on Wikihow and clicked the button to download the software. That popped up a window that wasn't clear at all as to its purpose, but had a button that said "continue" or something similar. So, I clicked that...and watched as my computer installed some random antivirus software.
 
Shit.
 
I found the actual button that got me past that window quickly enough and downloaded Wine for real. From there, it was about three straight hours of trial and error as I clicked things, first trying to get the software to open, then trying to open the client file from the index, then trying to figure out how to put players in my lines, then finally generating a lines file and emailing it to Devise. All was well and good and the world had no worries in it.
 
That was, of course, until my computer slowed to a crawl and refused to do anything I wanted it to. I really hadn't paid attention to this random thing that was sitting in my downloads folder because I didn't see anything happening with it right away, but here I was a couple days later with a nonfunctioning computer and a few searches on my phone warning me that this program (I forget what it was called) was straight-up malware that I was dumb enough to install. Deleting it didn't fix anything, so I ended up having to take it to the Apple store and hearing that they'd be happy to reset it for me, and by the way, that will be $800 (seriously), and, oh right, you have AppleCare (a 1-year policy that came with this thing and that I'm very happy I was still under the terms of at the time), so you'd better thank your lucky stars you won't have to pay that much. I didn't have a functioning computer, so it wasn't a big deal for me to just not have a computer altogether in the week or so they took to reset it (I'm also not sure why that took as long as it did either). During this time, I didn't have any real-life setbacks beyond having to convince a professor that I couldn't do the homework because my computer was broken--something that I'm sure he heard as a fake excuse all the time, because he definitely never believed me.
 
That also led to me dropping off the face of the VHL Earth for close to a week. Regardless, I'd sent in my lines and I hoped my team had done well despite me not being around Discord much (don't ask me why I never checked in on my phone, because I have no idea). I was not altogether surprised, but still disappointed, to find out that a.) Team Asia had gotten absolutely bodied in the first round of the tournament and wouldn't be progressing to the next ones, and b.) I had managed to screw up the lines (because I didn't know I had to hit "copy all") and everything past our first game was simmed with auto-generated lines. Asia did manage to pull off a win--despite the index no longer existing, comments on this thread tell us that we managed to beat Europe--but that was it. Team Asia was Team Disappointment for the rest of the games we played and had the GM to match.
 
But after the tournament, I'd learned a lot. I'd put together a team and thought about how I would hypothetically manage them had I had the means to do so, I learned that the community saw me as good enough to do something cool in an official capacity, and I learned that I really cared about those things after I had them taken away for a bit. And, for better or for worse, in my own janky way, I made STHS work on a MacBook. That's something that would set the stage for...quite a bit. And there's quite a bit more personal history, and some marginally better GM accomplishments, on the way.
 
 
Read my other articles for the full Gustav experience:
#1: Lightning Glory Gonna Be My Name
#2: Can't We All Just Get Along?

1.yes I think it’s definitely possible 
2.it could but I feel other guys on the team will step up in the playoffs 
3.Halifax for sure
4.Yukon and Halifax 
5.yes this will be a bloody war 
6.definitely the chance is there he just needs to seize on it

can we get Tallinn and Coppenhagen

1.I think we can definitely keep the momentum up and keep on winning 
2. It’s always Great to see your teammates succeed and I hope many more come for them
3.definitely defence I would say
4. mine is looking pretty decent so far 
5.rock n roll - Scorey 
6.I think it’s great gives guys who are pass the M but not ready for the VHL a place to get ready for their first season in the VHL

8/10
 
The story is very good and it is fun to see how you describe it. Although, maybe you should make some space and make paragraphs, not just a big wall. It is more easy and fun to read it that way.

Paris Revolution!
Rome Senators
 
Edit: not Legion

Paris and St. Petersburg for me, although I'd pretty much be happy with any of these possibilities.

Hey, it's warming up slowly but surely!

It was a cold late October morning as Dekster stepped off the plane and began making his way through the Saskatoon airport he had never stepped foot in Saskatchewan before today but he was told it was slightly similar to Manitoba his home for the last three years he kept walking only stopping to grab his baggage,The eighteen year old had only been on a plane once before and that was three years ago when he was on a very long flight across the Atlantic leaving his home nation of Poland behind,He missed his family back home he wondered what they were up to right now,He didn’t have much close family outside of Poland except for his older half brother and trainer Jack Lynch a former VHL player that saw some decent seasons in the pros playing his best years for the then new expansion team the Malmo Nighthawks the only reason Dekster came to Canada was cause of Jack offering to help train him and that He had connections in the industry and would be able to help further his dreams of going pro encouraged by his mother he took up the offer hoping to achieve his dream of being like his brother and playing in the pro’s before he made the journey across the Atlantic he didn’t know much about his older brother who he had only found out about a few years earlier after finding out about him he would every day after hockey practice watch Highlights of Jack’s and read about his career,While he was a great player in his home nation of Poland he had doubts of how good he would be in Canada as there was lots more competition and it would be much harder than he was used to,He struggled the first year of hockey in the new country as the season went on and he struggled more his morale and love for the game wasn’t as high as it once was Jack seeing this decided to put all his attention on training and helping him during the summer they got to work training on his weaknesses and getting even better at his strengths,He also took some English courses to learn the language better as before coming to Canada he Barely knew any English except for the bare minimum he needed back in Poland this helped him a lot as it was much easier to communicate with his coaches and teammates understanding what they wanted him to do much more combined with his new training he was a lot better and became a top player for his team in his second season helping lead them to a deep playoff run but ultimately losing in the finals,That summer he and Jack went back to Poland while traveling around Europe meeting some of the top coaches and training with them to further his development while they put in a lot of work in Europe they also got up to trouble going out drinking and getting in some fights nothing major though this was something that Dekster had picked up from Jack who was probably more know for his off the ice reputation during his playing career than his actual playing although he hadn’t effected his career much after the summer he would play his last and final season before deciding to go the VHLM the training paid off as he was a top player in the league and won the cup while also being a finalist for MVP but not winning it,After the season he officially announced he would be looking to join the VHLM he got a decent amount of offers from teams but after mulling for days he decided the closest option and the one he felt best for him was to Join the Saskatoon Wild. He walked out of the doors of the airport feeling a cold breeze hit him he was excited and ready he knew he made the right decision coming here.

