A Draftee's Mock Draft

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The Season 79 VHL Entry Draft is just a day away, and we have not seen much in the way of mock drafts. Although this draft class is not the most talented, there are still several players worth talking about, myself included. This does make writing a mock draft a bit awkward, but I'm not going to let it stop me. That being said, I don't know when I'm going to be drafted, but obviously, I have a bit more insight than many others. I'll be doing the whole first round, so with a lot to cover, let's get right into the first pick.

 

1. Los Angeles Stars - RW Tyler Reinhart @Zetterberg

 

Los Angeles got the luck of the draw in the draft lottery, moving up from fifth with 10% odds to take first overall, and the pick is fairly obvious. Regardless of who won the lottery, Tyler Reinhart was going to be the guy. The best pure scorer in the draft, Reinhart had 64 goals in the VHLM last season, and led the league in points during the post-season for the Founders Cup-winning Yukon Rush. The Stars currently have a good group of forwards, but several of them are in the latter halves of their careers. Reinhart will be able to become acclimated to the VHL, and by the time players like Pistil Stamen and Its Gucci have aged out, Reinhart will be primed to take over the show in Los Angeles.

 

2. Vancouver Wolves - D Poopy Peepants @JardyB10

 

Aside from Reinhart, Vancouver taking Poopy Peepants with one of their two back-to-back picks is the only thing I'm almost sure of in this draft. Peepants fills a dire need for the Wolves; they currently only have three defensemen on their roster, and Peepants is the best blue liner in the draft. While they do also have some young prospects at the position who could eventually make it to the VHL, they likely won't be ready until their only two defensemen with VHL experience are getting up there in age. While I don't necessarily think Vancouver is entirely comfortable with where they are at in terms of forwards either, it would make sense for them to take a defenseman with one of these two picks.

 

3. Vancouver Wolves - RW Taylor Mourning @scoop

 

The Wolves gave up a fourth round pick to move up one spot with their second pick, and with the first pick all but guaranteed to be T. Reinhart, Vancouver likely made that deal knowing exactly who they were getting. After getting Peepants, I do think they will look to add a forward as well. There are three players that I think are possibilities: Taylor Mourning, Jerome Reinhart, and Jonathan Ori. The Wolves look good at center, making Ori look a bit less likely. Between the other two, Mourning plays a more physical game, which is something that they sorely lack, which is what tips my prediction in that direction.

 

4. HC Davos Dynamo - D Erlantz Jokinen @jRuutu

I don't think Davos would trade down just to get a fourth if they thought Vancouver was going to take the guy they wanted. That does make me think for a second that they might take Papa Emeritus. Just for a single second. I do think it would be a safe for them to assume that Vancouver doesn't plan on taking both of the top defensemen, so I think Erlantz Jokinen might be their guy. With Reylynn Reinhart and David Tavau, they do already have some very good young defensemen, so selecting Jokinen would shore up the position for years to come. I think it is also a very real possibility that they would take left wing Jerome Reinhart, especially if they do not believe they will be able to sign Gunnar Odinsson to a deal.

 

5. Moscow Menace - G Papa Emeritus @Beketov

Moscow is stacked in terms of young forwards, so I don't really think they are looking to add another. I could definitely see them hoping Jokinen is available at this spot, but with him off the board, this could be where the second-best player in the draft is selected. Papa Emeritus goes this late due to being a goalie, and while he could go even later, Moscow isn't exactly set at goaltender. They traded last year's starter Kevin Malone, so they look to be going with the unproven Andrew Bowman. They do also have Leroy Johnson in the minors, who I think they are looking at as their goalie of the future, but Emeritus would give them a sure thing. If both Peepants and Jokinen have been taken by this pick, I do think there is a possibility for Moscow to trade out of this pick as well, possibly to somene else looking to snag Emeritus.

