Grape

I've been sending the league bribe money for sims for the past 3 seasons! No wonder the sims haven't been rigged in my favor!
 

I've been sending the league bribe money for sims for the past 3 seasons! No wonder the sims haven't been rigged in my favor!
 

I've been sending the league bribe money for sims for the past 3 seasons! No wonder the sims haven't been rigged in my favor!
 

I've been sending the league bribe money for sims for the past 3 seasons! No wonder the sims haven't been rigged in my favor!
 

It's time.

In honour of your overlord's (that's me) birthday, everyone who likes this post gets 1 TPE.
#teepz #lovevictator #tpeinflation
 
Edit: for anyone still here, check the date. This is a decade old and is no longer valid, please don’t try.

This isn't Obuz Schneider Canet du Bocage to Warsaw for a conditional 7th

@LastOneUp Could've just done this instead

Juan Ceson betta

Player Information
Username: trains
Player Name: Robert Tango
Recruited From: YouTube
Age: 20
Position: RW
Height: 72 in.
Weight: 173 lbs.
Birthplace: Canada

Player Page
@VHLM GM

With the draft coming in this Saturday, many teams in the VHLM are sitting in different positions. While some appear to be primed for a competitive season, and have made moves in order to all but guarantee that, while other teams are looking at next season with weary eyes, knowing that it’s going to be a long one. If there was any season to have draft picks, it’s this one. With the massive recruitment drive and a ton of retention, we’ll be looking at active players going all the way till the end of the draft. Suffice to say, this may be one of the best drafts the VHLM has had in a long time. At least this season, gone are the completely barren rosters with like two guys sitting around twiddling their thumbs in the locker room. Every team should be able to put together at least the bones of a roster. With that being said, let’s take a look at how each team looks going into this draft.
(every roster was adjusted based on IAs on the roster as of 3/11/24)

Philadelphia Reapers

Roster: 1 Forward, 2 Defensemen
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Second, 1 Fourth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
The reigning Founders Cup champions are in a relatively comfortable position coming into the draft. The Jinn draft strategy last draft has appeared to pay off, as they are retaining three for this upcoming season, with two being defensemen. With a D-pair locked down, they can take advantage of the usual deep forward class and bolster an offense. There are also a large number of serviceable goaltenders in this draft, so they can fill that hole relatively easily. With the draft class being as deep as it is, they should be able to get an active player all the way to their seventh. Having spent little draft picks for their cup run, they are in a great position to attempt the repeat, and should be able to cobble together, at the very least, a winning season.
 
Las Vegas Aces

Roster: 1 Forward
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Third, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 3 Sixths, 1 Seventh
 
Coming up short is never fun, especially when the window closes immediately after. Las Vegas seems to be primed to go into a hard rebuild, signaled with the trading of their starting goaltender and some depth picks for futures in Season 94. While they do have a handful of picks in this draft, it appears that they’ll do their damage with later round players at lower TPA levels, and hopefully retain them for the push next season, with higher TPA players likely being moved at the deadline this season. While it won’t be a long rebuild by any stretch, it’ll be a painful one going into this season.
 
Houston Bulls

Roster: 2 Forwards, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 Second, 2 Fourths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
The Bulls are in somewhat the same position as Las Vegas, with it not necessarily looking to be a winning season next season, having basically gone all in and coming up with nothing. They are definitely in a worse spot pickwise and will likely struggle to put together a competitive roster, coupled with the fact that their goalie could very well go up to the VHLE if they so desired. The pieces they are able to acquire will likely all carry over into the next, with the exception of the second, so while this is going to be a struggling season, season 94 will see a return to the dominant Houston Bulls team.
 
Miami Marauders

Roster: Absolutely nothing
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 2 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Miami is the first team with absolutely no players on their roster, which serves as a monumental task in terms of putting together a competitive team, as not everybody can be the worst. They do have the maximum amount of early round picks, with two picks in both the first and second round, and should be able to gather some top-flight talent. The big determining factor going into this season is the depth picks. If they can hit on their later round selections, they will at least have a competitive squad going into this season. If they miss, they may have to rely on a select few players on a very bare roster, which has been successful, but not necessarily ideal.
 
Mexico City Kings

Roster: 1 Forward, 1 Defenseman
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Second, 1 Third, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Mexico City is kind of a funny team. I believe they are the only team to hold a pick in every round and those only being their original picks. They also will need to use all those picks in order to put together a roster worth competing with. A rather bare roster as of now, with the threat of their defenseman moving up to the VHLE, they’re likely to come out of the draft with the skeleton of a team, but no real meat to give it an extra punch. Whoever they select will be their ride or die, with no room for adjustment. That also puts pressure on the GM to hit on each pick, as one misstep and they’ll be forced to slot a bot into the lineup.

San Diego Marlins

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 Second, 2 Fourths, 2 Sevenths
 
The Marlins are cooked. Very bare on the draft picks, and only one player on the roster, this may be the worst team in the league coming into this season. It would take a monumental reach for this team to be competitive, and would likely get bounced in a sweep if they somehow sniff the playoffs. Much like Mexico City, every pick needs to be a hit, which becomes very difficult when you’re grabbing your first line forward or top pairing defenseman in the last round of the draft. The only thing they can look forward to is hopefully retaining those they do draft and build upon the foundation they set to possibly compete in Season 94.

Saskatoon Wild

Roster: 2 Forwards, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 2 Thirds, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh

The Wild are in arguably the best position going into this draft. Six picks in the first three rounds puts them in a position to get a plethora of top players in this draft class and put together the best roster right out of the gate. The team is relatively bare in the later rounds, which could prove to be a disservice if any of the top picks end up drifting away, as well as put into question the competitiveness of next season, but this is the VHLM, the next season is always a question mark. There is a slight concern that one of their forwards moves onto the VHLE, but they do have the high end picks to supplement that loss if it does occur.
 
Ottawa Lynx

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 3 Thirds, 1 Fourth, 4 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Ottawa made a decent splash before the draft, acquiring a starting goaltender in exchange for two picks in the S94 draft. Goaltending has been their achilles heel for the past few seasons, being the biggest weakness on some otherwise strong rosters. They have a good mix of early and late picks, which should provide a balance of high end talent and young, growing depth, which would allow multiple seasons of competitiveness. The main concern is constructing a full roster, as they are starting with a relatively clean slate and can’t necessarily afford to miss on their picks, as this appears to be the season in which they want to compete.

Halifax 21st

Roster: 1 Defenseman, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 2 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Halifax seems to be preparing to compete this season, as they’ve built up a decent amount of early round picks and a couple in the later rounds, attempting to strike a balanced roster of capped and growing for multiple competing seasons. This would be a nice change of pace, as it feels that Halifax has been stuck in the basement of the VHLM for quite some time. Having a good goaltender and a mediocre defenseman definitely helps, and they should at the very least be able to cobble together a good squad that likely finishes in the top half of the league.
 
Mississauga Hounds

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 First, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 1 Sixth
 
The lowly Hounds are in probably the worst position compared to every other team in the league. After an abysmal season, one would hope the next one would yield a more competitive result, but that does not seem to be the case for Mississauga. With a small pool of picks and only a single player on their roster, it appears that the Hounds will have another down season. The best they can hope for is to sell high on their capped assets this season and build for the future.