662 words 

It was a cold late October morning as Dekster stepped off the plane and began making his way through the Saskatoon airport he had never stepped foot in Saskatchewan before today but he was told it was slightly similar to Manitoba his home for the last three years he kept walking only stopping to grab his baggage,The eighteen year old had only been on a plane once before and that was three years ago when he was on a very long flight across the Atlantic leaving his home nation of Poland behind,He missed his family back home he wondered what they were up to right now,He didn’t have much close family outside of Poland except for his older half brother and trainer Jack Lynch a former VHL player that saw some decent seasons in the pros playing his best years for the then new expansion team the Malmo Nighthawks the only reason Dekster came to Canada was cause of Jack offering to help train him and that He had connections in the industry and would be able to help further his dreams of going pro encouraged by his mother he took up the offer hoping to achieve his dream of being like his brother and playing in the pro’s before he made the journey across the Atlantic he didn’t know much about his older brother who he had only found out about a few years earlier after finding out about him he would every day after hockey practice watch Highlights of Jack’s and read about his career,While he was a great player in his home nation of Poland he had doubts of how good he would be in Canada as there was lots more competition and it would be much harder than he was used to,He struggled the first year of hockey in the new country as the season went on and he struggled more his morale and love for the game wasn’t as high as it once was Jack seeing this decided to put all his attention on training and helping him during the summer they got to work training on his weaknesses and getting even better at his strengths,He also took some English courses to learn the language better as before coming to Canada he Barely knew any English except for the bare minimum he needed back in Poland this helped him a lot as it was much easier to communicate with his coaches and teammates understanding what they wanted him to do much more combined with his new training he was a lot better and became a top player for his team in his second season helping lead them to a deep playoff run but ultimately losing in the finals,That summer he and Jack went back to Poland while traveling around Europe meeting some of the top coaches and training with them to further his development while they put in a lot of work in Europe they also got up to trouble going out drinking and getting in some fights nothing major though this was something that Dekster had picked up from Jack who was probably more know for his off the ice reputation during his playing career than his actual playing although he hadn’t effected his career much after the summer he would play his last and final season before deciding to go the VHLM the training paid off as he was a top player in the league and won the cup while also being a finalist for MVP but not winning it,After the season he officially announced he would be looking to join the VHLM he got a decent amount of offers from teams but after mulling for days he decided the closest option and the one he felt best for him was to Join the Saskatoon Wild. He walked out of the doors of the airport feeling a cold breeze hit him he was excited and ready he knew he made the right decision coming here.

662 words 

1. A deep playoff run
2.to keep improving and maybe have a 50 point season
3.Chara easy the man is 6’8
4.idk yet as I am pretty new to the team
5.well getting drafted by Warsaw would be pretty cool being able to be close to home or I would like to be drafted to a team in western Canada 
6.I absolutely love pineapple and yes it’s good on pizza 

Why stop at expansion teams, we get an EXPANSION LEAAAAGUE!

VHL's Third League
 
Hello @Members!
 
For awhile now the @BOG have been teasing a more robust option to deal with the roster room issue we have been experiencing lately. Many of you have been assuming this means more expansion, despite us continuing to refute those claims. Well... the expansion claims and us saying they are wrong were both correct in a sense. Today the VHL is announcing that the VHL and VHLM will no longer be the only leagues contained within our Community, we are adding a third, the Victory Hockey League: Europe.
 
Be design the VHLE will fit between the VHLM and VHL so that players are not stuck at the VHLM level passed when they should be there, making the M as a true developmental league, but also not getting pushed to the VHL before they are ready for it. This will open up the rosters of the VHL teams as they will only contain the higher TPE players. Specifically the caps for the individual leagues will be:
 
VHLM: 30-199 TPE*
VHLE: 200-399 TPE*
VHL: 350+ TPE
 
*Of note these limits operate in the same way as the VHLM does now. So you can claim past the TPE limit but you cannot apply past it.
 
Obviously there's a bit of weirdness at the bottom there as the VHL starts at 350 while the VHLE doesn't end until 399. This is intentional to allow players above 350 TPE to enter the VHL if they so choose but they are not forced to do so until the 400 TPE mark. This does mean that some players can, or will be forced to, skip the VHLE completely; know that this is not necessarily a guaranteed step in your progression. If you are above 350 TPE by your VHL draft and want to skip the VHLE completely you may do so.
 
VHLE Leadership
 
Obviously the @Commissioner and @VHLM Commissioner  teams are already quite busy with the VHL and VHLM respectfully so running a whole third league will not fall on them, a new Commissioner team will be added to cover the VHLE. @Acydburn and @Victor have graciously offered to head up this new leadership group. This will of course involve Acyd giving up his current Green team role (which we will be hiring for) to head this new league into the future including hiring the GM's for the new roles, which leads me nicely into the next topic.
 
VHLE Teams and Mentality
 
In effect the VHLE is not a developmental league like the VHLM. Its purpose is not to recruit and retain members and it's GM's will not be bound to that mantra like the @VHLM GM's are. The job of an VHLE GM is to be competitive within their bracket. It will still have the fast turnarounds of the VHLM given it's small TPE window but teams may use their assets as they please to get the most out of their teams and win.
 
Notice I did say VHLE GM's. TheVHLE teams will not be controlled by @VHL GM's or VHLM GM's but rather be new GM opportunities in their own right. But for what teams? Well that's up to you all to decide.
 
Seeing that the league has many amazing old European teams that have been left to the sands of time, we will use those teams to make up the VHLE with the league voting on which 6 they want to see. This means that the Vasteras Iron Eagles, for example, could return; and / or the Cologne Express, Stockholm Vikings, and many others. We have the teams, we have the logos, and we see no reason to not use them so they will make up the pool of teams you all can decide on. The poll for this will be going up soon.
 
Layout wise with the league being only 6 teams at the moment will be simple: 1 conference with the 4 top teams making the playoffs per season. In addition the VHLE will not be affiliated in any way with the VHL or VHLM so it will be simulated as an entirely separate league, the same way the two are now. Think the KHL rather than the AHL.
 
Contract wise the league will be similar to the VHLM with more or less a "free for all" mentality. If a player has been drafted to the VHL they will receive their VHL contract but otherwise all players are signed to $1.5M contracts with no bonuses or salary cap to speak of. This could change in the future if we feel a cap and formal contract structure would improve the VHLE but we want to see if that's necessary first.
 
