Plate

The article assesses three separate points. - Players that are worth a 1st or 2nd round pick don't end up in the VHLM after the season they're picked, so teams that want to win are incentivized to stock up on 3rd and 5th rounders as it's no secret that career VHLMers are better for franchisees in the VHLM. - If the VHLM is dedicated to a player development league first and foremost, why is it treated with the same mechanics and systems as the VHL and VHLE? - The cyclical nature of the VHLM means that it gives a giant cushion to mismanagement of teams since you can just try again after a couple of seasons.

For sure, and I understand there's more to trade than just the physical element of the ice and stats. However, it seems like right now; the VHLM can't decide if it's a place for new players or a place for teams to win. The three-year cycle has been around for almost as long as I can remember, and I don't know if anything has been changed to remedy that. It would be nice to have an official stance on the VHLM. Is it for new players? Or is it for teams to contend? The articles were discussion pieces.

Much of the context for trades was missing because I couldn't trade tree every trade. So, for example, a ton of trades happened where someone acquired a pick and would trade the pick away and get "nothing" from the trade I referenced. Sitting there and figuring out where every pick went and what happened would be a ton of extra work, so I decided to take every trade at face value. It went for both sides, so I considered it fair treatment. I provided some context for each season. If you trade a player for a cup run and lose in the first round, and the other team gets a player they use for three seasons, and that player contributes to a cup run later on, that's a bad trade. And I would miss some ulterior contexts for trades which is regrettable. The highlight for this series wasn't that Halifax made bad trades or that management messed up. There's a problem with lower picks being more valuable for the VHLM than higher ones.

They aren't questions, but the next part should help with some of why I wrote this.