(1528 words. Three weeks of claiming)

With the VHLM draft quickly approaching, I spoke with the VHLM GMs and asked them a few questions about their thoughts and goals for the future. 
 
 
1. What are your goals for the upcoming draft, and the season beyond?

Miami’s GM @Ricer13 is looking for long-term success. To do that he is looking to build his asset pool to gain future assets. With nine picks in the draft, four being in the first two rounds, there will be plenty of assets to work with. 

@Dadam30, GM of the Saskatoon Wild, hopes to put together a contending team this season. They are poised for the future as well, with plenty of draft picks to work with. With 10 picks in the S93 draft, there is plenty of capital for both the present and the future. 

The San Diego Marlins would love to draft players who are active and willing to learn. GM @Mysterious_Fish is looking for someone who can contribute in the locker room as well as on the ice, with a willingness to develop being a key to their success. The Marlins only have one early round pick and five total, so it seems development for the future is the key goal going forward.

@Grape's Ottawa Lynx want to compete now. They have 12 total picks in the upcoming draft and are looking to make some splashes that will help this season and extend beyond S93. The goal for the Lynx is to cultivate a consistent competitive mindset for seasons to come.

S93 is GM @JCarson first draft as Mexico City King’s GM. He told me that his goal for the season is to build a balanced team in the draft. He wants to be able to compete early on, but also be developed to be stronger in the playoffs. Mexico City holds a pick in each of the seven rounds of the draft so they can most certainly build a well-balanced team with those options.

For GM @LucyXpher and the Halifax 21st the goal is simple, use their early picks (two first rounders and two seconds, nine total) to select players who can play at the top of the lineup now. Halifax is looking for players that are reliable to compete for the full 72-game schedule but is hoping to find some late round talent with potential that can be fostered for seasons to come. They are not only looking for the obvious talent but also the diamonds in the rough who are really pushing to make a name for themselves in their early career. 

The Mississauga Hounds GM @Nathan_8's goal in the draft is simple: build a good team with the picks available. There is potential to also move down in order to grab more picks. He believes with the draft capital at his disposal he will be able to do just that. 

After a heartbreaking loss in the finals, @McLovin and the Las Vegas Aces are gearing up for a long and hard rebuild. With more later picks than early ones, the Aces will have to get lucky with a gem in the later rounds to kickstart the rebuild process.
 
Next is last season's Founder's Cup champs, the Philadelphia Reapers. GM @Lemorse7 is planning on making a splash in the draft to keep the Reapers' winning ways going. Although they only have five total picks, they have one in each of the first two rounds and have retained three players from last season so it isn't totally out of the question. Seeing as they need a decent goalie to make sure that happens, I expect a possible focus on doing just that.
 
Last but certainly not least, GM @AJW with the Huston Bulls. He believes the success of a team is built from within. With so much uncertainty throughout the VHLM season, the Bulls look for a winning mentality over pure skill. If the players they draft are active and willing to put the work in, he thinks anyone can come out as a champion. Surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly) AJW was quoted saying "Rebuilding/waiting for the future is BORING!!!!", so I think it's safe to say he's planning for the present above all else.

2. Who do you think will be the #1 pick and why?

It seems the GMs of the VHLM don’t have a consensus pick for #1 in the draft. Some names were thrown around, but they all seem equally likely to be picked first overall. Of the names mentioned, there were:

Felicia Hardy @JCarson - There was a gut feeling behind Hardy being the first pick in the draft. The big defenceman played 20 games with San Diego last season, shelling out 16 hits and blocking 28 shots.

Tyler Lawson @Nyx - If he chooses to stay in the VHLM, Lawson is one of, if not the best centre in the draft. He has a big shot and “high offensive upside” as quoted by one GM. A point-per-game player last season with 56 points in 56 games, any team would be ecstatic to have the offensive prowess of Lawson. 

Jillian Woods @jacobcarson877 - Jillian Woods is one of the only players remaining in the VHLM who has 200 TPA. A two-way defenceman, Woods can be effective at both ends of the ice.
 

3. What do you look for in a potential draft pick? What are your intangibles?

What the GMs are looking for in a potential draft pick is fairly consistent across the board. First and foremost, activity in the forums and on the Discord is completely necessary. They recognize that without this, there is little to no improvement. Staying active will show the GMs that you’re willing to put the work in to earn that precious TPE every week. Most are compassionate, understanding there is a world outside of the VHL that takes priority, but when building a team to win, activity is the highest indicator of an up-and-coming star. 
The next most important piece of the puzzle seems to be attitude. GMs want to see that a potential draft pick can fit in with their team in the locker room. The goal ultimately is to have fun and create an atmosphere that encourages that. Players that exude that energy are generally gravitated toward because they improve the experience for the others around them as well. While the process to earn the TPE to be a star can be a long one, players who understand that and embrace it will catch the eye of GMs throughout each of the leagues. 
Lastly, what players do to earn TPE and how they go about it is significant to the GMs that I spoke to. They want to see a variety of point tasks attempted to see that all avenues are being used to improve their players. A player who participates in trivia and press conferences each week is much more valuable to a GM than one who ignores them or completes them sporadically. It is understood that every player doesn’t inherently know how to do everything on arrival in the VHL, but it is recognized when an attempt is being made to take the initiative and learn. This tends to be a good indicator of what they’ll become early on in their career.
Overall, this is shaping up to be an exciting draft! I had multiple people tell me how deep it is and how likely it may be to find a diamond in the later rounds. For all the draft hopefuls, whether you’re the first pick or the last, keeping up with your point tasks and staying active will most certainly make a name for yourself quickly in this league. Even if you can’t tell, the GMs are keeping a close eye on everyone and making very informed decisions, so keep up the good work!
 
EDIT: I would like to source that I took some of my research from @Grape's article overviewing each team leading up to the draft so I'd like to give him credit:
 
Good luck to all the players and GMs participating in the S93 VHLM draft!
 
(1345 words)
Claimed week of 03/17
Claimed week of 03/24

With the draft coming in this Saturday, many teams in the VHLM are sitting in different positions. While some appear to be primed for a competitive season, and have made moves in order to all but guarantee that, while other teams are looking at next season with weary eyes, knowing that it’s going to be a long one. If there was any season to have draft picks, it’s this one. With the massive recruitment drive and a ton of retention, we’ll be looking at active players going all the way till the end of the draft. Suffice to say, this may be one of the best drafts the VHLM has had in a long time. At least this season, gone are the completely barren rosters with like two guys sitting around twiddling their thumbs in the locker room. Every team should be able to put together at least the bones of a roster. With that being said, let’s take a look at how each team looks going into this draft.
(every roster was adjusted based on IAs on the roster as of 3/11/24)

Philadelphia Reapers

Roster: 1 Forward, 2 Defensemen
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Second, 1 Fourth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
The reigning Founders Cup champions are in a relatively comfortable position coming into the draft. The Jinn draft strategy last draft has appeared to pay off, as they are retaining three for this upcoming season, with two being defensemen. With a D-pair locked down, they can take advantage of the usual deep forward class and bolster an offense. There are also a large number of serviceable goaltenders in this draft, so they can fill that hole relatively easily. With the draft class being as deep as it is, they should be able to get an active player all the way to their seventh. Having spent little draft picks for their cup run, they are in a great position to attempt the repeat, and should be able to cobble together, at the very least, a winning season.
 