 Draft Structure, Career Length, and Depreciation
 
Adding a third league will obviously affect how drafts and career lengths operate within the VHL. With the VHLE placed where it is in a player's career, and the expectation that they will spend at least one season there, it would obviously create problems for the career clock if we didn't address it. For that reason player careers will be formally extended to 9 seasons, with draft seasons being set the same as they always have. This means you will be eligible for both the VHL and VHLE draft in the same season; potentially all three if you time it right. If, at the draft, you are at or above 350 TPE and would like to go straight to the VHL you still get the 9 season VHL career, adding a year onto the total you can have now. If you spend a season in the E league, as most will, you don't lose out on a VHL season and still retain the 8 that is currently available.
 
So, for example, let's take a player that creates at the S79 deadline. We follow the same rules as now so his VHL draft is S81. In his season and a bit in the VHLM this player earns 200 TPE. This player is drafted to both the VHLE and the VHL. He does not have the minimum TPE to play in the VHL so goes to the VHLE for S81, finishing with 350 TPE or the minimum to play in the VHL. At this point he can choose to either go up to the VHL and play 8 seasons from S82 or he may chose to stay down for a season and would enter the VHL in S83. In either case he retires at the end of S89, having played 7 or 8 seasons.
 
An alternative example is a super heavy earning player. Let's assume he creates at the same time and has the same draft date but has a bunch of carryover and gets a very large amount of TPE in the VHLM. He enters the drafts at 350 TPE, the minimum to play in the VHL. He may choose to skip the VHLE completely and go straight to the VHL in S81. He will then play for 9 seasons and retire at the same time in S89.
 
Nine seasons does add one caveat however; depreciation. As it stands right now depreciation only hits for 3 seasons, season 6-8 of your career. This holds two problems, one exists currently and one is new. The more obvious one is that having 9 seasons means we need to add a depreciation level. For this the same percentage (7%) from year 8 will be used but we will not be adding an additional depreciation fighter to the store that can be used for this season. That means only the Jagr purchase can help you fight 9th season depreciation, you must take the full 7% hit.
 
The second problem, which exists now, is that players can spend extra time in the minor leagues and be hit with depreciation in their "6th" season but that could be, in fact, their 4th VHL season. This does not seem fair to hit lower earners with so quickly, even being percentage based, so we are changing depreciation slightly. Depreciation seasons are now based on VHL seasons played, not seasons since your draft. That means a player who skips the VHLE and plays 9 VHL seasons will be depreciated 4 times. A player that plays 1 VHLE season will be depreciated 3 times, and so on. So if a player takes his time to get to the VHL and only plays 5 VHL seasons he will not face depreciation by the time he is forced into retirement.
 
Call-Ups, Send-Downs, and Graduation Bonus
 
As all VHLE players will be owned by VHL teams as well the issue of call-ups and send downs must be addressed. Like the cap situation this may change later but to start we will only be allowing call-ups and send-downs during the off-season and, obviously, only if the player in question meets the TPE bracket for the league they are being sent to.
 
This means that at no point mid-season can a player be plucked away from their VHLE team to join their VHL team, similarly no player will be pulled from the VHLM to join the VHLE. Whatever league you start the season in is the league you finish the season in.
 
In addition the graduation bonus will remain in place where it is, exiting the VHLM. With the VHLM remaining as a "training ground" of sorts it makes the most sense to reward players for graduating from there. The VHLM to the VHL or VHLE is what we are looking at as the "upwards" movement while the VHLE to VHL is more of a lateral move in your career.
 
 Introduction Timeframe
 
Obviously a change this large can't be implemented immediately and start next season. We would not want players who have already created but are undrafted to be left suddenly being told there's an extra league before the VHL that they were unaware of. There's also a matter of dealing with the players who currently sit on VHL rosters that are under 350 TPE and wouldn't be allowed under these rules.
 
Therefore, the VHLE first season will be S80 meaning players that retire at this deadline will be the VHLE's first draft class. Players currently on VHL rosters who are under 350 TPE at the start of S80 may remain on the roster if they so choose or they may be placed into the VHLE draft, remaining as prospects for the VHL teams that drafted them. Likewise any players currently drafted who are still in the VHLM will be given the option of going to the VHL or the VHLE at 200 TPE. Their career clock remains unchanged however; only players starting in the S80 draft will be given the 9 season career and new depreciation rules.
 

Hi, my name is Beketov, and if you have any questions, please try to direct them here:
 

Welcome back! 

Player Information
Username: xsjack
Player Name: Dekster Jankowski
Recruited From: Returning
Age: 18
Position: C
Height: 77 in.
Weight: 185 lbs.
Birthplace: Poland

Player Page
@VHLM GM

Hello everyone, it's been a little while since I released an article outside of the RavenSkill Development (formerly DilAgency) ones. For theme week, I wanted to incorporate my scouting background in some way, and to look back at some of the drafts I've covered. I settled on the hidden gems of the draft: the fourth round steals. I had a few tough decisions to make, but I'm pretty happy with the result. Without further ado, here it is!
 
 (S72) LW - Jared Willis - 312 TPE @BlueMaple
selected by HC Davos Dynamo
 
Following a 44th overall selection, Jared Willis spent S72 and S73 in the VHLM, where he put up 66 points in 144 games. His rookie season so far has consisted of 13 points in 44 games in Davos, and a nice 7 goals which is the 6th most on the team. The young winger has not dropped below 7 TPE in any given week since May, and has seen steady and quality growth in his game as a result. I could definitely see Willis developing into a super consistent secondary scoring threat who can pot 15-20 per season. To me, he is the obvious selection here.
 
HM: Logan Hoffman.
 
(S72) C - Pietro Angellini - 418 TPE @okifenoki
selected by the Moscow Menace
 
With the second last pick in the S72 Draft, Moscow picked center Pietro Angellini. I'll be honest, and say that Angellini wasn't really on my radar a whole lot prior to the draft. However that changed unbelievably quickly afterwards. The American forward started capping out weekly and earning TPE like a first round talent. Like Willis, he is also in the midst of his debut seaosn, and it has been a pretty good one overall. He is operating at a hair under a 0.5 P/GP pace, with a total of 21 in 43 games to date. Although Angellini's TPE eaning has taken a bit of a hit lately, he is still the star of this team, and a fantastic young player.
 
HM: Alek Andreshnikov, Jim Allen.
 
 (S73) RW - Secel Keller - 177 TPE @xsjack
selected by the Prague Phantoms
 
Keller is a player who made a comeback for the ages, becoming one of his team's more exciting prospects after a concerning 11 consecutive inactive weeks. His recovery has been more than impressive, averaging around 9 TPE over his last 9 weeks. The big winger is a versatile offensive threat who has posted 0.5 goals per game in the VHLM this season, and produced at just a tad under a point per game. He may be a bit behind in TPE right now, but keep in mind that he is younger than every other skater on this list.
 
