DoktorFunk

The weather is hot, as are this season's Hall of Fame inductees....
 
C - Taro Tsujimoto, S75-S82  
RS: 576 GP, 312 G, 412 A, 724 P, +36, 791 PIM, 1,634 HIT, 269 SB, 46 GW
PO: 29 GP, 26 G, 22 A, 48 P, +3, 35 PIM, 81 HIT, 14 SB, 3 GW
 
S80 Scotty Campbell Trophy (Most Valuable)
S82 Scotty Campbell Trophy (Most Valuable)
1x All-VHL First Team (S82)
1x All-VHL Second Team (S80)
 
The best player going into the stacked S75 draft, falling to 9th overall because of some easily exploited old GM player rules, Taro Tsujimoto looked like he would get lost in the shuffle for a bit, another motivated performer who couldn't quite break out. Then Taro became the face of the Davos franchise, leading the Dynamo through their most successful spell in some 2 decades, being crowned league MVP in the process. To prove he wasn't just a big fish in a small pong, Tsujimoto then moved for 1 season in Seattle and got them back to the league's elite, with another MVP award to cap off a successful career. He may have retired without a cup but not without leaving a mark on the league and received a well-deserved first ballot induction.
 
 
 
C - Dakota Lamb, S74-S80
RS: 505 GP, 266 G, 383 A, 649 P, +103, 532 PIM, 906 HIT, 273 SB, 38 GW
PO: 83 GP, 43 G, 79 A, 122 P, +8, 68 PIM, 157 HIT, 34 SB, 9 GW
 
S74 Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy (Top Rookie)
1x All-VHL Second Team (S77)
Two Continental Cups (S78, S80)
 
If Tsujimoto was a late bloomer than Dakota Lamb started fast and kept going. Top rookie in his first VHL season, Lamb may not have won another individual award but demonstrated remarkable consistency, clearing the 100-point mark thrice in his career and falling below a point-per-game pace only once. That consistency was ultimately rewarded by the voters as well as Lamb's key role in the rise of the Warsaw Predators who made him their first ever draft pick and in return he captained them to their first ever championship. Lamb became a different animal each time the playoffs rolled around, finishing as the all-time leader in playoff assists, with 79, finally beating Scotty Campbell's long standing record.
 
 
VOTING RESULTS
Taro Tsujimoto - 14/15
Dakota Lamb - 9/15
----
Roque Davis - 5/15
Erik Killinger - 1/15
Jakab Holik - 1/15
John Merrick, Matty Socks, Lee Xin - 0/15
 
 
Congratulations @Gustav and @dlamb on your first Hall of Fame inductions!
 

You're getting a raise

The Doktor’s Checkup

https://anchor.fm/doktor-funk/episodes/Doktors-News-Update-Week-of-626-e1k6t17
 
Thanks for listening!
Subject of today's update:
Training Camp Opens
Free Agency
New VHLM Players
Retirement

https://anchor.fm/doktor-funk/episodes/Doktors-Office-Episode-1-The-Return-e1k3gvc
 
 
 
Hey, I'm back! I made this for two reasons: to see how much I enjoyed making one of these on my own and because I'd much rather talk to myself or 50 minutes and noodle on the bass than write 2000 words for four weeks of claims. In this episode we:
1. Blather on for a few minutes about what I'm going to blather about
2. Interview myself as Chip Stone
3. Go through some already very obvious league news
4. Sign off and then jam on the bass.
 
Thank you for all of your support to everyone who supports me! You know who you are! I'm back! Now we just have to work on my friend... eyes.jpg
 
Claiming for weeks of 6/20-7/11

Wow, it didn’t occur to me that @youloser1337 was leet until you pointed it out 🤦‍♂️.
 
This was great, I’m always jazzed when fresh podcasters arrive! Or in your case, return. Your presentation is quite professional, which is a nice change up from the hot garbage people like me and @Berocka churn out.
 
Your conversation with yourself was impressive too! Very detailed like above folks mentioned, and the audio flowed together nicely. You can definitely hear the effort that went into it! Also plugging Dok & Spyro made me laugh.
 
Excellent work!
 