Welcome to part 2 of Halifax is a joke and it's not even their fault. This media spot should wrap everything up with a conclusion and hopefully some discussion. Click the link above in the spoiler if you haven't read the first part. Let's get into it. Season 77 Halifax was busy working the phones this season. On top of this being the deepest playoff run Halifax would have in our ten-year scope. Can they keep up the success of their previous trades, or will management trip over their own feet? Right off the bat, Halifax wins this trade. Not to get into it too much, Halifax gets an Alexander Chershenko Trophy winner in Baldur Poulsen, who was part of the monstrous regular season Halifax had in S78. Vegas did well in getting the pick that would be Sven Reikkinen as a return. In all fairness, though, he was less than a point per game than Poulsen, who was above two points per game in his final season with Halifax. The other pieces had a negligible impact in comparison to those two pieces. Welcome to a one-for-one trade. That’s the most effortless draw I’ve ever seen. Emilie would play a nearly entire season with Halifax before being moved later. Miami would move on from this pick also. It seems redundant to go over this trade. It’s a draw. Neither player develops into anything noteworthy. This is another easy draw. Germano Henchoz and Donne Taliferro had similar contributions to their respective teams, and neither Houston nor Halifax made it particularly deep in the playoffs this season. Halifax pulled an undo button on their trade when they gave away the pick that would become The Great. And give up essentially two-thirds for him, as Emile was selected earlier that season by Halifax in the draft in the third round. While The Great did help Halifax in the playoffs with a point-per-game performance, much better than Emile Clouet, it’s still not enough to warrant a win. Consider this trade a draw. There’s no way to put this besides Halifax ends this season with a total loss. We talk about a franchise player being dealt in a trade involving Halifax for the third time. Patric Twist leads Las Vegas for points and assists and is tied for most games played. On the other hand, Cube Whale never played a game in a Halifax sweater. Season 78 This season, Halifax would have a historic performance from all their players, win countless individual trophies, and put up multiple 2 PPG players to ultimately fall short in the first round to Houston. Speaking of Houston… Now this trade is hilarious for one reason and one reason alone. Dale Tomarov is my most recent recreate (Besides Jordan Bennett), and I completely forgot about it until this moment. And Halifax lost this trade. On top of the bust that happened to be Tomarov (which we’ll talk about later), Masami Iwasawa wouldn’t turn into the prolific player they sought after with the 2nd overall selection of the draft. On the other end, Houston would select player Milk Jugs, who was a near PPG player and was a pivotal piece to their playoff run in S78. It would be enough to declare a lost trade on Halifax’s behalf with that alone. But these teams faced off in the playoffs, where Houston won in game 7. Iawasawa was not part of that contention, and Milk Jugs was. Once again, we find a trade that Halifax manages to lose. Don’t get me wrong, Jlloyoid Blloyoiderson and Kirby Pandora both manage to be excellent pieces. However, there exists a tier above the elite. And once you start earning Trophies, you become the step above. You become a franchise talent. While Halifax got two elite players, they gave up the picks that would be generational talents in Finn Davis and Bradley Buzzer. Finn Davis scored 154 points and earned the Vladimir Boomchenko Trophy in his singular season in Ottawa. Bradley Buzzer won the Matt Bentz Trophy and offered his services as an elite member of the Ottawa Lynx for two seasons. Dale Tomarov existed. Season 79 As we approach a more modern version of the Halifax in S79, we remember that this was either a season to retool their organization after losing their most elite players last season or attempting to push past mediocrity with a couple of moves. Let’s see what they decide to do. Delisle is a story for another day. I tried to get some insider information on what happened, but as far as anyone can tell, he was traded to give another life and keep the activity going. They didn’t come back, were released, and then resigned with Philly, only to be traded again to Minnesota throughout two seasons. Either way, Miroslav Tsarov would have a 100-point season with Philadelphia. And Halifax wouldn’t get any service from any players, so Philly got a player for basically free. They also made the playoffs that season, so this is a loss for Halifax. We finally see a win for Halifax again as Zach Kisslinger II becomes a franchise player for the 21st, winning the Vladimir Boomchenko Trophy, 89 assists for Halifax in S79. Joe Mama would turn into an elite-level player but never take any hardware, so this trade goes to Hali. Long story short, this trade is a draw. Neither Ottawa nor Halifax gets anything special for their efforts. After acquiring Jlloyoid Blloyoiderson from Ottawa the season prior, Halifax decides to jump ship on a retool and acquire a 1st and 3rd for one of their best players. Unfortunately for them, Blloyoiderson would turn into a Matt Bentz trophy winner for Miami and lead them to a Founder’s Cup victory in S79. Hulk Hogan 2, on the other hand? I would never play a game for Halifax. And Harry Hagel would put up a solid 133 points in 144 games but wouldn’t come close to any hardware, and Yukon would defeat Halifax in game 6 of the S80 playoffs. Once again, Halifax loses a trade. Season 80 Halifax uses the tools from the previous seasons and the players picked from their trades to push themselves into the playoffs, where they get swept in the second round. Yukon is the one responsible for that. What did Halifax do in terms of trades this season? Not much. This trade is Jorgen Von Strangle for Seymour Butts. As ridiculous as that sounds, none of the other players would play a single game for either of these franchises. Jorden Von Strangle is 10th all-time for points in Halifax with 196 points. And, among those top ten players, has the least number of games played with only two seasons worth of production. Seymour Butts doesn’t come close in comparison, with a mere 50 points. This is a win for Halifax. Season 81 Season 81 is what happens when Halifax gets a call saying they’re going to appear on the critically acclaimed reality tv show Hoarders, available on Apple TV. The sheer number of moves that happens and picks that get hoarded this season is the crux of why I wrote this thesis in the first place. Enjoy your stay. So Halifax trades for a player in a season that they miss the playoffs. In exchange for a pick, that becomes Siyan Yasilievich. Yasilievich becomes an essential piece of back to back 2nd round playoff appearances for Philly. And even put up numbers in one of them. This is a loss for Halifax. Back-to-back loss for Halifax as Houston