Naomi Young Rookie Profile [8/8 FINAL]

[JardyB10 4,865]

Naomi Young Rookie Profile

 

 

Translated from an unpublished Helsinki college newspaper article, circa S36.

 

Naomi Young, born in Grand Prairie, Alberta, Canada, was one of the Helsinki Titans’ two rookies to dress this season.  Young is a highly-touted, prototypical playmaking center, and will likely be the best forward to come out of the S35 Entry Draft.  It was for this reason Titans GM Mitchell Higgins happily snatched her up 2^nd overall, ahead of the potentially great Leon Leitner.

 

Young first declared VHLM eligibility toward the end of S33, where she was waiver claimed by the Ottawa Ice Dogs.  The Ice Dogs were a playoff bubble team, and the pick-up bolstered the squad just enough to take the last North American spot over the Yukon Rush.  Young played only the last 17 games that season, and picked up 11 points.  Nine of those points were assists, and she won 68.42% of the 19 faceoffs she took, making it immediately clear to fans of the VHL what she does best.  When playoffs rolled around, Young helped the Ice Dogs “upset” the Saskatoon Wild in seven games, before the team got unceremoniously swept in the second round by the Brampton Blades.

 

The following season, she was drafted 3^rd overall by the Minot Gladiators.  Teaming up with veteran Simon Tremblay, the two made sweet music together, and led the Gladiators to a 110 point season, good for third in the league.  For Young’s part, she contributed 20 goals and 94 assists, the latter total being the third highest in the league.  She was also the second best faceoff man, err… woman in the league, winning 64.20% of 2017.  However, she and Tremblay were unable to replicate their regular season success in the playoffs.  After easily dumping her former team in Ottawa (now called the Lynx) in four games in the first round, the Gladiators were routed in the second round in six games by the Rush.  Young only had five points to show for her final VHLM playoff performance.

 

 

Never an offensive leader, it was Young’s role this season to supplement the wealth of talent on the Titans roster.  Centering a line between veterans Al Wilson and Brody Hodgson, Naomi should have been set to pass her way to a Stolzschweiger Trophy potential season.  However, she struggled mightily, scoring only five goals and 28 assists over a full season.  Her +9 was the worst on her entire team, not including the HEL crew.  The lack of production would not be so bad if she acted more like a lady and stayed out of the penalty box, which her 66 PIM indicates she did not.  Her one bright spot during the season was her prowess in the faceoff circle, winning 60.37% of her draws, good for 6^th highest in the league.  She fared slightly better in the playoffs, contributing one goal and five assists in the Titans 12 game playoff run.  It wasn’t enough though, and Helsinki was eliminated in six games in the finals to the Quebec Meute.

 

Naomi Young is undoubtedly a skilled playmaking center.  Even as a rookie, her skill in the faceoff circle is world-class, and she will likely develop into one of league’s top passers.  However, she has limited all-around offensive upside.  She very rarely scores, and because of this, she will never be able to carry a team on her own like her predecessors (Jardy Bunclewirth, CAL G) could.  Additionally, for someone who is not a notably physical player, she spends too much time in the penalty box.  If she works on her discipline and her scoring abilities, she can develop into a very good top line center for the Titans.  She will likely never win any individual awards (except perhaps the Beketov Trophy), but she could be an essential piece of a Continental Cup winning puzzle.

 

FINAL GRADE:  B+

CAREER POTENTIAL:  First Line Center

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

please try to do this either in your draft season or first VHL season to keep things relevant.

 

 

[Molholt 2,185]

Content: 5/5 - Looks good to me here, overview of many moons ago. This seems like such an old guy thing to do, post your rookie profile when you're nearing the twilight of your career!

Grammar: 1/1 - I didn't catch anything on my first read through, so it passes my eye test.

Appearance: 1/1 - Mostly looks fine, first image isn't fully visible for me.

Over 500 Words? 1/1

Overall 8/8