v.2

But this thread just got posted??

As our flight touched down in Stockholm, I couldn’t help but be reminded that I was a long way from home. Having spent most of my life and professional career as a writer in Houston, the prospect of crossing the pond and living in a new country for any extended period of time was admittedly quite mystifying.  Opportunity calls-- or at least that's what I told myself as I disembarked the aircraft and began making my way through the terminal.  After a nearly 12-hour flight, my destination was still an hour's train ride away-- Vasteras, one of northern Europe's oldest cities, approximately 100km west of Stockholm.  Stepping outside, I found myself instinctively buttoning up my coat and folding my arms.  In contrast to the humid heat of Houston, even in the month of March, the air here in Sweden tasted fresh, brisk even, if not a little chilly.  It's a change, no doubt about that, though not an entirely unwelcome one.   
 
Last season, writing for VHL.com, I covered the story of the Houston Bulls, chronicling their rise from an early season underdog to a playoff favorite.  Having privileged access to the locker room, the players, and staff, I grew quite fond of the team, experiencing the excitement of their first-round playoff victory, as well as the pain of their semi-final defeat.  The loss was made to sting all the more as I knew that I would be moving on from coverage of the Bulls at the conclusion of the playoffs, not unlike the players who would be moving on to new teams for S93.  Only yesterday, my next assignment was confirmed-- the Vasteras Iron Eagles of the VHLE.  I had known I'd likely be heading to Europe to cover the E, but the city I'd be calling home for the duration of this next season remained a mystery until what seemed like the final hour.  When I finally got the call on Monday evening, my bags were already half packed and I scrambled to put the rest of my life together in short order—coat, scarves, boots, hat... I don't live in the real world and my life is chaos, though I suppose that's half the fun.   
 
And while I could go on about my hectic travel schedule, my lack of sleep, or prepping for a feature interview while on an intercontinental flight, this piece isn't about me so I'll spare you my melodrama.  Suffice it to say, the whirlwind that was my weekend surely cannot compare to the experience of recent VHL and VHLE draftee, Lucy Leitner.   
 
I had the opportunity to follow Leitner's first professional hockey season in Houston and was impressed with her level of play and commitment to development on and off the ice.  She got off to a flying start, quickly dispelling any doubts that her success at the junior level wouldn't translate to the minor pro ranks.  Finishing the season with 76 points in 72 games, collecting 60 assists in the process, Leitner impressed scouts enough for Riga to select her 3rd overall in the VHL draft.  In the VHLE draft, it was Vasteras that collected the smooth skating defender with the 2nd overall pick.  Notably, in both drafts over the weekend, it was Leitner's Houston teammate, Antonia Bucatini @CowboyinAmerica, who was selected 1st overall, completing a trifecta of 1st overall selections in the VHLM, VHLE, and VHL.   
 

Vasteras, Sweden
  
I slept through the hour-long train ride from Stockholm to Vasteras and, groggy-eyed, I caught a cab from the train station to the hotel and turned in early (it was only 4pm local time).  The next morning, I met Lucy in the hotel lobby at 9:00.  She was in a chipper mood, almost glowing as she crossed the lobby and greeted me warmly.  She had arrived in Vasteras the same day as I had for a short visit and already had plans to leave in less than 24 hours to fly back to the US—to Salt Lake City, for the World Junior Championships.  Today, she had the morning free to explore the city and I was more than happy to tag along.  
 
Unlike Houston, Vasteras is a walkable city. In Houston, if you don’t have a vehicle, you’re not going to get far. If you want to get anywhere, you’ll need to put on your game face, grit your teeth, hit the freeway, and hope to hell you don’t encounter the infamous Houston driver. Sure, there are bike paths down by the bayou and the city has got some nice parks, but it’s hot, horrendously humid, and sweatier than hyperhidrosis if it isn’t one of those precious few temperate weeks in the middle of February. Sound like your cup of tea? At least make sure it’s iced and unsweet, you psycho. By contrast, Vasteras has a beautiful historical district called Bondtorget. With quaint and colorful buildings, cobblestone streets, outdoor markets, a picturesque plaza, and bridges that cross the Svartån river, it doesn’t feel like life is coming at you a million miles a minute. In the chaos of the last 48 hours, taking in these relatively quiet streets with Lucy was a breath of fresh air—and I mean that literally. Back in Houston, it’s muggier than a stein of bulldog-branded root beer... Look, I’m tired and I’m trying, do with that odd analogy what you will. 
 
Walking through the narrow streets, we stumbled upon a small bridge over the Svartån with hundreds of locks hooked on the railings. I had seen bridges like this before in Europe and in North America, but Lucy seemingly had not.  
 
“Why are all these locks here?” she asked, curiously. 
 
“They’re called love locks,” I replied, “Look, you can see the initials inscribed on them. Couples leave them as a sign of their unbreakable love.” 
 
Leaning in closer to examine the locks, Lucy had an air of fascination about her, like a kid in a candy shop, a youthful curiosity. I had to remind myself, she was still only 18 and this was the furthest she’d ever been outside of the US. For all of her maturity and composure on the ice and in the locker room, this was all still new to her. Europe was a new world. Moving on from the lock encumbered bridge, we continued picking our way through the winding streets and found ourselves a quiet coffee shop where we could sit and chat. And while I fought back yawns and gulped my coffee down, fiending for caffeine, Lucy apparently had all the energy in the world.  
 
“Are you sure you only got here yesterday?” I asked, marveling at her excitement. “How are you not exhausted after all you’ve been through this past weekend? I mean, you were just drafted to the VHL and the VHLE, you’ve been playing in the Junior Showcase Tournament, you’ve flown across the Atlantic to a place you’ve never been, and you’re flying back to Salt Lake in less than a day to play against some of the best young players in the world—what's your secret? How are you not crashing?” 
 
Lucy laughed, “I don’t know. I guess I never really thought about all that. I’m just taking it all as it comes and it’s all been so much fun!” 
 
“Tell me about that experience, though-- the VHL draft was on Saturday and you were selected by Riga. Did you expect to get picked 3rd overall?” 
 
“Not at all! If I’m being completely honest, I didn’t even know Riga was in Latvia until after I got off the phone with the GM when I was drafted. I was just like, ‘where on earth is Riga?’ I guess I had it in my head that it was in Switzerland or something.” 
 
Amused, I asked, “Did you know Vasteras was in Sweden?” 
 
“Yeah, I knew that because I had a couple of former junior teammates who had been here, actually, for a tournament.” 
 
“So how do you feel about Riga? Is that where you would have hoped to get drafted?” 
 
She shrugged, “Honestly, I didn't really have any expectations, I was just happy to get picked. The organization has been nothing but great to me so far. I mean, I kind of knew they were interested because they interviewed me before the draft, but so did a bunch of other teams so I was totally shocked when I heard my name at 3rd overall with all the other great players that were still on the board. I’m just super honored more than anything else.” 
 
“No, that’s so great to hear,” I say, drinking in her luminous demeanor—and another slurp of my coffee, “And so you were picked 2nd overall by Vasteras in the VHLE draft on Monday, tell me about that experience.” 
 
“Honestly, I was still on a high from the VHL draft and when they picked me at 2nd, I couldn’t believe it. It was just such a surreal moment realizing that I could kind of see my future, like, where I would be playing next season and for, hopefully, many seasons after that in Riga.” 
 
“What does your family think about you moving to Europe? I’m sure there’s a bit of mixed emotion seeing you move so far away to play hockey.” 
 
“Yeah, definitely a little bit, like you said, obviously they’re all super supportive, but, you know, obviously, there were some tears when they dropped me off at the airport. I’m sure I’ll be able to see them a fair bit if they travel here for games. They’re already planning on coming to my first game here in Vasteras so we’re all super excited for that.” 
 
“What will that mean to you—your first game in the E with your family in attendance? I remember last offseason we spoke about you making the jump up to the M and I think you proved pretty quickly that you belonged in that league. Do you have any nervous energy going into this season?” 
 
“It’ll mean the world to me to have my family there. They’ve been with me throughout the whole journey so having them there for the first one will be super special. Like, I guess I’m maybe a little bit nervous, but, like, nothing crazy. I mean, a little bit of nervousness is good, right? Like, it kind of gets you going and I think it really helps me focus. Like, if I’m not nervous, maybe I’m not taking it seriously enough. So, yeah...” 
 
“Do you put a lot of pressure on yourself to perform at a high level?” 
 
“I guess, yeah, I definitely have high expectations for myself, but I also just love to play, so I obviously want to be at my best and I expect to play well, but if things are kind of off, I guess I don’t beat myself up over it too much. At the end of the day, I’m just so lucky to be playing this game.” 
 
“I think that’s a great mentality to have. Just take it as it comes and enjoy every moment.” 
 
“Exactly!” Lucy smiled brightly. 
 
