dstevensonjr

Just gotta extend this by 1 pick to 17th overall, first pick of the second round +247 since the draft and still going!

Transaction ID: 7MF44281996494026 5 Uncapped TPE Doubles Week $1 Million

But the good vibes are strong! Just that part of the development cycle, gonna be right back in it soon enough!

2000+ Media Post Week 4

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2000+ Media Post Week 2

Hello, and welcome to the second season of this preview! This is the Season 90 edition! Here we'll look at strengths and weaknesses for the teams heading into the season, as well as a projected finishing order for each league, plus a one line thought for everybody! VHL Projected finishing order by conference: North American Conference 1. Seattle Bears 2. Vancouver Wolves 3. Toronto Legion 4. Los Angeles Stars 5. D.C. Dragons 6. Calgary Wranglers 7. Chicago Phoenix 8. New York Americans Seattle Bears S89 Regular Season Rank: 2nd S90 Projected Overall Rank: 1st Top Rated Forward: Leandro Goncalves, Randy Bobandy - 78 Top Rated Defense: AirRig Goodbrandson - 74 Top Rated Goalie: Clueless Wallob - 87 Strength: Top Line Forwards, Goaltending - Boasting a top forward trio that is well above average in all three slots, Seattle has quite a bit of scoring punch at the top of the lineup. That ability to put the puck in the net, combined with the ability of Wallob (tied for highest rated goalie in VHL) to keep the puck out of their own net should allow the Bears to win many games this season. Weakness: Top Pairing Defense - Their top 2 defense rank mid-pack, which could be an issue against some higher powered offenses in the league. They're still active veterans though, so they'll improve as the season goes on. One line thought: Seattle really feels like they're just an upgrade on the blueline away from a truly dominant season, I wonder if they have somebody specific in mind. Vancouver Wolves S89 Regular Season Rank: 5th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 2nd Top Rated Forward: Dogwood Maple - 77 Top Rated Defense: Brian Payne - 79 Top Rated Goalie: Brandt Fuhr - 82 Strength: Forward Depth, Top Pairing Defense - A deeper forward group combined with the best top pairing defense in the league makes for an interesting mix in Vancouver. 5 forwards over 70 OVR is something that only 4 teams can say that they have. The Payne/Bouchard pair ties for the best 1/2 on a blueline in the VHL, where Vancouver will hope to generate additional offense. Weakness: Top Line Scoring, Goaltending? - The Wolves top forward line grades out okay, but not eye-poppingly good like some of the other contenders in the league. This likely means an attempt at scoring by committee from the gang up front. In net, Van City sees a goalie with the 7th highest OVR in the league at the position, relatively midpack. One line thought: Is a strong overall group up front going to be enough to carry the team offensively near the top of the standings? Toronto Legion S89 Regular Season Rank: 15th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 4th Top Rated Forward: Ronan Lavelle - 79 Top Rated Defense: Siyan Yasilievich - 79 Top Rated Goalie: Joel Castle - 82 Strength: Forwards - Toronto's busy off-season gives them above average forward talent across the top 6 slots, led by off-season addition Ronan Lavelle. With strength across the board there, it could be a high scoring season for Toronto this year. Weakness: Blueline Depth, Goaltending? - There's a bit of a gap for the Legion behind Yasilievich on the blueline, the 2 and 3 spots rank slightly above average for those slots. Similarly to Vancouver above, the Legion sits midpack at 7th OVR in net. Not a true weakness, but not a true strength either. One line thought: Can the Legion make a seismic jump this season from near the bottom of the league to near the top? Los Angeles Stars S89 Regular Season Rank: 8th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 5th Top Rated Forward: Napoleon Dynamite, Todd Cooke - 77 Top Rated Defense: Elias Lampi - 75 Top Rated Goalie: Art Vandelay - 83 Strength: Above Average Talent - Los Angeles slots in at or above average at 6 forward slots, 3 defense slots, and the starting goalie slot. This kind of all over talent should play well all season, and allow for contributions from multiple players up front and on the blueline. Weakness: Lack of a Gamebreaker - While above average is good, the top overall in all 3 areas is 2 or more OVR off of the best at that spot, leaving a little bit of a lack of top end talent. One line thought: Does the "by committee" approach work well enough to lock down a playoff spot? D.C. Dragons S89 Regular Season Rank: 14th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 11th Top Rated Forward: Jason - 76 Top Rated Defense: Ryuji Sakamoto - 74 Top Rated Goalie: Bubbles Utonium - 81 Strength: Forward Depth - The forward group for D.C. doesn't have a lot of falloff through the group, which makes the second line tougher to play against than some teams have. Weakness: Blueline - The Dragons 4 defense slots are each below league average by a couple of points, which is going to make it tough to keep the strong offenses at the top of the Conference at bay. This is mostly due to it being a young group behind Sakamoto (1 S88, 2 S89), so there is plenty of room for growth throughout the season. One line thought: Can D.C. parlay an okay forward group and average goaltending into a playoff spot with a weak blueline? Calgary Wranglers S89 Regular Season Rank: 7th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 13th Top Rated Forward: Ben McLaughlin - 68 Top Rated Defense: Phil Strasmore - 79 Top Rated Goalie: Merome Dilson - 79 Strength: Top Defense - Calgary still holds onto a defense with the second highest OVR in the league at the position in Strasmore, so that's a big piece on the back end. Weakness: Forwards, Goaltending - The Wranglers first 5 forward slots are all well below league average, which