gets the 1st overall selection in S82. Scotty Sundin crushes it in S82 with a 129-point performance and playoff final appearance in S82 for Houston, scoring 31 points in 19 games. Halifax, on the return, acquired the pick that would become Nagy Al, who played half a season and would be traded later on this season. This is a pretty nothing trade that ends in a draw. Ottawa gets a starting goalie that isn’t particularly outstanding. Halifax doesn’t get anything in return. Saskatoon mopped the floor with Philly and Halifax in this trade, but even then, Halifax gets the tail end of the stick. It’s another loss seeming as though both players they pick through this trade end up being one-year rentals without any significant amount of point production. Saskatoon gets two 90+ point players and loses in a game 7 in the Founder’s Cup final that season. Both pieces are vital contributors to their regular and postseason success. Yeah, this trade is a draw. No piece here really makes it to the VHLM level, and these picks are all throwaways. Darts that missed the draft board. Yet again, we see a draw. Nothing more to say than these players are comparable in what they did for both teams, but they have a slight edge over Las Vegas since Bobby Rockwell progressed a bit more in terms of skill than John Your Door did. Though there are more pieces in this trade, it’s a draw. Both sides get comparable goaltending and throw-ins that don’t amount to much. Now I’m going to go with my gut on this one and call it a draw. I don’t think either team won. Weekuk Warrior would only get 6 points in 24 games with Saskatoon, and Halifax would use the 9th overall pick to select a guy that got 28 points in 70 games. We find ourselves in another draw. To cut it short, Drew Essen and Mo Probert are the essential assets Halifax obtained in this trade. Malum Maellard wouldn’t play a single game for Halifax, and Alexandre Forgues you haven’t heard about for a good reason. On the other side of the coin, Alexei Volchenko and familiar face Nagy AL make their way to Philly. Nagy AL would be a decent piece for a couple of playoff rounds, but nothing more would come. There’s no natural way to put this besides both teams messed up on this one. Two 1sts is way too much of an overpayment for Marcel Janser and Nic McMuffin, but Mississauga is saved because both of those picks were busts for Halifax. Doug Matchett and Svatopluk Puk won’t combine for an entire season worth of service for Halifax. The only player to ever finish an entire season with a team in this trade is Halifax legend David Cobberson. Yeah, I have no idea what either team was doing here. This may turn into a win next season, as Svatopluk Puk is still listed on the Halifax roster, but it's a draw unless he plays an entire season. We’re going to ignore the fact that Halifax downgraded a 1st to a 2nd here in exchange for a 7th. Funnily enough, this trade is a draw. Philly would draft malum Maellard but never play a game for them. And the same fate goes for Manny Wilson and Connor Aguirre. No trade could have happened here, and nothing would have changed for either organization. The biggest draw I’ve ever seen. Season 82 To sum up S82, it’s the season before the upswing. Like the strike, you take on a batter to feel his pitches. This is when Halifax finishes retooling. Some of these trades are hard to call winners and losers because some players are still in motion, and picks haven’t been made, but we’ll do our best. This is one of those trades that’s hard to call because San Diego still hasn’t received the majority value for their end, but I can comfortably say Halifax lost this trade. San Diego is poised to be the strongest team in the East; Joachim Bryngelson is a big part. Deciding to stay down in the minors this season and have a chance at the Founder’s Cup, Bryngelson will have a more significant impact than Cooper Skambranks and his 59-point season last year. And that’s assuming the 2nd rounder Halifax gave up doesn’t amount to anything. After some consideration, I’m willing to call this a draw. Goalies tend to fall a bit lower in the draft, and I can easily see a comparable goaltender being selected by Philadelphia using this pick. Considering the values of goalies are low and that Joshua Bolton V probably won’t contribute much at a VHLM level, this is a draw. Considering the number of 5th-round picks that don’t make the VHLM and that Hunter Blaisdell hasn’t and won’t play for Miami, this is a draw. Nothing for nothing. In this trade-in, I’m not going to comment on a winner, loser, or a draw, but I wanted to mention it in the article and make a minor prediction about who I think wins it. Las Vegas will be a decent team and will most likely make the playoffs this season, so the 1st acquired by Halifax won’t be a lottery selection. Zack Martinez was moved this season to San Diego, so it isn’t worth anything for this trade. Houston gets Doug Matchett, an essential part of a deep playoff run, only falling short in the finals in game 7 to Saskatoon. It was a critical piece worth the 1st and other assets they gave up in this trade. Las Vegas gets Velociraptor Greg. Who will be one of the premier defensemen this upcoming season? Scouts report great offensive zone ability, responsible defensive play, and a solid two-way option that will make waves in the minors. Ultimately the winner will come down to whoever wins a Founder’s Cup or gets hardware from a player. Otherwise, I consider Houston, the winner of this trade. Conclusion Over 48 trades, Halifax gets a record of 9-14-25. That’s nine wins, 14 loses, and 25 draws. Which is an aggressively mediocre record considering they haven’t made it past the 2nd round over the past ten years. So what can we learn from this trade history? If you’ll notice, The lion's share of losses and wins Halifax took were from the 3rd to 5th round selections that stayed in the minors and panned out to lead franchise records for their respective organizations. Getting multiple years of service from a player when the league is so cyclical seems to be the way to get consistent value out of players. The 1st and 2nd round picks were the most volatile ones, as the players typically picked early on start out capped and are guaranteed to leave the season after they’ve been selected. This kind of system isn’t good for new players, as the VHLM is designed to retain and introduce to the league or people coming back into the league. There are possible solutions to this. Make the VHLM exclusive to new members. As in, recreates can not participate in the VHLM and must forgo the M to play in the European league. Introduce a baseball system of trading where picks are immovable. Implement an actual salary cap to limit the number of capped players on a team. If anyone else has possible suggestions, thinks that this is an issue, or elsewhere, please leave a suggestion below. I also don’t ask people to like my posts, but I put quite a lot of work into this, and one button press would be appreciated. I can’t wait for all the comments saying I will turn out after this.