HM: Ernie King, Fongs Son, Peter Louis II.
 
 (S72) D - Ziarie Anigbogu - 361 TPE @ngine4
selected by the Toronto Legion
 
Toronto defenseman Ziarie Anigbogu is a smooth-skating menace from the back end, and one that impacts the game on both sides of the ice. Anigbogu had a very successful VHLM career in which he put up 168 points in 225 games, and now he is transitioning his game to the big league. He has put up 6 points so far, but that number is bound to go up quite soon if he keeps developing consistently. His TPE earning has been a little patchy as of late, but he has proven time and time again that he is on the trajectory of an seriously impactful player in the VHL.
 
 (S72) D - Chance Rust - 319 TPE @turkey2349
selected by HC Davos Dynamo
 
Chance Rust is our final skater, as well as our 4th S72 player. That draft was filled to the brim with talent, and Rust is yet another name that has emerged as a mainstay in the VHL from it. He is an outstanding puck-mover with all the tools to be a breakout machine, and just a great asset to have all over the ice. His 17 points are a great starting point for his career, and he will only get better with time, of course. The defender's TPE production has been solid, other than a small blunder last week with just 2 TPE. Defence might just be the best part of this dream team of mine, and Rust adds a lot to this blueline.
 
HM: Erik Hjalmarsson, Yuuto Kira Cloudera, Nathaniel N.
 
 (S74) G - Markus Emerson Jr - 199 TPE @Xflexz
selected by the Vancouver Wolves
 
This was easily my hardest decision to make. There is 100% a case to be made that another goalie should have this spot, however I'm taking a swing for upside. I believe Emerson Jr was THE steal of S74, and he is wasting no time in catching up to the top dogs of his draft class. The 5'10" goaltender has capped out for 4 consecutive weeks now, earning an average of 25 TPE per week in that time span. This is a player with potential to be a quality starter in the VHL one day, and that is more than you could ever ask for from a 4th round pick. 
 
HM: Bacon, Nils Friedriksen, Jacob Carson, Michael Olson, Piero Angela.
 
 
Well, there it is. The fourth round steals of the S70's so far. It was tough to leave some players out, but I'm now leaving it up to them to prove me wrong in not choosing them. 

Before I announce the roster for this season's Team World, I first want to say that I'm very grateful to have been selected as GM for this team. I'm super excited that I got a chance to come back in a different way. I also want to give a huge thanks to @Zetterberg for helping me through this process. And without further ado...
 

 
S74 WJC Team World Roster:
 
Forwards:
 
Jared Willis @BlueMaple
Wolf Weiss @Matmenzinger
Kasey Tamm @kesytamm
Jeff Odinson @GoldGear88
Pistil Stamen @DMaximus
Alek Andreshnikov @PuckPushers
Joe Kelly @emidas
Secel Keller @xsjack
Theodore James St. Louis @Nick Kirkpatrick
 
Defense:
 
Bobby Wyman @Lefty_S
Shawn Glade III @ShawnGlade
L @gorlab
Gabriel Akerstrom @Mason
 
Goalies:
 
Doug Dimmadome @Esso2264
Kevin Malone @chatfan036
 
Congratulations to all selected! I'm confident in this team and hopefully we'll have a great season under one banner. Go World!
 
Here's the link to the discord, I will also send you the links individually as well.
https://discord.gg/haxEkTu

Welcome to yet another edition of Future Watch!  I’m Head Scout Matty Ice.  I’ve taken over my fellow contributor (Patrik Tallinder)’s series, and I went in another direction.  Quotes from every VHL GM sure add to the depth of the article and it has been such a pleasure to deal with all of them.  Thank you VHL GMs for taking the time!
Let’s get right to it!
 
 

CALGARY WRANGLERS
 
Calgary was already a young team entering their prime, but with some roster movement and TWELVE selections in the s74 draft, they now have a very deep pool of prospects.  Among those selected on Calgary’s roster, Luke Thornton and Jonas Stormsson have big shoes to fill.  Three VHLM prospects stand out, namely Las Vegas Aces’ Gary Rush, Miami’s Eoin Byrne and Mississauga goaltender Vsevolod Akarov.  
 
Quote from GM Ryan Jubis:
Calgary had only one prospect before the S74 draft. Gary Rush, who’s a great prospect that’s close to moving up to the VHL, chose to play one more season in the VHLM. After a few trades before and during the draft, Calgary ended up with 12 picks. Two of those picks are already playing in the VHL this season and making an impact. 2 more prospects will make the jump next season. Calgary now has a plethora of prospect goalies. As the GM I saw value in having other goalies in the system behind Lafontaine. As these goalies grow and continue to mature if the opportunity is not here for them, I will not hold any of these players hostage. If they wish to look for full-time roles I will be here to help them accomplish that. If one of them wants to work their way into VHL backup for a season. We can do that as well. Overall I am very happy to have such a stacked prospect pool. The Wranglers' future is bright.
 
With tons of prospect depth and only two selections without a contract, they have many future assets that they can rely on to either trade for a missing piece or graduate into the Calgary system
 
Top Prospects: Luke Thornton, Gary Rush, Jonas Stormsson, Eoin Byrne, Vsevolod Askarov
Prospect Grade: A-
@Jubis @Jtv123 @G_Rush @Kyle @LatinViking @Gooningitup
 

CHICAGO PHOENIX
 
This young team fresh off their inaugural season, had seven draft selections in S74.  VHL rookies Christian Mingle and Lee Xin headline this prospect pool at the center and winger positions respectively.  Virtually all prospects have a shot at graduating into the Phoenix lineup at some point.  Winger Kasey Tamm playing for Halifax has the greatest chance of playing for the team next season, with goalie Kloxified eyeing the backup goaltender role and players like Roseann Petal and Darius Marimoto filling in depth roles.
 
