Player Focus - Keiji Toriyama

[Devise 4,475]

Player focus is back and this week we are going to take a look a player who recently called Season 39 the finale of his career. Keiji Toriyama was originally highly touted prospect as the next player to come from the Streetlight player agency. The agency was just responsible for managing the career of the now Hall of Fame New York goalie, Benjamin Glover. 

 

Toriyama was drafted by the Seattle Bears in the Season 33 entry draft at 8th overall. The young center would put up solid numbers in his rookie season, scoring 12 goals and assisting on 45 all while potting 105 hits. He also had a 52.71 faceoff percentage. 

 

Keiji began his team hopping ways in his sophomore season when he was traded from Seattle to Riga. This was a season which saw marginal improvement from Toriyama. He had 26 goals and 32 assits for 58 points, one more from the season before. With only 88 hits and a 50.93 faceoff percentage, Toriyama was starting to show signs he may not live up to original expectations. 

 

In his third season Toriyama found himself on a new team this time with the Davos Dynamo to start the season. However that wouldn't last the entire season, as he was traded 53 games into the season back to the team that drafted him, the Seattle Bears. His third season would be a breakout year. 30 goals and 62 assists for 92 points, leading his team in scoring. His defensive presence continued to get slightly less physical as Keiji only had 87 hits. However his 57.63 faceoff percentage was good for top ten in the league. 

 

As is par the course, Toriyama couldn't spend a single season on one team. In the off season he found himself on the Calgary Wranglers however he was traded to the New York Americans before the season started. He was then traded to the Vasteras Iron Eagles mid season. Season 36 proved to be a continuation of his breakout previous year. Keiji finished off the year with 44 goals and 54 assists for 98 points. Again leading his team in scoring. He slowly began diminishing his physical game that as he only had 48 hits and 55.41 faceoff percentage put him slightly below the previous years. Still, Toriyama was blossoming into one of the most underrated centers in the VHL. 

 

Season 37 marked a season in which Toriyama finally stayed still. Continuing to be a member of the Iron Eagles, Toriyama had his best season. 45 goals, 65 assists, 110 points. Good for the third best points total in the league. He also began to balance out his hitting game once again, with 110 hits on the year, and once again found himself in the top ten of faceoff percentage with 57.23. As Season 37 closed the door, Toriyama officially established himself as one of the top depth centers in the VHL. 

 

Continuing his career with Vasteras, Toriyama had a solid Season 38, although a bit of a drop off to his past seasons numbers. Finishing with 44 goals and 45 assists for 89 points, Toriyama was still a solid point producer for the Iron Eagles. His 93 hits kept pace with his average career hit numbers, and at 62.25 faceoff percentage was good for fourth best in the league. Quietly Toriyama was having a solid career for a player who at one point earlier in his career looked to be falling off the rails. 

 

Thus far into Season 39, yet again with the playoff bound and Continental Cup hopeful Vasteras Iron Eagles, Toriyama has 29 goals and 37 assists for 66 points in 54 games. Only 25 with the season nearing the end is a low point for his career. But he is keeping pace with a 61.61 faceoff percentage. 

 

All told Toriyama had a rather interesting and exciting career all things considered. With 18 games left in Season 39, his current career stats are as follows.

 

Goals - 230 Assists - 340 Points - 570 Hits - 606

 

Toriyama is very unlikely to follow Benjamin Glover into the Hall of Fame. However he will go down as one of the more undderrated centers in his era. After he hit his peak, he could be counted on for consistent offensive production. He proved if the team is lacking at center he could step and be the guy for a season. But he also fit right at home as a productive number two. 

 

Career Grade - B

 

Interesting note, I compiled all the trades Toriyama was in just to see in his career everything he has been traded for. 

 

Season 34 - SEA/Riga

SEA Receives - 1st (McQueen) 2nd (Landon Roberts) 3rd (Nathan Levander)

RIG Receives - Toriyama, Damien Sandow, Vincent Vega

 

Season 34 Off Season - RIG/DAV

RIG Receives - Rock Star, Zach Fucale,1st (Frederick Ernst) 1st (Robert Gow III) 2nd (Valentini) 2nd (Johan Hallstrom)

DAV Receives - Toriyama, Jarkko Olsen, Shane Baker

 

Season 35 - DAV/SEA

DAV Receives - Sergey Brovalenko

SEA Receives - Toriyama, Chris McZehrl, Vladimir Bodnar, 3rd (PASS), 3rd (PASS)

 

Season 35 Offseason - CGY/SEA

SEA Receives - Rights to Felix Zamora

CGY Receives - Toriyama

 

Season 35 Offseason - CGY/NYA

CGY Receives - 2nd (Penis Anthony Dubligne) 2nd (Kez Kincaid)

NYA Receives - Toriyama, Simon Tremblay

 

Season 36 - NYA/VAS

NYA Receives - 1st (Tom Slaughter), 3rd (Lebron King Gonzalez), 3rd (Pass), Guido Schwarz Esq, Damien Sandow

VAS Receives - Toriyama, 4th (Ineligible) 

 

 

Dear god. Has one player been traded as much as him? Not only that but so many players who actually mattered involved in deals. There is a few exceptions, like despite New York using the pick grab Slaughter, they took Linholm at number two. However Vasteras could of likely obtained Laich with that pick, which I find interesting. But otherwise, Brovalenko, McQueen, Zamora, Robert Gow III, even Kez Kincaid is active.

 

Has one player gotten been traded as much and gotten as much overall value as Toriyama? Ha. 

 

 

[Victor 10,851]

The modern equivalent of Tuvia Bielski.

[scoop 3,386]

45 goals, 65 assists, 110 points. Good for the third best points total in the league.

I was third in the league in points once, what?