Las Vegas Aces

Roster: 1 Forward
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Third, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 3 Sixths, 1 Seventh
 
Coming up short is never fun, especially when the window closes immediately after. Las Vegas seems to be primed to go into a hard rebuild, signaled with the trading of their starting goaltender and some depth picks for futures in Season 94. While they do have a handful of picks in this draft, it appears that they’ll do their damage with later round players at lower TPA levels, and hopefully retain them for the push next season, with higher TPA players likely being moved at the deadline this season. While it won’t be a long rebuild by any stretch, it’ll be a painful one going into this season.
 
Houston Bulls

Roster: 2 Forwards, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 Second, 2 Fourths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
The Bulls are in somewhat the same position as Las Vegas, with it not necessarily looking to be a winning season next season, having basically gone all in and coming up with nothing. They are definitely in a worse spot pickwise and will likely struggle to put together a competitive roster, coupled with the fact that their goalie could very well go up to the VHLE if they so desired. The pieces they are able to acquire will likely all carry over into the next, with the exception of the second, so while this is going to be a struggling season, season 94 will see a return to the dominant Houston Bulls team.
 
Miami Marauders

Roster: Absolutely nothing
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 2 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Miami is the first team with absolutely no players on their roster, which serves as a monumental task in terms of putting together a competitive team, as not everybody can be the worst. They do have the maximum amount of early round picks, with two picks in both the first and second round, and should be able to gather some top-flight talent. The big determining factor going into this season is the depth picks. If they can hit on their later round selections, they will at least have a competitive squad going into this season. If they miss, they may have to rely on a select few players on a very bare roster, which has been successful, but not necessarily ideal.
 
Mexico City Kings

Roster: 1 Forward, 1 Defenseman
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Second, 1 Third, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Mexico City is kind of a funny team. I believe they are the only team to hold a pick in every round and those only being their original picks. They also will need to use all those picks in order to put together a roster worth competing with. A rather bare roster as of now, with the threat of their defenseman moving up to the VHLE, they’re likely to come out of the draft with the skeleton of a team, but no real meat to give it an extra punch. Whoever they select will be their ride or die, with no room for adjustment. That also puts pressure on the GM to hit on each pick, as one misstep and they’ll be forced to slot a bot into the lineup.

San Diego Marlins

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 Second, 2 Fourths, 2 Sevenths
 
The Marlins are cooked. Very bare on the draft picks, and only one player on the roster, this may be the worst team in the league coming into this season. It would take a monumental reach for this team to be competitive, and would likely get bounced in a sweep if they somehow sniff the playoffs. Much like Mexico City, every pick needs to be a hit, which becomes very difficult when you’re grabbing your first line forward or top pairing defenseman in the last round of the draft. The only thing they can look forward to is hopefully retaining those they do draft and build upon the foundation they set to possibly compete in Season 94.

Saskatoon Wild

Roster: 2 Forwards, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 2 Thirds, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh

The Wild are in arguably the best position going into this draft. Six picks in the first three rounds puts them in a position to get a plethora of top players in this draft class and put together the best roster right out of the gate. The team is relatively bare in the later rounds, which could prove to be a disservice if any of the top picks end up drifting away, as well as put into question the competitiveness of next season, but this is the VHLM, the next season is always a question mark. There is a slight concern that one of their forwards moves onto the VHLE, but they do have the high end picks to supplement that loss if it does occur.
 
Ottawa Lynx

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 3 Thirds, 1 Fourth, 4 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Ottawa made a decent splash before the draft, acquiring a starting goaltender in exchange for two picks in the S94 draft. Goaltending has been their achilles heel for the past few seasons, being the biggest weakness on some otherwise strong rosters. They have a good mix of early and late picks, which should provide a balance of high end talent and young, growing depth, which would allow multiple seasons of competitiveness. The main concern is constructing a full roster, as they are starting with a relatively clean slate and can’t necessarily afford to miss on their picks, as this appears to be the season in which they want to compete.

Halifax 21st

Roster: 1 Defenseman, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 2 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Halifax seems to be preparing to compete this season, as they’ve built up a decent amount of early round picks and a couple in the later rounds, attempting to strike a balanced roster of capped and growing for multiple competing seasons. This would be a nice change of pace, as it feels that Halifax has been stuck in the basement of the VHLM for quite some time. Having a good goaltender and a mediocre defenseman definitely helps, and they should at the very least be able to cobble together a good squad that likely finishes in the top half of the league.
 
Mississauga Hounds

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 First, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 1 Sixth
 
The lowly Hounds are in probably the worst position compared to every other team in the league. After an abysmal season, one would hope the next one would yield a more competitive result, but that does not seem to be the case for Mississauga. With a small pool of picks and only a single player on their roster, it appears that the Hounds will have another down season. The best they can hope for is to sell high on their capped assets this season and build for the future.

(1528 words. Three weeks of claiming)

With the draft coming in this Saturday, many teams in the VHLM are sitting in different positions. While some appear to be primed for a competitive season, and have made moves in order to all but guarantee that, while other teams are looking at next season with weary eyes, knowing that it’s going to be a long one. If there was any season to have draft picks, it’s this one. With the massive recruitment drive and a ton of retention, we’ll be looking at active players going all the way till the end of the draft. Suffice to say, this may be one of the best drafts the VHLM has had in a long time. At least this season, gone are the completely barren rosters with like two guys sitting around twiddling their thumbs in the locker room. Every team should be able to put together at least the bones of a roster. With that being said, let’s take a look at how each team looks going into this draft.
(every roster was adjusted based on IAs on the roster as of 3/11/24)

Philadelphia Reapers

Roster: 1 Forward, 2 Defensemen
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Second, 1 Fourth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
The reigning Founders Cup champions are in a relatively comfortable position coming into the draft. The Jinn draft strategy last draft has appeared to pay off, as they are retaining three for this upcoming season, with two being defensemen. With a D-pair locked down, they can take advantage of the usual deep forward class and bolster an offense. There are also a large number of serviceable goaltenders in this draft, so they can fill that hole relatively easily. With the draft class being as deep as it is, they should be able to get an active player all the way to their seventh. Having spent little draft picks for their cup run, they are in a great position to attempt the repeat, and should be able to cobble together, at the very least, a winning season.
 
Las Vegas Aces

Roster: 1 Forward
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Third, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 3 Sixths, 1 Seventh
 
Coming up short is never fun, especially when the window closes immediately after. Las Vegas seems to be primed to go into a hard rebuild, signaled with the trading of their starting goaltender and some depth picks for futures in Season 94. While they do have a handful of picks in this draft, it appears that they’ll do their damage with later round players at lower TPA levels, and hopefully retain them for the push next season, with higher TPA players likely being moved at the deadline this season. While it won’t be a long rebuild by any stretch, it’ll be a painful one going into this season.
 
