thepandaken

VHLM Top Five Prospects to Watch Just 13 days into the season, the most valuable prospects in the VHLM are already starting to reveal themselves. In this article, we’re going to look at the five minor leaguers with the highest points so far, and detail why fans, scouts, and managers are watching these players with great interest! #5 - Jeremy Lin, RW, Mexico City Kings Jeremy Lin, age 18, comes in at 5th for points thus far with 20. He’s shown to be a good all-around winger, splitting those 20 points evenly with 10 goals and 10 assists. Last season, he managed 36 points (12 G, 24 A) in 72 games; he’s reached 20 just nine games into this season. With one hat trick already, Lin has shown that he has the ability to punish mistakes and consistently generate pressure on offense. With a +/- of only 3, however, there are questions about the regression in his ability to contribute in the defensive zone that he’ll have to answer this season. #4 - Michael Hall, LW, Minnesota Storm The 20 year old Canadian Michael Hall is our 4th Top Prospect to Watch. Hall has put up 20 points, with 11 goals and 9 assists. He boasts an impressive +/- of 15. He is well on-track to beat his Season 72 stats, having 56 points (29 G, 27 A) over 72 games. While he’s been unstoppable in even strength play, he has struggled on the power play. With 42 minutes, he’s managed just one PP point off of an assist. While he has scored a short handed goal, there is certainly room to improve for the young winger on special teams. #3 - Pietro Angellini, C, San Diego Marlins Pietro Angellini comes in at 3rd, boasting an impressive 21 points. The quintessential playmaker, 14 of Angellini’s 21 points come from assists. Angellini has done a great deal of his damage this year while on the powerplay, getting a total of 9 PP points. Of these, his playmaking is on clear display with the 1 G, 9 A stat line. He’s also been above-average on faceoffs, winning 58.8% of the time. Despite all of these impressive numbers, his unit has struggled on defense, leaving him with a +/- of merely 1. #2 - Arthur Dayne, C, Ottawa Lynx The young 17-year-old Center Arthur Dayne sits at #2 on our list, and for good reason. Just 10 games in, he has 22 points from 9 goals and 13 assists. He has a +/- of 12, has 6 PP points (1 G, 5 A), and two shorthanded goals. To put the cherry on top, Dayne wins an impressive 63.4% of his faceoffs. The speedy center has been a threat in every phase of play, and has been a difference maker for Ottawa. He was already scarily-good for Mexico City last season, and is on pace to absolutely terrorize goaltenders across the VHLM in Season 73. #1 - Riley Knight Gee, D, Houston Bulls Riley Knight Gee has undeniably earned the #1 spot in our Top Prospects to Watch list. Putting up 27 points (10 with the man advantage) in just 9 games, Gee is on a 3 points-per-game pace. To get there, Gee notched 10 goals and 17 assists, and has a +/- of 12. In those 9 games, he has had an uncanny ability to place the puck wherever he pleases, with a shooting percentage of over 25%! Gee has been an absolute nightmare from the blue line, and represents the dynamic player required at the position in the modern game. While this pace certainly can’t last forever, Gee carried his already explosive Season 72 into Season 73 in an even more incredible fashion. While all five players on this list are impressive, Gee sits in a league of his own at the top of our Top Five Prospects to Watch. 640 words, claimed for week ending 07/26/20

Accepted!

The Rising Star of the Land of the Rising Sun Arriving to the VHL this season is an exciting young defenseman, Taizo Hasebe, who comes to the league from a place not normally seen as a hotbed of talent: the nation of Japan. A lifetime native of Nikkō, Japan, Hasebe quickly made a name for himself in the local hockey community. By the time he was out of primary school, Hasebe was already getting scouted by the local Asia League Ice Hockey team, the Nikkō Ice Bucks. In his freshman season, he put up an incredible stat line, netting 9 G, 48 A, and a +/- of 73. He quickly found himself on the top pairing of Japan's u18 squad, representing the country internationally. Upon graduation, he played one season for the Nikkō Ice Bucks. He suffered a concussion that limited him to just 22 games, out of the league's 34 game schedule. Despite the setback, he finished his debut professional season with 6 G, 29 A, and a +/- of 41. After a successful, albeit limited, rookie season, the expectation was that Hasebe would return to complete a sophomore season in the ALIH. He shocked everyone when he announced that he'd be leaving to chase the dream in the VHL. "[It] is an exciting opportunity for me and my family, and I cannot wait to begin this next journey," said Hasebe in the now-viral announcement over his social media. In a public statement made hours after Hasebe's announcement, the chair of the Ice Bucks fan club stated, "We wish Taizo finds great success in the VHL. Hearts across our city are filled with pride as one of Nikkō's sons has earned such an incredible honor and opportunity!" Hasebe has a reputation as a stingy defenseman that generates a large number of turnovers. Scouting reports praise his positioning as that of a veteran with two decades of experience, and note that his defensive work with the stick is well above average. Offensively, he is more known for his playmaking ability than for tallying goals. While most experts do make note of sluggish skating and questionable stickhandling on the puck, Hasebe is a youngster that could easily emerge as one of the VHL's top prospects with some time to develop. With the eyes of the hockey world on him, and the pride of his home town on the line, it will be interesting to see how the young D-man handles the pressure on the world's biggest stage.

Player Information Username: thepandaken Player Name: Taizo Hasebe Recruited From: Reddit Age: 18 Position: D Height: 68 in. Weight: 200 lbs. Birthplace: Japan Player Page @VHLM GM