Lynx Ballin' As Per Usual

[JardyB10 4,865]

28 games into the season, and the Ottawa Lynx co-own the top spot in the VHLM. This comes to a surprise to many pundits, as the Lynx lost their two best players from S47, as Atticus von Braxton and David Hamilton were both ineligible to return to Ottawa, and thus graduated to the VHL. Missing the league's reigning Top Goaltender and an elite forward, it's a wonder the Lynx are able to compete at all this season. General Manager Jardy Bunclewirth admits off-season doubt himself.

 

"It's hard to compete in the VHLM without a decent goalie, and it's even harder if you can't score. So losing Braxton and Hamilton hurt. Cole and (Cian) Mercer were both slated to return, both of whom I knew would be league leaders in their positions, but even Cole's return was up in the air. With just one high pick in the draft, I had to strongly consider doing something I never really want to; rebuilding."

 

Cole did end up receiving a call up to the Titans, but Bunclewirth did not rebuild. Instead, he picked up a 2nd round draft pick from Brampton in exchange for his own S49 2nd, and picked up Shayne Gow, AK47, Roope Toivanen, and Robert Lee in the draft. He also hit the lottery when VHLM stud veteran Benjamin Tumack decided to come to the team via free agency.

 

Between Tumack, Mercer, Gow, and Lee, the Lynx now unarguably have the best defensive core in the league. And while AK47 has struggled sometimes during the season, he's been the team's most active player, and has kept them in games when it counted.

 

And though their offence leaves much to be desired on paper, with rookies Toivanen and waiver pick up Jake Steel headlining the roster, they've still managed to produce goals at unanticipated levels. Toivanen leads the team with 12 goals, and he and Steel have put up a matching 24 points thus far. Veteran defenceman Mercer has been a large catalyst for this offence, and leads the team with 32 points; 28 of those being assists, a league leading number.

 

It has all added up to the success the Lynx have experienced thus far. While some may point out that much of their wins have come against the league's least good, they are still 2-1-2 against co-league leading Bratislava, and 3-2-1 against the next-best Oslo Storm.