Quote from General Manager Jeff Dee:
We had the second overall selection at the S74 Draft.  We had some big moves to make to further the development of the team. At second overall we grabbed Christian Mingle, who I think could have very easily gone first overall. He has immediately slotted in on the big squad and has been having a good season so far.  Lee Xin has been amazing so far and has not only been performing very well on the ice but is a great locker room presence. At 21st overall we managed to grab Kasey Tamm who I believe has the potential to be a star in the VHL. He is spending this season developing with the Halifax 21st this season but we have big plans for him going forward from next year.  Kloxified is also spending this season developing with the Yukon Rush, whom he also played for last season in the VHLM. He should make the hop to the VHL next year where he will likely start as a backup to JP Camus. After Kloxified we managed to select the player I think may end up being the steal of the S74 draft and that is Darius Marimoto. Marimoto immediately hopped into our locker room after being selected and is now running our team's social media accounts. He is constantly in the practice facility and I believe he will quickly become a well known player around the league. While he is spending this season in the VHLM, I fully expect him in the VHL next season. Last and certainly not least is Yuuto Kira Cloudera who is a defenseman currently enjoying their second season with Minnesota in the VHLM and who I think can have a solid career moving forward.
 
Top Prospects: Christian Mingle, Lee Xin, Kasey Tamm, Matty Socks
Prospect Grade: A-
@Quik @Blazzer  @kesytamm @fishy @solas @dariusmarimotoman @kentakira @JeffD
 

D.C. DRAGONS
This aging team will have many positions to fill by Season 76’s end.  Having had three selections in the S74 draft, two prospects stand out.  Ottawa Lynx defenseman Jackson Philliefan and Yukon Rush centerman Alec Andreshnikov eye open spots in the near future.  Defenseman Rick Osman is considered to be a more long-term project that may fill a depth role someday.
 
Quote from General Manager Eno Rama:
I'm hoping that as long as we have Wolski in net, we'll be able to field a competitive roster. As our core ages out, we should be able to replenish it through trades and drafting and while our pipeline isn't full of blue chip talent right now, I'm confident they can be solid complementary pieces on a cup-winning roster.
 
The aging Dragons blue line will be in dire need for skilled defensemen to replace the retiring Lance Flowers, Luciano Valentino and Ricky Johnson to keep up with the rest of the league.  Hopefully their drafted defensemen can step up and maintain the Dragons' compete level.
 
Top Prospects: Jackson Philliefan, Alec Andreshnikov
Prospect Grade: B-
@Enorama @Philliefan @PuckPushers @dylanjj37
 

HC DAVOS DYNAMO
 
This is still a very young team with a deep, but porous prospect pool.  They have no real immediate need to replace any player at any position, besides newly-acquired free agent and legendary goaltender Rayz Funk, who will be retiring at Season 74’s end.  With Joakim Bruden next in line to be Davos’ starter, there are no depth issues with the Dynamo.  Many of their prospects have gone inactive and/or are without a team or contract.  Two prospects of note are D-man Shawty Nananana and winger Vlad Imir, playing for Halifax and Yukon respectively.  Their development has been steady and on pace to hit the VHL ranks as soon as next season.
 
Quote from General Manager Jerry Garcia:
Davos is still a fairly young team, but we've got the prospects to keep us going for some time in the future. The eventual replacement for one of our S69 defenders is Shawty Nananana, a second-round pick this season who will be up in S75 after one season down. One of last season's thirds, Vlad Imir, is also set to make the jump, and I'm hoping he'll keep up the earning and fulfill his current projection as a long-term second-line player. On top of that, two guys I'm really excited about are Jim Allen and Piero Angela, fourth-round selections this season who are active and have the ability to make it up in a season or two.
 
Top Prospects: Shawty Nananana, Vlad Imir
Prospect Grade: C
@Grape @Big Dee @jimmyallen93 @Minermonkey @GustavMattias
 

HELSINKI TITANS
 
Having selected four defensemen in the S74 draft and all active defensemen having ending contracts at the end of the season, Helsinki has a deep enough pool of defensemen to fill their shoes if they want to.  Two defenders from Halifax, Gabriel Akerstrom and Kate Upton, come to mind when having options at the blue line.  Las Vegas defender Chase Crosby can be a surprise selection if he continues to remain active.  S73 draftees Patrik Laine and Oh Sens have made their rookie debuts in support roles, but may move up to top line roles if their development continues.
 
Quote from General Manager Juliann Borwinn:
The S74 VHL entry draft held just over a week ago saw many promising players find new homes in the VHL. Helsinki's playbook was quickly realized by onlookers as they took to the podium announcing only defenseman in their draft positions. With a plethora of forwards and young goaltenders to shore up the future, the Titans looked at their depth chart and focused solely on what was needed for seasons to come. While having a strong defensive core, Helsinki had no D prospects to speak of and hoped to have addressed their future needs.  While still early, Gabriel Akerstrom looks poised to make the jump next season, while Upton and Crosby continue to excel in the VHLM.  Buckfast has yet to report but the Titans are hopeful he will make a return.
 
Top Prospects: Gabriel Akerstrom, Patrik Laine, Oh Sens
Prospect Grade: B+
@Jubo07 @osens @PatrikLaine @Mason @OscarTheSwagDude @AnthonyOuellet
 

LONDON UNITED
 
The young franchise definitely used their three first round selections to pick top-quality prospects in Ryan Schwarz and Julian Nousiainen, who have made their rookie debuts alongside s73 draftee Alec Volchenkov and have kept pace without much extra effort.  Their third first rounder, defenseman Kasper Kankkunen, elected to remain in the VHLM’s Las Vegas Aces for one more season for some refinement to his game, despite the glaring hole at the defense position.  Goaltender Kevin Malone is also poised to challenge for the United’s starting goalie role, with forward Maxim Yakolevsky and defenseman Tee Pee E II being considered longer-term projects.
 
Quote from General Manager Roger McWolf:
We only had two seasons to build our prospect pool, but I'm proud of the players we got. Malone and Kankkunen are the highlights (of the recent draftees still playing in the VHLM). They're set to start with us next season, and they'll bring much needed support at our two weakest positions.
 
Top Prospects: Ryan Schwarz, Julian Nousiainen, Kasper Kankkunen, Kevin Malone
Prospect Grade: A
@McWolf @Enorama @okochastar @ZP16 @chatfan036 @Goliathus  @Nepto @SirRupertBarnes
 

LOS ANGELES STARS
 
Los Angeles loaded up on prospects in the S73 entry draft. Having had only two picks in the S74 Draft, both making their rookie debuts with the big club, defenseman Lester Green and Doug Dimmadome are both quality players.  These two players alone have the potential to completely transform the defense and puck-stopping ability into an impregnable fortress down the road.  The only worthy player still in the VHLM is Las Vegas Aces goaltender Drew Minott.  
 
