FTK

Dope graphic bro!

WRITTEN BY FTK
 
DIDIER VERHAULT, ACES CAPTAIN
 
 
While some may have not projected such a breakout season for defenseman Didier Verhault, some of the post-draft hype that arose after being selected first overall has come true for Verhault in the Vegas lineup. With this breakout from the Las Vegas captain, the entirety of the newly established Vegas lineup has managed to find success in the new season following a down year where the franchise qualified for the first overall pick (which they would select Didier Verhault with). 
 
So far in his first season with the Las Vegas Aces, the team has a record of 11-3-2, good for second in the Western Conference and third in the entire VHLM. This turnaround happened quickly, with the Aces managing a hot start and maintaining the hot streak so far into the season. Verhault, as well as many of the players on Vegas' roster do not anticipate on the hot streak ending anytime soon and have said they would do their best to maintain the winning streak coming to the Vegas fans. 
 
Many questioned naming Verhault as the captain, as he wasn't exactly expected to have the pedigree of a first overall selection prior to the start of the season, but he has managed to quiet his doubters, as have many of Vegas' players when met with doubt about a team-wide turnaround just after finishing with the first overall selection in the draft. Despite being over a point per game, and having an assist per game, Didier has not been the highest producer on the Vegas roster so far into the season. Las Vegas is led in points by Left Winger Stinky, who has a stat line of 12-11-23 in just 16 games. Just a point behind of Stinks is Didier's linemate, Bric Sheithaus, who is having a better season than the captain points wise, with a line of 4-18-22 in 16 games as well. Finally above Verhault is Quinndillus Whopper, who has a line of 7-14-21 in 16 games. Verhault has totaled out at 3-16-19 in 16 games, which while over a point per game, is a little lackluster from a captain whose leading scorer is a full 4 points ahead of him. 
 
Despite a lack of high-end point totals, Verhault does lead the Aces in Shots blocked and is tied with total hits. He also has an impressive +6 alongside his statline, signaling his ability to work well with his linemates, boosting the overall productivity of any line he plays alongside. Didier has made it known to both his teammates and the organization; he does not consider points to be an all defining stat during his tenure in Vegas. His ambition for the Aces is bringing the Founder's Cup to the team and ending the drought in Vegas. While he will attempt to score as many goals and grab as many helpers as he can to lift the team up, he expresses how proud he is of his teammates, saying that he couldn't imaging serving as the captain to a finer locker room in the entire league.  Verhault wishes to send a message to the entire league with his point totals and the wins that Vegas accumulates at such a high rate, the message being that Vegas will only stop after they have won the cup, and that anything else is considered a dissapointment in the eyes of the captain of Juan Ceson Arena. 
 

WRITTEN BY FTK
 
DIDIER VERHAULT, ACES CAPTAIN
 
 
While some may have not projected such a breakout season for defenseman Didier Verhault, some of the post-draft hype that arose after being selected first overall has come true for Verhault in the Vegas lineup. With this breakout from the Las Vegas captain, the entirety of the newly established Vegas lineup has managed to find success in the new season following a down year where the franchise qualified for the first overall pick (which they would select Didier Verhault with). 
 
So far in his first season with the Las Vegas Aces, the team has a record of 11-3-2, good for second in the Western Conference and third in the entire VHLM. This turnaround happened quickly, with the Aces managing a hot start and maintaining the hot streak so far into the season. Verhault, as well as many of the players on Vegas' roster do not anticipate on the hot streak ending anytime soon and have said they would do their best to maintain the winning streak coming to the Vegas fans. 
 
Many questioned naming Verhault as the captain, as he wasn't exactly expected to have the pedigree of a first overall selection prior to the start of the season, but he has managed to quiet his doubters, as have many of Vegas' players when met with doubt about a team-wide turnaround just after finishing with the first overall selection in the draft. Despite being over a point per game, and having an assist per game, Didier has not been the highest producer on the Vegas roster so far into the season. Las Vegas is led in points by Left Winger Stinky, who has a stat line of 12-11-23 in just 16 games. Just a point behind of Stinks is Didier's linemate, Bric Sheithaus, who is having a better season than the captain points wise, with a line of 4-18-22 in 16 games as well. Finally above Verhault is Quinndillus Whopper, who has a line of 7-14-21 in 16 games. Verhault has totaled out at 3-16-19 in 16 games, which while over a point per game, is a little lackluster from a captain whose leading scorer is a full 4 points ahead of him. 
 
Despite a lack of high-end point totals, Verhault does lead the Aces in Shots blocked and is tied with total hits. He also has an impressive +6 alongside his statline, signaling his ability to work well with his linemates, boosting the overall productivity of any line he plays alongside. Didier has made it known to both his teammates and the organization; he does not consider points to be an all defining stat during his tenure in Vegas. His ambition for the Aces is bringing the Founder's Cup to the team and ending the drought in Vegas. While he will attempt to score as many goals and grab as many helpers as he can to lift the team up, he expresses how proud he is of his teammates, saying that he couldn't imaging serving as the captain to a finer locker room in the entire league.  Verhault wishes to send a message to the entire league with his point totals and the wins that Vegas accumulates at such a high rate, the message being that Vegas will only stop after they have won the cup, and that anything else is considered a dissapointment in the eyes of the captain of Juan Ceson Arena. 
 

This week, the Las Vegas Aces announced their newest captain, Didier Verhault. Hoping to avoid having the worst captain in the league like they did last season, former Aces captain Juan Ceson set up a captaincy masterclass for the new rookie captain. Verhault was eager to participate so that he would not fail at his job like Maxim Anisimov. Anisimov had been far too much of a teacher’s pet, sucking up to the AGM Mack McLovin and failing to be a good captain both on and off the ice. Thankfully, Verhault was a fast learner and was very quick to pass all the requirements of being a good captain thanks to Juan Ceson’s excellent training. It poses well for the future of the Las Vegas Aces’ captaincies and will hopefully lead to the team performing better, especially since AGM Mack McLovin was also fired from being AGM due to being biased towards Maxim Anisimov. The new AGM has a great track record and will help turn the team around.
Verhault has also taken the lead on the Aces Anti-AGM movement which Juan Ceson has successfully been running for many seasons. As the teams moves into a new era, however, it has progressed to become the Aces Anti-GM movement since the AGM at the moment is amazing and everyone loves them.
 
@FTK @McLovin

Graphic courtesy of Leandrofg
 
Dear readers, after the retirement of our two favourite VHLers, this news outlet spared no effort to find an other Swiss prodigy to report on. Luckily, the search was successful and we are happy to announce that we chose Callum Gary Yannick Janser (CGY for short) as the new subject of our articles. As some of our avid readers may know, Callum is the son of former Calgary captain Daniel Janser and nephew to underrated WJC-Cup winner Marcel Janser.
 
So what is Callum all about? We read thouroughly his scouting report as well as the authorized biography (linked down below) and bring a summary to our dear readership.
 