 

https://anchor.fm/doktor-funk/episodes/Doktors-Office-Episode-1-The-Return-e1k3gvc
 
 
 
Hey, I'm back! I made this for two reasons: to see how much I enjoyed making one of these on my own and because I'd much rather talk to myself or 50 minutes and noodle on the bass than write 2000 words for four weeks of claims. In this episode we:
1. Blather on for a few minutes about what I'm going to blather about
2. Interview myself as Chip Stone
3. Go through some already very obvious league news
4. Sign off and then jam on the bass.
 
Thank you for all of your support to everyone who supports me! You know who you are! I'm back! Now we just have to work on my friend... eyes.jpg
 
Claiming for weeks of 6/20-7/11

Excellent!! Best of luck bro!! Keep in touch on discord 👌 

Older and wiser, eh? Yeah! I dunno when, but let's do it! I've got a couple weeks of prioritizing a job search, but I'm 100% down!

Bears out seen partying after cup win. 
 
SEATTLE - The clock hits zero, the Bears win a thrilling game 7 and for the 6th time in their last 8 finals appearances, 15 playoff runs and 16 seasons, the Seattle Bears are your champions. The feeling never gets old for the management team and ownership. The players electrifying play and swagger still lights the city up like it's the first time. The fans never sleep. They always thirst for more and more. Despite this thirst and the undeniable reality that one day the streaks will come to an end, that's all they've been saying since this wave started back in S68. Gm Blake Campbell has went on the record after almost everyone and said "this is very special for us and we're going to enjoy it because it's hard to win in any of these top leagues. To think we'll be back again is a lot of work. You never know". While this statement has been true, somehow the Seattle Bears keep doing what they've been doing so good for so long and have once again found themselves wearing the crown on the throne of all thrones. 
 
Regular Season
We started hot and road the wave all season long. We had moments of things not working super good, but we didn't make too many line changes or moves. We knew what we had as a team and knew it was going to work. North America was incredibly weak. D.C Dragons thought they could contend but ended up soaking their flames with water and blew smoke all season. Chicago and the Phoenix rose from the ashes and put together a pretty decent season with all things considered. Their youth has cool chemistry. Toronto played really good and put together a team that took Seattle to 6 games - eventually losing to the cup champs which isn't too much of a bad thing. It makes the stinging a bit worse, right? Seattle ended up tying the Moscow Menace with a regular season record of 55-14-3. Moscow ended up winning the Victory Cup due to the tie breaker, but that shit is cursed. It really isn't and it would be nice to win it, but we tied records and points. We were both first. Why can't be share? This finish to the regular season was an ultimate way to set each other up for a meeting in the finals. Did I think we were 100% going to get there though? but damn, the thought of doing it was crazy. It had to happen!
 
Playoffs
We got the bye and ended up waiting for the winner of Chicago and the Dragons. Hilariously, Chicago won. Like holy crap. If this was the NHL, DC would be on their 7th GM by now. We ended up playing Chicago and I 100% knew it wasn't going to be a sweep. They had good chemistry and STHS also plays a factor. They had some good players and things were clicking. Their goalie also did a very good job. They took us to 5 games and should be proud of their season and excited for the future. Head over to the next round and Toronto had me sweating. I analyzed the shit out of lines, stats and patterns almost every sim and Toronto even had the 2-1 series lead at one point. I do believe Seattle was the stronger team, but Toronto had excellent strengths too. We ended up winning the next 3 though and sent them back to Canada in 6. Moscow was already waiting after sending Riga back to Latvia in 5. The showdown that people thought could happen... the bloody murder match all us sick fucks wanted.. (joking)... it was coming to a video blockbuster store near you soon... And what a damn series it was...
 
"Moscow was and is a very good team. You can see the first few games they came out flying. Think the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL. Fortunately, our goalie played a hell of a series and our players capitalized on moments to get the wins or close games. You can kick and pout and say "Well their goalie won the game for them and that's it". Sweet observation. Welcome to hockey and professional sports. This happens. As the series went out, I analyzed the lines, patterns and stats and we countered decently. Their shots weakened, their special teams disappeared and our team remained strong. However, despite that, they took a 3-2 lead. Again, the 3 things. I spent an hour with the guys in the LR telling them my findings. Blabbing in their my process, thoughts and what I was gonna do... Then we did it. 3-3 series. 4-3 win.
 
Moscow, you had a good season and I know it hurts to lose. Especially some of those who have been there the whole time chasing and are close to the end. It's hockey. It happens, but keep chasing."
 
