A Look At Each VHLM Team Heading Into The Draft Pt.1

[MubbleFubbles 1,290]

I'm writing this off my currently limited knowledge of the VHLM (and the VHL as a whole), so consider these points when reading:

 

. What I'm aware of so far is that players can earn add up to 200 TPE in the VHLM, and those who are past that mark already and eligible to do so have already been promoted to the VHLE, so I'm operating under the impression that the portal is currently correct asides from the two VHLM teams that are being moved up to the VHLE.

. I don't really know what attributes are known for working best in the game that we use, so I'm mainly using TPE as a guide for how good a player is unless stuff severely stands out. E.g. Someone who has set their TPE to make them a fighter or have all the ability of a board game on ice skates.

. The one rule that I noticed and do bring up at one point is the Prime Directive rule that I found at the start of the VHLM rulebook, but I don't know how strict the league is on teams releasing players who haven't been around in a while that don't have a lot of players, so I might be wrong about how that could work.

 

 

Halifax have certainly set themselves up nicely to pick up some top prospects in this draft with three first rounders and a mid-second rounder as well. They also have three strong 130+ TPE players on their team in Marcel Janser (who the 21st acquired from the Reapers this off-season), Harry Hagel and Jorgen Von Strangle (who is coming off an exceptional first season in the VHLM where he scored over 140 points). However, the prospects in this draft don't seem to suit the 21st super well. While they could definitely use a goalie, they need more forwards than defensemen, but the prospects that have the most TPE right now are mainly defensemen and goalies. Heading into this season, I think Halifax will definitely have their hopes set on winning the Founders Cup, especially given that they don't have many draft picks at all next season and most of this group of players likely being promoted to the VHLE after this season, but I think how serious a contender they will be will be based more on the quantity and quality of players they can bring in during the season given that their base is currently lacking depth in comparison to other contenders.

 

 

The Aces are a very interesting case when it comes to their team build heading into the season, trading picks in both this season and next season's draft to stock up on multiple 100+ TPE players to strengthen the depth on the roster. In forgoing picking potentially stronger players in this draft, they have focused more on acquiring players who, while still active, may well qualify to help the Aces not just this season, but next season as well. They are also one of only two teams in the VHLM that currently has a goalie locked up in Wiley Blanchette, something that could be a huge advantage for them depending on which teams manage to select a goalie in the upcoming draft. The obvious weakness though of this strategy is that, while they do have that strong base, they won't be adding a lot of players through the draft, and those that will are likely to take some time to acclimate to the VHLM rather than ones who can contribute to a team with winning aspirations right away given the earliest pick that they have is the 53rd overall selection, which is projected to be around an 83 TPE player at this time of writing. The biggest concern for the Aces in regards to their cup chances though will be that there are some teams that have equal if not better depth that have considerably better options available to them in the upcoming draft, so like Halifax, I think they will certainly want to have a chance at the cup, but that will depend upon the acquisitions they are able to make during the season. 

 

 

Of all the teams in the Western Conference, it looks like Mexico City is probably the most likely to miss out on the playoffs this season. While they do have three players on their roster at the moment and one of them (the 195 TPE defenseman Dookie Headtop) is among the league's highest TPE earners, all three players have not been on the site in a while, so could potentially be subject to the Prime Directive rule (which states inactives should be released from the team) down the line. They also have one of the weakest collection of draft picks in the Western Conference, with only the Aces having a lower accumulative value of picks than the Kings. They do however still own all their picks for next season so, should they pick up some solid young players in this draft, they can potentially build a good base to work from entering Season 82 so that they can potentially challenge for the Founders Cup in that season. 

 

 

It's pretty much without question that the Marauders will be entering this upcoming season as the weakest team in the VHLM. They are one of only two teams to not have a single player on their roster and, unlike the other team which holds a few very high value picks, Miami is currently not slated to be selecting a player in this upcoming draft until the fourth round. If there is any consolation to the Marauders, they traded their two highest picks to a team who will not benefit from it (the former Yukon Rush who have now moved into the VHLE and moved to Geneva, Switzerland), which given those picks will be forfeited will allow Miami to net a better player than expected with their later picks due to more picks before them being forfeited as a result. 

 

 

The other team in the VHLM without a player on their roster (actually happened as I started writing this so I'm glad I checked the forum before I started writing), Mississauga do not have a base to build upon, but unlike Miami, have a lot of good picks which will allow them to build their own. With two second rounders and two third rounders to their name, they can likely bring in four 100+ TPE talents right off the bat, but not before complementing it with an elite player to be picked with their second overall selection. Mississauga are a team that maybe won't look like they can compete right away, but through the season, those 100+ TPE players taken with their second and third round selections will hopefully grow to 150-200 TPE and should that happen as you would expect, they will have a very solid outfit come the end of the season, especially if they can pick up the right players during the season. 

 

[CowboyinAmerica 2,891]

Review: 10/10

 

Really enjoyed this one - especially as somebody who paid more attention to the VHLE than the VHLM this offseason, I like having this as a primer for how teams are looking as it stands. I'd definitely recommend it for new members trying to get a feel of what their potential teams look like. To that end, the userbars are always a favorite (I use them often too), but I'd still probably put team names for those unfamiliar with the franchises. And I think the descriptions were fine even though you're learning about the league - I'd say the Prime Directive does play a bit of a role if we get a bunch of new players, but regardless for a lot of VHLM GMs the more important factors are going to be activity and growth. A new player who may have 50 TPE now but is earning 12 a week is more valuable than an inactive 125 TPE guy - the former would be above 150 TPE by playoff time, and help keep others active to boot. All in all, great breakdown here!