KaleebtheMighty

1). We keep working hard and earning TPE to solidify ourselves as leaders in the league. With our solid offensive core and defensive backbone, we should be set to continue to win. 2). Depending on our overtime strategies, we may need to switch gears. If we are focusing offensively, maybe operating a defensive approach would benefit us or vice versa. 3). With this squad, I would be shocked if we didn't make it to the finals. My goal however is to hoist the cup at the end of it all. 4). I really doubt there is much we can do to better our team more than what we have now. If anything, and I know this isn't ideal for keeping people, but the Miami Marauders have no first round draft picks next year. With this squad, it could prove beneficial to trade away a player to obtain some draft capital. I'd hate to see it but it would help the Marauders be competitive again next year. 5). Bubble hockey. Yeah hockey in a bubble could be great with all the things catered to you but you miss out on family, fans, and being able to get away from it all. It's tough to compare that to a bubble hockey tournament with friends or family, beers, pizza or food, and just having a good time together. 6). The S73 VHL Mock draft by advantage. That was very well done with a lot of information that set it much higher than other media spots.

https://imgur.com/a/Yb4Wbk2

Sure! It might take a little bit, I’m at the tail end of moving across the USA, but I’ll get it done as soon as I can!

1). We are the league leader in points, I thing things are going very well regarding both outside expectations and my own. 2). Very satisfied. Grachev is playing well defensively and has a few assists already. It might not show up in stats but being able to shut down opposing teams is a great feeling. 3). We definitely feel like the big bad evil guys, and I don’t mind that one bit. 4). Passing and Puck handling. I want to get those up to 75 or 80 before I cap out at 250 TPE. 5). Skating, I’d love to see how someone with a high skating stat could just blow right by people and score on breakaways in the game log and actually have it say something like: ***** gets the puck in the neutral zone. Breakaway. ***** SCORES. 6). I feel like we need a bigger social media presence and a more polished network. The fact that drafts and events take place on individual twitch streams that are hard to access unless you look on discord is a little tough. Some people can’t be on discord 24/7. An instagram page exists but it’s the bare minimum. What about a VHL Twitch account? Or a subreddit on reddit where we can just link the subreddit to posts that we are targeting for recruitment? Even improving the Instagram page or a twitter page to post links to game scores would be great; it would give those players the ability to feel like a part of the league even without being on discord.

No, I’m unfortunately not talking about the Will Ferrell movie conveniently sharing the same name as this article. What I’m referring to are the players currently in the VHLM who may not be the superstars of their teams or leading their teams in scoring/points. I’m talking about those individuals on the ice that consistently benefit their team even though they may not score a lot or garnish their stats with a lot of assists. I’ve poured through quite a number of games over the past couple of days and looked at plays that happen during them as well as stat lines that show how valuable certain players are. So without further ado, here are a few of those players that I want to highlight. 1. Gabriel Johnson - D (81 TPE) @GeckoeyGecko Playing only on the 3rd Defensive pair for Houston, I am extremely impressed with Johnson’s +/- ratio of 10, which is 2nd overall for defensemen and 4th overall on Houston. And that’s only out of 11 games played. They may not have the offensive tenacity like some of their teammates, but they focus primarily on defense which has allowed them to support their team and help carry Houston to a high placement in the VHLM standings. 2. Angel Wachiure - LW (92 TPE) @inflastud While running only on the 3rd forward line as well as the 2nd power play and 2nd 3PK unit, Angel has put up an impressive 10 points in 11 games (5G, 5A). Although only 5th in points scored on the team, they average only 16.75 minutes compared to the 21-25 minutes or so of the top liners in Las Vegas. With that lower amount of playing time, Angel continues to contribute offensively when it really matters. 3. Eoin Byrne - D (118 TPE) @LatinViking Primarily playing on the 3rd and 4th line D pairing as well as PK work in both 4 player and 3 player formats, Byrne holds a 13 +/- ratio which is tied for 3rd best in Miami. Similar to Johnson, Byrne doesn’t hold the offensive production seen amongst his teammates but contributes considerably on defense. Also seen as a great locker room presence, Byrne is a valuable piece to a loaded Miami roster this season. 4. Riley Couture - C (78 TPE) @Riley_Couture The 2nd line, 2nd PK, and 2nd 4v4 center playing just under 20 minutes a game is producing a great number of assists for his team. Although they don’t have any goals yet this season with other players on the team accumulating more points, Couture has 8 assists which is tied for 2nd overall amongst all of the players on Saskatoon. Additionally, they have the second best +/- ratio of 8 on the team. They have proven themselves to be an important cog in the Saskatoon team this season, even with a lower playing time than the top players. 5. Michael Olson - G (85 TPE) @MSO94 For a goalie, especially one just starting out earlier this month, Olson’s stats may not tell the full picture. They hold an 0.875 SV% and 5.56 GAA as their stat line. However, considering where Olson is playing, the picture begins to show their true colors. Mexico City sits 3rd to last in the VHLM this season. They don’t have a single defenseman that is not a bot on their roster. That porous defense has allowed 500 shots total on net in 11 games, of which Olson has faced 456 (avg. of 41.45 per game). Even with those aspects, somehow Olson has 1 shutout already and 3 wins under his belt. Considering the situation Mexico City is in, I am extremely impressed with some of Olson’s hidden stat lines so far. So there you have it: 2 forwards, 2 defensemen, and a goalie that I feel deserve some spotlight even if they aren’t the best on their respective teams at the moment. Without them, I feel that their VHLM teams would be suffering a little bit more considering these players’ impacts. I hope to do this again a few times this season, especially to highlight some newer players that join later this season! ————— Although this is considerably longer than the word requirement for a VHL.com article, I’ve already put up a graphic for this week and am in the midst of moving across the USA, plus I really wanted to get this idea done. ??