is going to make it tough to score this season. It's a bit of a mixed bag in terms of veterans and younger players in the group, so some growth should come, but not as much as what is likely needed. Second year goaltender Dilson is hoping to continue to grow into the role and backstop the Wranglers to some success again. One line thought: In a tough Conference, can Calgary make their way into the mix for a playoff spot with a low scoring team? Chicago Phoenix S89 Regular Season Rank: 13th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 14th Top Rated Forward: Scotty Sundin - 72 Top Rated Defense: Bo Johansson - 75 Top Rated Goalie: Karl Pedersen - 78 Strength: Future Draft Picks - Chicago has 2 first round picks in each of the next 2 drafts, and could add to that group if they choose to move some of the veteran players this season. Weakness: Lots of Veterans - 7 players on the Phoenix roster are from S82 or S83, but haven't accumulated the TPE over their careers to withstand depreciation monster. Unfortunately for Chicago, it adds up to a roster that is below average slot across the board. One line thought: Will Chicago move any players to add to their prospect pool or draft pick group this season? New York Americans S89 Regular Season Rank: 12th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 15th Top Rated Forward: Jasper Davis, Hasbulla Magomedev - 68 Top Rated Defense: Phoebe Bridgers - 68 Top Rated Goalie: Freddy Freeze - 76 Strength: Good Vibes, Future - It was a season of good vibes for New York last season, breaking the playoff drought was a great accomplishment that was celebrated around the league. New York holds 2 first round picks in the upcoming draft, and has a decent pool of prospects. Weakness: Overall - Unfortunately, those good vibes from last season might not last. The Americans enter this season with the third lowest rated forward group, lowest rated blueline, and third lowest rated goaltender. That's all going to add up to a tough year in a top heavy Conference. One line thought: Can some of the youth on the roster and the prospects progress this year to show a bright future? European Conference 1. HC Davos Dynamo 2. Prague Phantoms 3. Riga Reign 4. Malmo Nighthawks 5. London United 6. Helsinki Titans 7. Moscow Menace 8. Warsaw Predators HC Davos Dynamo S89 Regular Season Rank: 3rd S90 Projected Overall Rank: 3rd Top Rated Forward: James Teekirque - 75 Top Rated Defense: Jake Thunder - 80 Top Rated Goalie: Lachlan Summers - 85 Strength: Top Defense, Forward Depth, Goaltending - HC Davos has a top duo of Thunder/McFleury that ties for the best rated in the league, a forward group that is the second best in terms of depth scoring, and a goaltender who is the fourth highest rated in the VHL. That combination should lead Davos to another finish near the top of the league. Weakness: Top Line Forwards - The only thing that is lacking on the Dynamo roster heading into the season is top end scoring. The F1 and F2 slots rate out at league average, taking a little bit away from what the rest of the roster brings. It shouldn't be too much of a detriment, but interesting to see. One line thought: Will it only be top of the European Conference for Davos, or can they push for tops in the VHL? Prague Phantoms S89 Regular Season Rank: 6th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 6th Top Rated Forward: John Jameson - 79 Top Rated Defense: Faith Hope Love - 74 Top Rated Goalie: Matt Murdock - 87 Strength: Top Line Forwards, Goaltending - Prague holds the second best top three forwards (Jameson, Laperriere, Kauppi) in the league, and has the best goaltender (Daredevil) in the league. Those can combine with some good depth up front and on the blueline to make for a very solid season this year. Weakness: Top Line Defense - The top two defense of Love and Greg rate out as league average, but it shouldn't hurt this team too much with the strength elsewhere. One line thought: Is the strength of this roster good enough to win the Conference, or will the average back end hurt the Phantoms? Riga Reign S89 Regular Season Rank: 4th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 7th Top Rated Forward: The Frenchman - 77 Top Rated Defense: Brian Kowalski - 75 Top Rated Goalie: Henry Tucker Jr. - 81 Strength: Mid-level Scoring - The Riga forward group is slightly above league average in most slots, but definitely excels towards the middle of the lineup thanks to a stronger F3/F4/F5 group. This should spread out the scoring responsibility over the full group, rather than a couple of top scorers. Weakness: Blueline Depth - With only 2 defense under contract, the Reign are going to have to figure out how to get by defensively with a thin group. The top 2 of Kowalski and Marino is decent, but there's nothing behind them. One line thought: Will the lack of a deep blueline hurt the Reign enough in the middle of the pack in the European Conference? Malmo Nighthawks S89 Regular Season Rank: 10th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 8th Top Rated Forward: Mo Probert - 77 Top Rated Defense: Malum Maellard - 78 Top Rated Goalie: Ash Sparks - 80 Strength: Roster Depth, Defense - Malmo's forward and defense groups are both above average slot across the board, a testament to the quality of talent spread around the roster. The blueline is especially deep, featuring a top 4 that rates in the top 5 in the league. Weakness: Goaltending - Slightly below league average, Sparks ranks as the 6th lowest rated starter. It'll be imperative that the blueline take some of the burden off of the goaltender coming into their second full season in the VHL. One line thought: A lot of good across the roster, is it enough to elevate them further up the standings? London United S89 Regular Season Rank: 9th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 9th Top Rated Forward: Leonard Triller - 77 Top Rated Defense: The Board Game Clue On Skates - 78 Top Rated Goalie: Jesse Teno - 86 Strength: Top