PaRiTy

[ColeMrtz 571]

The VHLE is... weird. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the level of parity in this league is uncanny. Before the last batch of sims, Cologne led the league with a 5-3 record and a GD of... 0. The New York Islanders of the VHLE if you will, stringent defense and absent offense that ultimately just works. The most recent sim treated the franchise rather harshly, seeing the team drop two games and FIVE STANDINGS SPOTS to fifth in the league, with a .500 record. It's a strange sight when the worst team in the entire league is as good as they are bad, and I don't know how sustainable it is. As the season progresses I would expect we see some separation develop between the teams, however as it stands now the difference between the top and the bottom is 3 points. Rome or Cologne could win one and lose one in OT and as long as the team they beat was Istanbul or Vasteras they'd shoot to the top of the standings. It's a little absurd how tight things stand at the moment, but it is very hard to imagine it staying this way for much longer.

 

Player development will completely change the landscape of the VHLE pretty soon here. Take Istanbul for example, the team is already monstrous with the highest scoring offense in the league, yet they also boast the second leakiest defense. This is somewhat explained when you see their D-core doesn't have a single player over 300 TPA and their DF stat is hovering around 80 (with the glaring exception of a 70). As these players earn more and grow their game, Istanbul will tighten up on the backend and their already dominant offence should continue to get the job done. This will be an interesting season to watch no matter who you're rooting for.