VSN Presents: S93 VHL Preview

[Alex 2,869]

@Frank

 

Hey everybody! Welcome to this season’s VHL Season preview, after a busy offseason, full of roster changes there’s been a considerable shift in team’s outlooks this season with a major shift towards the European Conference. So, without further to do, let’s jump right into it!

 

North American Conference

 

1 - Toronto Legion 

Forward Rank - 1st
Defense Rank - 8th

Goalie Rank - 3rd

Conference Rank - 2nd

League Rank - 2nd

 

Toronto is in a very unique spot right now, their top forwards all have 3 seasons left, along with Bobby Bob @Baby Boomer currently being the leagues top defensemen in terms of TPA. While their core is strong there is one player that really puts an end date on their window, as Joel Castle @animal74 is set to retire in 2 seasons. With that being said they are still a top goalie in the league, and we can expect Toronto to be a bit more aggressive in the trade market to try and win another cup with their aging core. Toronto should come out of the gate quickly this season and if they can pick up a true number 2 defensemen, they could very well be favourites to win it all.

 

2 - New York Americans 

Forward Rank - 2nd
Defense Rank - 3rd

Goalie Rank - 9th

Conference Rank - 1st

League Rank - 1st

 

New York is Toronto’s only real threat at this point in time and it was essentially a coin flip on who to put ahead of the other, ultimately it came down to goaltending as the new sliders leave a lot unknown on the goaltending side of things. While we do have New York just behind Toronto to start the season they have the deepest roster in the league and some fast improving young players that will close the gap to the top players in the league. As of right now New York is the favourite team to win the Continental Cup at the end of the season assuming their players continue to improve at an elite pace.

 

3 - D.C. Dragons 

Forward Rank - 4th

Defense Rank - 10th

Goalie Rank - 7th

Conference Rank - 4th

League Rank - 8th

 

The D.C. dragons are in a similar position to Toronto in the sense of having an aging roster that has a window directly related to their goaltenders' imminent retirement. As of right now this season is D.C.’s last chance to build off of last season's championship. With most of last season’s roster back there’s no reason they can’t win it all again. We can also expect D.C. to be in the market for a number 2 or 3 defensemen. As of right now D.C. is the final North American team that is a lock for the playoffs and should be set for another solid season.

 

4 - Calgary Wranglers 

Forward Rank - 14th
Defense Rank - 7th

Goalie Rank - 1st

Conference Rank - 5th

League Rank - 10th

 

The Calgary Wranglers are in a very unique spot, they have top players in nearly every position including the league best goalie and reigning MVP in Merome Dilson @MexicanCow123. However, Calgary has a bit of a drop off with their depth players. Brining in 2 depth forwards right before the season really helps, but we can look for Calgary to continue looking for another upgrade. Calgary should make the playoffs by all means, but do have some serious questions offensively.

 

5 - Vancouver Wolves 

Forward Rank - 7th
Defense Rank - 4th

Goalie Rank - 12th

Conference Rank - 3rd

League Rank - 7th

 

Vancouver probably makes the playoffs this season, which is a huge step forward from season 92. Liv Slater @Subject056 has really come into their own, and aggressive trades in the offseason look like they will pay off. The main question mark with their roster comes with their goaltending as Dalkr Vidarsson @KaleebtheMighty is the lowest TPA off all the starting goalies on competing teams, they should improve quickly though in a season where the impact of goaltending is uncertain itself.

 

6 - Chicago Phoenix 

Forward Rank - 12th
Defense Rank - 12th

Goalie Rank - 11th

Conference Rank - 6th

League Rank - 12th

 

Chicago is very much in the middle, not quite good enough to truly compete, but not bad enough to get a top pick (without lotto luck).  Their saving grace this season could very well be their offensive depth, while they lack a top forward in the league, Yaroslav Trunov @qripll is coming off of a great season and will be looking to replicate what Scotty Sundin @fromtheinside did for Chicago only a few seasons ago. We can expect Chicago to be right around the playoff bubble all season and maybe even push one of the top teams out.

