Season 85 Vancouver Wolves Season in Review
Alexandre Leduc pictured after game 7 loss to the D.C. Dragons.
Season 84 Off-Season
The Wolves ended Season 84 with a whimper finishing tied in points with Prague for dead last in the league. However the draft lottery gods would be kind to Vancouver awarding them the 1st overall selection in the Season 85 draft. Many speculated that Vancouver would select John Jameson first overall as the player had a connection to current GM Frank Chadwick, but Vancouver opted for a player whose family has deep roots within the Wolves organization. Greg Eagles @Greg_Di who was selected 19th overall in the Season 67 draft would go on to win a championship with Vancouver in that same season. Fast forward 18 seasons and Henry Eagles would be selected 1st overall by Vancouver in the Season 85 draft. Almost the perfect storyline, but it was missing that story book ending much like Greg had back in Season 67. Following the draft, Vancouver decided to make a measured attempt at competing during Season 85 as the young core forming in Vancouver had yet to see the playoffs, especially Brandt Fuhr @Tate who was entering his third season with the team. After a week of negotiations with @hedgehog337 and a ton of back and forth between myself and AGM @Gaikoku-hito, Vancouver would finally make it's first trade of the off-season.
To Vancouver :
C/RW - Alexandre Leduc
D - Biggie Cheese
To Riga :
S86 LA 1st
S87 VAN 1st
This was the toughest deal I've had to make as GM of Vancouver. Giving up two 1sts is always a risk but careers are short in the VHL so if you don't continue pushing forward you end up stuck in the middle or bottom tier of the league, we also had two 1sts in Season 86 so losing one didn't hurt as much despite the LA's pick now being a lottery pick. Alexandre Leduc @Lemorse7 committing long term was also a condition of the trade, he's not only a great player but a great presence in the locker room. Biggie Cheese @a_Ferk helped solidify our defense. He is also interested in sticking in Vancouver past his current deal so the trade made sense for future seasons as well. This deal would also help catapult the rest of the off season.
After the trade with Riga my expectation was that would be pretty much it, maybe a few minor FA signings with the expectation to take a bigger step in Season 86. After talking with @Spartan it was clear Moscow needed to clear cap space so we had another opportunity with our 2nd trade of the off-season.
To Vancouver :
D - Wattson Power
To Moscow :
S87 VAN 2nd
Wattson Power @Tape-to-Tape was definitely under valued on the trade market last off-season and I think we we're lucky to acquire him for the price that we did. Power being a Season 81 draftee was also a factor as we could keep the player for future seasons as well.
This is where things hit another level, once free agency discussions opened it was clear Nico Pearce @Spartan was intrigued by the moves we had already made. He liked the team that was starting to take shape, but there we're still 3 roster spots open for 2 forwards and 1 defensemen. If we could get another top FA forward to agree to sign, Pearce would follow suit. After talking to a few free agent forwards, most were looking to wait and see. I mean what's the point in going to FA and accepting a contract within the first few minutes, kind of kills the intrigue and drama does it not? After talking with Anze Miklavz @kelvi it was clear that he was interested in joining Vancouver, so that pretty much sealed the fate of both Pearce and Miklavz. Unfortunately we had to ship out a few players to create the necessary cap room. Which was the reasoning behind this slew of trades.
To Vancouver :
S86 CHI 3rd
S86 RIG 4th
S87 PRG 4th
To Prague :
LW - Brain Schmigel
LW - Dens Oden
D - Jaromir Lemiuex
LW - Fred Hampton
This was my first big mistake from the season before, signing depth players to extensions before the off-season. @Bigb33 was a great presence in the Vancouver locker room and unfortunately was a cap casualty. @TownBizness and @Snussu we're two prospects I really liked but unfortunately were the price required to pay for my mistake. In my defense though I expected Vancouver to be less active and didn't think the opportunities that presented themselves would be there. In the end though we had a similar prospect to Oden in William Futch @Futch, and there are only so many roster spots. I'm looking forward to seeing Futch in a Wolves jersey very soon.
This next trade was the one that really turned the tide and showed both Pearce and Miklavz that Vancouver was serious about competing. It was also integral to get this done before FA as things can change quickly and nothing is ever set in stone. This also leads to a giant FUBAR on my part, well almost.
