The Brampton Blades: VHLM's Boarding House? [Final 6/6]

[Renomitsu 934]

The Brampton Blades: VHLM’s Boarding House?

 

One only needs to take a single look at the recent waiver minor league waiver history to notice that Brampton Blades executive tfong has been on the move. In the few weeks alone, he’s laid free claim to six different greenhorn prospects – Mathieu Baptiste, Lars Siktanc, Daryn Petersenn, Saul Hackett, Jon Panik, and Maxime Deschamps – with hugely varying levels of experience and agent history. A few hecklers have made an effort to promote Brampton as something of an adoption home for young hockey players trying to make a name for themselves.

 

What, if anything, can be expected from these players, and what impact have they already made on their newfound home? Is tfong crazed and going out on a limb in claiming these prospects? Is he a genius, claiming the best upcoming hockey players while the rest of the league is largely unaware?

 

 

Mathieu Baptiste

Agent: iRockstar

Current TPE: 34

Baptiste, one of multiple Canadian prospects claimed by Brampton, is currently managed by iRockstar – an individual with some history in VHL. He’s managed players such as Zack Gagnon and Mikey Blade, but his most recent client other than Baptiste – Teuvo Ruutu – is a winger for the Wranglers, who has seen experience on a few teams, and even changed positions (from defenseman). If nothing else, Baptiste has an agent who’s seen quite a few players in his time – and with Ruutu listing a +46 plus-minus in his most recent season with the Stockholm Vikings and a new gig in Toronto, the outlook is most certainly positive for new center Baptiste.

One of the most refreshing qualities scouts have seen in Baptiste is his resolve, and wisdom beyond his years – Mathieu is an individual who has experienced failure and success, and seems more in tune with himself than anyone could reasonably expect from a minor league player. It translates to his on-the-ice aptitude in the form of skating and versatility; he can skate circles around the competition, as shown in practice and against other minor leaguer. Even beyond that, he’s been able to adjust to his shot on the fly; this adaptability and sniping talent is something major league GMs will definitely look out for.

 

Lars Siktanc

Agent: Boragina

Current TPE: 10

Something of an enigma, LW Lars Siktanc was claimed only a few days ago by the Blades; it’s for this reason that nothing can really be said of the Czech winger. He’s shown moments of brilliance for the Blades, showing an ability to score at a whim, but the young man’s commitment to the league must be made concrete before any scouts can begin generating hype. He’s a touch short at 5’9”, and although his game is acceptable from a VHLM perspective, Siktanc has to sharpen his skills to command a large contract.

 

Daryn Petersenn

Agent: Hockeyman9114

Current TPE: 0

While Siktanc and Baptiste show potential for tremendous upside, the same can’t be said of brand-new defenseman Daryn Petersenn. In fact, the young German has yet to show up to much of anything – the training facility, camps, team functions, media sessions – and nobody knows if he ever will. A decent physical specimen at 6’3” and 203 pounds, the claim on Petersenn may have been because of his dashing looks instead of his ability.

 

Saul Hackett

Agent: Renomitsu

Current TPE: 30

The second of the recent Canadian prospects claimed by Brampton, Saul Hackett is an individual that doesn’t speak to the press very much – he seems to want his performance to do the talking for him. When interviewed, Hackett was willing to give some insight on his philosophy, conveying his intent on improving in a league where he and his agent are relatively unknown.  He has spent almost all of his time coordinating with other defensemen, particularly line-mate Petersenn and the team’s goalkeepers, and wants to keep press and scouting combine results on the down-low. If he shows his commitment to the league, Hackett has a rare chance to go from total unknown to solid draftee.

 

Jon Panik

Agent: Kyle

Current TPE: 0

Jon Panik’s such a recent addition to the league that not much can be written about him specifically – agent Kyle is a significantly more interesting talking point. We’ll hold our breath on Brampton’s third Canadian until he’s had a chance to catch his own; Brampton just barely finished signing the paperwork as of writing this article.

 

Maxime Deschamps

Agent: scotty

Current TPE: 60

Our last prospect on today’s list is none other than Maxime Deschamps, a French Season 45 prospect that has been making the slow crawl up draft boards since his first game on the ice. Just a couple of weeks ago, Deschamps was ranked around the twentieth spot by scouts observing the VHL Scouting Combine. Although he has recently been used on the wing by the Blades, the center has been putting tremendous effort into facing off against fellow center Mathieu Baptiste, while also honing his physicality on the ice with a variety of defensemen and forwards.  He appears to be a well-rounded forward with decent control over the ice due to his defensive aptitude, speed, and scoring capability – clearly intending on playing a supporting role on the ice instead of a pure goal scorer.

Little needs to be said about Maxime’s agent, scotty – a manager that has taken on Scotty Campbell, Tomas Jenskovic, and RJ Stafford in past years. His pedigree reaches all the way back to the inception of VHL, and it’s for this reason that scouts may get excited over Deschamps. If the young center can continue his progress from the past couple of weeks – accumulating 26 TPE since the fifth VHLSC rankings – he could prove to be a solid pickup for the middle rounds of the draft.

 

So, you decide – are the Blades tfong’s crazed way of giving new hockey players a new home, or is there method to his waiver claims?

[DollarAndADream 3,356]

Don't forget Parechkin. Claimed after the trade deadline.

[eaglesfan036 4,602]

Good look at all the waiver guys, looks like Brampton will be repping the drafta  lot

[Baozi 1,658]

I make the Hilton look like a Lucky 7s.

[Tylar 219]

Content: 3/3 - Fong is a hoarder. He made some good moves though, and kept his team competitive with all you claims. He did a good job. 

Grammar: 2/2 -  I didn't catch anything. Great work!

Appearance: 1/1 - Looks nice. 

Overall: 6/6