Line, Goaltending - The top group of five for London is strong, with the top three forward ranking as the fifth highest rated, while the top two defense are the third highest rated. That top group is complimented with the third highest rated goaltender in the league, forming a very good group at the top of this roster. Weakness: Depth - Behind that group for the United is thin though, and might hurt them when the top players aren't on the ice. A good amount of that comes from a youth infusion down the roster of S86 and S87 players, so there is plenty of room for the depth to grow into bigger roles. One line thought: Can this group make their way up the standings with their strengths, or are they outside looking in at the top teams? Helsinki Titans S89 Regular Season Rank: 16th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 10th Top Rated Forward: Landon Wolanin - 77 Top Rated Defense: Kronchy Kardashian - 73 Top Rated Goalie: Fuukka Rask - 83 Strength: Forwards, Goaltending - The top three forwards are all above slot average, leading to a fifth highest rating in the league. It's a pretty young group in behind them, so they could bloom into a deeper group as the season goes. Backstopping Helsinki is the fifth best rated goaltender in Rask, so a good foundation in net as well. Weakness: Blueline - The blueline is at or around league average down the order, but the top spot is a couple of points below average, which will hurt. Without a true workhorse on the back end, it will be a group effort in the defensive zone. There's also a bit of youth on the back end, so this could possibly shore up as the season goes on. One line thought: Can the Titans hold the fort early in the season while the young players find their way to grow into important roles as they attempt to get back into the playoff conversation? Moscow Menace S89 Regular Season Rank: 1st S90 Projected Overall Rank: 12th Top Rated Forward: Babay Shrimp - 73 Top Rated Defense: Hammar Voss - 80 Top Rated Goalie: Sam Tombstone - 72 Strength: Top Defense, Prospects: Hammar Voss is tied for the top rated skater in the VHL, and is the anchor on this team and blueline. Moscow has a deeper prospect pool, with multiple S89 and S90 drafted players who will make a future impact. Weakness: The Rest: Behind Voss is a roster in flux. a group that seems caught between some vets that are about to age out and some young players who aren't quite ready for bigger roles yet. This leaves the Menace in a tough spot, one that could see them drop from the top team in the regular season last year to a team that misses the playoffs this year. One line thought: Will Moscow unload their biggest trade chip for a large return? Warsaw Predators S89 Regular Season Rank: 11th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 16th Top Rated Forward: Jack Hextall - 68 Top Rated Defense: Tater Tottingham - 70 Top Rated Goalie: Wumbo - 70 Strength: Prospect Pool - With a bevy of S90 prospects, there are future contributors on the way for the Preds. That should help moving forward, especially if the younger roster players develop as well. Weakness: Current Roster - That bright future is blocked by a bleak present. The lowest rated forward group, second lowest defense group, and lowest rated goaltender are going to make for a long year, but they're not far away from a lot of the youth breaking through. One line thought: How many of the young players take a big step forward this season to set a foundation for the future? Overall thoughts for the VHL A big difference in the Conferences this year. North America has the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th projected teams to go along with the 11th, 13th, 14th, and 15th projected ones. This could see a gap form pretty early between the top 4 and bottom 4 in the Conference. The European Conference, on the other hand, is much messier in the middle and could end up being a very tight battle for the playoff spots. I think that it will be harder to predict the playoff order in Europe because of this, and should create some volatility in the standings throughout the season. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VHLE 1. Vasteras Iron Eagles 2. Cologne Express 3. Rome Gladiators 4. Bratislava Watchmen 5. Stockholm Vikings 6. Oslo Storm Vasteras Iron Eagles S89 Regular Season Rank: 7th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 1st Top Rated Forward: Braeden Panarella - 65 Top Rated Defense: Hannibal Barca - 64 Top Rated Goalie: Olivier Gauthier - 70 Strength: Overall - Vasteras holds the highest rated second forward trio, both blueline units, and goaltender in the VHLE. This kind of strength across the lineup, along with the depth of options to choose from in those units should make them a force throughout the entire season. Weakness: Top Line Forwards - The Iron Eagles top trio of forwards is only the second best rated, so it's a big fall off from the rest of the lineup... One line thought: Does Vasteras lose double digit games this season? Cologne Express S89 Regular Season Rank: 3rd S90 Projected Overall Rank: 2nd Top Rated Forward: Sjin - 66 Top Rated Defense: Jordan Bennett - 63 Top Rated Goalie: Devon Giguere - 63 Strength: Forwards - The highest rated top line, supported by a very strong unit with depth behind them. While the blueline is moderately above average in each slot, it's the forward unit that really shines here for Cologne. I expect them to be an offensive powerhouse this season, and should win a lot of high scoring games. Weakness: Goaltending - The only potential wrinkle at this moment for the Express is that they currently have the 2nd lowest rated goaltender in the E. With lots of room and time for growth, it wouldn't be impossible to make that a non-issue as the season plays out. One line thought: Does the gap in goaltending between Cologne and Vasteras create any gap in the standings, or can the Express score their way out of any issues. Rome Gladiators S89 Regular Season