Grape

Player Information
Username: DrTieDude
Player Name: Mike Tylerson
Recruited From: YouTube
Age: 18
Position: LW
Height: 72 in.
Weight: 154 lbs.
Birthplace: Latvia

Player Page
@VHLM GM

(Been sitting on this one for almost a year now. Doing it in parts because I’m a glutton for TPE)

A (long) while back, Gustav made a massive article about the best picks in every single draft in VHL history. It was a massive endeavor and it immediately caught my interest. Perhaps it would be a fun project to look into other things involving the draft. My first thought was trying to find the biggest bust in each draft, but I trashed that idea. In some instances that could be cruel to some members who’s player simply didn’t pan out. Instead, I went and looked into the best players in the final round of every VHL draft. After hours of work and some painful searching, I have finally completed this project. Keep in mind that I will only list players who have registered at least one point (goalies at least one game) in the VHL unless: they are the only player in their draft that had actually played any games; they were drafted in season 84 and up, as they are, to me at least, still considered prospects. Without any more delay, from season 1 to season 88, here are the best players from the final round of the VHL draft.
 
Season 1
Pick 51: Bruce Wayne - D
 
Mr. Wayne proved to be a fantastic player and excellent pick for Helsinki, putting up 42 goals and 100 assists for 142 points as a defenseman in his 289 game career in the VHL. While never winning a cup, he appeared to be a great producer on the blue line and proved to be the top last round defenseman in a final round with 2 other really good defensemen. The only real knock would be his playoff performance, only registering 3 assists in 18 playoff games, but hey, still pretty good for a 7th rounder.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 49: Jeremy Lamborghini - D (27 G, 102 A)
Pick 50: John Pereira - G (0 W, 0.832 SV%, 6.26 GAA)
Pick 52: Marian Oshie - LW (12 G, 24 A)
Pick 53: Waldo Cezar - D (17 G, 77 A)
Pick 55: Jeff Van Slacker - LW (9 G, 15 A)
 
Season 2
Pick 39: Edward Eldred - RW
 
A really really good pick by Calgary, snagging Edward in the 2nd to last pick of the draft, he would end up being a very good player, amassing 145 goals and 218 assists for 363 points in 360 games, barely securing a ppg pace. Edward would also net 8 goals and 23 assists for 31 points in 28 playoff games, and his performance helped his team secure the championship in Season 2 and 3. No other last round pick really came super close to being as good as Edward, with the only argument really being Goldberg.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 33: Chris Orosz - G (2 W, 0.905 SV%, 3.60 GAA)
Pick 34: Chris Maher (13 G, 38 A)
Pick 35: Craig Levver (20 G, 39 A)
Pick 36: Greg Goldberg (162 W, 0.914 SV%, 3.45 GAA, 6 SO)
Pick 37: Patrice Roydeur (95 W, 0.910 SV%, 3.42 GAA, 5 SO)
Pick 38: Nevets Detroit - C (27 G, 62 A,)
Pick 40: Alexei Fedorov - LW (14 G, 16 A, 30 P)
 
Season 3
Pick 19: Edward Holm - LW
 
Holm only needed to play one game or put up a single point to be the best last round pick for the season 3 draft, but he decided to go above and beyond, putting up 142 goals and 312 assists for 454 points in 442 games, hitting that ppg pace. Edward Holm turned into the second Calgary last round steal and their second high scoring Edward. Playoff success was also shown, with Holm getting 16 goals and 26 assists for 42 points over 58 games and earning himself a ring in seasons 3 and 8.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 4
Pick 23: Jonathan Coward - D
 
Jonathan Coward turned out to be one of the better players for Helsinki, logging 21 goals and 82 assists for 103 points in 214 games. Playoff performance was a struggle, with 1 goal and 4 assists in 21 postseason games, but he provided a good deal of offense on the blue line, much like late pick Bruce Wayne before him. At the very least, Coward continues the early trend of late round steals being made by either Calgary or Helsinki, with Calgary getting the forwards and Helsinki getting the defensemen.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 18: Jonathan Bernier - G (2 W, 0.839 SV%, 6.93 G.A.A)
Pick 21: Mikael Jonsson - D (9 G, 16 A, 25 P)
 
Season 5
Pick 36: Raul Thundercat - G
 
Raul is the first goalie “steal” and not much can really be said about them. Drafted by Calgary (of course), he posted a record of 9-52-3 with a 0.859 SV% and 6.49 G.A.A, registering 1 shutout in his career. There was not much competition in this late round, so Mr. Thundercat gets off easy in this regard. Cool name though.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 37: Mikhail Prospov - G (2 W, 0.865 SV%, 5.56 GAA)
 
Season 6
Pick 33: Aiden Fox - G
 
Aiden Fox breaks the trend of Calgary/Helsinki late round steals, being picked by Toronto. Unfortunately, however, he did not have the best career. In 13 games, Aiden Fox posted a 0-5-1 record with a 0.890 SV% and 6.50 G.A.A. Likely never being more than a sparsely used backup, Fox had an uneventful and short career, that only benefits from nobody else in the last round of this draft class playing a game.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 7
No VHL Players
 
Season 8
Pick 26: Matt Fletcher - RW
 
Matt Fletcher appeared to be an absolute unit for Riga, generating 139 goals and 179 assists for 318 points in 288 games. I cannot find his postseason data, if there even is any, but I know that he never won a Cup. From what I can gather, he did win the Mikka Virkkunen Trophy for Sportsmanship in season 13, so I can confidently say that Mr. Fletcher is a certified Nice Guy™ 
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 30: Jeff McCarthy - C (40 G, 157 A)
 
Season 9
Pick 21: Sean Costello - C
 
Riga drafts another 300+ point player in the last round with Sean Costello, who absolutely runs away with being the best last round pick this season, posting 139 goals and 203 assists for 342 points in 362 games. Again, not much else can really be said due to recordkeeping being quite poor in the early seasons of the VHL (for the non-HoF players at least), but it can be said that he was an excellent player throughout his career.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 20: Ricky Okposo - G (11 W, 0.865 SV%, 5.47 GAA)
Pick 22: Travis Tyson - LW (9 G, 10 A)

Season 10
Pick 31: Prabal Konstantinov - G
 
Third season in a row in which Riga gets the last round steal, this being the only player in this round to suit up for any games. In their 28 game career, Konstantinov posted a record of 15-11-1 with a 0.869 SV% and 3.74 G.A.A. Honestly a pretty admirable win percentage given how few games they actually played. Of course, with no competition in the last round, they’d be a shoe-in even if they lost every game
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 11
Pick 20: Jimmy Ryan - G
 
A Helsinki pick, Jimmy Ryan had a pretty rough 72 game career, posting a record of 9-51-9 with a 0.861 SV% and 4.96 G.A.A. While not the best, he was better than not playing any games at all, and therefore is the best player in the last round.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 12
Pick 23: Harvey Singh - D
 
New York put in a good amount of work in this final round, picking up 3 players, the best of which being Harvey Singh. Singh would go on and pot 129 goals and 160 assists for 289 points in 288 games. The interesting thing about this player is that despite only playing in 3 seasons, they won two championships. The first being with New York in Season 14, and the next being in Season 16 with Riga. A short yet illustrious career.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 17: Somalian Tiger - LW (12G, 28A)
Pick 18: Jurgen Ferdinand - LW (12G, 19A)
Pick 21: Dmitry Petrov - RW (5G, 15A)
Pick 24: Tony Pajamas - D (11G, 30A)
 
Season 13
Pick 21: Brian Steckel - RW
 
Not much can be said for this Riga pick. Brian Steckel had a surprisingly long yet unfulfilling career, putting up 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points in 113 games. While the points were not there for the player, something could be said with how long they actually stuck around despite the low offensive generation. I really could not say it was for their defensive game either, having a career +/- of -61.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 14
Pick 27: Steve Collins - LW
 
Collins appears to have been a good player with a short career. A Helsinki pick, Steve Collins put up 50 goals and 81 assists for 131 points in 144 games. From what I could gather, he was an absolute legend in the VHLM, having a 229 point season with Brampton. While he could not translate that dominant play in the VHL, he was still nonetheless a very good player.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 31: Koby Kaine - D (21G, 77A)
 
Season 15
Pick 19: Alexander Randoulov - C
 
Alexander Randoulov would turn out to be a pretty decent player for Seattle, putting up 33 goals and 47 assists for 80 points in 145 games. It’s also funny to note that they had an abysmal +/- at -102. Other than that nothing else to say about this player.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 20: HB Illy - G (0W, 0.882 SV%, 3.93 GAA)
 
