VSN Presents: S86 VHLE Draft Recap

[Bobo 514]

VSN’s VHLE Draft Recap S86

 

VSN’s Bobo will be breaking down the S86 VHLE Draft–taking a deep dive into each team’s performance

 

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VICTORY SPORTS NEWS (13 NOV. 2022) –– You have to love the draft in sim leagues such as the Victory Hockey League (VHL). Each team makes moves that will make or break their future, and knowing that makes every moment of these events just that much more entertaining and strenuous as a fan or player. From our perspective as VSN writers, each pick is a potential story to be written–whether it may be a sleeper in the draft, a controversial pick, or the biggest pick of the draft. In this article, we’re going to be looking at all things VHL Europe (VHLE) drafting–specifically the S86 ‘E Entry Draft. VSN writer and columnist Bobo will be looking at each team’s draft performance and grading them for it, picking four winners and four losers of the draft, and more. Let’s begin with the team grading.

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Istanbul Red Wolves Grade: C

 

This grade was hard to give out to a team with the first and second overall picks, but it had to be made considering their current situation. They drafted two talented players in right-wing Daryl Dixon and Rick Grimes, both very skilled forwards from the Miami Marauders of the VHL Minors (VHLM) system. They also happened to pick up a talented goaltender in Lachlan Summers from the VHLM’s San Diego Marlins ninth overall. Another notable pick-up for the team is 17th-overall defenseman Quinn Saint-Willes from the Mexico City Kings of the VHLM. This was a very much-needed pick for these Red Wolves, considering their non-existent defensive core. They had three more picks who served to bolster the team’s depth up-front. These picks were: Philadelphia Reapers’ right-wing Dirk Diggler at 25, Ottawa Lynx center Jagger Bomb at 31, and Lynx goalie Fuukka Rask at 41st. Two out of three picks can be used by the team long-term, with Rask may be coming in for next season to play between the pipes. In my eyes, however, Summers has that lock job. With all of that said, they addressed the major lack of scoring with some big forwards, just forgot about the defensive struggles too. Another year for Turkey’s team to be in the basement, I’m afraid. In two years though, these Wolves may be back on the hunt. 

 

Rome Gladiators Grade: A

 

What a draft it’s been for these Rome Gladiators. General Manager Baby Boomer knows how to play his cards in these drafts, or at least this one. He went ahead and drafted two ready-to-play players for selections three and six: Marlins left-wing Left Alone at three and Las Vegas Aces defenseman Jens Lekman at six. These two players are very skilled and were very productive for their respective teams–Alone scored 34 goals and 71 points, and Lekman had 56 assists and 69 points last season. Each finished the season top-five in scoring for their team and showed great hunger and fight every play of the game. They then took the high-scoring Aces center, Wann Kerr, at 12, and the Halifax 21st’s go-to defenseman Elias Lampi at 14–both are ready to play and will be getting lots of time on the Gladiators’ slightly short bench next season. Rome then had five other picks in this draft, all of which will make the roster in the next two-three seasons considering their activity. This draft was a slam dunk for the Gladiators and set them up for success for seasons to come. Well deserved that A.

 

Vasteras Iron Eagles Grade: C-

 

Vasteras’ situation for this draft is difficult, to say the least. They snatched up a great forward in Yaroslav Bogatrev, who had some experience with VHLE action with the Cologne Express before the draft. Bogatrev was an absolute workhorse for the Express last season, with his stat line of 28 goals and 59 total points in 72 games. It’s impossible to overlook his 384 TPE level [at the time of the draft]. That’s amazing and all, but I’m not seeing him return to the VHLE for next season, instead moving up to the Seattle Bears of the VHL where he was drafted. After that pick, the Iron Eagles selected Marlins left-wing Vincent Laroche-Gagnier 20th overall. That, in my eyes, is the pick of the draft for the Eagles, considering the future impact of Laroche in a season or two. The Canadian sniper could be seeing 40+ goal totals for Vasteras very soon. His stat line last season for the Marlins was impressive: 43 goals and 94 total points in 72 games. Gagner is a consistent eight TPE+ earner which helps his case being the Iron Eagles’ best pick-up this draft. They did draft a few more players in the draft, mainly 120-130 TPE range–Lynx defenseman Greg Hickman at 28th, 21st right-wing Marc Gordman at 36th, and former Houston Bulls right wing Thomas Matthews at 44th. Matthews was a controversial pick-up in my eyes because of his suspension before the draft. Those other two picks were pretty good in my eyes–consistent earners with the potential to make some impact in the next years. But the controversial pick of Achillies’ player and the low number of picks lowers the grade for Vasteras substantially. 