Rank: 5th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 3rd Top Rated Forward: BjorkaBjorn BjornaBjorkson - 65 Top Rated Defense: Pope Francis - 65 Top Rated Goalie: Travis Clark - 67 Strength: Top Defense, Goaltender - The highest rated Defense in the league (P. Francis), along with the third highest rated Goaltender in the league (T. Clark). That duo should allow Rome to keep the puck out of the net quite a bit while Francis is on the ice. Weakness: Forwards - A bit of a weakness in that they are pretty much at league average in all forward slots, and don't have anybody that is above that in any slot. This gives a likely scoring by committee approach to this group, but is a decent starting place for where they could end up by the end. One line thought: Can they be better than the best team outside of the big 2? Bratislava Watchmen S89 Regular Season Rank: 6th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 4th Top Rated Forward: Harry Callahan - 65 Top Rated Defense: Nagy AL - 62 Top Rated Goalie: Jonny Elgar - 68 Strength: Young Defense, Goaltenders - The tandem of Elgar and the man of many W's are the second and third highest rated goalies in the league. This gives Bratislava a great option in net, one that won't tire out too quickly with an early rotation. There will be a ton of competition to see who can grab a hold of that net mid-season. The younger Defense on the back end will look to supplant the vets pretty early in the season. Weakness: Forwards - The Watchmen come into the season with F2-F7 all being at least 2 OVR points down to the league average in their slot, which could create some serious scoring issues early on. They're going to need their highest rated forward to carry the bulk of the offensive load, a job which he is up to. One line thought: Is there going to be enough scoring on this team, or will they need to win a lot of low scoring games? Stockholm Vikings S89 Regular Season Rank: 8th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 5th Top Rated Forward: Ronald Johnson MacWallace III - 64 Top Rated Defense: Tommy Sleeves - 60 Top Rated Goalie: Ryan Artyomov - 67 Strength: Goaltender - Stockholm's goalie Artyomov is already the third highest rated goalie in the E. That gives Stockholm a solid anchor at the back end of this team. Weakness: Forward Depth, Defense - The Vikings top trio of forwards is right around league average, but beyond that the team is firmly below average in terms of ratings. F4-F8 are all at least 2 OVR below average for their slot in the league, which could create some secondary scoring issues. The top pair on the blueline rates out as the second lowest currently, so there will need to be quick growth there. One line thought: Can Stockholm generate some secondary scoring quickly to stay afloat? Oslo Storm S89 Regular Season Rank: 4th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 6th Top Rated Forward: Catia Goncalves - 62 Top Rated Defense: Darko Alexander Malkovich, Luca Accardi - 58 Top Rated Goalie: Jay Saucey - 62 Strength: Mid-level Forwards - Oslo shows up relatively around league average with their middle and depth forwards, which should create a bit of stabilization while they're on the ice. Weakness: Top Line Forwards, Blueline, Goaltending - The lowest rated top forward group, blueline, and goaltender in the E make for a rough start to the season for the Storm. It'll be imperative to bring those groups along in a hurry at the start. One line thought: Can Oslo's players develop quick enough early in the season to be able to hang around the playoff race? Overall thoughts for the VHLE The E this year is very much a fractured and segmented league. It certainly feels like it's about 3 leagues instead with the separation between the teams. To that end, the big question is whether this will be a season of Vasteras and Cologne running away at the top of the league, or whether anybody else can join them as the season goes on. With the narrow gap in overall ratings with the players, and the cap on the top players already, it's possible that as the season goes on, teams could catch up. Expect a lot of early dominance from the two top teams, and it could perhaps get interesting as the season moves forwards towards the playoffs. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VHLM Projected finishing order by conference: Western Conference 1. Saskatoon Wild 2. San Diego Marlins 3. Mexico City Kings 4. Las Vegas Aces 5. Houston Bulls Saskatoon Wild S89 Regular Season Rank: 9th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 1st Top Rated Forward: Jorji Costova - 56 Top Rated Defense: Callum Gary Yannick Janser - 56 Top Rated Goalie: Joseph Reed - 61 Strength: Overall - Saskatoon is absolutely loaded across the board this season, boasting the deepest forward group (including the highest rated forward in the league), the highest rated blueline, and the top rated goalie in the M coming into the year. Continued development will push them to a great season. Weakness: F2 and F3? - The Wild are league average in their second and third forward slots at the moment, but the secondary scoring talent behind them should balance that out well. One line thought: This is going to be a season of dominance for Saskatoon, one that will see them jump all the way up the standings. San Diego Marlins S89 Regular Season Rank: 3rd S90 Projected Overall Rank: 4th Top Rated Forward: Eric White Jr. - 55 Top Rated Defense: Leif Reingaard - 55 Top Rated Goalie: Olober Syko - 56 Strength: Blueline - San Diego has the second best blueline in the league, and a pretty highly rated goaltender, so they should have no issue keeping the puck out of the net this season. The top duo of forwards is above average as well. Weakness: Depth Forwards - The forward group beyond the top couple for the Marlins is a little thin at the moment, and will need to develop to provide some secondary scoring throughout the year. One line thought: Can the Marlins do what they did last