To Vancouver :
D - Nathan Powers
To New York :
S86 VAN 3rd
I always enjoy talking to @frescoelmo and we always seem to find a middle ground we both are happy with, when trading. Powers @JB123 was going to free agency so I asked for permission to speak with JB and if we agreed to a contract Vancouver would send a 3rd to New York. That way New York received something for a player who was leaving regardless. I've always had a good relationship with @JB123 and he was excited at joining the Wolves once he heard that Pearce and Miklavz were also signing.
So Now I present you the Season 85 Roster:
Forwards:
Nico Pearce
Alexandre Leduc
Anze Miklavz
Dogwood Maple
Svatopluk Puk
Bob Chicoine
Defense:
Nathan Powers
Biggie Cheese
Pierre Emile Bouchard
Wattson Power
Goaltender:
Brandt Fuhr
Well not exactly, when I originally was calculating the cap and really calculating because the final roster was going to leave the team with $0.00 cap space. I had Powers pegged as a 800 TPA player forgetting to account for his banked TPE. So in reality Powers was a 900 TPA player with a 5.5M cap hit instead of a 5M cap hit. That would bring Vancouver's grand total to 42.5M once Pearce and Miklavz were signed. So in sheer panic I casually contacted @Dom to see if he'd be willing to take on Bob Chicoine who had a 2.5M cap hit. Obviously Dom was unaware of Vancouver's current plight since this was all before FA opened.
To Vancouver :
S87 MAL 4th
To Malmo :
Bob Chicoine
S86 Van 3rd
So an error that could of ultimately blown up in Vancouver's face costed a 3rd to get out of. Of course all this could have been avoided if I had waited until the off-season to extend players as I mentioned earlier in this article. Chicoine would be replaced by Eagles and the cap would magically solve itself.
Now the final trade of the off-season was with the team it all started with, @kelvi is Riga's AGM so leaving in FA would of done Riga no favours. So I was happy to at least pay a third for his rights so Riga wasn't left completely empty handed.
To Vancouver :
RW - Anze Miklavz (FA rights)
To Riga :
S86 CHI 3rd
Season 85 Vancouver Wolves Lines
Forwards:
Svatopluk Puk - Alexandre Leduc - Anze Miklavz
Dogwood Maple - Nico Pearce - Henry Eagles
Defense:
Biggie Cheese - Nathan Powers
Pierre Emile Bouchard - Wattson Power
Goaltender:
Brandt Fuhr
Alternate Logo Unveiled
To the displeasure of many Wolves fans and VHL fans a like, Vancouver released an alternate logo for Season 85. Despite the reception upon release, fans quickly grew fond of the logo especially as a third jersey or shoulder patch. No announcement has yet been made on it's status for Season 86.
Regular Season and Playoffs
Despite all the big off-season additions for Vancouver, it was expected there would be an in season transition as the team was icing three rookie forwards. The defense and goaltending were arguably one of the best in the league. The start was not good as Vancouver was looking for line chemistry in a very competitive North American conference. At the quarter mark of the season they found themselves on the outside of the playoff race and cracks were starting to show. But in true STHS fashion and despite changing nothing with lines or strategies Vancouver suddenly began to win games at one point not losing in regulation over 17 straight games. After finishing 2nd to last in Season 84, Vancouver would finish 2nd in the North American conference. Almost a miraculous turnaround from the season prior. In the playoffs Vancouver faced off against the D.C. Dragons who they had a losing record to during the regular season with 2 wins and 3 losses. Despite a close series Vancouver would ultimately fall to D.C. in 7 games. Leaving Wolves fans with only thoughts of what could have been.
G - Brandt Fuhr @Tate posted career highs with 37 wins and a 2.36 GAA a stark contrast from last season 3.54 GAA and a nearly identical save percentage at .928. Fuhr was the team's most consistent player and team MVP. Also the teams nominee for the Dustin Funk Trophy.
F - Nico Pearce @Spartan was one goal shy of tying Daniel Janser for the league lead with 51 (it pains me to even have to write that). Pearce was easily Vancouver's second best player as he helped anchor the second line with Eagles and Maple.
F - Alexandre Leduc @Lemorse7 at one point looked like a contender for the Beketov Trophy but suddenly decided to start scoring goals instead. Still posting career highs in points with 87 as well as assists with 59. We can expect big things from Leduc in Season 86!
