S93 Vancouver Wolves Off-Season Review

[Frank 5,055]

 

Vancouver, B.C.

May 19th, 2024

 

After a disappointing Season 93, Vancouver entered the off-season looking to improve the roster and build a contender for Season 94. With four players still on rookie contracts in Ninefingers, Martin, Galvirovs and Oaks. Now was the time to take advantage of the cap savings. 

 

 

 

Re-signings:

 

First order of business was to get the core locked up. After signing Dalkr Vidarsson @KaleebtheMighty to a long term contract last off-season solidifying him as the goalie of the present and the future. Management set their sights on Ninefingers, Martin and Galvirovs.

 

Logan Ninefingers @Scurvy - After being selected 1st overall in Season 92, Ninefingers has quickly become the face of the franchise and a player Vancouver would like to convert to centre long term. Logan had a tremendous rookie season after a slow start, finishing with 63 points in 72 games and scoring 32 goals. The bruising two-way forward will look to take the next step in his sophomore season. He signed a long term extension this off-season that carries through Season 98. There have been murmurs around the organization that Logan may be next in line for the captaincy with his work on and off the ice and his presence in the locker room. 

 

Riley Martin @Smarch - Selected two picks after Ninefingers, Martin has been everything the Wolves could have asked for and has been neck and neck with Ninefingers in earning helping to keep each other motivated. Martin is a high compete player who just wants to win no matter what it takes and is truly the heart beat of the Wolves on the ice. Management knew it was imperative to lock both forwards up long term. While Martin signed a slightly shorter extension than Ninefingers he has shown a commitment to the organization and helping the Wolves take the next step. After a hot start in Season 93, Martin cooled off a bit in the second half. He still posted 55 points and 29 goals which wasn't far off from the numbers Logan put up this past season. 

 

Guntis Gavilrovs @Girts - Gavilrovs was the 4th pick for Vancouver in the Season 93 VHL draft at 7th overall. He tore up the VHLE in Season 92 as an offensive two-way dman amassing 78 points in 72 games and throwing nearly 300 hits and blocking over 180 shots. He would go on to win the Jake Thunder trophy in the VHLE as the league's top defensemen. Expectation were high heading in to Season 93 but Vancouver knew it would likely take a few seasons for Gavilrovs play to translate as he was such a physical specimen standing at 6 foot 8 inches and over 250 pounds of human. Guntis had an absolutely punishing first season carrying over his dominant physical play from the VHLE. The offensive stats weren't quite where he would want them to be but he himself stated before the season started that he wanted to focus more on the defensive side and allow the veterans to lead the charge offensively. Gavilrovs is a rare breed of defense and one that Vancouver needed to lock up long term, Guntis would sign an identical contract to the one Logan signed. 

 

 

 

 

Trades:

 

 Vancouver receives:

Mark Calaway

 

 D.C. receives:

S94 HSK 3rd

S95 VAN 1st

S95 WAR 2nd

S95 LAS 3rd

 

Insight on this trade: As stated before Vancouver would be looking to take the next step in Season 94 and as a manager I've always been a bit impatient and wanting to be more proactive so once Mark Calaway @Beketov became available I knew he was a player we absolutely had to pursue. Beketov the agency has never had player on Quebec or Vancouver which is rather shocking considering how long the franchise has been around and Beketov has been here since the beginning. But then I realize how much I've liked to trade draft picks as GM of Quebec/Vancouver so it's really not that hard to believe. Beketov has already given us a big presence in the locker room and is a player/member we'd like to retain past this season. All that being said Calaway is one of, if not the top defensemen in the league currently and the opportunity to pair him with Slater was too good to pass up. Vancouver has had success with this type of formula before with Bouchard and Payne and have found success. 

