CowboyinAmerica 2,887 Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 As we enter the second round of the VHL Playoffs, we are now one step closer to the time of the year that all VHL fans look forward to... the draft! (No? Then just go with me here.) The league, by proxy of official scoutmaster Kendrick, has posted a series of popular articles seeking to separate one draftee from another. These articles are impressive, and multiple league general managers have already admitted to looking over them as they make their decisions. However, by the time draft day hits, and perhaps even now, these articles are about old. One month ago, I would have said that A.C. Savage or Jax Barnstormer had a chance at being the first overall pick. Neither of those things is now true, and it’s a testament to the fluidity of the draft process that you don’t really know who is favored until the name goes up on the draft board. But we can try. In the lead up to the draft, there are some players that are gaining steam on draft boards, while others could fall much further than they originally expected. This is Three Rising, Three Falling. Three Rising 1. G Blake Campbell – Minot Gladiators It’s a common refrain: Goalie is the most important position to building a strong team. And yet, there are so few teams that have a solid, long-term answer in place. Seattle is solid, and Toronto is likely to stick with Okranitz for a while. Outside of that, there won’t be a single team starting a goalie in his second through fourth seasons next season. That makes grabbing a solid goalie a tantalizing prospect this draft... which is why I’m surprised Campbell hasn’t made more waves. Campbell now sits tenth among draftees in TPE, although by draft day, he could very well be eighth. Furthermore, though, he is fully active, and he doesn’t leave much practice time on the table when he has a chance to earn them. To me, sixth to Stockholm (if not Sinclair) or seventh to Helsinki (if the pick falls there) is a very reasonable landing spot, although I wouldn’t even be surprised to see Davos take a look if they don’t select Sinclair at number one. 2. D Patrick Demko – Yukon Rush Defense may not be as much of a position of need as goalie for many VHL teams, but in most other respects, the case for Demko is much the same as the case for Campbell. At 141 practice hours following the most recent update, Demko is far and away the most polished defenseman product available, and he could very well be ready to play in the VHL about a month or two into the next VHL season if he keeps up his current practicing pace. And there’s no reason to believe that he will not — with an ability to score perfect grades on both graphics and media spots, Demko is a dual threat that runs less of the likelihood of being burnt out quickly. He is perhaps lost in the shuffle on a talented Yukon squad, but I expect his stock to rise dramatically in the week leading up to the draft. The only reason Demko could potentially fall is positional need, as the one team with the majority of late first round picks (Stockholm) is also the team that could least use a talented young defenseman. 3. LW Wolfgang Strauss – Turku Outlaws At this point, most mock drafts would agree that Koenig, Roy and Sinclair are the most likely top three selections in some order. I’m not one to disagree. However, who are going in those four and five slots? Well, if one of those picks is not Wolfgang Strauss, I would be positively shocked. Already showing more potential than previous Wastland agency prospect Jasper Hellkvist, Strauss seems to have come into his own while on the Outlaws, finishing with three hat tricks in five games in the first round of the playoffs against Moscow. Both Helsinki and Davos are teams with strong centers but lacking in playmaking wings to surround them, and Strauss could be an instant-impact piece to add to a team with playoff aspirations next season. Three Falling 1. C Sam Teibert – Bratislava Watchmen He started out so strong with 155 practice hours before the halfway mark of the VHLM season. In fact, those 155 practice hours still rank sixth in the latest Kendrick rankings. He has a solid league job, and he always maximized any practice that he performed. At the time, he looked like the second coming of Niklas Lindberg, which Stockholm’s management surely noticed. He was a surefire first rounder, if not a top five selection. So, what happened? Nobody knows. Sometimes, players just disappear from practice, and Teibert indeed has not put in any work for over one month. He was seen around the team’s facilities are recently as yesterday, but he has not even spoken to media since January 17. Stockholm may take a flier at the end of the first round due to his past production, but don’t be surprised to see him fall to the end of the first round. 2. C A.C. Savage – Turku Outlaws It’s the obvious selection, but it still deserves to be said. Let’s get one thing out of the way first: I fully believe Savage when he says that he has no intentions of being a top selection and of retiring at a predetermined time. Knowing Savage’s agency, he likely would continue to do so even if he changed his mind simply out of spite/hardheadedness/consistency/backbone (make your own selection). However, with that said, is a 250 practice hour baseline, with a potential three practice hours per week plus league giveaways and potential fantasy points, truly that bad of a haul? As a GM, I personally can see the value in that type of player as compared to a high-risk, high-reward selection. I’d even argue that Savage is one of the safest picks of the draft, since you know exactly what you’ll get. Savage himself criticized a recent mock draft placing him to the fifth slot at Davos, but I personally agree that he could very well be in play there, as well as the picks immediately after. For a team looking for a young, slow-developing wing that can keep cap down (looking at you, second Helsinki selection), you could do worse. 3. D Ken Anderson – Yukon Rush As recently as one week ago, I would have bet good money that Ken Anderson would be a first round draft selection. Knowing the work that Anderson’s agency has accomplished in other sports, as well as the strong start from Anderson so far in the VHLM, there was no doubt in my mind that he would have been one of the best young defensemen in the league. However, it was not meant to be, as Anderson announced earlier this week that he will not be returning to practice, having lost the love of the game. It’s unfortunate, although it was a kind gesture to general managers who may have looked strongly at him otherwise. At this point, I expect some team to take a flier on Anderson late in the second round or early in the third, but expecting a long VHL career – or any VHL career at all – may be farfetched. Kendrick and boubabi 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfan036 4,598 Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 nice article, can't say I disagree with any of these Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molholt 2,185 Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Strauss is gonna be a steal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Da Trifecta 1,896 Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Strauss is a great locker room guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOOM 8,740 Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Strauss is a bum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Da Trifecta 1,896 Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Strauss is a bum! Prepare to be Bismarcked sir Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOOM 8,740 Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Prepare to be Bismarcked sir You don't scare me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ball 453 Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Needs more Cote IMHO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOOM 8,740 Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 There. Now shutup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ball 453 Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Coat Cote, close enough. I'll take it BOOM 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendrick 4,741 Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Great article! The reason I have Savage at 5 is more to do with what it projects for players. The way things have gone in the past is that out of the first round only about 5 guys will go on to continue their career at a fast pace. Even if he didn't do anything or only posted welfare, he would be a 2nd line player for a team with a lot of star power that needs someone with a low cap hit. So its essentially taking a flyer on someone who may end up better, or may simply just be depth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molholt 2,185 Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Or that they have for one season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendrick 4,741 Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Or that they have for one season Or yes that where they flake like my cereal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasty 566 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Thanks for the shoutout! Great article Dis Strauss Love <3 CoachReilly and BOOM 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DollarAndADream 3,356 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Content: 3/3 - Way more than enough words up there. If I could give you 4/3, I would. Easy read and lots of info about players I hadn't paid much attention to.Grammar: 2/2 - Just one little thing: "He was seen around the team’s facilities are recently as yesterday" - AS recently as yesterdayAppearance: 1/1 - Everything looks great. Good pacing and a nice layout. Looks like an official draft article.Overall: 6/6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendrick 4,741 Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Claimed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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