Callum was born in Calgary on the night the Wranglers won the cup. He is a hiker, a climber, a Highland games attendee, a captain in the Swiss army and a shipbuilding engineer. He joined the Hounds (his dad's and uncle's first team in North America) after the trade deadline of S89. He played as a stay at home defender and had a decent point production, considering his not well honed offensive tools.
 
Apparently his defensive prowess attracted enough attention from throughout the league and so he was selected as second over all in the VHLM dispersal draft by the Saskatoon Wild. The Wild look to compete this season and Callum is all there for it.
 
But who's on first? At first overall the Aces picked Didier Verhault, a Belgian defender. We are convinced the question which our readers will ask is as follows: 'Why was Cal-Gary not first instead?'
 
We will try to shed some light on it and deliver a possible answer. Both players are equally talented.
 
Callum has the advantage of size and displacement on his side (and being ambi-dextrous is certainly no disadvantage either), where as the 'Muscles from Brussels' has youth going for him. Also he is no pushover at 6 foot tall and 200lbs weigh-in.
 
The Belgian prodigy is a more rounded player with slightly better skating, better puckhandling and distinct better offensive tools at his disposal.
 
On the other hand the 'Swiss Réduit' is a defensive specialist, who checks often and hard. His defensive play is remarkable for a player, who only started his hockey career and may well be the best in the league. He definitely makes his own zone hell on earth for the opposing players and has so far taken not too many penalties. Any point produced by this fearless warrior has to be considered 'surplus to requirement' as he is clearly hired for his body, not his feet or hands.
 
So it appears that Vegas had more need of a power play quarterback and Saskatoon preferred a lock-down defender. In our opinion, regardless on who of the two you pick, you cannot go wrong. It depends on the team composition as well as the GM's strategy. Do you want secondary scoring from the blue-line or a non-comfort zone at your end of the ice and hope that the forwards are doing the scoring?
 
We will leave this article here and only add C.G.Y.'s stats of this still fresh S90:
5gp, 0g, 3a, 3pts, +3, 4 PIM, 16 hits, 3sb
 
 
https://vhlforum.com/topic/137991-cgy-janser-scouting-report/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/137981-callum-gareth-gary-yannick-jansers-rocky-road-to-professional-icehockey-a-biography/
 
 
528 words

Callum was present at the ceremony for the VHLM dispersal draft. Multiple GM's had contacted him and stretched out their feelers, whether the Swiss defender would spend a season in the development league that is the VHLM or whether he will go back to Europe to hone his skills. And he replied to everyone of them that he would like to compete for the Founder's Cup, one of the few trophies his dad was not able to obtain. 
His patience was not really tested on draft night, as after Vegas' first overall pick, Belgian defender Didier Verhault, Callum's name was called by the Saskatoon Wild. He went second overall! His father, a Calgary legend and potential Hall of Fame inductee, only was picked at 36 in the S80 dispersal draft by the Mississauga Hounds.
This was exciting for more than one reason. First, his talent was clearly recognized and second he needs to find a stay in Saskatoon as commuting from the Lake Ontario to Saskatchewan was clearly no option. His aunt Nicole lives in Saskatchewan, but a quick check on Google maps verified, that this would still be the better part of a five hour commute.
'Well, something will turn up. It always has.' And after the usual photographs and interviews as well as shaking hands with the Saskatoon brass, he started browsing real estates for rent/lease in the town he will call home for the foreseeable future.
 

 
 
 

Top 3 earner being a questionable pick at 13th is wild

It's alright, I'll turn that bad pick into a steal

@FTK

My rankings on draft selections will be determined by a color code, followed by a description of my view of the pick to hopefully give each selection a unique flavor. As a bonus, I will be doing a “who I would have selected” at the end of every pick. Without any further delay, let’s review the first half of round one of the S90 VHL Entry Draft!
 
(PART TWO OF TWO)

 
Green - Good Pick
Blue - Underrated Pick
Purple - Certified Steal
Yellow - Questions, but a good player
Orange - A Reach
Red - A bad selection situationally

 
11th Overall - Severus Targaryen, Seattle Bears
@Banackock
Honestly just a solid selection by Seattle here. Severus might not light up the scoresheet like some of the top end prospects in the draft, but that's why he is a perfect pick outside of the top 10. Rock solid play as a center is honestly needed by every team in the VHL, and Seattle has their own locked up for the upcoming future. 
 
Who I would have picked: King Kisslinger
 
12th Overall - Obuz Schneider Canut du Bocage, Moscow Menace
@Grape
Spartan is one of my favorite GMs in the entirety of VHL, which is why it feels to be down on one of his selections in the first round. du Bocage no doubt belonged in the first round, but with prospects such as Banner, Zilla, and Kisslinger still available, it's hard to justify taking a defenseman who wasn’t even at the top of his positional board. As du Bocage’s teammate I hope he shatters this rating, but for now it's the biggest reach of the first round for me. 
Who I would have picked: Bruise Banner
 
13th Overall - Xiver Zilla, New York Americans
@jhatty8
I think Zilla definitely deserved to go around the 12-15 range, but with some of the other prospects on the board falling the way they had, I didn’t see him as the top prospect at the time. Zilla will be a good point-producer regardless of this ranking, this rating is only due to me favoring some of the prospects behind him.
Who I would have picked: Bruise Banner
 
14th Overall - Conference Prince-de-Galles, Prague Phantoms
@UnkemptCL4PTP
I strongly feel like Prince-de-Galles was the top defenseman available at the time, so for Prague to pick him up 14th was definitely a solid pick. Strangely, Prince-de-Galles didn’t receive much post-draft hype outside of Moscow, I think he’ll definitely play up to this selection. If du Bocage and Prince-de-Galles swapped places, I’d honestly like both selections. 
Who I would have picked - Conference Prince-de-Galles
 
15th Overall - King Kisslinger, Warsaw Predators
@Kisslinger
The definition of a steal for me. Imagining a Kisslinger-Anisimov line is criminal. Warsaw really nailed this draft, honestly I view both of their picks as excellent. If Kisslinger and Anisimov aren’t giving goalies nightmares for seasons to come I’ll be very surprised.
Who I would have picked - King Kisslinger
 
16th Overall - Bruise Banner, Helsinki Titans
@ctots
Having two steals at the end of the draft may make me look like a snob, but I honestly think both Kisslinger and Banner should have been selected before 15th and 16th respectively. Banner has the potential to become a franchise cornerstone in Helsinki, one can hope he hits his stride while Dixon and Grimes are still in theirs. 
Who I would have picked - Bruise Banner



 

My rankings on draft selections will be determined by a color code, followed by a description of my view of the pick to hopefully give each selection a unique flavor. As a bonus, I will be doing a “who I would have selected” at the end of every pick. Without any further delay, let’s review the first half of round one of the S90 VHL Entry Draft!
 
(PART TWO OF TWO)

 
Green - Good Pick
Blue - Underrated Pick
Purple - Certified Steal
Yellow - Questions, but a good player
Orange - A Reach
Red - A bad selection situationally

 
11th Overall - Severus Targaryen, Seattle Bears
@Banackock
Honestly just a solid selection by Seattle here. Severus might not light up the scoresheet like some of the top end prospects in the draft, but that's why he is a perfect pick outside of the top 10. Rock solid play as a center is honestly needed by every team in the VHL, and Seattle has their own locked up for the upcoming future. 
 
