Alex

claim 2

The Season 99 VHL draft is set to be a weird one, not only is it one of the shallowest draft we’ve seen in a while, there is some bright spots the draft hits a hard wall towards the end of the first round as the quality of players takes a hard nose dive. Today we’re going to take a look at the teams who hold top 10 picks in the draft, their draft targets, and a brief look at their seasons as a whole. To start off, as far as classes go, the start of this draft has 5 defensemen, with all of the top 3 being D, the highest end forward at this point in time is Igor Sokolov who is 30 TPE behind the top 3. We could likely see them jump up the order on draft day if the team selecting 1st doesn’t need defensemen. As of right now below is the current draft order: 1. Chicago Phoenix 2. Warsaw Predators 3. Los Angeles Stars 4. Malmo Nighthawks 5. Vancouver Wolves (via Prague Phantoms) 6. London United (via D.C. Dragons) 7. London United 8. Vancouver Wolves 9. HC Davos Dynamo 10. Los Angeles Stars (via Helsinki Titans) 11. D.C. Dragons (via Seattle Bears) 12. D.C. Dragons (via Toronto Legion) 13-16: TBD Warsaw Predators Warsaw was guaranteed a top 2 pick this draft and with 3 selections in the last draft they managed to get a future number 1 defensemen and a top end forward, but after that there isn’t too much. Warsaw is coming off an abysmal season which at this point of their rebuild is reasonable. Warsaw is likely to go off the board a bit with their pick since they do have a top defenseman already and could very well reach to get a top center to go alongside Kovar since Trokker has fallen off. Otherwise, they could very well take the top defensemen to have a true powerhouse top 2 D in a few seasons Potential Draft Picks: Zara Wolf (C – @Banackock), Titus Cunningham (D – @thadthrasher), and Krister Von Casar Tzesar (D – @Komrad) Chicago Phoenix Chicago had a very similar season to Warsaw, as the race for last was a close one, in stark contrast though, Chicago is just at the start of their rebuild and only have one top end prospect with Victor von Doom and have set their focus on the S100 draft. With that being said they are more than likely looking at one of the top 3 defenseman here as they start their rebuild. Potential Draft Picks: Titus Cunningham (D), Krister Von Casar Tzesar (D), and Additional Pylons (D – @courtjestr19) Malmo Nighthawks The Malmo Nighthawks are in a bit of a weird spot, they have 1 truly elite prospect in Cardinal Copia @Beketov, but outside of that they have a bunch of middling prospects and roster players. Prior to Yor Bjorven retiring, this would have 100% been their landing spot, but with them retiring, Malmo likely will be looking at whoever is left of the top 3 defenseman, or Sokolov as they ended up dropping to 4th overall via the lottery. Potential Draft Picks: Titus Cunningham (D), Krister Von Casar Tzesar (D), and Additional Pylons (D), and Igor Sokolov (RW – @Kisslinger) Vancouver Wolves With 2 picks in the top ten the Wolves are likely poised to win this draft and will likely be in kind of a BPA situation in this draft since their window is now and having prospects coming up will help their cap situation. Id’ have them taking a forward and a defenseman to maintain some balance. 5th: Additional Pylons (D), David David (D – @Knight) and Igor Sokolov (RW) 8th: Florida Man II (LW – @Florida Man), Boing Boing (RW – @slothfacekilla) Los Angeles Stars With the 3rd longest playoff draught in league history, the Stars are in a very difficult spot, they do have two top end defensmen of the future already on their roster, and a future starting goalie with LaFleur. However, Roger Eagles is likely seeing their career tumble down a dark path as the 4th best goalie in the league only started 50 games last season, and will likely see that number continue to drop unless there is a trade. As for forwards LA has no notable prospects so that will more than likely be their direction here. Potential Draft Picks: Igor Sokolov (RW), Zara Wolf (C), and Boing Boing (RW) London United I really like what London is doing, their forward core is young, and does need another top end prospect, and they probably need another defensemen as well, this is likely where their trade from last season as they moved the 3rd overall pick is haunting them. With their back-to-back selections in this draft they likely try to accomplish this. 6th/7th: David David (D), Florida Man II (LW), John Cowgill (C – @FlyingWV), and Zara Wolf (C) HC Davos Dynamo Similarly to Vancouver, Davos is in their competitive window, however in contrast, they have several top end prospects coming up, all of which are forwards. So, they’ll likely be trying to draft a defensemen at 9th, but it’s more of a question of if anyone will be left. Potential Draft Picks: David David (D), and Chase Breeze (D – @C-Breeze) Since I need 125 more words to hit two weeks of claims, here’s how I would rank the top prospects: 1st – Additional Pylons 2nd – Krister Von Casar Tzesar 3rd – Titus Cunningham 4th – Igor Sokolov 5th – Zara Wolf 6th – Boing Boing 7th – David David 8th – John Cowgill 9th – Florida Man II 10th – Chase Breeze 11th – Komi Kamal 12th – Takashi Borisyuk 13th – Family Mart 14th – Viener Schnitzel 15th – Patrick Finnegan 16th – Roger Lamothe 17th – Cameron Squires 18th – Dan Bacle 19th – Finnegan Tex Simms 20th – Ivan Grovnikov There you have it, if you have any bold predictions or feedback, please let me know, I think I did a decent job assessing team needs, but we should be in for a weird draft as there’s literally the top 9 players, and then everybody else. 1005 words

