diacope 2

1) I'm on the discord more than is probably healthy and I don't currently have a job, so being available for 8 hours a day seems doable. Active hours vary wildly, but usually 7 PM - 6 AM MST on weekdays.
2) I've been verified on discord for a while now, and my phone notifies me of pings. Good to go there.
3) This is the only area where I don't qualify, as I am 18. However, in my time on this site I have never been involved in a controversy and have good intentions.
4) Nope. Never even applied for a job before, actually. 
 

1) I'm on the discord more than is probably healthy and I don't currently have a job, so being available for 8 hours a day seems doable. Active hours vary wildly, but usually 7 PM - 6 AM MST on weekdays.
2) I've been verified on discord for a while now, and my phone notifies me of pings. Good to go there.
3) This is the only area where I don't qualify, as I am 18. However, in my time on this site I have never been involved in a controversy and have good intentions.
4) Nope. Never even applied for a job before, actually. 
 

Signing up, ima go 6/6 as town

The Seattle Bears have been a force in the VHL over the past few seasons, winning the Continental Cup 3 out of the last 4 seasons. This team, a creation of @Banackock's roster management is a perfect example how efficiently drafting, signing contracts and making smart roster moves can give you flexibility for years to come. We will be taking a look at the roster moves and homegrown talent to see how Seattle went from just another playoff contender to a dynasty.
 
Let's start with the drafting. The Bears were very smart with their drafting, so let us take a look back through who the Bears picked before their Continental Cup victories.
 
S67 DRAFT
 
2nd Overall: Rayz Funk, G
@Rayzor_7
 
At 2nd overall, the Bears get their franchise goalie. This is a smart pick considering that they have 2 more first round picks in this draft (5th and 7th overall) but picking your franchise goalie gives your team a lot of stability if you can put a good blue line in front of him. So far with the Bears, his playoff stats are off the charts, averaging a .930 SV% and 2.00 GAA when it is crunch time in the spring. Safe to say this pick paid off for Seattle.
 
5th Overall: Hulk Hogan, D
@Hulk Hogan
 
Another good pick here, getting a highly touted defensive prospect to go along with your franchise goalie. With a big frame for blocking and battling in the corner, Seattle scores a two-way defensive prospect with this pick.
 
7th Overall: Acyd Burn, RW
@Acydburn
 
This was a good pick. Even though he isn't with the Bears anymore, Burn almost recorded a point per game in 4 seasons with the Bears and helped them win their first 2 Continental Cups.
 
13th Overall: Scott Greene, C
@DoktorFunk
 
Solid Two-Way Center who can both play lockdown on the power play or score on you. He has been a steady playoff performer for the Bears, recording 55 points in 61 playoff games with Seattle so far.
 
17th Overall: Berocka Sundqvist, D
@Berocka
 
Solid second round pick. Sundqvist has been a defensive force while having solid points offensively. In 36 games so far in S73, Sundqvist has 42 points which are solid numbers for a defenseman. He was a part of all 3 of Seattle's Cup Winning Teams.
 
The S67 Draft brought this team together, and they have other players from that draft on their team that they did not pick such as LW Guy LeGrande (14th Overall) who have been steady contributors. They also have young guns on their team in the likes of Randy Marsh (@oilmandan) on defense and Uhtred (@leafsman), Ray Sheilds (@Zetterberg) and Ola Vikingstad (@Dil) on offense. However, the biggest piece to the success of the Bears lately has been their contracts. Their contracts are so flexible and they have most of their roster on flexible, long term contracts. @Banackock has done a great job getting contracts that fit the needs of his players financially but also keep the team a contender year after year.
 
Final Thoughts:
 
The Bears are still a force this year. So far through 36 games in S73, The Bears sit at 24-10-2 record which is good for 50 points and 1st in the VHL. This team is definition of what smart front office, drafting and roster management choices can do for a team down the stretch. You know though, I wouldn't be surprised if the Seattle Bears win a few more Continental Cups before their window is closed.
 
(589 words, 3275 characters)
 
 

Hello, and welcome to season 72, edition 2 of Under 250: The VHLM Report. In these series, we will be taking a look at the trends and topics from the past week in the VHLM. What twists and turns will our minor league hold? Stay tuned to find out!
 
Speaking of other VSN content, make sure to check out the other great work from the greater VSN family! Here are a few handy links to check out, from our weekly podcasts to in-depth history articles, scouting reports, and more! 
 
Ringless | VSN Weekly Review | Future Watch | Talents Behind The Trophies
 
The Review
 
This week’s biggest story is arguably the most newsworthy thing to happen to the VHLM in quite some time. One of the league commissioners, @Banackock, a man I worked personally alongside for several seasons, is no longer in the role. The issues and reasoning that have resulted in this outcome are beyond the scope of this article at this time, but it is surely a watershed moment for the league as the torch is passed from one of the standard-bearers of the league and a beacon of stability. He was, as we know, a bit of a firebrand, but none can question the amount of work he put into the league to make it what it is now. 
 
As a result of this departure, a quick hire was made to fill the vacancy, and while there are certainly many qualified candidates, the position has been filled by @Sonnet, current GM of the Houston Bulls. This was his second stint with the team, and it has proven to be a brief one, as he will be stepping down from the role at the end of the season. For the time being, he will occupy both positions, and the replacement GM will be found when the current Bulls season is complete. Sonnet will surely bring a fresh perspective to the leadership of the VHLM, and surely a voice coming directly from the GM ranks can only be a good thing. The VHLM gladly welcomes Sonnet and looks forward to what is hopefully a long and fruitful tenure. 
 
Of course, while the commissioner change is the biggest event of the week, it certainly hasn’t stopped games from being played. The standings as we last presented them didn’t leave much room for the discrepancy - there was a lot of tight clumping toward the middle, and one would have been hard-pressed to pick from among a handful of teams. As the league has progressed, some things have started to spread out, whereas others have remained nearly as tight as before.
 

 
At nearly the halfway point of the season, the Minnesota Storm have pulled out of what was previously level pegging with the Las Vegas Aces, to take sole ownership of first. The Aces, on the other hand, have fallen behind the Saskatoon Wild as well. Conference-wise, the Storm lead the East by 13 points. Second is currently being held by the Mississauga Hounds but only by a single point; they and the Philadelphia Reapers were level at this point last week so given the gap is now only one, these two will likely be battling it out to the end. 
 
The Ottawa Lynx, who were also level with the Hounds and Reapers, have now fallen behind (8 to the Reapers and 9 to the Hounds) and seem to be a relatively stable fourth. The Halifax 21st have to feel a bit like the VHL’s New York Americans, as they’re out of the playoff picture by 7 points despite being ahead of a team in the other conference that would currently be in. 
 
Bringing up the rear are the expansion Miami Marauders. This isn’t terribly surprising as the Marauders are in their first season and are working with just what was available to them out of the expansion, and they’ll likely see a bit more competitive hockey down in South Beach next time out. 
 
In the West, as stated before, the Wild have overtaken the Aces. Still, the gap is a meagre 2 points, so there’s not likely to be a clear and definitive conference winner anytime soon. This race will keep the interest of fans in both Saskatoon and Las Vegas until the very end of the season. An interesting thing to note regarding the race between the Wild and Aces would be their goal differences. Saskatoon have a +90, while Las Vegas only have a +51 - this difference is almost entirely in goals for, as they’ve conceded nearly identically across the season. 
 