Who I would have picked: King Kisslinger
 
12th Overall - Obuz Schneider Canut du Bocage, Moscow Menace
@Grape
Spartan is one of my favorite GMs in the entirety of VHL, which is why it feels to be down on one of his selections in the first round. du Bocage no doubt belonged in the first round, but with prospects such as Banner, Zilla, and Kisslinger still available, it's hard to justify taking a defenseman who wasn’t even at the top of his positional board. As du Bocage’s teammate I hope he shatters this rating, but for now it's the biggest reach of the first round for me. 
Who I would have picked: Bruise Banner
 
13th Overall - Xiver Zilla, New York Americans
@jhatty8
I think Zilla definitely deserved to go around the 12-15 range, but with some of the other prospects on the board falling the way they had, I didn’t see him as the top prospect at the time. Zilla will be a good point-producer regardless of this ranking, this rating is only due to me favoring some of the prospects behind him.
Who I would have picked: Bruise Banner
 
14th Overall - Conference Prince-de-Galles, Prague Phantoms
@UnkemptCL4PTP
I strongly feel like Prince-de-Galles was the top defenseman available at the time, so for Prague to pick him up 14th was definitely a solid pick. Strangely, Prince-de-Galles didn’t receive much post-draft hype outside of Moscow, I think he’ll definitely play up to this selection. If du Bocage and Prince-de-Galles swapped places, I’d honestly like both selections. 
Who I would have picked - Conference Prince-de-Galles
 
15th Overall - King Kisslinger, Warsaw Predators
@Kisslinger
The definition of a steal for me. Imagining a Kisslinger-Anisimov line is criminal. Warsaw really nailed this draft, honestly I view both of their picks as excellent. If Kisslinger and Anisimov aren’t giving goalies nightmares for seasons to come I’ll be very surprised.
Who I would have picked - King Kisslinger
 
16th Overall - Bruise Banner, Helsinki Titans
@ctots
Having two steals at the end of the draft may make me look like a snob, but I honestly think both Kisslinger and Banner should have been selected before 15th and 16th respectively. Banner has the potential to become a franchise cornerstone in Helsinki, one can hope he hits his stride while Dixon and Grimes are still in theirs. 
Who I would have picked - Bruise Banner



 

My rankings on draft selections will be determined by a color code, followed by a description of my view of the pick to hopefully give each selection a unique flavor. As a bonus, I will be doing a “who I would have selected” at the end of every pick. Without any further delay, let’s review the first half of round one of the S90 VHL Entry Draft!
 
(PART TWO OF TWO)

 
Green - Good Pick
Blue - Underrated Pick
Purple - Certified Steal
Yellow - Questions, but a good player
Orange - A Reach
Red - A bad selection situationally

 
11th Overall - Severus Targaryen, Seattle Bears
@Banackock
Honestly just a solid selection by Seattle here. Severus might not light up the scoresheet like some of the top end prospects in the draft, but that's why he is a perfect pick outside of the top 10. Rock solid play as a center is honestly needed by every team in the VHL, and Seattle has their own locked up for the upcoming future. 
 
Who I would have picked: King Kisslinger
 
12th Overall - Obuz Schneider Canut du Bocage, Moscow Menace
@Grape
Spartan is one of my favorite GMs in the entirety of VHL, which is why it feels to be down on one of his selections in the first round. du Bocage no doubt belonged in the first round, but with prospects such as Banner, Zilla, and Kisslinger still available, it's hard to justify taking a defenseman who wasn’t even at the top of his positional board. As du Bocage’s teammate I hope he shatters this rating, but for now it's the biggest reach of the first round for me. 
Who I would have picked: Bruise Banner
 
13th Overall - Xiver Zilla, New York Americans
@jhatty8
I think Zilla definitely deserved to go around the 12-15 range, but with some of the other prospects on the board falling the way they had, I didn’t see him as the top prospect at the time. Zilla will be a good point-producer regardless of this ranking, this rating is only due to me favoring some of the prospects behind him.
Who I would have picked: Bruise Banner
 
14th Overall - Conference Prince-de-Galles, Prague Phantoms
@UnkemptCL4PTP
I strongly feel like Prince-de-Galles was the top defenseman available at the time, so for Prague to pick him up 14th was definitely a solid pick. Strangely, Prince-de-Galles didn’t receive much post-draft hype outside of Moscow, I think he’ll definitely play up to this selection. If du Bocage and Prince-de-Galles swapped places, I’d honestly like both selections. 
Who I would have picked - Conference Prince-de-Galles
 
15th Overall - King Kisslinger, Warsaw Predators
@Kisslinger
The definition of a steal for me. Imagining a Kisslinger-Anisimov line is criminal. Warsaw really nailed this draft, honestly I view both of their picks as excellent. If Kisslinger and Anisimov aren’t giving goalies nightmares for seasons to come I’ll be very surprised.
Who I would have picked - King Kisslinger
 
16th Overall - Bruise Banner, Helsinki Titans
@ctots
Having two steals at the end of the draft may make me look like a snob, but I honestly think both Kisslinger and Banner should have been selected before 15th and 16th respectively. Banner has the potential to become a franchise cornerstone in Helsinki, one can hope he hits his stride while Dixon and Grimes are still in theirs. 
Who I would have picked - Bruise Banner



 

My rankings on draft selections will be determined by a color code, followed by a description of my view of the pick to hopefully give each selection a unique flavor. As a bonus, I will be doing a “who I would have selected” at the end of every pick. Without any further delay, let’s review the first half of round one of the S90 VHL Entry Draft!
 
(PART TWO OF TWO)

 
Green - Good Pick
Blue - Underrated Pick
Purple - Certified Steal
Yellow - Questions, but a good player
Orange - A Reach
Red - A bad selection situationally

 
11th Overall - Severus Targaryen, Seattle Bears
@Banackock
Honestly just a solid selection by Seattle here. Severus might not light up the scoresheet like some of the top end prospects in the draft, but that's why he is a perfect pick outside of the top 10. Rock solid play as a center is honestly needed by every team in the VHL, and Seattle has their own locked up for the upcoming future. 
 