1. It’s going to be a tough series, I think we take it in 6! 2. honestly no idea, would hedge toward Calgary 4. Funny, puns are a bonus 5. I always enjoy a bit of a deep dive media spot 6. BUFFALO!!! Ohh… wait… 14 fucking years!!!! 7. A K-K > everyone!

DAVID!

Doubles week 5 uncapped $1mil Player Store money

I'd assume that's likely the result of Chicago having no defensemen, kind of throws a wrench in BOG discussions

1. Congrats to him on his retirement! He has really left his mark on the franchise! 2. Probably just general disappointment as they all have wanted to see Obuz traded for at least 12 seasons. 3. We won it! Might as well break a curse! 4. They don't have any social media for the safety of fans as it would be violent 5. Davos, their GM is a prick. 6. just a two handed cup check to whoever is in front of the net.

Here’s my predictions for awards with some hot-takes, and 100% not biased at all… Scotty Campbell Trophy Player Name: Adi Dassler @BOOM Honourable Mention: Forum Content @frescoelmo Bit of a hot take to start things off, and while both players listed above did have a massive impact on their team success, it honestly comes down to that Calgary would have been much worse without Dassler. Whereas the main argument for Content comes down to the gap between them and their next best teammate. This is probably a bit of a toss up, but I would give Dassler a slight edge. Brett Slobodzian Trophy Player Name: Maverick Goncalves @leandrofg Honourable Mention: Jarmo Ruutu @jRuutu This one is kind of a two horse race, and it’s all Moscow. I’ve got Goncalves taking this one due to a slight edge in goals. The next closest is probably Content or Ironhide, but there really isn’t much of an argument to have either of them ahead of Goncalves or Ruutu. Sterling Labatte Trophy Player Name: Guntis Gavilrovs @Girts Honourable Mention: Mina @Baozi Now onto D awards, this season we could very well see a Gavilrovs sweep, they had a good offensive season, they will be in contention for the Wylde, and they won two last season, which is huge for their HOF hopes. Alexander Valiq Trophy Player Name: Mina @Baozi Honourable Mention: Guntis Gavilrovs @Girts This one really comes down to how you weigh 3 more goals (Gavilrovs) vs. 5 more assists (Mina). I don’t think only 3 more goals is enough to warrant the small points gap, as a result Mina takes this one. Jake Wylde Trophy Player Name: Borris Bone-Breaker @RileyL Honourable Mention: Guntis Gavilrovs @Girts Hot take #2, Borris Bone-Breaker takes the Wylde! Their defensive play was huge this season as they led all defensemen in hits by a wide margin, and aren’t too far down the table for SB, while having a positive +/-. Aidan Shaw Trophy Player Name: Deadpanda @Alex Honourable Mention: Red Panda @Lemorse7 Hot Take #3, I’ll be honest here and say the Shaw is a bit of a crap shoot, 3 goalies finished with a 0.93 SV%, of those 3 Red Panda would have the slight edge with the lowest GAA. However, only 0.03% behind them is Deadpanda who led all goalies in wins (45), GAA (2.06), and Shutouts (9), I think that the considerable gaps in those stats likely end up making up the difference in SV% and then some. Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy Player Name: Bubbles LaFleur @AJW Honourable Mention: Pelayo Bolivar @SMYLS4 This one is purely a toss up that could go either way between LaFleur and Bolivar, LaFleur finished their season with more points and assists, whereas Bolivar had way more goals. I have LaFleur taking this largely due to being a defensemen, however this vote could really go either way. Scott Boulet Trophy Player Name: Maverick Goncalves @leandrofg Honourable Mention: Grimgor Ironhide @FrostBeard Goncalves likely has this one wrapped up with a pretty bow, while Ironhide did have more hits, they also had way more penalty minutes, fewer points, goals, and shots blocked. From my brief look there’s not really many other players in contention. David Knight Trophy GM Name: @v.2 Honourable Mention: @McLovin I have V.2 taking this one in his first season as GM, largely due to their ability to adjust their plan on the fly and turn their season into a really great one! Dustin Funk Trophy Player Name: David Pastanap @Jubis I can’t be asked to go through every team, so we’re just going to assume Davos’s nominee wins it! So congrats Pastanap!

