Claimed:I am not confident

[scoop 3,447]

I am not confident in the New York Americans chances this season. Do I think we can make the playoffs? Yes. I also think we could miss the playoffs. I also think we could win the Continental Cup. I think all of these outcomes are possible for four out of five teams in the North American Conference (I'll let you figure out which team is on the outs).

 

The prevailing opinion appears to be that Seattle will miss the playoffs. However, the poll I'm basing that statement on (in which Seattle received 12 out of 19 votes to be the team missing the playoffs) was posted just a few hours after the Bears traded for Joel Jarvi; perhaps there are people out there who hadn't yet seen this acquisition and would have voted differently if they had. New York is next in line with five votes in this poll, so their relative weakness in net and on defense are not being overlooked. The Toronto Legion have two votes (including my own, though it was admittedly a hard decision to make), and last season's odds-on favorites to win it all (who were promptly knocked out of the playoffs in five games after winning the Victory Cup) have just one doubter.

 

These four teams, I would say, vary greatly. Let's start by taking a look at the forwards on their rosters; the first thing to notice here is that none of these teams even have the same number of forwards, which is an odd thing to say. Toronto has just three. Granted, two of those three are Zach Parechkin and Max Molholt, but most of the other top teams (yes Victor, these four teams are all top teams) can match that top two and then outclass them severely down the line. Calgary has the next fewest with four; but they are four quality forwards. Aleksi Koponen and Tyson Kohler match Toronto's top two, while Theo Axelsson and Travis Gowecny are both superior to Toronto's third in LeAndre St. Pierre. I think Seattle's Bogdan Podarok, Thor Odinsson, and Joel Jarvi can hold their own with Toronto's top three, but probably not Calgary's. The Bears do have Sven Wolf to counter Gowecny, and then some additional help from AK47. I think hands-down, though, New York's forwards are the best bunch in the conference. Newcomers Unassisted, Tom Lincoln, and William Covington bring a veteran presence that, on paper, will be on par with the best top three in the VHL. However, a lot of the hype for this New York offense will rely on Diana Maxwell and Essian Ravenwing to have a breakout season, which is something I do have full confidence in; and we can't forget New York's sixth forward Phil Shankly.

 

But then we move on to the defense, where New York is certainly lacking. Bobby Digital will not be a liability, the other teams all have at least one elite defenseman. Meanwhile, behind Digital, the Americans have David Hamilton and Elijah Dotran, both of whom leave much to be desired. The Wranglers, although they do have Black Velvet, have a two and three who are comparably underwhelming in Tobias Klingberg and Jim Lahey. Biggu Kyanon for the Bears may not be a good as Velvet, but Felipe Rodriguez gives them a second very solid defenseman; Guntis Petenis is a solid prospect, but he won't be making any grand contribution. Toronto were the winners of free agency, at least when it comes to this upcoming season, in large part due to their big signings on defense. Both Phil and Jeff Hamilton joined the team, giving them two very good players. World B. Free is better than the third best on any other team, and would probably fall in the same tier as Digital, New York's number one.

 

Lastly, let's look at the goalies. Ariel Weinstein (Calgary) and Greg Clegane (Toronto) are two of the best in the VHL; will they allow Jakab Holik of the Bears to join their elite club before they retire? This could be Holik's season to step into stardom, and his improvement could make the difference for the Bears. In New York, the goalie will be Ilya Kopralkov, who they acquired via trade this off-season. Kopralkov was not great in his first two seasons, and last year he didn't get to show much while playing behind Sandro Clegane. He must prove to not be too big of a liability for the Americans if they are to make the playoffs and have a shot at the cup.

 

All this comparing that I've done, however, is on a player-by-player basis. What is going to matter more will be how these players work together. Hopefully the race will be as close as I envision it, or better yet, as close as I dream. I want to see it all come down to the final day. Nothing clinched, with these teams only playing against each other. How crazy would that be?

[scoop 3,447]

for Maxwell

[FacePuncher 1,343]

I'm even less confident

[Banackock 8,138]

Really enjoyed this. Cheers  

[Victor 11,021]

No top teams, everyone's distinctly average.

[scoop 3,447]

1 minute ago, Victor said:

No top teams, everyone's distinctly average.

I'm speaking relatively, dammit! Sure, these teams may not stack up to what we've had in the past, but that's the state of the VHL right now.

[Victor 11,021]

RIP VHL

[Higgins 3,618]

It's just surprising no one signed in Euro ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Victor 11,021]

Just noticed 5 or 6 of the last top rookies were on European teams but they just become good and leave. EU in Crisis.

[Higgins 3,618]

We need to put a limit on euro refugees allowed coming into NA

[gorlab 4,321]

 @Victor u hurt my soul when u signed with whatever trash team u signed with instead of NYA

[Guest]

Approved. The comparison on all 3 tiers makes a difference, and I'm not certain of anything for the Americans. Maybe the logo change guarantees a new era?

 

Gimme a picture or something next time, though, it's hard to make it through a wall of text.

[Kendrick 4,741]

Claimed