Mike

We do not sow.
We are ironborn.
We're not subjects.
We're not slaves.
We do not plow the fields or toil in the mine.
We take what is ours.
 
The Riga Reign need no trade deadline we pay the iron price for the Continental Cup.
 
The ironborn will reave and pillage, as it was in the old days, all along the northern coast.
We'll spread our dominion across the green lands, securing the Neck and everything above.
Every stronghold will yield to us, one by one.  The rest shall be ours, forest, field, and hall.

Week #2 for draft rankings some moves from last week but the top remains unchanged.  Featured Draper/Coach D/Byrdeman we might see our 1st mock draft as early as next week.
http://www.vhlforum.com/index.php?/topic/6688-season-38-entry-draft-rankings-3-new-members/

Quick Hits
2 New Draftees Added
12 Players Updated TPE
31 Total Draftees
 
 Today we are going to look at three new players/members first generation players poised to break into the VHL elite or become an asterisk in our long history.
 

 
D – Don Draper – Draper
Draper joined the league in early March and has already passed the 60 TPE barrier (over 80 in the next update).  To be successful in the VHL you must at its core create a player and earn TPE.  That is the simplest form of actually being part of the VHL make a player and then try to make him better.  To really succeed in the VHL and take advantage of all the opportunities available you must become part of the larger community that is VHL.
 
Draper is taking every opportunity to succeed in the VHL which includes fantasy zone, FREE TPE Announcement, VHLM Practice Facility, and so on.  Much more than just getting the TPE Draper is active in the other parts of the league Walking Dead Thread,  Happy/Mad Thread, and Video Game Thread are all examples of where he has posted.  The final step to becoming a true VHLer is getting a job yet another thing Draper is trying to do.  He is definitely on his way to becoming not only a great player but a great member.
 
Member Comparison – STZ/Green hit the league on all cylinders and hasn’t turned back since.
 

 
F - Percy Miller – Coach D
Coach D joined at the end of February he is a great example of a new member.  It is that new car smell type of thing he has tons of energy and radiates enthusiasm.  Sometimes that can be misplaced and the drive to get started caused a minor controversy over a misunderstanding.   Basically a new member joining during a down time and unable to get all the answers immediately to all the questions a new member has.
 
He has nearly 100 posts already and can be found in numerous off-topic threads and attempting to claim all the free/easy TPE he can.  It looks like he could be one of the new age welfare players who doesn’t always do a graphic or media spot.  However if he continues to grow as part of the community and the community embraces him we might have a new member.
 
Member Comparison  - EaglesFan he is potentially a fence active member that just needs to be guided.

F – Kristoffer Ruud – ByrdeMan
Joining at the beginning of March ByrdeMan initially looked like a mid-first round draft prospect.  He did VHLM Practice, a media spot, and even his Rookie Profile something that many first gens push back till they are more into the league.  The problem is he only has 13 forum posts and hasn’t logged in for two weeks.  This is the opposite effect of what we saw with Coach D above.  A new member who is full steam ahead then suddenly disappears.
 
Having shown potential effort and ability as a VHL member this is someone we should try to get back.  If anyone knows him from somewhere we should be attempting to keep him as part of our community and see if we can’t help him in some way.  Why start out so strong then completely disappear?
 
Member Comparison – Not quite accurate but Al Wilson blasted out of the gates to a first overall selection only to completely disappear.
 
 
Stay tuned next week as we start to dig deeper into the draft.  We'll be well over 1/2 through the season maybe our 1st mock draft?

This season of GOT is going to show the walking dead you don't have to wait till the last episode for awesome stuff to happen.

Quick Hits
2 New Draftees Added
12 Players Updated TPE
31 Total Draftees
 
 Today we are going to look at three new players/members first generation players poised to break into the VHL elite or become an asterisk in our long history.
 

 
D – Don Draper – Draper
Draper joined the league in early March and has already passed the 60 TPE barrier (over 80 in the next update).  To be successful in the VHL you must at its core create a player and earn TPE.  That is the simplest form of actually being part of the VHL make a player and then try to make him better.  To really succeed in the VHL and take advantage of all the opportunities available you must become part of the larger community that is VHL.
 
Draper is taking every opportunity to succeed in the VHL which includes fantasy zone, FREE TPE Announcement, VHLM Practice Facility, and so on.  Much more than just getting the TPE Draper is active in the other parts of the league Walking Dead Thread,  Happy/Mad Thread, and Video Game Thread are all examples of where he has posted.  The final step to becoming a true VHLer is getting a job yet another thing Draper is trying to do.  He is definitely on his way to becoming not only a great player but a great member.
 