The Halifax 21st has been, for the most part, a story of disappointment over the past ten seasons. They are 19-32 in playoff appearances and have never made it past the 6th game of the 2nd round. Of course, one of the most significant ways to influence the trajectory of your team is through trades. They are a fundamental part of how GMs influence their teams and wrestle with others for a position in the standings. In this article, we will be looking at all of the trades from the past ten seasons. Assessing if Halifax won, lost, or drew in an attempt to figure out what went wrong for this team. And no, I will not be trade treeing every deal, as that would take far too long. I am doing it from trade to trade, no further journalism. Season 73 The season 73 roster for the 21st was more or less a wash. It was a hectic year for Halifax management as they totaled seven different moves. Let’s get into it. This is a nothing trade. Halifax wouldn’t see the service of any of these players, and Mississauga wouldn’t get any meaningful production or growth from any of the players selected with these picks. There will be a lot of these; fair warning. Another draw is that neither of these teams sees any value in their selections. Halifax’s selections didn’t stay in the minors, and Yukon never saw play from their picks. Halifax suffers their first loss as the pick they give to Ottawa turns into Jackson Philliefan. Philliefan would get 49 points in his inaugural season with Ottawa and then turn it up a notch and score 88 points the next with an astounding 15 points in 7 games of the S74 playoffs. Our friends in Halifax would see no service from Chris Folley and only 11 games from The Great in a throwaway trade much later on in S75. Philly would use their picks in this trade as trade pieces later on, and Halifax would draft Chicken Wing but move on from him at a future date. For now, this is an easy draw. Our first win for Halifax comes from legendary goaltender Kevin Malone. Who’s 4th all-time in terms of goalie wins in franchise history. Malone was a crucial piece in the insane regular season Halifax had in S74 before losing in a Game 7 that year in the playoffs. Now this trade was hard to place. Halifax receives the pick that would be Kasey Tamm, a solid player that would cap out and then retire shortly after S74. Tamm would score 55 points in 72 games and fall into the disappointing playoff run the following season. On the other hand, Ottawa would get a goalie in Sirkants Klamasteris with a sub-3 GAA and near .9 SV%. This is impressive considering that the Ottawa team wasn’t particularly great, and Klamasteris would give them a chance to the playoffs, where the Lynx would lose in seven. Games. Overall, this trade is a draw. Both players had matching contributions, and the throw-in 5th and 6th round pick added no value. One could argue this is a win for Halifax, as they get Janiina Juutila for free and somehow get an entire season's worth of production out of him. Not only that, but he ends up being Halifax’s top point producer with 38 points in S73. Even though Halifax got a season out of a player, which I know is a lot in the VHLM, it was in a tank year. Had Juutila stayed as a piece of Halifax for the upcoming season, this would be an easy win. But unfortunately, I feel as though what both sides got was inconsequential. So this is a draw. Season 74 Season 74 is when the Halifax 21st would go for it and give up a lot of picks to see an incredibly successful regular season—followed by the disappointing game seven loss to the eventual champions, the Miami Marauders. This trade somehow becomes a loss for Halifax. And it isn’t even because of the 2nd round pick. Shawty Nananana would be a rental for the 21st, scoring 65 points and having an incredible +/-. This falls short when you consider the disappointing performance of the S74 playoffs, only scoring four points and allowing nine goals while on the ice. Houston, however, would move on from the S74 MIN 4th, which would become Victory and Founder cup winner Pekko Viitanen, so there’s no value from that piece of the trade here. On the other hand, Paul Webber would play 170 games for the Bulls. And scored a career 176 points, with a career-high 95 in S76. Webber would score 20 points in a deep 16-game playoff run with the Bulls in S76. The S76 HFX 2nd would be traded later. Halifax is the clear winner of the trade here. Clinton Giftopoulos would become one of the best defensive pieces for Halifax in S74 and carry the team on the backend with almost a point per game and a +10 rating. Giftopoulos would even score 30 goals and 62 points the following season. Can someone explain why Yukon passed with the S74 HOU 2nd round pick? Maybe there was a team violation, but otherwise, Chase Crosby and Kjell Nilsson would have successful careers in Las Vegas and Philadelphia, respectfully. Yet another loss for Halifax. Halifax would move on from the S76 MEX 3rd pick in a draft two days later. The pick that they give Mexico turns into Chris Foley. But Plate, I hear you say, why is this a bad trade? I mean, it’s a one-for-one in the third round. Indeed Halifax couldn’t have screwed this one up. Chris Foley was a franchise player for the Mexico Kings, with the following franchise records. 1st in Games Played (288) 1st in Points (262) 1st in Assists (183) 1st in Playoff Assists (29) 2nd in Playoff Points (34) 5th in Hits (316) Foley would also be part of the Kings team to win the Founder’s Cup in S76. It is Halifax’s luck that some random 3rd round pick would turn into a franchise-level player that would also win the Founder’s Cup. Thankfully this trade is a draw. While some big names are involved, like Riley Couture and Jolly Greene Giant, it would be the tack on 3rds that even the score. Riley Couture would have an enormous impact on S74 for Halifax, scoring 90 points and having a point per game in the playoffs that season. Kyle Glass would also pan out to be a solid player in Halifax’s S77 cup run, where they would lose in the 2nd round. Glass would have a 43-goal season and put up 147 points in 144 games in the 21st sweater. Saskatoon gets the S75 PHI 1st but would trade it later on the other end of the deal. This leaves the two 3rds to contend with the compensation they get from this deal. Steve Esso would have a similar career to Kyle Glass in that Eso would put up 141 points in 144 games for the Saskatoon Wild. Gabriel Johnson is currently 11th on the all-time Wild point list. He had a 216-game career with them, putting up 214 points. For those of you reading this article, you would have remembered this Chicken Wing player coming up now and then, as it was a selection Halifax got in an earlier trade using Philadelphia’s third-rounder. Halifax versus Miami was their first-round pairing of the S74 VHLM playoffs. Not only did Miami beat Halifax in 7 games, but they also would go on to win the Founder’s Cup that year. And guess who was on that roster? Yes, you guessed it, Chicken Wing. The wing would put up 