TO THE BEARS
@dasboot @Jubis @Hogan @BarzalGoat @oilmandan @Banackock @Steve @SlapshotDragon @FrostBeard @ajwllmsn @Beaviss

It's shined up once again for you...
 
You guys were amazing all season. The season we had and how the locker room was - how you guys were as players, members and teammates, is exactly how and what the VHL should be. You were loyal. You were committed. You were honest. You were hardworking. You were hungry. Not always have things been peachy, but somehow we have done what was needed to improve whatever the situation was. Never a stride of negativity. You guys seemingly had a lot of enjoyment. Hopefully you had fun. The absolute definition of champions. Everything that happened and all you guys did led us to a championship. 
 
Thank you guys for the season. I know I put countless hours into this to make it happen - BUT SO DO YOU! We were a team. We were some weird little online Bears family. I couldn't have done it without everyone of you and it was because of you why I did what I did and why I work as hard as I do. Without y'all, it wouldn't have happened. Congrats on your win. You all deserve it so much. YOU ARE CHAMPIONS BABY! You always will be Bears family.
 
DA BEARZ
 
 

Hello. Hope you're well. It's been a good week for me in some ways and a very, very bad week for me in some ways. Why is it a good week? Monday I leave for the mountains for a 9 day vacation. Work is almost done. I've worked out consistently. Why has it been bad? It's been a challenging little while and then this week something very serious happened to one of my family members.. Tuesday night. Couldn't sleep. Mother was incredibly worried. Freaking out. Everyone was. It was a nightmare for 24 hours waiting to hear anything. Then we found out. Then the nightmare continued. It blows me awhile how evil some people are in this world. I don't understand why people want to hurt other people. I don't get how vile people can be. To make up such disgusting lies about someone (not me) and be so evil as to try and harm someone like this... It's not right. I'm not perfect. I don't get along with everyone. I don't care too.. but I'd never do something to purposely hurt someone. Not like this. Crazy, man... anyway... That's my life. Somehow I find a way to stay strong. You have to. Focus and push through. It's the only way you have a chance to make it out of it. NOW, VHL...
 
Big draft for the Bears. @DoktorFunk was selected 16th overall and was a huge reach. I was going to draft someone else, but Dok intrigued me. They recently wrote a piece stating they want to make a comeback. When they're on their game, they're on their game. They're very good at earning. He has history with Seattle. Wants to win with Seattle. Would be loyal with Seattle. Would be happy here and might help him on the VHL and life. Me too. It's a win/win. We skipped out on the @samx sweepstakes and then somehow still ended up winning them. Some people have said our 16th overall pick was a reach. It could be. Could also end up being a steal. Especially because the player we wanted there we ended up getting anyway because of a scouting blunder. Sam has been amazing so far and I'm really happy to have them in Seattle. We were luck we found a way to make things work. Bana tired. Something... something... frigging @hedgehog337

Chip Stone has accepted a Signing Offer from Seattle:

S84: $3,000,000

S85: $1,000,000

S86: $1,000,000

Wooooo @DoktorFunk

CHIP STONE SCOUTING REPORT
 
 

 
 
 
Chip Stone spent his first season in professional hockey playing with the Ottawa Lynx. Displaying a decent scoring touch and having improved throughout the season, Chip Stone displays an incredibly quick shot and a propensity for getting open for his teammates to one time a shot past the goaltender. A strong skater and decently defensively minded, Stone is attempting to develop a two-way game where he will be a scoring threat and also provide for the team defensively on the ice.
 
Strengths
Scoring: Stone possesses an incredible shot, both wrist shot and slap shot. He loves to shoot. He had 22 goals and 19 assists in his VHLM season with the Ottawa Lynx, so he clearly has a shoot first mentality. 
Penalty Shot: Stone is a master in the shootout and an incredible penalty shooter. Dominant at the minor league level and amateur level, Stone has a peerless creativity when it comes to shooting one-on-one with the goaltender. 
Strength: Chip Stone is very strong, and he’s only getting stronger. Deceptively buff for his size, Stone has little difficulty battling for the puck.
 
Weaknesses
Checking: Stone is not a checking forward. He dislikes using his body and will need to overcome this in order to develop his two-way game as desired. Giving the players on the opposing team too much space makes it easier for them to score and doesn’t make Stone intimidating to the other team. 
Leadership: Stone is more of a follower, rather than a leader. He likes to be managed and coached by his teammates and prefers to defer to them for tips and strategies. He will need to take initiative if he wants to be captain some day. 
 
