VHL Draft: All-Time Best #12 - #7

[Doomsday 4,130]

@Zetterberg will create graphics for food.

 

Previous Articles: #24 - 19, #18 - 13

 

Hello, and welcome to the next batch of the best draft picks in VHL history! The VHL is currently wrapping up it’s 78th season, but for some teams, they're already looking ahead, hoping to find and secure the rights to the VHL's next superstars. Whether it’s first-generation members entering the league for the first time or existing members continuing the cycle anew, these new prospects have been providing the league with their next top talents for generations, and it's not about to stop anytime soon. General Managers have not had to rely on having top picks in order to get these next elite players, as substantial value can certainly be found outside of the top five. Thanks to a spark of inspiration and a lot of research from @animal74, along with invaluable insights from VSN contributor and VHL historian @Victor, the extensive archives of the VHL Entry Draft have been thoroughly scoured, and VSN will be counting down the best selections made at each pick in VHL history, from 24th overall all the way to first overall. Today, we start with the 12th overall pick, and will count down to the 7th overall pick!

 

 

#12. Niklas Lindberg, C @boubabi

Drafted: 2nd Round, 2nd Pick, S33

Teams: , ,

Highlights: VHL Hall of Fame (S41), Continental Cup Champion (S37, S40), Brett Slobodzian Trophy (S40), Mike Szatkowski Trophy (S40), Kevin Brooks Trophy (S40), Scott Boulet Trophy (S39)

 

After securing the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy as the VHL rookie of the year in Season 34, it didn’t take Niklas Lindberg very long at all to cement himself as one of the top players of the 30’s. He recorded over 100 points in five of his seven VHL seasons, scoring 717 points in just 504 games played. Lindberg was also a point-per-game player in the postseason, winning the Continental Cup twice, once with Toronto, where he played the majority of his career, in Season 37, and with Riga in Season 40 to cap off his career. Five of his seven seasons were played with the Toronto Legion, where he was drafted, and was a pivotal member of their team that reached three straight Continental Cups against the HC Davos Dynamo, winning one of them in Season 37. He would play for both the Vasteras Iron Eagles and the Riga Reign to close out his career, where he saw his biggest individual successes: winning the Scott Boulet Trophy in Season 39, and leading the VHL in both goals (65) and points (129) in Season 40, along with another Continental Cup victory to close out his Hall of Fame career. A consistent, deadly, and loyal powerhouse, Niklas Lindberg was one of the VHL’s deadliest scorers during the 30’s, and proved to be a tremendous steal for Toronto as the second pick of the second round in Season 33. In fact, Lindberg is one of the few to reach the VHL Hall of Fame having not played eight seasons in the VHL, and was the last player not picked in the first round to reach the Hall of Fame up until the next player on our list.

 

Honorable Mention: Mats Johnsson, D @Quik (S57)

 

#11. Fredinamijs Krigars, C @hedgehog337

Drafted: 2nd Round, 11th Pick, S53

Teams:

Highlights: VHL Hall of Fame (S62), Continental Cup Champion (S57, S58), Brett Slobodzian Trophy (S57), Mike Szatkowski Trophy (S57, S58), Alexander Beketov Trophy (S58), Dustin Funk Trophy (S56), #73 on VSN Top 75 Players of All-Time

 

The career of Fredinamijs Krigars has several notable parallels with that of Niklas Lindberg: they both were inducted into the VHL Hall of Fame after being selected in the second round of their respective drafts, both did not play eight full seasons in the VHL, both scored at least 100 points in a season five times, and both spent a majority of their tenures with one team. However, Krigars spent his entire VHL career with his hometown Riga Reign in spite of not being drafted by them. In his 504 game career, all with Riga, Krigars scored an incredible 738 points, including 332 goals. He never scored less than 33 goals in a season, firmly entrenching himself as an elite goal scorer during his entire career. After enjoying a 119 point year in Season 56, in which he won the Dustin Funk Trophy as the most improved player in the VHL, it would be Season 57 when Fredinamijs Krigars became undeniably elite. Paired up with new acquisition John Locke, Krigars exploded for 66 goals and a league-high 147 points, earning him the Mike Szatkowski Trophy. He was awarded the Brett Slobodzian Trophy as the Most Outstanding Player in the VHL, and to cap it off, the Riga Reign won the Continental Cup. Krigars followed it up with 126 more points, including a VHL-leading 76 assists in Season 58, winning the Alexander Beketov Trophy as the Reign repeated as Continental Cup champions. Even with less than a full eight season career, it didn’t take long for Fredinamijs Krigars to take his place among the VHL’s all-time best when he was inducted into the VHL Hall of Fame in Season 62, cementing his place as one of the best to ever lace them up.