Thank you for the review! So here’s another actual card that has the UD Game Jersey aspect that I was trying to base this off of: Love the idea of a classic border and something like a transparent rink layer behind the player, I may try that on a future card! Thanks again!

Thanks for the review! Just to clarify, the red square is a piece of a jersey kind of like how some hockey cards today contain pieces of the player's jersey. I appreciate the criticism though, gives me more to improve upon for next time!

1). With the fantasy leagues beginning again, who makes up your top lineup for this season? 2). Everyone asks who to look out for in the VHL or who is the best. For you guys, who is someone that is a staple to their team even without the best point production or stats? 3). What are some ways you all feel the VHL can improve in the next few seasons? Any feature you would love to see added in, removed, or tweaked?

1). Right now, I’d say Victor Grachev is along the lines of Philippe Myers. Young, unproven for right now, but given time could really succeed. 2). I really think the New York Americans have what it takes. Unless you mean the NHL in which case I think the Avalanche will get another cup. 3). Team success. Grachev is built for defense, and although personal stats are important it’s a better feeling to help a team win a championship or two. 4). Center mainly because that’s what I played IRL. Still defense oriented and love to play a two way game. 5). Battlestar Galactica: Prelude to War. The drums really feel like I’m going to war every game. 6). Either Golf or Football, really like playing both of those sports. 7). Absolutely love to pass it. I am way more willing to get an assist and watch the other guy bury it. 8). Probably a board game, something like Risk or Ticket to Ride. 9). I’ve got a few: Metallica, Disturbed, Sabaton, Powerwolf, Rhapsody (Luca Turilli). 10). Oatmeal and eggs for breakfast, pickles, bananas, apples, oranges, and energy bars for lunch and a cup of coffee or 2 throughout the day. Can’t mix pickles/fruit and coffee though, that gets gross.

1). I’d like to see Grachev get over 30 +/- and really contribute physically as well as make Miami’s penalty kill unit the best in the VHLM. 2). Expectations are high! We have a lot of star power and I think we can at the very least make it to the finals. 3). Give me the bad boy vibe. I’d love to be the team that just puts a beating on everyone we play. 4). I sure hope so, it’s been great getting to know everyone in the locker room and I would hate to leave it. But I also understand it’s a business. 5). Probably Minnesota, they have a very good team as well and I have a feeling we will be battling with them a lot this season. 6). Right now I’ve been on a graphics kick for a week or so and that’s been fun learning more and more about techniques and styles to apply. But I also love writing when a great topic comes to mind. Additionally, I’ve been dabbing into audio work and podcasting to possibly come up with something, we will see though!

