Building a Junior Showcase Tournament Team

[Ozzy Batty 243]

Draft or Free Agent Waiver Claims, Which is Better?

 

The Junior Showcase Tournament is just what the name implies, a chance for Junior, or new, players to showcase their talent and hopefully catch the eye of a VHLm team and either try to find a home or move up in their team's longer term plans. Players are added to the squads using two different methods. For players created before the Tournament draft window, they are entered into a draft pool. If the player is discovered (created) after this draft-eligibility window closes then they are eligible to be signed as a waiver-claim. This claim only applies for this tournament though. They will be free agents and in the VHLm draft held after the tournament is over.

So which is the better way to build the squad? Try to fill every spot in the draft or target those players who are wavier-eligible? Actually, both methods have their benefits and can elevate the team and the player at the same time. 

By using the draft, a GM can add seasoned (well, seasoned for "Juniors") players who have improved some. These players can really stand-out because at this level, even a minor increase can separate players from those around them. But the draft can also be a frustrating endeavor. Anyone who has ever been in a draft comes into it with a list of players to add. Only to see them taken by the teams that select before them. Even if they are able to get one, there is the risk that everyone else they have targeted have been targeted by every other team. So while the opportunity to get better players through the draft can be a game-changer, the risk of them being taken by another team  and the strategy has to be constantly changed.

The other option is waiver claims. These appear to be first come, first served. The advantage of this type of player is they are more than likely new to the league. This means they will be active and chasing those opportunities to get better. The down-side? They just are not that good. The GM can be more selective in who they try to sign. In this case, they have to sell the idea of their team to the new player and hopefully convince them to sign. While these players are not very good, the odds are they will get better and will show they are much better than the ghost players they replace. 

So while the draft provides players that have some improvements under their belt, the waiver claims provide a chance to replace the ghost players and get these, new and eager, players on the ice.

Maybe the best way to do it is a combination of these two? I guess we will know once the tournament is over. Good luck to everyone! Let's take this Warriors!!

 

PS: Sorry, this should have been a vhl.com article. I will make sure to put them in the correct place next time.

Word Count: 471
Week claimed: 19 Mar

Edited March 18, 2023 by Otis Boudreaux Jr
Explained in wrong place.