In third with 44 points are the Mexico City Kings, a team that doesn’t have much to play for in their own conference as there is a sizable gap on both sides in the standings, but they’ll want to fight for seeding in the playoffs, where they’re in direct competition with the Hounds and Reapers. The Yukon Rush, who sit in fourth in the West on 28 points, are the classic example of a team who will make the playoffs due less to their own ability and more to the lack of rostered players on the teams below them. They should be quite the attractive destination to waiver players, as they’re good enough to provide a playoff opportunity, yet should be able to offer larger roles to new players than those above them. 
 
Rounding out the conference are the San Diego Marlins and the Houston Bulls, two teams that will be composed almost exclusively of waiver players and looking to make a run next season, at 9 and 4 points respectively. 
 
That’s how the standings appear at the moment, but what effect has that had on the ELO ratings for the teams at this stage?
 

 
The first thing that jumps out to me about the ELO graph this time around is the gap between the Marlins and Bulls. It has only manifested itself in a 5 point differential in the standings, but the ELO chart shows the Marlins as being a pretty significantly better team than the Bulls at the bottom. Additionally, Yukon is performing worse in ELO than not only Halifax (which makes a bit more sense) but also Miami. Miami’s line took a big jump when they went on a 3 game winning streak - two of the wins were over Houston and San Diego, but the other was over an Ottawa team that’s well above them. A similar dip can be seen in Ottawa’s line at around the same point.
 
Minnesota looks to be the class of the league by a wider margin here than in the standings, and that jump in their line is likely the result of two margin of victory wins over Halifax, 10-2 and 8-0. The line for Ottawa is also seemingly closer to the teams just behind them than the teams just ahead of them, even though the standings don’t reflect that.
 
Something that wasn’t as immediately recognizable, but seems to tell a larger story, is the placement of that green line in the middle. That’s our third-place team, the Las Vegas Aces. The ELO chart only has them in a comparatively paltry 6th at the moment, while Saskatoon, who are only 2 points higher in the standings, are in 2nd in the chart which matches their place in the standings. Mexico City, the team chasing the Aces, are ahead of them in ELO, as are the Hounds and Reapers from the East. Could the ELO chart be a predictor of some unexpected movement up and down the standings from some of the unexpectedly placed teams? 
 
The Highlights
 
The top of the goals and assists leaderboards are surprisingly both players from a relatively middling Ottawa Lynx team - Big Chungus with 38 goals as more of a scoring specialist (his assists are low enough that he falls a bit back on the total points leaderboard) and Adam Syreck with 55 assists as well as the overall points lead with 78. There are only a handful of players who have broken that 70 point barrier thus far: Syreck, Kazimir Komarov, Ike Bennett, Michael Mac, and Bob Helminen, all representing different teams (Ottawa, Saskatoon, Minnesota, Mississauga, and Philadelphia, respectively). 
 
The recurring theme here, and it’s something that matches up with the ELO charts as well, is a conspicuous lack of Las Vegas representation. For a team that’s third in the standings, and with a decent lead over the 3-team chasing pack behind them, they don’t really show up as often as might be expected at the top of the scoring charts. Their top scorer is Alex Letang with 53 points - this is certainly a fine performance from Letang, especially as he’s a defender, but at the same time it’s a full 25 points behind the leader overall. It’s also saying something that their top scorer is a defender at all - where are the forwards? The first place to look is at goaltending, maybe they’re being carried from the back, but while Nils Friedriksen is doing very well in goal with a 2.24 GAA and 0.898 SV%, he’s largely in line with the other top goalies. Are these Aces paper tigers?
 
While on the topic of goaltending, there is a player that deserves to be noted for something that is rather unusual. The top of the save percentage charts one might expect to see someone like Woody McPine, Grekkark Gyrfalcon, or Zamboni Driver. Those three, along with Friedriksen, are among the top 5 in both GAA and SV%, but they also have good teams in front of them as well, to varying degrees, and that is not to take away from any of their performances either. However, the current SV% leader is none other than Jean Pierre Camus of Yukon. He’s not nearly as high on the GAA board, at a 3.49 and a full goal lower than any of the goalies listed above, but GAA is more heavily affected by the team. There is no true stat measuring just a goalie alone, but SV% is the closest thing to it, and Camus is carrying Yukon to a better performance than they otherwise might have had. It’s an interesting thing to point out, and Camus deserves credit, regardless of where his team is. 
 
That’s all for this edition of Under 250: The VHLM Review. Thank you all for reading, and stay tuned next week for the inside scoop on all that’s going on in the league. Until next time!

GMS
@Proto @Ricer13 @Rayzor_7 @Motzaburger @MexicanCow123 @InstantRockstar @DMaximus @Dil @McWolf @ColeMrtz @DoktorFunk

Players Mentioned
@Spartan @HearnNation67 @Sharkstrong @Tape-to-Tape @Spade18 @solas @Biggreen10 @LastOneUp @Gooningitup @Caboose30 @Big Bob @Ferda

1. We've now traded off a few of our star players. What's the feeling like in the locker room?
Its a little quiet, since so many people are gone, but that just means more points for me
2. Did you see this sudden change in direction coming?
Not really, but I trust that the GMs know what they are doing.
3. How has your player been performing this season?
He has been doing good for a rookie, with 27 points in 37 games
4. What do you think about management's decision to do a full 180 on the season?
As I said before, I trust them to choose what to do is right
5. Is there any player that you hated to see traded away?
Obviously hated to see my favorite frog @a_Ferk traded away
6. After our trades, which team do you think benefited most from our downfall?
idk tbh
7. iPhone or Android?
iphone
8. Do you pronounce Garage like: Guh-rage or Gair-age?
First way

I was going to wait until later to release a statement. I didn’t wake up this morning or go to bed last night thinking this would happen. I never ever had plans of stepping away. I feel like this is just a poor, poor misunderstanding where my wording was blown up and examined and taken out of context.. I don’t even know.. walking in circles.. especially seeing as my words came from the source itself.. 
 
I have given two years to the role as VHLM commissioner and as I mentioned, I never intended to step away ever.. and didn’t last night or this morning when I woke up.. I have missed family events, family suppers during Easter and Thanksgiving, Ive had situations where my grandfather passed away.. my girlfriend found out she has a tumor in May and very well could have cancer.. and my world is flipped upside down. The sadness I’ve had. The dreams I’ve had to which I wake up in the middle of the night with wet eyes crying.. and I was still here for the league, it’s members, the VHLM and my family who was the VHLM  and it’s GM’s. I’ve never left. My activity has never lessened. I was always here at the moment of a ping, a mention, a message.. the moment my alarm rang at 0600 I was on and was here until the moment I put my phone down to go to bed.. 
 
I feel frustrated. I feel very heartbroken. I feel disappointed in the leadership and myself. I feel small. Similar to my Hall of Fame speech I got.. I was so excited to be recognized. I was so proud to reach that level. What I got was a very short, rambled paragraph on how I improved the league and am an asshole to some. I felt so incredibly small. I felt worthless. That I try so hard for everyone here to make this league as amazing as it is, as it’s become and as it will grow into.. and felt like it didn’t matter. I don’t know, VHL. Super sad day. I was booted without even being able to say good bye to people I spent all day talking with, helping.. they weren’t just GM’s.. they were my support.. closest thing to online pals and family I’ll ever have.. I am incredibly grateful for them.. 
 