Who I would have picked: King Kisslinger
 
12th Overall - Obuz Schneider Canut du Bocage, Moscow Menace
@Grape
Spartan is one of my favorite GMs in the entirety of VHL, which is why it feels to be down on one of his selections in the first round. du Bocage no doubt belonged in the first round, but with prospects such as Banner, Zilla, and Kisslinger still available, it's hard to justify taking a defenseman who wasn’t even at the top of his positional board. As du Bocage’s teammate I hope he shatters this rating, but for now it's the biggest reach of the first round for me. 
Who I would have picked: Bruise Banner
 
13th Overall - Xiver Zilla, New York Americans
@jhatty8
I think Zilla definitely deserved to go around the 12-15 range, but with some of the other prospects on the board falling the way they had, I didn’t see him as the top prospect at the time. Zilla will be a good point-producer regardless of this ranking, this rating is only due to me favoring some of the prospects behind him.
Who I would have picked: Bruise Banner
 
14th Overall - Conference Prince-de-Galles, Prague Phantoms
@UnkemptCL4PTP
I strongly feel like Prince-de-Galles was the top defenseman available at the time, so for Prague to pick him up 14th was definitely a solid pick. Strangely, Prince-de-Galles didn’t receive much post-draft hype outside of Moscow, I think he’ll definitely play up to this selection. If du Bocage and Prince-de-Galles swapped places, I’d honestly like both selections. 
Who I would have picked - Conference Prince-de-Galles
 
15th Overall - King Kisslinger, Warsaw Predators
@Kisslinger
The definition of a steal for me. Imagining a Kisslinger-Anisimov line is criminal. Warsaw really nailed this draft, honestly I view both of their picks as excellent. If Kisslinger and Anisimov aren’t giving goalies nightmares for seasons to come I’ll be very surprised.
Who I would have picked - King Kisslinger
 
16th Overall - Bruise Banner, Helsinki Titans
@ctots
Having two steals at the end of the draft may make me look like a snob, but I honestly think both Kisslinger and Banner should have been selected before 15th and 16th respectively. Banner has the potential to become a franchise cornerstone in Helsinki, one can hope he hits his stride while Dixon and Grimes are still in theirs. 
Who I would have picked - Bruise Banner



 

1. How do you feel about the selections Helsinki made in the VHL entry draft this season?
 
2. With the offseason full go, do you think Helsinki should remain active in the trade market?
 
3. What are your plans during the offseason?
 
4. Do you feel like your player has improved this offseason enough to make a difference for their team?
 
5. Whats your least favorite thing about the offseason?
 
6. Finally, do you believe Helsinki has made enough moves this offseason to become a competitive team? 

My rankings on draft selections will be determined by a color code, followed by a description of my view of the pick to hopefully give each selection a unique flavor. As a bonus, I will be doing a “who I would have selected” at the end of every pick. Without any further delay, let’s review the first half of round one of the S90 VHL Entry Draft!
 
(PART ONE OF TWO)

 
Green - Good Pick
Blue - Underrated Pick
Purple - Certified Steal
Yellow - Questions, but a good player
Orange - A Reach
Red - A bad selection situationally 


 
1st Overall - YaBoi Oven, Helsinki Titans
@Doomsday
 
Who could argue with YaBoi Oven going first overall? Not only does this selection suit a need for the Titans as a frontline franchise defenseman, but any team in the VHL would be more than happy to have a defenseman prospect on Oven’s level in their pool. An expected first overall pick, in terms of position and overall I view this as a good first overall selection.
 
Who I would have selected - YaBoi Oven

 
2nd Overall - Walter Fitzroy Jr, Toronto Legion
@Moon
 
This isn’t exactly unexpected. Moon is the GM of Toronto and thus you get a franchise defenseman who is willing to stay long term, as long as Moon remains employed in Toronto. Fitzroy will be a good player, but I can’t am not a fan of GM’s making slight reaches to select their own players. Still, Fitzroy will be a good player in Toronto. 
 
Who I would have selected - Axle Gunner
 
3rd Overall - Ryan Artyomov, Chicago Phoenix 
@Enorama
 
I don’t think I can overstate how awesome this pick is for Chicago. With recent GM turnover, the new leader of operations in Chicago certainly smashed their first pick. Artyomov will be an excellent goalie in the VHL, and will be key in Chicago regaining contention and making a push for another cup. Artyomov is also probably the best selection in terms of suiting team needs so far as well. Just an awesome pick all around. 
 
Who I would have selected - Ryan Artyomov
 
4th Overall - Axle Gunner, Moscow Menace
@Steve
 
A near 100 point scorer in the VHLM with the Philadelphia Reapers, Gunner is a borderline steal for me. I wouldn’t exactly call 4th overall a drop or decline however. Gunner is a center, and figures to play for Moscow sooner rather than later, where he will be a steady contributor in Moscow’s retool. Another excellent selection, but it’s hard to mess up a top 5 selection.
 
Who I would have selected - Axle Gunner

 
5th Overall - Maxim Anisimov, Warsaw Predators
@McLovin
 
I may have been higher on Anisimov than others viewing the draft, but I see this pick as an absolute steal. While Anisimov may not be as valuable defensively as a Center or Defenseman, he was by far the best winger prospect in this class. I think Warsaw nailed this pick, and are setting themselves up with a surefire hardware candidate season in and out. 
 
Who I would have selected - Maxim Anisimov
 
6th Overall - Raimo Tuominen, Calgary Wranglers
@SlapshotWrangler
 
While I like Raimo Tuominen as a prospect, and I agree he should have been a top 10 selection, top 5 is just a small reach for me. I don’t see him being the best positionally or overall at this point in terms of the draft. While I think Calgary is getting an excellent player, they could have almost certainly traded down a few selections and got the same player. I will be excited to see Tuominen in Calgary, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was just slightly overdrafted in my opinion. 
 
Who I would have selected - Jarmo Ruutu
 
7th Overall - Catia Goncalves, Riga Reign
@cLoWn
 
While I have some question marks regarding Goncalves, I do think she will be a good player for the Reign. Similar to Tuominen, I saw Goncalves as a top 12-15 prospect, with 7th being just slightly early for my taste. Regardless I do think the Reign are getting a capable player and a solid prospect to build a young core up with. 
 
Who I would have selected - Jarmo Ruutu

 
8th Overall - Jarmo Ruutu, Moscow Menace
@jRuutu
 
The Menace had an amazing draft. While Gunner may be the best prospect overall selected to Moscow, in terms of pure value I think Ruutu has a case for one of the best in the first round in general. I had Ruutu as a top 5 selection, so while seeing him fall to Moscow was a surprise, it is a welcome one! Spartan is once again assembling a young capable core for the Menace’s retool. 
 
Who I would have selected - Jarmo Ruutu
 
9th Overall - Jebidiah Big Ol Doinks in Amish, Malmo Nighthawks
@hylands
 
I think picking up Jebidiah/Hylands is a sneaky hood move for the Nighthawks in their quest for a bounceback to competitive hockey. I think at this point in the draft most of the top end talent had seeped out in terms of the quality selected in the top 5, but Jebidiah is an excellent defensive prospect. I can’t decide if this was a draft fall or the perfect spot for Hylands to end up at.
 
10th Overall - Martin Kemp, Riga Reign
@leafsman
 
Another reach for the Reign. I would have been fine with a Kemp selection at 10, but doubling down on first round wingers when two amazing centers were available is very questionable for me. As previously stated for Goncalves, Kemp will be a good player, it’s just all about fit and the scheme in Riga for me. 

I'm switching up the style of how I've done these recap/grading pieces in the past. 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 brief (edit, I failed), 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.
 