“I wanted to ask you about your new teammates—particularly, an old teammate who will be playing with you in Vasteras. Ondrej Vencko @Mutti was also selected by the Iron Eagles, as well as a couple of rivals of yours from the Reapers, Jorgen Lovstrom @Pifferfish and Yermolai Nabokov @fonziGG. On top of that, another high VHL draft pick in Gianfranco Del Rocco @Victor was also drafted by Vasteras. What do you think of being teammates with all of them now?” 
 
“I can’t even tell you how happy I am, honestly! I’m so glad Ondra is here. He’s just such a funny and amazing personality and an incredible player, and to have Lovstrom too? Like, our goalies have to be the best in the E, right? I also heard that they’re kinda drinking buddies in the offseason when we’re supposed to be in ‘training camp’, so maybe now that we’re all teammates they’ll let me join them! Nabokov, I don’t know too well, but I’ve heard great things about him too, and he was obviously incredible last season so I’m super excited to have him on the team.  We were actually both drafted to Riga as well, so I’m sure I’ll get to know him pretty well in future. —And Del Rocco! I was honestly surprised Vasteras didn’t take him at 2nd overall, what a player!” 
 
“It must be nice that you’ll have at least one other former Houston Bull on Vasteras with you after so many were picked in these drafts.” 
 
“Absolutely! I was honestly hoping that there would be more, but of all the people it could have been, Ondra is the best—no offense to anyone else! I love them all!” 
 
“What do you think of the team’s chances to compete for the VHLE championship this year?” 
 
“I mean, with all the talent that Z @Zetterberg brought in with the draft, plus the players we already have on the roster, I really like our chances! It’s obviously a long season and a lot can happen, but right now I absolutely believe we have a chance, and talking with some of the others, we’re all really excited to get started!” 
 
“Yeah, so with the season starting in less than a week, how are you preparing for the start of the VHLE season? I know you’ll be attending the World Juniors for Team USA, but do you think you’ll be prepared once the regular season starts?” 
 
“Definitely, I’ve been training all offseason to get better, really working on my defensive game and trying to play bigger. I’m obviously not the biggest person on the ice, but I know the levels go up in the E, including physicality, so I’m just trying to do everything I can to be ready for that. But I’m feeling really confident that my game is in a much better place now than at the end of the playoffs. I’m just feeling ready.” 
 
“And what about the World Juniors, how do you feel about your chances in that tournament? It must be an honor being able to wear your country’s colors, right?” 
 
“Yes! Oh, I can’t wait. I’ve wanted to play for the national team my whole life, so this is like a dream for me. It’s gonna be so cool putting on those jerseys and skating out against Canada in game one—like, I just can’t wait. I think we have a good chance in the tournament too, like, we’ve got a solid lineup and it’ll be great to be on the same team as Abenduct again for this tournament. I think he and Gul Dukat are going to be a monster pair if the coach puts them together!” 
 
We continued our chat for a while longer. I ordered a second coffee in the meantime, still trying to keep up with Lucy’s energy, though it seemed no amount of magic bean juice was going to get me to that level. Just before we concluded, I asked her, “Now that you’ve finished your first full season of professional hockey, have your goals changed at all? When we spoke in the last offseason, you were focused on helping the Bulls win. I know it was a disappointing end to that run, but do you feel you accomplished what you set out to do? And what is your goal for this season?” 
 
Lucy seemed to think for a few moments before answering, “Wow, yeah, I’m definitely still getting over that loss to Philly. It was heartbreaking, honestly. I mean, we didn’t get the Founder’s Cup like we all wanted—like I had hoped, I guess, but I don’t think the season was a failure. Just seeing how far we came is so incredible to look back on and I think it’s really kind of changed my perspective. I still want to win— I want to win this season, of course, but I kinda feel like how we came together as a team was even more important in the end. I’ve never had a season quite like that run with the Bulls and I really hope it’s not the last. It would have been so much sweeter if we had won, and I’m not satisfied with losing, but that’s the game, I guess. So, like, not much changes this season really, but I feel like maybe my first goal is bringing the same team energy that we had in Houston here to Vasteras. I really think if we have the whole team on the same page that way, the sky is the limit to what we can accomplish, and a championship will kind of take care of itself. I don’t know, it’s a good question.  
 
“Last one, where do you see yourself in five years?” 
 
“That’s easy,” Lucy smiled, “I’m having my day with the Continental Cup in Riga.” 
 

Riga, Latvia
 
For a player with only one season of pro experience, her goals are lofty, but her self-expectation is higher. Certainly, the road to a Continental Cup in five years will be a difficult one.  Still to play her first game with Vasteras, Leitner has a long road ahead of her just to get to that opening faceoff as she heads back to the US for the World Juniors this week. While she exudes the energy of someone who takes every minute as it comes, allowing the moment to shape her experience, her long-term goal is set in the stars. Whether or not she reaches it remains to be seen. 
 
Saying our goodbyes, I caught myself exhaling tiredly. I think Lucy noticed it too as she flashed me a knowing grin, leaving the coffee shop for a waiting cab. 
 
Light travels fast. 
 
 
 
Lauren Lambert for VHL.com
3/14/24 - 2938 words                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

All I'm saying is if we're gonna use these goofy ass ratios then at least make them work properly

Looks like it got added ❤️

Good suggestion I'll look at adding that. 

Like regression, this is pure theft! 
 
Something needs to be done, before legal action is launched against the VHL. 

This is not a joke.

Why don’t we call all awards “popularity contest 1” etc etc 

Yeah this is something I’ve meant to look at a long time ago. I think you just mean the player page here but on the player management side, this is a bit more ambitious but I’ve always pictured like a weekly ‘checklist’ that shows what capped you’ve done and your options to get the rest. 

Crazy thad named a trophy after him and his “mate”

Womp is IA, just realized I put the wrong link… however, it’s fine if we ignore this, a player told me that they wanted to play in the VHL this season, only for their E GM to tell me that they want to play in the E. so we’ll just ignore this for now…

Huge congrats @Thunder! This accolade is nothing to sniff at, having had that type of success with a player in the hybrid / 16 team era. 

Congrats pal!  @Thunder   We talk a lot of shit but Thunder was an absolute stud and your are an amazing addition to the league.   Pumped that you are back now and we can hopefully play together someday.  
 
Well deserved HOF 

Thanks @Victor, I appreciate it.  And thanks to all you people who make this league a success.  It is definitely a lot of fun.

Fr, we legit changed them based on what he asked for last time lol

What did he say

Season Ninety-Three Vancouver Wolves
After struggling though the last two seasons, the Vancouver Wolves will hopefully be turning the corner in Season Ninety-Three. While seven players from last season are scheduled to return to the club for the upcoming season, the team will also see seven new faces donning the Black and White for Season Ninety-Three. Today we will look at the roster for the upcoming season, a season which General Manager Frank Chadwick and Assistant General Manager Gaikoku-hito hope the team can bounce back and be a VHL playoff team already next season.
Forwards:
Left Alone (S86-LW):

Alone joins the Wolves after a trade that brought him to the club after he finished his fifth season with the Moscow Menace. A veteran presence on a very young Wolves roster, Alone will hopefully continue on his recent offensive tear, which saw him put up ninety-three and ninety-four points the last two seasons in Moscow. Drafted Third Overall in the Season Eighty-Six VHL Entry Draft by the Seattle Bears, Alone was dealt after his rookie season in Seattle to Moscow, where he grew into a point per game player over the last three seasons. The only thing that might hamper Alone this season is the fact he only has 30 TPE banked heading into depreciation, something that might hinder his ability to be a point per game player as he enters his seventh VHL season. Regardless the Wolves fans, management and locker-room is ecstatic at the fact they have an elite forward on the roster as they head into a new season.  
Logan Ninefingers (S92-RW):

Coming off a season that saw Ninefingers get traded, then win the Renaissance Cup with his new VHLE team, Ninefingers is looking to bring his winning ways with him to Vancouver. After being drafted by the Wolves First Overall in the Season Ninety-Two VHL Entry Draft, Ninefingers spent a season honing his craft in the VHLE. After being selected Sixth Overall in the VHLE Entry Draft, by the Oslo storm, the youngster from America was dealt to the Vasteras Iron Eagles, a trade that was quickly vetoed due to a change in management. While Ninefingers was rightfully upset at the vetoed trade, it worked out wonderful in the end for the winger. Later in the season, Ninefingers was traded to the Bratislava Watchmen, who would go onto upset the defending VHLE champion Cologne Express, allowing Ninefingers to get his first taste of a championship in his young VHL career. Now Ninefingers heads to Vancouver as the likely top candidate for the Christian Stolzschweiger trophy as the leagues top rookie.
 
Nick Sansoe (S87-C):
Sansoe is the first member of the Wolves roster we will touch upon in his article that is expected to return to the club after toughing it out in Van City last season. Sanose is coming off an amazing season last year with the Wolves, which was only his second season in the VHL after his rookie season with London back in Season Ninety. Sanose was the team leader for Vancouver in assists (56) and points (88), one ahead of powerhouse defenseman Liv Slater. Sansoe signed as a free agent with the Wolves last season after spending Season Ninety-One as a member of the Rome Gladiators in the VHLE. Sanose was drafted by the London United way back in the Season Eighty-Seven VHL Entry draft, but never really panned out for the United as they would have hoped, but after last season with the Wolves the towering 6’8 forward from the United States showed that good things do really come to those who wait. With what should be an improved roster heading up to the Wolves in Season Ninety-Three, one will have to wonder if Sanose will be able to continue his offensive ways in the upcoming season.
 
