VSN Presents: S77 VHLM Power Rankings #1

[fromtheinside 1,290]

 

 

As our preseason slowly winds down this week, we look back on the season that was and then turn our attention to what's coming in our near future. First and foremost, congratulations to the Mexico City Kings on winning their first ever Founder's Cup in team history. After assembling an incredible squad top to bottom, they were able to knock off mighty Houston Bulls in the finals. It was an exciting and high-offense final that saw the Kings come out ahead in six games. Mexico will be looking entirely different going into Season 77 as most of its players are graduating to the VHL. Additionally GM @Hylands was promoted to take over the Malmo Nighthawks, which his assistant GM @Juice was tasked with taking over the Yukon Rush. Replacing the management in Mexico City is none other than VHL legend @Advantage.With a member like Advantage at the helm, another title may not be far off. 

 

The shake-up in Mexico was far from the only executive change this offseason, as the VHL and VHLM have gone over an unprecedented overhaul in the past few weeks. Just last week long time Las Vegas Aces general manager @Spartan was promoted to take over the Moscow Menace. Replacing him will be his old assistant @JigglyGumballs,  and his newly appointed assistant will be @Emi! Meanwhile over in South Beach, @Ricer13 was chosen to take the reigns for his old team in Calgary.  Replacing Ricer in Miami will be a returning @InstantRockstar, who brings in a ton of experience as well. There is still a vacant GM spot left in Vancouver, so the managerial musical chairs may still not be over yet. The community has been buzzing about these changes and time will tell how these new faces fair in their new places. In my opinion, while some of these people may surprise some people, I think all of them are fantastic choices and will do great in their new roles. Congratulations and best of luck to all of you. Now, let's get down to business. Coming off the heels of the S77 VHL Dispersal Draft this past Sunday, the VHLM landscape has once again shifted. Let's take a look at where the chips have fallen.

 

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Well after a season of mediocrity, the Marauders are back in a major way for Season 77. Ricer left his old club in great shape for this season. With a cavalcade of returning players who are going to have massive years, alongside some decent draft picks, Miami is primed to compete this year. The historic duo of @CptSquall Napoleon Bonaparte and @Shiny Alexander the Great will look to do some major damage up front, while first round pick @Bojovnik Jan Hlozek will be tasked with anchoring a respectable defensive core. Miami management also did a nice job adding some extra depth by signing free agent @Mashy Noah Mashford to help add some extra offensive punch. Meanwhile, between the pipes goaltender @ClapbombsRus returns for another season and looks poised to build upon a relatively successful Season 76. I think with the vast number of weapons the Marauders feature up front, combined with a steady defense and a good goalie puts them at the top of the Power Rankings for now. Though there are certainly a couple other teams who could be just as good, or even better!

 

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The reigning champions of the Eastern Conference are looking to take another crack at greatness again in Season 77. The Minnesota Storm dominated in the regular season last year, but ultimately were stymied in the playoffs by the eventual Cup-winning Mexico City Kings.  While they may have lost some high end talent from last year's roster, they still pack quite a punch and  have re-loaded their roster nicely via the draft. Winger @Grapes-Tophat_Clan- Grapes will look to take on a larger role with the team this season as he will be promoted to the top line alongside fellow returnee @2hawk Calvin Hobbes. If that wasn't enough, they'll look to their second overall pick @Patrik Tallinder Nils Tallinder to anchor their second line which could be a potent top six come playoffs time. The Storm also feature arguably the best blueline in the league this season. Most of their blueliners are returning to the club from last year and many of them are highly developed already.  The top pair should consist of @VOID Stiles Markuss Puhovs and @LefLop Barron Kruulenstien, both of whom play  solid defense, while Puhovs could be an early favourite for the Ryan Sullivan Trophy with his strong two-way play. In net @Leafsfan328 Carter Bellamy returns, and this season the starting job is all his. If he can continue to grow and improve, the Storm could easily contend for a title this season.

 

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In the three seasons I've done VHLM Power Rankings, I can safely say this is the highest I've ever seen the Mississauga Hounds place. Credit to @Zetterberg and @tcookie for turning around this franchise that was truly a hot mess for the past few seasons. The Hounds seemed to have went for the same model that the Season 76 Houston Bulls went for. They've been able to secure a nice group of returning players from last season, and they also loaded up in the draft with three picks in the top five, and six picks in the first two rounds overall. While this strategy is solid, and I do think their team is quite strong, it's unfortunate for them that the draft class of S77 is significantly weaker than the one of its predecessor from S76. Nonetheless, they still managed to scoop up some of the best players available heading into this season. The Hounds have incredible depth both on offense and defense from top to bottom. If their players commit to developing at a reasonable rate, this team could be downright scary come playoff time.  @Lspinelli Luke Spinelli returns for another season  between the pipes and should be one of the top keepers in the league this year. 