North American Conference

Calgary Wranglers - @Ricer13 
 
The Wranglers entered the offseason seemingly looking to unload a couple roster players to both shed cap and open up space for some of their imminent call-ups, but ended up jettisoning their entire roster entirely. What was initially meant to be a slight reshuffling turned into a fairly all-encompassing overhaul. Despite the NA looking weak, CGY decided to simply go with their youth across the board. In the draft, CGY traded up from 8th to 6th, giving up a second rounder to select Raimo Tuominen @SlapshotWrangler, a winger from the Houston Bulls. Tuominen will be expected to slot into a top line role, and the offensively minded Finnish player should slide into the role well pending some development. Outside of Tuominen, Calgary's next picks weren't until the 3rd and 4th round where Pierre Ennis @DeciBell4, Destroyer @slangdestroyer and Josh goat @Josh is cool will be longshots to make the roster. Deciding to rebuild but only having 1 pick in the first 2 rounds of a draft class of this caliber is a little concerning though, and might indicate a longer term path to contending unless Calgary decides to buy players in a season in the near future.
 
Grade: B-
 
 
Chicago Phoenix - @badcolethetitan 
 
Chicago's predicament entering this offseason may be one of the worst ever involving GM transitions. New GM @badcolethetitan was left with minimal roster pieces outside recently drafted defenseman Liv Slater @Subject056 who was soon shipped off to Vancouver prior to the draft for two 1st round picks. Assets otherwise were quite limited, with just their own first round pick in S90 with no other picks until the third round. With their first though, Chicago took Ryan Artyomov @Enorama, kicking off a brutal rebuild with a must-have franchise cornerstone in net. The Phoenix will hope to build around Artyomov in future drafts, but the process will certainly be slow and arduous. With their remaining depth picks, the Phoenix selected Amir Redzic @Slav_Sloth  and Henri Dahl @Henri Dahl who will both take a few seasons to get to the VHL, and Owen Williams @Iknoweverythingaboutsports who might have a longer and more difficult path to reach the VHL without more consistency. There's really not much Chicago could have done differently, outside leveraging 3rd overall to acquire a larger package of picks in the S90/S91 drafts. 
 
Grade: B+
 
 
D.C. Dragons - @FrostBeard 
 
The Dragons appear to be speeding up their rebuild and putting their foot on the proverbial pedal this season. The team seems comfortable with Bubbles Utonium @fishy in net and a stout defense corps that has been built over the course of a couple seasons now. Metric-befuddling Ryuji Sakamoto @der meister was brought in to provide additional defensive capabilities along with a veteran voice in the group, while forwards Vince Laroche-Gagnier @vincentlg2007 and Jason @Jason kranz were brought in via trade to provide an instant spark to an otherwise middling forward group. D.C. traded away 4th overall after seemingly missing out on their top target in Ryan Artyomov, opting to have faith in their team. For the future, Eric White Jr @Mysterious_Fish and Eno Velvson @Nykonax were brought int, with both expecting to be VHL-ready within 1-2 seasons. Later in the draft, projects Trey Daniels @Tdan04, Jean-Marc Lemieux @Gorth, Vladimir Kozlov @vladbatton and Donny dickems @Bakerk19 were added, all of whom appear to be longshots to make the VHL roster. Oscar Thurn @neksli was selected in the late 4th, but appears to have foregone hopes of a VHL career. While D.C. made solid grabs in the 2nd round, it's questionable if they really should have rushed into contending in the NA conference despite few other teams seeming to make that push. But with Vancouver, Seattle and Toronto looming large over the conference, D.C. may have been served better by simply taking the best player available at 4oa and letting the rebuilding process play out patiently - with the hopes of acquiring a true franchise goalie in S91 or via trade. Their season will largely be graded as to how they perform with a late career goalie in net with no replacement on the horizon.
 
Grade: B-
 
 
Los Angeles Stars - @InstantRockstar 
 
Simply put, the Stars are stuck in the mud. The Stars made one selection in the third round of the S90 draft, selecting Kodie Curran @Battlepopcorn who projects to take at least 3-4 seasons before being VHL ready. However, they went out and paid a massive price for young defenseman Elias Lampi @Pifferfish who the Seattle Bears appeared to be ready to move on from for cap purposes. Just one week out from the season, the Stars seem to be stuck between making a serious push to compete with the top teams, and kicking off a rebuild with the remaining stars that can fetch decent value on the team. With the timing of other selling teams such as Calgary and Moscow, most contenders are essentially ready for the regular season. LA's season will largely hinge on being able to maintain a playoff spot through the season and hoping that midseason trades for players on underperforming teams will result in a potential playoff run.
 
Grade: C-
 
 
New York Americans - @thadthrasher 
 
New York might be a bit more of a headscratcher than the LA Stars. While the Stars boast some competent stars to compete this season to some degree, New York....simply let their key FAs walk away elsewhere. Both Babay Shrimp @Blazzer and Geoff Bezos @Quik surprisingly tested FA, and Shrimp even signed elsewhere promptly. Now with no goalie left on their roster, New York simply has no direction. Veterans Napoleon Dynamite @thadthrasher and Svatopluk Pul @Otaznik may be able to carry an otherwise young offense, but rookie Tord Yvel @Trazan is all alone on defense. With 13th overall courtesy of a surprisingly pleasant playoff run in S89, New York was gifted Xiver Zilla @jhatty8 whom most expected to be a top 6 or 7 selection in the draft. Zilla will likely be able to form a solid 1C/2C duo with Jasper Davis @Josh in the long run, but will likely play on a wing until Dynamite leaves the organization. New York also selected goalie WW...etc. @rory, which will be interesting to see play out as the agency has been generally disgruntled by the organization in the past, especially after how the Americans hostaged Travish DeGroot from LA back in the early 80's. If WW is happy with New York and extends beyond their ELC, it'll be a solid selection. Otherwise the Americans may only have lucked into Zilla and will have to hope that late round selections Stinky @taylorherd and Alexei Shirokov @Alexei can find their way onto the main roster. With no future for their defense and goaltending uncertainty, it's been a nightmare of an offseason for the S89 postseason darlings.

Grade: F
 
 
Seattle Bears - @Banackock 
 
The Bears have continued to operate in their typical offseason manner of fielding offers on all players to see what the market has interest in, then trading away mid-career players for assets while spending a portion of those assets on later stage career players to replace them. This off-season saw Elias Lampi @Pifferfish and Daniel Weaver @ThePerfectNut heading out of town to be replaced by Leandro Goncalves @leandrofg  and AirRig GoodBrandSun @Rhynex Entertainment. Star goalie Clueless Wallob @DMaximus  was also acquired from the rebuilding Moscow Menace after a panic trade for pending UFA G Karl Pedersen @JeffD. In the draft, Seattle sat pat and selected center Severus Targaryen @Banackock who has close ties to team management and Simons Worst Nightmare in the second round, who projects to be a pure defensive defenseman with a 2 season window to make the VHL roster. In the third, Seattle selected Jaja Dingdong Jr @Jaja Dingdong who may shape up into a depth defenseman over a few seasons, along with Factor Lee who also shows potential if he can remain consistent over the next few seasons. Jakub Izacky was selected in the 4th and the agency has a history of fluttering out in the VHL, but maybe Seattle's management can develop the player well enough to get him to the pro roster. As of now, Seattle still hasn't completed their roster with $3 million in cap space, so another move or two will be expected.