Houston Bulls

Roster: 2 Forwards, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 Second, 2 Fourths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
The Bulls are in somewhat the same position as Las Vegas, with it not necessarily looking to be a winning season next season, having basically gone all in and coming up with nothing. They are definitely in a worse spot pickwise and will likely struggle to put together a competitive roster, coupled with the fact that their goalie could very well go up to the VHLE if they so desired. The pieces they are able to acquire will likely all carry over into the next, with the exception of the second, so while this is going to be a struggling season, season 94 will see a return to the dominant Houston Bulls team.
 
Miami Marauders

Roster: Absolutely nothing
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 2 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Miami is the first team with absolutely no players on their roster, which serves as a monumental task in terms of putting together a competitive team, as not everybody can be the worst. They do have the maximum amount of early round picks, with two picks in both the first and second round, and should be able to gather some top-flight talent. The big determining factor going into this season is the depth picks. If they can hit on their later round selections, they will at least have a competitive squad going into this season. If they miss, they may have to rely on a select few players on a very bare roster, which has been successful, but not necessarily ideal.
 
Mexico City Kings

Roster: 1 Forward, 1 Defenseman
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Second, 1 Third, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Mexico City is kind of a funny team. I believe they are the only team to hold a pick in every round and those only being their original picks. They also will need to use all those picks in order to put together a roster worth competing with. A rather bare roster as of now, with the threat of their defenseman moving up to the VHLE, they’re likely to come out of the draft with the skeleton of a team, but no real meat to give it an extra punch. Whoever they select will be their ride or die, with no room for adjustment. That also puts pressure on the GM to hit on each pick, as one misstep and they’ll be forced to slot a bot into the lineup.

San Diego Marlins

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 Second, 2 Fourths, 2 Sevenths
 
The Marlins are cooked. Very bare on the draft picks, and only one player on the roster, this may be the worst team in the league coming into this season. It would take a monumental reach for this team to be competitive, and would likely get bounced in a sweep if they somehow sniff the playoffs. Much like Mexico City, every pick needs to be a hit, which becomes very difficult when you’re grabbing your first line forward or top pairing defenseman in the last round of the draft. The only thing they can look forward to is hopefully retaining those they do draft and build upon the foundation they set to possibly compete in Season 94.

Saskatoon Wild

Roster: 2 Forwards, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 2 Thirds, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh

The Wild are in arguably the best position going into this draft. Six picks in the first three rounds puts them in a position to get a plethora of top players in this draft class and put together the best roster right out of the gate. The team is relatively bare in the later rounds, which could prove to be a disservice if any of the top picks end up drifting away, as well as put into question the competitiveness of next season, but this is the VHLM, the next season is always a question mark. There is a slight concern that one of their forwards moves onto the VHLE, but they do have the high end picks to supplement that loss if it does occur.
 
Ottawa Lynx

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 3 Thirds, 1 Fourth, 4 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Ottawa made a decent splash before the draft, acquiring a starting goaltender in exchange for two picks in the S94 draft. Goaltending has been their achilles heel for the past few seasons, being the biggest weakness on some otherwise strong rosters. They have a good mix of early and late picks, which should provide a balance of high end talent and young, growing depth, which would allow multiple seasons of competitiveness. The main concern is constructing a full roster, as they are starting with a relatively clean slate and can’t necessarily afford to miss on their picks, as this appears to be the season in which they want to compete.

Halifax 21st

Roster: 1 Defenseman, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 2 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Halifax seems to be preparing to compete this season, as they’ve built up a decent amount of early round picks and a couple in the later rounds, attempting to strike a balanced roster of capped and growing for multiple competing seasons. This would be a nice change of pace, as it feels that Halifax has been stuck in the basement of the VHLM for quite some time. Having a good goaltender and a mediocre defenseman definitely helps, and they should at the very least be able to cobble together a good squad that likely finishes in the top half of the league.
 
Mississauga Hounds

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 First, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 1 Sixth
 
The lowly Hounds are in probably the worst position compared to every other team in the league. After an abysmal season, one would hope the next one would yield a more competitive result, but that does not seem to be the case for Mississauga. With a small pool of picks and only a single player on their roster, it appears that the Hounds will have another down season. The best they can hope for is to sell high on their capped assets this season and build for the future.

(1528 words. Three weeks of claiming)

With the draft coming in this Saturday, many teams in the VHLM are sitting in different positions. While some appear to be primed for a competitive season, and have made moves in order to all but guarantee that, while other teams are looking at next season with weary eyes, knowing that it’s going to be a long one. If there was any season to have draft picks, it’s this one. With the massive recruitment drive and a ton of retention, we’ll be looking at active players going all the way till the end of the draft. Suffice to say, this may be one of the best drafts the VHLM has had in a long time. At least this season, gone are the completely barren rosters with like two guys sitting around twiddling their thumbs in the locker room. Every team should be able to put together at least the bones of a roster. With that being said, let’s take a look at how each team looks going into this draft.
(every roster was adjusted based on IAs on the roster as of 3/11/24)

Philadelphia Reapers

Roster: 1 Forward, 2 Defensemen
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Second, 1 Fourth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
The reigning Founders Cup champions are in a relatively comfortable position coming into the draft. The Jinn draft strategy last draft has appeared to pay off, as they are retaining three for this upcoming season, with two being defensemen. With a D-pair locked down, they can take advantage of the usual deep forward class and bolster an offense. There are also a large number of serviceable goaltenders in this draft, so they can fill that hole relatively easily. With the draft class being as deep as it is, they should be able to get an active player all the way to their seventh. Having spent little draft picks for their cup run, they are in a great position to attempt the repeat, and should be able to cobble together, at the very least, a winning season.
 
Las Vegas Aces

Roster: 1 Forward
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Third, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 3 Sixths, 1 Seventh
 
Coming up short is never fun, especially when the window closes immediately after. Las Vegas seems to be primed to go into a hard rebuild, signaled with the trading of their starting goaltender and some depth picks for futures in Season 94. While they do have a handful of picks in this draft, it appears that they’ll do their damage with later round players at lower TPA levels, and hopefully retain them for the push next season, with higher TPA players likely being moved at the deadline this season. While it won’t be a long rebuild by any stretch, it’ll be a painful one going into this season.
 
Houston Bulls

Roster: 2 Forwards, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 Second, 2 Fourths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
The Bulls are in somewhat the same position as Las Vegas, with it not necessarily looking to be a winning season next season, having basically gone all in and coming up with nothing. They are definitely in a worse spot pickwise and will likely struggle to put together a competitive roster, coupled with the fact that their goalie could very well go up to the VHLE if they so desired. The pieces they are able to acquire will likely all carry over into the next, with the exception of the second, so while this is going to be a struggling season, season 94 will see a return to the dominant Houston Bulls team.
 
Miami Marauders

Roster: Absolutely nothing
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 2 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Miami is the first team with absolutely no players on their roster, which serves as a monumental task in terms of putting together a competitive team, as not everybody can be the worst. They do have the maximum amount of early round picks, with two picks in both the first and second round, and should be able to gather some top-flight talent. The big determining factor going into this season is the depth picks. If they can hit on their later round selections, they will at least have a competitive squad going into this season. If they miss, they may have to rely on a select few players on a very bare roster, which has been successful, but not necessarily ideal.
 
