Thoughts on the VHLM/VHLE relationship

[scoop 3,312]

Just some thoughts that popped into my head while I was on my run this morning. With the addition of the VHLE, the VHLM can now be more of the developmental league that it is supposed to be. What does that mean, exactly? Actually playing in games doesn't improve players in any way. Yes, being on a team where the management is focused on helping you become accustomed to the league and figure out how to earn TPE, for newer members specifically, is nice, but that alone doesn't strictly make me think of the 'M' as being developmental. GMs every step of the way are going to be like that. This being said, here's what I'm thinking.

 

 

Get rid of the VHLM playoffs. Boom, not competitive. Fully developmental. Why? What do the playoffs hurt? Well, not everyone gets to play at this time of the season. Let's say a new member joins the league later in the season. They could sign with a playoff team who obviously is going to have relatively good players who are ahead of them in the lineup. Or they could sign with a non-playoff team and only get to play a few games before playoffs start and they have to sit and wait for the following season. Give them something to do. If they sign with a playoff team, you could say "hey, why don't those teams just give the newer guys more minutes too. Not like they should care about winning, right?" Well, then why even call it playoffs if the players who won the regular season games are losing time because there are newer players the teams need to get in there. Just continue playing exhibition games.

 

Kind of sucks for the guys who are getting up to 200+ TPE, right? Well, here's my thoughts on that: players should be entered into their VHLE draft the same season as their VHLM draft, not their VHL draft. No, they likely won't be in the VHLE right away when they are drafted. Not necessarily even the same season, but that's how it is in the VHL too. Once they reach 200 TPE, they should be eligible to be called up to the VHLE, even if it is mid-season. This would be the only eligible movement mid-season between any of the three leagues: up to the VHLE from VHLM. You can't go back down to the VHLM, and no movement to or from the VHL. Also, depending on what kind of free agency or waiver system the VHLE is going to have, I would say no players can play in the VHLE before being drafted, even if they reach 200 TPE before the end of the season. So someone Jerome Reinhart wouldn't be able to be called up even though he will be there next week. We could have a deadline for calling them up as well, set maybe around the trade deadline. So only players who reach 200+ by the deadline, or maybe the end of deadline week, can be called up.

 

So a quick summary:

 

-no VHLM playoffs

-players are drafted into the VHLE the same off-season as their VHLM draft

-players can be called up mid-season from the VHLM to VHLE if they have been drafted and reach 200 TPE (this is the only mid-season movement allowed)

Edited June 19, 2021 by scoop