 

Honorable Mention: Raymond Bernard, G @Mr_Hatter (S68)

 

#10. Aidan Shaw, G @Ree_21

Drafted: 2nd Round, 2nd Pick, S18

Teams:

Highlights: VHL Hall of Fame (S26), Continental Cup Champion (S21), Tretiak (Aidan Shaw) Trophy (S20, S21, S22, S24), Howe (Daisuke Kanou) Trophy (S21), Brett Slobodzian Trophy (S22), #17 on VSN Top 75 Players of All-Time

 

It’s hard to believe that one of the most legendary goaltenders in VHL history had to wait until the second round to hear his name called, but the Toronto Legion certainly didn’t complain. The HC Davos Dynamo got a Hall of Famer in Daisuke Kanou with the first overall pick, but Aidan Shaw is widely regarded as one of, if not, the best goaltender in the history of the league. With a staggering four Tretiak Trophies as the top goaltender in the league, it’s no wonder that the award now bears Shaw’s name. His dramatic rivalry with Daisuke Kanou was the stuff of legend, and when compared to any of his peers, it just seemed like Shaw never dropped off. At the time of his retirement in Season 25, Shaw was the career leader in shutouts and goals allowed average, and was top five in other major categories. From Season 20 to 22, it seemed as if Shaw was just simply unbeatable. In those three seasons, he won 157 games, had a save percentage of over .930, a GAA under 2, recorded 25 shutouts, won three Tretiak Trophies as the top goaltender of the VHL, advanced to the Continental Cup Finals every single season, winning the Cup and the Howe (now Daisuke Kanou) Trophy in Season 21. Even today, his dominance and records continue to place Aidan Shaw as among the best goaltenders to ever play, and even today goalies aspire to win the award that bears his name. Not bad at all for a second round pick, who few could have known was destined to become the most iconic Toronto Legion player, and perhaps even VHL goaltender of all-time.

 

Honorable Mention: Jet Jaguar, C @gorlab (S66)

 

#9. Markus King, G @Kendrick

Drafted: 1st Round, 9th Pick, S54

Teams: , , ,

Highlights: VHL Hall of Fame (S63), Continental Cup Champion (S57, S58), Daisuke Kanou Trophy (S58), Aidan Shaw Trophy (S56, S57), Greg Clegane Trophy (S59), #66 on VSN Top 75 Players of All-Time

 

From one of the most iconic goaltenders in history, to one who doesn’t get enough due thanks to playing in a forgotten era, Markus King played for a total of four teams over the course of his career, none of which were the Calgary Wranglers, who selected him with the ninth overall pick in Season 54. After enjoying a successful rookie season in Cologne, he was shipped to the Riga Reign, where King found the most stable home of his career. As Riga rebuilt into a fierce competitor, he held his own, and broke out in a big way in Season 56. King won 54 games, stopped .930% of the shots he faced, allowed less than two goals a game, and recorded an unbelievable 14 shutouts, resulting in his first Aidan Shaw Trophy. It was followed up with a second straight Aidan Shaw Trophy in Season 57 by recording 56 more wins, 14 more shutouts, and allowing nearly a goal and a half a game. On the backs of their franchise netminder, the Riga Reign went on to win the Continental Cup in back-to-back seasons in Seasons 57 and 58, in which King was named the Daisuke Kanou Trophy winner as the MVP of the playoffs. He also collected the Greg Clegane Trophy in Season 60 with a 1.96 GAA, an award he certainly would have won more had it existed earlier in his career. Even with stops in Seattle and Helsinki to end his career, Markus King compiled a career in which success seemingly followed him wherever he went, firmly establishing himself as a champion, a winner, and in Season 62, a VHL Hall of Famer.