Quote from General Manager Josh Da Silva:
Coming up in the defense pipeline we have Gumballs, Green, and Keef and all three are in their rookie season. I see Gumballs and Green manning the first pairing for the next few seasons. They're playing well together and are both strong defensive players. Keef's development is going to take a little longer but I believe he'll be an impact player in a couple of seasons.  Lastly but certainly not least, Doug Dimmadome, owner of the Dimmsdale Dimmadome, is our rookie goaltender this season. The best player available to us in the draft and shaping up to be one of the best starting goalies in the league. Hoping he stays with us long term with that guaranteed starter spot.
 
Nearly all of their draft selections are VHL caliber players, however their prospect pipeline at skating positions is seriously lacking.
 
Top Prospects: Lester Green, Doug Dimmadome, Jiggly Gumballs
Prospect Grade: B+
@Josh @JigglyGumballs @Esso2264 @DreMin15 @Smarch @RStar
 

MALMO NIGHTHAWKS
 
This is still quite a young team.  Having only one selection from the S74 draft class, Philadelphia Reapers winger Carson Walkers, they don’t really have any urgent need to fill their pipeline.  With superstar defenseman Condor Adrienne retiring at the end of Season 75, there could be a gaping hole at defense.  Perhaps in the next draft they select a star defenseman?  With s73 defenseman Kirishima Wakaro making his rookie start, it fills the gap for now.
 
Quote from General Manager John Frostbeard:
Well, we have two players that are still playing in VHLM, Kevin Sterk and Carson Walkers. I think we are in a good spot considering that we already have a team ready to compete. That said, I strongly believe that any team should always have extra players ready to come up as that adds extra value to the overall team composition. Also, more people means that your LR is active and chatty.
 
For now, Malmo’s prospect pool is severely lacking, but without a need at this current period, I don’t think it really matters.
 
Top Prospect: Carson Walkers
Prospect Grade: C-
@FrostBeard @Snussu @Cwalker @TenZi
 

MOSCOW MENACE
 
Another young team to discuss here.  With only two selections in the past draft, Moscow has enough depth to address any need.  Season 74 draftees Alex Zouzouambe at wing and defenseman Breeze Ladrian joined Fat Palloon and Michael Hall to round out their prospect pipeline.  With goaltender Raymond Bernard retiring at the end of season 75, Moscow should perhaps look to draft their replacement goalie in the upcoming draft.
 
Quote from General Manager Victor Alfredsson:
Our youth movement is coming to an end as most of our recent draftees have graduated but I'm happy to have 3 more exciting prospects in the pipeline, all of whom I believe will have a role to play in Moscow in the future. I suspect Palloon and Zouzouambe will be ready to step up to the VHL next season, just in time to replace some retirees both up front and on defence. Ladrian is a more long-term project but I'm hopeful he will follow in the tradition of other Moscow steals like Clarke, Telker, and Angellini and make an impact for us soon.
 
Top Prospects: Fat Palloon, Michael Hall, Alex Zouzouambe
Prospect Grade: B
@Victor @BigZouzou @Kelsier @UnkemptCL4PTP @Hops 
 

NEW YORK AMERICANS
 
This aging team, starved for a proper rebuild, drafted very well at all positions in the past two drafts.  With five retiring players at this season’s end, 1st round selection Markus Schauer began his rookie season at defense.  Rounding out the prospect pool, Saskatoon teammates centerman Brian Strong Jr, goalie Cal Conway and defenseman Gabriel Johnson provide necessary depth and possibly front-runners to fill key positions next season.  Aces centerman Rhynex Entertainment is developing quite nicely and could compete for a depth role.
 
Quote from General Manager Esso Drunkmann:
I think our prospect pool is really good.  We have a bunch of them that came up this year and they are all great. Only thing I ask of them is to keep developing and have some fun around the team we're building.
 
Top Prospects: Markus Schauer, Brian Strong Jr, Rhynex Entertainment, Cal Conway
Prospect Grade: A-
@Esso2264 @Plate @Wheaties @Rhynex Entertainment @Shaka @GeckoeyGecko
 

PRAGUE PHANTOMS
 
With two selections in the s74 draft, they selected John LeClair II and The Blob to round out their prospect pool.  Although most of their prospects have turned out to be longer-term projects, they may have some diamonds in the rough. The team managed to strike gold late in the draft three times in the S73 draft, and obtained 3 of the 5 remaining active players past 46th overall. And it isn’t as if these are players to write off either; Secel Keller, Theodore James St Louis, and Zachariah Kisslinger regularly find themselves earning 6 to 10 TPE per week, and could be valuable assets on Prague’s roster in no time.  The team will be experiencing some turnover in the next two or three seasons, so they have some time to address those needs through the draft if they chose to.  One of the biggest question marks is Andre LeBastard, who hasn't performed up to 1st round caliber.  He may be the big bust of the s73 draft.
 
Quote from General Manager Jason Glasser
While the prospect pool would have looked a lot better a season ago, before Dan Baillie Jr, Riley Knight Gee, and Andre Lebastard all graduated to the bigs, it's still a solid group of players, especially taking into account the limited number of picks we've had in order to get to this. 6 guys in the prospect pool, all at least somewhat active, and not a single one drafted earlier than 32. The Blob and Kisslinger will likely be ready to come up to the team next season, and ultimately I expect all of them to eventually contribute to the Phantoms on some level.
 
Top Prospects: John LeClair II, Dan Baillie Jr
Prospect Grade: B
@diamond_ace  @flyersfan1453 @wcats @KnightRiley @Andre LeBastard @JorgTheGoat03 @xsjack @Nick Kirkpatrick @Kisslinger
 

RIGA REIGN
 
This championship-caliber team will have massive holes to fill after the retirements of legendary defenseman Lincoln Tate and star forward Phil Marleau.  Having selected twice in the S74 draft, they selected Jeffrenomitsu The 3rd and defenseman Matt Thunder.  Jeffrenomitsu has made his Riga debut, while Thunder remains a longer-term prospect.  S72 draftee Bobby Wyman seems right on the cusp of being a VHL player, however his development is still a question mark.
 
Quote from General Manager Benjamin Zeptenbergs
Our two prospects are gonna help to bolster our defensive core in the future. Our current D lineup is slowly running thin with Tate retiring following this season and both Sasakamoose and Clarke hitting another regression. So we will need help there. Good thing is we have two prospects with different mindset - Wyman as physical and shooting-first threat and Thunder as more of an all-arounder. I'm also glad we could pick them with later picks, it's always great to find a steal, since this also satisfies our positional needs.
 
