Moscow Training Camp Opens

[Seabass 593]

Today we welcome back our Moscow Menace as training camp has opened up in preparation for a new season of VHL hockey. Last season as we all know, the Moscow Menace fell short of reaching their Continental Cup goal as they fell to the Vancouver Wolves for the second year in a row. Fans are hopeful that the team still has what it takes to reach the finals yet again and maybe just maybe, the third time is a charm for the Menace and they finally get to win the Continental Cup. One can dream right? 

 

If we look at this team on paper so far, it looks very similar to the one we seen reach the finals last year and features many of the same core pieces. However, on paper we can't say the team looks any better in fact there's a few missing pieces from last season's run. The Menace lost key veterans Lexi Glass and Brian Strong Jr. to retirement as well as defender Arvid Johansson to free agency and they didn't really sign anyone during the offseason so far to address any of those roster holes. It looks to me like the Menace plan on calling up the young Russian forward, Sergey Preobrazhensky from the VHLE's Cologne Express where he was able to score over 40 goals in 90+ points last season. Preobransky will be a rookie to watch for this year as he will assume top 6 minutes and has a lot of promise but that still leaves the Menace with at least one more vacancy on D to fill. 

 

If the Menace don't look any better on paper how will the team be able to finally capture the coveted Continental Cup? Well with two straight finals appearances the team is easily one of the most experienced teams in the VHL right now come playoff time and if they make it to the playoffs they're going to be really hard to knock down. Plus the Menace's young goaltender Papa Emeritus should keep building on his performance from last year as he's basically now hitting the prime years of his career. If playoff Emeritus shows up during the regular season this team is going to have another great season on top of the standings ahead of them, but so far consistency has been a issue for Emeritus during the regular season. 

 

Duncan Idaho remains the team's biggest superstar and even though the losses of Strong Jr. and Glass hurts I don't think it'll affect the team's main offensive weapon very much as they didn't necessarily play on his line very much anyways. I fully expect Idaho to be our top scorer again this year and if Idaho can score another 100+ season I think we're still going to be just fine especially if youngster Nico Pearce can take the next step in his career after posting a 50 point rookie season. 

 

Really as long as the Menace have two of the league's best defenders, Hard Markinson and Aurelien Moreau the team will always be contenders. Those two guys control the pace of the games for the Menace and since they both play on different pairings, there's always at least one of them on the ice at all times and that's been key to the success of this team.  In a league that seems to lack high quality defenders right now, having two elite defenders on the team is huge, and it's even bigger for us when they're both posting insane numbers on different pairings. The team also has a young defender by the name of Zdeno Chara (not to be confused with Zeedayno Chara) who is coming into his sophomore season and is looking to build off his exceptional rookie campaign.

 

Overall I think this is still a good team capable of making the playoffs and once we make it there, anything can happen. Lets get her done!

 

 

Players Mentioned:  @Beketov @Wheaties @AW13 @Spartan @Bulduray_1 @Agito @STZ @Frank @OrbitingDeath

 

[Agito 212]

We hope that we will have another good season