Knight

An Uncertain Future for Rashford

With the playoff drawing to a close, heads will soon turn toward the inevitable off-season shakeups that will see rosters change across the league. Not immune from uncertainly is David Rashford who heads into the off-season without a contract extension having been secured from the Moscow Menace. Moscow are in a great position for the future, with a wealth of assets and some incredible young talent along with the third overall pick in the upcoming draft. There will be lots of competition for roster spots and we won't know the ramifications for a couple weeks yet. Rashford has made good progress in the past season showing signs of being a potential contributor on a championship winning team, however there is still much more work left to do if he wants to secure a new contract with Moscow. "I'm ready for anything - I understand the situation I'm in," said Rashford during the end-of-season interviews. "There are more guys than roster spots so we'll have to see how it plays out. Obviously I want to be here but that's not really in my control at this point." 

Also happy birthday @Josh 

1. Who do you believe should be our team MVP this season?

We are all the MVP for the perseverance we showed in this development season.
2. What team do you remember beating this season?

I was more excited for the losses tbh. 
3. If you celebrate Christmas, what's the top thing you would want?

As lame as it sounds, a dashcam.
4. With the playoffs coming up, do you see any upsets going to happen?

I haven't been paying enough attention to the playoffs to know any better.
5. Do you like Gladiator movies?

Never actually seen them. Should probably add them to the list.
6. Do you have a big feast for Christmas dinner?

My family really does. My father is British and an incredible cook so he prepares quite the feast. Going to be extra special this year.

32 minutes ago, Spartan said:

Favorite song?

I go through phases of having different favourite songs, but I think Coloratura is an absolute masterpiece. 

Rashford Ends Tough First VHL Season

It was a very forgettable first season in the VHL for the young David Rashford. Playing on the Moscow Menace, he was called up to showcase his talents at the top level (likely before he was ready) due to the trust of his GM and the desire for him to kickstart his career sooner than later. While the plan was admirable, the results were anything but. After 72 games, Rashford scored 11 goals and added 17 assists for 28 points and, shockingly, finished at -48 on the season. Let's put things into perspective - it's not the absolute worst stat line in the league and for a rookie on a team that flirted with last place there are certainly some small positives that can be taken from it. However, what's important to note is that Moscow are a team that should be getting much better come next season. They already have a few prospects ready and eager to make the jump along with a number of high draft picks that will continue to fuel their prospect pipeline. The VHL is a business and you don't get endless chances to make an impact. While Rashford should manage to find a home somewhere around the league, he's aware that if he gets a shot to play next year on Moscow (which is not a guarantee), then he absolutely has to make it count. 

1. How is your NHL team doing if you follow one? My Kings are looking good.

Looking okay, but since it's the Leafs and this has been the case the past 7-8 years it really only matters how they perform in the playoffs.
2. Who do you think we will be looking at in the next draft?

Could be anyone really. We could use strengthening in all areas so whoever comes in will have a job to do.
3. Coming down to the wire, how do you feel you are doing, as a player and an earner?

I think expectations were pretty low and I managed to achieve that. It was always going to be a hard time this season. As an earner I've definitely improved however there is such competition on this team that I'm not sure if it'll be enough. Time will tell.
4. I am kind of looking forward to the off season, do you have any plans during our off time?

Maximize the TPE earnings!
5. I think Spartan has done a good job at making us lose, should he be able to receive an award?

We didn't finish last so no. But in all honesty, the mark of a good GM is partially knowing when to tank and how to tank and Moscow seems to have an abundance of assets right now and is well positioned to add much more. He'll receive an award once this team starts winning, I have no doubts.
6. If you could only listen to one band for a month, who would it be? 

I'd be lying if I said anyone else other than Coldplay. 

Race for Last Place Heating Up

With only a few games left in Season 91, things are heating up in the race for last place. Three teams are vying for top odds in the upcoming draft lottery - Moscow Menace, Vancouver Wolves, and Warsaw Predators. All teams that are new to me (being so old) although I think Vancouver must have been a relocation from Quebec City, but it's not a great look for the younger franchises. Maybe it's easier for them to tank since they do not have the same historical weight of expectation of success year in and year out that some of the original teams have. Regardless, with only 5 points separating them it'll be something interesting to watch down the stretch. The odds on favourites are the Warsaw Predators who have still yet to play their backup goalie 8 times. Manning the net is DJ Fire Dragon who, with 633 TPE, somehow has never started more than 15 games in his career which coincidentally is about the same as his total number of posts on the forum. He is still dedicated to improvement though, seemingly claiming welfare and practice facility each week. True dedication from a member who never has gotten any real opportunity. An almost suspicious amount of dedication. I digress. Things should be spicy over the next week as we see how this plays out.