 

7 - Seattle Bears 

Forward Rank - 8th
Defense Rank - 14th

Goalie Rank - 15th

Conference Rank - 7th

League Rank - 13th

 

This offseason left one question in everyone’s mind, why on earth did Henry Eagles @Greg_Di go to Seattle? While they do drastically impact their offensive outlook, the roster is far from ready to contend. The main issue for Seattle this season will more than likely be goaltending as while Giorgiy Costanzov @Mongoose87 does have a lot of potential they just aren’t quite there yet and don’t have the blue line in front of them to limit chances. Seattle will likely prove to be a trade partner for many of the teams looking to add a player or two, but they aren’t ready to compete for a playoff spot just yet, unless their offense and Eagles put the team on their back.

 

8 - Los Angeles Stars 

Forward Rank - 16th
Defense Rank - 16th

Goalie Rank - 14th

Conference Rank - 8th

League Rank - 16th

 

After seasons of competing near the top of the league, a new era has begun in Los Angeles. All the players remaining from their previous core have been shipped off for futures. Matthew McCagg @Jack kidd may just play spoiler at some points this season, but Los Angeles is a lock for the bottom of their conference.

 

European Conference

 

1- Helsinki Titans 

Forward Rank - 9th
Defense Rank - 2nd

Goalie Rank - 5th

Conference Rank - 3rd

League Rank - 5th

 

Helsinki is back again this season, despite some losses due to retirements, Helsinki is still a formidable team and could very well turn some heads this season. Despite a bit of a drop off from their top two forwards to everyone else, Helsinki should be fine though with potential MVP Daryl Dixon, and Adi Dassler who should develop quickly throughout the season. Overall, Helsinki is in a very good position, but with their window starting to close the clock is ticking in Helsinki.

 

2 - London United 

Forward Rank - 3rd
Defense Rank - 6th

Goalie Rank - 2nd

Conference Rank - 1st

League Rank - 3rd

 

London is back and with one big question this season; can Wann Kerr @VattghernCZ step up and replace Molly The Cat @JCarson? The answer to this is probably yes, however it is a tough loss for the United. Safe to say this season is London’s last kick at the can before a prolonged rebuild as Jesse Teno @aimkin will be retiring following this season. There is a silver lining there though as the franchises’ top goalie ever will continue to improve this season in what is their final push.

 

3 - Malmo Nighthawks 

Forward Rank - 5th
Defense Rank - 1st

Goalie Rank - 8th

Conference Rank - 2nd

League Rank - 4th

 

Malmo comes into this season as probably the most well-rounded roster, almost every player would be a top 3 forward or top 2 D on most teams. With that being said the onus will be on Jacob Stone @scoop to carry this roster as the only elite player. In previous seasons goaltending has been a bit of a question mark, and the same thing could be an issue this time around, while Ash Sparks @DarkSpyro is coming off of a great S92, there is just a hint of uncertainty around goaltending at this moment. In all honesty any of these top 3 teams could finish first in the EU, and there is a fairly considerable gap down to 4th.

 

4 - Moscow Menace 

Forward Rank - 6th
Defense Rank - 5th

Goalie Rank - 10th

Conference Rank - 4th

League Rank - 6th

 

Moscow is back again this season and is only better than they were last season where they finished 3rd in the conference. There is a good chance that given their rapid improvement that they could challenge one of the top three teams and maybe even top the conference by the end of the season. As of right now there is a considerable gap, but there’s no reason why Moscow can’t close it. As of right now Moscow is the 4th best team in the EU and the gap back to 5th is honestly massive. Moscow should comfortably make the playoffs. The future is really bright in Moscow, and with the rest of the conference nearing a rebuild, or currently in one, Moscow should run the EU for a good amount of time in the near future.

 

5 - Prague Phantoms 

Forward Rank - 10th
Defense Rank - 11th

Goalie Rank - 6th

Conference Rank - 5th

League Rank - 9th

 

Prague is in a very interesting situation right now, their top 4 players are either retiring or a pending UFA, so similarly to London this season is cup or bust given the pending rebuild. Realistically Prague does have a good chance to do well this season, but they will need some aggressive roster moves to round out their roster with the best players available. Time will tell what happens in Prague, while their chances to make the playoffs are good, some trades will be needed before calling them a contender.

