VSN Presents: The Non-VSN turned VSN S84 VHL Rookie Ladder #5, "The Finale"

[leandrofg 1,014]

 

Alright, the cat's out of the bag. By now, you have already read the title - at least, I hope you did. Well, now you've read it for sure!

 

It's true. The Non-VSN Rookie Ladder has morphed into an official VSN version. Stylistically, everything should remain the same, so you won't have to worry about changing your reading habits.

 

Let's get to it. Our rookies have played another week of hockey, and the Regular Season has ended. That means our journey with the S84 rookies is ending too. Some of you may believe in keeping the evaluation going, but that wouldn't be a fair accession for everyone. Rookies in worse teams are already frowned upon when compared to others. Therefore taking the playoffs into account isn't going to be something we'll do.

 

I want to start by tipping my hat to all the rookies we have seen on the ice this season. Especially the ones we have had under scrutiny during this season. 

 

Except for Leandro Goncalves. F- that guy. Can I still write this?

 

I tip my hat, alphabetically, to Art Vandelay, Augustus Kennedy, Branden Skuin, Callum Murray, Dusty Wilson, Hammar Voss, Landon Wolanin, Pierre Emile Bouchard, and Tomas Sogaard. 

 

You have made writing this piece a true pleasure. As an analytics guy, I wish King Simon would output some more.

 

This introduction has now been going for far too long. I know you want to see the last top 5... and so do I!

 

5. Augustus Kennedy (Last week: N/A)
At number 5, we have a new entry on our list. Yes, it did take a whole season for Augustus Kennedy to be featured on our ladder, but that doesn't make his efforts less valuable. The opposite is true, though. Kennedy played for one of the worst teams in the league this season, but he displayed tremendous skill. It's not easy to maintain a consistent level on the ice, but he found a way to do it. Playing for the New York Americans meant Kennedy faced the 2nd most shots between all the starters, with only Brandt Fuhr facing more (quite a bit more, damn, Wolves). Kennedy must have enjoyed the number because he decided to hold the 2nd best save percentage, at a whopping .931, only behind future Hall of Famer Papa Emeritus.

 

4. Dusty Wilson (Last week: 5th)
Number 4 - no, not the book, movie, or TV series - is a familiar face. Dusty Wilson had big shoes to fill. The early departure of Em Em Flex left Seattle in shock but little did they know about the goaltender they had waiting for his opportunity. His season was fantastic. After a rocky start, which could be pressure-related, Dusty found himself and started being himself. He did play for a great team, which helped him ease into the league. His numbers are middle of the pack throughout. Save percentage? .924, 9th overall (between the starters). Goals against average? 2.44, 6th. It's true. Dusty Wilson isn't your flashy goaltender, but can you depend on him on a nightly basis? Yes!

 

3. Callum Murray (Last week: 3rd)
Number 3 isn't a surprise for you... or anybody, it's your favorite Australian yet again, Callum Murray! Playing for the Stars this season wasn't easy, but Murray thrived on it. We'd be a worthy number 1 on this list if there weren't two other extraordinary rookies in the running. He finished the season with 15 goals and 49 assists, holding a .59 P/20 (Points per 20 Minutes). This last stat makes Callum a worthy contender for our second spot (the next guy has a .60 P/20). Still, there's another thing to consider... how was Callum's defensive presence? Good, but not great. Callum was the definition of an offensive defenseman. Yet, he left defending behind, and that's something the Stars did... a lot (5th in Puck Time in Defensive Zone)! 110 Hits (73rd between all players) and 168 Shots Blocked (17th) are pretty good numbers, but I'll give you better ones.

