S80 VHL Draft Pays Dividends to Legion and What It Means for the Future

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          In his 3rd season with the Toronto Legion, G Oskar Lindbergh had an outstanding performance, posting a 35-26-3 record, with a .926 Save % and 2.26 GAA. The former 4th overall pick in the S80 VHL Draft is quickly cementing himself as a franchise-caliber goaltender for years to come.

 

         C Matty Fire was selected 2nd overall in the same draft, and proved to the league that he should've been the 1st overall pick instead. His rookie season included 49 goals and 64 assists for 113 points, earning him the Christian Stolzschweigher Trophy for top rookie in the VHL. He's continued his hot start to his career, putting up 257 points in the last 216 games, and is expected to extend his PPG. 

 

         LW Kyle Peace was selected with the 5th overall pick in the S80 VHL draft, and begun playing in the league by S81. Though he didn't start with a similar stat line to Fire, he still averaged a little over a point in his rookie season with the club. Since then, he has only improved. Though he may have been the last player the Legion selected in the first round, he has already surpassed Fire in points over the last 3 seasons. 

 

         Looking to further increase their recent success, Toronto has a choice to make. Looking down their roster, they are coming off of a rebuild, and have young, star talent at every position. However, they only carry 1 RW on the active roster. If they pair a young star with Peach and Fire, it could carry them over the top. Currently, the RW on top of all draft boards is Molly the Cat out of Canada. After a breakout season in the VHLM with San Diego, Molly put up 32 goals and 27 assists for 59 points in 72 games. The 21 year old could make an impact out of the gates for Toronto as a top RW option, however, it does carry risk. Many teams cannot wait too long for a player to develop, and Molly has only played one season in the VHLM. 

 

         Another option could be to trade Chicago's 1st rounder, which holds some value. A player such as Baby Bob, a RW from Prague could make a splash as a 1st line star for Toronto. An 18 year old with 3 seasons under his belt, was taken in the same draft as the 3 young stars for Toronto in S80. Last season, he put up 39 goals and 44 assists for 83 points in 72 games. A talent like his is needed in the Toronto and a swim across the pond to play on an already star-studded 1st line could give Toronto their first championship since S67.

 

         The Toronto Legion have a very young team. There's no denying it. But the youth movement may have been and still may be the best move that the franchise could make. History has proven that the Legion are experts in recent draft history, but only time will tell if they make the right choice this offseason. Expect this team to win a championship with their young core in at least the next 3 seasons.