 

Stockholm Vikings Grade: A-

 

While not being as good as Rome’s draft performance, don’t sleep on the clinic these Stockholm Vikings put on for this year’s draft. Coming off of an already successful season in S85, the Vikings looked to improve off of their winning season team. Drafting Sadie St. Louis–a highly skilled Lynx left wing–at fifth overall was a huge win for Stockholm. The Canadian star showed great production on the stat sheet last year with 37 goals and 85 points in 72 games for Ottawa. She also had a stint with the Marlins a season earlier, playing only 13 games and scoring seven goals and 20 points. She’s going straight into the ‘E and will be a powerhouse next season at least. They then come in and draft two players in the second round that will produce heavily in the next few seasons: Lynx right-wing John Richards at 10th and Marauders right-wing Darius Marimoto II at 13th. Both forwards produced 60+ point seasons last year, with 20+ goals too. Richards will see an immediate impact in the league next season with a second-line spot waiting for him in Stockholm, while Marimoto will be a part of the big three in South Beach. I’m expecting major production from Darius and Richards alike, scoring big and showing a leadership role on their teams. Right-wingers Thor Odinson of the Aces and Adam Rage of the Marlins were picked in the third round for the Vikings. Both provide depth scoring and a solid third to second-line presence for Stockholm within the next two seasons. Marauders right-wing Tristen Gorlim was picked in the fifth round and will be a sleeper this draft for sure. His 50-point exhibition last season fell under the radar. His consistent updating and good build will see him having a career showing this season for Miami in the minors. The Vikings then finished the draft with another sleeper in Marlins center Jacob Bryla–a forward who produced 23 points in 50 games last season. That last pick cemented these Vikings as a clear winner in the draft, and one of the best drafting teams this year. 

 

Geneva Rush Grade: B+ 

 

When you look at the roster for the Geneva Rush for this upcoming season, they needed a solid draft to give them any chance at succeeding this season. They drafted Marlins right-wing Leonard Triller at eighth overall–a shining star for San Diego that scored 52 points and 38 assists last year. He will show up and show out for the Rush this season with his incredible playmaking ability and capability of quarterbacking an offensive rush from both ends of the ice. Joel Castle, an Aces goalie, was selected 11th overall by Geneva and will be tending the crease for the Rush next year. His 41-14-4 record and .911 save % last year shone for Las Vegas, especially in their deep playoff run. Geneva then selected a bit of an interesting pick at the time due to the other players around him–Aces right-wing Kobe Johnson at 15th overall. Johnson really struggled to put up numbers on Vegas’s very-talented roster last year with only 23 points and 11 goals in 72 games played. With his earning and scoring-oriented build however, he has potential to reach new heights in production this season, and make an impact on the Rush very soon. Deep in the fifth round, pick 34, Geneva took a very risky pick, but also a potential sleeper-of-the-draft pick: 21st goalie Ash Sparks. Being 250+ TPE, a consistent earner, and a very talented player; this selection was too good to be true. His 31-29-2 record, 0.914 save %, and 2.58 goals against average (GAA) are very good for where he was selected. With a better goalie being selected by the team prior to Sparks, he will most likely serve as a backup in the tandem, but with his presence, it solidified the team between the pipes. With three other picks used for roster depth, this draft I would say is successful for this Geneva squad.

 

Bratislava Watchmen Grade: D

 

Man these Watchmen were some busy bees. After making several trades–one of which saw superstar forward and Wolves pick Daryl Dixon moving to Bratislava for quite the return–it seems like GM Frostbeard’s squad was more concerned about trading than actual drafting. But with the trades came a lot of good returns: like Dixon, seventh overall selection Philadelphia Reapers defenseman Rex Wolffe McGregor, and center Rick Grimes. They did lose a lot of important picks, including next year’s first round selection as a result. The team was second best last year in the regular season however and managed to retain a large amount of the squad that led them to a 43-17-12 record. They then took The Frenchman–a centerman who already played for the Watchmen prior to the draft–23rd overall. This may sound good on paper, but when you look at his TPE, he can’t play another season for the team, as he’s above 400. It’s a waste of a pretty high-up pick, which could’ve been used to pick someone who has a chance to make an impact going forward. They draft two depth players to end the draft in the fifth and sixth rounds. This draft for Bratislava won’t help them very much going forward, which will eventually kick them where it hurts most once their roster moves up to their VHL counterparts. Ouch. 