11 points in 18 games and have 144 points in two full seasons for Miami. Eeli Rantanen, to his credit, would have an incredible 91-point season in S76 for Halifax. The key difference here is Halifax never made the playoffs that year; in contrast, Chicken Wing won the Founder’s Cup. This is an easy win for Miami and a loss for Halifax. Theodore James St Louis is the Jaromir Jagr of the VHLM. St Louis played 338 games in the VHLM across five different teams, for those who don't know. He would never win an award as a player but probably holds a couple of VHLM records. Theodore would go on to have 142 points in Halifax. He was pushing them into the playoffs in both S74 and S75. Unfortunately, both of them were first-round exists. He would not be resigned in Halifax and would move on to San Diego and elsewhere later on. Ottawa would receive three picks in return. Two of them, the 4th and 6th rounder, would be traded. They were leaving Waldorf Tassletoff, who played an entire season with Ottawa, before being replaced by more active members. Tassletoff did nothing. This is a win for Halifax. HFX/MIN - Sep 16, 2020 I’m going to be on the safe side and call this a draw. There are many moving parts, and this trade could be a .com on its own, so I’ll try not to spend too much time on it. Halifax acquires Micheal Hall, former Founder’s Cup and Alexander Chershenko Trophy winner Micheal Hall. He would put up an impressive 106 points and 53 goals for Halifax in his final season in the minors. For their troubles, Minnesota gets one first-rounder, one-second, two-thirds, and a throw-in fifth. From the top-down, Minnesota would not see the service of Javad Kamkar, Tom Eagles, or Tanky, which means that for this trade, Micheal Hall was traded for a 3rd and a 5th. Gary Tarantino II would go on to have an elite career with Minnesota. They are putting up 174 points in 216 games. And would also be a key piece to a Founder’s Cup final run in S78, putting up 12 points, but would ultimately fall short in game 6. Tater Tot would be an okay starter in S75 but completely turn it up in S76 with a 2.86 GAA and .898 SV%. Season 75 Our Halifax friends in S75 would stay relatively quiet after a disappointing S74 run. This season, the 21st would still make the playoffs, but losing in 5 games to the Mexico City Kings would then lose in game 6 of the Founder’s Cup final. However, Halifax would do well in the minimal trades this season. I have no idea what Saskatoon was thinking here. Halifax gets an incredible return for a top 6 forward in Rock Osman. This is an easy call and an easy with for the 21st. Halifax would receive a 2nd and a 3rd, becoming Philip Stein and Mr. Duk. Philip Stein would only appear in one season for Halifax but put up 88 points and promptly move onto the VHL. Mr. Duk would play for Halifax in two full seasons before getting the call up to the VHL and then moving down to the VHLE. Duk would be part of the playoff run in S77 and S78 for Halifax, again as a depth piece. Rick Osman would have 0.25 PPG and a minus rating in both the regular season and the playoffs for the Wild. You can call it a disappointing performance from Osman, a scam for Halifax, but I call it a win for Halifax. Halifax trades a top 4 defenseman for a future Alexander Chershenko, Ethan Osborne, and Mitch Higgins trophy winner. Willy Myers wouldn’t win any of those trophies with Halifax; he would win them with Houston. Why Halifax released him is beyond me. Kate Upton would have virtually no impact on the Marlins roster of playoff chances in S75. The winner of this trade is Halifax. Season 76 Halifax will fall into another rebuild this season, as per the typical three-year cycle of the VHLM. And while Halifax adds a few picks and a couple of depth pieces to their roster, fundamental changes won’t come until another couple of seasons in the future. Now, this is an exciting trade. Two seasons ago, Clinton Giftopoulos was acquired by the Halifax 21st in a steal against Saskatoon. And the hilarious thing about the trade is that it’s not close because of Sven Heikkinen. This is a battle between the value of Tyler Steel and Clinton Giftopoulos. We’ll start with Steel. Steel would serve for three years in Halifax and win the Matt Bentz Trophy. Tyler put up 161 points, 110 of those being in S78. Except that isn’t good enough to win this trade. Clinton Giftopoulos would win the Founder’s Cup in S76 with Mexico and be awarded the Skylar Rift Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs. I’m going to argue that Mexico won this trade. When the point is to win the Founder’s Cup, and you won as a direct result of a trade, you win that trade no matter what you gave up. Halifax loses this one. This is just a draw. I’m not going to get into it, but the quick rundown is that both teams saw equal parts service from what they acquired in this trade. The only difference is that Halifax didn’t make the playoffs with either of the assets picked up in this trade, and San Diego did. It’s not enough to warrant a swing in the win or loss category. So… if anyone knows anything about the history of the 21st, you would know this is a historic trade. And probably the best trade they’ve ever made in franchise history. And it wasn’t even a bad trade for Mexico either. This is a win for Halifax. Fun fact about this trade, in particular, Bryn Yrwy played for Mexico City before Halifax drafted him. Yrwy, on top of that, also won the Founder’s Cup with Mexico and could have potentially been on their roster had this trade not happened. With that piece of trivia out of the way, Bryn leads the Halifax 21st in franchise history for points, even though he has the 2nd most games played in franchise history. Grey would also win five individual trophies with Halifax, including the VHLM top goal scorer twice. This is without mentioning the historic 142-point season that Kikko Moskinen had with the 21st in S78, where Moskinen would also win two individual Trophies. Kikko is also 7th all-time for points in Halifax history. On the other hand, Mexico City gets two depth players for their eventual Founder’s Cup win this season. This may be the only time I make an exception to a trade being a win for the team that directly won a Founder’s Cup due to the assets acquired. Just going to call this what it is - a draw. Both pieces are depth options for both teams and don’t develop into anything special. Part Two Thanks for reading up until this point. As you can tell, I put a lot of work into this, and this is not even half of it. It would be awesome if you could support content like this and react to the post. Any discussion or disputes about my opinions on trade winners/losers is appreciated, and I hope you'll show your displeasure in the comments. The link to the second part of this post will be available here by the time I write and correctly format it for everyone. That will be short. Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for the next post. Click the link below for the second part of this series.

