Season Ninety-Six VHL Entry Draft First Gen Players

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Season Ninety-Six VHL Entry Draft First Gen Players

With this week’s trade deadline and theme week being announced earlier this week, the VHL community was tasked with highlighting those that are newer members of rookies in the league. Although I have highlighted many of those members that are first generation players over the last few seasons, I thought this week we will look at the first-generation members that are VHL draft eligible in season ninety-six.

 

Slava Kovalenko – D (10th Rated Prospect)

 

The top-rated first-generation prospect in the upcoming VHL Entry Draft, Kovalenko is the tenth rated prospect and the fourth highest TPE earner amongst draft eligible defenseman. The nineteen-year-old Canadian born defenseman has been earning TPE at a very high pace since joining the league as he currently sits at 202 TPE and has been hitting the maximum weekly TPE cap since first earning TPE back for the week ending July 7, 2024. Kovalenko is enjoying a great season in Mississauga and looks to be quite a steal for the Hounds after being drafted fourteenth overall in the season ninety-five VHLM Dispersal Draft. This season in thirty-eight games played, Kovalenko has nineteen goals and thirty-seven assists, good enough for fifty-six points, which currently leads VHLM defenseman. With defenseman always in demand in the VHL, one has to think Kovalenko might find his name called well before the tenth pick in the upcoming draft.

TIJ Davies – RW (13th Rated Prospect)

TIJ Davies is the next player on the list, currently finding himself as the thirteenth overall rated draft pick in the season ninety-six VHL Entry Draft. Davies is also the fifth highest TPE earner amongst forwards in the draft and third highest TPE earner amongst draft eligible right wingers. Davies is currently in the middle of his first full VHL season, after seeing action last season in seven regular season games with the San Diego Marlins. Davies was drafted eighteenth overall by the back-to-back defending Founders Cup champions, the Saskatoon Wild in the season ninety-five VHLM Dispersal Draft. Davies has played in thirty-eight games this season for the Wild and is currently sitting slightly under a point per game, with seventeen goals and seventeen assists. Off the ice Davies has managed to put together 166 TPE and outside the first week in the league has constantly been pumping out media spots and graphics, hitting the TPE cap each week. With three goalies currently ahead of Davies on the prospect list of draft eligible players, he might find his name being called higher than thirteenth overall, as many VHL teams are currently set in net, but will always need more top end forwards.

Dog Jagr – D (15th Rated Prospect)

The third first generation player on the draft eligible list, sixteen-year-old Czech Republic born defenseman currently finds themselves as the fifteenth rated prospect available.  Jagr was drafted twelfth overall in the season ninety-five VHLM Dispersal Draft and unlike the previously mentioned prospects, didn’t have to pack his bags and move cities as the Miami Marauders selected Jagr after he played in eighteen regular season games as a waiver pick up in season ninety-four. In his first full VHLM season, Jagr has been having an outstanding season, putting up nine goals and twenty-five assists in Miami’s thirty-eights games. Off the ice Jagr has been putting in the work to better himself every week, currently sitting at 154 TPE. While Jagr has yet to complete a media spot or graphic since joining the league, the young defenseman is averaging about 8 TPE a week to date, which is only 4 TPE off the weekly cap. While Jagr is actively earning TPE each week, one must wonder if VHL teams might be a little timid to select the sixteen-year-old afraid he might not be earnings at the level as other prospects in the draft.

 

Victory Hockey League – D (16th Rated Prospect)

Next on the list is a player that enjoys causing chaos as the sixteenth rated prospect in the season ninety-six VHL Entry Draft, has the same name as the league he will be drafted into.  Seventeen-year-old defenseman Victory Hockey League joined the league just over two months ago and has to date put up forty updates so far. Draft fifteenth overall in the season ninety-five VHLM Dispersal Draft, by the Halifax 21st, League is another first-generation player that is playing close to a point per game level this season in the VHLM. Currently in thirty-eight games played this season, League has put up nine goals and twenty-seven assists. Along with a plus minus of plus five. After putting up just six assists in seventeen games last season as a waiver pick up for San Diego, League is showing the entire VHL what he is capable of. Off the ice, as we discussed already League has put up 40 updates so far for 140 TPE and is another first-generation player that is currently claiming welfare for 4 TPE a week. While there is nothing wrong with welfare in my opinion as it allows even the busiest members to partake in the league, teams might be a little gun shy at selecting League in the first round if players behind him in TPE are completing point tasks each week.

 

Kurt Bachmann – D (17th Rated Prospect)

Kurt Bachmann is the next player on the prospect list and is the first-generation player that if all players above him are selected in order, would find themselves selected in the second round of the VHL Entry Draft. Bachmann joined the VHL back on June 24th, 2024, and currently has earned 134 TPE to date. Last season in season ninety-four Bachmann was a waiver pick up for the San Diego Marlins, where he saw action in seventeen regular season games and eleven playoff games. After finishing the season upon the Marlins playoff exit, Bachmann was selected twenty-second overall by the Mississauga Hounds. Bachmann has appeared this season in all thirty-eight games the Hounds have played in to date and has performed very well in those thirty-eight games. Bachmann has put up four goals and twenty-nine assists for the Hounds in half a season with the VHLM club. Another impressive stat for Bachmann is that he currently sits second in the VHLM with 123 hits on the season. Off the ice Bachmann has been using welfare to get to his 134 TPE that he has earned through his forty-four updates, earning about 7-8 TPE a week through welfare, trivia and practice facility. With half a season and then a little bit of the off-season before the VHL Entry Draft, will Bachmann be able to get himself in to the first round to be the first round VHL draft pick?