F - Anze Miklavz @kelvi at one point was leading the league in scoring but inexplicably jinxed himself on discord stating that's always what Miklavz does. Despite not posting any career highs, he still had a great season. I'm just sorry we couldn't bring Anze a cup in his final season.
D - Nathan Powers @JB123 was the anchor of our defense for most of the season and much like Miklavz I'm sorry we couldn't get him a cup in his final season. Looking forward to following Skor McFleury's career.
D - Biggie Cheese @a_Ferk still has yet to miss the playoffs in his career and that's largely thanks to his stellar play. Unfortunately we couldn't bring individual or team success to Cheese, hoping for better things in Season 86. Otherwise we know who to blame.
D - Pierre Emile Bouchard @Gaikoku-hito had a great sophomore season especially defensively considering he was playing behind both Powers and Cheese. He and Power had very clutch scoring throughout the season.
F - Dogwood Maple @dogwoodmaple had a strong second half and carried it over into the playoffs. My biggest concern coming into this season was keeping the rookies engaged as a large portion of the offense would be taken by Leduc, Miklavz and Pearce. But luckily Maple, Eagles and Puk all were happy to play a lesser role if it meant winning. We definitely delivered that in the regular season but came up short in the post season. I think we can all expect big things from Maple next season and beyond. I'm looking forward to continue watching him grow as a player.
F - Henry Eagles @Greg_Di much like Maple had a strong second half and carried it over into the playoffs. He has been a team player from the start and the team asked a lot of him, going from the draft straight into the VHL. He had a solid rookie campaign, on a lesser team he likely would of been in contention for top rookie.
F - Svatopluk Puk @Otaznik was stellar defensively in his rookie season posting a plus 22 rating. He really took off in the playoffs posting 4 goals in 7 games. Definitely a sign of things to come from the young Slovakian.
D - Wattson Power @Tape-to-Tape never missed a practice and was a stabilizing force on the second pair with sophomore Bouchard. With Powers retirement Power will be expected to take on a bigger role next season, which he is more then capable of doing.
Waiting in the Wings
D - Jimmy MacElroy @Xflexz after winning back to back championships with Las Vegas in the VHLM and getting to the semi finals with Bratislava of the VHLE, MacElroy is ready to take the next step. With Nathan Powers retirement there will be a spot open for Jimmy on Vancouver's defense in Season 86. The shutdown defensemen brings a style of game that Vancouver sorely lacked this past season. Vancouver fans are already building up the hype for the young blueliner. Will he be paired with fellow Season 84 draftee Bouchard?
F - William Futch @Futch continues to develop in the minors, playing an important role for Mexico in Season 84 and being a leader on a rebuilding Geneva team in Season 85. Futch will have the option to move up to Vancouver this season, but ultimately that will be up to the team and player what choice is best for Futch's career.
F - Alex Bridges III @Oatex also continues to develop in the minors. After a strong showing with Philadelphia in Season 84 his play dipped recently for Stockholm this past season. Vancouver is hoping the player can continue developing or even exceed their current pace to join the team in a season or two. Lot's of potential with this player but the will needs to be there to get to the next level.
Season 86 Draft
Looking ahead to the Season 86 Draft, Vancouver currently holds the 11th overall and 27th overall selections. There are quite a few intriguing players, as well as four highly rated goalies who might alter the order of the draft. I think Vancouver will prioritize both forwards and defense, having Fuhr signed long term makes it difficult to draft a goalie at this stage. But of course it's always best to take best player available during the draft.
Final Thoughts
Despite a disappointing end to Season 85, I believe the future is still bright in Vancouver and the window of contention is just opening. During the Season 50s when I was GM of Quebec (now Vancouver) we went through a stretch of three straight finals losses before ultimately winning the 4th straight in Season 56. The key to having individual or team success in the VHL is not getting discouraged by poor results but giving yourself enough opportunity to improve on those results. It's rare that a team is good for 8 straight seasons or a player has career highs every single season. If you're putting in minimal effort then you should expect minimal results. Which is why I'm not worried about where Vancouver is trending, we have a great group of players/members who are all working towards the same goal. Lastly I'd like to thank our AGM @Gaikoku-hito who has really helped manage discord while I'm at work and putting up great press conferences every week. I'd also like to say that I enjoy discussing trades and free agency with him, but a lot of times we have the same ideas so it's hard to bounce ideas off each other when you have a similar train of thought. Thanks again for your hard work.
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