Season 16
Pick 18: Jardy Bunclewirth - LW
 
Another elite pick by Calgary, hands-down the best last round pick. It’s absolutely insane that this player was picked as low as they were, even though it was a small draft. 432 games, 291 goals, 398 assists, 689 points, Season 18, 19, and 23 champion, hall-of-famer, and certified beautician. 
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 17: Blade Hunter - RW (121G, 258A)
Pick 21: Alan Garner - G (9W, 0.832 SV%, 6.09 GAA)
Pick 23: Cam Whitney - D (10G, 31A)
 
Season 17
Pick 30: Matt Douglas - D
 
A bit of a fall-off from that last season’s draft, Seattle’s Matt Douglas had a less than spectacular career, garnering 4 goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 78 games and pretty much nothing else. 
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 18
Pick 29: Robin Big Snake - RW
 
A goated name and a pretty good pick by Madrid, Mr. Big Snake potted 47 goals and 91 assists for 138 points in 360 games. A really solid player who contributed positively for 5 seasons. No rings but still a good pick and player.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 32: Magnus Huuskonen - D (1G, 3A)
 
Season 19
No VHL Players
 
Season 20
Pick 27: Einer Kallstrom - C
 
Madrid went and drafted the only player in the final round to break into the league with Einar Kallstrom, who put up a pretty lackluster 0 goals and 4 assists in their 6 game tenure. Honestly pretty impressive for the small amount of games they played.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 21
Pick 30: J.J. Stafford - RW
 
Very solid pick by Riga. Stafford would go on to get 74 goals and 204 assists for 278 points in his 432 game career. He was the only player in the last round of the season 21 draft to make it to the league, and it’s safe to say he turned out to be a pretty good player.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 22
Pick 23: Johnny Blaze - D
 
Drafted by Toronto, Johnny Blaze is a very unique player in regards to this list. Looking at his stats, he never registered a single point. In fact, he doesn’t even have a shot on goal. In his 12 games, he played a purely defensive role it seems.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 23
No VHL Players

(2067 words, see y'all next month)

Stop hacking

Congrats to all the winners! Must've been a weak rookie class for me to make the all-rookie team but I'll take it 😆

Congrats to all the winners! Must've been a weak rookie class for me to make the all-rookie team but I'll take it 😆

Hello @Members!
 
I'm excited to announce that we have made our charitable donation for the year of $1656 to Doctor's Without Borders!
 

 
Additionally you all donated $1804 separate from the league bringing our total for the 2023 Holiday Charity drive to $3540! I'm always amazed to see the league come together and make such a difference in the world, it's great to see.
 
You all want some rewards I imagine though don't you? Well it was close but thanks to being $40 over the $3500 threshold we have once again hit every community goal which means every member of the community can claim 20 uncapped TPE and a PT Doubles week! It also means all our community items were met which means:
 
@twists will stream a declaration of his love for everyone that's been active in the past week.
@DarkSpyro will perform some Christmas themed metal songs
@Grape will do a full stream of all the Five Nights at Freddy's games.
@Acydburn will stream something, he just hasn't decided what yet.
@Beketov will once again stream Zoo Tycoon 2 Ultimate and name animals after VHL members.
 
As mentioned in the OP, unfortunately to keep things fair and not have a bunch of future creates claiming this: Rewards may only be applied to players created on, or before, December 25th, 2023
 
We'll get that stuff all scheduled as well as the raffle draw scheduled soon so keep an eye out for that and, once again, thank you all for making this time of year in the VHL so special!

Congratulations to Team Europe on the gold

Not really nice to call your new player that, bud.

Not really nice to call your new player that, bud.

Not really nice to call your new player that, bud.

I would like to apply for the GM role. Fuck that AGM shit. 

The perpetual rebuild WILL continue

The perpetual rebuild WILL continue

Mclovin. Vegas has been on a slow burn and has built a strong group that's gonna be good now and in the future. Saskatoon's roster is more Viper than Berocka right now, kinda like a Yzerman Brisebois situation. 

Is it too early to congratulate Team Europe for winning?
 

No she does not
 
 
That space is already taken
 
You don't
 
She mainly does blacked are alternatives to that, so the skin tones won't match
 
Post-nut clarity will negate that
 
Porn sites are restricted/banned across multiple states, which would reduce the efficiency of promotion activities
 
We struggle to get a streamer for regular drafts on a singular platform, so I can't imagine we'd be able to do so on multiple ones
 
They get enough "exposure" as is. It's kinda part of their job
 
@Spartan when are we gonna trade this guy?

With the conclusion of the draft lottery, Moscow has locked into the third overall pick in this upcoming draft. They will look to build onto their already strong prospect pool and young roster with this top selection. The big question is: Who do they draft? There are a handful of some really strong prospects at the top of the draft this season, but you have to account for what the team needs, or, more importantly, what they don’t need.

Goaltender
With the retirement of Sam Tombstone @samthemancub, goaltending would be a need coming into this season; however, that issue was resolved in last draft, with the selection of Olober Syko @Spartan , who is primed to make his debut next season. There really would be no point to use their top selection to take a netminder, who would only really gain the starter role after Syko retires, so one season before they would, or if Syko falls off completely, which is unlikely. Safe to say, the goaltending position is secured and overall not a need, at least for this early in the draft.

Defensemen
The likely departure of Fraser Wallace @Hoopydog and The Mediocre One @RElblein could be seen as an issue that needs addressing, since losing half your defense isn’t necessarily a recipe for success. Looking at the personnel Moscow has both in the farm and already on the roster, there really is no need to address this shortage through the draft. Leif Reingaard @Zetterberg has had his fill in the VHLE and is ready to make the jump to the show, and Celise Pereira @asteria could also make the opening roster if needed. If she needs a bit more seasoning in the European league, right winger Nils Andersson @Viper has expressed a desire to switch over to defense to help with the shortage. Overall, the defensive position can be easily reinforced internally to the point where it does not make much sense for Moscow to select a defenseman at three, especially considering three of the defensemen in the Moscow system are close to, if not, max earning, and the addition of another high earner would cause some contract issues in the future.

Forwards
With the contract expiration of David Rashford @Knight and Nils Andersson, there will be some spots on the roster opening up for some rookies to make their debut. Thor Reingaard @N0HBDY has finished up a strong season in Vasteras and is ready to take his talents to Moscow, and Ellis Woolfenden @D3X is prepared to make his return to the Menace after spending last season in with Thor in Vasteras. With players in the system ready to make the jump and fill the holes the roster has, what does Moscow actually need? Looking at the situation, despite how young the team is, it is important to plan for retirement. Left Alone @okochastar has had an incredibly strong season in Moscow, but is also the oldest player not on an expiring deal. They are set to retire after season 94, but could possibly end their career sooner due to the harshness of regression. With Alone being the only unanswered retiree in the near future, and with practically every other hole filled on this team, it only makes sense for Moscow to look towards taking a forward with their first selection in this upcoming draft. 
 
So, we’ve established what Moscow should draft, but now let’s look at three players would be a good fit for Moscow.
 
Logan Ninefingers - RW (343 TPE)
@Scurvy
 
The highest TPE player in the draft, Ninefingers enjoyed an immensely fruitful season in the VHLM with Philadelphia, putting up 64 goals and 88 assists for 152 points on the season. In the postseason, they stayed hot throughout, generating 1.5pts per game and a ludicrous 100 shots in the 15 games on route to a finals appearance, where they were knocked out in five games. Ninefingers plays hard and fast, putting up points and throwing bone crushing hits, while remaining respectable defensively. Based on their claiming, and with the fruitful holiday drive in effect, they could be prepared to make the show next season, which, while desirable, could cause some issues via roster management for Moscow, although, it is unlikely that they even have a chance to select Logan, as, while New York looks to be leaning towards a defenseman, the perpetual rebuilders known as the Warsaw Predators appear to be in need of a top forward prospect. It’s not like Moscow is completely out of the race for Ninefingers, however, and they would be a massive boon for the team.
 