 

 

 Helsinki receives:

Mikko Borisyuk

Ocean Codoller

S94 RIG 3rd

S96 MAL 2nd

 

Malmo receives:

Vlad Von Carstein

 

 Vancouver receives:

Owen Lazaro

 

Insight on this trade: As mentioned previously as a manager I can be impatient this is more of an example of this than the previous trade. Both Vlad Von Carstein @Dom and Mikko Borisyuk @Minebro are excellent young players with bright future's in the league. Unfortunately they're more secondary role players at this point in their careers and with the earning. If we wanted to take advantage of our max earning players on rookie contracts we needed to move out some of depth to acquire more players in their prime and that's where the logic behind this trade comes from. Owen Lazaro @traphag is in their prime despite entering depreciation and has a very strong player build (that includes face offs) not to mention they've been a great addition to the locker room in the short time since the trade. We're really looking forward to them being in Vancouver this season and the coming seasons. Lazaro has a great two-way build and maybe a contender for top two-way forward in the VHL again this season. They had a career season in Helsinki putting up 50 goals and 99 points with over 270 hits! 

 

 

 Vancouver receives:

The Frenchman

 

 D.C. receives:

DB IV

S96 VAN 2nd

S96 VAN 3rd

 

Insight on this trade: Our second trade with D.C.! Got @FrostBeard on speed dial. Much like the previous trade DB IV is a very good young player but is more in a depth role at this stage of his career @wcats has bright future ahead of them and should be peaking just as D.C. exits their rebuild. Vancouver had a glaring hole entering this off-season. No center depth aside from Borisyuk who they needed to upgrade. Lazaro having 75 face offs solved the hole at 2nd line center now they've filled the other hole at 1st line center in acquiring The Frenchman @OrbitingDeath  who really needs no introduction. One of the top players in the league in their final season looking to go out on top! Just what the doctor ordered for Vancouver. The last time myself and @OrbitingDeath  won a cup together was in Season 56 with than Quebec City Meute. Pietro Maximoff won a cup with Quebec in his final season! Will history repeat itself with The Frenchman? 

 

 

 Vancouver receives:

Rip Wheeler

S95 CGY 2nd

 

 Prague receives:

S94 TOR 3rd

S96 VAN 1st

 

Insight on this trade: Rip Wheeler @ScottyP is someone I've tried to acquire two off-seasons in a row. This time we got it done! The main reason for this trade was so @Thunder and @Scurvy would stop bullying him but unfortunately that plan has back fired. The nice thing though is it has really brought the locker room together in picking on Rip so he'll earn more tpe. Whether that works or not is another story. With that being said Wheeler has a great build despite being depreciated with no fighters and I'm really looking forward to watch where his career goes from here. He'll be a nice fit with our team cap wise for this season and the upcoming ones. This would allow us to move Left Alone @okochastar to defense I considered asking Rip if he would move to defense but it made more sense to have a forward core of Ninefingers, Martin, Lazaro, Wheeler and Oaks heading into Season 95 with only one hole to fill. As opposed to putting too much tpe into defense with the addition of Calaway. 

 

 

 

Draft:

 

1st Round 4th Overall Selection - Bollos de Trueno @Thunder

With our first pick in the draft we selected Trueno who has rocketed up draft boards since his late entry into the draft. The Thunder agency is coming off a HOF career with Jake Thunder and so far Trueno looks to be a defensemen built in the same mold. This was a very defense heavy draft and I feel like Vancouver got one of if not the best one available at 4th overall. From a team building stand point having a cheap max earning defensemen while Slater and Calaway are in their final seasons will make the cap manageable and I'm fucking stoked to see a pairing of Trueno and Gavilrovs as the future of Vancouver's defense. All that without even mentioning the seamless fit in the locker room. Honestly this is probably the most no brain selection I've ever had to make. 