With that being said,  @VHLM GM , assistants and managers that I’ve had in the past.. I can’t name you all but every single one of you.. Thank you for the amazing 2 years. Yes, sometimes we disagreed. Yes, the M section was a UFC ring sometimes.. sometimes, you know, it even ended on bad terms a little bit and it was unfortunate because in the grand scheme.. I still have a spot for those people. We had many amazing times.. I’m sorry. I don’t even know how to properly thank you guys for being my family for all the hours, days and bad, happy and good times. I just want you all to know that I love you all as members and as people and it saddens me and breaks my heart. I’m really, really going to miss you guys and miss working/talking with you all each and every hour of the day.. I don’t know.. sorry this statement sucks..
 
VHL, VHLM.. thank you for the support. It’s because of you amazing people, all you different people, that have come together to make this place such an .. addiction. Such a strong hobby. Such a strong part of our lives.. it’s you guys that I always wanted to do right by. I put in the work and hours with the intentions to improve you and your experiences here. I’m not perfect. I’m so deeply sorry for the mistakes I’ve made and to anyone who have crossed swords.. 
 
I can’t thank you all enough I just don’t know how to express it and am struggling to find words to say..  I wish you all the best and all the love in the world. Keep making this place a better place than it was yesterday. Remember, mistakes happen. We won’t always agree and we’re such a large group of many differences but we all are here because we love this shit. 
 
You can still expect me behind DA BEARZ..  see you out there. Take care.. 

https://imgur.com/dG0eh8W
 
Congratulations to Team Canada!
The fifteen players selected to play for Team Canada at the S72 World Junior Championship are as follows:
 
 
Squirrely Dan @jacobaa19 | SS Hornet @McWolf | Timothy Brown @a_Ferk
Joseph Gainer @joeg | Andrew Su @Da_Berr | Michael Mac @LastOneUp
Joe Exotic @Joe Exotic | Jared @jared | Remy Moreau @Da Trifecta

      Alex Letang @Spartan | Tyler Walker @Advantage
      Liam Flaten @flatl99 | Bo Burrows @Walter Fizz
 
               Woody McPine @HearnNation67
               Jacob Tonn @MexicanCow123
 
All players can join the discord server at: https://discord.gg/zbQD4d
 
Merry World Juniors Time!!

Wow! Thanks for all the questions!
 
1) I think all the teams have good jerseys but I love jerseys with a navy colour. Houston and Mississauga both have good jerseys. I would be happy to be drafted by any team but I would love to be with some other young guys and a good front office.
 
2) In the short term, I'm working on my Shooting, Passing, Defense, Puck Handling and Checking to become a Pure Scorer with the ability to hit and take the puck away. In the long term, I will become a more rounded player but still have the emphasis on shooting and become a better skater.
 
3) I don't really know a lot about the current VHL players so not now.
 
4) I would say salty.
 
5) The best kind of snack to have at midnight is a soft snack with not too much sugar.
 
6) I would probably turn into a dog, just to see what it is like to be a pet
 
7) Hot enough so that it has a bit of kick to it, but not hot enough to the point where your tongue burns off.
 

I actually saw the VHL near the beginning of May in r/EA_NHL and thought it looked interesting. I joined a week ago and I've had a blast so you bet your ass I am staying active here.

Hello. How did you end up joining the league my guy?
 
I joined from a reddit post a few days after the NHL was shut down due to COVID.

Hello VHL and VHLM Players and GMs!
 
I will be doing a Q&A on this thread here! The questions can be from anybody! I will be answering any and all questions so if you want to ask anything just hit the quote button and drop your question down below!

This is part 2, if you would like to view the Western Conference version you can read it here
 
 
Glasser Division
 
Minnesota Storm
 
Rank: 1st
 
After taking one quick glance at Minnesota’s roster, I came to the conclusion: “Yep, this team looks terrifying”. The Storm will be a force to be reckoned with this season. It is clear that Minnesota is making a push to win it all this year after the recent trade with Yukon that brought Dickson, Harrison and John to the team. They have one thing most of the other contenders don’t with a capped goalie in Woody McPine, which I think will give them an edge. Minnesota is not lacking in any other areas of the game, either. Danny DeYeeto has been around the block a time or two in the VHLM, and is expected to rack up points for Minnesota. They have a second defense pairing that rivals the first pairing of many other teams. Saskatoon remains the Storm’s biggest threat, and I think it is going to be a Saskatoon vs Minnesota final. 
 
Mississauga Hounds
 
Rank: 3rd
 
The Hounds had a very good draft this offseason, and will be looking to make a playoff push this season. It is unlikely that they will win the division, as they share it with a scary Minnesota team, but they have an almost certain shot of making it as a wildcard. The draft saw Mississauaga pick up some important pieces for their squad, including forward Marshall James Frostbeard and goaltender Jacob Tonn. Jacob is expected to have a ton of impact as the starting tender, and Frostbeard is the team’s star forward. Overall Mississauga has a good amount of depth, which could be a wildcard against teams that are top heavy. I don’t think they’re better than Philly, but they’re a good enough team to rank 3rd.
 
Ottawa Lynx
 
Rank: 5th
 
After a successful cup run, which saw the Lynx take home the founder’s Cup, Ottawa’s roster has been gutted quite a lot. Adam Syreck and Big Chungus are the team’s main driving force, backed up by Defenz Mann. Goaltender Ajay Krishna is a gem for the Lynx, taken in the 5th round of the recent draft. However, Krishna is still relatively unproven and it is unknown how he will do after immediately being thrown into the starting role. Defenz Mann and Rich Dickbutt McFudderdudder are a steady force at defense, among the best in the conference. However, Ottawa also has a staggering lack of depth. The top line and defense pairing are elite, but they are essentially the entire team. These aspects force me to rank them 5th in a close contest with Halifax. However, the weakness of the bottom teams in the West makes it so the Lynx still have a very good shot of making the playoffs.
 
 
Theusch Division
 
Philadelphia Reapers
 
Rank: 2nd
 
Although they have been overshadowed by Minnesota and are not doing very well in the standings right now, the Reapers still have a very good roster provided everyone stays with the team. I’ve heard speculation that they may be looking to sell. While John Poremba is no Woody McPine, he is still a very good goaltender in his own right and will steal them a few wins here and there. Bob Helminen and Bud Knight also remain very good players, and can be expected to provide a lot of scoring for Philly. The defense is also excellent, consisting of names like Ziarie Anigbogu, Riley Knight Gee, and Spencer Elsby. In fact, Elsby is among the best defensemen in the league. While Philadelphia doesn’t have any glaring holes in their roster, they just don’t have the firepower of Minnesota and so I have to rank them 2nd.
 
Halifax 21st
 
Rank: 4th
 
The same problem that plagues the Ottawa Lynx this season is also bothering Halifax, which is a lack of depth. Forward Timothy Brown has been providing a lot of the offense, with help from the first pairing of Viktor Mjers and James Rose. The signing of centre Empty has alleviated some of the pressure off of Brown, but the question is will it be enough? Hex Valentine is a pretty good goaltender and keeps the 21st in a lot of games, but in the present I just don’t think Halifax has the required depth to contend with top teams just yet. Another major issue for Halifax has been the amount of penalties they give up, and star forward Timothy Brown is the main culprit for this. The 21st have three players in the top 10 for penalty minutes. Be expecting a 7th place finish, or even a repeat of last season and another 8th place berth. I’m ranking Halifax 4th in the conference. Maybe I’m a bit biased, but my reasoning was that while Ottawa has better forwards, Halifax has a better goaltender.
 