George Richmond - C (333 TPE)
@badcolethetitan
 
The second highest TPE player and forward in the draft, Richmond had a strong showing this season with the Ottawa Lynx, generating 46 goals and 55 assists for 101 points, as well as 18 points in 10 postseason games, losing to the Philadelphia Reapers in a close five game series. Being only 10 TPE behind Ninefingers, as well as also max earning, these players project to be pretty close developmentally throughout their careers, possibly also being VHL ready by the start of next season. Richmond shows a more balanced build, being less physical but more defensively sound, as well as a more developed and distinct scoring touch, despite what the stats say. There is some seemingly unknown risk in selecting Richmond. In the VHLM draft, the bonafide top selection completely dropped out of the first round, much to the pleasure of Ottawa. While no negative reports came out of either Ottawa or the VHLM, it is always concerning when a player drops far into the draft, especially one of this caliber. When in doubt, #blamecole
 
Adi Dassler - LW (290 TPE)
@BOOM
 
A fair bit lower TPEwise compared to the other two forwards, Dassler appears to be the 6th highest TPE player, 4th highest forward, in the draft. Dassler enjoyed an impressive 43 goal 40 assist campaign with the Saskatoon Wild this season, as well as 16 points in 17 postseason games and a ring to go with it. Dassler showcases a pure offensive build, almost fully neglecting the defensive side of the puck in pursuit of shots, shots, and a handful of passes every now and then. Based on their claiming pattern, they won’t necessarily earn as much as the other two forwards mentioned, with Dassler being a max earner every other week or so, and their build may not be as viable comparatively speaking. It would also appear as they would need a season in the European league to prepare for the jump to the VHL, which could suit Moscow better based on their current roster. Now, with Dassler being statistically worse than the other two forwards, why would Moscow select them third overall? The simple answer is personality and familiarity. Dassler has an existing relationship with the Moscow Menace brass and is talked fondly among the advisory board. It’s not unlikely that Moscow potentially moves back in the draft to maximize their pick value to select Dassler later on, or make the reach and just take them outright. I could also see Moscow selecting one of the two previously mentioned forwards and use their plentiful assets with their second first round pick to move back into a position to bring Dassler to the team. Overall, Moscow can’t really go wrong with any of these forwards, and it will be interesting to see what they do in the upcoming draft.

(1243 words. Did I need to make another media spot? No, but at least now I have off till February)

With the conclusion of the draft lottery, Moscow has locked into the third overall pick in this upcoming draft. They will look to build onto their already strong prospect pool and young roster with this top selection. The big question is: Who do they draft? There are a handful of some really strong prospects at the top of the draft this season, but you have to account for what the team needs, or, more importantly, what they don’t need.

Goaltender
With the retirement of Sam Tombstone @samthemancub, goaltending would be a need coming into this season; however, that issue was resolved in last draft, with the selection of Olober Syko @Spartan , who is primed to make his debut next season. There really would be no point to use their top selection to take a netminder, who would only really gain the starter role after Syko retires, so one season before they would, or if Syko falls off completely, which is unlikely. Safe to say, the goaltending position is secured and overall not a need, at least for this early in the draft.

Defensemen
The likely departure of Fraser Wallace @Hoopydog and The Mediocre One @RElblein could be seen as an issue that needs addressing, since losing half your defense isn’t necessarily a recipe for success. Looking at the personnel Moscow has both in the farm and already on the roster, there really is no need to address this shortage through the draft. Leif Reingaard @Zetterberg has had his fill in the VHLE and is ready to make the jump to the show, and Celise Pereira @asteria could also make the opening roster if needed. If she needs a bit more seasoning in the European league, right winger Nils Andersson @Viper has expressed a desire to switch over to defense to help with the shortage. Overall, the defensive position can be easily reinforced internally to the point where it does not make much sense for Moscow to select a defenseman at three, especially considering three of the defensemen in the Moscow system are close to, if not, max earning, and the addition of another high earner would cause some contract issues in the future.

Forwards
With the contract expiration of David Rashford @Knight and Nils Andersson, there will be some spots on the roster opening up for some rookies to make their debut. Thor Reingaard @N0HBDY has finished up a strong season in Vasteras and is ready to take his talents to Moscow, and Ellis Woolfenden @D3X is prepared to make his return to the Menace after spending last season in with Thor in Vasteras. With players in the system ready to make the jump and fill the holes the roster has, what does Moscow actually need? Looking at the situation, despite how young the team is, it is important to plan for retirement. Left Alone @okochastar has had an incredibly strong season in Moscow, but is also the oldest player not on an expiring deal. They are set to retire after season 94, but could possibly end their career sooner due to the harshness of regression. With Alone being the only unanswered retiree in the near future, and with practically every other hole filled on this team, it only makes sense for Moscow to look towards taking a forward with their first selection in this upcoming draft. 
 
So, we’ve established what Moscow should draft, but now let’s look at three players would be a good fit for Moscow.
 
Logan Ninefingers - RW (343 TPE)
@Scurvy
 
The highest TPE player in the draft, Ninefingers enjoyed an immensely fruitful season in the VHLM with Philadelphia, putting up 64 goals and 88 assists for 152 points on the season. In the postseason, they stayed hot throughout, generating 1.5pts per game and a ludicrous 100 shots in the 15 games on route to a finals appearance, where they were knocked out in five games. Ninefingers plays hard and fast, putting up points and throwing bone crushing hits, while remaining respectable defensively. Based on their claiming, and with the fruitful holiday drive in effect, they could be prepared to make the show next season, which, while desirable, could cause some issues via roster management for Moscow, although, it is unlikely that they even have a chance to select Logan, as, while New York looks to be leaning towards a defenseman, the perpetual rebuilders known as the Warsaw Predators appear to be in need of a top forward prospect. It’s not like Moscow is completely out of the race for Ninefingers, however, and they would be a massive boon for the team.
 
George Richmond - C (333 TPE)
@badcolethetitan
 
The second highest TPE player and forward in the draft, Richmond had a strong showing this season with the Ottawa Lynx, generating 46 goals and 55 assists for 101 points, as well as 18 points in 10 postseason games, losing to the Philadelphia Reapers in a close five game series. Being only 10 TPE behind Ninefingers, as well as also max earning, these players project to be pretty close developmentally throughout their careers, possibly also being VHL ready by the start of next season. Richmond shows a more balanced build, being less physical but more defensively sound, as well as a more developed and distinct scoring touch, despite what the stats say. There is some seemingly unknown risk in selecting Richmond. In the VHLM draft, the bonafide top selection completely dropped out of the first round, much to the pleasure of Ottawa. While no negative reports came out of either Ottawa or the VHLM, it is always concerning when a player drops far into the draft, especially one of this caliber. When in doubt, #blamecole
 
Adi Dassler - LW (290 TPE)
@BOOM
 
A fair bit lower TPEwise compared to the other two forwards, Dassler appears to be the 6th highest TPE player, 4th highest forward, in the draft. Dassler enjoyed an impressive 43 goal 40 assist campaign with the Saskatoon Wild this season, as well as 16 points in 17 postseason games and a ring to go with it. Dassler showcases a pure offensive build, almost fully neglecting the defensive side of the puck in pursuit of shots, shots, and a handful of passes every now and then. Based on their claiming pattern, they won’t necessarily earn as much as the other two forwards mentioned, with Dassler being a max earner every other week or so, and their build may not be as viable comparatively speaking. It would also appear as they would need a season in the European league to prepare for the jump to the VHL, which could suit Moscow better based on their current roster. Now, with Dassler being statistically worse than the other two forwards, why would Moscow select them third overall? The simple answer is personality and familiarity. Dassler has an existing relationship with the Moscow Menace brass and is talked fondly among the advisory board. It’s not unlikely that Moscow potentially moves back in the draft to maximize their pick value to select Dassler later on, or make the reach and just take them outright. I could also see Moscow selecting one of the two previously mentioned forwards and use their plentiful assets with their second first round pick to move back into a position to bring Dassler to the team. Overall, Moscow can’t really go wrong with any of these forwards, and it will be interesting to see what they do in the upcoming draft.

(1243 words. Did I need to make another media spot? No, but at least now I have off till February)

With the conclusion of the draft lottery, Moscow has locked into the third overall pick in this upcoming draft. They will look to build onto their already strong prospect pool and young roster with this top selection. The big question is: Who do they draft? There are a handful of some really strong prospects at the top of the draft this season, but you have to account for what the team needs, or, more importantly, what they don’t need.

Goaltender
With the retirement of Sam Tombstone @samthemancub, goaltending would be a need coming into this season; however, that issue was resolved in last draft, with the selection of Olober Syko @Spartan , who is primed to make his debut next season. There really would be no point to use their top selection to take a netminder, who would only really gain the starter role after Syko retires, so one season before they would, or if Syko falls off completely, which is unlikely. Safe to say, the goaltending position is secured and overall not a need, at least for this early in the draft.