Hi everyone, I'll keep this fairly short, your GMs (and AGMs) for the S98 JST are: RUSH: ROYALS: STEEL: BRIGADE: WARRIORS: Please join the discord server here: https://discord.gg/TnPfzqZ37W

@samx what did they do?

S98 JUNIOR SHOWCASE GM APPLICATIONS! Hello Everyone, Hope you are all doing well. This coming off-season the Junior Showcase Tournament is back! With that we ( @N0HBDY, @jacobcarson877 and myself) will be needing 4-5 people to GM the teams. No experience is needed to be a GM for this tournament and it will be a great way to get into being GMing. If you have any questions please let one of us know and we'll be sure to answer in a timely manner. What are the duties of a JST GM? Draft your team of VHL and VHLM draft eligible players Lead your locker room and keep players engaged Submit lines for each game Throughout the tournament send waiver pitched to newly created players Important Notes: No previous experience is required and this tournament will provide an excellent experience for you to learn Each GM will be provided with an experienced AGM to assist and mentor the GMs GMs will receive 2 TPE of capped TPE job pay for the duration of the tournament How to Apply: Simply post in this thread stating your interest and after a few days one of the JST commissioners will contact you for an interview. Good luck to all the applicants and we look forward to speaking with you! JST Commissioner Team - @Alex, @jacobcarson877,and @N0HBDY

I mean, he'll likely pass a couple players in the near future, however being over 100 TPE behind fellow S98 draft picks is considerable.

