VHLM Post-Draft Rankings

[Grape 619]

With the massive influx of players in the VHLM due to the draft now assigned to their teams, with plenty more in free agency soon to be added, the rankings have been jumbled and shifted, with last season’s top teams moving down and the bad teams moving up, and a ton of potential with each squad. There is plenty of room for these placements to change, and one could argue for really any team to be at the very least competitive. Of course, some teams will eventually be able to be ruled out once the season actually starts. The losses have to go somewhere after all.

 

 

10. Mexico City Kings

Offense Rank: 6.5

Defense Rank: 8

Mexico is one of the smaller rosters in the league right now, and also one of the weakest. They are the only team in the league as of now that does not have two or more defensemen, which hurts the team significantly. They are also the only team that lacks a goaltender. The lack of a goaltender is something that cannot be overlooked lightly. There is one in free agency that is at least starter level. Bringing them in could definitely improve this team in the rankings. The same can be said with acquiring a defenseman as well. Where the team is at now, however, this team is not a threat.

 

 

9. Philadelphia Reapers

Offense Rank: 9

Defense Rank: 9

Philadelphia is a very weak team at this point, BUT they have a goaltender, and a pretty good one at that. They boast a pretty solid defensive core, although pretty low on TPE, growth is the main focus for this team. I doubt this team will be very competitive, but they should look pretty good going into next season. They are likely to sell off a few pieces, as some will hit the 200 TPE cap before the end of the season, to make a legit push for the next season.

 

 

8. Mississauga Hounds

Offense Rank: 10

Defense Rank: 4

Mississauga could definitely be a team to make great strides for this season. As of now, the majority of their forwards are fresh out of the draft, so there is not much TPE to go around between them. Their defense is much more established and is definitely the strength of the team. If their forwards put a great effort in claiming, this team could be a decent threat.

 

 

7. Saskatoon Wild

Offense Rank: 3

Defense Rank: 10

The typical regression after a successful season. Their forward strength maintained a solid form, obviously a step back but still should be formidable. The massive weak spot (and I mean massive) on the team is the defense. A defense TPE average of 58 is not something a team can compete with. While their offense might keep them in the hunt, their defense will hold them back from truly competing.

 

 

6. San Diego Marlins

Offense Rank: 6.5

Defense Rank: 6

San Diego has a pretty average offense and defense at this point. What is big for this squad is that they almost have a full roster, and having most of those players already in the 100s. This team could definitely sneak up on some other squads if growth and building goes right. They should look good for this season and the next, so long as claiming goes right.

 

 

5. Houston Bulls

Offense Rank: 5

Defense Rank: 7

Houston boasts a slightly more experienced squad than other teams, may it also be one of the more depleted rosters still primed for competition. They are at a bit of a crossroads, as while they would definitely make the playoffs as of now, they also likely won’t be able to compete. Should they make a push for the Cup, or sell off at the deadline? It all depends on how they sim. They could certainly go either way.

 

 

4. Halifax 21st

Offense Rank: 8

Defense Rank: 2

Halifax actually broke my spreadsheet. I only have room for a max of twelve players for each position, and Halifax has FOURTEEN forwards. So many forwards, probably should have drafted more defensemen, but I digress. One could look at that initial offense rank and wonder why this team is ranked so high, and it is mainly due to potential. Their offense is brought down because of the guys fresh out of the draft in the 60s TPE, whereas removing those guys, the ranking is boosted. This team could 100% be a strong, competitive team, so long as their players stay active and keep claiming. While weak now, they should be an absolute unit as the season progresses. 

 

 

3. Miami Marauders

Offense Rank: 4

Defense Rank: 3

Miami is similar to Houston, in the fact that their roster is smaller, but with a higher TPE. This team has a higher likelihood to make a push than sell off than Houston, in my opinion. A lot of this team will likely be leaving after this season, and they will likely be very good coming out of the gate. Of course, over the course of the season, this team could slip, as their players hit the cap while other teams keep growing, boasting more depth as well. At the very least, playoffs are a guarantee.

 

 

2. Las Vegas Aces

Offense Rank: 1

Defense Rank: 5

Las Vegas showcases a very strong offense right out of the gate, with their defense lagging behind slightly. Pretty much the entirety of this team will be gone come next season, so the time to compete is now. This team is going to be very competitive throughout the season, and likely going to get stronger through free agency and the deadline. It is definitely the year to go all in and break the bank.

 

 

1. Ottawa Lynx

Offense Rank: 2

Defense Rank: 1

Ottawa, while another smallish roster, is arguably the strongest, most balanced team as of now. High TPE players on both sides. It is another team that will have pretty much no players by next season, and also another team that should go all in for this year, mainly focusing on adding to their forward core to compete with the strong Vegas lineup as well as the deep up-and-coming teams below them. 

 

These rankings were surprisingly difficult to actually make because so few teams were balanced on both offense and defense, with a lot of variation between the two cores. Of course, that should be the expectation coming out of the draft, with retended players being stronger and the team drafting a position of need (where the retention was not), teams are going to look unbalanced. This is also one of the more deep teams I have seen in the VHLM, with a decent amount of parity as of now. This should be a pretty good season to view and plenty of fluctuations should occur in the rankings. I really do not see a real clear-cut contender coming into the season, with many teams definitely in the picture. All-in-all, this should be a pretty good season for the VHLM.

 

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Edited June 22 by Grape

[Frank 5,054]

San Diego underrated. 

[Shindigs 1,771]

6 hours ago, Frank said:

San Diego underrated. 

This tbh, when I looked at it I had you down as a top 2 team this season tbh, you can't just look at raw TPE with the massive differences in builds people are rocking this season. I expect you guys to have one of the, if not the, best 1st line in the league. But then again, who the hell knows with the new attributes?

[Grape 619]

8 hours ago, Shindigs said:

This tbh, when I looked at it I had you down as a top 2 team this season tbh, you can't just look at raw TPE with the massive differences in builds people are rocking this season. I expect you guys to have one of the, if not the, best 1st line in the league. But then again, who the hell knows with the new attributes?

It's hard to rank over potential. These rankings are based on where they are now, not where they will be during the season. Teams can look very different at the start of the year. I mean, when I started my sheets last season, Saskatoon was ranked near the bottom for a good bit, but they were claiming really well and consistently rose in the rankings, eventually becoming a top ranked team. With all of these before the season starting, it is better to take it with a grain of salt. So much can change week by week

[Grape 619]

claiming again for week 4/25-5/1