VHL Pre-Draft GM Interview

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With the VHL draft coming up tomorrow (Friday), I wanted to get this out before that so it still makes sense. Last season I did one of these for the VHLM, and with my player now participating in the VHL draft, figured I would do one this season too. I sent a list of questions to each of the VHL GMs to see what their thoughts are for the upcoming draft and the season ahead. Last season I listed out what each of the GMs said, but because there were some GMs that wanted to stay anonymous this time, I’m going to paraphrase a bit and try and keep it a little more vague while trying to give as much insight as I can. 

 

What are your goals for the upcoming draft, and the season beyond?

Okay, it’s going to be a little harder to make this vague but I’m going to do my best. 

 

Calgary Wranglers  - Calgary only has one pick in the first three rounds before having three in the fourth. This is going to be a little tougher for them to get a specific player they’re looking for since the chances of them still being available are slim, but there are chances to make some moves if they’re eyeing someone in particular. They have a solid core but if they're going to continue to improve they will have to find some diamonds who can help in the future. Luckily this draft is pretty deep so they may find just that.

 

Chicago Phoenix  - The Phoenix are in a similar position as the Wranglers going into the draft, except for the fact that they have more established players for S94. They too only have thirds and fourths in draft capital but with a stronger core, may not need to do as much to make an impact this season. They look to be offloading picks wherever they can for guaranteed players since they are starting to contend and maybe prefer players who can help the cause immediately. This could work for a couple of seasons, but eventually, players will be retiring and Chicago could see a long rebuild following a push. 

 

D.C. Dragons  - This is an interesting one. The Dragons have been able to compete in the latest seasons, but they have some work ahead of them if they want to continue their winning ways. With only seven players currently signed with the team, plus their goalie of the future, and a shallow prospect pool, it’s going to be a long road ahead of them. GM @FrostBeard has put together a championship team in the past though, so don’t count out D.C. just yet.

 

HC Davos Dynamo  - @Alex has been putting in the work this offseason. Davos moved down the draft board but in the process was able to pick up tons of top young talent that can help the team immediately. The Dynamo still have two first-round picks and an early second that they can use to fill out their back end and build for the future at the same time. It may still be a battle to make the playoffs this season, but it’s not completely out of the question for this team. 

 

Helsinki Titans  - Talk about a team that’s gone all in on the S94 draft. Helsinki currently owns 14 total picks, 21% of the 64 available. This bodes well for the rebuilding out of Finland. The plan here is to continue building up the prospect pool so there are plenty of chances to bring in players who want to be on the Titans and who also earn well enough to make the team contenders. It’s still going to be some time before Helsinki makes a considerable push for a championship, but they have a solid plan for the future as it currently stands.

 

London United  - With their perennial all-star goalie now retired and on the bench for London, they were looking for a goalie for the foreseeable future and @jacobcarson877 found that in a trade with Calgary to acquire Merome Dilson @MexicanCow123. They now only have a single draft pick, in the fourth round, and are looking at bolstering the current roster for the time being before the rebuild seasons inevitably come for them. 

 

Los Angeles Stars  - The Stars look rough. It’s rebuild time for them after making a hard push for a championship in S92 and coming up short. They have put themselves in a great position for the future, securing four first-rounders and three seconds in tomorrow’s draft. This should set them up nicely in a few seasons but leading up to that I wouldn’t expect too many wins. After losing the first overall pick due to a little bit of rule skirting, LA has opted to rely on the depth of the draft class to supply them with the talent they need. This will be an interesting team to watch come S96 if they can hit on their picks. 

 

Malmo Nighthawks - On paper, the Nighthawks look pretty good. While they don’t have any superstars, overall they have a well-balanced group. Pair that with six draft picks and Malmo shouldn’t be easing off the gas any time soon. @KaleebtheMighty was quoted saying “We pride ourselves in making selections that bring a good presence into our locker room”, and the goal is to continue bringing in players that fit that mould. It seems that Malmo feels that with the players being so tight-knit in the locker room, it will translate to on-ice success as well.

 

Moscow Menace  - How do you compete with the ruthless trading of @Spartan ? Somehow Moscow has pulled off acquiring the top two picks in tomorrow’s draft without completely blowing up the team. The Menace will be just that, menaces, this upcoming season and beyond. I’ll get more into this further down, but with (presumably) the additions of the top two earners and veteran VHLers, this Moscow team has a lot to be hopeful about going forward. 