When I was 13 I went (well more forced if anything) to go to a missions trip to Atlanta. We went to a mosque to talk to Muslims about their faith. Instead of that, I went and bought a Mexican coke nearby and sat with a bunch of people and watched soccer. Chelsea was playing somebody, can’t remember. Good laughs and good times meeting people from other countries. Much nicer to do than get mad at people for faith reasons.

VICTOR GRACHEV - D S73 VHLM DISPERSAL DRAFT, SELECTED: Round 1, Pick 7 (MIA) S73 VHL ENTRY DRAFT, SELECTED: Round 2, Pick 24 (WAR) Victor Grachev entered the VHLM with the Philadelphia Reapers and played 26 games near the end of the season as a free agent rookie. From there, we can garner the type of player he will probably mold into in this league based on his stats and skills/performance. He's a young defenseman who stands with a solid 6'3" frame weighing in at 211 pounds. Although inexperienced, he seems to hold the ability to really improve his game where it matters along the course of time. Below is an in depth look at his key stats, pros and cons, and an assessment on his character as well as the outlook for him in the future. STATS FROM GAMES PLAYED REGULAR SEASON Out of the 26 games played, he had an impresive 14 +/- ratio as a rookie defenseman. In a small sample size, he scored 2 goals on 6 shots, giving him a 33.33% shot percentage. 46 hits and 22 shots blocked in 26 games are fairly good numbers for the rookie, given that he averaged somewhere between 15-20 minutes a game usually. PLAYOFFS Due to either a lack of experience or higher competition, +/- ratio fell to -5 in 12 games played. Significant part of penalty kill and helped contribute to an 87.30% penalty kill %. 2 assists in 12 games shows improvement in passing over the course of the season. PROS AND CONS PROS Victor Grachev has a high rate of TPE earnings per week and continues to improve in key areas. He's built as a solid Defensive Defenseman and is best played as a shutdown defender and a penalty killing specialist. Passing and positioning continue to be a highlight both in the regular season and the playoffs which should continue throughout his career. With some experience, Grachev is projected to have a higher +/- ratio now that he has developed some. CONS He's not very capable offensively yet. You could argue that his shot percentage is great but that's from a small sample size. With a better passing ability the increase in assists could come, but early on he has yet to hit that mark. His physicality could be improved even with 46 hits from last season. To develop as a true shutdown defender, hits and shots blocked will have to increase next season. Overall his discipline could be improved; he had a knack for taking bad penalties in the form of hooking, tripping, and slashing in the regular season. Although it is not a wild number of penalties, they will have to be reduced to be more effective on the ice. ASSESSMENT Victor Grachev has successfully established himself as a young, rising prospect in the league. With his selection in the VHL draft by the Warsaw Predators, he will look to prove himself on a new expansion team as a possible cornerstone in their defense. For now, Grachev will play another year or so in the VHLM with the Miami Marauders. As a second line defenseman, his attributes could help Miami have a successful season this year. FUTURE ROLE: TOP 4 DEF POTENTIAL: HIGH NHL PLAYER COMPARISONS: NIKLAS HJALMARSSON, BROOKS ORPIK

1). I’m excited! It will be great to be a part of a new team and solidify the franchise going forward in the next few seasons. 2). Granted I’ll be down in the VHLM, but I think acquiring draft capital or more prospects would be a great focus to build us up. 3). To develop as functionally as I can to ensure Grachev comes in full force to the VHL. 4). Regarding the VHL draft, I felt like we did very well with who was available and who we picked. It may not show this season, but each player selected should develop nicely and really help our team out. 5). I like to push the puck way out far to my right and keep it on the toe of my stick. I’ll look for the goalie to commit to a move and go with either a Kucherov, a quick pull back short side, or fire it quick five hole if I freeze him. 6). Keep doing you, your motivation has been great! 7). London. Both expansion teams, I could see something budding from that soon. 8). ? 9). I usually go for tomato smoothie if anything. 10). Chicago Blackhawks!