Ben Dover (S86-RW):
Another member of the Wolves roster that is expected to return this season, Ben Dover was another Wolve that saw his point production increase on a relatively bad team last season. Dover had a good rookie season in Season Ninety-One with the Wolves putting up fifty-three points in his seventy-two games played but rose to a point per game player for the franchise in Season Ninety-Two, putting up thirty-six goals and thirty-seven assists, good enough for seventy-three points which was third on the entire team. Now as Dover heads into his third season in the VHL and with the Wolves, after signing a contract extension for Season Ninety-Two Dover will hopefully show the Wolves management team he belongs, or at the very worst showcases his talent for another VHL team if the Wolves decide to go other route at the conclusion of the upcoming season.
 
Mikko Borisyuk (S89-C):

Borisyuk is one of the new faces that will be joining the Wolves in the upcoming season, after spending the last three seasons since his draft year with the Bratislava Watchmen. Borisyuk is another member of the Wolves roster that got his first taste of championship hockey, as a part of the Watchmens Renaissance winning team in Season Ninety-two, but now a much harder task is on the horizon for Borisyuk. Borisyuk is currently the second centerman on the Wolves roster, which means there will be a bit more pressure on the youngster, as he’ll likely be playing on the second line behind Sansoe right from the get-go, something that a lot of rookies don’t experience right away. Borisyuk has put up back-to-back thirty goal seasons in the VHLE, something that Borisyuk and the Wolves management will continue when he enters the big league. With a young roster around him, hopefully the first-gen player can come into his own as one of the older rookies on the roster.
Carson Walker Jr (S89-RW):

Walker Jr enjoyed a very good rookie season with the Wolves in Season Ninety-Two, as he was able to put up thirty-two goals and twenty-nine assists in the Wolves seventy-two games played. The sixty-one points that Walker Jr put up last season put him in third place in the rookie scoring race, behind names with much more fanfare in Grimgor Ironside and Leif Reingaard, which puts Walker Jr in very good company. Prior to putting on the Wolves jersey last season, Walker Jr was another member of the franchise that spent time in the VHLE with Bratislava. In 144 games played in the VHLE with Bratislava, Walker Jr put up fifty-four goals and fifty-six assists, showing he is a balanced forward that can bury the rubber or help set up his teammates. Now entering his fifth of nine eligible seasons in the VHL, Walker Jr will look to make a bigger impact as on of the older forwards on the Wolves roster, this time with hopefully a much better core around him. Only time will tell is Walker Jr can improve on his sixty-one-point rookie season in Season Ninety-Two.
 
Zyn Westwood (S89-RW):

Westwood is coming back to the Vancouver Wolves from the New York Americans after being traded a few weeks into Season Ninety-Two. Entering his fifth VHL season, Westwood will be entering his second season with the Wolves after playing the final forty-four games with the Americans last season, a team where he also spent Season Ninety and Ninety-One with. Westwood was selected Fifth Overall back in Season Eighty-Nine by the New York Americans but hasn’t really been able to live up to the normal hype one would expect from a top five pick in the VHL Entry Draft. So far in 217 VHL games played Westwood has put up thirty-five goals and forty-four assists however, Westwood to his credit has played on some of the worst VHL teams in those four VHL seasons, with only the Season Ninety-Two New York team making the playoffs. Hopefully after being left off the only playoff roster, he could have appear on last season with New York will light a fire under the right winger this season for Vancouver.
 
Mclean Hoover II (S87-RW):
Hoover II is another member of the Wolves roster that played last season with Vancouver in his rookie season. Hoover II was drafted back in the Season Eighty-Seven VHL Entry Draft, where he went thirty-third overall to the Riga Reign. Hoover never played a game for his draft team, instead Hoover II spent two seasons with the Mississauga Hounds in the VHLM (S87, S88) and three seasons with the Rome Gladiators in the VHLE (S89, S90, S91). When free agency hit for Season Ninety-Two Hoover II was offered a one year $1,500,000 contract with Vancouver, where he impressed the management team enough to be offered the same one-year contract heading into Season Ninety-Two. As he enters his second season in Vancouver and second VHL season, the Wolves hope that Hoover II can improve on his thirty-four-point performance in Season Ninety-Two.
 
Defense:
Liv Slater (S88-D):

The man, they myth the Wolves legend, Liv Slater put the VHL on notice with her offensive production in Season Ninety-Two. Slater is entering her fifth season in the VHL and fourth on the Wolves roster, after spending her rookie season with the team that drafted her Seventh Overall in Season Nighty-Eight, the Chicago Wolves. Heading into Season Ninety-Two, Slater has 135 points in 216 games, then she exploded off the charts with a eighty-seven point performance last season. Slater put up thirty-six goals and fifty-one assists in seventy-two games which was good enough for third place in the defenseman scoring race behind Mark Calaway and Pierre Emile Bouchard. Slater was the talk of the town in Vancouver last season as her offensive performance seemed to come out of nowhere, including her hybrid record breaking thirty-six goal season which is the best goal output since Season Eighty-three. Now with a much-improved roster around her as we enter Season Ninety-Three, one question on everyone’s mind in Vancouver is, what will she do next?
 
DB IV (S92-D):
 
A member of the three-headed rookie monster on defense that will be joining the Wolves next season, DB IV hopes his losing finals ways is behind him as he leaves the Cologne Express of the VHLE. DB IVs VHL career started on the highest of highs as he was a member of the Season Ninety Founders Cup winning Mississauga Hounds roster, but over the last two years his luck has appeared to run out as a member of the Houston Bulls and Colone Express. Now as DB IV is ready to enter the VHL, he is hoping to go back to those winning ways he experienced in Season Ninety with the Hounds. Last season DB IV helped the Express back to the Renaissance up finals, as he put up a respectable 8 goals and twenty-five assists in seventy-two games played with Cologne. DB IV also appeared in all nine playoff games with the Express, where he was only able to put up one assist in the team’s nine games. DB IV is eligible to return back to the VHLE next season, but it appears the Wolves management have him slotted in as the fourth defenseman on the roster which will hopefully pay off huge for both the Wolves teams and DB IV himself.
Guntis Gavilrovs (S92-D):

Gavilrovs is another member of the three headed rookie class that will be joining the Wolves on defense this upcoming season. Gavilrovs spent last season with the Stockholm Vikings in the VHLE where he went off offensively, putting up seventeen goals and a league leading sixty-one assists. Gavilrovs was a huge part of the reason that Stockholm was able to hang onto third place in the VHLE standings, however he alone couldn’t lead the Vikings past the eventual Cup winning Watchmen in the first round of the VHLE playoffs. After a very good regular season, Gavilrovs did keep up that offensive pace in the post-season against Bratislava as he put up four assists in the Vikings eventually five game loss of the Watchmen. Now as he enters his rookie VHL season Gavilrovs hopes he can continue putting up a point per game in the VHL.
 
Vlad Von Carstein (S92-D):

The last member of the rookie crew that is joining the Wolves on defense this season, Vlad Von Carstein is the last member of the roster to also bringing a winning pedigree to the VHL this season. Carstein saw action in all seventy-two games for the Watchmen last season, putting up fourteen goals and fifty-seven assists, which was just one point under a point per game for the German defender. Carstein upped his game come playoff time for the eventual Renaissance winning Watchmen, where he put up four goals and five assists in the teams nine playoff games. Now Carstein will join the Wolves roster as the number two defenseman on the club and can hopefully keep up the offensive production in Season Ninety-Three and beyond.
Goalie:
Dalkr Vidarsson (S91-G):

The lone goaltender on the Wovles roster, Dalkr Vidarsson is coming off his rookie VHL season that saw him face the second most shots in the entire VHL. Vidarsson saw action in sixty-four games last season for the Wolves and had himself a very good season all things considered. Vidarsson put finished the season with a record of 26-32-6 to go along with a .925 save percentage and 3.09 goals against average. Vidarsson also had five shutouts on the season, which tied him with Fuukka Rask for third place in the entire VH, trailing only Joel Castle and Merome Dilson by one shutout for the league lead. Vidarsson played behind a roster that did not have many quality defenseman besides Slater, so as we head in to Season Ninety-Three Vidarsson must be excited as he’ll see time behind a much improved roster, including a much improved defense. Hopefully this is the season we see Vidarsson on the right side of the wins/loss column.  
 
 
2,308 words. 
March 3-9
March 10-16
March 17-23
March 24-30

John Jameson (Frank) has announced their retirement.