I don't know if it's just me but the index link is broken. It's not showing standings or points from players, and even San Diego's roster is completely replaced by bots.

+10 Jordan Bennett

1. If Alexander Ovechkin Junior doesn't score the first goal I'm going to riot. 2. You know, for living on the far Atlantic coast (Nova Scotia), the seafood capital of Canada, my opinion is pretty valid. The worst part about seafood is the whole sea taste, if it didn't have that, it would be great. 3. There are probably players that want to forgo the preseason and just jump right into the regulars but unfortunately our GMs are stupid and need time to figure out line chemistries and strategies. 4. It's very cliché but I love Christmas. Some of my fondest memories come from that time of year. 5. I've always wanted to be good, and I mean like play in a European league, good at hockey but I've just never put the time in required to do so. 6. I would play my player. And it wouldn't be some Hollywood film either. It would be akin to the Blaire Witch Project in terms of production.

Jordan Bennett poster from his run with the Boston Brigade in the Junior Showcase Tournament. Jordan Bennett is a two-way forward prospect most recently selected in the third round by the San Diego Marlins. Bennett is from the small town of Tilt Cove, Newfoundland. His family is very proud of him and his progress toward the VHLM. But now, the scouts have changed into a representative from the VHLE and VHL. This upcoming season is make-or-break for Bennett, as it will determine how far he goes in the next draft. If the JST has anything to say about his performance with players who are better than him, then there's no reason to think he won't evolve into a weapon during this VHLM season for the Marlins. Bennett's career stats are minimal but indicative of the style of play he pursues on the ice. In 5 games, he posted three points but had a -1 rating in an okay game 5 of the JST playoffs. However, Bennett posted seven points in 19 games during the round-robin with a natural +/-. He landed 27 hits, blocked six shots, and was 0.5 points per 20 minutes. Zone Ability Defensive coverage of the defensive end was exceptional. His skating allowed him to keep up with defenders on the backcheck, breaking into his zone and allowing him to strip pucks from defensemen and create chances in the neutral zone. He can force errors and strip pucks with his solid stick. Passes are hard to get through when he's in the lane. Another area that Bennett benefits from in terms of his skill are passing and the ability to read the play. He can use his speed to make up for defense, but he can get into a better position and offer deception to players from his passes, skating one way and then sending the puck another direction. This allows for some offensive zone chaos where teammates can throw a shot on the net and put in rebounds. Shortcomings Bennett is not the biggest skater on the field. While he can skate, he suffers from getting knocked off pucks if players catch up to him. A big criticism is the lack of ability to keep pucks when pressured and will lose balance when things aren't turning out very well and can be forced to make errors. A little bit of strength can fix this issue but that doesn't seem like it's in his development plan anytime soon. Strengths - Defensive coverage - Stick checking - Skating Weaknesses - Balance - Core Strength - Shooting

Rockstar, you are a God among graphic designers. If ANYONE wants to learn how to do graphics, copy what this guy does. The first thing is that you are instantly taken to the player, looking out onto the empty right side of the graphic. This also brings your attention to the text on the right side. The ONLY criticism that I have is that the logo swap on the middle looks a bit wonky; I think the left edge needs to be bent backward to follow the jersey's contour. Otherwise, purple is a very intense color that sheds away the complimentary background. 9/10.

I like this Signature. The way the coloring works, the player's face is the first place your eyes go. Then, you see the Jack in Hextall, followed by the last name. This is executed PERFECTLY. There was a little bit of color change on the player with the filter, but it serves nicely with the yellow and purple you chose. Maybe the only thing I would change is that the background contrasts strongly with the player, so it slightly pulls away from the quality. 8/10.

1. The locker room is already a blessing and being part of it is an amazing experience. 2. I think Joachim Bryngelson is a complete beauty to get so late in the draft. His ceiling might not be very high but his incredible skill right now. 3. My goal is to have a better +/- than the number of points my player gets. 4. Just keep doing you and pushing the team to be better. 5. I think offensive vision isn't really indicative of both shooting and passing. Would rather something like Offensive Creativity or something along those lines. 6. I am a Bruins fan bar none. Insert Marchand crying GIF here.