 

Feka Ohi Kau – D (18th Rated Prospect)

Next on the VHL draft eligible players that are first generational players, sixteen-year-old Feka Ohi Kau is another first-generation defenseman that will be selected in the season ninety-six VHL Entry Draft. Last season Kau saw action in eighteen games for the Houston Bulls after being picked up off the VHLM wavier system, where he put up two assists in those eighteen games. At the conclusion of the season, Kau was picked back up by the Bulls in the VHLM Dispersal Draft, selected twenty-seventh overall by the Bulls. Now in his first full season in the VHLM with the Bulls, Kau has been much more impressive offensively, as the 6’8 defender has put up five goals and twenty-eight assists in the Bulls first thirty-eight games of the season. Off the ice Kau is another draft prospect that is earning TPE currently through the VHL welfare system. Kau has completed thirty-nine updates to date for 112 TPE. Like those ahead of him in the prospect pool, as the season continues on he finds more time to complete a point task here and there to boost his TPE as we head closer to the draft.

 

Xhekajs middletoe - RW (22nd Rated Prospect)

A little bit further down the draft eligible player list we find our next first-generation player Xhekajs middletoe. Middletoe is another VHL draft eligible player that joined the league near the end of June, as middletoe joined the league back on June 24, 2024. Since joining the league, middletoe has played in a total of fifty-five VHLM games between two VHLM franchises. Last season as a waiver pick up middletoe saw action in seventeen games, where he put up two goals and twelve assists for the Ottawa Lynx. Now this season after being drafted by the San Diego Marlins thirteenth overall, middletoe is showing the league what he is made of, as he currently sits just over a point per game with eighteen goals and twenty-one assists in thirty-right games. On top of the impressive point total so far this season, middletoe finds himself near the top or at the top of two individual leader categories. Middletoe currently sits fourth in the league with a plus thirty-eight and is tied for the league lead of shorthanded goals with two short handed goals on the season. With 104 TPE to date on the season, hopefully middletoe continues to grow off the ice as the season progresses.

Luc Moreau - RW (25th Rated Prospect)

Next on the list of draft eligible first-generational players we have Luc Moreau who joined the league recently on August 18th. As Moreau joined the league after the VHLM Dispersal Draft, Moreau was picked off waivers and has played in sixteen games for the Miami Marauders this season. In the sixteen games played with Miami so far, Moreau has been impressive offensively putting up six goals and nine assists in those sixteen games played. Off the ice Moreau has been equally as impressive as Moreau has completed 10 updates in under a month, however seventy-two of those TPE did come from the base TPE new players will obtain when joining the league later. However, we cannot discount that fact has earned 25 TPE in just over two weeks in other TPE, including welfare, press conferences, practice facility and fantasy zone. While Moreau might be a longer project player for the VHL franchise that will select him in the season ninety-six VHL Entry Draft, hopefully Moreau can showcase his talents on and off the ice for the remainder of the season.

 

Kyle Evans – RW (26th Rated Prospect)

Next on the list right behind Moreau is Kyle Evans as the twenty-six rated first-generation player available in the upcoming VHL Entry Draft. Evans joined the league back on June 24th, 2024, which allowed him to get a taste of VHLM action last season as a waiver pick up. Evans was picked up by the Ottawa Lynx with sixteen games left in the regular season last year, where he put up two goals and two assists. Evans must have left an impression on the Lynx franchise as they used the twenty-fifth overall pick in the season ninety-five VHLM Dispersal Draft to bring Evans back for season ninety-five. This season in thirty-eight games played for the Lynx Evans has drastically improved his offensive output as he has put up fourteen goals and seventeen assists for the Ottawa based VHLM club. Off the ice Evans has been pretty consistent earning 6 TPE each week through welfare and the practice facility. With room to improve both on and off the ice, hopefully Evans can continue to grow up until draft day.

 

Doc Hudson – RW (27th Rated Prospect)

The last prospect we will look at today in terms of first-generational players available in the season ninety-six VHL Entry Draft, is forty-year-old Doc Hudson. The third oldest draft prospect in the draft eligible pool this season, Hudson joined the league on August 6th, 2024, to show the world even at his advanced age in the world of sports he’s still got it. Hudson was picked off of waivers by the Philadelphia Reapers, where he has played in all thirty-rights games for the team so far. In those thirty-eights games, Hudson has shown that age is only a number, as he has put up seventeen goals and twenty-six assists. Now with 92 TPE under his belt from welfare, trivia and the practice facility, hopefully Hudson can continue to earn TPE each week and prove his quick start was not just pure luck.

 

2,046 Words. 

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Edited August 27 by Smarch

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