 

6. Riga Reign - LW Jerome Reinhart @MexicanCow123

 

The Reign could use youth at just about every position, with just two VHL-level players still on their rookie contracts. That being said, I think they take the best player available, and that leads to Jerome Reinhart finally going off the board after being multiple prior teams' second choice. He is a high skilled winger, and making this addition will allow them to potentially trade one of their more expensive forwards. They have several players in their prime, so they are in need of some cheaper contracts, and Reinhart should be able to come in by S80, if not S79, and make some level of impact.

 

 

7. Warsaw Predators - C Jonathan Ori @ROOKIE745

 

Warsaw could actually look to trade up to secure Emeritus, but assuming they are still picking at this spot with the goalie off the board, Jonathan Ori seems like the obvious selection. He could very reasonably be a top three pick in this draft, but instead he falls to the reigning champs. With long-time Predator Dakota Lamb heading into his last couple seasons, the spot will open up for them to add the best center of the draft to their prospect pool. He did struggle a bit in the VHLM last season, but the potential that he has is undeniable.

 

 

8. Helsinki Titans - RW Sigard Petrenko @SlapshotDragon

 

The Titans are at a point in their rebuild where they are just looking to add the best player out there, and at this point, that looks like Sigard Petrenko. The first player selected who played just a partial season in the VHLM last year, Petrenko had 19 goals and 37 points in just 30 games. He came into the scene hot and did not let up, helping Houston pull off an upset in the playoffs. A diminutive player at just 5'8" and 158 pounds, Petrenko has proven to be a scrappy player who can get things done. The Titans will build around him going forward, having five first round picks in the next two drafts.

 

 

9. Prague Phantoms - RW AJ Williams @ajwllmsn

 

I think AJ Williams is enough of a step above the rest that Prague takes him, even if they might prefer a defenseman or goaltender. Although there are definitely some solid players available in the rest of the first round, I do think the effort that these first nine have put in is noticeably greater than the rest. Williams declared for the draft as a very unknown prospect, but he has shown star potential.

 

 

10. Malmo Nighthawks - C Omi Aberg @osens

 

The string of forwards continues as Malmo makes their first of three first round selections. They are not particularly desperate for any position, but Aberg is the last center worth taking in the first round, and he is one of the best prospects left on the board. I do think Em Em Flex would be the other consideration for them here, but I think they would prefer to risk hoping he falls to one of their later picks as opposed to Aberg.

 

 

11. Seattle Bears - RW Baby Bob @Baby Boomer

 

Seattle's prospect pool is very empty, so they are probably just looking to start filling it with the best players available to them. At this point, though, I think that's a very unclear question. I have them going with Baby Bob, who is someone that has been showing quite a bit of promise earlier on, but has fallen off a bit as of late. Bob does seem to have the greatest chance of making a significant impact in the VHL down the road, and I think that's what Seattle will be looking for.

 

 

12. Vancouver Wolves - LW Miroslav Tsarov @PadStack

 

Given the way the Season 80 draftee pool is shaping up, I think Vancouver (who has two first round picks in that draft) is inclined to take another forward as opposed to selecting a defenseman like Lilith Lunar. Miroslav Tsarov is that selection, and although I don't think he will see the VHL for a few seasons, in part because of the arrival of the VHLE, he is someone who has been consistently improving bit by bit. I think this is a safe pick more than anything else.

 

 

13. Seattle Bears - LW Jakub Brozik @Wolverine

 

Pass-first forwards are not particularly common in the VHL, so this selection could pay out bigger than it would seem. He played on a not-so-great Mississauga team last season, but he did alright for himself with 63 assists and 81 points. Like a lot of the players left at this point, Brozik showed more potential when he first declared, but he should still be someone who finds his way to the VHL eventually. When that time comes, he could be the type of player who helps their stars look even better.