Grade: A-
 
 
Toronto Legion - @Moon 
 
I made a joke the other day that if I had a penny for every time Toronto traded a large pick package for veteran Moscow superstars, I'd have two pennies. It's not a lot, but it is amusing that it's occurred twice. GM @Moon seems prepared to flip the switch on this Legion squad, and aggressively pursued superstars Ronan Lavelle @Arce and Tomas Sogaard @Brandon from Moscow and paid a high price of a 1st + two 2nds. The duo will join stars Mac Atlas @v.2  and FA signing Siyan Yasilievich @badcolethetitan with the hopes that this will be the season for a deep playoff run in Toronto. With 2nd overall, Toronto chose to stay in that slot instead of trading down, and selected defenseman Walter Fitzroy Jr, a player whose agency is very close with the GM. A bit of a puzzling move since most draft pundits expected that Fitzroy would be available a bit later in the first, and rumors swirled that other teams were offering hefty packages to trade up for the top three pick. Later in the draft, Toronto selected Harjen Van Araken @VaderTheTater who is still very raw, but may still be able to make the VHL given some guidance and development. This season will largely be graded off of their results - with Lavelle and Yasilievich both planning to retire this season, the window is open for just this one season pending future moves. Will the assets given up be too much for a one season prayer?
 
Grade: B
 
 
Vancouver Wolves - @Frank 
 
GM Frank Chadwick @Frank has never been afraid to be aggressive, and it's probably one of my favorite traits of his. He was aggressive early in the offseason, acquiring Girts Galvins' @Girts rights from Warsaw for a late future 2nd, and then fixed their cap woes by sending Henry Eagles @Greg_Di to the Malmo Nighthawks for a hefty package involving S92 MAL 1st. After a few days of fiddling around with cheap defensemen, Vancouver did the near impossible and convinced Chicago to trade away their sole promising roster player in Liv Slater @Subject056 for two firsts (including the one received in the Eagles trade). While initially the price seemed steep, Vancouver essentially traded a fraction of the Eagles return along with their own 91 1st (likely bottom 4) for a very young defenseman with a lot of potential who fits within their cap situation. In an ideal world, Slater will replace Pierre Emile Bouchard as he faces retirement in the near future. VAN made no selections in the S90 draft, and have limited capital in the future. Goaltender Brandt Fuhr is getting long in the tooth and the team only has S89 goalie Clark as a prospect. Will he be able to replace Fuhr within 2 seasons?
 
Grade: A-
 
 
European Conference
 
HC Davos Dynamo - @Alex 
 
The Dynamo are fresh off a Continental Cup win, which means they realistically could go back to being a dumpster fire with no criticism. The price to compete is your future assets, and Davos simply had no picks in the S90 draft. However, Davos went out in search of some cheap depth to fill out their forward core with Halvar Torbjorn @Rayzor_7, DB III @wcats and Vasile Lamb @dlamb. The defense is still their strongest point with Jake Thunder @Thunder and Skor McFleury @Alex and star netminder Lachlan Summers @kirbithan, but it remains to be seen if their forward group is strong enough to win games with just depth and no high-end individuals.

Grade: B+
 
 
Helsinki Titans - @samx 
 
The Titans are under new management for the first time in eons, with former AGM @samx now selected to lead the team into the future. The team had a stroke of luck to begin the new GM's tenure, as HSK won the 1st overall selection via the S90 draft lottery. YaBoi Oven @Doomsday was the consensus top selection, and he'll soon make his debut to join Kronchy Kardashian as stalwarts on the blue line. With Fuukka Rask @Jubis in his prime, Helsinki went out and bought Landon Wolanin @jacobcarson877 from the rebuilding Wranglers, presumably to try and make a push this season while they still have some players on ELCs. The future is still bright however, as Helsinki managed to add talented forwards Bruise Banner @ctots and Alexandre Crosby @hockeyis66 at the end of the 1st round and beginning of the 2nd, along with defenseman Tommy Sleeves @dasboot. They rounded off their draft with Barry McOckiner @LanerDUST and Gremlis Lielais @Anomalijs who will take at least 3+ seasons to make the VHL. Overall though, HSK has some hope for both the present in the future through a deep pick pool in the next two drafts and solid prospects on the way. Whether HSK was truly ready to compete this season remains to be seen.
 
Grade: A-
 
 
London United - @jacobcarson877 
 
Rumblings around the league were that the recently dethroned VHL Champions, the London United, would enter a rebuild of sorts after star defenseman Siyan Yasilievich was heading into FA. However, London proceeded to do the opposite, instead acquiring Deron Nesbitt @AW13 from Moscow along with FA defenseman Jack Jeckler @Uncommon. The United made just one draft pick in S90, selecting Shinoa Hiiragi @shinoa in the 4th round who likely will never join the VHL. It's an interesting offseason for the United who simply didn't have assets to work with as a contending team, but they seem to be content with their roster featuring stars Molly the Cat @JCarson and The Board Game Clue on Skates @MubbleFubbles. Although the team was completely anemic offensively last season, maybe a new season and some development will allow the United offense to break out and surge beyond the wild card round. However, the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over, expecting different results. Acquiring Nesbitt to replace Siyan simply may not be enough to make a meaningful difference.
 
Grade: C+
 
 
Malmo Nighthawks - @KaleebtheMighty 
 
Malmo had an interesting draft night. At 6oa, the team delayed for quite a while, taking up nearly their entire time allotment before a trade was made with Calgary to trade down from 6 to 8, netting a 2nd rounder along the way. Once at 8, the team traded down again with Moscow, picking up a 3rd rounder to drop from 8 to 9. At 9, they finally selected Jebediah Big Ol Doinks in Amish @hylands whose agency the organization is very familiar with. After the agency struggled to develop players in the past, the hope is that Jebediah will snap out of that funk and be able to step in to a large role on the Nighthawks' defense. However, their defense might be the strongest part of their team, with youngsters Jacob Stone @scoop and Reese McFleury @Spaz already showing promise alongside the veterans in the group who are also just in the middle of their careers. Prospect Big B @Bigb33 also appears on the cusp of making their pro roster, making the selection of yet another defenseman in the S90 1st round a bit confusing. Fortunately for Malmo, they were aggressive in acquiring Daniel Weaver @ThePerfectNut and Henry Eagles @Greg_Di to jumpstart their contending phase, but the organization now has no picks left for the next 2 seasons. There'll be a lot of pressure on the skaters in Malmo to make the moves worth it, as Ash Sparks still has a lot to prove despite a strong first season as full-time starter. It's a large gamble for Malmo, but fortunately they have the prospect pool to maintain their competitive window for a while - it'll all depend on if they can manage their cap and roster slots as well.
 