I’m willing to partake in this highly sophisticated form of stat tracking to determine if one of us was more fortunate than our other fellow players.

*Already submitted a Media Spot for the Week ending 07/19/2020, will be submitted as Graphic for the Week ending 07/26/2020*

So say we all, Miami Marauders: Best ?

With the S73 VHLM draft now complete, Miami selected a number of players to join their ranks including the all too familiar Victor Grachev. However, panic arose once players began to make their way into the Miami Marauders Ice Arena. More specifically, the locker room. It was crowded, full of new players becoming acclimated with current players, coaches, and staff. It wasn't until a few moments had passed when someone first made a comment in the locker room. With all of the players selected, they might not have enough lockers for each player. In a mad dash, some players immediately lay claim to certain lockers of choice, edging out others to secure their desired position. For players like Victor Grachev who just walked into the locker room, he was left with what was available at the moment. "I am happy to be Marauder," Grachev said in his trademark broken english. "But now I am worried, I have only fold out chair to use. And I must share today with others. What of this 'social distancing'? Who all will use Victor's chair?" The sentiment was all jokes and good spirits in the locker room regardless of the many bodies in a relatively small space. With the draft complete and some trades now underway, Miami will look to solidify its roster to prepare for the next season and a possible playoff push. They may also look to create enough lockers in the room for all of the players. At least Victor Grachev hopes they will from his chair out in the hallway.

With the S73 VHLM Dispersal Draft now complete, the VHLM teams are gearing up to prepare in the off season for another exciting season of hockey. But one team in particular feels especially ready. From all of the buzz regarding the first few rounds, it was the first round that drew everyone's attention. Rightfully so, it is the first round where the highest prospects are drafted. However, three teams in this draft had 3 first round picks. The San Diego Marlins had the 1st, 9th, and 12th, the Ottawa Lynx had the 2nd, 6th, and 10th, and the Miami Marauders had the 4th, 5th, and 7th picks. With that much weight to throw around from all three teams, it feels almost necessary to compare the overall star power each team chose in this draft now that the final player has been chosen. Each team will be listed with either a Good, Better, or Best grade as well as a quick analysis on their picks and why they received the rating chosen in this article. To begin with, let's take a look at the far west coast with the 1st overall pick, the San Diego Marlins. Not only did they get the player with the highest TPE in the draft, they garnered two excellent prospects with their other 2 picks. John Merrick needs no further examination, he is a highly skilled center with a bright future in the VHL. Along with Ryan Schwarz, the offense looks to hum like an absolute machine next season. Additionally, the prospect that really stood out amongst their picks in the draft was selected 9th overall, John LeClair II. Not only was he a S74 creation, he hit the ground running in his short time in the VHLM before the draft. Already amassing 135 TPE, the future looks bright for San Diego this year as they are poised to break away from their recent 10 win season with him as one of their top LWs. SAN DIEGO: GOOD Holding the 2nd overall pick plus two additional picks, the Ottawa Lynx look to further improve upon their 36-30-6 season. With Alec Volchenkov as their star of the draft, they arguably could make a deep playoff push if everything operates accordingly this upcoming season. Along with the assembly of picks S Kuchar (6) and Jiggly Gumballs (10), it's hard to imagine Ottawa not putting together a viable season worthy of a potential cup run in the S73 playoffs. OTTAWA LYNX: BETTER Even without a top 3 pick in the draft, the Miami Marauders made waves with their selections. Each of the prospects chosen in the draft have all been earning an average of 10.0 TPE or more consistently each week. And with two of their picks selecting the top 2 defensemen in the draft, they bolstered their defensive core tremendously. Matty Socks has the offensive prowess to effectively quarterback the ice and garner a high amount of assists while Victor Grachev seems to focus on shutting the opposition down as a true defensive defenseman. Even before selecting these two, the 4th pick addition of Kevin King not only ensures Miami's offense will be a force to reckon with but could push them to hoisting their first ever Founder's Cup. MIAMI MARAUDERS: BEST _____ Users mentioned: @Steve @Enorama @flyersfan1453 @SirRupertBarnes @S. Kuchar @JigglyGumballs @fishy @KaleebtheMighty @IamMOOSE