Mexico City Kings

Roster: 1 Forward, 1 Defenseman
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Second, 1 Third, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Mexico City is kind of a funny team. I believe they are the only team to hold a pick in every round and those only being their original picks. They also will need to use all those picks in order to put together a roster worth competing with. A rather bare roster as of now, with the threat of their defenseman moving up to the VHLE, they’re likely to come out of the draft with the skeleton of a team, but no real meat to give it an extra punch. Whoever they select will be their ride or die, with no room for adjustment. That also puts pressure on the GM to hit on each pick, as one misstep and they’ll be forced to slot a bot into the lineup.

San Diego Marlins

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 Second, 2 Fourths, 2 Sevenths
 
The Marlins are cooked. Very bare on the draft picks, and only one player on the roster, this may be the worst team in the league coming into this season. It would take a monumental reach for this team to be competitive, and would likely get bounced in a sweep if they somehow sniff the playoffs. Much like Mexico City, every pick needs to be a hit, which becomes very difficult when you’re grabbing your first line forward or top pairing defenseman in the last round of the draft. The only thing they can look forward to is hopefully retaining those they do draft and build upon the foundation they set to possibly compete in Season 94.

Saskatoon Wild

Roster: 2 Forwards, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 2 Thirds, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh

The Wild are in arguably the best position going into this draft. Six picks in the first three rounds puts them in a position to get a plethora of top players in this draft class and put together the best roster right out of the gate. The team is relatively bare in the later rounds, which could prove to be a disservice if any of the top picks end up drifting away, as well as put into question the competitiveness of next season, but this is the VHLM, the next season is always a question mark. There is a slight concern that one of their forwards moves onto the VHLE, but they do have the high end picks to supplement that loss if it does occur.
 
Ottawa Lynx

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 3 Thirds, 1 Fourth, 4 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Ottawa made a decent splash before the draft, acquiring a starting goaltender in exchange for two picks in the S94 draft. Goaltending has been their achilles heel for the past few seasons, being the biggest weakness on some otherwise strong rosters. They have a good mix of early and late picks, which should provide a balance of high end talent and young, growing depth, which would allow multiple seasons of competitiveness. The main concern is constructing a full roster, as they are starting with a relatively clean slate and can’t necessarily afford to miss on their picks, as this appears to be the season in which they want to compete.

Halifax 21st

Roster: 1 Defenseman, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 2 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Halifax seems to be preparing to compete this season, as they’ve built up a decent amount of early round picks and a couple in the later rounds, attempting to strike a balanced roster of capped and growing for multiple competing seasons. This would be a nice change of pace, as it feels that Halifax has been stuck in the basement of the VHLM for quite some time. Having a good goaltender and a mediocre defenseman definitely helps, and they should at the very least be able to cobble together a good squad that likely finishes in the top half of the league.
 
Mississauga Hounds

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 First, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 1 Sixth
 
The lowly Hounds are in probably the worst position compared to every other team in the league. After an abysmal season, one would hope the next one would yield a more competitive result, but that does not seem to be the case for Mississauga. With a small pool of picks and only a single player on their roster, it appears that the Hounds will have another down season. The best they can hope for is to sell high on their capped assets this season and build for the future.

(1528 words. Three weeks of claiming)

With the draft coming in this Saturday, many teams in the VHLM are sitting in different positions. While some appear to be primed for a competitive season, and have made moves in order to all but guarantee that, while other teams are looking at next season with weary eyes, knowing that it’s going to be a long one. If there was any season to have draft picks, it’s this one. With the massive recruitment drive and a ton of retention, we’ll be looking at active players going all the way till the end of the draft. Suffice to say, this may be one of the best drafts the VHLM has had in a long time. At least this season, gone are the completely barren rosters with like two guys sitting around twiddling their thumbs in the locker room. Every team should be able to put together at least the bones of a roster. With that being said, let’s take a look at how each team looks going into this draft.
(every roster was adjusted based on IAs on the roster as of 3/11/24)

Philadelphia Reapers

Roster: 1 Forward, 2 Defensemen
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Second, 1 Fourth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
The reigning Founders Cup champions are in a relatively comfortable position coming into the draft. The Jinn draft strategy last draft has appeared to pay off, as they are retaining three for this upcoming season, with two being defensemen. With a D-pair locked down, they can take advantage of the usual deep forward class and bolster an offense. There are also a large number of serviceable goaltenders in this draft, so they can fill that hole relatively easily. With the draft class being as deep as it is, they should be able to get an active player all the way to their seventh. Having spent little draft picks for their cup run, they are in a great position to attempt the repeat, and should be able to cobble together, at the very least, a winning season.
 
Las Vegas Aces

Roster: 1 Forward
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Third, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 3 Sixths, 1 Seventh
 
Coming up short is never fun, especially when the window closes immediately after. Las Vegas seems to be primed to go into a hard rebuild, signaled with the trading of their starting goaltender and some depth picks for futures in Season 94. While they do have a handful of picks in this draft, it appears that they’ll do their damage with later round players at lower TPA levels, and hopefully retain them for the push next season, with higher TPA players likely being moved at the deadline this season. While it won’t be a long rebuild by any stretch, it’ll be a painful one going into this season.
 
Houston Bulls

Roster: 2 Forwards, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 Second, 2 Fourths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
The Bulls are in somewhat the same position as Las Vegas, with it not necessarily looking to be a winning season next season, having basically gone all in and coming up with nothing. They are definitely in a worse spot pickwise and will likely struggle to put together a competitive roster, coupled with the fact that their goalie could very well go up to the VHLE if they so desired. The pieces they are able to acquire will likely all carry over into the next, with the exception of the second, so while this is going to be a struggling season, season 94 will see a return to the dominant Houston Bulls team.
 
Miami Marauders

Roster: Absolutely nothing
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 2 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Miami is the first team with absolutely no players on their roster, which serves as a monumental task in terms of putting together a competitive team, as not everybody can be the worst. They do have the maximum amount of early round picks, with two picks in both the first and second round, and should be able to gather some top-flight talent. The big determining factor going into this season is the depth picks. If they can hit on their later round selections, they will at least have a competitive squad going into this season. If they miss, they may have to rely on a select few players on a very bare roster, which has been successful, but not necessarily ideal.
 
Mexico City Kings

Roster: 1 Forward, 1 Defenseman
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Second, 1 Third, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Mexico City is kind of a funny team. I believe they are the only team to hold a pick in every round and those only being their original picks. They also will need to use all those picks in order to put together a roster worth competing with. A rather bare roster as of now, with the threat of their defenseman moving up to the VHLE, they’re likely to come out of the draft with the skeleton of a team, but no real meat to give it an extra punch. Whoever they select will be their ride or die, with no room for adjustment. That also puts pressure on the GM to hit on each pick, as one misstep and they’ll be forced to slot a bot into the lineup.

San Diego Marlins

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 Second, 2 Fourths, 2 Sevenths
 
The Marlins are cooked. Very bare on the draft picks, and only one player on the roster, this may be the worst team in the league coming into this season. It would take a monumental reach for this team to be competitive, and would likely get bounced in a sweep if they somehow sniff the playoffs. Much like Mexico City, every pick needs to be a hit, which becomes very difficult when you’re grabbing your first line forward or top pairing defenseman in the last round of the draft. The only thing they can look forward to is hopefully retaining those they do draft and build upon the foundation they set to possibly compete in Season 94.