Grade: B-
 
 
Moscow Menace - @Spartan  
 
The Menace made the questionable decision this off-season to completely gut their team into pieces, shipping away nearly every single quality veteran on their team despite being able to retain all of their core pieces. From a Victory Cup and a playoff appearance to a full rebuild seems questionable, but GM Euron Leonidas @Spartan  seems confident in the youth on the team and happy with the return they received for all of their pieces. After a flurry of trades, some even during the draft, Moscow ended up with picks 4, 8, 12 and 21 where Axle Gunner @Steve and Jarmo Ruutu @jRuutu were selected to be the future center duo of the Menace. Defensemen Obuz Schneider Canet du Bocage @Grape and Didier Verhault @FTK  were also selected with the hopes of stepping up to replace the retiring Hammar Voss @BOOM and the depleted defense corps. While the Menace seem set at forwards for the future and have some defensemen in place, the big question mark remains their plans in net for the future, with only veteran goalie Sam Tombstone in the organization.
 
Grade: A
 
 
Prague Phantoms - @Acydburn 
 
To me, Prague's had a pretty quiet offseason. Not much news has circulated from their organization, and their only trade was for young defenseman Admir Bala @Tyler from Davos. In the draft, the Phantoms doubled down on defense, selecting Conference Prince-de-Galles @UnkemptCL4PTP, adding a pure defensive defenseman to the organization historically known for building teams around defense. With defensemen Faith Hope love @MMFLEX and Velociraptor Greg @samx beginning to regress, it makes sense to bring in some young defensemen. However, with multiple aged forwards, and a bit of an uninspiring prospect pool, Prague selected controversial center Aurora Skylight @Bedirhan in the 2nd round. While the young center is talented, questions arise around character and the ability to remain focused on hockey and developing skills. Later in the second, Prague also added Liam Oinas @ojje who will take a few seasons to reach the VHL, and longer term projects in Stefan Nikolaev @Is_thatok and Yves Lafleur @Habs fan. Prague is sporting an identical look to their roster last season, but the hopes will be that their playoff run will be much deeper.
 
Grade: B-
 
 
Riga Reign - @hedgehog337 
 
For a competitive team, Riga had a surprising number of picks in the first two rounds with 5 total, including 7th and 10th overall. In the first round, Riga selected forwards Catia Goncalves @cLoWn and Martin Kemp @leafsman who will likely take a season or two to join one of the best up and coming forward cores in the league. However, that forward group is already in their prime, with some veterans already on the cusp of regressing. Defensively, both Brian Kowalski and James Marino seem to be prepared to play 30+ minutes every game, but with their age, their effectiveness may wane. Despite the shallow defense depth in both their pro roster and prospect pool, Riga selected three more forwards in the second round in Afonya Romanov @DontCallMeCarson, Sebastian Thunder @Matt thunder and Oden Bell @WhiskyJack. Jussi Jokinenegg @HearnNation67 was selected in the third round, also a forward. The only defensemen drafted was Kenneth Heymann @Kenny in the 4th round, who looks to have already quit the sport of hockey entirely. While Riga might have the best forward group in the league right now, their defensive depth or lack thereof will certainly sink them barring a miracle. With 3 million in cap, there's room to find a defenseman now or wait until the trade deadline for retained salary. But it looks to be a struggle for the organization who neglected positions of need to go for the best players available during the draft.
 
Grade: C
 
 
Warsaw Predators - @N0HBDY 
 
God, I've written so much and I want to be done. Warsaw fucking stinks, just like Chicago. The sole bright spots might be Tim Riggins @Jayhawk and recently acquired defenseman Tater Tottingham @Trunkxolotl, who realistically should be traded to a contender for more assets than the 2nd Warsaw paid to save Toronto from cap trouble. In the S90 draft though, Warsaw selected great value in the first round, adding Maxim Anisimov @McLovin and King Kisslinger @Kisslinger to begin rebuilding the forward group. Jorji Costova @Hybrid1486, Joseph Jec @Joseph Jec, Jigglejawns @.sniffuM, Joseph Dubois @Dubois, Andrew Cobberson @BrandyAndy, Michael Ovechskin @penguinb19 and Joe Blow @ES29 will have to be heavily developed by the organization if they're to make a significant impact for the team in the future. Fortunately Warsaw owns their own 1st round picks for the future, and have a decent stockpile of 2nd round picks. It remains to be seen if those 2nds will provide any value in these shallow classes however.
 
Grade: B+
 
3,604 words

My rankings on draft selections will be determined by a color code, followed by a description of my view of the pick to hopefully give each selection a unique flavor. As a bonus, I will be doing a “who I would have selected” at the end of every pick. Without any further delay, let’s review the first half of round one of the S90 VHL Entry Draft!
 
(PART ONE OF TWO)

 
Green - Good Pick
Blue - Underrated Pick
Purple - Certified Steal
Yellow - Questions, but a good player
Orange - A Reach
Red - A bad selection situationally 


 
1st Overall - YaBoi Oven, Helsinki Titans
@Doomsday
 
Who could argue with YaBoi Oven going first overall? Not only does this selection suit a need for the Titans as a frontline franchise defenseman, but any team in the VHL would be more than happy to have a defenseman prospect on Oven’s level in their pool. An expected first overall pick, in terms of position and overall I view this as a good first overall selection.
 
Who I would have selected - YaBoi Oven

 
2nd Overall - Walter Fitzroy Jr, Toronto Legion
@Moon
 
This isn’t exactly unexpected. Moon is the GM of Toronto and thus you get a franchise defenseman who is willing to stay long term, as long as Moon remains employed in Toronto. Fitzroy will be a good player, but I can’t am not a fan of GM’s making slight reaches to select their own players. Still, Fitzroy will be a good player in Toronto. 
 
Who I would have selected - Axle Gunner
 
3rd Overall - Ryan Artyomov, Chicago Phoenix 
@Enorama
 
I don’t think I can overstate how awesome this pick is for Chicago. With recent GM turnover, the new leader of operations in Chicago certainly smashed their first pick. Artyomov will be an excellent goalie in the VHL, and will be key in Chicago regaining contention and making a push for another cup. Artyomov is also probably the best selection in terms of suiting team needs so far as well. Just an awesome pick all around. 
 
Who I would have selected - Ryan Artyomov
 
4th Overall - Axle Gunner, Moscow Menace
@Steve
 
A near 100 point scorer in the VHLM with the Philadelphia Reapers, Gunner is a borderline steal for me. I wouldn’t exactly call 4th overall a drop or decline however. Gunner is a center, and figures to play for Moscow sooner rather than later, where he will be a steady contributor in Moscow’s retool. Another excellent selection, but it’s hard to mess up a top 5 selection.
 
Who I would have selected - Axle Gunner

 
5th Overall - Maxim Anisimov, Warsaw Predators
@McLovin
 
I may have been higher on Anisimov than others viewing the draft, but I see this pick as an absolute steal. While Anisimov may not be as valuable defensively as a Center or Defenseman, he was by far the best winger prospect in this class. I think Warsaw nailed this pick, and are setting themselves up with a surefire hardware candidate season in and out. 
 