Woo 4th round! London's kitchen

In anticipation of people writing about the recent VHL entry draft, I figured that there would be all kinds of articles and media spots about the number 1 pick, the first rounders, etc., so I decided to try something different.  I’m going to write about the selections from the bottom up, that is the fourth round of the season 93.  After reviewing these players, I found a few rising stars who will break through and will help lead their teams to championship cups.  In addition, it always makes a GM look good by picking a player late in the draft that comes out on top.  Congratulations to all who were drafted in rounds one, two, and three; and the following are the fourth rounders to be congratulated.
 
64 - Brash Candicoot - DC Dragons
 
Starting with the last pick of season 93 draft, the DC Dragons have selected at the 64th pick, Brash Candicoot, a left winger from the United States.  @TrinityMonk joined the league January 7th, and Candicoot is a first gen player.  Candicoot played one season with the Philadelphia Flyers and contributed with 12 goals and 18 assists.  Candicoot spent a reasonable time in the penalty box and had no problem hitting opponents.  Candicoot will be spending some time in the minors developing his skills, before making his debut in the VHL.
 
Looking at Candicoot’s build, TrinityMonk is doing a really good job building a balanced player and appears to have a bright future making a mark contributing points to his team.
 
63 - Owen Two - London United
 
The London United selected Owen Two in the 63rd slot.  Two is another left winger who is a first gen player.  @do3bo1 joined the VHL on January 21st, and Two has played 40 games with Mexico City, establishing a bone crushing attitude with a multitude of hits.  It appears  do3bo1 is building a power forward, or even an enforcer, as Owen Two is an immediate force for their team.  It’s quite possible if do3bo1 picks up TPA for Owen Two, that Two could potentially become a future dominating force in the VHL.  It’s even possible Owen Two could be a Brock Purdue in the making.
 
 
62 - Landon Flatt - Helsinki Titans2
 
Another first gen player was selected in the #62 spot.  The Helsinki Titans picked Canadian born Landon Flatt, a diminutive yet stocky defenseman.  @Lando10 joined the VHL on January 7th.  Flatt joined the Mexico City Kings for season 92, and was a strong force on the team.  Flatt dominated the ice punishing opponents and playing with a fierce attitude.  Flatt had an incredible stat line, 160 hits, 75 shots blocked, and 81 PIMS.
 
In addition to Landon Flatt being a bone crusher for Mexico City, Flatt has contributed team support through press conferences and has provided valuable locker room contribution.  Landon Flatt will be a highly sought after defenseman coming up in the VHLE entry draft as well as the VHLM dispersal draft.
 
 
61 - Phil Taylor - Toronto Legion
 
The Toronto Legion chose a defender for their last pick in the 93 draft, and at #61 Toronto chose Phil Taylor.  Taylor played 60 games with Mississauga and was counted upon to be a defensive defenseman.  Clearly @Legacy has built an enforcer as Phil Taylor spent a majority of time in the penalty box, 90 minutes in just 60 games.  Phil Taylor dominated the ice with 168 hits and 121 blocked shots.
 
Phil Taylor is listed as a first gen player; however, Legacy has been around the VHL since 2021.  Legacy knows how to earn TPE and I look forward to seeing how many PIMS Phil Taylor gets next season as well as many seasons to come.
 
 
60 - Trimiskez Artov - Calgary Wranglers
 
In the 60th slot of the season 93 draft, Trimiskez Artov was selected by the Calgary Wranglers.  This high scoring right winger was a steal for the Wranglers, given Artov’s performance in the first season in the VHLM.  Artov was on the leader board in goals, and what is striking with Artov’s stats with Houston is his high number of blocked hits.  Trimiskez Artov is able to crush his opponents and score goals.  When Artov is not scoring, he is passing the puck to teammates who put the puck in the net.
 
@jake, who joined the league in December, is building a powerful forward with Artov, and I expect Artov to be a high draft choice in the upcoming VHLE draft.  There is no doubt that Artov will be a record breaking forward in the E, and will join the VHL as a high scorer and contributor.  There is one issue that the GM’s may have seen with Artov and why he wasn’t selected sooner, and that is Jake hasn’t earned any TPE for a month now.  Let’s hope that Jake is OK and will be back to earning top TPE real soon.
 
 
59 - Hunter S - Calgary Wranglers
 
Calgary had a back to back picking and before selecting Trimiskez Artov at #60, they picked up Hunter S in the 59th spot.  Hunter S is a first gen left winger who’s experience thus far consists of 48 games with Halifax in the VHLM.  @Hunter S joined the VHL in January, and appears to be active but could probably use a boost from an experienced VHLer to provide Hunter with some ideas to earn TPE.  Hunter is building a balanced player who may turn out to be a sniper by the time he makes his debut in the big league.  Looking at his TPE, Hunter is likely to be a goal scorer and could be the go-to player for penalty shots.  With 15 goals in 48 games, it may not look impressive, but keep an eye on Hunter’s progress and I bet he will make the leader board this season.    
 
 
58 - Marc-Andre Fleury - Los Angeles Stars
 
The last goalie to be drafted in season 93 goes to the Los Angeles Stars with the 58th pick.  Marc-Andre Fleury, is a giant in the net.  Standing at 6 feet 6 inches, Fleury doesnt give much room for the puck to get by him.  The Canadian born played 54 games with Mississauga last season and led the league in shots against.  Fleury, not related to the famous McFleury family,  was ranked #6 in goals against average, with a .904%.
 
@ElementStyx9 has been in the VHL since January of 2023 and is on his second goalie creation.  History shows that Elementstyx9 is a successful VHLer, and doesnt shy away from taking on goalie duties.  Looking at Fleury’s build, it appears that Fleury could really shine when he’s given the change to mind the net in the VHL.
 
 
57 - Cole Stermer - Seattle Bears
 
The Seattle Bears final pick in the season 93 draft is another first gen player, another right winger, and another Canadian born player.  Cole Stermer is the 57th pick in the draft.  The tall slender puck handler has potential.  In 38 games with Mississauga last season, Stermer allotted 18 assists.  This may not seem too impressive on its surface, but when I dug deeper into Stermer’s history, I learned that @Bazeus, who joined the league in January, is still learning the process of the league and earning TPE.  I can relate to the struggles of what to do for TPE and even how to post the TPE, just ask the updaters who had to deal with me early on, specifically @Spartan .  Looking at Stermer’s beginning build, the Seattle Bears are going to have a high scoring, agile playmaker in their lineup once Stermer makes into into the show.  For now Cole Stermer is considered to be an emerging superstar.
 
 
56 - Blaze Thunderstrike - HC Davos Dynamo
 
What is there not to like about the 56th pick of the season 93 draft.  I mean, look at his name.  Blaze Thunderstrike, a strong defenseman is the final pick for the HC Davos Dynamo.  The Swedish born offensive defenseman is deceptively fast, highly skilled with the puck, physically strong, and is sure to make a splash in the VHL.  Thunderstrike racked up 98 hits, 77 blocked shots, 44 PIMS, and 28 points in 44 games playing for Ottawa in season 92.  Thunderstrike is expected to go high in the VHLE draft and the VHLM Dispersal draft, if nothing else, by his name.  I mean, who wouldn’t want Thunderstrike on their team?  One can only hope that Blaze Thunderstrike eventually gets to go toe to toe against Logan Ninefingers so @Scurvy can feel the hurt from multiple Thunders!
 
To top it off, @eaglesfan036, has been in the VHL so long that he earns extra TPE on welfare alone.  It could be considered an AARP benefit.  Eaglesfan036 has been around so long, he probably knows the VHL handbook by heart.  Eaglesfan036 definitely knows how to navigate the forum and has no problem getting trivia questions right.
 
 
55 - Vanman Stein - Calgary Wranglers
 
The Calgary Wranglers first pick in round 4 of the season 93 draft is filled by Vanman Stein, in the 55th spot, an enormous Canadian born defensive defenseman.  At 6 feet 8 inches, and weighing around 250 pounds, Stein is going to tattoo opponents his entire career in the VHL, and has demonstrated that he’s not afraid to get physical.  In 28 games with the San Diego Marlins, Stein has 66 hits, 37 blocked shots, and has spent 45 minutes in the sin bin.  If Simon T accounted for injuries, there is no doubt that Vanman Stein has already sent many opponents into the locker room for some treatment.
 
Vanman Stein is a first gen player and once @Vanman gets his skates under him we’ll get to see what Stein can really be like.  Vanman Stein is projected to steadily build to a peak of being one of the best defensemen in Calgary’s history.
 
 
54 - Elf Shoes - Riga Reign
 
First gen player Elf Shoes, is the final 4th round pick for the Riga Reign at pick #54.  Elf Shoes is a tall skinny American playing left wing.  Elf Shoes started in the VHLM in season 91, playing 12 games for Ottawa.  It wasn’t until season 92, when Elf shoes began to shine, with Miami.  Don’t let the lack of girth keep you from thinking that Elf Shoes isnt capable of getting physical.  Elf Shoes boasted 119 hits in season 93, doing so without drumming up too many penalty minutes.
 
@ELF_SH0ES started in December and has yet to pick up extra TPE.  Once Elf Shoes starts to gain TPE and applying it to the build, this left wing will make a huge impact on the team.
 