 

Honorable Mention: Cam Fowler, RW @CoachReilly (S17)

 

#8. Matt Defosse, D/LW @Cowboy

Drafted: 1st Round, 8th Pick, S2

Teams: , , ,

Highlights: VHL Hall of Fame (S10), Continental Cup Champion (S4, S6), Delvecchio (Scott Boulet) Trophy (S3, S7, S8)

 

Although he joined the league too late to be a part of the inaugural VHL Draft and the supplemental draft that followed, Matt Defosse first graced the VHL as a defenseman that signed with the Stockholm Rams in the first season of the league. It was, however, the Season Two VHL Entry Draft where Defosse finally heard his name called, the eighth overall selection of the Vasteras Iron Eagles, the defending champions of the VHL. However, he was switched from defense up to left wing, where he was paired with the legendary Scotty Campbell. The pair terrorized the VHL on together on three different teams, and while many regarded Defosse as a product of Campbell, he routinely was a top player in the league, including Season 5 with the Helsinki Titans, which Campbell was not on. In his seven full VHL seasons, his final year was the only time he failed to post over 100 points in a season, finishing just three points shy of 800 career points with 797. On top of being a consistently dangerous offensive force, Defosse’s roots as a defenseman were quite evident in his game, as he won the Delvecchio Trophy (since renamed the Scott Boulet Trophy) three times during his career, and finished his career as one of the all-time greats statistically. Regardless of your personal opinion on how much Scotty Campbell influenced his numbers, it remains undeniable that Matt Defosse was simply one of the best players the VHL had in its infancy, and to this day he remains one of the greatest two-way players in league history.

 

Honorable Mention: Mitch Higgins, D @Higgins (S23)

 

#7. Sterling Labatte, D @sterling

Drafted: 1st Round, 7th Pick, S2

Teams:

Highlights: VHL Hall of Fame (S10), Continental Cup Champion (S2, S3, S8), Howe (Daisuke Kanou) Trophy (S6, S8), Orr (Sterling Labatte) Trophy (S1, S7, S8), Messier (Grimm Jonsson) Trophy (S6, S7), #13 on VSN Top 75 Players of All-Time

 

Sterling Labatte is a player who hardly needs an introduction, one of the most dominant defensemen not only of his era, but of all-time. So dominant, in fact, that the Norris Trophy, awarded to the best defensemen in the VHL, was renamed after Labatte, who won the award three times during his career. A career member of the Calgary Wranglers, Labatte was an instrumental part of two different cores of Continental Cup champions, including two Messier Trophy (now the retired Grimm Jonsson Trophy) wins as the top leader in the VHL. Despite winning the Orr Trophy as the VHL's top defenseman after being selected in the VHL Supplemental Draft, Calgary inexplicably got the opportunity to draft Labatte once again with the seventh pick in the Season 2 VHL Entry Draft, where he would play for the entirety of his VHL career. Scoring 102 points as a rookie, Labatte wound up playing a more defensive role earlier in his career, but still remained a top player regardless. Later in his career, however, Labatte's offensive game exploded, becoming the dynamic two-way defender he was in the VHL's inaugural season. His play remained dominant in the postseason, winning two Howe (Daisuke Kanou) Trophies as the MVP of the playoffs, including one in a losing effort in Season Six, and lifted the Continental Cup three times with Calgary. He was a slam dunk induction into the VHL Hall of Fame, and to this day, Sterling Labatte is still widely viewed as the best defenseman in VHL history. 

 

Honorable Mention: Tarik Saeijs, C @frescoelmo (S18)

 

Another edition of VHL Draft: All-Time Best is in the books! Today we covered some of the VHL's greatest players, who paved their way to being legends without going at the tops of their respective drafts. Just one more article is left to go in this series, as @animal74 returns next week as we count down from #6 all the way to the best first overall pick in the history of the VHL. Some big names will be featured, as we'll be touching on some of the players who more than delivered on their lofty draft statuses. Happy Father's Day to all the VHL dads out there, and we'll see you next week for the conclusion of this series!

[Beketov 9,025]

Still not mentioned in one of these but tbh I’m not sure I’ve ever fallen as far as 7. On the one hand that makes my players look great, on the other hand it means very stiff competition