Miami Marauders
 
Rank: 6th
 
The newest expansion team in the VHLM hasn’t had the cinderella story of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, but that is to be expected. The Golden Knights were the exception, not the rule, as many new expansion teams start at the very bottom. The Marauders are in the process of a bridge season, so to speak.They will not be very good this year but next season will be their year, due to all of the draft picks they have stockpiled. The strong points of the team this season are definitely defense and goaltending. Wolf Stansson and Kosmo Kramerev have been solid on the first pairing, while goaltender Bacon is the third best player on the team and has a sick name. Andre Lebastard is the main driving force on a pretty weak offense. Currently third last in the standings, I think Miami will finish last in the conference and so I must rank them 6th. Meanwhile, I also expect them to be the only team in the Eastern Conference to miss the playoffs due to the new playoff format.
 
 
Overall Power Rankings
 
 
1st: Minnesota Storm - If I finished this power ranking last week like I was going to, I probably would have ranked them 2nd. However, after the recent trade and actually studying their roster, they look scary. 
 
2nd: Saskatoon Wild - The Wild have a weaker goalie than some of the other contenders, so that might be their downfall. However, goalie Gyrfalcon has been quick to improve so he may close the gap. 
 
3rd: Mexico City Kings - The Kings have been slightly overlooked, in my opinion. First overall pick Chris Hylands and goaltender Zamboni Driver will lead this team to a top playoff spot, and first in their division.
 
4th: Las Vegas Aces - The Aces have been kind of a dark horse so far, currently sitting at first in the league. It didn’t feel right ranking them any higher than 4th since I only ranked them 3rd in the division, but if they continue this pace they will be a top team.
 
5th: Philadelphia Reapers - The Reapers have been underachieving so far this season, and are currently tied for 5th. On the other hand, Bob Helminen is currently tied for first in points, and Bud Knight is also currently in the top 10.
 
6th: Mississauga Hounds - The Hounds are a significant improvement from last season where they missed the playoffs. Frostbeard and Tonn will probably be capped by playoffs, so they could manage an upset.
 
7th: Halifax 21st - The 21st are a playoff team, but they have a current lack of depth. The first pairing has been a bright spot, especially James Rose. Rose is currently 9th in scoring for defensemen.
 
8th: Ottawa Lynx - With their current roster, they also have a critical lack of depth. If goaltender Ajay Krishna is able to improve a lot over the course of the season, they may be able to finish higher.
 
9th: Miami Marauders - Despite being lower than the Rush in the standings, looking at their roster makes it clear that Miami is the better team. I believe Miami’s main thing to look forward to is the draft. They will dominate next season.
 
10th: Yukon Rush - Being able to ice a couple of lines without bots makes the Rush better than teams like Houston or San Diego. Goaltender Jean Pierre Camus is definitely the star, and could steal them a few games.
 
11th: San Diego Marlins - Like many of the bottom teams, San Diego has the draft to look forward to with an abundance of picks. The Marlins have Roadkill Steve and a better goaltender than Houston, which makes them a better team on paper.
 
12th: Houston Bulls - Houston is likely to finish last in my opinion, despite being 11th in the standings as of right now. The Bulls don’t have any big assets, though Patrik Laine looks like a possible gem from waivers.
 
Conclusion
 
This is shaping up to be an exciting season for the VHLM, with Las Vegas currently in the lead after 18 games. At the start of the year, I doubt many of us would have expected them to be in first at this point of the season (except for their own players of course) and I think that makes it more entertaining. Let us hope that this year brings us a more exciting finals series, instead of the sweep we had last year.
 
1534 words, using for weeks ending 5/31, 6/7, 6/14, 6/21

Vote tracker:
 
Nyko - 14 (Continentalcup, Proto, Doomsday, omg, Caboose x3, Barzy, Ferk, d_a, Devise, diacope, Berocka, Mike)
 
Votes needed: Certainly less than that

Salute to you, Gary Neal, wherever you are.
 

 

 

I was one of the ones who whispered to eagles. I'd rather not share my role openly right now.

Welcome back to Future Watch! Since last season, we have seen many graduations, trades, and most importantly, we’ve had a draft to restock our VHL teams back up with talent. In this series, we take a look at all of the VHL prospect pools and rank them by conference, and by the league as well. This time around, our focus is on the North American Conference. 
 
Before we begin, I’d like to make it known that VSN has some new content coming! VSN Scouting is starting up with myself and @Spence King, as well as more coverage of both leagues from @Hylands33 and @diamond_ace! With @Matt_O returning to deliver some more great history articles too, VSN’s new changes are going to lead to some amazing results. That being said, let’s see what North America has to offer!
 

 
CALGARY WRANGLERS | 6th in NA | 12th Overall
Top Prospect: John Poremba - S72 3rd Round (31)
 
Calgary’s prospect pool doesn’t budge in our rankings, but it has gotten significant upgrades since our last checkup. What keeps them down here is the lack of positional variety. Both of the Wranglers top prospects are goaltenders, and they don’t have much else to offer. Forward Justin Goatman claimed practice facility weekly for a long time but has recently fallen inactive. Their two goalie prospects, John Poremba and Nils Friedriksen have been nearly identical in terms of TPE their entire careers, and look to be potential fringe-starter goalies at the VHL level. They consistently earn in the neighbourhood of 8-12 TPE every week, on top of occasional weeks of higher productivity. Overall, Calgary has themselves a group with some value, but little variety.
 
 

 
DC DRAGONS | 5th in NA | 11th Overall
Top Prospect: Liam Flaten - S72 2nd Round (16)
 
With leFlamant graduating from the VHLM this season, the Dragons really didn’t have anyone to replace him in their prospect pool, until the draft came around. They found themselves a new top gun, by the name of Liam Flaten. Flaten is a defenseman with an unbelievable ability to shoot the puck, which he has frequently displayed this season. His 11 goals in 18 games is a sneak peek of what the 19-year-old could become. He is fantastic offensively, but no slouch defensively either.
 
A bit of a wildcard in this organization is S72 4th round pick Alek Andreshnikov. After being a player who solely claimed practice facility for just about his entire career up to the draft, Andreshnikov immediately posted a week of 26 TPE following the draft. So far this week, he has earned 6, but there is time for more. If the Kings’ centre can maintain this recent advancement in his development, D.C. could find themselves with another solid player.
 
 

 
NEW YORK AMERICANS | 4th in NA | 10th Overall
Top Prospect: Arthur Dayne - S72 3rd Round (34)
 
Once again, we find ourselves with a team who hasn’t moved in the rankings since last season. Like the previous two, they have also made notable improvements. There are three pretty interesting prospects here, with the top one being Arthur Dayne in my opinion. The Canadian is putting up some solid numbers this season, with 10 goals and 23 points in just 18 games with Mexico City. A few weeks ago, he had a week of inactivity, but since then, his production of TPE has been pretty good. He usually earns about 6 TPE a week, though that has gone up lately.
 
I considered making John Brewitt the top prospect, as his TPE earning has been quite good, earning from 8-12 TPE per week on most occasions. His 50 points on a weaker Hounds team last season was nice to see too. However, Brewitt’s 42 defence rating is a bit concerning. But despite this, he is still an exciting prospect who could very well end up as the best of the bunch.
 
The last prospect to discuss here is goalie prospect Bacon. He has seen his TPE production rise lately, but his capped TPE production has also gone down. Now, this is not a big deal if the 18-year-old Bacon starts earning more capped TPE once the uncapped opportunities start to fade, but it is a small concern for the time being. A combined 4 capped TPE over the last 2 weeks isn’t ideal, but 30 total TPE is great to see from him. All of the New York prospects seem to have a little bit of risk attached to them, but their potential is undeniable.
 