 
53 - Gavin Bebard - Warsaw Predators
 
For the 53rd selection in the season 93 draft, the Warsaw Predators selected Gavin Bebard, a tall skinny center born in Canada.  Bebard is a balanced player who racked up 45 points in 60 games with Mississauga in season 92.  Bebard is agile and strong, and will make a super playmaker, depending on how @Gavin Bebard continues to build the player.  Bebard is not shy of hitting opponents and enjoys scrapping with the instigators from the other teams.  It also appears that Bebard may end out spending extra time in the penalty box due to the aggressiveness.
 
 
52 - Kevin O’Connor - Chicago Phoenix
 
The Chicago Phoenix picked left wing Kevin O’Connor at #52.  O’Connor is starting to come into his own as a playmaker and is going to help put a lot of pressure on the opposing teams with his passing skills.  In addition to his puck handling and skating skills, O’Connor is receptive to hitting opponents.  At this point in O’connor’s career, discipline is not his strongest skill.  @Luke033 is new to the VHL and has remained active thus far, but has yet to peak on TPE earning.  Once this becomes habit for Luke033, I expect O’Connor to become a VHL star.
 
 
51 - Jacob Longstreet - London United
 
Jacob Longstreet, a goal scoring center from the United States, is the 51st pick in the draft, being picked up by the London United.  Longstreet is a pure sniper, and will put the puck in the net with ease.  In addition to Longstreet’s sniping specialty, he has a unique quality of passing the puck at the right moments.  @Dynamicmlb_42 has been in the league since September and has demonstrated a genuine interest in the league.  As TPE builds up, Jacob Longstreet is going to make a scene in the VHL.  Joining San Diego late in the season does not give an accurate reflection of Longstreet’s potential.
 
 
50 - Armas Jortikka - HC Davos Dynamo
 
HC Davos Dynamo has added yet another Finnish player to the roster, which likely makes @Ahma happy.  With the 50th pick, @alex drafted Armas Jortikka, a power forward at right wing.  Jortikka played 44 games with Mississauga in season 92, and contributed by scoring 16 goals and getting 14 assists.  Jortikka tagged plenty of hits and blocked shots in those 44 games.  In addition to his strength, Jortikka is talented with the puck handling skills.  @Kavadar joined the league on January 21st, and is sure to improve his player at a higher rate now that he’s joined the Davos club.
 
 
49 - Magni Jinn - HC Davos Dynamo
 
The first pick in round 4 of the season 93 draft, and the last player to be mentioned in this media spot goes to HC Davos.  Magni Jinn, an offensive defenseman is going to be a star.  Jinn, one of the Jinn brothers, has already proven to be a major contributor to his team.  Playing season 92 with Philadelphia, Jinn scored 75 points, had 100 hits, and 109 blocked shots.  This solid defenseman is a physical player and will make an impact in the VHL.  @DontCallMeCarson has been in the league for a couple of years and knows his way around the VHL.  Partnering up with Walter and Enn, Magni Jinn dominated the VHLM.  At no surprise to Alex, Magni Jinn is considered to be a steal for HC Davos.
 
This concludes the discussion of the 4th round picks for the season 93 draft.  This media spot will be used for claiming four weeks of TPE.
 
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Has anybody told Jokinen that the two extra A's come from ScAndinAvia?

Game 3:
Team World vs. Team USA

Game 4:
Team Nordic vs. Team Western Europe

Go to Playoff Tree

Per @JCarson's request during the VHL Draft stream last night, I'm back with another post-draft/offseason recap/grading article! I could only find the S90 article for the last time I did this, so I've missed a few seasons and am due to write another behemoth on the forums #forumcontent. For some context, I used to just grade the first round, but I'm going to grade on a team by team basis this season so that I can look at a team's moves and picks as a whole and shout out more folks who were selected this draft. I will also try and keep it concise with less emphasis on formatting and making it look pretty.
 
Also as a disclaimer, I'm usually pretty pessimistic vs being optimistic. So if you want to feel better about your grades, bump it up a sign I guess. Like B+ to A-, or C- to C. Take it with a grain of salt though I'm just writing some shit for fun. I'm not an expert, clearly. Nothing here is personal. You're all lovely people for the most part and I wish you all the best (unless you play against Moscow).
 
Edit: Turns out that this will just be part 1 of 2, as I don't want to cover both NA and EU in a single sitting. See you later in the week for the EU Conference coverage!
 
North American Conference

Calgary Wranglers - @leandrofg 
 
Calgary entered this offseason as the only team facing both cap and roster issues, and had to find ways to navigate around this. They began by sending out Sadie St. Louis @sadie to Seattle as a cap dump, then proceeded to also ship out Oreo McFleury @JB123 in another trade to Seattle. Seems like the Seattle - Calgary pipeline will be continuing even without Ricer at the helm of the Wranglers, as CGY made a whopping 3 trades with Seattle in a single offseason (although the third trade was just a pick upgrade/swap). While Calgary is cap compliant now, they roster only 4 forwards and 3 defensemen with just 6.5 million in cap space. It'll be interesting to see how CGY will fill out their roster, or if they'll choose to just retool/rebuild their roster and ship out players to other teams with cap and roster space. In the draft though, CGY brings home a familiar user in @Rhynex Entertainment and Miner Vhler, along with Carson Tripp @Cartripp14, Oliver Loo @Peiffy, Wladyslaw Mintus @mintusaurus and some other folks in the 4th round, including recently MIA user @jake and Trimiskez Artav. Miner Vhler was a player expected to slip in the draft due to a very odd build, while the other prospects will be projects that Calgary will need to significantly invest in to see development. There's certainly potential for steals in Carson Tripp and Wladyslaw Mintus who have been around discord/forum/draft stream, but the earning will need to match the activity to see proper value. Overall, I'm confused about Calgary's direction this offseason - shipping out strong players but going for draft pick quantity over quality, and whether they'll ice a decent enough roster for next season. With just about a week left in the offseason, they will have to be praying for a free agent pickup or for trades to go their way.
 
Grade: C
 
 
Chicago Phoenix - @badcolethetitan 
 
My last article in S90 called Chicago's situation "one of the worst ever involving GM transitions" and that Cole would have his work cut out for him. Chicago has surprised, flashing potential off of the back of Scotty Sundin in S91, but also playing their way out of lottery picks that they desperately needed. Chicago's roster looks better on paper now, but is still very young and needs time to develop. Chicago was quiet this offseason, not making any trades pre-draft despite rumors circling of various offers and discussions in the works. In the draft though, Chicago landed UghSike @UghSike at 5th overall, bringing home a very solid forward prospect who should be VHL ready within a season. With their 2nd round pick, they decided to take a gamble on Jean-Pierre Devote @eagle_3450, a projected top 3 player who had his draft stock tank in the weeks leading up to the draft due to inactivity concerns. It'll be a risk for Chicago, but with UghSike's selection in the first, they decided that the risk might be worth the gamble. Interestingly enough, it seems like their real target all along was Vanuza Kolesinska @chikn, a player and user with close ties to defenseman Karol Lamb @dlamb, as CHI traded two future 2nds to PRG for the player. Also drafting Micah Cederbaum @MicahC and Kevin OConnor @Luke033, Chicago has seemingly replenished their prospect pool - for their forwards at least, which was already their strongest group on paper. With only 3 defensemen contracted for S93 and 5 forwards, Chicago is also in a position where they're lacking a complete roster. Without any trades to fill holes and free agency seemingly not going their way so far, they're left to play the waiting game and see what limited opportunities are left.
 
Grade: B-
 
 
D.C. Dragons - @FrostBeard 
 
A team coming off of a Continental Cup win simply can't be criticized, right? WRONG, according to members of the VHL peanut gallery. GM John FrostBeard invited the wrath of the public when he made a curious draft day trade with Moscow, acquiring 19th overall from Moscow in exchange for their S94 DCD 1st round pick. What was he thinking?? Was there collusion?? Does Euron Leonidas have nude pics of GMs around the league??? Speculation was rampant, but DC quickly put concerns to rest with the selection of goalie Herald Benson @Benson at 19th overall during the draft. D.C. sorely needs a goalie prospect for the future with Henry Tucker @NSG facing retirement, and they entered the draft knowing they couldn't risk missing out in another goalie rich draft. D.C. otherwise is bringing back most, if not all of their cup winning roster, setting the stage for another strong season for the Dragons. With Brash Candicoot @TrinityMonk (name of the draft candidate??) and potential future backup goalie Connor Hellebuyck @HockeyFan4Life joining the organization via the draft as well, the Dragons are comfortable with their prospect pool as they look to expand upon their current success.
 