Who I would have selected - Maxim Anisimov
 
6th Overall - Raimo Tuominen, Calgary Wranglers
@SlapshotWrangler
 
While I like Raimo Tuominen as a prospect, and I agree he should have been a top 10 selection, top 5 is just a small reach for me. I don’t see him being the best positionally or overall at this point in terms of the draft. While I think Calgary is getting an excellent player, they could have almost certainly traded down a few selections and got the same player. I will be excited to see Tuominen in Calgary, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was just slightly overdrafted in my opinion. 
 
Who I would have selected - Jarmo Ruutu
 
7th Overall - Catia Goncalves, Riga Reign
@cLoWn
 
While I have some question marks regarding Goncalves, I do think she will be a good player for the Reign. Similar to Tuominen, I saw Goncalves as a top 12-15 prospect, with 7th being just slightly early for my taste. Regardless I do think the Reign are getting a capable player and a solid prospect to build a young core up with. 
 
Who I would have selected - Jarmo Ruutu

 
8th Overall - Jarmo Ruutu, Moscow Menace
@jRuutu
 
The Menace had an amazing draft. While Gunner may be the best prospect overall selected to Moscow, in terms of pure value I think Ruutu has a case for one of the best in the first round in general. I had Ruutu as a top 5 selection, so while seeing him fall to Moscow was a surprise, it is a welcome one! Spartan is once again assembling a young capable core for the Menace’s retool. 
 
Who I would have selected - Jarmo Ruutu
 
9th Overall - Jebidiah Big Ol Doinks in Amish, Malmo Nighthawks
@hylands
 
I think picking up Jebidiah/Hylands is a sneaky hood move for the Nighthawks in their quest for a bounceback to competitive hockey. I think at this point in the draft most of the top end talent had seeped out in terms of the quality selected in the top 5, but Jebidiah is an excellent defensive prospect. I can’t decide if this was a draft fall or the perfect spot for Hylands to end up at.
 
10th Overall - Martin Kemp, Riga Reign
@leafsman
 
Another reach for the Reign. I would have been fine with a Kemp selection at 10, but doubling down on first round wingers when two amazing centers were available is very questionable for me. As previously stated for Goncalves, Kemp will be a good player, it’s just all about fit and the scheme in Riga for me. 

Good move! Definitely increases his value for me

My rankings on draft selections will be determined by a color code, followed by a description of my view of the pick to hopefully give each selection a unique flavor. As a bonus, I will be doing a “who I would have selected” at the end of every pick. Without any further delay, let’s review the first half of round one of the S90 VHL Entry Draft!
 
(PART ONE OF TWO)

 
Green - Good Pick
Blue - Underrated Pick
Purple - Certified Steal
Yellow - Questions, but a good player
Orange - A Reach
Red - A bad selection situationally 


 
1st Overall - YaBoi Oven, Helsinki Titans
@Doomsday
 
Who could argue with YaBoi Oven going first overall? Not only does this selection suit a need for the Titans as a frontline franchise defenseman, but any team in the VHL would be more than happy to have a defenseman prospect on Oven’s level in their pool. An expected first overall pick, in terms of position and overall I view this as a good first overall selection.
 
Who I would have selected - YaBoi Oven

 
2nd Overall - Walter Fitzroy Jr, Toronto Legion
@Moon
 
This isn’t exactly unexpected. Moon is the GM of Toronto and thus you get a franchise defenseman who is willing to stay long term, as long as Moon remains employed in Toronto. Fitzroy will be a good player, but I can’t am not a fan of GM’s making slight reaches to select their own players. Still, Fitzroy will be a good player in Toronto. 
 
Who I would have selected - Axle Gunner
 
3rd Overall - Ryan Artyomov, Chicago Phoenix 
@Enorama
 
I don’t think I can overstate how awesome this pick is for Chicago. With recent GM turnover, the new leader of operations in Chicago certainly smashed their first pick. Artyomov will be an excellent goalie in the VHL, and will be key in Chicago regaining contention and making a push for another cup. Artyomov is also probably the best selection in terms of suiting team needs so far as well. Just an awesome pick all around. 
 
Who I would have selected - Ryan Artyomov
 
4th Overall - Axle Gunner, Moscow Menace
@Steve
 
A near 100 point scorer in the VHLM with the Philadelphia Reapers, Gunner is a borderline steal for me. I wouldn’t exactly call 4th overall a drop or decline however. Gunner is a center, and figures to play for Moscow sooner rather than later, where he will be a steady contributor in Moscow’s retool. Another excellent selection, but it’s hard to mess up a top 5 selection.
 
Who I would have selected - Axle Gunner

 
5th Overall - Maxim Anisimov, Warsaw Predators
@McLovin
 
I may have been higher on Anisimov than others viewing the draft, but I see this pick as an absolute steal. While Anisimov may not be as valuable defensively as a Center or Defenseman, he was by far the best winger prospect in this class. I think Warsaw nailed this pick, and are setting themselves up with a surefire hardware candidate season in and out. 
 
Who I would have selected - Maxim Anisimov
 
6th Overall - Raimo Tuominen, Calgary Wranglers
@SlapshotWrangler
 
While I like Raimo Tuominen as a prospect, and I agree he should have been a top 10 selection, top 5 is just a small reach for me. I don’t see him being the best positionally or overall at this point in terms of the draft. While I think Calgary is getting an excellent player, they could have almost certainly traded down a few selections and got the same player. I will be excited to see Tuominen in Calgary, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was just slightly overdrafted in my opinion. 
 
Who I would have selected - Jarmo Ruutu
 
7th Overall - Catia Goncalves, Riga Reign
@cLoWn
 
While I have some question marks regarding Goncalves, I do think she will be a good player for the Reign. Similar to Tuominen, I saw Goncalves as a top 12-15 prospect, with 7th being just slightly early for my taste. Regardless I do think the Reign are getting a capable player and a solid prospect to build a young core up with. 
 
Who I would have selected - Jarmo Ruutu

 
8th Overall - Jarmo Ruutu, Moscow Menace
@jRuutu
 
The Menace had an amazing draft. While Gunner may be the best prospect overall selected to Moscow, in terms of pure value I think Ruutu has a case for one of the best in the first round in general. I had Ruutu as a top 5 selection, so while seeing him fall to Moscow was a surprise, it is a welcome one! Spartan is once again assembling a young capable core for the Menace’s retool. 
 
Who I would have selected - Jarmo Ruutu
 
9th Overall - Jebidiah Big Ol Doinks in Amish, Malmo Nighthawks
@hylands
 
I think picking up Jebidiah/Hylands is a sneaky hood move for the Nighthawks in their quest for a bounceback to competitive hockey. I think at this point in the draft most of the top end talent had seeped out in terms of the quality selected in the top 5, but Jebidiah is an excellent defensive prospect. I can’t decide if this was a draft fall or the perfect spot for Hylands to end up at.
 
10th Overall - Martin Kemp, Riga Reign
@leafsman
 
Another reach for the Reign. I would have been fine with a Kemp selection at 10, but doubling down on first round wingers when two amazing centers were available is very questionable for me. As previously stated for Goncalves, Kemp will be a good player, it’s just all about fit and the scheme in Riga for me.