 

 
SEATTLE BEARS | 3rd in NA | 8th Overall
Top Prospect: Timothy Brown - S72 1st Round (12)
 
Seattle drops one spot since last season, with the graduation of Sheilds, and the trade of Zyrok12 stinging quite a bit. Returning from last season’s group are Bo Burrows and Erik Hjalmarsson. The latter has been claiming practice facility fairly consistently for a while but hasn’t taken any steps to show much VHL potential so far in his career. Burrows is likely in his last VHLM season, sitting at 221 TPE right now. He earns an average of about 8 TPE per week, with it often ranging from 6-10. He is a physical defender with a powerful shot from the blueline, and will almost surely be a solid defenseman at the next level.
 
The high-profile newcomer this season is Canadian winger Timothy Brown, whom Seattle selected in the first round this past offseason. Averaging an astounding 27 TPE over his last 6 full weeks, Brown is a prospect on the rise and one who is just about ready for the big leagues. One quarter into the S72 season and he’s already quickly approaching last season’s totals. The other player that the Bears elected for in the league’s latest draft was Connor Tanner, who is an interesting case. After a 2 month absence from the league, Tanner came back to claim 6 TPE a couple of weeks ago. He hasn’t updated again since then, unfortunately. He did show some promise early on in his career, but it didn’t sustain for long. Seattle’s group has the star power that was lacking in the groups before them and has some added depth with Burrows.
 
 

 
TORONTO LEGION | 2nd in NA | 6th Overall
Top Prospect: Joseph Gainer - S72 2nd Round (22)
 
Toronto made some huge additions to their prospect pool in the S72 Draft, including their top prospect, Joseph Gainer. Gainer has missed out on only 2 capped TPE since joining and has earned plenty of uncapped along the way as well. Being a late joiner, he had the task of catching up to the others in his draft class, which he has done incredibly well to this point. His build is very balanced, making him quite useful in any situation you put him in.
 
Selected the pick prior to Gainer, was Michael Mac. While Mac likely would’ve been the top candidate for Toronto’s top prospect at the time of the draft, he has since seen his production of capped TPE go down significantly, with just 4 in the last two weeks. Despite this, his overall TPE earning has stayed at a nice level, and his upside as a sniper is tremendous. He is a great shooter with some shifty hands, and could definitely end up an extremely important piece for this team.
 
Two more players were picked by the Legion in that draft, and I would consider both of them wildcards. First off is Adam Frence, whose potential looked to be pretty high, with his activity in the community, and job with VHL Twitter. Seemingly out of nowhere, he disappeared shortly before the draft and hasn’t come back since. The other is Ziarie Anigbogu. While definitely not as big of a wildcard as Frence, Anigbogu is an interesting case because of unpredictability in earning TPE. The Reapers’ defender has gone through periods of earning moderate amounts of TPE, low amounts, and most recently, high amounts. This positive trend has been great to see and will result in a fine player one day if maintained. Anigbou moves the puck very well and has demonstrated that so far in S72 with 15 assists in 18 games.
 
The last two to speak on from Toronto are the returnees from last season. Jeff Blaze was the team’s top prospect last time we checked in, and now he has surrendered that title. He is still producing around the same rate, with about 6 TPE per week most of the time. Blaze won’t be a superstar but will add some quality depth for the Legion in the future. S70 draftee Dick Cheezy also returns, after slowing the momentum that he had at the time of our last article. Cheezy has had his fair share of inactive weeks lately, and whenever he’s active, it’s just a practice facility claim. Yet, he is still close to being a VHL calibre player. If he could pick it back up to where he was in early-mid April, this is another quality depth piece for the team.
 
Toronto has a great prospect pool. Star potential and depth in abundance are a wonderful duo, and the Legion definitely has them.
 
 

 
VANCOUVER WOLVES | 1st in NA | 5th Overall
Top Prospect: Gregg Stallion - S72 2nd Round (15)
 
Vancouver’s ranking has dropped quite a bit in the overall standings, but they remain on top of the North American Conference. They have lost two significant prospects since last season, but have kept a lot of them as well, and even added a new face to the group.
 
Let’s start off by returning to the three players who were picked with consecutive picks in the S71 Draft. Xavier Hills and Blake Bridges still struggle with inconsistency but show flashes of VHL potential. I said this last time, and my point still stands; If Hills could claim his 6 TPE welfare every week, he would be a very solid prospect. Bridges has moments of brilliance but often dips in activity as well. The third pick, Raiens Grasis, is the opposite. He has been consistent his whole career, but only with claiming practice facility. To this point, he still hasn’t earned one capped TPE, and for that reason, I can’t see him in the VHL unless something changes.
 
Next up we have another returning pair from the S71 Draft. Second-round pick Squirrely dan has progressed nicely and is at a point now where he is fully ready for the VHL. Currently playing for Minnesota, he has provided a well-balanced forward option who seems to fit in wherever he plays for the team. A few picks later, Vancouver selected Kazimir Komarov, who was trending upwards at the time of the last article. For the most part, he has kept up his higher TPE production, besides one slip-up a couple of weeks ago. Komarov has had an amazing start to his season, with 39 points in only 18 games.
 
We also took a look at an undrafted prospect in last season’s North American Future Watch, being Hunter Harrison. He went inactive for a couple of weeks, but is back in business now, with 45 TPE in his last 4 full weeks. Harrison is a massive defenseman with a physical edge and could end up a nice depth piece on the Wolves’ blueline.
 
The last player we’ll cover is the best of them all. Picked in the latest draft at 15th overall, Gregg Stallion seems to be on the road to becoming a star in the VHL. He has never earned below 14 TPE in any given week, and has had some really good numbers in the VHLM as well. His 56 goals in 86 career games is outstanding, and his 117 points are also impressive. I expect Stallion, dan, and Komarov to be VHL players in S73, and some of the others will get there with time.
 
 
In the next article, we will come back to the European Conference’s prospect pools. I wish the best for all of these players, and hope you can make an impact for whichever VHL team you’re trying to make!
 
Players mentioned: @Goatman @CrlineDijohn14 @Biggreen10 @flatl99 @PuckPushers @Infernal @JBrew42 @Bacon @Walter Fizz @Erik @a_Ferk @Keygan @joeg @LastOneUp @Kachur @ngine4 @NyQuil @goldenglutes @inflastud @Blake Bridge @raiens @jacobaa19 @Gooningitup @I'll change this later @SweatyBeaver

I would not call Marshall James Frostbeard a Star forward but Mississauga is doing fine so I am happy. Great article!

I mean for a weak goalie Gryf leading the goalie race lol ?

I like many things about your graphic. The Vancouver logo looks very nice on the L.A. Kings' sweaters. I think that the letters look a bit weird on the front of their jerseys, they are pretty thick and kind of pixelated. If the letters were executed better the graphic would look even better. Rating 7/10

This is part 2, if you would like to view the Western Conference version you can read it here
 
 
Glasser Division
 
Minnesota Storm
 
Rank: 1st
 
After taking one quick glance at Minnesota’s roster, I came to the conclusion: “Yep, this team looks terrifying”. The Storm will be a force to be reckoned with this season. It is clear that Minnesota is making a push to win it all this year after the recent trade with Yukon that brought Dickson, Harrison and John to the team. They have one thing most of the other contenders don’t with a capped goalie in Woody McPine, which I think will give them an edge. Minnesota is not lacking in any other areas of the game, either. Danny DeYeeto has been around the block a time or two in the VHLM, and is expected to rack up points for Minnesota. They have a second defense pairing that rivals the first pairing of many other teams. Saskatoon remains the Storm’s biggest threat, and I think it is going to be a Saskatoon vs Minnesota final. 
 