year and keep getting stronger as the season goes on to be a force at the end? Mexico City Kings S89 Regular Season Rank: 4th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 6th Top Rated Forward: Bryce Woodworth - 51 Top Rated Defense: Free Gorlab, Mina - 53 Top Rated Goalie: Jose Avocado - 54 Strength: Blueline - The back end for Mexico City is above league average in all 4 slots, which should create some stability in their game. Goaltending is right around league average. Weakness: Forwards - They'll need that back end to carry the load, because the forward group is thin. With only 3 forwards under contract, and all being below league average in their slots, the Kings need some offense in a hurry. One line thought: Are they going to be able to defend well enough to make up for the lack of scoring? Las Vegas Aces S89 Regular Season Rank: 10th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 7th Top Rated Forward: Quinndillus Whopper - 52 Top Rated Defense: Didier Verhault - 55 Top Rated Goalie: Dalkr Vidarsson - 56 Strength: Blueline, Goaltending - The back end of the Vegas roster is above average, both in net and on the blueline. All 3 defenders slot in above average, providing the strength of this team. Weakness: Forwards - Much like the previous entry, the Aces need help offensively. They'll need the forwards to develop quickly to make up for the lack of true top end talent. One line thought: Can Vegas make the climb out of the basement in the M to get into the playoffs? Houston Bulls S89 Regular Season Rank: 2nd S90 Projected Overall Rank: 10th Top Rated Forward: Joshua Schwarzer, Toby Kadachi - 52 Top Rated Defense: All bots Top Rated Goalie: Pipo Popa - 51 Strength: Forwards - The forward group for Houston sits around or slightly below league average in their slots, so they'll be able to score a bit to start. Weakness: Blueline, Goaltender - No easy way to put this, the Bulls are going to have a very difficult time keeping the puck out of the net this season to start. A blueline full of bots, and the second lowest rated goaltender means that the offense is going to have to make up for a leaky back end. One line thought: Can the Bulls bring in a defender to fill those holes quickly enough? Eastern Conference 1. Mississauga Hounds 2. Miami Marauders 3. Philadelphia Reapers 4. Halifax 21st 5. Ottawa Lynx Mississauga Hounds S89 Regular Season Rank: 5th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 2nd Top Rated Forward: Grimgor Ironhide, James MacAvoy - 54 Top Rated Defense: Howdy Doody - 54 Top Rated Goalie: Red Panda - 58 Strength: Top Line, Goaltender - The unit of 5 skaters that comprises the top line for Mississauga is the strongest in the league as an overall group, one that should help pace this team to the top of the East. The second highest rated goaltender in the league as the backstop to this group is a pretty good option as well. Weakness: Blueline Depth? - A drop off for the Hounds beyond the top defender, the younger defense will need to grow into their role quickly. One line thought: Is the overall strength of Mississauga's group enough to bump them up to the top of the league? Miami Marauders S89 Regular Season Rank: 8th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 3rd Top Rated Forward: Oden Bell, Sebastian Thunder - 53 Top Rated Defense: Lionel Collberg - 56 Top Rated Goalie: David Slezak - 55 Strength: Overall - Miami has a balanced roster across the board, plus one of the top rated defenders in the league. This will help ease the burden on a few players, and focus on overall team strength as a path to wins. Weakness: Top Forward - The Marauders lack a true top of the lineup forward at the moment, they'll need somebody to develop into that role from their group of already decent scorers. One line thought: What is their ceiling if the good players take a step towards great? Philadelphia Reapers S89 Regular Season Rank: 1st S90 Projected Overall Rank: 5th Top Rated Forward: Eno Velvson - 55 Top Rated Defense: Kodie Curran - 50 Top Rated Goalie: Amir Redzic - 54 Strength: Top Forwards - Philadelphia's top 2 forwards are strong, and should carry the offense for them this season. Weakness: Forward Depth, Blueline - Not much scoring behind the top forwards, and a paper thin blueline will hold the Reapers back until it is dealt with. One line thought: Can the Reapers add early enough in the season to move back towards the top of the standings? Halifax 21st S89 Regular Season Rank: 6th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 8th Top Rated Forward: Jeid Rohnson - 54 Top Rated Defense: Obuz Schneider Canet du Bocage - 53 Top Rated Goalie: Bot. Strength: Top Line - The starting 5 unit for Halifax is relatively strong to the rest of the league, and should give them some offensive punch to keep pace. Weakness: Goaltender - This was a strength until today when Boolie Buccholz was released. With no goaltender under contract, it's going to be an uphill climb for Halifax now. One line thought: What is Halifax's strategy in net with the change coming so late? Ottawa Lynx S89 Regular Season Rank: 7th S90 Projected Overall Rank: 9th Top Rated Forward: Lucky Mitts, Thijs Mooij - 49 Top Rated Defense: Scrungle Bungle - 49 Top Rated Goalie: Andrew Cobberson - 49 Strength: Great Vibes - Loved my time in Ottawa, wish we could have continued the Cinderella story last season! Weakness: Overall- The forward group for the Lynx rates out at the bottom of the league, and will need quick development to provide adequate offense to this team. The back end is thin, and sits as the lowest rated team that isn't only bots on the blueline. Ditto for in net. One line thought: Will this be a retooling year for the future in Ottawa? Overall thoughts for the VHLM A bit of a mixed bag this season in the M, but it looks to me like this might be a dominant year for one team, with multiple teams jockeying to figure out who can best come along and challenge them throughout the season.