Member Comparison – STZ/Green hit the league on all cylinders and hasn’t turned back since.
 

 
F - Percy Miller – Coach D
Coach D joined at the end of February he is a great example of a new member.  It is that new car smell type of thing he has tons of energy and radiates enthusiasm.  Sometimes that can be misplaced and the drive to get started caused a minor controversy over a misunderstanding.   Basically a new member joining during a down time and unable to get all the answers immediately to all the questions a new member has.
 
He has nearly 100 posts already and can be found in numerous off-topic threads and attempting to claim all the free/easy TPE he can.  It looks like he could be one of the new age welfare players who doesn’t always do a graphic or media spot.  However if he continues to grow as part of the community and the community embraces him we might have a new member.
 
Member Comparison  - EaglesFan he is potentially a fence active member that just needs to be guided.

F – Kristoffer Ruud – ByrdeMan
Joining at the beginning of March ByrdeMan initially looked like a mid-first round draft prospect.  He did VHLM Practice, a media spot, and even his Rookie Profile something that many first gens push back till they are more into the league.  The problem is he only has 13 forum posts and hasn’t logged in for two weeks.  This is the opposite effect of what we saw with Coach D above.  A new member who is full steam ahead then suddenly disappears.
 
Having shown potential effort and ability as a VHL member this is someone we should try to get back.  If anyone knows him from somewhere we should be attempting to keep him as part of our community and see if we can’t help him in some way.  Why start out so strong then completely disappear?
 
Member Comparison – Not quite accurate but Al Wilson blasted out of the gates to a first overall selection only to completely disappear.
 
 
Stay tuned next week as we start to dig deeper into the draft.  We'll be well over 1/2 through the season maybe our 1st mock draft?

This season of GOT is going to show the walking dead you don't have to wait till the last episode for awesome stuff to happen.

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.

Its actually quite easy to balance the 15 minutes needed to earn TPE and the 10,080 minutes in a week.  

This magic moment...

What is the VHL Entry Draft Rankings?

There is no set format for the VHL Entry Draft Rankings.  Each week the big board will be updated with how many spots up or down a player has moved, their current rank based on TPE, and their actual TPE number.  These numbers are based solely upon the actual player page and not the update page.  There will also be various draftee related content from interviews, player spotlights, who’s hot, who’s not, and various other dealings related specifically to the draftees.
 
What do we know about the Season 38 Draft so far?
 
This class has 29 draftees of which eighteen or nearly two full rounds have TPE thus far.  To put this into perspective the Season 37 Draft class had thirty-four prospects and 22 of them had at least one TPE.  Due to some player recreation and the continual renewed effort in recruitment we should likely meet or exceed the numbers from the last draft.  Having sheer numbers or bodies to take part of the draft is just one part of it.  We need quality members who are actively participating in the community and not just signup and leave.  Season 37 had tremendous quality as well as quantity.  Can we expect similar results to the nearly 10 players over 100 TPE?
 
The success of a draft is not ultimately measured by the TPE of the draft but the long term sustained earning of players over a career.  However you can only base things today on the here and now.  In a draft class like this one we have the usual top end talent in Svoboda, Galbraith, and Wolf.  The real testament of this draft will be how the middle of the pack develops over the coming weeks and months.  Players like Tesla, Draper, Rollings, Rudd, and etc will be keys to how good of a draft class we have on our hands.
 

 
What is coming next week?
 
Next week will mark the first real edition of the new VHL Entry Draft Rankings.  This week was more of an intro or primer for what is to come over the coming months leading up to the draft.  Our first real edition will be a look a three members (not just players) who are poised to break into the VHL as new first generation players.  These will be the members that are new to the league that have already become active community members, are actively seeking VHL employment, and could potentially one day lead the VHL into the next generation.
 
Insert Giraffe Information Here.

Kendrick is basically asking Jamie why she is doing the job she signed up to do.  Kendrick is just a grump old asshat honestly dude what is your problem do you always wake up wondering how you can make the world a worse place.  You do the job when you have the time for it and when you want to not the one time the updaters synch their schedule.

Ok my fault

Well it could be worse you could be on the New York Americans.

Mag #182 will be my last at least for the near future.  I'm going to be bringing back a weekly draft focused thing that will document players TPE and trending draft prospects.  It won't have a set format including things from interviews, random comments, and spotlighting draftees.  I wouldn't be apposed to keeping mag access and joining up for special articles in place of this new thing throughout the season.
 