 

1st Round 5th Overall Selection - Soju @Frank

With the last selection being the easiest decision I've ever had to make it would only be justifiable that this next one would be the hardest. I hummed and hawed over who to select for a good ten minutes and I'm surprised I wasn't pressured more to make the selection in a timely manner. The first four picks of the draft going each in less than 30 seconds probably bought me some time. The top contenders at this selection for us we're Felicia Hardy @JCarson, Lazlo Holmes @Gustav , Matteo Stefano @mmrs617 and my own player Soju having already selected Trueno and having Gavilrovs already on the team it didn't make much sense from a team building stand point to go defense with this pick. So the pick came down to Stefano and my own player, this is why the pick took so long to make. Stefano has completely blown the doors off expectations actually out earning most draftees since they created on April 7th. If they can keep up this trajectory they'll be an absolute steal at 14th overall for Davos. The logic for picking a first gen who was 100 tpe behind the next top earning forward at 5th overall would have been to reward @mmrs617 for their efforts and also because I truly believe they'll end up being one of the top players in this draft. I also just want to emphasize how close they were to going 5th overall. In the end I went with my player for only one reason, control. I know what I'm getting with my player and I'm curious how a top earning goalie will do in a tandem with Vidarsson until it's unaffordable under the cap. I fully expect Soju will be traded by the end of his rookie contract.  

 

3rd Round 45th Overall Selection - Ethan Tustain @ethan tustain

This was a hail mary as I hadn't spoken to Ethan before the draft but they had logged on recently and claim practice facility. Hoping he can be a diamond in the rough type of prospect for us. We had a quick chat so hopefully that will lead to more earning for his player going forward and maybe we can get them into the locker room on discord as well. 

 

 

 

Line-up and outlook:

 

Forwards: 

Wheeler - Frenchman - Ninefingers

Oaks - Lazaro - Martin

 

Defense:

Slater - Calaway

Alone - Gavilrovs 

 

Goalie:

Vidarsson

 

 

At forward we're excited to see what @Noodle Enjoyer can do in their rookie season we'll keep our expectations tempered for Oaks. But we hope they can play a big role by the end of the season and into the playoffs as they continue to earn more tpe. I think we have a nice mix of high defense and scoring forwards so I think we match up quite well with the other teams in the league. 

 

On defense I think VSN will rank this the best defense in the league. Not only having Calaway and Slater but having two max earners on the other pairing as well. I'm hoping that @okochastar new build with pair nicely with Gavilrovs. Also @Subject056 has been neck and neck with Calaway in individual stats I'm hoping they can keep that on a pairing together and that Simon doesn't decide that the two players neutralize each other. Two defensemen that have put up 30+ goals it will be interesting what kind of stats they put up on the same team. 

 

In net we have Dalkr Vidarsson @KaleebtheMighty some speculated as to Vidarsson's future in Vancouver's crease after the team selected Soju but I'm here to quell those rumours as Vidarsson is the guy in Vancouver and we'll need him if we want to go anywhere this season and in future seasons. I'm really looking forward to what stats Vidarsson can put up this season with the defense he has in front of him now. 

 

 

2155 words

[Frank 5,055]

Claiming Week Ending 05/19 (1/4)

[mmrs617 254]

15 minutes ago, Frank said:

So the pick came down to Stefano and my own player, this is why the pick took so long to make. Stefano has completely blown the doors off expectations actually out earning most draftees since they created on April 7th. If they can keep up this trajectory they'll be an absolute steal at 14th overall for Davos. The logic for picking a first gen who was 100 tpe behind the next top earning forward at 5th overall would have been to reward @mmrs617 for their efforts and also because I truly believe they'll end up being one of the top players in this draft. I also just want to emphasize how close they were to going 5th overall.

Thank you so much for the kind words. I am going to work hard to create the best player I can. I look forward to competing against Soju and what see what the future holds.

[Frank 5,055]

Claiming week ending 05/26 (2/4)

[rory 1,876]

OVERALL GRADE: meh

[Frank 5,055]

Claiming Week Ending 02/06 (3/4)

[Frank 5,055]

Claiming week ending 09/06 (4/4)