Stone does seem to be afraid of using his body to finish check. He is not a very physical forward, and doesn’t like to use his strength, even though he is quite strong in comparison to other players his age. Stone is also not the fastest accelerating skater, although he has a decent top speed when he gets going. Judging by his first season in the VHLM, Stone seems to be on track to be a competent offensive threat. He tallied 22 goals and 19 assists for 41 points. He has a shoot first mentality and, if he can improve his skating and learn to use his body, while continuing to develop his two-way game, Chip Stone looks like he could be a dominant player for years to come. 

When Chip Stone heard his name being called to be drafted by the Seattle Bears at 16th overall, he could hardly believe it. A franchise that he had considered his second favorite and that contained his favorite players had drafted him, but how did he get here?
 
Coming from an ice-hockey family, Chip grew up on skates. His parents pushed him hard to skate everyday from the time he was three. He had a competitive nature, but loved more spending time with his friends and hanging out with teammates. Winning a handful of silver and bronze medals was fine for him as long as he was having fun. That all changed when he started High School. His hometown, Fairfax, VA, had a very competitive High School hockey team. Enrolling at Ludwig Von Butterstein Memorial Highschool, he knew, would be challenging because of the expectations he would have to meet.
 
He met them. Making the Varsity team in his freshman year, Stone put in the work to allow The Von Butterstein Butter Knights to win four consecutive championships at the high school level. It was at this point that he declared for the VHLM draft. He was drafted 37th overall by the Ottawa Lynx. Stone had a decent season with the Lynx, notching 41 points in 72 games played. But Stone was distracted. He wasn't playing his best game. His father had been laid off from his longtime job, and the family was struggling to meet ends meet. Stone had to take a job as a E-Sports chair cleaner just to help the family pay his bills.
 
This hard, grueling labor has instilled in Chip something that wasn't there before: grit. He now knows the value of a hard days work and he knows there are no shortcuts to the top. He redoubled his efforts at exercising. He studied more tape and spent every spare moment on the ice. He wanted to be ready for the next season. But little did he know, that was about to change. Stone was drafted by the Seattle Bears. This only made him more ready to work hard. The celebrity of having their son drafted by a prestigious franchise like Seattle has led the Stones to having paying jobs again, which is allowing Chip to focus on what he wants to be: the future captain of the Seattle Bears. In Chip's own words: "No shortcuts and no more bullshit."

 

https://anchor.fm/doktor-funk/episodes/Doktors-Office-Episode-1-The-Return-e1k3gvc
 
 
 
Hey, I'm back! I made this for two reasons: to see how much I enjoyed making one of these on my own and because I'd much rather talk to myself or 50 minutes and noodle on the bass than write 2000 words for four weeks of claims. In this episode we:
1. Blather on for a few minutes about what I'm going to blather about
2. Interview myself as Chip Stone
3. Go through some already very obvious league news
4. Sign off and then jam on the bass.
 
Thank you for all of your support to everyone who supports me! You know who you are! I'm back! Now we just have to work on my friend... eyes.jpg
 
Claiming for weeks of 6/20-7/11

You made some content and added even more! Love to see (or hear xD) the effort buddy. You aren't the only person to do a cast alone on here and it kind of reminds me of when I made radio shows with CDs and a sound recorder lol Good job
 
I agree with Hogan, love the heavy detail and clear delivery 😎

https://anchor.fm/doktor-funk/episodes/Doktors-Office-Episode-1-The-Return-e1k3gvc
 
 
 
Hey, I'm back! I made this for two reasons: to see how much I enjoyed making one of these on my own and because I'd much rather talk to myself or 50 minutes and noodle on the bass than write 2000 words for four weeks of claims. In this episode we:
1. Blather on for a few minutes about what I'm going to blather about
2. Interview myself as Chip Stone
3. Go through some already very obvious league news
4. Sign off and then jam on the bass.
 