 

New York Americans - It’s been quite some time since the Americans won a Continental Cup, but the team continues to look good. Holding onto the 9th overall pick, New York should be able to pick up a relatively low-risk pick that can help them once they develop. While they have been relatively quiet this offseason, trades-wise, there has still been a goal to continue improving not just the current team, but the teams that will follow and continue competing. 

 

Prague Phantoms - Truthfully, there isn’t a lot to go off of here. Prague is in “full rebuild mode” and will be for a while. The team does have six picks heading into the draft so they should be able to pick up some reliable prospects to add to their pool as they rebuild. This one is going to be a lot of work but it seems GM @Tetricide is all in and ready to build the team of the future.

 

Riga Reign - Brand new GM @Lemorse7 has inherited a team that is ready for the future. Add in the third pick in the draft and they should continue to build on that. The addition of star defenceman Skor McFleury (whether they got scammed or not) really helps out this young team as they attempt to improve on last season’s record. Pair that with a franchise goalie and a defensive battalion that is on the rise and the Reign will be ready to compete soon. 

 

Seattle Bears - The Continental Cup Champions don’t have a single pick in tomorrow’s draft. Using the capital that they currently have to compete again next season is the plan, as this team looks very similar to their championship one. With Nathan Ecker making the jump to the VHL in S94, Seattle looks to repeat in the same way they won this season – with a complete team from front to back.

 

Toronto Legion  - Toronto looks like a respectable team going into the S94 draft. They have three picks, including a first and a second-rounder, and a team that looks strong to back it up. With the draft being as deep as it is, the Legion should be able to make picks that can help them sooner rather than later. With an ageing team, however, the window for Toronto is narrow so they might need to look at adding some prospects to the pool soon.

 

Vancouver Wolves  - This team has a good mix of rising stars and veteran presences that could compete for a championship in S94. Tack on a 4th and 5th overall selection in the draft and you have a recipe for success for seasons to come. This Wolves team has been built up to be contenders for a long time and they should do just that. If they can add a few more prospects in upcoming seasons they will put themselves in an even better spot and possibly become the team to beat in the VHL.

 

Warsaw Predators - The Predators are relying on top talent being available in the second round to set them up for the future. Although they haven’t had much success recently in their second-round picks, this draft class looks promising to break that streak. In the meantime, Warsaw has a team that should be able to make a decent push in the playoffs, and they are relatively young up front as well. Don’t sleep on this Predators team just yet.

 

Who do you think will be the #1 pick and why?

 

Last season when I asked this question to the VHLM GMs, almost everyone had a different opinion on who would be chosen first and why. This time around is much different. There seems to be a unanimous top two and because of the trades this week, we don’t need to debate who will get who. At this point, it is basically a lock that Moscow will end up with both Maverick Goncalves @leandrofg and Jillian Woods @jacobcarson877. Who Spartan decides will be the honourary number one pick is yet to be seen though. 
That being said, I did get some buzz around Felicia Hardy @JCarson, and Pierre Marc Bouchard @Gaikoku-hito so don’t count them out just yet. With the top 12 earners being seasoned VHL veterans (my player, Andrew Skilton, being 13 *wink wink*), it’s hard to get a bust in the first round this draft. There could still be some trades being worked out so keep your eyes out for that. 

 

This draft is looking pretty deep, with 19 players sitting at 200+ TPE and another 9 over 150. How confident are you that you're going to get the players you want?

 

Again, with the deep draft, there is a lot to be hopeful about. Most of the GMs that I spoke to said they are confident they’re going to end up with the player they are hoping for. At the very least, there is so much talent that even if they don’t get the specific player they were looking at, there will almost certainly be someone comparable as a backup. Teams are still looking to score a diamond in the rough in the later portions of the draft, and are preparing accordingly to find those.

 

What is your favourite part of the offseason?

 

The offseason can be both stressful and relaxing in the VHL. When asked, GMs tend to look at taking a little time off before putting their noses to the grindstone and making things happen. Since there isn’t much time to take a break, it can become a bit stressful with all the trade offers and scouting that tends to happen, but some GMs relish in that pressure. The draft can be a really exciting time for the players, and I think the GMs feed off of that energy and apply it accordingly. Lastly, the offseason tournaments are a great way to take a bit of a step back and watch the rest of the VHL have a little bit of extra-curricular fun. 

 

 

Well, there it is. Thank you to all the GMs who participated and helped inform my longest article to date. I’m really looking forward to how the draft pans out and will be watching along with every selection. To the draftees – good luck and have fun!
 

(2039 Words)

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Edited May 17 by ace_five_

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