Mississauga Hounds
 
Rank: 3rd
 
The Hounds had a very good draft this offseason, and will be looking to make a playoff push this season. It is unlikely that they will win the division, as they share it with a scary Minnesota team, but they have an almost certain shot of making it as a wildcard. The draft saw Mississauaga pick up some important pieces for their squad, including forward Marshall James Frostbeard and goaltender Jacob Tonn. Jacob is expected to have a ton of impact as the starting tender, and Frostbeard is the team’s star forward. Overall Mississauga has a good amount of depth, which could be a wildcard against teams that are top heavy. I don’t think they’re better than Philly, but they’re a good enough team to rank 3rd.
 
Ottawa Lynx
 
Rank: 5th
 
After a successful cup run, which saw the Lynx take home the founder’s Cup, Ottawa’s roster has been gutted quite a lot. Adam Syreck and Big Chungus are the team’s main driving force, backed up by Defenz Mann. Goaltender Ajay Krishna is a gem for the Lynx, taken in the 5th round of the recent draft. However, Krishna is still relatively unproven and it is unknown how he will do after immediately being thrown into the starting role. Defenz Mann and Rich Dickbutt McFudderdudder are a steady force at defense, among the best in the conference. However, Ottawa also has a staggering lack of depth. The top line and defense pairing are elite, but they are essentially the entire team. These aspects force me to rank them 5th in a close contest with Halifax. However, the weakness of the bottom teams in the West makes it so the Lynx still have a very good shot of making the playoffs.
 
 
Theusch Division
 
Philadelphia Reapers
 
Rank: 2nd
 
Although they have been overshadowed by Minnesota and are not doing very well in the standings right now, the Reapers still have a very good roster provided everyone stays with the team. I’ve heard speculation that they may be looking to sell. While John Poremba is no Woody McPine, he is still a very good goaltender in his own right and will steal them a few wins here and there. Bob Helminen and Bud Knight also remain very good players, and can be expected to provide a lot of scoring for Philly. The defense is also excellent, consisting of names like Ziarie Anigbogu, Riley Knight Gee, and Spencer Elsby. In fact, Elsby is among the best defensemen in the league. While Philadelphia doesn’t have any glaring holes in their roster, they just don’t have the firepower of Minnesota and so I have to rank them 2nd.
 
Halifax 21st
 
Rank: 4th
 
The same problem that plagues the Ottawa Lynx this season is also bothering Halifax, which is a lack of depth. Forward Timothy Brown has been providing a lot of the offense, with help from the first pairing of Viktor Mjers and James Rose. The signing of centre Empty has alleviated some of the pressure off of Brown, but the question is will it be enough? Hex Valentine is a pretty good goaltender and keeps the 21st in a lot of games, but in the present I just don’t think Halifax has the required depth to contend with top teams just yet. Another major issue for Halifax has been the amount of penalties they give up, and star forward Timothy Brown is the main culprit for this. The 21st have three players in the top 10 for penalty minutes. Be expecting a 7th place finish, or even a repeat of last season and another 8th place berth. I’m ranking Halifax 4th in the conference. Maybe I’m a bit biased, but my reasoning was that while Ottawa has better forwards, Halifax has a better goaltender.
 
Miami Marauders
 
Rank: 6th
 
The newest expansion team in the VHLM hasn’t had the cinderella story of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, but that is to be expected. The Golden Knights were the exception, not the rule, as many new expansion teams start at the very bottom. The Marauders are in the process of a bridge season, so to speak.They will not be very good this year but next season will be their year, due to all of the draft picks they have stockpiled. The strong points of the team this season are definitely defense and goaltending. Wolf Stansson and Kosmo Kramerev have been solid on the first pairing, while goaltender Bacon is the third best player on the team and has a sick name. Andre Lebastard is the main driving force on a pretty weak offense. Currently third last in the standings, I think Miami will finish last in the conference and so I must rank them 6th. Meanwhile, I also expect them to be the only team in the Eastern Conference to miss the playoffs due to the new playoff format.
 
 
Overall Power Rankings
 
 
1st: Minnesota Storm - If I finished this power ranking last week like I was going to, I probably would have ranked them 2nd. However, after the recent trade and actually studying their roster, they look scary. 
 
2nd: Saskatoon Wild - The Wild have a weaker goalie than some of the other contenders, so that might be their downfall. However, goalie Gyrfalcon has been quick to improve so he may close the gap. 
 
3rd: Mexico City Kings - The Kings have been slightly overlooked, in my opinion. First overall pick Chris Hylands and goaltender Zamboni Driver will lead this team to a top playoff spot, and first in their division.
 
4th: Las Vegas Aces - The Aces have been kind of a dark horse so far, currently sitting at first in the league. It didn’t feel right ranking them any higher than 4th since I only ranked them 3rd in the division, but if they continue this pace they will be a top team.
 
5th: Philadelphia Reapers - The Reapers have been underachieving so far this season, and are currently tied for 5th. On the other hand, Bob Helminen is currently tied for first in points, and Bud Knight is also currently in the top 10.
 
6th: Mississauga Hounds - The Hounds are a significant improvement from last season where they missed the playoffs. Frostbeard and Tonn will probably be capped by playoffs, so they could manage an upset.
 
7th: Halifax 21st - The 21st are a playoff team, but they have a current lack of depth. The first pairing has been a bright spot, especially James Rose. Rose is currently 9th in scoring for defensemen.
 
8th: Ottawa Lynx - With their current roster, they also have a critical lack of depth. If goaltender Ajay Krishna is able to improve a lot over the course of the season, they may be able to finish higher.
 
9th: Miami Marauders - Despite being lower than the Rush in the standings, looking at their roster makes it clear that Miami is the better team. I believe Miami’s main thing to look forward to is the draft. They will dominate next season.
 
10th: Yukon Rush - Being able to ice a couple of lines without bots makes the Rush better than teams like Houston or San Diego. Goaltender Jean Pierre Camus is definitely the star, and could steal them a few games.
 
11th: San Diego Marlins - Like many of the bottom teams, San Diego has the draft to look forward to with an abundance of picks. The Marlins have Roadkill Steve and a better goaltender than Houston, which makes them a better team on paper.
 
12th: Houston Bulls - Houston is likely to finish last in my opinion, despite being 11th in the standings as of right now. The Bulls don’t have any big assets, though Patrik Laine looks like a possible gem from waivers.
 
Conclusion
 
This is shaping up to be an exciting season for the VHLM, with Las Vegas currently in the lead after 18 games. At the start of the year, I doubt many of us would have expected them to be in first at this point of the season (except for their own players of course) and I think that makes it more entertaining. Let us hope that this year brings us a more exciting finals series, instead of the sweep we had last year.
 
1534 words, using for weeks ending 5/31, 6/7, 6/14, 6/21

This is part 2, if you would like to view the Western Conference version you can read it here
 
 
Glasser Division
 
Minnesota Storm
 
Rank: 1st
 
After taking one quick glance at Minnesota’s roster, I came to the conclusion: “Yep, this team looks terrifying”. The Storm will be a force to be reckoned with this season. It is clear that Minnesota is making a push to win it all this year after the recent trade with Yukon that brought Dickson, Harrison and John to the team. They have one thing most of the other contenders don’t with a capped goalie in Woody McPine, which I think will give them an edge. Minnesota is not lacking in any other areas of the game, either. Danny DeYeeto has been around the block a time or two in the VHLM, and is expected to rack up points for Minnesota. They have a second defense pairing that rivals the first pairing of many other teams. Saskatoon remains the Storm’s biggest threat, and I think it is going to be a Saskatoon vs Minnesota final. 
 