Top Prospects: Jeffrenomitsu The 3rd, Bobby Wyman
Prospect Grade: B-
@hedgehog337 @Jeffie43 @Lefty_S @Matt thunder
 

SEATTLE BEARS
 
Fresh off their fourth cup win in six seasons, Seattle still managed to keep a prospect pipeline to build a team to continue winning Continental Cups.  First round selection Isabella Campbell headlines the ranks by joining Seattle right out of the draft.  Defenseman Lucifer Olivier Leveque and centerman Leo Strauss round out the high caliber prospect pool.  They remain in the VHLM this season to fine tune their games and look to join Seattle in the near future.
 
Quote from General Manager Blake Campbell:
I think right now Seattle has a pretty healthy and successful prospect pool. The fact that we’ve been winning with the same powerful core, or most of them, that we’ve had since S67 up to this off-season was super special.  (Hulk) Hogan and Berocka (Sundqvist) are retiring at the season's end and all these players are going to jump in nicely to continue on the Bears legacy of incredible skill when it comes to the blue line for the last many seasons. I think these players mixing in with Odin Omdahl are going to continue to help Seattle find ways to contend for playoffs and the cup. Even though he is still very young, committed to himself and the Bears and a very good member/player in the league that others would love to have.  This draft, we managed to come out very well.  Overall, I think Seattle has done a good enough job that if we wanted to, we could continue to contend, make playoffs and keep the cupboards stored for seasons to come. As the seasons go on it may become a little more challenging but I think instead of challenging, just always on your toes and keeping your mind and eyes open. Moving forward, though, I feel like we’ve checked enough positional boxes to keep Seattle alive.
 
Clearly, Blake Campbell is passionate about his Bears, and centerwoman/daughter Isabella finally making it to the big show.
 
Top Prospects: Isabella Campbell, Lucifer Olivier Leveque, Rocket, Leo Strauss
Prospect Grade: B+
@Banackock @InstantRockstar @Rocket @gregreg
 

TORONTO LEGION
 
With all the previous prospects having moved up to Toronto’s starting lineup and all inactives released, they used their two selections in the draft to pick two quality players.  Aces winger Nicholas Sunderbruch and Halifax centerman Wolf Weiss are quality prospects that may move up to the VHL ranks as early as next season, provided they continue their development. Sunderbruch in particular has taken a big step forward in his development since the start of September, even capping out in a nice 24 TPE effort in the week of 9/20. He is definitely one to keep your eye on in the future. Besides these two prospects, Toronto’s pipeline is literally empty.  They should address this need in future drafts.
 
Quote from General Manager Rylan Peace:
Currently, Toronto has holes all over the roster, and both of the Legions' prospects can help fill them when they make the jump to the VHL at the conclusion of their VHLM career.  They can jump in and provide immediate stability while the Legion continues to look for ways to improve, and give us an opportunity to continue developing into a championship team.  Matmenzinger's (player agent for Wolf Weiss) previous player was a staple for Moscow, so we know he's a reliable individual to bank some of our faith in.  Nick Sunderbruch is a first generation player, but I'm impressed at his growth and I have no issues putting my faith in him as well; and of course I had two prospects graduate to the VHL this season, but Ziarie Anigbogu should be included on this list, so I add him here as someone who's been a reliable earner and will challenge for a top four role as soon as next season.

Top Prospects: Nicholas Sunderbruch, Wolf Weiss
Prospect Grade: C+
@Peace @Matmenzinger @NickSunderbruch @ngine4
 

VANCOUVER WOLVES
 
This team has a very deep prospect pool.  With six draftees from the s74 entry draft, they used their three, high first round selections to pick stars-in-the-making; center Venus Thightrap, winger Onde Sandstrom and defensewoman Emi Rune.  They have all made their rookie debuts this season and will form the next core that is the Vancouver Wolves.  With many prospects still playing in the VHLM, one notable player is centerwoman Riley Couture.  She is very close to being VHL ready, but will remain with the Halifax 21st until next season.  Other draftees include forwards Florent Vericel and Jeff Odinson, with Markus Emerson Jr playing goalie for Mexico City.  These players are considered to be longer-term projects for the organization, as they have remained in the VHLM to develop their game before being called up.  Take note of Emerson Jr, he has been developing at a rapid pace and may end up being an absolute steal of a pick from the 4th round. Him capping out in both of the last two weeks in which he put up a respective 40 and 24 TPE is remarkable, and undoubtedly a path that will lead him to much success at the VHL level.
 
Quote from General Manager Keaton Louth:
I feel like we really addressed all our team needs at the draft. Our team was at a crossroads where we have some great older talent and a couple prospects that were making the jump this season. We were heading up to the draft with lots of picks but only a few higher picks. I made it my goal to get as high as possible to get the game-breaking talent I knew was there without sacrificing anything of note. We were also able to grab a couple players that will make the team in the next few seasons which will help us once the older players retire.
 
Top Prospects: Venus Thightrap, Onde Sandstrom, Emi Rune, Riley Couture, Jeff Odinson, Florent Vericel
Prospect Grade: A+
@Beaviss @BladeMaiden @fonziGG @Emi @Riley_Couture @dart @GoldGear88 @Xflexz 
 

WARSAW PREDATORS
 
The young franchise really stacked up their pipeline with the conclusion of the S74 draft.  Three of their picks have already moved up to the VHL club, joining Arthur Dayne, Jeremy Lin, Victor Grachev and Dakota Lamb.  With a total of seven rookies on the roster, the recent draftees integrate very well into the already young team.  First overall selection Aloe Dear frontlines the prospect class.  Fellow winger Lexi Glass and defenseman Tim Waters have proven that they were worthy to make that jump alongside Dear, and will be part of Warsaw’s core moving forward.  Winger Chris Reynolds isn’t far behind on the depth chart.  He needs to continue developing with a stacked Las Vegas Aces roster behind him.
 
Quote from General Manager Damien Walec:
Chris Reynolds has been working really hard since we selected him, and we're excited about his future. He's on a strong trajectory and should rank among the top prospects in the league.  Angel Wachiure has been a steady and strong prospect for us, one that we really felt we got a great value with him. He's played well for Las Vegas so far this season, and we're excited to see what he can contribute for us in the future.  Nathaniel N is a strong young prospect for our defensive core. We're willing to be patient with his development as we feel it'll pay off strong dividends in the future for us.
 