 

2. Pierre Emile Bouchard (Last week: 2nd)
Pierre Emile Bouchard. I think you'd guess this player at number 2, and it's fair. We've spent a lot of time discussing him and the guy at number 1, but in the end, I couldn't fathom switching them around. Pierre would be deserving of the switch, but Sogaard doesn't. The only thing I wish I could do would be to have two number ones, which wouldn't be possible or attractive for you. I may be many things, but I'm not an undecided individual. And Pierre Emile Bouchard is the same way. Bouchard started the season with another rookie on this list in New York. As Augustus struggled on the net, Bouchard found the VHL was to his liking. In 33 games in New York, he scored as many points and proved to be a fantastic fit for the Americans, but as Nelly Furtado used to sing, "all good things come to an end." The news came like an atomic bomb. A rookie, a front runner to the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy, was part of a trade between the New York Americans and the Vancouver Wolves. That trade had more assets, but Bouchard was the cherry on top. His time in Vancouver didn't start the way he wanted. That first week was rough to see, but between the player's and management's effort, the second week was the perfect contrast of his game. At the end of the season, Bouchard played in 74 games, had 17 goals and 47 assists, totaling 64 points, but suffered in the plus/minus column with a whopping -51. His 133 Hits had him ranked 54th overall and the 233 Shots Blocked put him 2nd in that category. That's not all, but enough to solidify him as number 2.

 

1. Tomas Sogaard (Last week: 1st)
The usual suspect, Tomas Sogaard. Honestly, I'm getting tired of seeing this guy doing so well. I mean, to be great, I can handle it. But to do it consistently? God damn! I've run out of adjectives to describe Sogaard's game. Don't judge me, because you would too. Week in and week out, writing about the same guy the way I am, and you'd think this is a fluff piece. But it isn't. Fact is, Sogaard managed to put a great season together. A season many veterans could only dream of. A season a Hall of Famer would look back on with tremendous pride. He managed to hold a .67 P/20. Last season's Rookie of the Year, Bo Johansson, had a .72. Dusty Wilson wasn't the only player with big shoes to fill. Sogaard did, too, with the departure of Moscow legend Duncan Idaho. His start, like Dusty's, wasn't the best, but once he found his place on the team, Sogaard started playing arguably the best hockey of his career. Let's point out his stats. 24 goals and 48 assists, for a total of 72 points in 72 games. A +41 on his plus/minus column (10th between all players) and 5 game-winners to his name. There's more to point out, but we don't have to. That's because there's enough to keep Sogaard at the top of this ladder.

 

Or does it? I know it's not an easy task to evaluate two players who seemingly play in different environments, surrounded by other teammates and management structures. Not only that, these two players, Sogaard and Bouchard, play in different positions. To prove this, we have presented this problem to a panel of voters.

 

"Who should win Rookie of the Season?" I asked. A total of 5 VSN members cast their votes, so we had a winner. 3-2 was the result. In favor of Pierre Emile Bouchard.

 

There you have it. After more than one thousand words, you have a writer telling Tomas Sogaard is number 1. Just to have the last paragraphs declare Pierre Emile Bouchard as a possible winner. 

 

And on that bombshell, it's time to end. Goodbye!

 

 

Spoiler

@Gustav, @InstantRockstar, @DrunkMonkey23, @Berocka, @dustywilson22, @BOOM, @jacobcarson877, @Gaikoku-hito, @Brandon

 

[nurx 908]

@leandrofgget yourself a purple name man! start yelling at random mods until it happens!

[leandrofg 1,014]

1 minute ago, nurx said:

@leandrofgget yourself a purple name man! start yelling at random mods until it happens!

 

Should this turn into a coming-out party?

 

[Gaikoku-hito 1,624]

10 minutes ago, leandrofg said:

with only Brandt Fuhr facing more (quite a bit more, damn, Wolves)

LOL!! And Just think of the 200+ shot that he didn`t face due to Bouchard & Jaromir Lemiuex blocked as we finished 1 & 2 in shot blocked this season!! LOL!!

 

 

[jacobcarson877 2,058]

27 minutes ago, leandrofg said:

As an analytics guy, I wish King Simon would output some more.

Every day I wake up and feel sad about how little statistical output we get

 

[leandrofg 1,014]

11 minutes ago, jacobcarson877 said:

Every day I wake up and feel sad about how little statistical output we get

 

 

One of these days!

[BOOM 8,401]

 

Edited August 10, 2022 by BOOM

[v.2 1,260]

4 hours ago, leandrofg said:

 

Should this turn into a coming-out party?

 

@Beketovgive this man his stuff 

[leandrofg 1,014]

3 hours ago, BOOM said:

 

I appreciate you mentioning my player’s name, but I said no playoffs!

[BOOM 8,401]

You'll have to get used to my faux outrage.