Mississauga Hounds
 
Rank: 3rd
 
The Hounds had a very good draft this offseason, and will be looking to make a playoff push this season. It is unlikely that they will win the division, as they share it with a scary Minnesota team, but they have an almost certain shot of making it as a wildcard. The draft saw Mississauaga pick up some important pieces for their squad, including forward Marshall James Frostbeard and goaltender Jacob Tonn. Jacob is expected to have a ton of impact as the starting tender, and Frostbeard is the team’s star forward. Overall Mississauga has a good amount of depth, which could be a wildcard against teams that are top heavy. I don’t think they’re better than Philly, but they’re a good enough team to rank 3rd.
 
Ottawa Lynx
 
Rank: 5th
 
After a successful cup run, which saw the Lynx take home the founder’s Cup, Ottawa’s roster has been gutted quite a lot. Adam Syreck and Big Chungus are the team’s main driving force, backed up by Defenz Mann. Goaltender Ajay Krishna is a gem for the Lynx, taken in the 5th round of the recent draft. However, Krishna is still relatively unproven and it is unknown how he will do after immediately being thrown into the starting role. Defenz Mann and Rich Dickbutt McFudderdudder are a steady force at defense, among the best in the conference. However, Ottawa also has a staggering lack of depth. The top line and defense pairing are elite, but they are essentially the entire team. These aspects force me to rank them 5th in a close contest with Halifax. However, the weakness of the bottom teams in the West makes it so the Lynx still have a very good shot of making the playoffs.
 
 
Theusch Division
 
Philadelphia Reapers
 
Rank: 2nd
 
Although they have been overshadowed by Minnesota and are not doing very well in the standings right now, the Reapers still have a very good roster provided everyone stays with the team. I’ve heard speculation that they may be looking to sell. While John Poremba is no Woody McPine, he is still a very good goaltender in his own right and will steal them a few wins here and there. Bob Helminen and Bud Knight also remain very good players, and can be expected to provide a lot of scoring for Philly. The defense is also excellent, consisting of names like Ziarie Anigbogu, Riley Knight Gee, and Spencer Elsby. In fact, Elsby is among the best defensemen in the league. While Philadelphia doesn’t have any glaring holes in their roster, they just don’t have the firepower of Minnesota and so I have to rank them 2nd.
 
Halifax 21st
 
Rank: 4th
 
The same problem that plagues the Ottawa Lynx this season is also bothering Halifax, which is a lack of depth. Forward Timothy Brown has been providing a lot of the offense, with help from the first pairing of Viktor Mjers and James Rose. The signing of centre Empty has alleviated some of the pressure off of Brown, but the question is will it be enough? Hex Valentine is a pretty good goaltender and keeps the 21st in a lot of games, but in the present I just don’t think Halifax has the required depth to contend with top teams just yet. Another major issue for Halifax has been the amount of penalties they give up, and star forward Timothy Brown is the main culprit for this. The 21st have three players in the top 10 for penalty minutes. Be expecting a 7th place finish, or even a repeat of last season and another 8th place berth. I’m ranking Halifax 4th in the conference. Maybe I’m a bit biased, but my reasoning was that while Ottawa has better forwards, Halifax has a better goaltender.
 
Miami Marauders
 
Rank: 6th
 
The newest expansion team in the VHLM hasn’t had the cinderella story of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, but that is to be expected. The Golden Knights were the exception, not the rule, as many new expansion teams start at the very bottom. The Marauders are in the process of a bridge season, so to speak.They will not be very good this year but next season will be their year, due to all of the draft picks they have stockpiled. The strong points of the team this season are definitely defense and goaltending. Wolf Stansson and Kosmo Kramerev have been solid on the first pairing, while goaltender Bacon is the third best player on the team and has a sick name. Andre Lebastard is the main driving force on a pretty weak offense. Currently third last in the standings, I think Miami will finish last in the conference and so I must rank them 6th. Meanwhile, I also expect them to be the only team in the Eastern Conference to miss the playoffs due to the new playoff format.
 
 
Overall Power Rankings
 
 
1st: Minnesota Storm - If I finished this power ranking last week like I was going to, I probably would have ranked them 2nd. However, after the recent trade and actually studying their roster, they look scary. 
 
2nd: Saskatoon Wild - The Wild have a weaker goalie than some of the other contenders, so that might be their downfall. However, goalie Gyrfalcon has been quick to improve so he may close the gap. 
 
3rd: Mexico City Kings - The Kings have been slightly overlooked, in my opinion. First overall pick Chris Hylands and goaltender Zamboni Driver will lead this team to a top playoff spot, and first in their division.
 
4th: Las Vegas Aces - The Aces have been kind of a dark horse so far, currently sitting at first in the league. It didn’t feel right ranking them any higher than 4th since I only ranked them 3rd in the division, but if they continue this pace they will be a top team.
 
5th: Philadelphia Reapers - The Reapers have been underachieving so far this season, and are currently tied for 5th. On the other hand, Bob Helminen is currently tied for first in points, and Bud Knight is also currently in the top 10.
 
6th: Mississauga Hounds - The Hounds are a significant improvement from last season where they missed the playoffs. Frostbeard and Tonn will probably be capped by playoffs, so they could manage an upset.
 
7th: Halifax 21st - The 21st are a playoff team, but they have a current lack of depth. The first pairing has been a bright spot, especially James Rose. Rose is currently 9th in scoring for defensemen.
 
8th: Ottawa Lynx - With their current roster, they also have a critical lack of depth. If goaltender Ajay Krishna is able to improve a lot over the course of the season, they may be able to finish higher.
 
9th: Miami Marauders - Despite being lower than the Rush in the standings, looking at their roster makes it clear that Miami is the better team. I believe Miami’s main thing to look forward to is the draft. They will dominate next season.
 
10th: Yukon Rush - Being able to ice a couple of lines without bots makes the Rush better than teams like Houston or San Diego. Goaltender Jean Pierre Camus is definitely the star, and could steal them a few games.
 
11th: San Diego Marlins - Like many of the bottom teams, San Diego has the draft to look forward to with an abundance of picks. The Marlins have Roadkill Steve and a better goaltender than Houston, which makes them a better team on paper.
 
12th: Houston Bulls - Houston is likely to finish last in my opinion, despite being 11th in the standings as of right now. The Bulls don’t have any big assets, though Patrik Laine looks like a possible gem from waivers.
 
Conclusion
 
This is shaping up to be an exciting season for the VHLM, with Las Vegas currently in the lead after 18 games. At the start of the year, I doubt many of us would have expected them to be in first at this point of the season (except for their own players of course) and I think that makes it more entertaining. Let us hope that this year brings us a more exciting finals series, instead of the sweep we had last year.
 
1534 words, using for weeks ending 5/31, 6/7, 6/14, 6/21

This is part 2, if you would like to view the Western Conference version you can read it here
 
 
Glasser Division
 
Minnesota Storm
 
Rank: 1st
 
After taking one quick glance at Minnesota’s roster, I came to the conclusion: “Yep, this team looks terrifying”. The Storm will be a force to be reckoned with this season. It is clear that Minnesota is making a push to win it all this year after the recent trade with Yukon that brought Dickson, Harrison and John to the team. They have one thing most of the other contenders don’t with a capped goalie in Woody McPine, which I think will give them an edge. Minnesota is not lacking in any other areas of the game, either. Danny DeYeeto has been around the block a time or two in the VHLM, and is expected to rack up points for Minnesota. They have a second defense pairing that rivals the first pairing of many other teams. Saskatoon remains the Storm’s biggest threat, and I think it is going to be a Saskatoon vs Minnesota final. 
 