Thank you for all of your support to everyone who supports me! You know who you are! I'm back! Now we just have to work on my friend... eyes.jpg
 
Claiming for weeks of 6/20-7/11

Review: I really like the draft recap as I haven't read any others so your insights provided me with exactly what's going on. I liked the in depth player reviews you did looking at both the stats and members behind the players drafted. For a first podcast back, it was really good. The music and bass at the start and throughout the podcast really fit in. I hope to see more people join you in the future. 9/10

https://anchor.fm/doktor-funk/episodes/Doktors-Office-Episode-1-The-Return-e1k3gvc
 
 
 
Hey, I'm back! I made this for two reasons: to see how much I enjoyed making one of these on my own and because I'd much rather talk to myself or 50 minutes and noodle on the bass than write 2000 words for four weeks of claims. In this episode we:
1. Blather on for a few minutes about what I'm going to blather about
2. Interview myself as Chip Stone
3. Go through some already very obvious league news
4. Sign off and then jam on the bass.
 
Thank you for all of your support to everyone who supports me! You know who you are! I'm back! Now we just have to work on my friend... eyes.jpg
 
Claiming for weeks of 6/20-7/11

No idea why i thought you were here before me! 🤣 I'm out of touch! Thanks for the write up!!

Would have been difficult for that to have been me, I joined the VHL a couple seasons before Scott Greene retired 😅. But at the end of the day I'm sure you're back and motivated, and the team you went to had a role in it as your MS this week indicated. But from an outside perspective, you've been welfare+PF for a while and suddenly started earning this week. Anyone would naturally have doubts, but it's Seattle and you're back there so I expect you'll end up like top 5 in TPE for this class by the time everyone retires. Good luck with your career!

Fairly certain I did with my first time in Seattle too. Nothing but love for Spartan tho

I considered writing a media spot to recap Moscow's draft solely, but that doesn't engage nearly as many people as if I actually graded all the picks in the first round.  I'll admit, with recent controversies in mind, it's dangerous for a current GM to talk about other team's players without being questioned for tampering. But for the sake of glorious forum content and engagement, it's a risk that must be taken.
 
Don't get mad if I don't like the pick, just go prove me wrong or something. Or block me on Discord, either works. Enjoy!
 
 
 LA Stars - 1st Overall  
G - Art Vandelay - @Gustav
 
I'll admit I was quite surprised when the pre-draft rumblings had Vandelay going first overall especially considering Davos' fixation with center Napoleon Dynamite. With Davos also having traded for an S80 goalie, it doesn't make sense for them to be looking at a replacement for about 3 seasons at the least. Maybe they wanted to show commitment to their franchise goalie at 1oa, or really wanted a specific user pairing with 1oa and 3oa. But knowing they could have taken Dynamite 1oa or held the pick hostage over Davos for more assets and then still manage to get Vandelay at 3oa means this pick has to get penalized a bit.
 
Draft Grade: A-
 
HC Davos Dynamo - 2nd Overall  
C - Napoleon Dynamite - @thadthrasher
 
In a draft where Davos' intentions were not really hidden, moreso blatantly out there, they still managed to land just about who they wanted in the top two rounds. With Davos' defense being pretty set for the future, and a trade for a goalie, all they really needed was offense. They made some trades to bring in established veterans, but the draft is where you make your future. Dynamite was the safest center in this pick with an excellent floor. He should be able to serve as a solid 1C.
 
Draft Grade: A+
 
 LA Stars - 3rd Overall  
D - Callum Murray - @Berocka
 
Anytime you can get the top TPE player in the draft at 3rd overall, you're doing things right. Mainly due to LA having 1st overall and Davos being hyperfocused on a positional need, Murray drops to 3 and projects to be LA's franchise defenseman. From a user standpoint, Berocka and Gus have a nice history with each other as Berocka was Gus' AGM in Davos, while also playing for him as a goalie. Both users should be happy to have some familiarity brought in this draft.
 
Draft Grade: A
 
Helsinki Titans - 4th Overall
LW - Cobalt Burns - @Ledge
 
While I was a bit confused with LA's choice to prioritize a goalie at 1oa, I'm more confused about Helsinki prioritizing winger at 4oa. With Jonathan Ori heading to free agency and Reylynn Reinhart coming in for a final season at center, there's simply no long-term center on the roster right now. While Burns is a great prospect and seems to be on a vengeance for being one of the prospects pundits had concerns about in this draft due to supposed passion for the game, it seems like Helsinki was more worried about replacing the retiring Nasherov. It could even be argued that Burns is the insurance plan for former first round picks Nico Pearce and Nezuko who have expressed willingness to go to FA in the past. Still though, it seems like a choice like Dogwood Maple would have filled the more pressing need at hand despite the caliber of Cobalt Burns.
 