Grade: A- (gave Moscow another 1st so it drops from an A )
 
 
Los Angeles Stars - @InstantRockstar 
 
S90: "Simply put, the Stars are stuck in the mud." We can probably keep that leading sentence for LA as they enter an era without any of their top players. LA decided to take the route of Chicago back in the late 70's and attempt to compete all the way through the retirement of their top stars including Art Vandelay @Gustav  and Todd Cooke @KRZY. Now they're in a spot with minimal roster players, a shallow prospect pool, but a deceent collection of future draft picks from trading away Eric Queefson @twists, Sunglasses Joyo @JetsGoalie101 and Larry Abass Jr @RileyL. This draft, LA decided to take the best players they could get their hands on at each pick - as their position need was everything. WWumbo @Fire Tortorella, Taylor Swift @lilchrist, Connor Simard @Alex99 and Marc-Andre Fleury @ElementStyx9 won't move the needle for LA anytime soon, but some may turn out to be solid foundation pieces in LA's rags to riches rebuild. LA's biggest worry is meeting minimum roster requirements, which is probably the first time a VHL team has had that issue in recent memory. They've got a long road to success ahead, and this offseason just didn't really move the needle for them. There's still time to get roster compliant, but they sorely need young players to start some path out of the rebuild.
 
Grade: F
 
 
New York Americans - @STZ
 
Another team with a new GM since my last offseason recap! NYA got an F for their roster management and sketchy draft picks last go around. This season though, NYA made just one trade with Malmo to acquire Jebediah Big Ol Doinks in Amish @hylands  while trading down just a few picks in the 1st round of the draft. With their sole S93 selection at 11th overall, New York took Chris Reynolds Jr @Crstats23 who is quickly becoming very well known around the league for churning out extremely solid pension players while remaining very loyal to a franchise. Most of New York's roster stuck around, with Callum Gary Yannick Janser @Daniel Janser signing a long-term extension as well with the American team. Between Jasper Davis @Josh and FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY Analfist @STZ leading the forwards, a strong trio of young defensemen and the top rookie goalie from last season @rory, New York will certainly be considered one of the favorites to make a deep playoff run in the NA this season.

Grade: A
 
 
Seattle Bears - @Banackock 
 
Might be best to just skip over Seattle, otherwise I risk facing Bana's wrath regardless of what I say. But I'm a sucker for punishment so lets cover em anyways! Seattle entered the offseason with controversy, taking a mild lottery odds punishment from the VHL Commissioner's Office for illegal backup goalie management. That punishment ended up with Seattle losing out on the 1st overall pick to Davos, but instead securing 2nd overall due to lottery rules on dropping spots. Gianfranco Del Rocco @Victor was an easy pick for Seattle who will hope that Victor can go back to his HoF player ways. Seattle was also active in the middle of the 1st round, trading a S94 WAR 1st round pick to Moscow along with pick 31 to Moscow in exchange for 10th overall and 34th overall, where they selected Nathan Ecker @Nathan_8 and Marek Nowaczyk @Chillybro. Add in Cole Stermer @Bazeus, Filip Zinek @FiZi and Enn Jinn @jhatty8, Seattle has added a lot of youth to their once depleted prospect pool. Outside of the draft though, Seattle was very involved in trades with Calgary, acquiring the aforementioned Sadie St. Louis and Oreo McFleury for cheap as they enter retirement. Add in Henry Eagles @Greg_Di who oddly passed over multiple FA offers from presumed cup contenders, and Seattle seems to be attempting a speedrun out of a rebuild. Whether their forward trio acquisitions will be enough to move the needle is yet to be seen, but Seattle still lacks a quality goalie starter and talent on defense. If Seattle crashes and burns this season, they may regret the picks spent to bail Calgary out of cap hell, as they didn't add any strong defense or goalie talent - instead choosing to add Ecker to an already young forward group. I'm mostly curious to see if Bana convinces someone on the roster to position swap to defense. Severyus Targaryen anyone?

Grade: B
 
 
Toronto Legion - @Moon 
 
Did Toronto even show up to the offseason? With just 2 picks in the S93 draft and 0 trades made, Toronto seemed to be content to sit tight and bring back their entire roster from last season. Toronto added defensemen Gul Dukat @MSouthworth and Phil Taylor @Legacy in the draft to replenish their very shallow defense room, but they still only have 2 defensemen on the roster right now. Toronto also has just 2.5 million in cap space, so it'll be extremely tough for them to add more than just a single cheap defenseman. Are they really this confident in their forwards and goaltending? And what moves will they make to get a defenseman, as half the league seems to be actively looking for cheap defensemen to fill their roster out with. Toronto will need to wake up and make a move, or risk just gambling away another season of Jimi Jaks @ke1vi and Mac Atlas @v.2  who are still hot commodities around the VHL trade market.
 
Grade: D
 
 
Vancouver Wolves - @Frank 
 
Despite being fairly deep into a rebuild, Vancouver surprisingly had just a single pick in the S93 Draft, and that was to select Annie Oaks @Noodle Enjoyer at 4th overall. Oaks was considered one of the top first gen prospects in the class, considered somewhat interchangeable with UghSike and Nathan Ecker for forwards. The Wolves got to take their pick of the litter and came out with a very strong forward pick to join the team in S94. Vancouver was surprisingly active with trades, moving 19th overall for Left Alone @okochastar from Moscow, and a small package of picks for veterans Sunglasses Joyo and Larry Abass Jr from LA's fire sale. Some might speculate if this is an attempt to have a rebound season and keep Liv Slater @Subject056 happy, as the rest of the roster still does not have a single player over 700 TPE. Could VAN be tanking their chances for a high draft pick next season with these moves? Or is Frank being shrewd and holding onto 3 veteran players who will likely fetch some interest at the deadline? However, I still believe that Slater still being on the roster after Analfist was traded last offseason is a criminal offense, and that Slater has effectively been put in VHL jail. While she had a fantastic individual season in S92, she's not getting any younger - and the trade offers that VAN once would have received for Slater are starting to dry up.
 
Grade: B-
 
See you later in the week for European Conference coverage!
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Man, what am I doing? I remember writing an article a while ago where I went over some rosters and proposed my idea of a realistic trade for every team. I think that was a pretty cool article, but what you don't know is that it took me absolutely FOREVER to finish. From all the background research to having to rewrite my first thousand words to coming up with logical arguments for everyone, it was quite the undertaking. I like to think that I can hit you with some good, high-quality content if I want to, but sometimes that has to mean I know what I'm talking about. Hopefully, that applies in this case here--because for reasons unknown to myself, I'm going to do that again. I have the time, I'm bored, and I'm going to try not to be by banging my head against the VHL wall.
 
So, let's get going on my next piece of juicy VHL content, one that I almost accidentally completely invalidated by forgetting that drafts are a thing and writing this up right before this one. Thankfully, I had dinner plans, which hit just in time for me to not be far into my plans for this thing. I'm going to do my best to make logical arguments for every move here, focusing primarily on the first team but also trying to imagine scenarios where the second team is up for the deal. Let's talk about what every team could go for this season.
 
 
 CALGARY WRANGLERS 
 
The Situation: Complete with the derphorse logo as always, Calgary has been a very well-managed team in recent seasons, with a championship in S87 to show for it on the board and a whole lot of respect to show for it off of it. Leading off this draft class with an experienced member selected at the start of the 2nd in @Rhynex Entertainment's Miner vHLer, the Wranglers are very ready to compete with four players above 1000 TPA and some future picks in the bank. There's only one rostered player set to retire after this season, and with a little bit of space left to fill, this team could be ready to go for another serious run.
 
The Trade:
 
CHI receives:
S94 CGY 2nd
S95 CGY 2nd
 
CGY receives:
Legacy Gaming
 
Calgary has $6 million in cap space to work with and eats up $3 million of that here with a deal that buys a solid second-line forward and leaves them with room to spare. They'll still have 5 forwards and 3 defensemen, but could fill one of those spots with another deal or by picking up a lower-level free agent. It would be interesting to see whether Chicago could be talked into this, as they have an ongoing rebuild that could mean Gaming is in a better place elsewhere, but Gaming also has enough time left to see the end of it.
 
 
 CHICAGO PHOENIX 
 
The Situation: Chicago has been one of the league's most boom-or-bust teams since its inception in S73, having seen some of the league's most exciting production and also blowing up as hard as anyone else to restructure. Both of those have happened twice in the team's history, and the Phoenix are starting to climb out of the hole of their rebuild yet again, building their way to being a competitive team. That won't happen this season, but the roster is full again and even the short-term future looks bright with the long-term future taking its shape in this draft with the selections of UghSike (@UghSike) at 5th overall and @eagle_3450's Jean-Pierre Devote at 20th. That said, they've got a few players on the roster who are just old enough to consider moving out.
 
The Trade:
 
TOR receives:
Reinhard von Kongming
S94 CHI 4th
 
CHI receives:
S95 TOR 2nd
S95 TOR 4th
 
In this case, liquidating von Kongming for S95 picks serves the purpose of giving Chicago room to work with in trade talks next season. They've got the prospect pool to make things work out with development, but there's enough to make things work much sooner than those players will develop if the right buying moves are made next season. As future buyers, Chicago will be able to use these picks to move around in the S94 draft if they wish, or to keep them around as future assets and trade those future assets to get a player of interest. The future isn't super defined here (unless Cole has some massive plan laid out already), but this deal would make whatever plan there is easier to reach. Additionally, it's important to consider that Toronto only has two defensemen on the roster--this deal as is would take them $500k over cap, but with no moves made until some time into the season, it could be done later with some salary retained by the Phoenix.
 