Defensemen
The likely departure of Fraser Wallace @Hoopydog and The Mediocre One @RElblein could be seen as an issue that needs addressing, since losing half your defense isn’t necessarily a recipe for success. Looking at the personnel Moscow has both in the farm and already on the roster, there really is no need to address this shortage through the draft. Leif Reingaard @Zetterberg has had his fill in the VHLE and is ready to make the jump to the show, and Celise Pereira @asteria could also make the opening roster if needed. If she needs a bit more seasoning in the European league, right winger Nils Andersson @Viper has expressed a desire to switch over to defense to help with the shortage. Overall, the defensive position can be easily reinforced internally to the point where it does not make much sense for Moscow to select a defenseman at three, especially considering three of the defensemen in the Moscow system are close to, if not, max earning, and the addition of another high earner would cause some contract issues in the future.

Forwards
With the contract expiration of David Rashford @Knight and Nils Andersson, there will be some spots on the roster opening up for some rookies to make their debut. Thor Reingaard @N0HBDY has finished up a strong season in Vasteras and is ready to take his talents to Moscow, and Ellis Woolfenden @D3X is prepared to make his return to the Menace after spending last season in with Thor in Vasteras. With players in the system ready to make the jump and fill the holes the roster has, what does Moscow actually need? Looking at the situation, despite how young the team is, it is important to plan for retirement. Left Alone @okochastar has had an incredibly strong season in Moscow, but is also the oldest player not on an expiring deal. They are set to retire after season 94, but could possibly end their career sooner due to the harshness of regression. With Alone being the only unanswered retiree in the near future, and with practically every other hole filled on this team, it only makes sense for Moscow to look towards taking a forward with their first selection in this upcoming draft. 
 
So, we’ve established what Moscow should draft, but now let’s look at three players would be a good fit for Moscow.
 
Logan Ninefingers - RW (343 TPE)
@Scurvy
 
The highest TPE player in the draft, Ninefingers enjoyed an immensely fruitful season in the VHLM with Philadelphia, putting up 64 goals and 88 assists for 152 points on the season. In the postseason, they stayed hot throughout, generating 1.5pts per game and a ludicrous 100 shots in the 15 games on route to a finals appearance, where they were knocked out in five games. Ninefingers plays hard and fast, putting up points and throwing bone crushing hits, while remaining respectable defensively. Based on their claiming, and with the fruitful holiday drive in effect, they could be prepared to make the show next season, which, while desirable, could cause some issues via roster management for Moscow, although, it is unlikely that they even have a chance to select Logan, as, while New York looks to be leaning towards a defenseman, the perpetual rebuilders known as the Warsaw Predators appear to be in need of a top forward prospect. It’s not like Moscow is completely out of the race for Ninefingers, however, and they would be a massive boon for the team.
 
George Richmond - C (333 TPE)
@badcolethetitan
 
The second highest TPE player and forward in the draft, Richmond had a strong showing this season with the Ottawa Lynx, generating 46 goals and 55 assists for 101 points, as well as 18 points in 10 postseason games, losing to the Philadelphia Reapers in a close five game series. Being only 10 TPE behind Ninefingers, as well as also max earning, these players project to be pretty close developmentally throughout their careers, possibly also being VHL ready by the start of next season. Richmond shows a more balanced build, being less physical but more defensively sound, as well as a more developed and distinct scoring touch, despite what the stats say. There is some seemingly unknown risk in selecting Richmond. In the VHLM draft, the bonafide top selection completely dropped out of the first round, much to the pleasure of Ottawa. While no negative reports came out of either Ottawa or the VHLM, it is always concerning when a player drops far into the draft, especially one of this caliber. When in doubt, #blamecole
 
Adi Dassler - LW (290 TPE)
@BOOM
 
A fair bit lower TPEwise compared to the other two forwards, Dassler appears to be the 6th highest TPE player, 4th highest forward, in the draft. Dassler enjoyed an impressive 43 goal 40 assist campaign with the Saskatoon Wild this season, as well as 16 points in 17 postseason games and a ring to go with it. Dassler showcases a pure offensive build, almost fully neglecting the defensive side of the puck in pursuit of shots, shots, and a handful of passes every now and then. Based on their claiming pattern, they won’t necessarily earn as much as the other two forwards mentioned, with Dassler being a max earner every other week or so, and their build may not be as viable comparatively speaking. It would also appear as they would need a season in the European league to prepare for the jump to the VHL, which could suit Moscow better based on their current roster. Now, with Dassler being statistically worse than the other two forwards, why would Moscow select them third overall? The simple answer is personality and familiarity. Dassler has an existing relationship with the Moscow Menace brass and is talked fondly among the advisory board. It’s not unlikely that Moscow potentially moves back in the draft to maximize their pick value to select Dassler later on, or make the reach and just take them outright. I could also see Moscow selecting one of the two previously mentioned forwards and use their plentiful assets with their second first round pick to move back into a position to bring Dassler to the team. Overall, Moscow can’t really go wrong with any of these forwards, and it will be interesting to see what they do in the upcoming draft.

(1243 words. Did I need to make another media spot? No, but at least now I have off till February)

With the conclusion of the draft lottery, Moscow has locked into the third overall pick in this upcoming draft. They will look to build onto their already strong prospect pool and young roster with this top selection. The big question is: Who do they draft? There are a handful of some really strong prospects at the top of the draft this season, but you have to account for what the team needs, or, more importantly, what they don’t need.

Goaltender
With the retirement of Sam Tombstone @samthemancub, goaltending would be a need coming into this season; however, that issue was resolved in last draft, with the selection of Olober Syko @Spartan , who is primed to make his debut next season. There really would be no point to use their top selection to take a netminder, who would only really gain the starter role after Syko retires, so one season before they would, or if Syko falls off completely, which is unlikely. Safe to say, the goaltending position is secured and overall not a need, at least for this early in the draft.

Defensemen
The likely departure of Fraser Wallace @Hoopydog and The Mediocre One @RElblein could be seen as an issue that needs addressing, since losing half your defense isn’t necessarily a recipe for success. Looking at the personnel Moscow has both in the farm and already on the roster, there really is no need to address this shortage through the draft. Leif Reingaard @Zetterberg has had his fill in the VHLE and is ready to make the jump to the show, and Celise Pereira @asteria could also make the opening roster if needed. If she needs a bit more seasoning in the European league, right winger Nils Andersson @Viper has expressed a desire to switch over to defense to help with the shortage. Overall, the defensive position can be easily reinforced internally to the point where it does not make much sense for Moscow to select a defenseman at three, especially considering three of the defensemen in the Moscow system are close to, if not, max earning, and the addition of another high earner would cause some contract issues in the future.

Forwards
With the contract expiration of David Rashford @Knight and Nils Andersson, there will be some spots on the roster opening up for some rookies to make their debut. Thor Reingaard @N0HBDY has finished up a strong season in Vasteras and is ready to take his talents to Moscow, and Ellis Woolfenden @D3X is prepared to make his return to the Menace after spending last season in with Thor in Vasteras. With players in the system ready to make the jump and fill the holes the roster has, what does Moscow actually need? Looking at the situation, despite how young the team is, it is important to plan for retirement. Left Alone @okochastar has had an incredibly strong season in Moscow, but is also the oldest player not on an expiring deal. They are set to retire after season 94, but could possibly end their career sooner due to the harshness of regression. With Alone being the only unanswered retiree in the near future, and with practically every other hole filled on this team, it only makes sense for Moscow to look towards taking a forward with their first selection in this upcoming draft. 
 
So, we’ve established what Moscow should draft, but now let’s look at three players would be a good fit for Moscow.
 
Logan Ninefingers - RW (343 TPE)
@Scurvy
 
The highest TPE player in the draft, Ninefingers enjoyed an immensely fruitful season in the VHLM with Philadelphia, putting up 64 goals and 88 assists for 152 points on the season. In the postseason, they stayed hot throughout, generating 1.5pts per game and a ludicrous 100 shots in the 15 games on route to a finals appearance, where they were knocked out in five games. Ninefingers plays hard and fast, putting up points and throwing bone crushing hits, while remaining respectable defensively. Based on their claiming, and with the fruitful holiday drive in effect, they could be prepared to make the show next season, which, while desirable, could cause some issues via roster management for Moscow, although, it is unlikely that they even have a chance to select Logan, as, while New York looks to be leaning towards a defenseman, the perpetual rebuilders known as the Warsaw Predators appear to be in need of a top forward prospect. It’s not like Moscow is completely out of the race for Ninefingers, however, and they would be a massive boon for the team.
 