And at 22nd overall, Jordan Bennett was selected by the San Diego Marlins. A VHLM team with an explosive draft is looking to be incredibly competitive near the end of the season. They are also looking to be the best team coming out of the gates in their conference. Bennett has come a long way from Newfoundland to the Brigade and now to San Diego. As part of a complete team with support from organized management, we'll have to see if he can handle the pressure of modern life. We project Bennett to start on the 2nd line right wing, alongside Fraser Wallace in the middle and Cole Caufield Junior on the left. This combination of scoring from the other wing from Cole and the two-way ability should make this an excellent shut-down line with a weapon. Look for the coaching staff to use this line to shut down other top lines.

Claim 2

Excellent logo swap on the jersey. The blue filter on the background makes the white in the middle pop out. Something that graphic designers do to make things pop out is put a lighter-colored object in front of darker tones. You do this with the player perfectly. What I think was a tad too much was the lighting on the player. The beams of light coming off the player might be too much. The font choice, in this case, I think is exceptional, but it might be too much blue. If it was red, it might have stood out more as a complementary element to the rest of the image. The silhouettes make everything a touch too busy, especially with how complex the buildings are in the background. Otherwise, I enjoy this signature, and it looks like a classic. 6.5/10.

Holy crap is there a lot of great talent in this draft. When you're looking at really deep drafts and players that probably retain the value of a 1st rounder throughout the 2nd round and even early 3rd, you can only look at the teams with the most depth picks. First-round options are now so diluted with the amount of talent in this prospect pool that having three of them doesn't matter so much. Halifax might be loaded on 1sts, but as stated previously, it will be the 2nd and 3rd round picks that retain the most value. So while some people may think it's the 21st with their monstrous six picks in the first two rounds, I don't think they'll win the draft. You might make a case for San Diego. They also have three first-rounders and four picks combined in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, but that isn't enough either. Again, because 1st round picks are diluted, these players will be worthless with this much talent coming into the lineups. My prediction is that the Mississauga Hounds, without a first-round pick, will win the draft. And for that reason specifically. Mississauga will be getting a couple (probably three) first-round talents without a single first-round pick. The sheer value of these selections means that they can trade up in the following seasons and accelerate their rebuild after only a season or two.

I like this signature. The font fits nicely and fits perfectly in that corner. I wish the yellow on the word "Sundin" were more yellow to match the color of the Phoenix logo more closely. I don't know if you did a jersey swap or just took it at face value, but the fact that I can't tell is a compliment. I will say that the shadow in front of the player is a little distracting. I think it's a planet, but I really would have liked to have seen a clearer image around the player, and instead, if you wanted to take him out of focus a little bit, put some nebula around the edges of the screen for some focus. I would also recommend making the player's center a bit lighter in contrast to the rest of the graphic to bring more attention from the eyes on the edge of the graphic. I did enjoy this one overall. 7/10.

I know dude it's about time. The first player I ever created was a goalie before I retired them not making a claim when everyone told me goalies were a bad idea.

LMAO well Pearce gets 1st place then

I forgot to tag people so here you go.