I started around #160 right as the old site went down and while 20+ isssues/weeks isn't an extremely long tenure I do feel that my general topics were unique and brought with a different point of view.  If I get dropped from the Mag LR in the near future just here to say it was fun while it lasted.

Mag #182 will be my last at least for the near future.  I'm going to be bringing back a weekly draft focused thing that will document players TPE and trending draft prospects.  It won't have a set format including things from interviews, random comments, and spotlighting draftees.  I wouldn't be apposed to keeping mag access and joining up for special articles in place of this new thing throughout the season.
 
I started around #160 right as the old site went down and while 20+ isssues/weeks isn't an extremely long tenure I do feel that my general topics were unique and brought with a different point of view.  If I get dropped from the Mag LR in the near future just here to say it was fun while it lasted.

Simple, Seattle was too busy farming mid to notice that Davos was rushing top with upgraded creeps. Easily the real reason you guys couldn't get any shots on net. 

Its actually quite easy to balance the 15 minutes needed to earn TPE and the 10,080 minutes in a week.  

Its actually quite easy to balance the 15 minutes needed to earn TPE and the 10,080 minutes in a week.  

Facebook - This actually did bring a few former members back to the league.  It also helps in rare instances for a few random things like our site going down.  One of the main reasons it won't ever work to the extent it could though is we have to individually share VHL stuff with people on our own profiles.  Most people here probably aren't comfortable enough to share with their 100-300 random facebook friends about the VHL. 60 people on facebook share VHL info with a min of 100 friends thats over 6000 people getting exposed to the VHL.  
 
Twitter stuff - I don't think Twitter is really for us unless we had a real dedicated social media expert who could effectively chase down current popular trending and relevant tags.  We'd need to hook onto things like OOTP new release versions/NHL 2014 w/e game updates and various things like that.
 
Recruitment Video - We had a VHL contest to give away TPE for people to create recruitment content in the form of an inspiring cool hockey related video or a more informational VHL How to.  I think we had like 3 max entries.  It has always been a great idea but the truth is there is less than a handful of people in the VHL who can make a video worth using and they haven't done so and we can't blame them.  If it ever was made again it has to be used effectively.  On youtube everyone has to post comments on it and thumbs up it.
 
I was gonna respond to other stuff but I forgot so this is it for now.

I can tell from your handwriting that you prefer to share your bed with the company of men instead of women.

I can tell from your handwriting that you prefer to share your bed with the company of men instead of women.

#181 I had something when I started but i lost it along the way one of my shorter articles.
 
Will The Real GM Please Stand Up?
 
The VHL has ten pro teams meaning there are ten pro GMs.  Many people around the league know each other not necessarily in real life but through relationships forged over years of online interactions.  It could be simple private messages, through chat, or even the occasional Skype conversation.  Through these interactions you start to get a real true picture of what other people around the league are like.  What they do for work, where they go to school, what their major is, how old they are, and other personal information.  It isn’t even unheard of for relatives or friends in real life to be part of the VHL.  We’ve even seen members from the VHL meet in real life.
 
However beyond the many layers of each individual person there is a deeper and darker place that is sometimes very difficult to understand.  I am of course talking about trying to decipher the real motives of a general manager.  Each GM in the VHL takes a different approach to getting things done and each one may or may not act differently as a member vs being a GM.  What I mean by this is I personally act completely different in general online than I do in real life.  There are certain members who I act more like myself around but while wearing my “GM Mask” there is yet another completely different person.
 
When dealing with other general managers around the league do you reciprocate with friendship, apprehension, or something else?  You have conversations all the time with a fellow GM, you possibly talk with them on Skype, and maybe you even play random video games online with them as well.  The time eventually comes to negotiate a trade you think deep down about how you consider this person to be your friend.  In this instance though are they nothing more than just an advisory?
 
Each GM in the league handles each task differently.  However it is very rare to find someone who is always the same person.  We all wear different masks teachers, students, co-workers, friends, and family.  Deciphering the motives of other GMs is just a small part of the much bigger game that we call the VHL.  For when you play the game of VHL you win, or you die.  There is no middle ground.

Welcome back Mr. Lobo and hello D3vilsfire we officially have the sexiest team in the league.

SBall & Mike over 2000 words of pure bad writing 
 
F - Tom Slaughter – 10.0 – A
 
Tom Slaugher has been dubbed by many as a “can’t miss prospect” that once in a generation player that you don’t have to worry about.  The rate at which he has progressed from virtual unknown to VHLM superstar is remarkable.  He developed quickly behind a championship Lynx team in S35 and things continued in similar fashion in S36.  Slaughter is the ultimate offensive prospect with no glaring weakness when on the attack.  He possesses uncharacteristic skating, handling, passing, and shooting ability for someone who has yet to play a single shift at the VHL level.  In 72 games this past season in the minors he recorded an even fifty-one goals and assists.  I would say Slaughter is not only the frontrunner from Rookie of the Year but he is also likely to be the best player of this generation.
 
