David Rashford - Career Reflection

[Knight 1,296]

David Rashford - Career Reflection

 

It’s been a long-pushed narrative by me but, as this is a career reflection, it’s entirely appropriate to once again hammer it down your throats and remind you that David Rashford was an unsigned draftee in the S89 draft - not even worth a token spot on a minor league roster.

 

Season	GP	G	A	P	+/-	SHT	PIM	HIT	SB	GW	PPG	SHG
96 (MOS)	72	49	58	107	50	529	19	112	41	5	10	1
95 (MOS)	72	56	71	127	67	501	25	81	21	6	11	0
94 (MOS)	72	23	48	71	6	398	22	41	15	2	7	0
93 (MOS)	72	30	46	76	32	409	26	60	14	4	4	0
92 (MOS)	72	28	35	63	22	320	23	56	31	6	2	0
91 (MOS)	72	11	17	28	-48	148	38	60	6	1	5	0
Totals	432	197	275	472	129	2305	153	410	128	24	39	1

 

Season	Team	Award
96	MOS	Victory Cup
95	MOS	Mike Szatkowski Trophy
95	MOS	Kevin Brooks Trophy
95	MOS	Brett Slobodzian Trophy
95	MOS	Dustin Funk Trophy
95	MOS	Victory Cup
94	MOS	Continental Cup
89	PHI	Prime Minister's Cup
88	PHI	Founder's Cup

 

Yup, definitely looks like a player not worth signing after drafting. While Rashford will struggle to get into the Hall of Fame, barring another award-winning campaign in S97 (his last season), it’s undeniable that he has become a star in this league. A 127 point explosion in S95 will likely be the peak of his career arc and help dispel a narrative that he only produced at a high level because of the talent around him. Rashford has shown that he’s capable of being THE guy when given a chance - the ethos of this career reflection.

 

I remember almost quitting the league in S89 while playing with the Philadelphia Reapers. I had a rough start to my minor league career but enjoyed a strong playoff and felt primed to be a very impactful contributor in S89. I once again played for the Reapers which I was excited about moving into the season but slowly became a nightmare. I can’t quite remember, but it felt like we ended the season with 9 forwards and Rashford’s ice time plummeted. Being among the leaders in points per minute was a big achievement, but toward the end of the season I remember getting about 11-14 minutes a game. For a player trying to develop and enjoy success in their second year in the VHLM, this was a disaster scenario and it frustrated me no end. There was no entitlement to produce, but I did think it was unfair to play an active player in the minors so little. 

 

That experience left a really sour taste in my mouth and made me not really care about the VHLE experience I had so honestly I don’t even remember anything about that season. Fortunately, in S91 Moscow was not a good team. It gave Rashford an opportunity to play in the VHL when otherwise he wasn’t ready. I’m almost certain that I would’ve gone inactive again had I not played in the VHL. While the season itself was poor and Rashford performed horrifically, it gave me back some excitement and motivation to start improving him again. I genuinely felt like I had to scrap and earn my playing time for the following season which, for such a young player, was a little strange. However, this gave me a goal to work towards and was luckily rewarded with being brought back to Moscow for S92. The feeling of having to fight for my roster spot each year was a common theme which was a good and bad thing. I enjoyed the feeling of having to earn my roster spot but I also really wanted to be a Moscow lifer so it stressed me out a little. 

 

S92, S93 and S94 weren’t overly exciting from Rashford’s point of view, as he produced exactly how you’d expect an unsigned draftee would. Personally, I was pleased to have carved out a role as a serviceable second-line player on a team filled with high earners and top talent. Being a former GM, you realize you can’t fill your roster with max earners so there’s real value in lower earners who have good builds. That’s what I was aspiring for with Rashford. But I kept earning TPE. I kept improving the build. And then, the S94 playoffs came. It was Rashford’s first and only cup (so far) as well as his coming out party. 11 goals and 15 assists in 21 games during the cup run gave me confidence that Rashford’s build was finally at the point where he could go from serviceable to a real contributor. That’s why next season’s explosion was unexpected to most, but not as much to me.

 

The Brett Slobodzian Trophy is awarded to the player deemed the most outstanding player as voted by the league's players. Wow, what an honour. That’s all I can really say about S95. While Moscow came up short in defending their S94 championship, winning MVP took some of the sting out of it. It gave me a lot of validation knowing that I had grinded out not only a solid career to that stage, but a place in history when no one had expected it. An afterthought for most of his career, Rashford was now who the rest of the league saw as the top player. S96 was also a great year, but naturally there was a little regression. Rashford was able to maintain his place among the league’s best, however, further solidifying a career that could be reflected upon with pride.

 

Now, as Rashford enters his final year in the league, it seemed like an appropriate time to reflect. I have accomplished all of my goals (and then some) with him and I know I’ll miss him. I’ll be a Moscow lifer after surviving the latest roster overhaul. I’ll have been team captain for at least two of those seasons. I won numerous awards. I won a Continental Cup. A couple of thanks I have to issue before signing off. Firstly, to @jRuutu Jarmo Ruutu and @Grape Obuz Schneider Canet du Bocage, it’s been a privilege to play alongside you for my entire career. Not sure how many trios have been able to play together for so long on one team, but there can’t be too many. While I lived in your rightfully larger shadows, most of Rashford’s success can be attributed to y’all given how they were able to elevate his game. Secondly, to @Spartan  for giving me a chance and sticking with me throughout my career. Hopefully I’ve been able to reward your faith in me, but I think it’s a testament to why VHL GMs are so important to the league because without him I likely would’ve gone inactive again.

 

I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I’ll just try to enjoy my last season with Rashford. Realistically he should reach 5th place all time in Moscow points (requires 53 points) and 3rd place in goals (requires 25 goals) and hopefully we can win one more cup. 
 

Edited December 27, 2024 by Knight

[Spartan 4,570]

It's been fun to see the chip on your shoulder from that draft help mold you into such a strong player for us. I still remember seeing NYA not sign you and decided to take a flyer on you by reaching out, what a great decision that was! Cheers on the career man, we've got one more season to go. Let's end it with a bang!