Re-Drafting Season 89 Like it's Hot

[Frank 5,214]

Le Repêchage Saison Quatre Vingt Dix Neuf 

 

여기에 재치 있는 첫 문장을 삽입하세요. Originally the Season 89 VHL draft class was seen as weak by many on lookers, as it was the first draft class with very few recent recreates. Other than a handful who in hindsight after writing this and then returning to this sentence only to realize how poorly written it was, yes the class was weak. If you've made it this far, good job  but I can't promise you that the reading this "article" will get any easier from here on out or if the whole thing will be worth your time. End tangent. With that being said who's to say there wasn't some great talent in this class. So I thought it might be a fun exercise to re-examine where players were taken and whether they have risen or fallen in the draft order. Though the players still have 2 seasons remaining in their careers beyond this one, at this point the players are who they are but there's still time to improve career stats and win awards. 

 

1st Overall  - RW Harry Callahan @dstevensonjr 1429 TPE 

Original selection 17th Overall by Toronto (181 TPE at time of draft)

One of the most active members of his class Harry Callahan has amassed 1248 tpe since he was selected by Toronto. A player who's agency has an apt for writing but was a slow earner out of the gate, eventually finding consistency in max earning. Callahan is entering his 5th season in the VHL after spending two seasons post draft in the VHLM and VHLE respectively, despite all that he leads the class in both current TPA and TPE by a large margin. Although personal awards have been hard to come by playing in the shadows of Atlas and Jaks, Callahan has still put up very respectable numbers to this point in his career, once those geezers @v.2  and @ke1vi retire he'll be the top dog in Toronto and have a more reasonable path to individual stardom.  

 

 

2nd Overall  - C Viktor Jensen @Advantage 1233 TPE 

Original selection 1st overall by Malmo (348 TPE at time of draft)

At the time of the draft Jensen was considered the clear cut favourite to go first overall. Name brand aside Advantage earned enough tpe for Jensen to be considered a legitimate 1st overall prospect despite the weakness of the class as a whole. At first glance it's easy to see that they haven't earned as much as they could have post draft but have still put together a solid career and have been a big part of Malmo's regular season success. Jensen is currently playing in his 7th season, he will be the only player from this draft to play nine seasons which is no easy feat. But there has been a large enough sample size with 9 season players that shows it tends to hurt the players individual awards aspirations. I think Jensen may have had an even stronger career to this point if he had gone with an 8 season career, as depreciation starts to take it's toll. 

 

 3rd Overall  -  C Diego Machado @Dadam30 1157 TPE

Original selection 34th overall by Toronto (134 TPE at time of draft)

Easily the steal of the draft and one of the bigger steals of recent memory. Rising over 30 spots. Machado goes back to the team that originally selected him in the 3rd round but in a much more fitting spot this time. Just a quick note on @Moon's strong draft, getting four actives (despite Burns more recent inactivity) out of what is considered a weak draft is impressive. Machado much like Callahan has been living in the shadow of Toronto's star power. So it'll be interesting how this season and the following to play out for him and if he can finally win some individual hardware. Last season Machado lit the league on fire putting up over 120 points, looking forward to see what he has in store for us this season. 

 

4th Overall  - RW Shubham Anand @Will3 935 TPE

Original selection 13th overall by Calgary (223 TPE at time of draft)

There are a few players ahead of Anand in TPE, but because the totals are so close and Anand is having himself a season right now I had to put him 4th overall. Currently leading all VHL skaters with 40 points and 20 goals through 18 games in season 95. Looks like this seasons Tuominen. Since being traded to Riga in season 91, Will3 has been loyal to the franchise and is starting to find some individual and team success. Big things could be ahead for this player as they reach their penultimate season. 

 

5th Overall  - LW Savaisk Tzesar @comrade cat 974 TPE

Original selection 12th overall by Malmo  (207 TPE at time of draft)

I'm going to be honest here, the next few selections are so close in TPE and individual stats/success that it really could go any which way. At the time of the draft New York really flubbed this pick, selecting Zyn Westwood, who in all honesty I may not even rank in this re-draft. Savaisk has had a nice career to date, nothing spectacular but another player who has played a major role in the regular season success Malmo has enjoyed. Tzesar had his strongest statistical campaign in Season 94, putting up 90 points. He's also really emerged as one of the league's top power forwards posting over 300 hits this past season. 

 

6th Overall  - LW David Rashford @Knight 963 TPE

Original selection 22nd overall by Helsinki (165 TPE at time of draft)

David Knight brother of much better looking Phil Knight @Phil was once a commissioner of the VHL at a time when it was pure anarchy and chaos. He's also the guy who has a literal trophy named after him for being top GM. I considered ranking him lower for using the name David again, but I'll let it slide. Rashford had an interesting start to his career, being selected by Helsinki 22nd overall only to be never offered a contract and walked to free agency. In free agency he was a highly sought after commodity and he would eventual choose Moscow as his new home. Fresh off a Continental Cup win with Moscow in Season 94, the sky is the limit for Rashford who has put up pretty pedestrian numbers offensively in his career to date. I'm predicting a big break out season coming up. 

 

7th Overall - C Ronald Johnson MacWallace III @RJMW 926 TPE

Original selection 7th overall by Malmo (224 TPE at time of draft)

Finally a player from Malmo who has been a big part of their team for a while and has attributed to their blah blah blah. Yes I am a broken record. I think we can all agree that seeing a player taken by the same team in the same spot is nothing short of satisfying, and no MacWallace is not just a cog in the regular season juggernaut that is the Malmo Nighthawks. Ronald is his own man, a jack of all trades and master of none. Much like his counterparts from Malmo he has yet to have a break out season and that's largely due to the fact Malmo has always had a strong forward core. But I'm a betting man so I'll put my money on one of these Malmo players breaking out soon. 26 points in 18 games this season, shhh don't jinx it!