I think it's a pretty reasonable complaint for a player to have. You get drafted, only to find out that you basically have nowhere to play due to roster limits for games. Can't go back down to the M, can't go up to the VHL. We keep pushing the E to be a better league so that people don't dread playing in it, but this isn't going to help things at all. How many players are going to be stuck sitting on a nightly basis for Vasteras this season? How do you tell the players who have to sit because of this that they should just keep quiet and enjoy playing once every few games in what I assume will be a rotation? The whole "draft the entire third round" thing was funny, but now there are real repercussions for the players who got drafted instead of having somewhere to actually play. Put yourself in any of those players shoes and tell me that you'd be happy with it in a sim league.

I'm with you on rewarding active players, definitely what needs to be prioritized. Also, I love your player card, it's really cool!

1. Great additions (I drafted all 3 in fantasy), nice to see a push for competitiveness this season! 2. Hopefully home ice advantage in the first couple of rounds of the playoffs! 3. I think that with the scoring influx, could definitely see multiple forwards in the mix for some of the offensive awards. Wouldn't be surprised to see Joel Castle in the race for goalie awards as well! 4. I focused my re-roll this off-season on becoming a more well-rounded player, one will a good balance between defense and scoring. I'm hoping those increases will make me a strong contributor at both ends of the ice. 5. Scoring an overtime winner in the playoffs to win a division title. 6. Liechtenstein and Luxembourg. Gotta get the smaller European countries pumping out some gems!