 
 DC DRAGONS 
 
The Situation: Second-rounder Herald Benson (@Benson) is an auto-12 from the SBA and could be an incredible answer to the Dragons' most pressing question--their impending loss of Henry Tucker, Jr. to retirement. Between The Frenchman and Mark Calaway, they've got one of the league's most respected scorers and one of its most respected defenders, and there's no reason to think that they won't be able to keep going with the right moves. However, there are more "right moves" to make here than there might be in other places. DC's most glaring issue, apart from in net, is up front, where three of their six forwards are from S86. This is fine for now, but will be an emergency if it's left unchecked next season.
 
The Trade:
 
MAL receives:
Vincent Laroche-Gagnier
Tom Dufour
S95 DCD 2nd
S94 DCD 4th
 
DC receives:
Ronald Johnson MacWallace III
 
This may be a tough one to swing with VLG's recent inactivity, but DC needs to change their age range up front and can do so by switching out one reasonably competitive player for another. Malmo gets a player who's still pretty solid this season and at the very least usable (and also dump-able) next season, along with a welfare prospect and a 2nd that could be in a pretty solid spot depending on the direction DC intends to take next season. Here, DC would be getting a younger solid earner who would fit in very well with the roster this season and could potentially delay thoughts of an approaching collapse--but Malmo might want bigger pieces than this (as in high picks and more active players) that might make it difficult to pull off.
 
 
 HC DAVOS DYNAMO 
 
The Situation: Oh boy, if you thought the Davos roster was gutted in my days as GM, don't open the team's page now. I don't mean to be dramatic--it could be a lot worse--but #1 overall selection (and hopeful future face of the franchise in @CowboyinAmerica) Antonia Bucatini isn't much worse off now than most players on the roster. Davos has taken the first steps to greatness, though, picking up three first-rounders and quite a few other-rounders to go with a good amount of assets held in future seasons. Competition isn't going to happen now, but it's going to hit hard and fast at some point.
 
The Trade:
 
CGY receives:
Antonia Bucatini
 
DAV receives:
S94 CGY 1st
S95 CGY 1st
S94 CGY 2nd
S94 CGY 3rd
S94 CGY 4th
 
No, I'm not serious about this (although it would be a fun article to propose some absolutely insane trades and try to justify them both ways, assuming you don't think I'm doing that already). Let me give you something a bit more boring.
 
CGY receives:
Mason Rice
 
DAV receives:
S95 CGY 4th
 
This is a less expensive version of the Gaming trade I mentioned above, and it's actually sort of a reverse cap dump. Rice is inactive, but comes in with a little over 500 TPE and could fill roster space to take away bot time on a good team--exactly what Calgary needs and worth a 4th to go out and get. Even if 4ths don't usually lead to much on the GM end, I was always a big fan of asking for an extra 4th in my trade talks because I found that you never know where it can lead you--some people can be buttered up by being offered just that little bit more. This is outright useful for Calgary at the moment for basically no expense, and Alex can poke someone with the pick at some point--or even get a massive steal if he's lucky enough.
 
 
 HELSINKI TITANS 
 
The Situation: Realistically, I think Helsinki could buy or sell this season and I wouldn't fault them for it. They've got a legitimate top-end player at every position, and a huge young talent is already on the roster in Adi Dassler. This season's draft featured @Nyx's Tyler Lawson in the first round, a good future fit at center, and a pretty standard set of draft picks in future seasons means the Titans aren't completely screwed out of having assets. That said, two of their top talents are from S86, and we've seen lots of teams already who could benefit from not having to deal with aging issues. Helsinki has the cap space to accommodate any player they want right now, and could make at least two good seasons out of it before having to rebuild. It's all a matter of what's out there.
 
The Trade:
 
LDN receives:
S94 HSK 1st
S95 HSK 2nd
S94 HSK 3rd
 
HSK receives:
Leonard Triller
 
Wow, a straight buy of a 1300-TPA player! Like I mentioned earlier, this is a team with over $6 million in cap space just sitting around waiting to be spent. Conveniently, they also have a spot for a forward on the roster. This would be an absolute blockbuster of a deal, but it would rocket this team to status as a prime contender for this season and next. London, as a team in a similar situation, would need to be talked into it--but should they decide to sell, the Titans could be a very willing buyer if they're willing to accept a hard rebuild potentially on the way.
 
 
 LONDON UNITED 
 
The Situation: As per my last email, London could buy or sell. I do think the most logical move would be to sell, but I also think that there's a need to properly see off the career of Teno (and a devotion to players in general) that's present and outweighs whatever logic there may be in moving around players like pieces of property. Outside of any sentimental reasons--after all, I'm honestly just AGM of this team in name only--this roster has just enough left in it to squeeze out one more season of competition should that be the wish.
 
The Trade:
 
CGY receives:
Jack Jeckler
S95 LDN 3rd
 
LDN receives:
Phil Strasmore
 
Logically, London can achieve a couple things by pulling this one off. Jeckler can be put on a competitive team that has room for someone on defense (and a need for that beyond this season), and they can upgrade for the time being by adding Strasmore, who will naturally retire after this season anyway (and is cheaper for that reason). I think there's a 99% chance Calgary wouldn't even consider this move, but there does happen to be some logic behind it. They don't have a direct replacement lined up for Strasmore next season, and Jeckler will be around longer. Plus, he's cheaper, and would leave cap room for higher-end forwards to be bought as the Wranglers search for options.
 
 
 LOS ANGELES STARS 
 
The Situation: I certainly shouldn't have made a big deal out of the Davos roster being empty, because holy Art Vandelay, Batman. Speaking from personal experience, I can say that the Stars did exactly what I just said I think London may be trying to do--and we're now seeing what happens when one does that. This team is going to be bad for a while, and I'm very grateful that @InstantRockstar gave us the chances he did at that cost. Most notably, LA picked up @Fire Tortorella's WWumbo in the draft, and with really no one to sell and no reason to buy, the rebuild starts now.
 
The Trade:
 
VAN receives:
Factor Lee
 
LA receives:
Ben Dover
McLean Hoover II
Nick Sansoe
Zyn Westwood
Mikko Borisyuk
Jens Lekman
S94 DCD 3rd
 
No, I'm not kidding. Vancouver has the league's most overcrowded roster, with just enough higher-end players that they shouldn't have the league's most overcrowded roster. LA currently runs a 1-1-1 lineup--that's right, one forward and one defenseman. The Wolves run an 11-5-1. This deal sends an inactive prospect to LA--making the deal done entirely for free--and also for free, brings Vancouver down to the more typical 6-4-1 (also freeing up cap!) and gives the Stars a 6-2-1. Sure, the players are at most welfare earners and some aren't active, but if you were one of the two skaters on the roster, wouldn't you want some linemates? It's a more fair shake in terms of ice time all around, and it's the one deal here that I'd actually advocate for these teams to make on behalf of the players. I've thrown in a 3rd going to LA here out of courtesy, but I've had to give up more myself for similar-scale dumps to happen.
 
 
 MALMO NIGHTHAWKS 
 
The Situation: We'll see what happens in Malmo this season. Currently, cap prevents the Nighthawks from signing Henry Eagles for a final season--which is far less from ideal for a team that lacks top-end talent. Don't get me wrong, they've got good players, but other teams simply have superstars who are more so superstars. I've talked about getting some variance in the age distribution among skaters for teams like DC, but there's arguably a necessary variance in the TPE distribution that's needed in Malmo. It will be interesting to see what happens here and whether this team can free up the space to bring back Eagles or to make a purchase in his place. I'm a big fan of moves like drafting @Pifferfish's Jorgen Lovstrom as an eventual replacement for Ash Sparks, but the present may need some work.
 
The Trade:
 
RIG receives:
Yaroslav Bogatyrev
S94 MAL 3rd
 
MAL receives:
Eno Velvson
 
Yes, selling while intending to compete is doable. Bogatyrev, now inactive, formerly was one of the league's best and still stands at over 700 TPE, a fine addition to a team's forward line for this season but likely just a filler later on. In return, Malmo gets a welfare player from an established agency who will be around a good deal longer and could grow into a solid second-liner with practice. There isn't that much incentive for Riga to take this offer, but they should be a little bit more competitive this season with it and have a more disposable asset next season as the roster grows and the need to clean house presents itself.
 
 
 MOSCOW MENACE 
 
The Situation: After a rebuild, this team looks like they've done it again. They're built fairly similarly to Malmo in terms of TPE between players, but have over 8 million (!) in cap to play with and a huge amount of picks. There's probably a hill to climb before they're elite again on paper, but the assets to make the right moves are there and there's so much to like overall. I'm strongly considering writing up a deal that swings around those assets and that cap space, but I already suggested that Helsinki buy Triller (picture the same deal here), so I'll write something that makes a bit more sense.
 
