Under the Wire

[der meister 3,182]

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to look at the D.C. Dragons' roster and come to the conclusion that the squad isn't going to win a lot of games this season. That said, the Dragons are dreadfully bad. Officially halfway through the season, they've accumulated a total of 6 wins. Considering how early their draft pick was in the most recent VHL Entry Draft, it's also not surprising that the team has struggled to turn it around. Bright spots are few and far between, with only a handful of entries in the League Leaders lists playing for D.C. Forward Tom Dufour is tied for the league lead with 2 shorthanded goals, and Theo Allard has been on the receiving end of the 4th-most hits in the entire VHL. Dubious distinction.

 

On the other hand, young goaltender Herald Benson's 0.926 save percentage is second in the VHL, behind only an obnoxiously-long string of W's. Benson has also faced the most shots in the VHL by over 50, a true indicator of the Dragons' defensive incompetence. 

 

And then there's rookie winger Konstyantyn Shevchenko, the 4th overall selection in the Draft. With only 13 points in 36 games, it's fair to say Shevchenko has been underwhelming. He's also leading the team in the worst way - a negative 34 plus/minus rating. But the raw potential is evident, as well. His 11 goals place him third on the team, and he's shown a surprising willingness to sacrifice his body for the good of the team, pacing the Dragons in Hits and the forward corps in Blocked Shots. He also leads the team in shooting percentage, with a 12.22%. With so much gloom around the franchise, including the pending retirement of popular General Manager FrostBeard, it's good to see a sliver of hope in the form of the young Ukrainian's contributions, who looks to be growing into his massive frame and could end up as the VHL's premier power forward before all is said and done.

 

Elsewhere around the league, the Prague Phantoms are neck-and-neck with the Dragons for the VHL's Cellar Dweller award, as both teams have 15 points on the season. Obviously the Dragons have a lot of holes to fill on the roster, so it seems a given they'd be excited to be adding another top end player in the next Draft. With no defensemen under contract for next season, they're in a position to immediately give whoever they select a chance to crack the VHL, bypassing the European league, and that could be a good selling point for some prospects who might otherwise be skeptical of landing on such a beleaguered roster.

 

The Dragons are ass this season.

 

Defender Eurydyka Sklodowska Dudzinska is said to be contemplating retirement after this season, though some sources indicate there might be enough in the tank for one more season. Right winger Dufour has one more season left on his contract before he's set to hit UFA, and undoubtedly he'd like to see what direction the Dragons are set to go before he decides whether or not it's worth returning to D.C. to potentially close out his career. 

 

A lot of plates are spinning, a lot of balls are in the air, and a lot of decisions remain to be made. But one thing's for certain: change has to come to D.C., and the sooner, the better.