DollarAndADream 3,356 Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 G - Blaine Olynick - 6th Overall ---------------------------- ---------------------------- As far as goaltending goes, Blaine Olynick is the best goalie out of the Season 37 VHL Entry Draft, with over 500 practice minutes. He was selected sixth overall and is one of the better goaltenders in the VHL today. Coming into the league onto an uprising Cologne Express squad, Olynick put up a negative record as a rookie in the VHL. Blaine was 22-39-3 and earned a .904% save percentage on a team that nobody expected to contend that season. The very next season the Express turned it around with a strong showing by Olynick, boasting a 36-26-5 record and he earned a showing on the S39 European Conference All-Star Team. Throughout the next 2 seasons, being S40 and S41, the netminder posted nearly identical records of 40-20-4 and 40-19-5. Blaine Olynick also took home 10 shutouts, making it his best season yet. This far in Blaine's career there has not been much to be too proud of in the playoffs, however. His Cologne Express team has failed to make it very far on their journey towards a Continental Cup, and Olynick's lack of playoff prowess has not helped in that regard. G - Kimmo Salo - 7th Overall ---------------------------- ---------------------------- Kimmo Salo was one of two goalies were were highly praised going into this draft. Kimmo was selected one spot after his competitor, Blaine Olynick, at 7th Overall to the Helsinki Titans. Goaltending in Helsinki was a much needed position, and Salo looked like the perfect goaltender to mind that net for seasons to come. Throughout his current 4 season career he has remained consistent in the save percentage category with respectable numbers, keeping at a pace of at least .915% or more. This far into this tenure of the league, Kimmo Salo has yet to bring home any hardware. Since the season that this goaltender was drafted, the Titans have risen to be a threat in the league and look to stay there. In this past Season 41 post-season, Kimmo posted a 6-2-3 record with a 2.45 goals against average in the 11 games that Helsinki battled in the playoffs. In recent times though, Kimmo Salo has had questionable commitment to the game of hockey and one of the positions that the Titans need to address heading forward. D - Ron World Peace - 12th Overall ---------------------------- ---------------------------- As one of the surprises of the Season 37 draft, defenseman Ron World Peace shines through. Being picked in the second round, RWP came into the league trying to prove doubters wrong. Although he hasn't won any big awards like some of the other names in this draft, he is one of the more reliable defenseman in the VHL. Ron World Peace broke into the VHL in S38 as a rookie with 47 points, including 14 goals. This giant defender has been a force to be reckoned with in Cologne on the blue line. He is a defender that can keep the crease clear when needed and put up points if asked for. Ron World Peace has grown into a consistent 60 point player, which is the kind of player any team wouldn't turn away. Although the activity of RWP has dwindled in recent seasons, he still puts up welfare from week to week. Coming out of this draft as a member of the Express, Cologne probably obtained more or less as expected at 12th overall. C - Konstantin Jaroslav Azhishchenkov - 5th Overall ---------------------------- ---------------------------- As far as names are concerned, KJA is easily one of the more notable players of this draft. Heading to the Riga Reign at 5th Overall, Konstantin is one of the most proud Russians in the VHL and one of the toughest. Azhishchenkov spent his first season in the minors alongside fellow draftee Travis Boychuk. Interesting to note, both of these players would be a member of the Quebec City Meute in their careers, as KJA was traded there in S38. After spending a few seasons in Quebec City, he would then head back to Riga for S41. Coming into the VHL was a bit of a disappointment for KJA and his fans, as he would only put up a sub-par 14 points. Many had predicted him for the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy as the best rookie in S38, only to be easily beaten out by Boychuk. Heading into S39 as a member of the Meute, KJA would earn the Dustin Funk Trophy as the league's Most Improved Player putting up a total of 85 points with 35 of them being goals. Spending each half of Season 41 in Quebec and Riga, KJA jotted down 66 points but earned a -14 with the Reign. To follow that up, Azhishchenkov put up a respectable 12 points in 13 games this post-season before being eliminated in the finals by the cup winning New York Americans. KJA is a solid second line centerman for any team to have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diamond_ace 3,106 Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Boychuk > DollarAndADream 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowboyinAmerica 2,711 Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 Content: 3/3 - Interesting article, love reading retrospectives. Well written and kept me entertained throughout as well. Grammar: 2/2 - A few things, but not enough to dock for me in an 800+ word piece goalies were were = goalies that were 7th Overall = doesn't need to be capitalized and one of the positions that the Titans need to address heading forward. = and goalie is one... sub-par = subpar team to have = needs ending period Appearance: 1/1 - Pretty Overall: 6/6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DollarAndADream 3,356 Posted February 11, 2015 Author Share Posted February 11, 2015 Content: 3/3 - Interesting article, love reading retrospectives. Well written and kept me entertained throughout as well. Grammar: 2/2 - A few things, but not enough to dock for me in an 800+ word piece goalies were were = goalies that were 7th Overall = doesn't need to be capitalized and one of the positions that the Titans need to address heading forward. = and goalie is one... sub-par = subpar team to have = needs ending period Appearance: 1/1 - Pretty Overall: 6/6 There actually is an ending period there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoachReilly 688 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Claimed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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