Go Brats!

On a warm summer morning in Slovakia, the doors of Samsung Arena are propped open for the arrival of the Bratislava Watchmen, ready and eager to kick off training camp. After an off-season of change that sees only four players returning from the previous season, it will be imperative for the Watchmen to bring their group together quickly in a year with high expectations. After playoff appearances in six of their first seven seasons in the VHLE, it's been three seasons in a row with no action past the regular season. That combined with a six season Championship drought leaves Bratislava plenty hungry for success coming into this season. Bratislava is hoping to reap the benefits of back to back solid drafts, with four picks from the S89 draft and three picks from the S90 draft expected to be solid contributors. The forward group should be led by returning LW Otis Boudreaux Jr., who had a 53 point rookie campaign for the Watchmen last season. Key to the scoring success of the group will be three graduates from the VHLM: Harry Callahan, Mikko Borisyuk and Carson Walker Jr. It is imperative that Bratislava get contributions from these young forwards, and that they continue to progress into key performers as the season moves on. S91 free agent signing Spanish Moon Moth enters the season as one of the youngest forwards in the E, but should not be discounted for contributions this season. Rounding out the forward group are a trio of veterans, C Loki Baker DMD, C Luke Glendenning, and LW Johnny Kalamazoo. Glendenning is returning to the Watchmen for a second season coming off a 59 point season, while Baker and Kalamazoo make their debuts for the squad. On the blueline for the Watchmen there has been a youth movement, one that might see growing pains to start the season, but should flourish into a solid group as the year goes on. Only one of the blueliners on the roster for Bratislava has seen more than one season of VHLE action, and that is veteran D Nagy AL. After stops in Istanbul, Cologne, Stockholm, Rome, Oslo, and Geneva, they hope to bring some veteran experience after eight seasons in the league. D Tobias Weiss is the lone returning defense for the Watchmen, coming off of a very solid rookie season that saw them put up 52 points from the blueline. Continued production on a similar level would help Bratislava immensely. The biggest growth on the back end for Bratislava is expected to come in the form of a trio of defenders making their VHLE debuts this season. S90 first round picks Jebediah Big Ol Doinks in Amish and Walter Fitzroy Jr. are both coming into the league in a good spot to contribute this season, while S91 free agent signing Sunset Moth has a chance to do so as well. Finally, in goal for the Brats this season is a pair of goaltenders who look to backstop the Watchers to a season of success. Jonny Elgar returns for their second season following a rookie year that saw them make 63 starts, posting a .905 save percentage and 3.07 goals against average with 2 shutouts. Looking to push Elgar is goaltender WWWWWWWWWWWWWWW WWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. While they're unproven, coming up from the VHLM after just 2 starts last season, they look to forge a solid tandem in net that Bratislava can count on. As training camp goes and the Watchmen look to settle in, they get to see the results of their work in just 6 days, when the new season begins. Mentions: @Otis Boudreaux Jr @dstevensonjr @Minebro @Cwalker @Renomitsu @Bayley @ColeMrtz @KzooJohn @bigAL @jfaly @hylands @Moon @McWolf @Jonny @rory

6 points! Happy with the picks from this season!

1. Absolutely!! We are going to be in for a very fun and competitive season! 2. As I saw them show up numerous times in my "This Week in the VHLM" series last season, I'll give that nod to Axle Gunner. They had a monster season last year, and were a solid add. 3. Happy for Rory, sad for the player list. Formatting is a tragic, but worthy sacrifice. 4. I play for nobody else, Brats for life for Harry Callahan. 5. If it's for fun, I'll go anywhere with an NHL hockey rink, NFL stadium, or NASCAR track. If it's for relaxation, anywhere with sun, a pool, and drinks. 6. Not only am I prepared for it, I welcome it with open arms. Light us all on fire, I say.

This is awesome!! (And what a great player choice!) Thank you very much!!

