Claimed:Vasteras Goes Defense-Heavy in S36 Draft

[Corco 1,237]

Vasteras Selects 3 Defensemen, 1 Forward in Draft

Triton Jackson was one of the three defenders selected by Vasteras in the S36 draft.

 

VASTERAS, Sweden - If you ask them, the Vasteras Iron Eagles organization would like you to believe that they made out like bandits in the recent S36 VHL Entry draft. Whether or not this is true, the Iron Eagles did at least have an average to above-average draft. With their four picks, the Iron Eagles selected blue-liners Sami Kravinen, Triton Jackson, Hanz Backenbauer, and left-winger Luke Riggs. The following is a breakdown on each player.

 

 

SAMI KRAVINEN - 7th overall - Brampton Blades

Kravinen playing for the Brampton Blades in S35

 

With their first pick of the draft, Vasteras selected Finnish defender Sami Kravinen; as a fun bit of trivia, Kravinen was born in Turku, the same town that now houses the VHLM Turku Outlaws franchise. Despite the relation to Turku, Kravinen played for the Vasteras Baby Eagles and Brampton Blades in S35, although his stay in Vasteras was very short (three games with only one point). Kravinen spent the next 57 games with the Brampton Blades, where he scored 31 points (5G 25A). While those numbers may not look very impressive on the surface, Kravinen spent most of the season on the 3rd pairing with the lesser skilled Hanz Backenbauer, who was coincidentally also drafted by Vasteras in the past draft. Although a bit raw at this current point in time, Kravinen shows good potential as a talented two-way defender who has a tendency to successfully quarterback a power-play. With the current blue-line on Vasteras signed for at least the next two seasons, don't expect Kravinen to be thrown to the wolves; look to possibly see Kravinen play his rookie season in S37 on the second pairing with a veteran defenseman such as Till Lindemann or Blake Knight, while also receiving some special teams minutes.  

 

 

TRITON JACKSON - 11th overall - Bratislava Watchmen

Triton Jackson may have a higher ceiling than Kravinen, but is a slightly riskier pick

 

Only four picks after selecting Kravinen and with the first pick of the second round, the Iron Eagles couldn't get to the podium fast enough to announce their selection of American defenseman Triton Jackson. Originally projected to be a mid-first round pick, Jackson slipped a bit in the draft due to questions surrounding his work ethic towards the end of the regular season and off-season. However, the talent was obvious, and Vasteras had no complaints selecting the enigmatic defender. Adding to a list of Iron Eagles who have played for the VHLM's Bratislava Watchmen, Jackson notched 54 points (13G 41A) in 69 games while playing on the top defensive pairing with Cologne prospect Lauris Prikulis. Playing alongside the more experienced Prikulis allowed Jackson to showcase his offensive flair, which is the most valuable asset to his game. Despite being selected after Kravinen, it wouldn't be crazy to believe that Jackson has more potential than the Finn. Jackson polarizes with Kravinen in that Jackson is a definite boom/bust pick, while Kravinen is a steady, albeit slightly less-talented pick. If he reaches his potential, Jackson could be a future first pairing defender on the Iron Eagles some day.

 

 

HANZ BACKENBAUER - 21st overall - Brampton Blades

Backenbauer is known for his physicality more than his offense

 

Continuing the trend of selecting players whose VHLM team names start with "Bra", Vasteras selected stay-at-home defenseman Hanz Backenbauer of the Brampton Blades with the first pick of the third round. Hanz outscored his brother Franz by 11 points (7G 20A), although neither is renowned for their offense. Hanz is definitely in the mold of a defensive defenseman, with 134 hits in S35, second on the team to Bodie Broadus in hits by a defender. Despite being a project pick, Backenbauer has some potential to be a nasty, crease-clearing defenseman who plays on the 3rd line and penalty kill.

 

 

LUKE RIGGS - 27th overall - Oslo Storm

Riggs has more than a few obstacles to overcome if he wants to reach the VHL some day

 

With their last pick of the draft, the Iron Eagles took a flyer on Oslo Storm forward Luke Riggs. Riggs plays exclusively on the left wing, which may be one of the reasons Vasteras selected him, since they are very shallow in the prospect pool at that position. That being said, Riggs doesn't exactly ooze potential either. Riggs didn't really provide any help for the offensively challenged Storm last season, as he only managed to score 19 points on a team that only beat the league-worst Turku Outlaws in terms of offensive production. Riggs may not have had the most ideal conditions to score by centering the third line, but excuses can only get you so far in the VHL and VHLM.

[Wasty 566]

Excited to be a part of the black and yellow!

[NotAVHLM-GM 1,858]

Wasty <3

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

Content: 3/3 - While their decision to trade the 4th overall pick can certainly be questioned, I do think Vasteras picked up some solid defensive prospects with the rest of their picks in the draft. While it isn't likely that any of the picks will ever become VHL superstars, Kraiven and Jackson could become solid defensemen that any team in the VHL would love to have on their team.

 

Grammar: 2/2 - Only found one small error.

 

VHL Entry draft. = VHL Entry Draft

 

Appearance: 1/1 - Very nice.

 

Overall: 6/6

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

This is now Final.

[Kesler 1,514]

Claimed