D - Slaeter Fjorsstrom – 10.0 - A

Slaeter Fjorsstrom is destined to do big things in the VHL. Since announcing that he would be enrolling in the S37 VHL Entry Draft, Fjorsstrom has become possibly the surest thing we have in the draft this season. While he doesn't really excel at one aspect in his game, Fjorsstrom has proven to be an all-around, great defensive prospect in the VHL. At 5'10, he isn't a huge physical presence, but makes up for his lack of size with excellent defensive fundamentals and a tremendous work ethic. Fjorsstrom can also hold his own in the offensive zone, showcased by his 78 points in S36. Fjorsstrom has the potential to become an elite defenseman in the VHL and will be a great building block for whoever drafts the young Norwegian defender.

G - Blaine Olynick – 9.5 – A
 
If you had asked about Blain Olynik just a season ago he probably wouldn’t have even been mentioned on the scout’s radar.  Boy how can time change everything as Olynick is one of the best prospects in the Season 37 Draft.  He is more than just that though he is one of the best goalie prospects to hit the draft in a decade.  His minor league campaign in Season 36 went quite well as he ranked third or higher on every major goalie statistic.  His save percentage was third at 0.897, goals against average second with 2.59, and he recorded the third most shutouts with four.  Perhaps the most telling statistic for a goalie though is the ability to get the W at the end of the night.  Olynick recorded fifty two wins in just 64 games this past season.
 
F – Logan Laich – 9.5 - A

Logan Laich brings two things to the table, an abundance of potential and plenty of hype. Though he isn't as far in his progression say as a Fjorsstrom or a Slaughter, Laich has been one of the most followed rookies in the entire draft. A pure scoring forward, as shown by his 16 goals in just 30 games, Laich has really made a name for himself amongst the VHL GM's. He also has a very fine physical aspect to his game, as the young prospect recorded an outstanding 98 hits in his short season. With more time under his belt, look for Laich to possibly become one of the elite offensive forces in the VHL. The future is looking bright for the young Canadian product, especially with the infamous Two-Face Inc. backing him.
 
F - Lars Strummer 9.0 B-
 
Lars Strummer will be an interesting player in this draft.  He stood a great chance of being top three in a normal draft.  He also has ties to former VHL greats naturally giving him credibility.  However scouts and GMs throughout the league remain concerned about his long term potential.  He currently sits as a good playmaking center and also was second in face-offs at 59.55% an often overlooked statistic.  Last season he recorded more than a point per game mostly coming in the form of his fifty-three assists.  There is no question he has the goods for a minor league team but can he bring it for a full seven-two game season year in and year out at the VHL level?
 
F – Konstantin Azhishchenkov – 8.5 – B

At the beginning of the S36 season, no much was known about the young center out of Russia. But, that would all change when KJA was claimed off of waivers by the Ottawa Lynx. KJA quickly became joined the ranks of the top draftees after a very solid S36 campaign, recording 81 points for the Lynx. An offensively gifted center, KJA is a solid facilitator who can also find the back of the net with ease. While he is sure to be a top pick in the draft, there are questions surrounding his defensive skills. If he can hone in on his defense, KJA has the potential to become a solid first liner in the VHL in seasons to come. Look for KJA to be a dark horse in the ROTY award race in S37 if he can keep up his past production.
 
G - Kimo Salo – 8.5 – B
 
In a typical season Kimo Salo would be the goalie that steals the show.  He is a great prospect that has shown nothing but potential and signs of a future starter at the VHL level.  The main problem is he has been in the shadow of Olynick another Season 37 Draftee.  He has shown no sign though that he can’t one day handle being a franchise goalie.  This young in his career he has good rebound ability preventing junk goals.  His good reaction time and good hand speed also rival even for some VHL goalies.  Salo will need another season in the minors before making the leap to the pros which will also help him secure a starting job as other aging veterans move on.

F – Jakob Linholm – 8.5 – B

Linholm is another draftee how not many people knew about, but made some waves in this season's draft pool. After being picked up off the waiver wire, Linholm would have a rough season on the powerhouse Bern Royals. He only managed to put up 25 points in 60 games, but he showed the VHL universe that he was not someone to take lightly. Another offense first forward, Linholm possesses a beauty of a shot and the ability to make clean and crisp passes. But though fighting for time on the Royal's roster might have hurt his production, his work ethic saved the young forward. With the right team and management team, Linholm could become a nice first line winger in the near future.
 