Mississauga Hounds
 
Rank: 3rd
 
The Hounds had a very good draft this offseason, and will be looking to make a playoff push this season. It is unlikely that they will win the division, as they share it with a scary Minnesota team, but they have an almost certain shot of making it as a wildcard. The draft saw Mississauaga pick up some important pieces for their squad, including forward Marshall James Frostbeard and goaltender Jacob Tonn. Jacob is expected to have a ton of impact as the starting tender, and Frostbeard is the team’s star forward. Overall Mississauga has a good amount of depth, which could be a wildcard against teams that are top heavy. I don’t think they’re better than Philly, but they’re a good enough team to rank 3rd.
 
Ottawa Lynx
 
Rank: 5th
 
After a successful cup run, which saw the Lynx take home the founder’s Cup, Ottawa’s roster has been gutted quite a lot. Adam Syreck and Big Chungus are the team’s main driving force, backed up by Defenz Mann. Goaltender Ajay Krishna is a gem for the Lynx, taken in the 5th round of the recent draft. However, Krishna is still relatively unproven and it is unknown how he will do after immediately being thrown into the starting role. Defenz Mann and Rich Dickbutt McFudderdudder are a steady force at defense, among the best in the conference. However, Ottawa also has a staggering lack of depth. The top line and defense pairing are elite, but they are essentially the entire team. These aspects force me to rank them 5th in a close contest with Halifax. However, the weakness of the bottom teams in the West makes it so the Lynx still have a very good shot of making the playoffs.
 
 
Theusch Division
 
Philadelphia Reapers
 
Rank: 2nd
 
Although they have been overshadowed by Minnesota and are not doing very well in the standings right now, the Reapers still have a very good roster provided everyone stays with the team. I’ve heard speculation that they may be looking to sell. While John Poremba is no Woody McPine, he is still a very good goaltender in his own right and will steal them a few wins here and there. Bob Helminen and Bud Knight also remain very good players, and can be expected to provide a lot of scoring for Philly. The defense is also excellent, consisting of names like Ziarie Anigbogu, Riley Knight Gee, and Spencer Elsby. In fact, Elsby is among the best defensemen in the league. While Philadelphia doesn’t have any glaring holes in their roster, they just don’t have the firepower of Minnesota and so I have to rank them 2nd.
 
Halifax 21st
 
Rank: 4th
 
The same problem that plagues the Ottawa Lynx this season is also bothering Halifax, which is a lack of depth. Forward Timothy Brown has been providing a lot of the offense, with help from the first pairing of Viktor Mjers and James Rose. The signing of centre Empty has alleviated some of the pressure off of Brown, but the question is will it be enough? Hex Valentine is a pretty good goaltender and keeps the 21st in a lot of games, but in the present I just don’t think Halifax has the required depth to contend with top teams just yet. Another major issue for Halifax has been the amount of penalties they give up, and star forward Timothy Brown is the main culprit for this. The 21st have three players in the top 10 for penalty minutes. Be expecting a 7th place finish, or even a repeat of last season and another 8th place berth. I’m ranking Halifax 4th in the conference. Maybe I’m a bit biased, but my reasoning was that while Ottawa has better forwards, Halifax has a better goaltender.
 
Miami Marauders
 
Rank: 6th
 
The newest expansion team in the VHLM hasn’t had the cinderella story of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, but that is to be expected. The Golden Knights were the exception, not the rule, as many new expansion teams start at the very bottom. The Marauders are in the process of a bridge season, so to speak.They will not be very good this year but next season will be their year, due to all of the draft picks they have stockpiled. The strong points of the team this season are definitely defense and goaltending. Wolf Stansson and Kosmo Kramerev have been solid on the first pairing, while goaltender Bacon is the third best player on the team and has a sick name. Andre Lebastard is the main driving force on a pretty weak offense. Currently third last in the standings, I think Miami will finish last in the conference and so I must rank them 6th. Meanwhile, I also expect them to be the only team in the Eastern Conference to miss the playoffs due to the new playoff format.
 
 
Overall Power Rankings
 
 
1st: Minnesota Storm - If I finished this power ranking last week like I was going to, I probably would have ranked them 2nd. However, after the recent trade and actually studying their roster, they look scary. 
 
2nd: Saskatoon Wild - The Wild have a weaker goalie than some of the other contenders, so that might be their downfall. However, goalie Gyrfalcon has been quick to improve so he may close the gap. 
 
3rd: Mexico City Kings - The Kings have been slightly overlooked, in my opinion. First overall pick Chris Hylands and goaltender Zamboni Driver will lead this team to a top playoff spot, and first in their division.
 
4th: Las Vegas Aces - The Aces have been kind of a dark horse so far, currently sitting at first in the league. It didn’t feel right ranking them any higher than 4th since I only ranked them 3rd in the division, but if they continue this pace they will be a top team.
 
5th: Philadelphia Reapers - The Reapers have been underachieving so far this season, and are currently tied for 5th. On the other hand, Bob Helminen is currently tied for first in points, and Bud Knight is also currently in the top 10.
 
6th: Mississauga Hounds - The Hounds are a significant improvement from last season where they missed the playoffs. Frostbeard and Tonn will probably be capped by playoffs, so they could manage an upset.
 
7th: Halifax 21st - The 21st are a playoff team, but they have a current lack of depth. The first pairing has been a bright spot, especially James Rose. Rose is currently 9th in scoring for defensemen.
 
8th: Ottawa Lynx - With their current roster, they also have a critical lack of depth. If goaltender Ajay Krishna is able to improve a lot over the course of the season, they may be able to finish higher.
 
9th: Miami Marauders - Despite being lower than the Rush in the standings, looking at their roster makes it clear that Miami is the better team. I believe Miami’s main thing to look forward to is the draft. They will dominate next season.
 
10th: Yukon Rush - Being able to ice a couple of lines without bots makes the Rush better than teams like Houston or San Diego. Goaltender Jean Pierre Camus is definitely the star, and could steal them a few games.
 
11th: San Diego Marlins - Like many of the bottom teams, San Diego has the draft to look forward to with an abundance of picks. The Marlins have Roadkill Steve and a better goaltender than Houston, which makes them a better team on paper.
 
12th: Houston Bulls - Houston is likely to finish last in my opinion, despite being 11th in the standings as of right now. The Bulls don’t have any big assets, though Patrik Laine looks like a possible gem from waivers.
 
Conclusion
 
This is shaping up to be an exciting season for the VHLM, with Las Vegas currently in the lead after 18 games. At the start of the year, I doubt many of us would have expected them to be in first at this point of the season (except for their own players of course) and I think that makes it more entertaining. Let us hope that this year brings us a more exciting finals series, instead of the sweep we had last year.
 
1534 words, using for weeks ending 5/31, 6/7, 6/14, 6/21

...well, that escalated quickly.
 
The Supreme Exalted Master of Town Business and Such returns from work, and doesn't have to go back and tally up the votes to see what's up.
 
@bigAL is getting lynched, in a very quickly-reached overwhelming majority. I'm late; I won't write an essay. He was...
 
Let Night 2 begin!
 
 
List of those alive:
 
Expect Day 3 to start by 11 AM EST tomorrow! I do have to get up for something, but not too early.