 

 

14. Chicago Phoenix - G Em Em Flex @MMFLEX

 

After eight straight forwards are selected, Chicago switches things up as they take goaltender Em Em Flex. With Jean Pierre Camus having just two seasons left, they are looking for the player who will take up his mantle when he is gone. Although Chicago could stand to add prospects at every position, with not much talent on the farm and a rapidly aging roster, Flex is arguably the best player available at this point. He did struggle in the VHLM last season, and he might not quite be VHL-ready by the time Camus retires, but I don't think the Phoenix will need him immediately anyway.

 

 

15. Malmo Nighthawks - G Orion D H Chiester IX @Donno100

 

Although they would have loved for Flex to fall to them, I don't think the Nighthawks will lose any sleep over it. They do still select a goaltender, as Orion D H Chiester IX is certainly a solid prospect, though I do believe there is a distinct drop off in potential. He will have plenty of time to develop, as Artem Tretiak still has several years left in him. While I certainly don't think he'll ever be a star, I do believe Chiester has the potential to become a VHL starter at some point.

 

 

16. Malmo Nighthawks - D Lilith Lunar @Lilith_Lunar

 

They already grabbed a center and a goaltender, so with the last pick of the first round, I have the Nighthawks taking defensewoman Lilith Lunar. Of the players left at this point, I think she has the highest upside, but I also think it is a real possibility that she never makes it to the VHL. With Lunar, I think it will become a matter of keeping her focused on training. She has the talent, but the question is going to be whether or not the effort is there.

 

 

There you have it: my first round mock draft. As noted earlier, I think there is a clear-cut top nine players in this draft, after which you get into the picks where the advanced scouting really comes into play. Even among those top nine, however, there is a lot of different ways the draft could go. There is no definitive ranking of these prospects, aside from Tyler Reinhart as the best and Emeritus behind him. Regarding Emeritus, and the fact that I think different teams may have wildly different draft boards, I think there will be constant trade discussions going on and we could see teams being very active. Beyond just that, the addition of the VHLE and changing of how career lengths work, I think teams may value future picks much differently than they do current picks. All things considered, I think we are in for an exciting draft day, and I don't just say that because I am eagerly awaiting my selection.

 

 

 

 

2083 words; claiming for weeks ending 7/18, 7/25, 8/1, and 8/8

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Edited July 18, 2021 by scoop

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[MMFLEX 191]

1 hour ago, scoop said:

Chicago Phoenix - G Em Em Flex @MMFLEX

 

After eight straight forwards are selected, Chicago switches things up as they take goaltender Em Em Flex. With Jean Pierre Camus having just two seasons left, they are looking for the player who will take up his mantle when he is gone. Although Chicago could stand to add prospects at every position, with not much talent on the farm and a rapidly aging roster, Flex is arguably the best player available at this point. He did struggle in the VHLM last season, and he might not quite be VHL-ready by the time Camus retires, but I don't think the Phoenix will need him immediately anyway.

GL with Illinois Arizona @oilmandan

[JardyB10 4,865]

I think LA takes Emeritus to replace aging Dimmadome 1st overall, and Vancouver traded up to make a show of drafting the Reinharts back to back, imo 

 

I do agree that Vancouver and Davos wouldn’t draft Beketov even if he was available, though. That would be extremely fortunate for Moscow!

Edited July 18, 2021 by JardyB10

[JardyB10 4,865]

IT’S NOT THAT SILLY @Zetterberg!

[ROOKIE745 603]

review: Fairly good mock draft, I think it's just lacking anything to make it stand out though. While you got spacing, bold use and I'm glad you've tagged everyone for their player. You could have made use of more like color coding, team logos, a draft picture and different font sizes. In terms of info on each player I'm quite happy, while I think it wouldn't hurt to include some more stats to me it seems like you did your research for each team and their needs. Overall I think you did a pretty good job it just lacks that kinda wow factor in terms of looks, 6.5/10

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3 hours ago, ROOKIE745 said:

while I think it wouldn't hurt to include some more stats

VHLM stats are purely meaningless why would I do that?

 

Unless you mean TPE earning stats, in which case I agree.

Edited July 19, 2021 by scoop