George Richmond - C (333 TPE)
@badcolethetitan
 
The second highest TPE player and forward in the draft, Richmond had a strong showing this season with the Ottawa Lynx, generating 46 goals and 55 assists for 101 points, as well as 18 points in 10 postseason games, losing to the Philadelphia Reapers in a close five game series. Being only 10 TPE behind Ninefingers, as well as also max earning, these players project to be pretty close developmentally throughout their careers, possibly also being VHL ready by the start of next season. Richmond shows a more balanced build, being less physical but more defensively sound, as well as a more developed and distinct scoring touch, despite what the stats say. There is some seemingly unknown risk in selecting Richmond. In the VHLM draft, the bonafide top selection completely dropped out of the first round, much to the pleasure of Ottawa. While no negative reports came out of either Ottawa or the VHLM, it is always concerning when a player drops far into the draft, especially one of this caliber. When in doubt, #blamecole
 
Adi Dassler - LW (290 TPE)
@BOOM
 
A fair bit lower TPEwise compared to the other two forwards, Dassler appears to be the 6th highest TPE player, 4th highest forward, in the draft. Dassler enjoyed an impressive 43 goal 40 assist campaign with the Saskatoon Wild this season, as well as 16 points in 17 postseason games and a ring to go with it. Dassler showcases a pure offensive build, almost fully neglecting the defensive side of the puck in pursuit of shots, shots, and a handful of passes every now and then. Based on their claiming pattern, they won’t necessarily earn as much as the other two forwards mentioned, with Dassler being a max earner every other week or so, and their build may not be as viable comparatively speaking. It would also appear as they would need a season in the European league to prepare for the jump to the VHL, which could suit Moscow better based on their current roster. Now, with Dassler being statistically worse than the other two forwards, why would Moscow select them third overall? The simple answer is personality and familiarity. Dassler has an existing relationship with the Moscow Menace brass and is talked fondly among the advisory board. It’s not unlikely that Moscow potentially moves back in the draft to maximize their pick value to select Dassler later on, or make the reach and just take them outright. I could also see Moscow selecting one of the two previously mentioned forwards and use their plentiful assets with their second first round pick to move back into a position to bring Dassler to the team. Overall, Moscow can’t really go wrong with any of these forwards, and it will be interesting to see what they do in the upcoming draft.

(1243 words. Did I need to make another media spot? No, but at least now I have off till February)

Definitely one of the graphics of all time

(Been sitting on this one for almost a year now. Doing it in parts because I’m a glutton for TPE)

A (long) while back, Gustav made a massive article about the best picks in every single draft in VHL history. It was a massive endeavor and it immediately caught my interest. Perhaps it would be a fun project to look into other things involving the draft. My first thought was trying to find the biggest bust in each draft, but I trashed that idea. In some instances that could be cruel to some members who’s player simply didn’t pan out. Instead, I went and looked into the best players in the final round of every VHL draft. After hours of work and some painful searching, I have finally completed this project. Keep in mind that I will only list players who have registered at least one point (goalies at least one game) in the VHL unless: they are the only player in their draft that had actually played any games; they were drafted in season 84 and up, as they are, to me at least, still considered prospects. Without any more delay, from season 1 to season 88, here are the best players from the final round of the VHL draft.
 
Season 1
Pick 51: Bruce Wayne - D
 
Mr. Wayne proved to be a fantastic player and excellent pick for Helsinki, putting up 42 goals and 100 assists for 142 points as a defenseman in his 289 game career in the VHL. While never winning a cup, he appeared to be a great producer on the blue line and proved to be the top last round defenseman in a final round with 2 other really good defensemen. The only real knock would be his playoff performance, only registering 3 assists in 18 playoff games, but hey, still pretty good for a 7th rounder.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 49: Jeremy Lamborghini - D (27 G, 102 A)
Pick 50: John Pereira - G (0 W, 0.832 SV%, 6.26 GAA)
Pick 52: Marian Oshie - LW (12 G, 24 A)
Pick 53: Waldo Cezar - D (17 G, 77 A)
Pick 55: Jeff Van Slacker - LW (9 G, 15 A)
 
Season 2
Pick 39: Edward Eldred - RW
 
A really really good pick by Calgary, snagging Edward in the 2nd to last pick of the draft, he would end up being a very good player, amassing 145 goals and 218 assists for 363 points in 360 games, barely securing a ppg pace. Edward would also net 8 goals and 23 assists for 31 points in 28 playoff games, and his performance helped his team secure the championship in Season 2 and 3. No other last round pick really came super close to being as good as Edward, with the only argument really being Goldberg.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 33: Chris Orosz - G (2 W, 0.905 SV%, 3.60 GAA)
Pick 34: Chris Maher (13 G, 38 A)
Pick 35: Craig Levver (20 G, 39 A)
Pick 36: Greg Goldberg (162 W, 0.914 SV%, 3.45 GAA, 6 SO)
Pick 37: Patrice Roydeur (95 W, 0.910 SV%, 3.42 GAA, 5 SO)
Pick 38: Nevets Detroit - C (27 G, 62 A,)
Pick 40: Alexei Fedorov - LW (14 G, 16 A, 30 P)
 
Season 3
Pick 19: Edward Holm - LW
 
Holm only needed to play one game or put up a single point to be the best last round pick for the season 3 draft, but he decided to go above and beyond, putting up 142 goals and 312 assists for 454 points in 442 games, hitting that ppg pace. Edward Holm turned into the second Calgary last round steal and their second high scoring Edward. Playoff success was also shown, with Holm getting 16 goals and 26 assists for 42 points over 58 games and earning himself a ring in seasons 3 and 8.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 4
Pick 23: Jonathan Coward - D
 
Jonathan Coward turned out to be one of the better players for Helsinki, logging 21 goals and 82 assists for 103 points in 214 games. Playoff performance was a struggle, with 1 goal and 4 assists in 21 postseason games, but he provided a good deal of offense on the blue line, much like late pick Bruce Wayne before him. At the very least, Coward continues the early trend of late round steals being made by either Calgary or Helsinki, with Calgary getting the forwards and Helsinki getting the defensemen.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 18: Jonathan Bernier - G (2 W, 0.839 SV%, 6.93 G.A.A)
Pick 21: Mikael Jonsson - D (9 G, 16 A, 25 P)
 
Season 5
Pick 36: Raul Thundercat - G
 
Raul is the first goalie “steal” and not much can really be said about them. Drafted by Calgary (of course), he posted a record of 9-52-3 with a 0.859 SV% and 6.49 G.A.A, registering 1 shutout in his career. There was not much competition in this late round, so Mr. Thundercat gets off easy in this regard. Cool name though.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 37: Mikhail Prospov - G (2 W, 0.865 SV%, 5.56 GAA)
 
Season 6
Pick 33: Aiden Fox - G
 
Aiden Fox breaks the trend of Calgary/Helsinki late round steals, being picked by Toronto. Unfortunately, however, he did not have the best career. In 13 games, Aiden Fox posted a 0-5-1 record with a 0.890 SV% and 6.50 G.A.A. Likely never being more than a sparsely used backup, Fox had an uneventful and short career, that only benefits from nobody else in the last round of this draft class playing a game.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 7
No VHL Players
 
Season 8
Pick 26: Matt Fletcher - RW
 
Matt Fletcher appeared to be an absolute unit for Riga, generating 139 goals and 179 assists for 318 points in 288 games. I cannot find his postseason data, if there even is any, but I know that he never won a Cup. From what I can gather, he did win the Mikka Virkkunen Trophy for Sportsmanship in season 13, so I can confidently say that Mr. Fletcher is a certified Nice Guy™ 
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 30: Jeff McCarthy - C (40 G, 157 A)
 
Season 9
Pick 21: Sean Costello - C
 
Riga drafts another 300+ point player in the last round with Sean Costello, who absolutely runs away with being the best last round pick this season, posting 139 goals and 203 assists for 342 points in 362 games. Again, not much else can really be said due to recordkeeping being quite poor in the early seasons of the VHL (for the non-HoF players at least), but it can be said that he was an excellent player throughout his career.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 20: Ricky Okposo - G (11 W, 0.865 SV%, 5.47 GAA)
Pick 22: Travis Tyson - LW (9 G, 10 A)

Season 10
Pick 31: Prabal Konstantinov - G
 
Third season in a row in which Riga gets the last round steal, this being the only player in this round to suit up for any games. In their 28 game career, Konstantinov posted a record of 15-11-1 with a 0.869 SV% and 3.74 G.A.A. Honestly a pretty admirable win percentage given how few games they actually played. Of course, with no competition in the last round, they’d be a shoe-in even if they lost every game
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 11
Pick 20: Jimmy Ryan - G
 