Draft Grade: B-
 
 New York Americans - 5th Overall  
D - Pierre Emile Bouchard - @Gaikoku-hito
 
New York basically needs everything except goalie, so they're happy to select the best player remaining on the board. Bouchard has grown extremely well, and was sort of hidden in Callum Murray's shadow at the top of the draft board. While Murray struggled making the jump from the VHLM to the VHLE, Bouchard exploded for 72 points in 72 games on Stockholm, showing his ability to hang with players at his skill level and higher. Regardless, it was a solid pick for NYA and the best one they could have made without having to trade up. However, with how many holes New York had on their roster, it seemed more prudent to trade down in this class, potentially to a team like Calgary with multiple additional first round picks and pick up more players to speed up their rebuild. Without a supporting cast for Bouchard, there's risk that yet another face of the franchise will become disgruntled.
 
Draft Grade: B+
 
 Prague Phantoms - 6th Overall  
G - Clueless Wallob - @DMaximus
 
After the trade with Davos that sent David Davis out of Prague in exchange for a return centered on the 6th overall pick, it was pretty clear that Wallob would be strongly considered at this pick. Despite few teams between 6oa and 11oa (Prague's next pick) needing a goalie, there was a risk that a team with a shaky goalie situation like London at 10oa would snatch up Wallob if he was there. Selecting him at 6 shows commitment that he is their guy for the future and starts off their rebuild on the right foot - with the most important player on the ice.
 
Draft Grade: A
 
 Vancouver Wolves - 7th Overall  
C - Dogwood Maple - @dogwoodmaple
 
Frankly, I didn't expect Frank to have Maple available at 7 so I was pretty curious to see who he thought was the best player remaining on the board to fill all of Vancouver's holes. With Maple still at 7, it was difficult for Vancouver to pass on one of the highest ceiling players of the draft. Maple has some concerns about whether he can continue his impressive rate of development in the VHL, but only time will tell. 
 
Draft Grade: A
 
 Calgary Wranglers - 8th Overall  
D - Scoish Velociraptor Maloish - @youloser1337
 
After the top 7, the draft list was mostly defensemen as far as the eye can see. Calgary has also been pretty open about their desire to select a defenseman to complete their core alongside GoodBrandSun and recent acquisitions Erlantz Jokinen and Asher Reinhart. Seems like a perfect situation for them, which made the choice understandably difficult to choose which of the remaining defensemen to select. With Maloish as the selection, Calgary took probably the highest ceiling defenseman remaining, but also one who could have the lowest floor. He's had some hitches in his development in the past, but I'm sure Calgary hopes that their training program would situate Maloish in the VHL grindset again. 
 
Draft Grade: B+
 
 Toronto Legion - 9th Overall  
C - Tyler Busser - @lll
 
I have to admit, I was a bit shocked when I saw Toronto select a center here. While Paul Atreides is retiring after this season, Matty Fire and Armani Calamari have both shown their ability to play center at a strong level. While rumblings are that one of the two could be considering a move to the wing to open up the Legion's offense to supplement their solid defense, it was just surprising that Toronto chose to overlook one of the neglected wingers at this point, or even another defensemen to project as a future top pairing with Ryuji Sakamoto. While Busser is an excellent prospect, there have been concerns about motivation at times. The last player in this agency retired shortly after the draft, and there were concerns about whether Busser would retire if he didn't like his situation. While he's signed his ELC at the time of writing this, it just seems like Toronto could have filled a more pressing need, instead of adding on to their strongest position group at the moment.
 
Draft Grade: B-
 
 New York Americans - 10th Overall  
D - Malum Maellard - @frescoelmo
 
Everything about what happened with this pick during the draft was simply bizarre. First Warsaw trades up from 12 to 10 with London, and then Warsaw flips the pick over to NYA in exchange for Vasile Lamb - a player who has been rumored to have wanted out of New York and onto Warsaw for a little bit now. It seems like New York absolutely wanted 10th overall to get a specific player in exchange for a budding star like Lamb, so you'd expect a slam dunk here - potentially the free-falling Noodles Marconi, the rising star in Molly the Cat, or even offensive defensemen Faith Hope Love. Instead they go with a defensive defenseman - Malum Maellard. It's a bit of a head scratcher for New York to prioritize a defensive defenseman over any sort of scoring that they simply don't have right now, but it gives them a future first-pairing between Maellard and Bouchard. We'll have to check back in after three seasons to see how many of them are still on the team, but for now, I'm just skeptical about the selection.
 
