Hybrid1486 577 Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Season 45 in Europe: A Look Ahead Has there ever been a conference as balanced as this season could be in Europe? For the first time in a long while, there are no teams that seem to be going into an outright rebuild or setting themselves up for a tank this season. Each team has a fairly decent goaltender and at least one leader up front to carry the team forward. Also of note, none of the European teams have their own first-round pick, meaning none of them have any incentive to fall short of a playoff spot in season 45. So what does each team look like, and what are their chances at the postseason? Let's have a look, shall we? Cologne Express Strength: At the outset of the year, Brock Waldron is probably the best goaltender in Europe, largely due to the youth movement at the position. By the end of the season he'll likely be further down the list, due to the improvement of the rest of the division coupled with his impending retirement and lack of future improvement, but for the moment he seems primed for a strong year in net. Weakness: The loss of Thomas O'Malley and Bismarck Koenig leaves the Express without their top two players from last season. Add to that the loss of Ron World Peace to forced retirement, and there is a lot of roster turnover that could be hard to deal with. The incoming players, led by Jackson Miller, should be strong but will probably fall short of the MVP-level play the outgoing cast provided. Davos Dynamo Strength: The Dynamo roster is very balanced, and Callum Sinclair will probably take the mantle of Europe's top goalie before the end of the season, if he doesn't have it already. The top line, led by James Faraday, shouldn't have too much trouble putting up goals against the younger netminders this season. Weakness: The defense is led by a powerhouse in Mason Richardson, but is otherwise pretty lackluster, relatively speaking. Richardson is going to have to eat a lot of minutes to keep them competitive, and if he spends much time in the box the remaining duo of Vladimir Komarov and Josh Rubin could struggle. Helsinki Titans Strength: The acquisition of Thomas O'Malley, along with former Cologne teammate Christoph Klose, makes Helsinki the most formidable offensive team in Europe, and probably the entire VHL. That duo, along with Brady Stropko, will give the Titans the best top line in the game and could lead to a second MVP award for O'Malley. Weakness: A major youth movement leaves the team with a glaring lack of experience behind the offense, especially in goal. Greg Clegane is going to be a star, but at this point he's in a dead heat with Bernie Gow for the title of worst goaltender in the conference. Phil Hamilton and Pablo Escabar are coming along well in front of him, but they too could use another season of play before they come into their own. Riga Reign Strength: The arrival of Aksel Thomassen from Quebec gives the Reign someone who can challenge O'Malley for the MVP award while giving them a decent shot at making a deep run this season. Bronson Faux is also coming along very nicely, meaning the team should have no shortage of offense this coming year. Weakness: Like Davos before them, they're relying on three defensemen to provide coverage for a young goaltender. Unlike Davos, one of those defensemen isn't Mason Richardson, and while Jack Kowaski could continue to grow after a period of stagnation he's not likely to have that same kind of impact. In addition, Bernie Gow is a step behind the rest of the division in goaltending, meaning Riga is going to have a lot of high-scoring adventures this season. Stockholm Vikings Strength: Blake Campbell came into his own last season, and it would be a surprise if he didn't finish his career with at least one season as the league's top goaltender. Of course, it helps to have a duo like Lloyd Light and Jerrick Poole in front of you if you're going to do that, but Campbell is a strong goaltender who is only getting better at this juncture of his career, Weakness: If Riga's going to win a lot of games with high scores, Stockholm will need to do the opposite if they want to contend. This team has a surprising lack of depth, only having four forwards on the roster at the moment. Lord Karnage should continue to excel, and Jody 3 Moons has been a quality player for most of his career, but the lack of depth is going to come back to haunt them at some point. Predicted Outcome: Victor, Phil, eaglesfan036 and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,845 Posted September 7, 2015 Admin Share Posted September 7, 2015 Wow, interesting predictions and yet remarkably I can't say you're insane for making them. This will be a season to remember. Hybrid1486 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tylar 219 Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 Content: 3/3 - Yeah the European conference looks interesting. Anyone could finish at the top and anyone could finish near the bottom depending on luck of the sim. Even looking at your prediction seeing Riga at the bottom is rough because I think they're pretty good. Shows how good Europe is. Grammar: 2/2 - Great work! Appearance: 1/1 - Looks good!Overall: 6/6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendrick 4,741 Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 Claimed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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