Skippers Report

[Gaikoku-hito 2,149]

The Skippers progress report

 

 

At the end of last season a few luck or maybe unlucky players due to the length of the off-season due to the switch from the old Meta based system to the new Hybrid based system were given the opportunity to play in the VHLE this season; skipping the VHLM draft and playing only a handful of games as a waiver claim after recreating.

 

 

We had six players take up the option to skip the VHLM with the unspoken but known rule that only one of these players would be allowed to be signed by a VHLE team. This means that all the players are playing for different team and cannot be directly compared to each other due to some being given more playing minutes and playing larger roles for the teams that they signed.

 

 

What I am going to do (I think) is generally try to look at how everyone one of the skippers has actually fared so far into the season and if maybe skipping was a good or bad idea. Either way let’s get this article started.

 

 

Napoleon Dynamite - Bratislava Watchmen

Dynamite is currently the lowest TPE earner on the team at 256 TPE so one would expect this player to be used as the team seventh forward at this point of the season and would be questions around what GM FrostBread & AGM Leandrofg would do in the coming weeks as Dynamite became the sixth or fifth highest in TPE; but those questions at the time of writing this are not required to be asked. Why one might ask? Well, Since Dynamite is already being used much higher up the line-up as the first line center with 20.53 minutes of ice time. Dynamite has a respectable 14pts in 30 games for an 0.45 pts/game ratio. Most impressive stat so far has to be his face-off % as he has won 54.30% of his face-off. While Dynamite hasn`t been a star this season for the Watchmen he has been more then serviceable and one would assume will only improve as the season progresses.

 

 

Callum Murray - Cologne Express

Murray the highest TPE earner of all the skippers is still very much the lowest earner on the backend for the Express this season; which I am guessing will be a common theme. The Express have challenged Murray by playing him on the top pairing with Zeljko Ranogajec, in a move that seem to maybe isolate the young player a bit. He is current plays an average 19.44 per night and his numbers seem to reflect reduced ice time early in the season as he has 2 goals, 7 assist for 9 pts in 30 games so far in the season. Most striking stat is the minus 7 in the plus/minus stat showing that the defender is having a bit of an issue adjusting to the VHLE at the moment. As the season progresses watch for the player to improve his numbers both on the offensive and defensive side of the puck. He should also see a slight increase in minutes but playing on such a strong defensive core; these minutes will need to come at the expenses of another defender. At this time that doesn`t make sense so Murray role seems to be pretty much defined for the remained of the season.

 

 

Noodles Marconi - Istanbul Red Wolves

The forgotten skipper in the fact that he was the last to sign a contract in the VHLE and seemed like majority of the teams forgot about this free agent player. In the end he signed with the stacked Istanbul Red Wolves; who already had nine forward signed for the coming season making Marconi the tenth forward at the start of the season. Starting the season so far down the depth chart has seen him play a very limited role on the fourth line with 5.68 minutes of ice time and 1 goal, 2 assist for 3 pts from 30 games played. This might be a case where the player would have been better off signing for less stacked team or staying in the VHLM due to lack of ice time and role that he is playing on his current team. With seven of the ten forwards also already at 300 plus TPE it will be very unlikely that his role will increase that much as the season progresses.

 

 

Cobalt Burns - Oslo Storm

In contrast to Marconi is Burns in the fact that Oslo Storm only has five forwards signed meaning he should be getting plenty of ice team; which is exactly the situation as he is averaging 30.58 minutes of ice time while playing on first line. This has also reflected in his opportunity to put together some solid numbers as he has 7 goals, 13 assist for 20 points in the 30 games played so far this season. Again, his most obvious weakness has been his plus/minus but I am going to give this play a bit of slack with the minus 7 due to the fact this seems to be more of a team stat in this situation. This is a clear situation where the team required a player and this VHLM skipper has taken the bull by the horns playing a ton of minutes and further developing his game.

 

 

Scoish Velociraptor Maloish - Rome Gladiators

What to say here but this guy is the defence for the Rome Gladiators. Yes, I mean he is the only defender signed by the team this season and not that he is a star defender of a bunch of players but that doesn`t mean one day that he won`t be a star defender; just we have nothing to compare him to this season. This means this player is collecting a ton of ice time at 29.76 minutes. I don`t know why (maybe lack of defence help) but I expected this players stat be very average. To my surprise that isn`t the case as he has very much held the back-end for Rome this season with four goals, 12 assist for 16pts in 30 games. Again, this is a situation where the ice time and development of the player is only going to benefit him heading into the Season 84 draft.

 

 

Pierre Emile Bouchard - Stockholm Vikings

Again, his TPE is the lowest of the defenders on the Vikings this season and this has seen the player early in the season being sheltered by playing with The Loch Ness Monster but over the past few games has been slotted comfortable into his more likely fitting as the second pair defender. Again with only four defenders on the roster means a ton of ice team to be earned and at 29.21 minutes of ice I am sure he isn`t complaining. He has much like Maloish played a large role on the defensive end, most notable on the teams power-play where he has put up an impressive 4 goals, 5 assist for 9 pts. This accounts for 37.5% of his total points. His totals stand currently at 6 goals, 18 assist and 24 points in the first 30 games. This is more than expected when he signed with Stockholm this season.  

 

 

Taking a look at the points of each player comparable to each other after 30 games:

Napoleon Dynamite                            6 goals             8 ast                 14 pts

Callum Murray                                   2 goals             7 ast                 9 pts

Noodles Marconi                                1 goals             2 ast                 3 pts

Cobalt Burns                                       7 goals             13 ast               20 pts

Scoish Velociraptor Maloish              4 goals             12 ast               16 pts

Pierre Emile Bouchard                       6 goals             18 ast               24 pts

 

Current goal leader of the group is Cobalt Burns leading the way with seven goals on the season with fellow forward Napoleon Dynamite tied in second with Pierre Emile Bouchard with six goals. Impressive from the defender who has scored 66% of his goals on the power-play of Stockholm this season. I will also add as side note that it is nice to see that everyone has at least score a goal this season in the VHLE.

 

 

Assist leader tends to favor the defenders and without much surprise two of the top three are defenders with Pierre Emile Bouchard leading the way with 18 assists followed by Cobalt Burns with 13 assists just ahead of Scoish Velociraptor Maloish how has 12 assists on the season.

 

 

Point leaders should be much of a surprise at this point as total of goals and assist means total points, right? So, two of the players have been top three in both goals and assists meaning they should make the list but in what order. Pierre Emile Bouchard holds a current four point lead over Cobalt Burns with 24pts to Burns 20 pts with Scoish Velociraptor Maloish another 4pts back in third with 16pts so far this season.

 

 

Overall opinion on skipping the VHLM so far; Overall I think it has been a good experience for majority of the players that have decided to skip and for the VHLE teams signing the players due to the meaningful roles that majority of the players are playing on their respective teams, clear active members that have the ability to drive activity within the respective locker rooms and the clear need for players within the VHLE this season. As the season progresses some of these players will have larger roles to play with their respective teams but either way I think they will all improve and reflect fondly on skipping the VHLM; not to mention to hopefully be the trail blazer for future skippers to come. I know I am interested to see at the end of the season how this has played out and seeing which one might actually hoist the cup earning extra bragging rights heading into next season draft.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1635 words) May 8th, 15th & 22nd claims

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 5, 2022 by Gaikoku-hito

[Gaikoku-hito 2,149]

May 15th claim

[Gaikoku-hito 2,149]

May 22nd Claim