S78 Draft Steals

[Lazarus 62]

    Now that season 78 is nearing an end, many of the prospects drafted in the previous draft are looking more like future VHL Stars. Names such as Hard Markinson and Tui Sova have already graced the VHL stage and are making their presence known around the league. As of the making of this article, seven S78 draftees have made VHL rosters and many are in prime position to make the jump in S79. Among all these players are some hidden gems that teams were able to acquire later in the draft. These few players are proving to be potential steals for their teams and are putting in the work to make a VHL roster in the following season or two. 

  

 

Anze Miklavs TPE → 329  

@McKelvie

 

 

The only first-round pick to be featured on this list, Miklavs is one of the most all-around players of the S78 draft class. He was one of the top-rated right-wingers and seemed like a lock for a top 10 pick. When the draft finally came, Miklavs dropped all the way to the 15th pick and right into the waiting arms of the Riga Reign. He spent his first year on a weak Mexico team where he exploded for 87 points in 72 games. His time with the Kings was alongside the previously mentioned Sova, and the two players became great leaders to a young squad. In season 78, he was selected to the Houston Bulls and became a huge part of a season that will see them make the playoffs. It will be interesting if the young winger can handle the pressure of entering his first playoff season. Miklavs is the 8th ranked S78 player in TPE and continues to grow and caps out every week. He will fit in nicely with a young Riga team and could turn into a future star who was passed up by 9 different VHL teams.    

 

 

Jaromir Lemiuex TPE → 301   

@hockeyis66

 

 

In the S78 draft, The Moscow Menace found some of the top talents in the second round and 18th overall selection, Jaromir Lemiuex is already looking much stronger than his draft position would suggest. The dynamic playmaker has had a very strong VHLM career with the Yukon Rush and is coming off his strongest year with 108 points in 72 games which was tied for 9th in the VHLM. Lemiuex should be a good addition to the young squad of Moscow and will become a vital part of their rebuild and future success. Lemiuex could pair well with the goal-scoring center, Paul Atreides later down the road. In Terms of TPE, Jaromir Lemiuex has jumped to 11th in total earnings of all S78 players, surpassing many first-round picks and he caps out weekly. Clearly, Moscow knew what they were doing as they found a steal in the Danish right-winger, Jaromir Lemiuex.

 

Leroy Johnson TPE → 242   

@Vkobe-v

 

 

Leroy Johnson is the only goalie to appear on the list and for good reason. Johnson is another solid prospect that fell late in the second round to the Moscow Menace at pick number 29. He has made massive strides throughout the season as Moscow’s only goaltending prospect and will surely secure a spot on the final roster sooner rather than later. The goaltender out of the Marshall Islands had a relatively strong first showing as the backup for the Halifax 21st finishing with a SV% of 0.872 and a GAA of 3.52 in the 33 games he played. After being drafted by the Saskatoon Wild in the VHLM Dispersal Draft, his workload has had a major increase. Johnson played in 71 of the 72 games posting stronger numbers with a SV% of .893 and a GAA of 3.59. Both of Moscow’s goalies have expiring contracts and will become UFAs at the end of the season, leaving a wonderful opportunity for Johnson to step in for S79. He’ll be able to fill in the backup position and could become the goalie of the future for the Menace. His TPE earning has been very consistent and he caps out weekly. Johnson is the second-rated goaltender of the S78 class and has all the potential of being a star in the VHL yet almost fell to the third round.      

 

 

Darth Kaprizov TPE → 231  

@Darth Kaprizov

 

 

A promising prospect that had to wait two whole rounds before finally hearing his name called. Kaprizov was always an intriguing name, he was a waiver pick up by the Mexico City Kings where he recorded 28 points in 43 games with the team. When the draft came, the young center fell all the way to the 34th pick in the 3rd round to the Calgary Wranglers which added to their limited prospect pool. Kaprizov would return to the Kings after being selected by them in the dispersal draft where he managed to put up an impressive 62 points in 46 games. Midway through the season, he would be shipped to the Philadelphia Reapers to have a run at a Founder’s Cup where he managed a respectable 13 points in the final 24 games with the team leading up to the playoffs. During season 78, he would be traded in the VHL at the deadline. Calgary sent Kaprizov to the HC Davos Dynamo where he should fit in nicely and be a big part of an ongoing rebuild. Darth Kaprizov has been constantly improving throughout the season and is climbing the ranks as he currently sits 23rd among all S78 players and will soon make a VHL roster. There is still room for improvement, but Kaprizov will surely become one of the stories of the S78 draft.   

 

These four guys aren’t the only players that could become huge steals for their teams however, they’re the most intriguing to me. In saying that, I still felt it would be disrespectful to leave some names out of this article so I added a few honorable mentions. 

 

Name	TPE	S78 TPE Rank	Notes
Jannik Nylen *Drafted 26th by DCD* @DreMin15	251	19th	Even Enorama was shocked he fell to his Dragons at 26.
Roberts Stutzle *Drafted 44th by CGY* @Coldex	204	30th	Yet another 3rd round steal by the Wranglers.
Arvid Johansson *Drafted 27th by LAS* @Gwdjohnson	256	18th	Could become the steal of the draft with some hard work.

   

 

The regular season is over and the season 79 draft is not far away. A new batch of hopeful prospects will be selected and among them, many steals will enter the league with something to prove and I look forward to writing about them next year.

 

Word Count: 1092

Week ending 6/27

Week ending 7/4

 

 

 

 

Edited June 28, 2021 by Lazarus

[Darth Kaprizov 98]

Wow Dude, first off great article, very detailed and thorough.  Second, thanks for noticing.  Truly appreciated

Thank you & Have a great weekend!

 

[Advantage 2,790]

Two Mexico City alumni featured!!! @McKelvieand @Darth Kaprizovkilling it.

[Ledge 1,131]

Fantastic article mate, great read

 

Riga represent!! @McKelvie future superstar (sorry for third ping lol)

[Spartan 4,050]

Major props to @hockeyis66 and @Vkobe-v!

 

MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW

[Vkobe-v 169]

:pepehype:

1 hour ago, Spartan said:

Major props to @hockeyis66 and @Vkobe-v!

 

MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW

 

[Lazarus 62]

9 hours ago, Darth Kaprizov said:

Wow Dude, first off great article, very detailed and thorough.  Second, thanks for noticing.  Truly appreciated

Thank you & Have a great weekend!

 

You deserve it man!! Thanks for the kind words.

[WHY_Bolts 16]

Just like in real life, there are so many draft steals. It's all about the player's work ethic and the organization's development plan. In this virtual world however, It mainly comes down to the player's work ethic again, and how well they fit with the team they are on. Can't wait to see what these players do and if there are other draft steals. Great article!!

[Lazarus 62]

Claiming Week 2/2

[Ledge 1,131]

Review: I really enjoy this sort of article where someone is repping another user or their player. This particular theme hasn't been done enough, and it's a cool idea. Formatting is very good, team logos look slick, and descriptions are very detailed and full to the brim with info. My one concern is the table with the honorable mentions that doesn't seem to fit in.

9/10