Clearly, no comment was made on the S74 rookies, because they are already solid, which goes without needing any comment.
 
Top Prospects: Aloe Dear, Lexi Glass, Tim Waters, Chris Reynolds, Dakota Lamb, Victor Grachev
Prospect Grade: A+
@.sniffuM @Renomitsu  @Siddhus @Crstats23 @dlamb @KaleebtheMighty @inflastud @AW13 @NathanN 
 
Word Count (excluding GM quotes) : 1800 somewhere around there
 
I want to extend a special thank you to Patrick Tallinder.  Thank you for your contribution, help and guidance.  It means a lot to me and the VHL

that and because i missed a week of vsn and needed something to link to tomorrow for efl/sba
 
but definitely a fan of bragging about things i do well at

DA made this article just to brag about finding late round gems nice

The Prague Phantoms, throughout much of the history of their franchise, have been able to pull late round gems from the draft. It's become such a routine thing that this season, only having picks 8 and 32, it was a bit of a surprise that there were no late picks around to use in this manner. Let's go through some of the picks that have given this franchise the reputation it's earned throughout the seasons.
 
Season 68, Pick 50 (Round 4 Pick 12): Ben McGirr @cartoes
This particular pick, the one that started it all, was actually a bit unexpected. I remember during the draft going through and finding McGirr, not really knowing much about him at the time, but as the pick approached, going through the player page and seeing a guy who regularly updated and at that stage of the draft, that was more than enough. Since then, McGirr has climbed the draft charts and is currently the 20th highest TPE player from the Season 68 draft, having passed more than half of the guys above him. His career has largely been pretty quiet and under the radar, which I'm sure is helped by the fact that he's been an exclusively forum guy in a league that's moved so much of its discussions to discord, but he's certainly had some solid years in there - especially the last two, after he reorganized his TPE. To think that early in his career, I almost traded him so I could fit the team under the cap. I'm especially glad to have managed to find a way not to do that. He may not have the flash of a guy like Thomas Landry II who has climbed the TPE charts so quickly that going by TPA, he's the best player on the team already, but guys like McGirr are great to fill a roster with; when opposing defenses are busy shutting down Landry, McGirr and company will be there to make them pay for that.
 
(Season 68 honorable mention: Jacob Perry, Pick 38, Round 3 Pick 12 - inactive now, but outlasted many of those near him.)
 
Seasons 69 and 70 Prague had no picks later than 14th overall.
 
Season 71, Pick 35 (Round 3 Pick 11): Woody McPine @HearnNation67
Unlike McGirr, McPine was a bit more planned out. Having drafted the aforementioned Landry at 5, I had plenty of time to scour the boards and see if there was anyone in particular I wanted. McPine stood out about half a round or so earlier than the pick with which I ultimately selected him, but the problem was I'd just been kind of lingering in the draft room, with two 4ths and nothing sooner. People were moving their later picks in this draft, so I got hold of @GustavMattias and offered one of the 4ths plus a 3rd the following draft to get in at 35. He accepted it, and the goalie of the future was brought into the team. The traded 4th became Linea Alba, who has added 0 TPE since the draft, and the 3rd the following draft was moved to Moscow and became Keith Krestanovich, who has been active since then but was taken by London in the expansion draft. Assuming Davos got something equivalent to Krestanovich in exchange for that 3rd, it's still a decent trade on their end, but I'm pleased with that price for Prague's first true franchise goalie (Wahl was amazing, but only here 2 seasons, and Crawford and Grimaldi didn't work out as planned). Since then, McPine has climbed to 16th in TPE for S71 draftees, only 13 TPE behind Joakim Bruden, another goalie who was selected 20 spots ahead of him (this is not a knock on Bruden, he was taken 15th and has earned the 15th most, he's right where he should be - plus both goalies will pass Joe Proto shortly). Absolutely worth the trade up and McPine will be the guy behind the new era of Phantoms hockey.
 
Season 72, Pick 32 (Round 3 Pick 8): Riley Knight Gee @KnightRiley
Having traded away the 1st and 2nd in other deals, and the 3rd in the deal for McPine the prior season, Prague entered the S72 draft with nothing but two 4ths. This was another draft much like the prior one where I was just kind of lingering in the draft room, waiting to see what happened. As it turned out, teams were moving later picks again, and an opportunity came up with Seattle to get pick 32 in exchange for my S74 3rd. Gee had also been falling down the board, for what seemed like no real reason at all. Teams had identified him as a guy in the mix for selection but just for whatever reason, they weren't taking him. Naturally, this meant I had to trade into the round and pick him up. The 3rd I sent to Seattle was further sent to Calgary, with which they selected William Shakespeare II, and since this draft happened yesterday the jury is still largely out on him. Gee, on the other hand, is looking every bit the part of a player who can lead the new era of Prague defense; he has big shoes to fill, as the era of Seabass Perrin, Wolf Stansson Jr, and Cinnamon Block comes to an end, but it seems likely so far that Gee will have no problems doing so.
 
Season 72, Pick 46 (Round 4 Pick 10): Ernie King @Greg Ernest
I mentioned in the last bit about Gee that I had two 4ths. One of these was sent to New York (with which they took Bacon, who has been a great selection for them, all credit to Esso). The other, the third to last pick of the draft, was Ernie King. This pick represents both a miss (in that Pietro Angellini was taken with the very next pick and is now the 21st highest TPE in the class) and a hit (King himself hasn't passed many people yet, but he's at least still around and sometimes updating, which is more than some of the people at his stage of the draft). At 46th overall, King will be considered a successful pick if he makes the VHL, which I'm confident he will do at some stage. It may take him a bit longer, but with some consistency, King could become a McGirr type player in the long run.
 
Season 73, Pick 46 (Round 3 Pick 10): Theodore James St.Louis @Nick Kirkpatrick
Season 73, Pick 51 (Round 3 Pick 15): Zachariah Kisslinger @Kisslinger
Season 73, Pick 56 (Round 4 Pick 4): Secel Keller @xsjack
 
The trio of late rounders from the S73 draft who are still active represent a 60% hit rate in that draft, as I also had two picks in Bobbie Cheechoo and Jack Ogilvey who've gone inactive. However, these three are all still around, have started to pass up a few people (currently 40/41/43 in TPE for the draft class) and could be good building blocks for the team going forward. Kisslinger in particular has been active in the discord and seems particularly motivated to crack the roster next season. Keller has been around before (as Jack Lynch) and knows the league well for a guy at this end of the draft.