 

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Coming in at 4th is the first team out of the Western Conference, which is noticeably the weaker of the two conferences this season. While their roster may not jump out at you with any powerhouse players, Las Vegas has stability which is more than most teams in the West can say for themselves.  Up front the Aces will really be relying on returning winger @Wolverine Darryl McDagg, who will be taking on a much bigger role than last season. Where the Aces really shine is their blueline, where they have a few really promising players to shut down the opposition. The veteran of the group is @I'll change this later New Player, who is back for his second stint in Vegas and looked to improve upon a 62 point performance last season. Alongside him will be flashy Fin @Devise Sven Reikkinen. Reikkinen is developing at a rapid pace and should be a top-end defender come playoff time. Manning the crease will be @Erik Morgan Karlsson, who is eager to step out from behind Aksu Maronen, and finally get his shot to be a starting goaltender in the VHLM. I think if Karlsson can rely on his steady defense in front of him and play  half-decent, the Aces could easily beat up on a weak Wastern Conference.

 

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Shifting focus back to the East, the Halifax 21st come in at the five spot. The 21st feature a  very robust roster with some high-end weapons on both ends of the ice. The top line of Halifax should feature the boisterous first-gen @assassin6898 Creed centering @MikkoKoskinensMistress Kikko Moskinen and @Tbeez99 Kyle Glass. These three could make a very formidable offensive threat and it should be fun to watch going forward to see how their do. Top draft pick @GlowyGoat should nicely compliment the second line to give Halifax some nice depth to their Top 6. After coming over via trade last season, @bluesfan55 Hadrian will be tasked with leading the defensive core for the 21st.  Hadrian's development since landing in Halifax last season has been solid and they could really be in store for a great season if they keep up their hard work. The only reason I don't have them higher up on the list is because they have a bit of a weakness in net. Rookie @Vkobe-v Leroy Johnson will be handed the reins and is still a raw and unproven talent in the VHLM. If Leroy maximizes his training and improves, Halifax could be in a great spot this season, but it won't be easy. 

 

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After a year of rebuilding, the Wild have flushed out the last of their old generation and ushered in the next batch of Sasky Bois to lead them to the promised land. While Saskatoon's roster isn't necessarily deep or stacked with elite talent, there's still a lot of positives to draw from. A couple of legendary recreates highlight the new roster. Up front, center @Seabass The Seabasstard will likely take the spot on the top line and could be the best faceoff guy in the league this year. Hopefully this will lead to more puck possession and in turn, more goals for the Wild.  On the defensive end, the Wild were able to snag @Kendrick Nixon Caldwell with the seventh overall pick in the Dispersal Draft this past Sunday. Caldwell will look to build on a very nice 51 point rookie performance he had with the Reapers last season. Also on defense, returning for his second year in Saskatoon is the belligerent and truculent @TXC Tanky. Tanky plays a physical, shutdown brand of hockey that will undoubtedly make the Wild a tough match night in and night out. Finally, in net Saskatoon is bringing back @BrutalBoost Andrew Bowman for what will likely be his last season in the VHLM. Bowman has grown steadily throughout his minors career and will look to have a dynamite season to propel the Wild back into the postseason this year.

 

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The Lynx are back in playoff range for Season 77 as they look to build off of a respectable campaign last year. Ottawa welcomes back its mega-star @Joshothegreat Josho who set the VHLM world on fire last season with 49 goals, 72 assists and 121 points.  Josho will need to be just as good as he was last season for Ottawa to be successful, as they don't have a ton of high-end options to compliment him up front. On the blueline the Lynx grabbed @PandaBearD25 Kirby Pandora in the second round of the VHLM Dispersal Draft, and will rely on her to hold down the blueline. The reason I have the Lynx in the top 8 though is thanks to their netminder @Barry Barry Taffe. Taffe comes into this season as one of the highest rated goalies in the VHLM and Ottawa will rely on him to steal some wins for them this season.  If Ottawa adds some pieces throughout the season, they could still be a solid team. I see them finishing close to the .500 mark, just like they did last year.

 

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Last season Marlins management were tasked with picking up the pieces following a Season 75 run that saw them go all in for a Founder's Cup and coming up short.  Season 76 was a long and hard road as the team was just trying to recruit players to fill out their roster most nights. This year, while they are still by no means a powerhouse quite yet, they at least have a roster full of promising young players. General Manager @thadthrasher has gained a great reputation early in his managing career for recruiting and developing young talent in this league. He has a plethora of players at the helm this season who can be molded and I am sure some of them will be quite good.  Left winger @Eldredman Aldwin Craig will return to the team to lead the offensive charge. On defense, Marlins prized first overall pick @LuluSalesAway The Loch Ness Monster will lead their fellow blueliners. In goal best boy @Jericho Anime Protagonist will be do his best to keep pucks outta the net. He might need a training arc or two in order to get his power level up to keep up with the firepower some teams in the VHLM have in store for him.

