Claimed:Lack of experience in net for Season 43 [Final 6/6]

[scoop 3,311]

Lack of experience in net for Season 44

 

Season 43 was perhaps the least offensive season in VHL history. The team average of 2.51 goals per game is the lowest going back to at least Season 18 (stats from the 17 prior seasons have been lost). The 80 total shutouts is 31 more than we saw in Season 42. Turning on a dime, Season 44 will likely be a relatively high-scoring seasons.

 

Brick Wahl, Martin Brookside, and Mike Szatkowski Jr. (the three best goalies in the VHL) are retiring. That trio combined for 37 of those 80 shutouts. Brock Waldron, the next best, is aging and will have a hard enough time fighting to produce at the same level. Niklaus Mikaelson will enter Season 44 as a heavy favorite for the Aidan Shaw Trophy.

 

Martin Brookside will go out with an Aidan Shaw trophy in his final season, but came just short of a Continental Cup.

 

Other than Waldron and Mikaelson, none of the remaining goalies played as far back as Season 41. Callum Sinclair has two full seasons of experience in the VHL, while Fedir Okranitz and Jax Barnstormer played some games in Season 42 before becoming full-time starters in Season 43. Rookies Blake Campbell and Hans Wingate will try to maintain the promising starts to their careers. For the Reign, RIG G will be out, with Bernie Gow making his debut.

 

As it stands now, there are eight goalies who we know we will be seeing in the VHL. Neither Toronto nor Cologne, who saw Szatkowski and Brookside retire, currently have a replacement ready. We will likely be seeing two teams starting a CPU G this season. While it may not be Toronto and Cologne, as trades could happen, is yet to be seen, but aside from Bernie Gow, the VHLM does not have any VHL-ready goalies.

 

The goalie situation for Season 44 could have even been even more extreme, as Mikaelson had briefly retired at one point in time. Declaring Season 43 to be his last, Mikaelson was criticized and eventually decided to stay. He ended up winning the Continental Cup with the Bears, the first big step in what very well could end up being a strong Hall of Fame resume. With the goalie situation as it is in the VHL, he could be looking at multiple Aidan Shaw trophies over the next few seasons. While the lack of competition may be used as a knock to his potential argument, the awards will always mean something.

 

Niklaus Mikaelson could have an easy road ahead of him to win several Aidan Shaw trophies

 

With all these young goalies progressing, Season 43's record low in goals could be contested down the line. Projecting several seasons into the future, Season 47 or 48 may see similarly low outputs from the offenses. If these guys stick around, the likes of Mikaelson, Sinclair, Barnstormer, Campbell, Wingate, and Gow could all be strong goalies at that time. When you add in the trio top prospect Season 45 goalies (Ariel Wienstein and the brothers Clegane, Sandro and Greg), we see that the future of goaltenders in the VHL is bright. It just so happens to be that they are very young right now.

Edited June 21, 2015 by Streetlight

[Higgins 3,618]

MVPNM

[scoop 3,311]

I MEAN SEASON 44 DAMMIT

[Laflamme 376]

Content: 3/3- Great article. Lots of great goalies in the league. Brookside definitely being up there. 

 

Grammar: 2/2-  (thumbs-up)

 

Appearance: 1/1-  Two pictures and a title! Good Job. 

 

Final: 6/6

[Victor 10,670]

What a time to be alive.

[Kesler 1,514]

Claimed