The Trade:
 
WAR receives:
Celise Pereira
S94 MOS 2nd
 
MOS receives:
Rex Wolffe Gregor
S94 WAR 4th
 
If there's a weak point on the roster, it's that defense isn't as developed. Pereira moving out for Gregor gives Moscow a TPE boost while also making room on the roster in a couple seasons for @Schnee and this draft's first-rounder Benjamin Abenduct. Along with accounting for Gregor aging out on Moscow's end, that concern is removed for Warsaw, who may take a step back in the immediate future but who would also have a player with 3 more seasons of playing left to do than they had previously. 
 
 
 NEW YORK AMERICANS 
 
The Situation: New York hasn't won a Cup since before I was a VHL member, but they're trying hard to flip that script. With the forward lines anchored by two players above 1100 TPE, and many other parts of the roster catching up quickly, it's going to be really weird, really quickly, when we start seeing this team on top of the standings (unless the curse is real). The biggest need that sticks out to me is a few aging forwards--two S85 and one S86--but I'm a big fan of @Crstats23 and Chris Reynolds Jr as the team's newest addition and a great first step to answering that question. That's not to mention Wayne Gretzky, one of the more intriguing prospects in a while.
 
The Trade:
 
LDN receives:
Keon Jeannot
S95 NYA 2nd
 
NYA receives:
Sjin
 
Sjin is a very interesting case as a player who should continue developing through this season without depreciating, having been a victim of the VHLM eligibility fallout (if you're reading this, I hope you can understand my "sorry not sorry," though your response was fair and I appreciate that). Interestingly, Jeannot is such a case as well, although I can't speak on the circumstances of that one. Should London decide to sell, this is realistic--New York changes nothing about the seasons their forwards are in, but their replacement plan was pretty solid anyway, and they upgrade a little with some limited cap and end up with a player who should be pretty darn good next season.
 
 
 PRAGUE PHANTOMS 
 
The Situation: Headlined by goaltending prospect Ondrej Vencko (@Mutti), Prague's S93 draft class is nothing to complain about. They're reasonably well built, but when your top three players are all from S85, there's going to be a step back next season. With everyone in their last season, it's going to be difficult to pull off a trade for any massive returns, so going all in for a shot at the Cup is a very real possibility if GM Tetricide is ready for a very hard road ahead. Still, selling a player or two remains a real possibility.
 
The Trade:
 
MAL receives:
S94 PRG 3rd
 
PRG receives:
Rights to Henry Eagles
 
Let's say Malmo isn't able to work out a cap-saving deal for Eagles, or that they are but have a different answer in mind. In either of these situations, Eagles goes right to free agency, and the Nighthawks get nothing. Prague is a team with cap space and 5 forwards on the roster, and swinging a rights deal to try to make everyone's last season (including Eagles') a special one could be the answer. If it works, it's also buying a forward without completely tanking future stock--something current rostered players like Spanish Moon Moth would really appreciate as the team will need to remain an appealing place to play when contracts are up.
 
 
 RIGA REIGN 
 
The Situation: Known for almost never fully rebuilding, Riga finally threw in the towel and decided to tear down and build up a few seasons ago. It's perhaps been a slower process than some would have expected, and the roster hasn't come into its full form yet. But the Reign aren't dealing with any aging issues, and the 3rd-overall selection of Lucy Leitner (@LucyXpher, one of the more promising first-gens in a while) is a huge addition from the team that once took a chance on first-gen Hall of Fame defenseman Lincoln Tate at 1OA. With another season or two of building, Riga could be in the running for a while.
 
The Trade:
 
CGY receives:
Eric White Jr
S94 RIG 3rd
 
RIG receives:
S95 CGY 1st
 
I think a S94 pick would benefit Calgary more, but with the S94 class absolutely packed on defense, Calgary is probably excited to use its probably-late 1st on a player with higher value to fill one of their positional needs. So, Riga gets a pick that they'll probably try to move around later for a faster rebuild, while White finds a competitive home immediately. It could make sense to keep White as well--he's not old and earns solidly--but three of Riga's forwards are S90, I've already projected a different deal for one of them, and this affords the opportunity for some balance to be found before it becomes an issue.
 
 
 SEATTLE BEARS 
 
The Situation: Even if the fallout from last season's backup situation were more severe, Seattle still likely would have won this season's draft. New additions Gianfranco Del Rocco, Nathan Ecker, and Marek Nowaczyk (@Victor, @Nathan_8, and @Chillybro, respectively) are all great to have around and will leave the forward lines with nothing to worry about in good time. For now, it's up to Gustav Mattias and company to give the Bears all the scoring they can, and it will be a minute before this team is ready to compete.
 
The Trade:
 
MAL receives:
Sadie St-Louis
 
SEA receives:
S95 MAL 2nd
S94 MAL 3rd
 
St-Louis is a S86 player who may or may not see an OK Seattle team next season if she's lucky. Some assets may be better off in other places, though, and Seattle picking up a 2nd that they can use or trade is probably more valuable for them (and solves the issue of where to put one other forward for next season when everyone starts coming up). This is a cheap deal for Malmo as well, and one that makes sense if Eagles walks--they have 5 forwards and $3.5 million in cap space left, and St-Louis carries a cap hit of exactly that much.
 
 
 TORONTO LEGION 
 
The Situation: Toronto is another example of a team that shows us how much the times they are a-changin', as a team that spent forever in the low-mid ranges of the standings but now poses a serious threat to the rest of the league. With four 1000-plus-TPA players on the roster and cap mostly spent, plans seem very set for this season. They're a bit thin on defense, with only two on the roster, but the selection of @MSouthworth's Gul Dukat this season should help with that in the future. We'll likely see whether two on defense is enough to go all the way this season.
 
The Trade:
 
MOS receives:
Jimi Jaks
 
TOR receives:
Grimgor Ironhide
Nils Andersson
 
I'm not exactly sure where the balance in value lies with this deal, or where picks would need to be spent on either side, but Moscow gets the piece that lets them compete now rather than later. This is workable for the Menace, who can afford to go to 3 defensemen (but also have the resources to spend on a fourth if they want). That said, it's going to hurt to give up Ironhide, a distinguished VHLer with future first-line talent. If Toronto can make this work, it works with cap and I think the ultimate outcome is logical either way.
 
 
 VANCOUVER WOLVES 
 
The Situation: We've already seen GM Frank snap this team out of a rebuild much quicker than expected, and it looks like he's going turbo speed again. The current roster is a super confusing mix of high- and low-TPE players that's very much between having been lacking in some respects and ready to break out. 4th overall selection Annie Oaks (@Noodle Enjoyer) makes the future look bright, but there's work to be done to turn the corner.
 
The Trade:
 
WAR receives:
Larry Abass Jr
 
VAN receives:
S94 NYA 2nd
 
Warsaw has money to spend, and as far as I know, an intent to compete as well. Some steps will need to be taken to get there, and the retiring Abass would be the top forward in Warsaw. I'm not convinced that Vancouver has what it takes to go the distance this season, and the prospect pool is a little bit thin. So, giving up what's likely a later 2nd for one season of a solid player isn't a bad idea for Warsaw--and the Wolves will appreciate another chance to reshuffle the deck.
 
 
 WARSAW PREDATORS 
 
The Situation: Warsaw's management has come under fire in recent seasons, but I'm a big fan of their prospect pool, both S93 and earlier alike. There are big names on the roster (including a new face in Lachlan Summers!) and this is a team that can realistically compete if those playing for them believe hard enough. That's not to say there aren't issues--they've very much constrained themselves with some aging players and depleted draft stock--but if the goal is to try, then they can't be faulted.
 
The Trade:
 
HSK receives:
S95 WAR 2nd
S94 DAV 3rd
 
WAR receives:
Tommy Sleeves
 
I'm not sure how much sense this makes for Helsinki--and a lot of it depends on the direction they want to take things--but they can afford to lose someone on defense in the immediate future and these assets can go wherever they'd like to put them. In Sleeves, Warsaw sees the return of the dasboot agency and spends some of their extensive cap room on a desperate positional need. And this certainly is spending draft capital, something they don't necessarily want to do, but resources are a little tight and a move should be made in some direction. 
 
 
Overall, I hope my suggestions make some sense! It's going to be interesting to see which teams move in the directions I think they will, and how the rest of the season works. This isn't one of those seasons when no one has cap space, so it could be exciting--let's keep an eye on trade news.
 
 
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Honestly, we tried quite hard to get Jaks and/or Atlas last season before we landed Burns who was then flipped for Maple. Both indicated they wanted to be lifetime Legion players, so that all fell through. This deal also seems very steep based on where Ironhide is in his career, and with how many seasons Jaks has left. Add on losing our 3D who is mostly IA but very cost effective with a solid build, seems a little overkill imo. I liked the other trade with WAR though to upgrade defense, gave me some ideas and inspiration to maybe check some stuff out 👀