 

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For the first time I've ever done these Power Rankings, the Mexico City Kings find themselves on the outside looking in. This should come as no surprise as Mexico has been a highly competitive team for three seasons now. After finally winning the big one, most of their roster is off to the pros this season. Unfortunately for new GM @Advantage, there wasn't a whole lot left for him "in the cupboards" so to speak. The weakest point of the team is undoubtedly the offense, which only features one player over 100 TPE. While they only have  three defenders,  @Jakefufu Shaggy Tipton and @KingMortie Big Mortie are both serviceable options that the Kings can rely on. If they can add a couple more bodies to their blueline, they could probably get by fine. Rounding out things in net is returning goaltender @williamirc Johnathan Bustard. Bustard had a solid season last year for the Kings, but he will have a much harder task at hand this season and will have to play the best hockey of his life if Mexico City wants to sneak into a playoff spot in Season 77.

 

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Ironically one spot below Mexico City is the Houston Bulls at 10. Much like the Kings, the Bulls were all in on Season 76, but unfortunately they came up just short. Their team was loaded with max-TPE players and almost all of them have moved on to the pros this season. Three skaters return for the Season 77 though, most notably among them is winger @Senjo1706 Bradley Senjo who will enjoy a full season at the 250 cap. @TownBizness Kid Frost will also be returning and joining Senjo on the top line. These two could be a great 1-2 punch. On defense, while @RicoTheTrapGod Germano Henchoz will be steady, he is one of only two defenders on the roster, and that is mainly why I have the Bulls rated so low. If they can add some bodies to their defensive core they would be a lot better off, but unfortunately defensemen are few and far between in the VHLM these days and many teams are vying for their services. In goal Dutch keeper @enigmatic Aike van Giersbergen will get his chance to be a starter after serving as a backup last season for Philadelphia.

 

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The last two teams on the list are kind of odd choices as they do have some solid skaters, but the main reason  both teams find themselves on the bottom of the list is because as of the time of writing this article, neither have a goaltender for the start of the season. The Reapers are now two seasons removed from winning the Founder's Cup in Season 75, and while they have some decent pieces, they are still not quite back to the form they once were. @glass Kjell Nilsson will be back for more season, and the Reapers will need all 140 points of his production from last season and then some if they want to be playoff-bound. The Reapers have a few respectable d-men, highlighted by @Sportsboy57 who continues to develop nicely as he enters his third season with Philadelphia. Sadly, despite the handful of quality players on the team, none of it will matter if their is a Bot goaltender in net come the start of the season. As we seen last year with Saskatoon, teams will feast on this deficiency and it will get ugly fast. So here's to hoping @DMaximus can find a solution between now and next week!

 

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Just like the Reapers, Yukon is goalie-less going into the start of their S77 campaign. Coming off the heals of a respectable regular season and subsequent semi-final sweep at the hands of the Houston Bulls, the Rush are in rebuild mode and focusing on having a strong Season 78. As previously mentioned, having no goalie puts them at the bottom of the barrel for the Power Rankings, but what makes them worse than Philadelphia is that they only are icing two defensemen to start their season. If they could find a half-decent goalie and a couple of defenders the team could actually be pretty decent with the likes of @Jake Sumner The Great and @Pythonic Gaspar Zakrevsky coming back for one more season with the team. Until they find a netminder though, its gonna be bad times ahead for Yukon.

 

That wraps up the first installment of the Power Rankings for Season 77. The balance of power has definitely shifted dramatically this season and I think it is pretty wide open. There are some strong teams for sure, but there aren't any clear cut favourites as of yet. Multiple teams could do well if their players commit to improving over the course of the season so it should be fun to monitor each team over the course of the year. Thanks for reading and until next time, cheers!
 

[bluesfan55 103]

playoffs or bust

[rory 1,916]

56 minutes ago, bluesfan55 said:

playoffs or bust

CUP OR BUST

[bigAL 2,176]

That Tanky is just full of pugnacity, testosterone, truculence, and belligerence

[Ricer13 2,796]

MIAMI!!!

[Zetterberg 863]

Mississauga #1 Scotty doesn’t know what he’s talking about

[KC15 340]

San Diego might end up being just a bit better than 8!  Also, keep a sharp eye out for winger Nicholas Mariani @Mistxh J.  Dude is on fire in the LR and if even half of that translates to the ice, watch out M!

[Mistxh J 186]

1 minute ago, KC15 said:

San Diego might end up being just a bit better than 8!  Also, keep a sharp eye out for winger Nicholas Mariani @Mistxh J.  Dude is on fire in the LR and if even half of that translates to the ice, watch out M!

BIG teammate vibes!! and as long as you keep pushing me to get better the M will in fact have to watch out

 

[v.2 1,406]

Mexico underrated this season.  Love to see it.

[fromtheinside 1,290]

claiming a second week for this