A Helsinki pick, Jimmy Ryan had a pretty rough 72 game career, posting a record of 9-51-9 with a 0.861 SV% and 4.96 G.A.A. While not the best, he was better than not playing any games at all, and therefore is the best player in the last round.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 12
Pick 23: Harvey Singh - D
 
New York put in a good amount of work in this final round, picking up 3 players, the best of which being Harvey Singh. Singh would go on and pot 129 goals and 160 assists for 289 points in 288 games. The interesting thing about this player is that despite only playing in 3 seasons, they won two championships. The first being with New York in Season 14, and the next being in Season 16 with Riga. A short yet illustrious career.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 17: Somalian Tiger - LW (12G, 28A)
Pick 18: Jurgen Ferdinand - LW (12G, 19A)
Pick 21: Dmitry Petrov - RW (5G, 15A)
Pick 24: Tony Pajamas - D (11G, 30A)
 
Season 13
Pick 21: Brian Steckel - RW
 
Not much can be said for this Riga pick. Brian Steckel had a surprisingly long yet unfulfilling career, putting up 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points in 113 games. While the points were not there for the player, something could be said with how long they actually stuck around despite the low offensive generation. I really could not say it was for their defensive game either, having a career +/- of -61.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 14
Pick 27: Steve Collins - LW
 
Collins appears to have been a good player with a short career. A Helsinki pick, Steve Collins put up 50 goals and 81 assists for 131 points in 144 games. From what I could gather, he was an absolute legend in the VHLM, having a 229 point season with Brampton. While he could not translate that dominant play in the VHL, he was still nonetheless a very good player.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 31: Koby Kaine - D (21G, 77A)
 
Season 15
Pick 19: Alexander Randoulov - C
 
Alexander Randoulov would turn out to be a pretty decent player for Seattle, putting up 33 goals and 47 assists for 80 points in 145 games. It’s also funny to note that they had an abysmal +/- at -102. Other than that nothing else to say about this player.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 20: HB Illy - G (0W, 0.882 SV%, 3.93 GAA)
 
Season 16
Pick 18: Jardy Bunclewirth - LW
 
Another elite pick by Calgary, hands-down the best last round pick. It’s absolutely insane that this player was picked as low as they were, even though it was a small draft. 432 games, 291 goals, 398 assists, 689 points, Season 18, 19, and 23 champion, hall-of-famer, and certified beautician. 
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 17: Blade Hunter - RW (121G, 258A)
Pick 21: Alan Garner - G (9W, 0.832 SV%, 6.09 GAA)
Pick 23: Cam Whitney - D (10G, 31A)
 
Season 17
Pick 30: Matt Douglas - D
 
A bit of a fall-off from that last season’s draft, Seattle’s Matt Douglas had a less than spectacular career, garnering 4 goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 78 games and pretty much nothing else. 
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 18
Pick 29: Robin Big Snake - RW
 
A goated name and a pretty good pick by Madrid, Mr. Big Snake potted 47 goals and 91 assists for 138 points in 360 games. A really solid player who contributed positively for 5 seasons. No rings but still a good pick and player.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 32: Magnus Huuskonen - D (1G, 3A)
 
Season 19
No VHL Players
 
Season 20
Pick 27: Einer Kallstrom - C
 
Madrid went and drafted the only player in the final round to break into the league with Einar Kallstrom, who put up a pretty lackluster 0 goals and 4 assists in their 6 game tenure. Honestly pretty impressive for the small amount of games they played.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 21
Pick 30: J.J. Stafford - RW
 
Very solid pick by Riga. Stafford would go on to get 74 goals and 204 assists for 278 points in his 432 game career. He was the only player in the last round of the season 21 draft to make it to the league, and it’s safe to say he turned out to be a pretty good player.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 22
Pick 23: Johnny Blaze - D
 
Drafted by Toronto, Johnny Blaze is a very unique player in regards to this list. Looking at his stats, he never registered a single point. In fact, he doesn’t even have a shot on goal. In his 12 games, he played a purely defensive role it seems.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 23
No VHL Players

(2067 words, see y'all next month)

(Been sitting on this one for almost a year now. Doing it in parts because I’m a glutton for TPE)

A (long) while back, Gustav made a massive article about the best picks in every single draft in VHL history. It was a massive endeavor and it immediately caught my interest. Perhaps it would be a fun project to look into other things involving the draft. My first thought was trying to find the biggest bust in each draft, but I trashed that idea. In some instances that could be cruel to some members who’s player simply didn’t pan out. Instead, I went and looked into the best players in the final round of every VHL draft. After hours of work and some painful searching, I have finally completed this project. Keep in mind that I will only list players who have registered at least one point (goalies at least one game) in the VHL unless: they are the only player in their draft that had actually played any games; they were drafted in season 84 and up, as they are, to me at least, still considered prospects. Without any more delay, from season 1 to season 88, here are the best players from the final round of the VHL draft.
 
Season 1
Pick 51: Bruce Wayne - D
 
Mr. Wayne proved to be a fantastic player and excellent pick for Helsinki, putting up 42 goals and 100 assists for 142 points as a defenseman in his 289 game career in the VHL. While never winning a cup, he appeared to be a great producer on the blue line and proved to be the top last round defenseman in a final round with 2 other really good defensemen. The only real knock would be his playoff performance, only registering 3 assists in 18 playoff games, but hey, still pretty good for a 7th rounder.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 49: Jeremy Lamborghini - D (27 G, 102 A)
Pick 50: John Pereira - G (0 W, 0.832 SV%, 6.26 GAA)
Pick 52: Marian Oshie - LW (12 G, 24 A)
Pick 53: Waldo Cezar - D (17 G, 77 A)
Pick 55: Jeff Van Slacker - LW (9 G, 15 A)
 
Season 2
Pick 39: Edward Eldred - RW
 
A really really good pick by Calgary, snagging Edward in the 2nd to last pick of the draft, he would end up being a very good player, amassing 145 goals and 218 assists for 363 points in 360 games, barely securing a ppg pace. Edward would also net 8 goals and 23 assists for 31 points in 28 playoff games, and his performance helped his team secure the championship in Season 2 and 3. No other last round pick really came super close to being as good as Edward, with the only argument really being Goldberg.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 33: Chris Orosz - G (2 W, 0.905 SV%, 3.60 GAA)
Pick 34: Chris Maher (13 G, 38 A)
Pick 35: Craig Levver (20 G, 39 A)
Pick 36: Greg Goldberg (162 W, 0.914 SV%, 3.45 GAA, 6 SO)
Pick 37: Patrice Roydeur (95 W, 0.910 SV%, 3.42 GAA, 5 SO)
Pick 38: Nevets Detroit - C (27 G, 62 A,)
Pick 40: Alexei Fedorov - LW (14 G, 16 A, 30 P)
 
Season 3
Pick 19: Edward Holm - LW
 
Holm only needed to play one game or put up a single point to be the best last round pick for the season 3 draft, but he decided to go above and beyond, putting up 142 goals and 312 assists for 454 points in 442 games, hitting that ppg pace. Edward Holm turned into the second Calgary last round steal and their second high scoring Edward. Playoff success was also shown, with Holm getting 16 goals and 26 assists for 42 points over 58 games and earning himself a ring in seasons 3 and 8.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 4
Pick 23: Jonathan Coward - D
 
Jonathan Coward turned out to be one of the better players for Helsinki, logging 21 goals and 82 assists for 103 points in 214 games. Playoff performance was a struggle, with 1 goal and 4 assists in 21 postseason games, but he provided a good deal of offense on the blue line, much like late pick Bruce Wayne before him. At the very least, Coward continues the early trend of late round steals being made by either Calgary or Helsinki, with Calgary getting the forwards and Helsinki getting the defensemen.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 18: Jonathan Bernier - G (2 W, 0.839 SV%, 6.93 G.A.A)
Pick 21: Mikael Jonsson - D (9 G, 16 A, 25 P)
 
Season 5
Pick 36: Raul Thundercat - G
 
Raul is the first goalie “steal” and not much can really be said about them. Drafted by Calgary (of course), he posted a record of 9-52-3 with a 0.859 SV% and 6.49 G.A.A, registering 1 shutout in his career. There was not much competition in this late round, so Mr. Thundercat gets off easy in this regard. Cool name though.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 37: Mikhail Prospov - G (2 W, 0.865 SV%, 5.56 GAA)
 
