VSN Presents: S99 VHLM Mock Draft

[sadie 1,162]

 

Hello everyone! Coming up LATER TODAY is one of the most anticipated VHLM drafts in recent memory, spanning parts of the S99 and S100 VHL draft classes with more than 80 eligible players. This year’s draft will be an important milestone for these young players- for some a brief stepping stone to the VHL and for others their home for many seasons to come.

1. Miami Marauder
RW - Igor Sokolov @Kisslinger - 302 TPE

 

I’ll preface this by saying I assume Miami and their new GM @Scurvy will be trying up until the draft to trade this pick away. They’ll be losing 5 forwards, 5 defensemen, and their goalie to the draft as things stand, leaving only forwards Marcus Grey @BlueFalcon5433 and Viener Schnitzel @Spaz. Amazing as these players at the top of the draft are, they’ll graduate to the VHL more quickly which doesn’t line up with Miami’s timeline. I have this pick being Sokolov under the assumption that this pick is either traded or that they trade the player they draft for a haul.

Sokolov himself will be a phenomenal player, boasting the highest TPE in the draft, and looking to build on a rookie year where he netted himself 11 goals and 24 points in the full 72 games. Igor will presumably be headed for a much larger role this year; he averaged the 9th most TOI for a deep Halifax team last season and from the trade deadline onwards was limited to a third-line role. Sokolov plays a responsible, physical game and his innate ability to pick a corner from anywhere on the ice sets him apart from most of his class.

 

2. San Diego Marlins

C - John Cowgill @FlyingWV - 254 TPE
 

San Diego, already having a goalie in Finnegan Tex Simms @Will3, has back-to-back picks here that have the power to change their franchise significantly. Pre-draft, the Marlins retain 2 forwards and 1 defenseman as well, which leads me to the assumption that they’d select one of each. These two picks will help set them up to be, presumably, one of the top teams of S99 given how crippled some have been this offseason. San Diego lacks any centers, so taking one here makes perfect sense.

John Cowgill has made an instant splash in this league, acting as both an important piece for a solid Mexico City team last year, and being one of the most promising first-gens you’ll see. They jumped in immediately on the forums, writing a lot almost immediately- and within a couple weeks, they were releasing very detailed player analyses for VSN! Cowgill contributed 7 goals and 18 assists in their first 68 VHLM games to go along with over 100 hits, as well as stepping up with 3+3 in the playoffs. They bring a tenacity that sets them apart from most other players in the class and contribute at both ends of the ice.
 

3. San Diego Marlins (from OTT)
D - Chase Breeze @C-Breeze - 244 TPE

 

Well, what do you know? It’s another absolutely incredible first-gen from the S99 class! After satisfying their center need at 2nd overall, the Marlins have the opportunity to select a first-gen D-man of the same caliber in Chase Breeze. Breeze has, similarly to Cowgill, dived into the league immediately, and can honestly be seen under what feels like every post on the forums. Chase had joined a struggling Miami Marauders team and looked instantly at home on the ice, recording 9 goals and 28 points in just 38 games. They recorded 111 hits and 98 shots, and look like an offensive weapon already.

 

4. Las Vegas Aces

D - Mia Miller @Advantage - 204 TPE

 

Las Vegas’ main need is defense, and although they acquired an excellent asset in Additional Pylons @courtjestr19 earlier this offseason, they’ll need more given they don’t even have the option of resigning FAs after the graduation of captain Matthias Gunnarsson @ThatCanadian. With picks at 4 and 7, they’ll likely (definitely) look to add both a defenseman and a forward. Some sources say they’re looking to be one of the top teams, and a good draft will be vital to get anywhere near that.

Mia Miller would be an excellent pick at 4, and would pair with Pylons very nicely. Advantage is an HoF Builder and the user behind Viktor Jensen, someone many would argue is the greatest player in Malmo Nighthawks history. We only got a small sample of Mia in 19 games to finish the regular season (in which they recorded 1G, 5A, 38 HIT, and 19 SB). In 12 playoff games, Miller had one assist, and eventually the Reapers fell in 6 games to a strong Halifax team. Miller has an extremely quick defensive stick, and moves the puck well when in possession- quick offensive development seems assured.

 

5. Saskatoon Wild

G - Diego Adam @Dadam30 - 169 TPE

 

Saskatoon, while coming off a painful sweep vs Philadelphia in last year’s playoffs, is set up better than many other teams for the upcoming season. They boast 6 returning players pre-FA, and quality ones at that. Titus Cunningham @thadthrasher leads the blueline and Lorenzo Mancini @GioSivo the forward group, and they should be another excellent team after all is said and done this offseason. Their one most glaring need is goalie, and filling that massively important position should be priority #1, especially considering the amount of teams that need one.