With the S89 playoffs coming to a close, it's a good time to take a look back at the three winners, their Championship history, and how long it's been since they sipped the champagne at the end of the season. Let's take a look! VHL Champions HC Davos Dynamo 11th Championship Win in 89 seasons First Title since S61 The only one of our three league champions to end a long drought, HC Davos crushed a 27 season titleless run. One of the original franchises in the VHL, the Dynamo won 10 Continental Cup's in their first 61 seasons, along with 17 Finals appearances. After that run to start their franchise, it took Davos until S87 to make it back to the last round, where they lost to Calgary. The Dynamo wouldn't be stopped this year, defeating the Vancouver Wolves in 6 games. Vancouver won the first 2 games of the series, but it was Davos claiming 4 straight games and the Cup. This win for the Dynamo brings them back into a tie with the Helsinki Titans for the second most Championships in VHL history. VHLE Champions Cologne Express 2nd Championship Win in 10 seasons First Title since S87 Cologne's title comes just 2 seasons after their first Renaissance Cup back in S87, which was preceded by 2 trips to the Finals in S82 and S85. The Express swept aside the Istanbul Red Wolves in 4 games to win this season, losing only one game in these playoffs. This fourth appearance in the E Final has moved Cologne into a tie for second most appearances with Oslo. The second title also moves the Express into second place in Championships behind Oslo. VHLM Champions San Diego Marlins 2nd Championship Win in 24 seasons First Title since S86 Much like the Cologne Express in the E, San Diego won their second title in a short span, this one coming 3 seasons after their first Founder's Cup in S86. The Marlins beat the Reapers in 5 games to claim their Championship after beating the Lynx and the 21st in the first two rounds. With San Diego being a newer franchise relative to the longer running teams in the VHLM, they've had a shorter timeframe to win their 2 titles, yet they still sit sixth among the ten active teams.

It's all good, I just wasn't in a position to make the team last year, and was hoping to this year before being over the threshold. Sorry for the snarky comments. Good luck in the tournament!

I was waiting on a re-roll (which came through, as evidenced by my 356 TPA now). I would have applied the first one for the tournament if I had known it was keeping me off the team, but I wasn't asked.

As an S89 with 356 TPE, not sure how I didn't get included here when I'd have the 2nd most TPE among forwards, but oh well.

6,615 km from the VHLM to the VHLE On the banks of the Danube River in Central Europe, Right Winger Harry Callahan continues his journey to the VHL. The picturesque city of Bratislava is located on the Western end of Slovakia, and it is home to an up and coming squad in the Watchmen. It is here that Callahan hopes to win a Renaissance Cup. After 2 seasons in Ottawa of decent offensive production but poor overall play, Callahan realized that he needed improvement in the harder areas of the game. It has resulted in an off-season of shifting priorities, and work focused on building up a more well-rounded style of hockey that will hopefully translate into more team success. Through 154 VHLM games (including playoffs), Callahan floated just under a point per game, finishing with 72 goals and 72 assists for 144 points. The larger concern, and a recognition from the young winger, was a lack of contribution in other areas. He saw just 77 shot blocks in the two seasons, including a significant drop between years one and two. He also finished with a -49 plus/minus rating, showing that he was becoming a liability on the ice defensively. That renewed focus this off-season has led to massive increases in defensive ability and strength, hoping to ensure that Callahan would not be as irresponsible defensively as he was in his previous 2 seasons. Heading into the upcoming season with a young Watchmen team, Callahan will look to put that improvement to the test and be a leader for his team. While the league is often looked down upon by many, Callahan views this as a great opportunity to continue developing in a gorgeous European city, with a team that has already shown the ability to be a close knit group who communicate well with each other. Early team bonding has included a competitive, but fun round of games such as Puckduko, and Wordle. Callahan finds these kinds of games important, as it helps build the team closer before the real fun of the season starts on the ice. He arrived in Bratislava just days after being eliminated in the VHLM playoffs with Ottawa, looking to put in the kind of work required to win at the next level. In just a few short weeks, we'll get to see how much that work will pay off. The short term view includes continuing to train, while the Watchmen look to add to the roster via the draft and free agency. After that, the real stuff starts.

2000+ Words Week 4

2000+ Words Week 3

2000+ Words Week 2

1. I just like watching the moves around the leagues, especially with the new promotion rules. Gives a good indication about where teams think that they are heading into a new season. 2. Absolutely! We have multiple good pieces in place already, the draft will be a great spot to bolster this group. 3. There's going to be an influx of talent onto multiple rosters with the 2 teams leaving. It's going to make the E a much more competitive league with deeper rosters all over. I think that it's a good thing for the teams that are still around. 4. Definitely the Leafs and anybody. Having watched them for almost 30 years, it gives me a background on some players that aren't as well known, and so they give lower pick rates. 5. For sure, I think that it's important to have an active and engaged team, it keeps everybody invested more in what is happening with the team, which increases enjoyment. It's nice to have a sense of working towards a common goal as part of a team 6. I think that a lot of that comes from my previous point about keeping the team engaged. The active Discord group makes for daily fun, and helps keep a good group well connected. Rory helps generate and maintain that level of activity.

This series will be renamed The Road Series.