Claimed:3 rookies, 1 cup

[Smarch 3,153]

The rookie rat race

 

Hearing your named called on draft day is a special experience for any professional athlete that has has the privilege to experience such an event. After that your career could go either up or down, depending on how much time and effort a young man or women put into their craft. Today we’ll look at the VHL rat race and the rookies that have entered it on a high note so far in Season Thirty-Nine.  

 

 

Azi Ali- The first on our list is a rookie that saw himself traded to start off his VHL career. Ali spent extra time in the minor system polishing his skills to become an everyday player in the VHL, and just when he was about to finally crack the Dynamo roster he was traded to the Quebec Muete. Ali has taken all this in stride so far and possibly turned that trade into motivation, as he is flying out the gates with thirteen points in hi first eleven VHL games. The question that will be answered as the season gets further and further along is, if Ali can keep up his torrid pace on what is likely a last place team.

 

 

 

 

Don Draper- The favorite of many to walk away with the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy at the season’s end, Don Draper surely isn't disappointing Titans fans so far in the early going. Like Ali Draper spent an extra season in the VHLM developing his game before making the jump to the big leagues. Although Draper currently sits four point behind Ali in the scoring race, Draper having the effect he is having offensively from the blue-line will be taken into account when General Managers cast their year end award ballots. If Draper can keep the point differential close during the season he may just send many VHL fans home with correct award predictions at the end of the season.

 

 

Brock Waldron- Waldron is the lone rookie goaltender this season in the VHL, which is currently rare with the influx of net-minders that have been gracing the VHL the past few seasons. Waldron has suited up for seven of the Meute’s eleven games so far this season and has looked stellar so far behind a very suspect defensive core. Although Waldron has Niklas Valiq in front of im patrolling the blue-line, Valiq isn't quite the defender he once was, and outside of Valiq the team only deploys one other defenseman. Waldron is currently leading all goaltenders in save percentage with a .923. While the wins and the goals against average aren't quite there for the young man out of the good old United State of America, the goals against average tells a story of a goalie that is fighting to keep his team in games night in and night out. As the season progresses Waldron may falter a bit, but look for this kid in a few seasons when he will be a force to be reckoned with.

 

[Will 4,660]

Content: 3/3

I think the rookie race is going to be a tight one this season. I definitely don't expect the ballots to be 10-0 as they were last season with Boychuck. I think Draper, being by far the most experienced of all the rookies, has a really good chance of getting it; but as we all now, nothing in the VHL is predictable really so we'll definitely have to wait and see.

 

Grammar: 2/2

Nothing!

 

Appearance: 1/1

Looks good!

 

Overall: 6/6

[Kesler 1,514]

Claimed