D - Ron World Peace 8.0 – B-
 
Ron World Peace was a very early addition to the Season 37 Draft Class.  Out of the gates he appeared to be one of the higher rated prospects and while he does continue to develop his stock has fallen a bit as of late.  Combine his good physical presence though with the fact that he is a defenseman and there is still tremendous value here.  Again in any normal draft he would be seen as one of the better prospects but he may get lost in the shuffle here.  His physical presence turns into high penalty minutes which may turn off some teams.  Nevertheless Ron World Peace is a good defenseman that will likely require another season down in the minors.

F – Travis Boychuk – 6.5 – C-

Travis Boychuk comes in, he gets things done, and he leaves without a sound. What else could you want? The Ukrainian center had himself a decent season in S36, recording 44 points on 30 assists. At 6 ft, he isn't the biggest center in the draft, but what he lacks in size he makes up for with his passing and decision making. There is a little question about his progression, but the potential is there for Boychuk to become a solid player in the VHL.
 
F - Kai Randal  – 6.5 – C-
 
Kai Randal is a raw prospect that possesses some good skating and playmaking ability.  This season with the Watchman he recorded 37 points twenty-eight of them being assists.  He definitely needs to develop more but is a solid second round pick that many teams would like the chance to develop.  He lacks the balance of physical play and defensive ability but as a niche forward there is something here worth following.

F – Mikael Svensson – 6.5 – D

A 6'1” center out of Bromma, Sweden, Svensson was picked up by the Baby Eagles in S36. After a solid season in which he racked up 39 points, Svensson left a lot to desire. He has the potential to become a really nice player, but the work ethic just isn't quite there yet. He is a scoring center, which has become pretty popular in the VHL as of late, but to become a first liner in the VHL he will have to become better-rounded. We see Svensson as a solid second liner at this point, but sky is the limit for him.
 
D - Dexter Morgan 5.0 – D-
 
Many teams are always looking for a defenseman to round out their team.  Dexter Morgan could potentially be that last filler D-man some teams desperately search for.  However Morgan has been very flaky since his initial debut.  At first it appeared Morgan had some potential especially being part of the “Maxy” organization a previous VHLer.  He still shows up currently to put in less than minimum effort if that is even possible but needs a real wakeup call if he ever hopes to make the VHL.
 
F - Bennett Wahl – 5.0 – D-
 
If all goes according to plan Bennett Wahl will fade from VHL memory as if he had never even been here.  However he has ties to former VHLer “Munk” and that makes him a complete wild card.  The logical place would be a life time minor leaguer but there is a glimmer of hope that he could be one of the draft steals.  Wahl has recently been seen in the media proclaiming a bit of new found respect and motivation toward the league.  We might not have yet seen the end of this offensive Canadian forward.
 
F – Marcus Bjorkstrand – 5.0 – F

When first coming into the league, it looked as if Bjorkstrand was going to become a very prominent player in this season's VHL Entry Draft. He managed to post 33 points in S36 for the Yukon Rush, but tapered off in his progression and has yet to make the next step forward in his VHL career yet. While it is still early for Bjorkstand, he will need a general manager willing to help him along in order for the young winger out of Denmark to make noise in the big leagues.
 
D – Penis Anthony Doubligne –  5.0 - F

Doubligne is a low risk, high reward type of player. He isn't as far along as a lot of the draftees in S36, but scouts see a lot of raw potential in the 6'4” defenseman. He is strictly a defensive defenseman who can throw the body as well as the next guy. If he can work on his offensive skills and get his work ethic under check, Doubligne could be a big steal for a VHL team that picks him up.
 
D - Jack Ryan – 5.0 – F
 
Similar to other draft prospect Bennett Wahl we have recently seen a potential resurgence in Jack Ryan.  This defenseman on the eve of the draft has put in some last second work into his defensive play and passing ability to possibly earn him a mid-second selection.  After the more well-known prospects of the first round the accuracy of a successful late pick is almost like winning the lottery.  If Ryan does ever make it out of the minors it could be a couple seasons down the road not just one.

F – Azmet Ali – 3.0 – F

Not much is known about Azmet Ali out of Boston, Massachusetts and it's not a huge surprise. Ali hasn't shown the same amount of fire the rest of these draftees have quite yet. He is slowly progressing, but he will really need to put in some work if he wants to catch up to his peers, or better yet, crack a VHL starting roster.