VHLSC: S42 Rankings #1

[Kendrick 4,741]

 

Welcome everyone to unfortunately only the first ranking of prospects for the upcoming Season 42 Victory Hockey League entry draft. After a hiatus and multiple different co-workers bowing out for various reasons, I am back to provide you with the insight you crave. I will explain a few things you need to know after getting a glimpse at these rankings as well as some insight on what I will bring in the future. Being that this is the first rankings, a mock draft was not going to happen. We should first see where these players are in development before we see what positions they may fall into. However you may have expected that seeing as much of the first round has yet to be decided in regards to teams draft picks. The second bit of information you need to know is that in the future the change in rankings category will come into play obviously. With a brief look at a rankings legend below, you can then go on to reading the prospects write-up.

 

The above list may be slightly new to some in regards to what columns actually mean. Obviously a prospects practice hours, name and position is very straight forward. The overall ranking column does currently list prospects in order of the practice hours they have accumulated but over time it may change with team needs and draft position. The one column people may feel is either harsh or realistic is the "VHL Projection" column. All this column shows us is at the current pace what the prospect projects to be in the future. It may also factor in the prospects agents history and what their body of work has shown us. It is in no way a slight on an individuals talent, but more of a way VHL General Managers can see a long-term projection turn out down the road. You may have seen this type of projection in NHL draft rankings as well as other leagues not as good as ours. If you think it is harsh, I send out the challenge to prove the VHLSC wrong.

 

Onto the meat and potatoes of these draft rankings; the overall write-up. Now if you are looking for a player to help you build down the middle of your roster, this is the draft that will do it. Five of the top ten draft prospects are centreman and that includes four of the top five. The big ticket this year will be Bismarck Koenig who is the top rated prospect in this draft. Koenig is a big forward with tons of skill and a player a team can build around. The next best thing isn't much of a drop at all; A.C. Savage is a hard working centreman with skill that rivals that of Koenig. A slight drop-off in the rankings but not a difference in overall projections is Joseph Roy III who clocks in at the number three spot. Joseph Roy III is a slick skating middle man with a very good scoring touch, his suitor won't be disappointed. At the number four spot we get our first goaltender in Jax Barnstormer. Time has showed that Jax is committed but his pace has slowed down and some question his true passion. That being said Barnstormer will most likely be the first goaltender chosen in this entry draft. ​The number five spot lands us at another man down the middle in Sam Teibert. Teibert's projections have actually gone down a bit as his pace has slowed down in production. Teibert does project to be a very serviceable forward in the Victory Hockey League regardless.

 

The shift into the second half of the top ten prospects brings us some uncertainties as well as some possible unpolished prospects. The sixth ranked prospect is Callum Sinclair who is the second goaltender that comes along in these rankings. Sinclair will be a starting goaltender in the VHL someday, but time will tell if that day is next season or the year following it. The seventh ranked prospect is German born Wolfgang Strauss. Believe it or not Strauss is the first forward in the rankings that does not lineup down the middle. Strauss is a smooth skating winger with the potential to be a threat on either of the top two lines. Eighth is a tough spot because Travis Willcox projects to be a good winger but his pace has tailed off lately. If the Saskatoon Wild forward can pick it up, he could bounce into the top five. George Patton falls in at the ninth spot and guess what? Patton plays the centre position as well. The young prospect will need some grooming with a VHL club, but can become a second line face-off man. The tenth spot sees some royalty at it with the inclusion of Prince Gigga-Bijou at the right wing position. Prince isn't much of a vocal prospect but the progression in behind has been very steady, it remains to be seen if he is fully committed. 

 

In the 11th-20th position we get the luxury of two more goaltenders in Ivars Klajums (11th) and Blake Campbell (13th). Both project to be VHL backups at this point as the pace they are on the starting position may be out of the question, more commitment and they can pencil themselves into a starting role. Patrick Demko (12th), Ken Anderson (17th) and the leader of the cereal gang Cap'n Crunch (19th) are all slated as projects on the blueline, but they all have shown growth. Demko and Anderson have shown the most in the past weeks and have risen quite a bit in the rankings. Max MacInnis (14th), Paul Ready (15th) and Vogon Jeltz (16th) are all wingers who project to be depth forwards with a little help.

 

The rest of the rankings sees many unknowns make their names show up. The question with these prospects isn't whether they are being noticed, it's whether they want themselves noticed. Commitment is probably about 70% of the way GM's in the Victory Hockey League evaluate talent and future assets. If a player shows the commitment level to progressing they will always have a spot in the VHL, whether that be on the first line/first pairing or as a bottom six depth forward. I hope everyone enjoyed this rankings and analysis from the Victory hockey League Scouting Centre. Any feedback, questions or concerns are well received and I welcome any draftee to accept the challenge of rising through this board. Good luck and may the best prospect win!

 

Legend:

Center - Blue

Winger - Red

Defenseman - Orange

Goaltender - Green

Edited January 6, 2015 by Kendrick

[Victor 10,943]

Only suggestion would be to mix things up a bit and do projections based on recent activity (for the lower reaches of the draft) and not just TPE. Nice addition though.

[Smarch 3,156]

God damn Victor and his pickyness. Good job magnum pi

[Kendrick 4,741]

Only suggestion would be to mix things up a bit and do projections based on recent activity (for the lower reaches of the draft) and not just TPE. Nice addition though.

That's what the + and - rankings portion will feature on the side though. Although now that I think about it you are talking about listing their increases in TPE from week to week?

[lere2001 90]

Depth. muahahahha

[Kendrick 4,741]

Don't worry this is just a pre-cursor to a better version in #2. I had to have a starting point after it was a month and a half since the last one and S42 hasn't had a ranking.

[eaglesfan036 4,603]

Nice writeup! Looks like according to this there is a big dropoff after pick 17, but maybe there is an active or two in there I don't know about

Edited January 6, 2015 by eaglesfan036

[CoachReilly 688]

somebody has a ranking.

 

i've been tracking all of you....... mwuhahahaha

[Denver 198]

Koenig 2 Gud

[Molholt 2,185]

My advice to GMs, don't expect a 1st line season out of Savage. 

[Victor 10,943]

That's what the + and - rankings portion will feature on the side though. Although now that I think about it you are talking about listing their increases in TPE from week to week?

No no no, I'm talking about the projection column. Like top 6 forward, starting goalie etc. Cool addition but I think it'd be more realistic to give lower TPE (but more recently active) players a better career prediction.

Kind of like 7C vs 6A irl.

[Kendrick 4,741]

No no no, I'm talking about the projection column. Like top 6 forward, starting goalie etc. Cool addition but I think it'd be more realistic to give lower TPE (but more recently active) players a better career prediction.

Kind of like 7C vs 6A irl.

As I said above it was the first rankings, its not a projection column that will stay per say. Also their projections were done off of what they have done and are doing currently. Recently inactivity spells have resulted in some of them to drop off.

[boubabi 4,725]

 

VHL : "Lord Karnage won't be eligible for the S42 Draft"

Karnage : "Yes I am"

VHL : "You're right fam, my b. 1st Oa"

Edited January 7, 2015 by boubabi

[Baozi 1,658]

Nice

[Doomsday 4,130]

Only suggestion would be to mix things up a bit and do projections based on recent activity (for the lower reaches of the draft) and not just TPE. Nice addition though.

 

Always felt that was more of the GM's job, as it was how you could tell who was paying attention to the draftees and those just staring at TPE numbers.