Season 6
Pick 33: Aiden Fox - G
 
Aiden Fox breaks the trend of Calgary/Helsinki late round steals, being picked by Toronto. Unfortunately, however, he did not have the best career. In 13 games, Aiden Fox posted a 0-5-1 record with a 0.890 SV% and 6.50 G.A.A. Likely never being more than a sparsely used backup, Fox had an uneventful and short career, that only benefits from nobody else in the last round of this draft class playing a game.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 7
No VHL Players
 
Season 8
Pick 26: Matt Fletcher - RW
 
Matt Fletcher appeared to be an absolute unit for Riga, generating 139 goals and 179 assists for 318 points in 288 games. I cannot find his postseason data, if there even is any, but I know that he never won a Cup. From what I can gather, he did win the Mikka Virkkunen Trophy for Sportsmanship in season 13, so I can confidently say that Mr. Fletcher is a certified Nice Guy™ 
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 30: Jeff McCarthy - C (40 G, 157 A)
 
Season 9
Pick 21: Sean Costello - C
 
Riga drafts another 300+ point player in the last round with Sean Costello, who absolutely runs away with being the best last round pick this season, posting 139 goals and 203 assists for 342 points in 362 games. Again, not much else can really be said due to recordkeeping being quite poor in the early seasons of the VHL (for the non-HoF players at least), but it can be said that he was an excellent player throughout his career.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 20: Ricky Okposo - G (11 W, 0.865 SV%, 5.47 GAA)
Pick 22: Travis Tyson - LW (9 G, 10 A)

Season 10
Pick 31: Prabal Konstantinov - G
 
Third season in a row in which Riga gets the last round steal, this being the only player in this round to suit up for any games. In their 28 game career, Konstantinov posted a record of 15-11-1 with a 0.869 SV% and 3.74 G.A.A. Honestly a pretty admirable win percentage given how few games they actually played. Of course, with no competition in the last round, they’d be a shoe-in even if they lost every game
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 11
Pick 20: Jimmy Ryan - G
 
A Helsinki pick, Jimmy Ryan had a pretty rough 72 game career, posting a record of 9-51-9 with a 0.861 SV% and 4.96 G.A.A. While not the best, he was better than not playing any games at all, and therefore is the best player in the last round.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 12
Pick 23: Harvey Singh - D
 
New York put in a good amount of work in this final round, picking up 3 players, the best of which being Harvey Singh. Singh would go on and pot 129 goals and 160 assists for 289 points in 288 games. The interesting thing about this player is that despite only playing in 3 seasons, they won two championships. The first being with New York in Season 14, and the next being in Season 16 with Riga. A short yet illustrious career.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 17: Somalian Tiger - LW (12G, 28A)
Pick 18: Jurgen Ferdinand - LW (12G, 19A)
Pick 21: Dmitry Petrov - RW (5G, 15A)
Pick 24: Tony Pajamas - D (11G, 30A)
 
Season 13
Pick 21: Brian Steckel - RW
 
Not much can be said for this Riga pick. Brian Steckel had a surprisingly long yet unfulfilling career, putting up 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points in 113 games. While the points were not there for the player, something could be said with how long they actually stuck around despite the low offensive generation. I really could not say it was for their defensive game either, having a career +/- of -61.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 14
Pick 27: Steve Collins - LW
 
Collins appears to have been a good player with a short career. A Helsinki pick, Steve Collins put up 50 goals and 81 assists for 131 points in 144 games. From what I could gather, he was an absolute legend in the VHLM, having a 229 point season with Brampton. While he could not translate that dominant play in the VHL, he was still nonetheless a very good player.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 31: Koby Kaine - D (21G, 77A)
 
Season 15
Pick 19: Alexander Randoulov - C
 
Alexander Randoulov would turn out to be a pretty decent player for Seattle, putting up 33 goals and 47 assists for 80 points in 145 games. It’s also funny to note that they had an abysmal +/- at -102. Other than that nothing else to say about this player.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 20: HB Illy - G (0W, 0.882 SV%, 3.93 GAA)
 
Season 16
Pick 18: Jardy Bunclewirth - LW
 
Another elite pick by Calgary, hands-down the best last round pick. It’s absolutely insane that this player was picked as low as they were, even though it was a small draft. 432 games, 291 goals, 398 assists, 689 points, Season 18, 19, and 23 champion, hall-of-famer, and certified beautician. 
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 17: Blade Hunter - RW (121G, 258A)
Pick 21: Alan Garner - G (9W, 0.832 SV%, 6.09 GAA)
Pick 23: Cam Whitney - D (10G, 31A)
 
Season 17
Pick 30: Matt Douglas - D
 
A bit of a fall-off from that last season’s draft, Seattle’s Matt Douglas had a less than spectacular career, garnering 4 goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 78 games and pretty much nothing else. 
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 18
Pick 29: Robin Big Snake - RW
 
A goated name and a pretty good pick by Madrid, Mr. Big Snake potted 47 goals and 91 assists for 138 points in 360 games. A really solid player who contributed positively for 5 seasons. No rings but still a good pick and player.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 32: Magnus Huuskonen - D (1G, 3A)
 
Season 19
No VHL Players
 
Season 20
Pick 27: Einer Kallstrom - C
 
Madrid went and drafted the only player in the final round to break into the league with Einar Kallstrom, who put up a pretty lackluster 0 goals and 4 assists in their 6 game tenure. Honestly pretty impressive for the small amount of games they played.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 21
Pick 30: J.J. Stafford - RW
 
Very solid pick by Riga. Stafford would go on to get 74 goals and 204 assists for 278 points in his 432 game career. He was the only player in the last round of the season 21 draft to make it to the league, and it’s safe to say he turned out to be a pretty good player.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 22
Pick 23: Johnny Blaze - D
 
Drafted by Toronto, Johnny Blaze is a very unique player in regards to this list. Looking at his stats, he never registered a single point. In fact, he doesn’t even have a shot on goal. In his 12 games, he played a purely defensive role it seems.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 23
No VHL Players

(2067 words, see y'all next month)

My longest article ever (by far)! I'm glad it's still appreciated. I'm also glad you're doing the smart thing and breaking it up into parts. I could have milked mine for 6 months of PTs if I were a bit smarter.
 
One thing I learned there (and one thing I hope you're learning as well) is just how many players you'll come across that you didn't know existed that you really should know about--how many people who joined in the past few seasons know Rhett DeGrath or J.D. Stormwall (or even best-ever names like Conner Low)? It's surprisingly few and it's why writing about league history is so important. Not enough people care. 
 
Looking forward to the rest!

(Been sitting on this one for almost a year now. Doing it in parts because I’m a glutton for TPE)

A (long) while back, Gustav made a massive article about the best picks in every single draft in VHL history. It was a massive endeavor and it immediately caught my interest. Perhaps it would be a fun project to look into other things involving the draft. My first thought was trying to find the biggest bust in each draft, but I trashed that idea. In some instances that could be cruel to some members who’s player simply didn’t pan out. Instead, I went and looked into the best players in the final round of every VHL draft. After hours of work and some painful searching, I have finally completed this project. Keep in mind that I will only list players who have registered at least one point (goalies at least one game) in the VHL unless: they are the only player in their draft that had actually played any games; they were drafted in season 84 and up, as they are, to me at least, still considered prospects. Without any more delay, from season 1 to season 88, here are the best players from the final round of the VHL draft.
 