 

Oslo Storm Grade: D+

 

While Oslo may haven’t done the best of jobs in this draft, they haven’t done the worst of jobs (ahem* Bratislava). They took a round to begin the draft, selecting Canadian-born 21st defenseman Edward Traverse at 16th: a defenseman who in 38 games scored 23 points and had 17 assists. A very sweet sample showing from a very promising prospect. He claims practice and welfare weekly, with some trivia sprinkled in too. Next, all the way in the bottom of the fourth round, the Storm took Marauders defenseman Winston Dixon Jr. at 32nd overall. Similar to Traverse, Dixon Jr. is a very reliable prospective defenseman who played a full season and put up 49 points and 35 assists. He served a top-four role in Miami last year and will take one more year to fully develop into a VHLE-eligible player. The same should apply to Traverse. After that selection, Oslo took Marlins’ centerman Sjin at 38th. What a pick it was. In my eyes, it was the best pick they’ve made in the whole draft. He made a name for himself on San Diego with 29 goals and 77 points in only 65 games. This was the highlight of a problematic draft for the Storm. They needed that. They then went on to draft two sub-100 TPE players who both saw bottom-line numbers last season in the minors and 10-20 point production to finish the draft out. While they had a few good moves, they still are losers in my eyes. They’re lucky to have a good team at their disposal this season. 

 

Cologne Express Grade: C

 

It took 26 picks for the Cologne Express to make their first selection in this draft. After skipping on three whole rounds, the 27th pick found the Express taking Marlins right-wing Ben Dover–a super skilled scoring forward who scored 25 goals and 53 points last season. He played all 72 games for San Diego. He’s a consistent welfare claimer and knows how to build his player around offensive production. Next, at 30th overall, the Express chose Aces defenseman Sigma Freud–another skilled defenseman out of the strip who put up 34 assists and 45 points in 72 games. A good pickup for a team who could use some good defensive depth in the coming seasons. Moving onward to the fifth round, Cologne took a very interesting goalie at 33rd overall: Mississauga Hounds net-minder Justin Lion. The reason why I call his case a peculiar one is due to his 5.19 GAA and 0-33-0 record. He did play on a historically terrible Hounds team that didn’t win a single game last year, but still, those numbers are unforgivable. He did however update for a lot of TPE this week and is consistent with the updating. If he can rebound this year, then there is hope for the future starter of the Express. They finished off the draft with a very respectable depth choice in Reapers’ right-wing Keon Jeannot at 46th. Solid 30-40 point range playing a full 72-game season. Not a bad draft at all Cologne!

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WINNERS:

Rome Gladiators

Stockholm Vikings

Geneva Rush 

Cologne Express

LOSERS:

Bratislava Watchmen

Oslo Storm

Vasteras Iron Eagles

Istanbul Red Wolves

 

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WORD COUNT: 2319 WORDS

 

[FrostBeard 2,054]

@BoboI think you are making really good points when it comes to Bratislava selecting The Frenchman however, he did not yet pass the 400 TPE mark at the time of draft so for me it was an important gamble - if he decides to spend time in VHLE, he is going to have a home, if not, at least I had given that chance with my 3rd rounder. After that you also had some good player but none that would help me in this run - I had to gamble to improve the team, sadly didn't pay off. 

[vincentlg2007 498]

Damn really nice articleGreat work put Into it congratulations I must say that I really enjoyed the part about me and the Cologne Draft

[Uncommon 90]

A very well written article with excellent formatting. Your use of colors and graphics are outstanding. I think Cologne made the right choice with Justin Lion. Lion is this weeks top earner in TPE and I'm predicting better numbers in goal for him this upcoming season with San Diego. If he continues to earn consistently then he'll make a smooth transition into the VHLE next season. Cologne made another great choice with former Marlin, Ben Dover. It was a tough draft for Bratislava but I still expect them to be competitive this season. I really appreciate that @FrostBeard wasn't afraid to take a risk with The Frenchman even though it didn't work out in the end.

[Bobo 514]

claim for week 2

[Emperor_Fun 70]

22 hours ago, vincentlg2007 said:

Damn really nice articleGreat work put Into it congratulations I must say that I really enjoyed the part about me and the Cologne Draft

I really liked the part where I got 50 TPE last week.

[Bobo 514]

claim for week 3

[Bobo 514]

claim for week 4