3 VHLM Rookies to Watch in Week 2

[LucyXpher 626]

A quick click over to the VHLM standings and league leaders will give you a sense of which players are making a name for themselves so far this season.  In this post, however, we'll be looking at 3 quality players who are flying under the radar after one week of play.

 

1. Nathan Ecker - RW - Houston Bulls @Nathan_8: Though his 6 points in 10 games may not jump off the page just yet, it is worth noting that 5 of those points are goals.  Sure, shooting at 21.74% is not likely sustainable for the duration of the season, but then it's also not likely that he continues getting only 1 assist every 10 games.  Add to that the fact that he is a rookie who is looking more and more confident with each passing game, don't be surprised if he takes a leap forward in production as the season progresses.  Possessing good speed and a great shot, he has the weapons in his arsenal to be a serious player at the VHLM level and beyond.  

 

2. Annie Oaks - RW - Saskatoon Wild @Noodle Enjoyer: 60 shots in 10 games.  That's the headline for Annie Oaks so far this season.  With a respectable 4 goals and 7 assists, she's had moderate success offensively, but it's not likely she continues shooting at 6.6% for long.  Sitting at 5th in the league in shots, there are 25 players who have more than her 4 goals.  At some point, those shots are going to start going in, and when they do, we could be looking at an absolute terror for opposing goalies.

 

3. Aleksanteri Kaskiniemi-Kekkonen - G - Mexico City Kings @Snussu: The .897 save percentage doesn't exactly flatter this 18 year old Finnish netminder, but we're also only 10 games into a long 72 game season.  In those 10 games, Kaskiniemi-Kekkonen holds a winning 6-3-1 record as the Kings sit 2nd in the Western Conference and 5th overall.  It's still way too early to count out the 2nd overall pick from the S92 VHLM draft.  With high potential and a quality blueline in front of him, look for Kaskiniemi-Kekkonen to find the form that made him such a hot commodity in the last offseason.

 

 

Lauren Lambert for VHL.com

Claiming for week of 01/21

Edited January 15 by LucyXpher