@courtjestr19 Hi everyone with the season just about halfway over, I figured it would be a great time to take a look at the league’s top 10 prospects. Let’s dive right in! TOP PROSPECTS First off to accurately assess the league’s top prospects I made a fairly simple formula taking into account draft season, TPE, and position. The current top ten VHL prospects are as follows: Cardinal Copia @Beketov Rank: 1 Draft: S98, 1st Overall Team: Malmo Nighthawks Position: RW TPE: 418 The 1st overall pick from the last draft has maintained their spot at the top of the prospect ranks, largely due to having considerably more TPE than any other skater. This season Copia has been good in the VHLM with a total of 19 goals and 21 assists for a total of 40 points in 46 games, 4 of which has been for Houston following a recent trade. Copia is doing well, and their production has improved from last season but, a larger step would be good to see. With that being said, Copia does project as a true franchise forward, and will be a key piece in Malmo’s rebuilding process. Gingy @MexicanCow123 Rank: 2 Draft: S98, 4th Overall Team: HC Davos Dynamo Position: C TPE: 387 Since the draft, Gingy stocks have only rose as they find themselves in the number 2 slot. This season Gingy is very much in the same boat as Copia as they are producing at a decent level just below a point per game with 43 points in 45 games, now with Houston Gingy will be looking to pick up the pace a bit before making the jump to the VHL, where they will join Davos and their existing core. Peter Venkman @Josh Rank: 3 Draft: S98, 2nd Overall Team: Warsaw Predators Position: D TPE: 364 Peter Venkman has been good this season, having already surpassed their total from last season with 36 points in 46 games. With them joining Warsaw next season Venkman will be the first piece in a long list to get Warsaw back into contention and into the playoffs, but Venkman is a great start to doing just that. Tina Hughes @tinafrombobsburgers Rank: 4 Draft: S98, 8th Overall Team: New York Americans Position: D TPE: 363 Tina Hughes is in a awkward spot of being the 2nd best defensemen in this draft and as a result will likely always be compared directly to Venkman since they are fairly similar. However, Hughes hasn’t enjoyed the same offensive success that Venkman has in the M with only 27 points in 46 games, while playing on the same team. Hughes will join to good New York team next season and get to learn from a few of the league’s top defensemen! Sidney Sheppard @GoodLeftUndone Rank: 5 Draft: S98, 9th Overall Team: HC Davos Dynamo Position: C TPE: 359 Unlike every previous player, Sidney Sheppard slid considerably in the draft, however they have maintained their spot as a top prospect in the league. Additionally, they are the first player on this list that is above a point per game in the VHLM as they have 25 goals and 23 assists for a total of 48 points in 46 games played. They will be joining Davos alongside Gingy next season. Toby Bob @Baby Boomer Rank: 6 Draft: S98, 3rd Overall Team: D.C. Dragons Position: G TPE: 419 The only goalie on the list today, Toby Bob was drafted 3rd overall last draft and falls in our rankings largely due to being a goalie. Bob has been good this season for Saskatoon and has posted a 25-17-4 record with a 0.922 SV% and a 2.27 GAA. Bob will be joining the goaltending mess that is D.C. next season as they already have 2 goalies, one of which is signed long-term, IA, and about to hit depreciation, making them near impossible to move, and the other is the GM’s player. D.C.’s choice here likely comes down to when they project to be competitive. Zak Trokker @Peace Rank: 7 Draft: S98, 10th Overall Team: Warsaw Predators Position: LW TPE: 343 Zak Trokker largely got over-looked at the draft due to concerns regarding their long-term potential and while they have slowed down slightly. They have had a good season so far in the VHLM with San Diego as they currently have 36 points in 46 games. Trokker does still project as a good top-line forward and will be joining Warsaw next season. Alex Bridges IV @Oatex Rank: 8 Draft: S98, 7th Overall Team: Prague Phantoms Position: RW TPE: 339 Alex Bridges IV has been fairly solid in the VHLM this season and is one of many top prospects on Houston. Their scoring is very similar to both Copia and Gingy which is a great sign for Prague. Next season Bridges will join Prague where they will likely just replace a retiring forward and provide a good compliment to the existing core. Agustin Martinez @SleepyPlayz Rank: 9 Draft: S98, 5th Overall Team: D.C. Dragons Position: RW TPE: 336 Martinez has seen the largest drop out of any player in the S98 draft class in the top 10, this is partly due to inconsistent growth. This season their production has been on par with most the S98 class as they do have 40 points in 46 games played. Next season they will be joining D.C. who should be looking to make a step this offseason. CJ Daniels @xNJDevilsFanx Rank: 10 Draft: S97, 13th Overall – Seattle Bears Team: HC Davos Dynamo Position: RW TPE: 467 Lastly, in the 10 spot we’ve got CJ Daniels, who’s VHL journey has been slightly controversial as their rights have bounced around to 4 different teams since the draft, but they appear to have found a home in Davos and be focused on the future. In the VHLM, Daniels has been one of the league’s best players with 30 goals and 36 assists through 46 games and sits 3rd in points and 1st in goals. They will be joining Davos next season alongside their existing impressive group of rookies. Prospects Ranked 11-50: Rank Player Name Position Season TPE Team 11 RW - Ryan Mantzz RW 98 321 NYA 12 G - Chad Powers G 97 469 SEA 13 G - Pepe Silvia G 97 465 NYA 14 D - Bazooka Joe D 98 253 MAL 15 LW - Jakub Kovar LW 98 263 WAR 16 LW - Hater Tottingham LW 97 368 MAL 17 LW - MacGregor Walcott LW 98 220 MOS 18 LW - Lorenzo Mancini LW 98 215 LDN 19 D - Remain Six Meters Back From Me D 98 191 WAR 20 D - Darko Alexander Malkovich SR D 98 178 HSK 21 RW - Jacob Seed RW 97 324 LAS 22 D - Jack Jack D 97 308 CGY 23 D - Ron World Peace Jr D 97 306 LAS 24 D - Petr Novak D 97 304 DCD 25 D - Kurt Bachmann D 96 435 MAL 26 RW - Joseph Poole RW 97 310 CGY 27 RW - Raoul Cyr RW 97 302 WAR 28 RW - Nick Sansoe Jr RW 98 168 LDN 29 RW - Spallsy McDavid RW 97 299 MOS 30 D - Chris Barbre D 98 139 CGY 31 D - Dog Jagr D 96 393 VAN 32 RW - Avery Acres RW 97 260 CHI 33 D - Feka Ohi Kau D 96 372 CHI 33 C - Michael Lee Jr C 97 250 DCD 35 C - Ethan Ashcroft C 97 243 TOR 36 LW - ALTO RED LW 97 243 TOR 36 LW - Fortnite Moneygang LW 98 111 LAS 38 RW - Arochimaru Shahar RW 97 235 DCD 39 C - Gordie Howl C 98 96 NONE 40 LW - Alex Versti LW 97 232 NYA 41 D - Manuel Ceson D 96 345 DCD 42 D - Hank Smith D 97 212 MOS 43 D - Victory Hockey League D 96 343 LAS 43 RW - James Harle RW 98 94 CHI 45 G - Brian S G 97 274 DAV 46 G - whiteknight G 98 140 HSK 47 C - Jackson Jeannot C 96 348 NYA 47 D - Elisa McMuffin D 97 206 MOS 49 C - Jagger Bomb Jr C 97 213 HSK 50 G - Kim Chi G 98 135 HSK Thank you all for reading! Next week we’ll be looking at teams prospect pools and ranking them! 1401 words (2 weeks)

1. Interesting to say the least, good to shine a light on players that largely get ignored. 2. faking their own death since it’s kind of in their name 3. black and white coloured tape 4. not really since they are a goalie 5. I joined in 77 6. probably Toronto since they are in a weaker conference and seem to be pulling away slowly.

tldr: threatening to retire gets you sent to enjoy Malmao’s rebuild