Saskatoon Wild

Roster: 2 Forwards, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 2 Thirds, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh

The Wild are in arguably the best position going into this draft. Six picks in the first three rounds puts them in a position to get a plethora of top players in this draft class and put together the best roster right out of the gate. The team is relatively bare in the later rounds, which could prove to be a disservice if any of the top picks end up drifting away, as well as put into question the competitiveness of next season, but this is the VHLM, the next season is always a question mark. There is a slight concern that one of their forwards moves onto the VHLE, but they do have the high end picks to supplement that loss if it does occur.
 
Ottawa Lynx

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 3 Thirds, 1 Fourth, 4 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Ottawa made a decent splash before the draft, acquiring a starting goaltender in exchange for two picks in the S94 draft. Goaltending has been their achilles heel for the past few seasons, being the biggest weakness on some otherwise strong rosters. They have a good mix of early and late picks, which should provide a balance of high end talent and young, growing depth, which would allow multiple seasons of competitiveness. The main concern is constructing a full roster, as they are starting with a relatively clean slate and can’t necessarily afford to miss on their picks, as this appears to be the season in which they want to compete.

Halifax 21st

Roster: 1 Defenseman, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 2 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Halifax seems to be preparing to compete this season, as they’ve built up a decent amount of early round picks and a couple in the later rounds, attempting to strike a balanced roster of capped and growing for multiple competing seasons. This would be a nice change of pace, as it feels that Halifax has been stuck in the basement of the VHLM for quite some time. Having a good goaltender and a mediocre defenseman definitely helps, and they should at the very least be able to cobble together a good squad that likely finishes in the top half of the league.
 
Mississauga Hounds

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 First, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 1 Sixth
 
The lowly Hounds are in probably the worst position compared to every other team in the league. After an abysmal season, one would hope the next one would yield a more competitive result, but that does not seem to be the case for Mississauga. With a small pool of picks and only a single player on their roster, it appears that the Hounds will have another down season. The best they can hope for is to sell high on their capped assets this season and build for the future.

(1528 words. Three weeks of claiming)

With the draft coming in this Saturday, many teams in the VHLM are sitting in different positions. While some appear to be primed for a competitive season, and have made moves in order to all but guarantee that, while other teams are looking at next season with weary eyes, knowing that it’s going to be a long one. If there was any season to have draft picks, it’s this one. With the massive recruitment drive and a ton of retention, we’ll be looking at active players going all the way till the end of the draft. Suffice to say, this may be one of the best drafts the VHLM has had in a long time. At least this season, gone are the completely barren rosters with like two guys sitting around twiddling their thumbs in the locker room. Every team should be able to put together at least the bones of a roster. With that being said, let’s take a look at how each team looks going into this draft.
(every roster was adjusted based on IAs on the roster as of 3/11/24)

Philadelphia Reapers

Roster: 1 Forward, 2 Defensemen
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Second, 1 Fourth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
The reigning Founders Cup champions are in a relatively comfortable position coming into the draft. The Jinn draft strategy last draft has appeared to pay off, as they are retaining three for this upcoming season, with two being defensemen. With a D-pair locked down, they can take advantage of the usual deep forward class and bolster an offense. There are also a large number of serviceable goaltenders in this draft, so they can fill that hole relatively easily. With the draft class being as deep as it is, they should be able to get an active player all the way to their seventh. Having spent little draft picks for their cup run, they are in a great position to attempt the repeat, and should be able to cobble together, at the very least, a winning season.
 
Las Vegas Aces

Roster: 1 Forward
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Third, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 3 Sixths, 1 Seventh
 
Coming up short is never fun, especially when the window closes immediately after. Las Vegas seems to be primed to go into a hard rebuild, signaled with the trading of their starting goaltender and some depth picks for futures in Season 94. While they do have a handful of picks in this draft, it appears that they’ll do their damage with later round players at lower TPA levels, and hopefully retain them for the push next season, with higher TPA players likely being moved at the deadline this season. While it won’t be a long rebuild by any stretch, it’ll be a painful one going into this season.
 
Houston Bulls

Roster: 2 Forwards, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 Second, 2 Fourths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
The Bulls are in somewhat the same position as Las Vegas, with it not necessarily looking to be a winning season next season, having basically gone all in and coming up with nothing. They are definitely in a worse spot pickwise and will likely struggle to put together a competitive roster, coupled with the fact that their goalie could very well go up to the VHLE if they so desired. The pieces they are able to acquire will likely all carry over into the next, with the exception of the second, so while this is going to be a struggling season, season 94 will see a return to the dominant Houston Bulls team.
 
Miami Marauders

Roster: Absolutely nothing
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 2 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Miami is the first team with absolutely no players on their roster, which serves as a monumental task in terms of putting together a competitive team, as not everybody can be the worst. They do have the maximum amount of early round picks, with two picks in both the first and second round, and should be able to gather some top-flight talent. The big determining factor going into this season is the depth picks. If they can hit on their later round selections, they will at least have a competitive squad going into this season. If they miss, they may have to rely on a select few players on a very bare roster, which has been successful, but not necessarily ideal.
 
Mexico City Kings

Roster: 1 Forward, 1 Defenseman
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Second, 1 Third, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Mexico City is kind of a funny team. I believe they are the only team to hold a pick in every round and those only being their original picks. They also will need to use all those picks in order to put together a roster worth competing with. A rather bare roster as of now, with the threat of their defenseman moving up to the VHLE, they’re likely to come out of the draft with the skeleton of a team, but no real meat to give it an extra punch. Whoever they select will be their ride or die, with no room for adjustment. That also puts pressure on the GM to hit on each pick, as one misstep and they’ll be forced to slot a bot into the lineup.

San Diego Marlins

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 Second, 2 Fourths, 2 Sevenths
 
The Marlins are cooked. Very bare on the draft picks, and only one player on the roster, this may be the worst team in the league coming into this season. It would take a monumental reach for this team to be competitive, and would likely get bounced in a sweep if they somehow sniff the playoffs. Much like Mexico City, every pick needs to be a hit, which becomes very difficult when you’re grabbing your first line forward or top pairing defenseman in the last round of the draft. The only thing they can look forward to is hopefully retaining those they do draft and build upon the foundation they set to possibly compete in Season 94.

Saskatoon Wild

Roster: 2 Forwards, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 2 Thirds, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh

The Wild are in arguably the best position going into this draft. Six picks in the first three rounds puts them in a position to get a plethora of top players in this draft class and put together the best roster right out of the gate. The team is relatively bare in the later rounds, which could prove to be a disservice if any of the top picks end up drifting away, as well as put into question the competitiveness of next season, but this is the VHLM, the next season is always a question mark. There is a slight concern that one of their forwards moves onto the VHLE, but they do have the high end picks to supplement that loss if it does occur.
 