 

6 - Warsaw Predators 

Forward Rank - 11th
Defense Rank - 13th

Goalie Rank - 4th

Conference Rank - 6th

League Rank - 11th

 

Warsaw could very well be the team to watch this season, they finally have the goaltending that they’ve needed for some time with Lachlan Summers @kirbithan, and their forwards are just hitting their prime. While their defense is still a little lackluster, Summers more than makes up for it. Similarly to Prague we can expect Warsaw to be a bit aggressive in the trade market as the two teams will likely compete for the final playoff spot. We have Warsaw behind Prague right now just due to the difference in top end talent, however, Prague’s lack of depth could end up being Warsaw’s gain.

 

7 - Riga Reign 

Forward Rank - 13th
Defense Rank - 9th

Goalie Rank - 13th

Conference Rank - 7th

League Rank - 14th

 

Riga is comfortably the 7th best team in the European conference right now, with that being said don’t be surprised if they challenge for a playoff spot as all in all their roster is very solid and should improve fairly quickly over the course of the season. Riga’s bright spot right now is their defense, as they do have a very solid group led by Fradin McGryer @Fradin99 and Mina @Baozi. Red Panda @Lemorse7 will also be looking to improve this season and just maybe push Riga towards a playoff spot.

 

8 - HC Davos Dynamo 

Forward Rank - 15th
Defense Rank - 15th

Goalie Rank - 16th

Conference Rank - 8th

League Rank - 15th

 

Similarly to Los Angeles, Davos is comfortably the worst team in the European Conference. David Jokinen and a forward group composed of rookie and sophomore players should lead to an interesting season, but this team will more than likely be in a close battle with LA for last.

 

[Greg_Di 933]

2 hours ago, Alex said:

@Frank

 

 

 

7 - Seattle Bears 

Forward Rank - 8th
Defense Rank - 14th

Goalie Rank - 15th

Conference Rank - 7th

League Rank - 13th

 

This offseason left one question in everyone’s mind, why on earth did Henry Eagles @Greg_Di go to Seattle? While they do drastically impact their offensive outlook, the roster is far from ready to contend. The main issue for Seattle this season will more than likely be goaltending as while Giorgiy Costanzov @Mongoose87 does have a lot of potential they just aren’t quite there yet and don’t have the blue line in front of them to limit chances. Seattle will likely prove to be a trade partner for many of the teams looking to add a player or two, but they aren’t ready to compete for a playoff spot just yet, unless their offense and Eagles put the team on their back.

 

 

 

Everyone loves a Cinderella story

[scoop 3,254]

My tier list. Using my own magical calculations based on players' attributes rather than TPA. Helsinki could probably go in its own spot between great and good, and D.C. and Warsaw are also better than the rest of the average crowd but still definitely a step below good.

 

	North America	Europe
Elite	NYA	LON, MAL
Great	TOR	MOS
Good	VAN, CGY	HSK
Average	DCD, CHI, SEA	WAR, PRG
Bad		RIG
VHLE	LAS	DAV

Edited March 22 by scoop

[Spartan 3,997]

1 hour ago, scoop said:

My tier list. Using my own magical calculations based on players' attributes rather than TPA. Helsinki could probably go in its own spot between great and good, and D.C. and Warsaw are also better than the rest of the average crowd but still definitely a step below good.

 

	North America	Europe
Elite	NYA	LON, MAL
Great	TOR	MOS
Good	VAN, CGY	HSK
Average	DCD, CHI, SEA	WAR, PRG
Bad		RIG
VHLE	LAS	DAV

I think MOS is a few tiers too low, no?

[rory 1,759]

4 hours ago, Alex said:

2 - New York Americans 

Forward Rank - 2nd
Defense Rank - 3rd

Goalie Rank - 9th

???

 

did you misclick 9 and 1?

[Victor 10,536]

2 hours ago, rory said:

???

 

did you misclick 9 and 1?

1th*

 

4 hours ago, scoop said:

VHLE LAS DAV

Rude, we don't want them

[VattghernCZ 665]

11 hours ago, Alex said:

can Wann Kerr @VattghernCZ step up and replace Molly The Cat @JCarson? 

[STZ 5,280]

Make Americans Great Again