Draft Grade: C+
 
  Prague Phantoms - 11th Overall  
D - Faith Hope Love - @MMFLEX
 
Personally, I had Faith Hope Love and AK92 Wit da Hoodie as the top defensemen after Murray and Bouchard, so this grade could be a bit biased simply based on that. But FHL going 11th to Prague who sat there and waited to see who they could get to spark their rebuild is fantastic value for them. There's not too much else to say about this pick, it was a solid one for Prague.
 
Draft Grade: A+
 
 London United - 12th Overall  
RW - Molly The Cat - @JCarson
 
Molly The Cat rose up the draft boards quickly over the course of this season, especially since she's been training extensively with fellow young VHLer, Landon Wolanin. The development has been excellent, and London sorely needed a winger to replace Nils Godlander for the future. With only Zaza Colors remaining on the roster as a legitimate first line winger, and Ablar and Avens serving as solid second line wingers, London will hope that The Cat can eventually fill that role. While it's certainly doable, it's a large ask for someone who just joined the VHL system this past season, so there's a healthy dose of skepticism. Prove me wrong though!
 
Draft Grade: B+
 
 Moscow Menace - 13th Overall
D - AK92 Wit da Hoodie - @hedgehog337
 
I was pretty close to giving this pick a D simply because of how annoying the name is to type, and because I don't know what the last name is here. Is it Hoodie? Da Hoodie? Wit da Hoodie? Too much confusion here. But out of the options remaining and with Moscow's desire to replace both Hard Markinson and The Seabasstard, who have indicated a desire to retire in the next couple seasons, it only made sense to grab the Latvian defenseman who could easily step up into Markinson's shoes alongside Wattson Power. The only real risk here is Hoodie's commitment long term, if he would stick around with Moscow despite his Latvian roots and implied ties to the Riga Reign.
 
Draft Grade: A-
 
 Calgary Wranglers - 14th Overall  
C - Sax Justice - @Eso
 
Probably the largest reach of the draft especially with Velociraptor Greg and Noodles Marconi at larger positions of need for Calgary, but Calgary really wanted Justice and without a 2nd round pick, had to reach here. It's a bit difficult to see what really excited Calgary here, as they already have Saku Kotkakoivu, Daniel Janser and Leandro Goncalves at center, all three presumably sticking around for at least 4 seasons each. Add on that Justice has been slow to develop and doesn't have much of a ceiling, it's difficult to see where he fits in with this roster, and what his timeline looks like.
 
Draft Grade: D
 
  Moscow Menace - 15th Overall  
C - Fraser Wallace - @Hoopydog
 
As mentioned at 13th overall, Moscow had a plan. They wanted a long-term replacement for Hard Markinson and got that replacement in AK92 Wit da Hoodie, and now all they really needed was a center to replace The Seabasstard. Enter Fraser Wallace, a severely underrated player in this draft class but who has been developing extremely well. There were concerns that his agency didn't set up players for lengthier careers, especially after their last player ended up moving back down to the VHLE after not being able to endure VHL competition through his older years, but they seem to have addressed those concerns and are firmly behind Wallace and his long-term success. Paired with Moscow's historical success at developing centers into quality contributors, Wallace might just be ready to take the league by surprise.
 
Draft Grade: A
 
Seattle Bears - 16th Overall
LW - Chip Stone - @DoktorFunk
 
I'd call this the biggest weird reach of the draft, but it's Seattle and a player from an agency they're very friendly with. The player suddenly started showing up to additional workouts and training sessions the week leading up to the draft, and rumors are swirling that the player was already following Seattle's training regiment this week. While on the surface it seems like a ridiculous reach for a player who seemed half-interested in the league, there's probably communication behind the scenes that led to Stone's renewed vigor in the league solely contingent on his drafting to Seattle. We'll have to see if this is more than a temporary burst in activity, or if Stone regresses to the mean in his development.
 
Draft Grade: C
 
2,229 words, 4 weeks claim

@DoktorFunk PROOVE THIS MAN WRONG