"My rebuttal is I don't care." Welcome to FutureSight. Where I take a look at the biggest steals from past drafts. As the VHL S84 draft concludes, I stand before you with a mirror. To reflect and look back on the absolute steals of the past. Rankings 1. Hulk Hogan 2 (Drafted 6th, ranked 2nd post-draft class) + 4 Hulk Hogan 2 is possibly the biggest steal of the S81 draft, being 1 of 3 players above the 600 TPE mark. Istanbul selected Hogan 1st overall in the VHLE. Seattle probably took this player in the hopes that they would develop to a top 6 talent in a season or two, but might not have expected the explosive start they had this season. A great point per game player right out of the gates, on top of a solid defensive performance of 156 shots blocked, means that Hulk Hogan will be a Seattle staple for the seasons to come. And with a contract that locks them up for the next four seasons, Seattle knows this will be a starting piece for the future. 2. Alessio Simeoni (Drafted 60th overall, ranked 35th post-draft class) +25 The most significant jump in terms of value belongs to Simeoni, who, projected at the tail end of the draft, could have been selected mid-table as a serviceable center and has been for the Toronto Legion. Instead, they swiped them up at that 60th spot. This project hasn’t quite cut the VHL roster yet, but I project to do so in a season or two. Alessio Simeoni has had a back and forth career thus far, from Houston to Saskatoon in the M. Cologne also grabbed him from Oslo. In the VHLE, Simeoni has an impressive 65 points and 154 hits. This player will undoubtedly be helpful as a depth offensive option in many VHL rosters and might add some grit to a potential playoff run or two. Look at Toronto to keep this player as a future depth piece or some trade bait in the future. 3. Johnny Xavier (Drafted 35th overall, ranked 21st post-draft class) +14 Johnny Xavier was always going to pan out as a roster player. But I don’t even think the Helsinki Titan, who picked this player in their monster draft, could have predicted the growth of Xavier. Helsinki crushed the 2nd round of the S81 draft. Xavier hasn’t fully broken into the VHL roster. That isn’t to say Xavier’s development is below the curve. However, the value of a 2nd and 3rd round player is a giant leap. Helsinki can look to end its rebuild soon with numerous great talents. Cologne got the service of Xavier this past season. Eighty points to round out his European career, with an additional 151 hits, is an absurd stat line for the prospect. However, there’s also an air of clutch with this player. Five GWG with only 24 goals total might be enough to win a game or two in the playoffs, so look to Helsinki to use Xavier as a clutch depth player in future playoff runs. 4. (Tied) Boris Tsezar (Drafted 41st overall, ranked 20th overall post-draft class) +21 AND Ed Nu (Drafted 45th overall, ranked 24th overall post-draft class) +21 Now, I know what you’re saying. Goalies aren’t worth that much. They suck. These goalies are on this list because the teams before them didn’t need the goalie prospects. And those are all valuable points. My rebuttal is I don’t care. Goalies matter. Davos (Though London picked Tsezar) and New York (Though New York-traded Ed Nu to London for some reason) get two excellent growing goalie prospects that could serve as starting goalies in the future for a couple of seasons. Hopefully, goalies will produce more robust numbers with the end of the scoring era, and their value will increase. As a result, making these picks retroactively much stronger than we give them credit for currently. Boris Tsezar is a Russian goaltender currently playing for the Rome Gladiators. He put up an incredible .913 SV% and had a solid 31-13 record. Chances are Tsezar gets the call and moves up to the Davos roster next season. Ed Nu struggled a bit with the Istanbul Red Wolves. A barely above .50% winning record and a reasonably high GAA average might worry some London United fans, wondering if they decided to keep the better of the two goalies. To this, I say don’t worry about it. On a worse team, Nu had one less shutout than Tsezar, with five more minor wins but ten more losses. Exempt but still noteworthy - Nico Pearce (Drafted 10th overall, ranked 1st) +9 In a vacuum, I would put Pearce first on this list. However, because it’s not a steal because of the GM player selection rules, it’s invalidated. Pearce would have been a shoo-in for that number 1 spot. Moscow gets to enjoy a star talent, the only player in the class to break 700 TPE and is nearly 100 TPE above Hulk Hogan 2, the next closest player in terms of progression. But, of course, that would be the case had he not been involved in a massive blockbuster trade. Helsinki gets the best prospect of the S81 draft, but Moscow gets two solid prospects (A 1st and 2nd round prospect) that will undoubtedly amount to a decent return in the long run. While the players have not immediately outperformed Peace on individual levels, they combine for more points, hits, and shots blocked. Conclusion Of course, this is still very early on in their development, and only an actual couple of seasons in the VHL will prove the service of these players. However, I wish good luck to them all in their future VHL careers as they show you don’t necessarily need to be a 1st round pick to add value to a team. With the S83 draft finished, we can only assume that more players like these will come out of the woodwork in time. I hope they get the appreciation they deserve for their hard work and TPE grind, even if it may only be a welfare and practice facility for some. Every piece of effort counts. Thank you, Kings. (1038 words)

1. I might watch the VHLM draft until I get selected. Don't really care about the VHL and VHLE right now. 2. Baxter Arcanum is critically underrated considering the central scouting draft rankings. Acranum is a rapidly growing player in terms of skill relative to their peers in the same class so I would like to see them get selected a bit sooner. 3. If you have a pick in the first round you should never select for need and always pick the best player available. Scotty Sundin has to be picked first. Any other players would be sub-optimal. 4. I said you should always take the best player in the first round, but the lack of depth in terms of forwards might mean a GM will select Mitchell before Thunder. 5. Don't burn yourself out and have fun. This is a friggin simulation hockey league, not your job. 6. Those bots needed to be captained by someone and only a character such as Ceson is brave enough to do it.

They're pretty okay. At first, I didn't understand them. I thought that they would introduce different player types and shift things around. However, people will still want to see as many points as they can at the end of the day. If the intention was to create an environment where community members weren't forced into picking up 99 scoring and 40 passing, this system works. Which is about what the core of the problem was. The amount of dopamine I get from seeing my player having a goal and an assist in a game is daunting. The core gameplay loop of the VHL- writing articles and applying TPE, had shifted. But the point allocation hadn't—just the method. I think an issue is that when I look at my player's stats, SEVEN of the eleven stats you see on the player list page are all offensive. There's almost no attention given to the other aspects of the game. How many takeaways does my player have? How many shots have I blocked? How many times have I given the puck away? I think, alongside the hybrid attributes, a deeper stat page would be really appreciated. Especially a proper list of statistics that you can see from players through individual seasons. Almost like a tab section in the same way you can see the player page and such. I think it'll help because players will have just more to look at and have a wider variety of things to care about instead of just goals and assists. That's just my take.

On the whole, this feels like a pretty safe signature. The logo swap is clean and matches well with the player considering Warsaw's colors have a hard time finding a home with existing teams. I think the filter over the image is a bit too strong and can be a little distracting. A big thing about images and signature making is light management. If you just darkened the edges of the signature a little bit, especially from the bottom of the image where the ice and boards are, it would bring more attention to the skater. I would also recommend going outside your comfort zone and experimenting with different font styles. The G on this style, in particular, is very busy and sort of pulls away from the image, fighting for attention. Otherwise, a very standard signature with some improvements to work on. 5.5/10