Which goalie should they take? It doesn’t seem like a hard choice, given Diego Adam is both the GM’s own player (and therefore reliable) in addition to being the highest TPE goalie in the draft regardless. Adam signed with the Wild as a waiver after the S98 trade deadline and in 17 games, earned 5 wins and recorded a .878 SV% and 3.53 GAA. Now having some experience under their belt (and starting a season properly instead of being thrown in at the end before playoffs), Adam should be a great candidate to lead Sask as they set themselves up for a great year.

 

6. Mississauga Hounds

C - Finn Mercer @Steve - 198 TPE

 

Mississauga sits in an interesting position, with the option to take their 5 active players (3F, 2D) and their multiple firsts to try and throw their hat in the ring for a cup this year; they can also slow it down and build for S101 and beyond. Either way, they’ll need a goalie given the shock early retirement of Yor Bjorven @Rin. But I don’t think they need one at 7, given they’ll still be able to get a quality one with their other first regardless of what happens. Instead, I believe they’ll address their need at center by taking an incredible, and safe player in Finn Mercer.

Mercer began their VHLM career with Las Vegas this past season at the trade deadline, and hit the ground running. Finn netted 4 goals and 12 points in 18 regular season games, helping fill out a previously thin Vegas lineup. In the playoffs, Mercer added 2 crucial goals, but it wasn’t enough in the end as the Aces fell in 6 games to Philadelphia. As for the user, one need only look at Steve’s track record with players (wow, that’s a lot of four-digit numbers) to see the consistency that he brings. Most recently, this was with Axle Gunner, 13th in all-time TPE and 11th in career points over the past fifty seasons. Mercer is an offensively gifted and strong player, and will be formidable by season’s end.

 

7. Las Vegas Aces (from MEX via SDM)

C - Dougie Talladega @dstevensonjr - 160 TPE

 

After selecting Mia Miller earlier, it would be wise for the Aces to turn their focus toward their offense. Although their two returning forwards (before free agency), Boing Boing @slothfacekilla and The Milkman @THEMILKMAN, may have a couple of the best names around, they’ll need a little bit more. A great candidate here is Dougie Talladega, who debuted with the Hounds late last season. Doug is of course coming off a wonderful career with Harry Callahan, who ended up as the 4th highest scorer in Toronto Legion history. Their first VHLM season ended unfortunately with a first-round loss to Mexico City, and Talladega ended with just one point across 18 regular season games. In the Junior Showcase Tournament, however, Dougie ended up with 28 points and 30 games, a much better chance at seeing what he can do.

 

8. Halifax 21st

G - Brandon Hope @McLovin - 161 TPE

 

Halifax just finished up a second consecutive season in which they pretty much breezed through the regular season, marched their way to the finals, and lost in six games. They’ve had a brilliant team for a couple seasons, they’ve just ended up falling barely short of getting it done. With a @flyersfan345 stepping forward to lead the 21st, fans wonder if they’ll finally be able to get a cup. With 3 returning forwards and 1 defenseman, they’ll need to make sure they grab a goalie (given the departure of star Chad Powers @Big_Dyl), and I anticipate that Adam going early may make them not want to wait another 10 picks.

In any case, Brandon Hope fills that gap very well. Hope began his career with the Las Vegas Aces, but as he played only 4 games near the end of the season, we were only able to see a little bit of what he can do. He ended S98 with a 1-2 record in 3 GP, to go with an encouraging .903 SV% and 2.63 GAA. Hope also was between the pipes for the JST’s Rush and we saw a much better sample size in that tournament, where he managed 13 wins and a .914 SV% in 30 games. As is an incredibly common theme in this draft, McLovin is an incredible user, and writes for VSN while GMing the VHL’s Helsinki Titans. He’ll be a great addition to a VHLM locker room and will help lead the team.

 

9. Philadelphia Reapers
D - Ayumu Kasuga @Grape - 197 TPE

 

I expect the Reapers won’t be feeling a ton of pressure to go goalie, and I feel that they will re-sign their goalie from the last 3 seasons, Louis Burley @EndoNate instead if possible. They have a number of great players left from previous seasons, and retain their picks in the first 3 rounds. They may have lost a lot of players, but it’s still very feasible for them to jump right back into the higher tier of the league. At ninth overall, I’d take the opportunity to grab a fourth defenseman and solidify what would be an extremely impressive blueline, led by Krister Von Casar Tsezar @Komrad.

That defenseman would be Ayumu Kasuga, who started with Ottawa last year at the trade deadline. Kasuga had 7 assists in the 17 regular season games they played as well as 20 SB and 24 HIT, but put up no points in the playoffs, given the Lynx immediately ran into a formidable Houston team that waltzed right by them and ended up winning the cup. Grape is the Lynx GM, so the Reapers can feel secure with Kasuga’s activity. Grape’s last player (Obuz Schneider Canet du Bocage) enjoyed a long and successful VHL career, and I am excited to hopefully see more of the same from Kasuga.