1. Thanksgiving is over. Did you get your fill if you celebrate that holiday?

I didn't really celebrate thanksgiving this year.
2. Keeping with the holiday theme, anyone get a special "Black Friday" deal?

I bought a basketball at 40% off, that was a pretty good day.
3. Looks like we are doing really good as a team, not winning much at all. Does it feel good to lose?

It feels great, it's called losing with purpose!
4. Looking at the standings, do you see any surprises? 

I honestly don't know enough about the league yet to make informed determinations about what should be surprising.
5. A couple of weeks left in the season, is your player developing to your satisfaction?

I started out pretty slow with Rashford and I'll never be a top TPE earner, but I'm happy with the development so far as doing a little more each week than the bare minimum. Not everyone on cup-winning teams can be the superstar, so there should always be a place for a player like Rashford.
6. I watch Formula 1, what is my favorite color?

I think the strongest historical association of a colour to F1 would be red for Ferrari so I'll go with that. 

Rashford Showing Signs of Life

A while ago we wrote about how Rashford was trying to avoid finish last in the plus/minus race. Well that's still in play so please temper your expectations, however there are signs of life showing for the rookie out of England. Being drafted for his scoring prowess put a lot of pressure on the youngster and really messed up his early season play trying too hard to prove himself. Recently though he's been on a bit of a scoring streak and has managed to hit double digit goals! The goal for the end of the season is to have more goals than his negative plus/minus (he still has a ways to go sitting at -33), but there's some room for optimism. Rashford just took a little time to adjust to the league and was working on the wrong things in practice. He has a much better idea what skills to develop and how they'll help him produce in the VHL. The proof will be, or already is, in the pudding as they say. 10 goals!

1. How did you find the VHL?

I was in the know when it was first created.
2. Do you find it fun most of the time? Any suggestions?

I used to, now I'm just old. Be young.
3. Our team has won a game or two. How do you think we will do next season?

Next season I think we'll make some noise but still finish below league average - unless there's some big moves made.
4. Anything good or bad going on in your life? 

Lots but none that I am willing to share.
5. I am really having fun with Baldur's Gate 3, do you have a favorite game you play?

Been playing Counter Strike a long time, so probably that.
6. The hybrid system has been in place for several seasons, do you think it's time to maybe adjust the ratios a bit? 

I'm still fairly new to it so we'll see. Not sure yet. 

The Less Spoken About Aspect of Recruitment

The timeless topic that has been, and will always be, continually revisited - recruitment. It's a crucial function for any online simulation league to ensure not only its survival, but so that it can thrive. A constant stream of new, active members will ensure the league grows at a pace that outstrips members becoming inactive - an inevitability with simulation leagues. New members are also important to bring different ideas to the league so that it can continually evolve and not stagnate. It's hard not to understate the importance of recruitment, arguably one of the foundational pillars upon which any great online simulation league must be built. It's one thing to bring new members into the league and I think recently there has been a lot of good discussion about ways to go that. However, if the league is not set up to efficiency handle an influx of new members then all the efforts are wasted. By handle I mean having a system in place to help "onboard" new league members and, equally importantly, mentor them. One could view the function of recruitment (bringing new members in) as separate to supporting their growth, however I believe the two are inextricable.

Thus we come to the role of the VHL GM, one I possess the acumen to comment on (or so I'd like to think). Many would view the primary role of the VHL GM to be that of building winning teams, and within the business of professional sports that cannot be questioned. However, in an online simulation league I would argue that it's a secondary function or at least that's how I always viewed it. My top priority when being a GM was being a mentor first and team builder second. I always tried to ensure any member who played on my team always felt like their development came first with individual/team success coming second. It was crucial that we were a team in every sense of the word, which was challenging at times managing different asperations and expectations and often came at the sacrifice of my own players' performance. The reason I mention this is because as a VHL GM I felt responsible for the happiness of the members on my team. I wanted them to be active and engaged, because if they felt like their needs were being met then they would contribute more to the league. This would often tangentially result in having a more successful team because if everyone is active and feeling good then all the players would be getting better. Not to say that it was always smooth sailing and worked out, but I felt like this was a crucial element in why I had success as a GM by viewing them as members first and STHS players second. 

As many important roles as there are in online simulation leagues, a league will always be better positioned to capitalize on recruitment efforts if the GMs are the most active, engaged, and supportive members. Their ability to foster a sense of community and act as mentors should not be overlooked. One of the reasons why I have returned to some level of activity is the efforts @Spartan  has made to integrate me into the Moscow Menace. It is in stark contrast to the Helsinki GM would drafted me and never reached out to me or even offered me a contract, let alone answer my DMs. If every new member had an experience like the one I had when I was drafted this time around, then it really wouldn't matter what recruitment efforts are being made since they would likely all be wasted. Thus the importance of good GMs, as I likely wouldn't be writing this if it weren't for Spartan. 

So any form of AI assistance is strictly prohibited?