Season 1
Pick 51: Bruce Wayne - D
 
Mr. Wayne proved to be a fantastic player and excellent pick for Helsinki, putting up 42 goals and 100 assists for 142 points as a defenseman in his 289 game career in the VHL. While never winning a cup, he appeared to be a great producer on the blue line and proved to be the top last round defenseman in a final round with 2 other really good defensemen. The only real knock would be his playoff performance, only registering 3 assists in 18 playoff games, but hey, still pretty good for a 7th rounder.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 49: Jeremy Lamborghini - D (27 G, 102 A)
Pick 50: John Pereira - G (0 W, 0.832 SV%, 6.26 GAA)
Pick 52: Marian Oshie - LW (12 G, 24 A)
Pick 53: Waldo Cezar - D (17 G, 77 A)
Pick 55: Jeff Van Slacker - LW (9 G, 15 A)
 
Season 2
Pick 39: Edward Eldred - RW
 
A really really good pick by Calgary, snagging Edward in the 2nd to last pick of the draft, he would end up being a very good player, amassing 145 goals and 218 assists for 363 points in 360 games, barely securing a ppg pace. Edward would also net 8 goals and 23 assists for 31 points in 28 playoff games, and his performance helped his team secure the championship in Season 2 and 3. No other last round pick really came super close to being as good as Edward, with the only argument really being Goldberg.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 33: Chris Orosz - G (2 W, 0.905 SV%, 3.60 GAA)
Pick 34: Chris Maher (13 G, 38 A)
Pick 35: Craig Levver (20 G, 39 A)
Pick 36: Greg Goldberg (162 W, 0.914 SV%, 3.45 GAA, 6 SO)
Pick 37: Patrice Roydeur (95 W, 0.910 SV%, 3.42 GAA, 5 SO)
Pick 38: Nevets Detroit - C (27 G, 62 A,)
Pick 40: Alexei Fedorov - LW (14 G, 16 A, 30 P)
 
Season 3
Pick 19: Edward Holm - LW
 
Holm only needed to play one game or put up a single point to be the best last round pick for the season 3 draft, but he decided to go above and beyond, putting up 142 goals and 312 assists for 454 points in 442 games, hitting that ppg pace. Edward Holm turned into the second Calgary last round steal and their second high scoring Edward. Playoff success was also shown, with Holm getting 16 goals and 26 assists for 42 points over 58 games and earning himself a ring in seasons 3 and 8.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 4
Pick 23: Jonathan Coward - D
 
Jonathan Coward turned out to be one of the better players for Helsinki, logging 21 goals and 82 assists for 103 points in 214 games. Playoff performance was a struggle, with 1 goal and 4 assists in 21 postseason games, but he provided a good deal of offense on the blue line, much like late pick Bruce Wayne before him. At the very least, Coward continues the early trend of late round steals being made by either Calgary or Helsinki, with Calgary getting the forwards and Helsinki getting the defensemen.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 18: Jonathan Bernier - G (2 W, 0.839 SV%, 6.93 G.A.A)
Pick 21: Mikael Jonsson - D (9 G, 16 A, 25 P)
 
Season 5
Pick 36: Raul Thundercat - G
 
Raul is the first goalie “steal” and not much can really be said about them. Drafted by Calgary (of course), he posted a record of 9-52-3 with a 0.859 SV% and 6.49 G.A.A, registering 1 shutout in his career. There was not much competition in this late round, so Mr. Thundercat gets off easy in this regard. Cool name though.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 37: Mikhail Prospov - G (2 W, 0.865 SV%, 5.56 GAA)
 
Season 6
Pick 33: Aiden Fox - G
 
Aiden Fox breaks the trend of Calgary/Helsinki late round steals, being picked by Toronto. Unfortunately, however, he did not have the best career. In 13 games, Aiden Fox posted a 0-5-1 record with a 0.890 SV% and 6.50 G.A.A. Likely never being more than a sparsely used backup, Fox had an uneventful and short career, that only benefits from nobody else in the last round of this draft class playing a game.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 7
No VHL Players
 
Season 8
Pick 26: Matt Fletcher - RW
 
Matt Fletcher appeared to be an absolute unit for Riga, generating 139 goals and 179 assists for 318 points in 288 games. I cannot find his postseason data, if there even is any, but I know that he never won a Cup. From what I can gather, he did win the Mikka Virkkunen Trophy for Sportsmanship in season 13, so I can confidently say that Mr. Fletcher is a certified Nice Guy™ 
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 30: Jeff McCarthy - C (40 G, 157 A)
 
Season 9
Pick 21: Sean Costello - C
 
Riga drafts another 300+ point player in the last round with Sean Costello, who absolutely runs away with being the best last round pick this season, posting 139 goals and 203 assists for 342 points in 362 games. Again, not much else can really be said due to recordkeeping being quite poor in the early seasons of the VHL (for the non-HoF players at least), but it can be said that he was an excellent player throughout his career.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 20: Ricky Okposo - G (11 W, 0.865 SV%, 5.47 GAA)
Pick 22: Travis Tyson - LW (9 G, 10 A)

Season 10
Pick 31: Prabal Konstantinov - G
 
Third season in a row in which Riga gets the last round steal, this being the only player in this round to suit up for any games. In their 28 game career, Konstantinov posted a record of 15-11-1 with a 0.869 SV% and 3.74 G.A.A. Honestly a pretty admirable win percentage given how few games they actually played. Of course, with no competition in the last round, they’d be a shoe-in even if they lost every game
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 11
Pick 20: Jimmy Ryan - G
 
A Helsinki pick, Jimmy Ryan had a pretty rough 72 game career, posting a record of 9-51-9 with a 0.861 SV% and 4.96 G.A.A. While not the best, he was better than not playing any games at all, and therefore is the best player in the last round.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 12
Pick 23: Harvey Singh - D
 
New York put in a good amount of work in this final round, picking up 3 players, the best of which being Harvey Singh. Singh would go on and pot 129 goals and 160 assists for 289 points in 288 games. The interesting thing about this player is that despite only playing in 3 seasons, they won two championships. The first being with New York in Season 14, and the next being in Season 16 with Riga. A short yet illustrious career.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 17: Somalian Tiger - LW (12G, 28A)
Pick 18: Jurgen Ferdinand - LW (12G, 19A)
Pick 21: Dmitry Petrov - RW (5G, 15A)
Pick 24: Tony Pajamas - D (11G, 30A)
 
Season 13
Pick 21: Brian Steckel - RW
 
Not much can be said for this Riga pick. Brian Steckel had a surprisingly long yet unfulfilling career, putting up 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points in 113 games. While the points were not there for the player, something could be said with how long they actually stuck around despite the low offensive generation. I really could not say it was for their defensive game either, having a career +/- of -61.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 14
Pick 27: Steve Collins - LW
 
Collins appears to have been a good player with a short career. A Helsinki pick, Steve Collins put up 50 goals and 81 assists for 131 points in 144 games. From what I could gather, he was an absolute legend in the VHLM, having a 229 point season with Brampton. While he could not translate that dominant play in the VHL, he was still nonetheless a very good player.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 31: Koby Kaine - D (21G, 77A)
 
Season 15
Pick 19: Alexander Randoulov - C
 
Alexander Randoulov would turn out to be a pretty decent player for Seattle, putting up 33 goals and 47 assists for 80 points in 145 games. It’s also funny to note that they had an abysmal +/- at -102. Other than that nothing else to say about this player.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 20: HB Illy - G (0W, 0.882 SV%, 3.93 GAA)
 
Season 16
Pick 18: Jardy Bunclewirth - LW
 
Another elite pick by Calgary, hands-down the best last round pick. It’s absolutely insane that this player was picked as low as they were, even though it was a small draft. 432 games, 291 goals, 398 assists, 689 points, Season 18, 19, and 23 champion, hall-of-famer, and certified beautician. 
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 17: Blade Hunter - RW (121G, 258A)
Pick 21: Alan Garner - G (9W, 0.832 SV%, 6.09 GAA)
Pick 23: Cam Whitney - D (10G, 31A)
 
Season 17
Pick 30: Matt Douglas - D
 
A bit of a fall-off from that last season’s draft, Seattle’s Matt Douglas had a less than spectacular career, garnering 4 goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 78 games and pretty much nothing else. 
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 18
Pick 29: Robin Big Snake - RW
 
A goated name and a pretty good pick by Madrid, Mr. Big Snake potted 47 goals and 91 assists for 138 points in 360 games. A really solid player who contributed positively for 5 seasons. No rings but still a good pick and player.
 
Other VHL Players:
Pick 32: Magnus Huuskonen - D (1G, 3A)
 
Season 19
No VHL Players
 
Season 20
Pick 27: Einer Kallstrom - C
 
Madrid went and drafted the only player in the final round to break into the league with Einar Kallstrom, who put up a pretty lackluster 0 goals and 4 assists in their 6 game tenure. Honestly pretty impressive for the small amount of games they played.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 21
Pick 30: J.J. Stafford - RW
 
Very solid pick by Riga. Stafford would go on to get 74 goals and 204 assists for 278 points in his 432 game career. He was the only player in the last round of the season 21 draft to make it to the league, and it’s safe to say he turned out to be a pretty good player.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 22
Pick 23: Johnny Blaze - D
 
Drafted by Toronto, Johnny Blaze is a very unique player in regards to this list. Looking at his stats, he never registered a single point. In fact, he doesn’t even have a shot on goal. In his 12 games, he played a purely defensive role it seems.
 
No Other VHL Players
 
Season 23
No VHL Players

(2067 words, see y'all next month)