 

8th Overall  - D Fradin McGryer @Fradin99 808 TPE

Original selection 4th overall by Calgary (231 TPE at time of draft)

McGryer despite maybe not living up to his draft position of 4th overall, has a had a stellar career and has become a true mainstay on Riga's back end. Putting up solid numbers throughout his career to date. Including over 250 hits three seasons in a row, as well as point per game totals last season. Another first gen gem unearthed by @Ricer13. 

 

9th Overall  - D Ben Laas @dustywilson22 801 TPE

Original selection 6th overall by DC (220 TPE at time of draft)

Laas found success with DC after being drafted, winning a cup in Season 92. After 5 seasons of putting up respectable numbers for the Dragons, Laas was traded to Davos for a future 1st round selection. The trade alone exemplifies the value Laas carries throughout the league and how steady a career he's a had on and off the ice. Despite a slow start this season, big things are ahead for Ben in Season 95 and beyond.  

 

10th Overall  - RW Jeff Lewis @nerji 953 TPE RETIRED

Original selection 10th overall by Moscow (hell yeah we did it again!) (254 TPE at time of draft)

Lewis would have made it higher on this list if not for his early retirement this past season. Despite that, he did with a cup with Moscow in Season 94. Also putting up very strong numbers throughout his shortened career. Menace fans can only envision the type of career Lewis would have had if he had played out all 8 seasons. After winning the Stolzy trophy in Season 90 the hype began to simmer, but never reached a boil. 

 

11th Overall  - RW Keegan Gamble @Keegan Gamble 842 TPE

Original selection 11th overall by DC (I swear I'm not doing this on purpose) (191 TPE at time of draft)

I remember doing a draft interview with Keegan. I asked him about his hopes and dreams for his player. My main take away was that he wanted to build a HOF caliber super star. I don't think he quite lived up to that hype. But he built a very strong player who would help lead DC to their second championship in franchise history. Back to back championships in the VHLE and coming off a 90 point season in Season 94. Keegan's had a very solid career. If his agencies earning ever increased maybe we'd be talking about the HOF, but alas it was not meant to be. Although there's still plenty of time to move up on this re-draft.  

 

12th Overall  - YOU'RE FUCKING RETIRED D Eric Queefson @twists 821 TPE BUST

Original selection 2nd overall by DC (337 TPE at time of draft)

Queefson was not a bad player, but also not a very good one. The hype was real and Eric almost lived up to it. Unfortunately he delved into the dark world of stamp collecting and his motivation to be the fucking best just dwindled away. Had he not retired Eric may have been the greatest defensemen the VHL had seen. But now we'll never know. 

 

13th Overall  - D Reginald the Dodo @Esso2264 714 TPE

Original selection 20th overall by Toronto (199 TPE at time of draft)

How long must one live to see the non clicker version of Esso? Dodo definitely has room to grow on this list, especially with the two retirees ahead of him, but the stats have been pretty lack lustre. Maybe a return to New York will be the motivation he needs to finally post press conference answers or click a few extra buttons for fantasy tpe. 

 

14th Overall  - C Mikko Borisyuk @PacifistKit17 664 TPE

Original selection 27th overall by DC (137 TPE at time of draft)

PacifistKit17 is a recent addition to the VHLE GM crew and his player is taking big strides as well. Borisyuk's slow entrance into the VHL means his player will never be depreciated which bodes well for him to become a late bloomer. Especially playing for a rebuilding Helsinki team who will likely be looking to take the next step just as Mikko hits his peak. Borisyuk is going to be a player to watch going forward and could be dark horse for the Funk Trophy. 

 

15th Overall  - RW Carson Walker JR @Cwalker 657 TPE

Original selection 24th overall by LA (175 TPE at time of draft)

Another steady earner much like Mikko. Walker JR is currently playing for Riga, one of the VHL's top teams. So far this season he's put up 15 points and is a plus 20 through only 18 games. Unlike Mikko, Carson will experience depreciation at the end of Season 96 but he still projects to be a late bloomer who could have a big season left up his sleeve before he kicks the bucket. 

 

16th Overall  - G Karl Herzlich @LastGoon007 633 TPE

Original selection 25th overall by Malmo (169 TPE at time of draft)

Herzlich has been a consistent pension earner over his career. It's culminated into a shared starts situation this season with Malmo where Karl has posted an impressive 1.97 GAA and .931 SV PCT. After being the back up for the past two seasons Karl must be relishing the spotlight. The future remains bright for the netminder even with Malmo's logjam in the crease. There's plenty of teams with a need for a starting goalie so we may see an even bigger role for him in future seasons. 

 

That's it! That's all! I can't write another word I'm starving. If you see this list and your player isn't on it, frankly it's because you're either not very active or retired. Also If you want me to eat crow go post a point tasks or do more than click a couple buttons. Prove me wrong!

 

 

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Edited August 17 by Frank

[Frank 5,214]

Claiming week ending 08-18 (1/4)

[Lemorse7 1,016]

Rigaaaaa

[RJMW 127]

Dude, if you jinxed it...

[dstevensonjr 422]

Callahan and Machado! Legion S89 for life!!

[Frank 5,214]

4 hours ago, RJMW said:

Dude, if you jinxed it...

[Esso2264 774]

On 8/16/2024 at 11:50 PM, Frank said:

How long must one live to see the non clicker version of Esso?

that guy died years ago

[Garsh 1,193]

2 hours ago, Esso2264 said:

that guy died years ago

[Frank 5,214]

Claiming week ending 08-25 (2/4)

[Frank 5,214]

Claiming week ending 09-01 (3/4)

[Frank 5,214]

Claiming week ending 09-15 (4/4)