Ottawa Lynx

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 3 Thirds, 1 Fourth, 4 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Ottawa made a decent splash before the draft, acquiring a starting goaltender in exchange for two picks in the S94 draft. Goaltending has been their achilles heel for the past few seasons, being the biggest weakness on some otherwise strong rosters. They have a good mix of early and late picks, which should provide a balance of high end talent and young, growing depth, which would allow multiple seasons of competitiveness. The main concern is constructing a full roster, as they are starting with a relatively clean slate and can’t necessarily afford to miss on their picks, as this appears to be the season in which they want to compete.

Halifax 21st

Roster: 1 Defenseman, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 2 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Halifax seems to be preparing to compete this season, as they’ve built up a decent amount of early round picks and a couple in the later rounds, attempting to strike a balanced roster of capped and growing for multiple competing seasons. This would be a nice change of pace, as it feels that Halifax has been stuck in the basement of the VHLM for quite some time. Having a good goaltender and a mediocre defenseman definitely helps, and they should at the very least be able to cobble together a good squad that likely finishes in the top half of the league.
 
Mississauga Hounds

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 First, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 1 Sixth
 
The lowly Hounds are in probably the worst position compared to every other team in the league. After an abysmal season, one would hope the next one would yield a more competitive result, but that does not seem to be the case for Mississauga. With a small pool of picks and only a single player on their roster, it appears that the Hounds will have another down season. The best they can hope for is to sell high on their capped assets this season and build for the future.

(1528 words. Three weeks of claiming)

With the draft coming in this Saturday, many teams in the VHLM are sitting in different positions. While some appear to be primed for a competitive season, and have made moves in order to all but guarantee that, while other teams are looking at next season with weary eyes, knowing that it’s going to be a long one. If there was any season to have draft picks, it’s this one. With the massive recruitment drive and a ton of retention, we’ll be looking at active players going all the way till the end of the draft. Suffice to say, this may be one of the best drafts the VHLM has had in a long time. At least this season, gone are the completely barren rosters with like two guys sitting around twiddling their thumbs in the locker room. Every team should be able to put together at least the bones of a roster. With that being said, let’s take a look at how each team looks going into this draft.
(every roster was adjusted based on IAs on the roster as of 3/11/24)

Philadelphia Reapers

Roster: 1 Forward, 2 Defensemen
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Second, 1 Fourth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
The reigning Founders Cup champions are in a relatively comfortable position coming into the draft. The Jinn draft strategy last draft has appeared to pay off, as they are retaining three for this upcoming season, with two being defensemen. With a D-pair locked down, they can take advantage of the usual deep forward class and bolster an offense. There are also a large number of serviceable goaltenders in this draft, so they can fill that hole relatively easily. With the draft class being as deep as it is, they should be able to get an active player all the way to their seventh. Having spent little draft picks for their cup run, they are in a great position to attempt the repeat, and should be able to cobble together, at the very least, a winning season.
 
Las Vegas Aces

Roster: 1 Forward
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Third, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 3 Sixths, 1 Seventh
 
Coming up short is never fun, especially when the window closes immediately after. Las Vegas seems to be primed to go into a hard rebuild, signaled with the trading of their starting goaltender and some depth picks for futures in Season 94. While they do have a handful of picks in this draft, it appears that they’ll do their damage with later round players at lower TPA levels, and hopefully retain them for the push next season, with higher TPA players likely being moved at the deadline this season. While it won’t be a long rebuild by any stretch, it’ll be a painful one going into this season.
 
Houston Bulls

Roster: 2 Forwards, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 Second, 2 Fourths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
The Bulls are in somewhat the same position as Las Vegas, with it not necessarily looking to be a winning season next season, having basically gone all in and coming up with nothing. They are definitely in a worse spot pickwise and will likely struggle to put together a competitive roster, coupled with the fact that their goalie could very well go up to the VHLE if they so desired. The pieces they are able to acquire will likely all carry over into the next, with the exception of the second, so while this is going to be a struggling season, season 94 will see a return to the dominant Houston Bulls team.
 
Miami Marauders

Roster: Absolutely nothing
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 2 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Miami is the first team with absolutely no players on their roster, which serves as a monumental task in terms of putting together a competitive team, as not everybody can be the worst. They do have the maximum amount of early round picks, with two picks in both the first and second round, and should be able to gather some top-flight talent. The big determining factor going into this season is the depth picks. If they can hit on their later round selections, they will at least have a competitive squad going into this season. If they miss, they may have to rely on a select few players on a very bare roster, which has been successful, but not necessarily ideal.
 
Mexico City Kings

Roster: 1 Forward, 1 Defenseman
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Second, 1 Third, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Mexico City is kind of a funny team. I believe they are the only team to hold a pick in every round and those only being their original picks. They also will need to use all those picks in order to put together a roster worth competing with. A rather bare roster as of now, with the threat of their defenseman moving up to the VHLE, they’re likely to come out of the draft with the skeleton of a team, but no real meat to give it an extra punch. Whoever they select will be their ride or die, with no room for adjustment. That also puts pressure on the GM to hit on each pick, as one misstep and they’ll be forced to slot a bot into the lineup.

San Diego Marlins

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 Second, 2 Fourths, 2 Sevenths
 
The Marlins are cooked. Very bare on the draft picks, and only one player on the roster, this may be the worst team in the league coming into this season. It would take a monumental reach for this team to be competitive, and would likely get bounced in a sweep if they somehow sniff the playoffs. Much like Mexico City, every pick needs to be a hit, which becomes very difficult when you’re grabbing your first line forward or top pairing defenseman in the last round of the draft. The only thing they can look forward to is hopefully retaining those they do draft and build upon the foundation they set to possibly compete in Season 94.

Saskatoon Wild

Roster: 2 Forwards, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 2 Thirds, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh

The Wild are in arguably the best position going into this draft. Six picks in the first three rounds puts them in a position to get a plethora of top players in this draft class and put together the best roster right out of the gate. The team is relatively bare in the later rounds, which could prove to be a disservice if any of the top picks end up drifting away, as well as put into question the competitiveness of next season, but this is the VHLM, the next season is always a question mark. There is a slight concern that one of their forwards moves onto the VHLE, but they do have the high end picks to supplement that loss if it does occur.
 
Ottawa Lynx

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 3 Thirds, 1 Fourth, 4 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Ottawa made a decent splash before the draft, acquiring a starting goaltender in exchange for two picks in the S94 draft. Goaltending has been their achilles heel for the past few seasons, being the biggest weakness on some otherwise strong rosters. They have a good mix of early and late picks, which should provide a balance of high end talent and young, growing depth, which would allow multiple seasons of competitiveness. The main concern is constructing a full roster, as they are starting with a relatively clean slate and can’t necessarily afford to miss on their picks, as this appears to be the season in which they want to compete.

Halifax 21st

Roster: 1 Defenseman, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 2 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Halifax seems to be preparing to compete this season, as they’ve built up a decent amount of early round picks and a couple in the later rounds, attempting to strike a balanced roster of capped and growing for multiple competing seasons. This would be a nice change of pace, as it feels that Halifax has been stuck in the basement of the VHLM for quite some time. Having a good goaltender and a mediocre defenseman definitely helps, and they should at the very least be able to cobble together a good squad that likely finishes in the top half of the league.
 