 

10. Mississauga Hounds (from HOU)

G - Michael Szatkowski III @Mike - 141 TPE

 

Although they refrained from picking a goalie last pick, it’s probably time here as there are only 2 goalies left in that top tier. It’s the one hole that’ll be harder to fill come FA, and it’s risky to wait too long given how many teams will likely take a goaltender. So the third goalie off the board in just the first round is Michael Szatkowski III. I’d hope that name sounds familiar to you- the Mike Szatkowski trophy is named after Mike’s first gen all the way back near the beginning of the league. Mike is also a HoF builder and has now returned for S100 after a lengthy absence. Szatkowski III signed with the Houston Bulls last year, but didn’t end up starting any games (which makes sense, given the absolute tear Bartholomew Lorequavius @jaypc8237 was on). Nevertheless, we’re eager to see Michael get on the ice, and the JST gave us a little look at him, with 13 wins and a .920 SV% in 30 games. He’ll be a great asset for the Hounds as their new GM @OblivionWalker looks to navigate their first VHLM season.

Edited 13 hours ago by sadie

[dstevensonjr 581]

Sadie projecting Talladega to Vegas. #Insider

[Grape 903]

5 minutes ago, sadie said:

9. Philadelphia Reapers
D - Ayumu Kasuga @Grape - 197 TPE

It'd be pretty hard for Philly to draft me considering they haven't even reached out for scouting.... cough cough

[Mysterious_Fish 418]

1. @sadiestop spoiling my plan

 

2. How am i supposed to screw over @Grapeif i own his pick

[sadie 1,162]

Just now, Mysterious_Fish said:

1. @sadiestop spoiling my plan

 

2. How am i supposed to screw over @Grapeif i own his pick

1. I simply know everything
2. Just win the cup

[Bravebulldogs 97]

10 minutes ago, sadie said:

 

Boing Boing @slothfacekilla and The Milkman @THEMILKMAN, may have a couple of the best names around

Only if that meant something on the ice @sadie

[MichkovSzn 158]

14 minutes ago, Grape said:

It'd be pretty hard for Philly to draft me considering they haven't even reached out for scouting.... cough cough

means nothing tbh, @mattyIceman knows all, zero scouting required

[Mysterious_Fish 418]

11 minutes ago, sadie said:

1. I simply know everything
2. Just win the cup

1. Impossible

2. Not as fun as taking who Grape wants when i didnt even know he wanted them

[Grape 903]

1 minute ago, MichkovSzn said:

means nothing tbh, @mattyIceman knows all, zero scouting required

Hope he knows I got a free reroll ready to go

[Grape 903]

14 minutes ago, Mysterious_Fish said:

How am i supposed to screw over @Grapeif i own his pick

You'll somehow find a way. It's like you know who I'm gonna draft

[Mysterious_Fish 418]

Just now, Grape said:

You'll somehow find a way. It's like you know who I'm gonna draft

i mean I guess I can screw u over in the 2nd round

 

[Kisslinger 449]

First overall potentially eh, not bad!

[Florida Man 708]

FM2 FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY

[sadie 1,162]

10 minutes ago, Florida Man said:

FM2 FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY

fr though basically all the wingers were FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY

[mattyIceman 1,291]

Wingers SNUBBDE

[Florida Man 708]

5 minutes ago, sadie said:

fr though basically all the wingers were FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY

#WINGERLIVESMATTER

[mattyIceman 1,291]

I only scout for the first round.  The rest is a crapshoot and dependant on who's left, really.

[sadie 1,162]

Just now, mattyIceman said:

I only scout for the first round.  The rest is a crapshoot and dependant on who's left, really.

this year there are 3 first rounds

[McLovin 524]

WE HAVE HOPE 

[minman 207]

@sadie trying to incept into GMs what they should pick, so she can draft who she really wants #4 and #7.

[sadie 1,162]

2 minutes ago, minman said:

@sadie trying to incept into GMs what they should pick, so she can draft who she really wants #4 and #7.

this draft is so nice that there are 0 scenarios where I get people in the first round I don't badly want

[AJW 2,412]

BEER BEER BEER BEER BEER 1oa or riot!!!

[Bushito 2,384]

4th most TPE in the draft, sounds reasonable to slip to the 2nd round

[solas 2,030]

Looking forward to how this draft pans out, haven't been as excited for VHLM drafts in the past but this is such a huge class that seems like it could be so hard to predict.

[TopTiddee2 228]

Florida Man II just simply doesn’t exist anymore apparently