Mississauga Hounds

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 First, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 1 Sixth
 
The lowly Hounds are in probably the worst position compared to every other team in the league. After an abysmal season, one would hope the next one would yield a more competitive result, but that does not seem to be the case for Mississauga. With a small pool of picks and only a single player on their roster, it appears that the Hounds will have another down season. The best they can hope for is to sell high on their capped assets this season and build for the future.

(1528 words. Three weeks of claiming)

With the draft coming in this Saturday, many teams in the VHLM are sitting in different positions. While some appear to be primed for a competitive season, and have made moves in order to all but guarantee that, while other teams are looking at next season with weary eyes, knowing that it’s going to be a long one. If there was any season to have draft picks, it’s this one. With the massive recruitment drive and a ton of retention, we’ll be looking at active players going all the way till the end of the draft. Suffice to say, this may be one of the best drafts the VHLM has had in a long time. At least this season, gone are the completely barren rosters with like two guys sitting around twiddling their thumbs in the locker room. Every team should be able to put together at least the bones of a roster. With that being said, let’s take a look at how each team looks going into this draft.
(every roster was adjusted based on IAs on the roster as of 3/11/24)

Philadelphia Reapers

Roster: 1 Forward, 2 Defensemen
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Second, 1 Fourth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
The reigning Founders Cup champions are in a relatively comfortable position coming into the draft. The Jinn draft strategy last draft has appeared to pay off, as they are retaining three for this upcoming season, with two being defensemen. With a D-pair locked down, they can take advantage of the usual deep forward class and bolster an offense. There are also a large number of serviceable goaltenders in this draft, so they can fill that hole relatively easily. With the draft class being as deep as it is, they should be able to get an active player all the way to their seventh. Having spent little draft picks for their cup run, they are in a great position to attempt the repeat, and should be able to cobble together, at the very least, a winning season.
 
Las Vegas Aces

Roster: 1 Forward
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Third, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 3 Sixths, 1 Seventh
 
Coming up short is never fun, especially when the window closes immediately after. Las Vegas seems to be primed to go into a hard rebuild, signaled with the trading of their starting goaltender and some depth picks for futures in Season 94. While they do have a handful of picks in this draft, it appears that they’ll do their damage with later round players at lower TPA levels, and hopefully retain them for the push next season, with higher TPA players likely being moved at the deadline this season. While it won’t be a long rebuild by any stretch, it’ll be a painful one going into this season.
 
Houston Bulls

Roster: 2 Forwards, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 Second, 2 Fourths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
The Bulls are in somewhat the same position as Las Vegas, with it not necessarily looking to be a winning season next season, having basically gone all in and coming up with nothing. They are definitely in a worse spot pickwise and will likely struggle to put together a competitive roster, coupled with the fact that their goalie could very well go up to the VHLE if they so desired. The pieces they are able to acquire will likely all carry over into the next, with the exception of the second, so while this is going to be a struggling season, season 94 will see a return to the dominant Houston Bulls team.
 
Miami Marauders

Roster: Absolutely nothing
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 2 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Miami is the first team with absolutely no players on their roster, which serves as a monumental task in terms of putting together a competitive team, as not everybody can be the worst. They do have the maximum amount of early round picks, with two picks in both the first and second round, and should be able to gather some top-flight talent. The big determining factor going into this season is the depth picks. If they can hit on their later round selections, they will at least have a competitive squad going into this season. If they miss, they may have to rely on a select few players on a very bare roster, which has been successful, but not necessarily ideal.
 
Mexico City Kings

Roster: 1 Forward, 1 Defenseman
Draft Picks: 1 First, 1 Second, 1 Third, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Mexico City is kind of a funny team. I believe they are the only team to hold a pick in every round and those only being their original picks. They also will need to use all those picks in order to put together a roster worth competing with. A rather bare roster as of now, with the threat of their defenseman moving up to the VHLE, they’re likely to come out of the draft with the skeleton of a team, but no real meat to give it an extra punch. Whoever they select will be their ride or die, with no room for adjustment. That also puts pressure on the GM to hit on each pick, as one misstep and they’ll be forced to slot a bot into the lineup.

San Diego Marlins

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 Second, 2 Fourths, 2 Sevenths
 
The Marlins are cooked. Very bare on the draft picks, and only one player on the roster, this may be the worst team in the league coming into this season. It would take a monumental reach for this team to be competitive, and would likely get bounced in a sweep if they somehow sniff the playoffs. Much like Mexico City, every pick needs to be a hit, which becomes very difficult when you’re grabbing your first line forward or top pairing defenseman in the last round of the draft. The only thing they can look forward to is hopefully retaining those they do draft and build upon the foundation they set to possibly compete in Season 94.

Saskatoon Wild

Roster: 2 Forwards, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 2 Thirds, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh

The Wild are in arguably the best position going into this draft. Six picks in the first three rounds puts them in a position to get a plethora of top players in this draft class and put together the best roster right out of the gate. The team is relatively bare in the later rounds, which could prove to be a disservice if any of the top picks end up drifting away, as well as put into question the competitiveness of next season, but this is the VHLM, the next season is always a question mark. There is a slight concern that one of their forwards moves onto the VHLE, but they do have the high end picks to supplement that loss if it does occur.
 
Ottawa Lynx

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 3 Thirds, 1 Fourth, 4 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Ottawa made a decent splash before the draft, acquiring a starting goaltender in exchange for two picks in the S94 draft. Goaltending has been their achilles heel for the past few seasons, being the biggest weakness on some otherwise strong rosters. They have a good mix of early and late picks, which should provide a balance of high end talent and young, growing depth, which would allow multiple seasons of competitiveness. The main concern is constructing a full roster, as they are starting with a relatively clean slate and can’t necessarily afford to miss on their picks, as this appears to be the season in which they want to compete.

Halifax 21st

Roster: 1 Defenseman, 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 2 Firsts, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 2 Fifths, 1 Sixth, 1 Seventh
 
Halifax seems to be preparing to compete this season, as they’ve built up a decent amount of early round picks and a couple in the later rounds, attempting to strike a balanced roster of capped and growing for multiple competing seasons. This would be a nice change of pace, as it feels that Halifax has been stuck in the basement of the VHLM for quite some time. Having a good goaltender and a mediocre defenseman definitely helps, and they should at the very least be able to cobble together a good squad that likely finishes in the top half of the league.
 
Mississauga Hounds

Roster: 1 Goaltender
Draft Picks: 1 First, 2 Seconds, 1 Third, 1 Sixth
 
The lowly Hounds are in probably the worst position compared to every other team in the league. After an abysmal season, one would hope the next one would yield a more competitive result, but that does not seem to be the case for Mississauga. With a small pool of picks and only a single player on their roster, it appears that the Hounds will have another down season. The best they can hope for is to sell high on their capped assets this season and build for the future.

(1528 words. Three weeks of claiming)

Drunk as shit and still got selected. W. Autocotret coming in clutch 

Drunk as shit and still got selected. W. Autocotret coming in clutch 

No. I know they are GM experience. 
 
 

I've been wanting this for years. A counter on a players update page on howmuch capped they've done per week (example included). It's easy to count to 12 but it would be helpful for a quick glance to make sure you've hit 12/12 per week, and very helpful for drafting to see howmuch players are earning across a couple week/month scale.
 

shoutout @jacobcarson877