Claimed:Three Things That Make Me Go "State Of Your VHL Mate"

[Tagger 2,722]

 

1. Making History For All The Wrong Reasons

 

It's been a while since we've seen a team miss a playoffs in four consecutive seasons, and that was the Vasteras Iron Eagles back in S33-36. However, this season, we're currently looking set to have at least one team miss their fourth consecutive playoff series in Helsinki, and depending on how the end of the season goes, Stockholm may be another to extend their streak of missed playoffs to four seasons. While neither team would set a record for their most consecutive seasons without playoffs (Helsinki missed the playoffs five seasons in a row from S17-21, Stockholm/Vasteras/Madrid/Whatever They Were Called Then missed the playoffs six seasons from S19-S24), this would be their respective teams records for most consecutive seasons without playoffs post-expansion (in Stockholm's case, they're tying with their stint from S33-36). Considering how noncompetitive the EU Conference currently is, it could be considered pretty surprising that teams would be able to consistently miss the playoffs in an era where heavily understaffed teams are making the playoffs. However, the main reason for these streaks are that both of these teams were in a position to make a move in Season 51 with a decent Free Agency, but since neither of them were able to attract FA's (combined with some weak draft classes leaving the league lacking in depth), they decided to start the rebuild over again. 

 

  

2. EU Playoffs in General

 

Along with these non-playoff streaks, the general EU playoff race outside of Riga is just a cesspool of horseshit. Cologne are going to make the playoffs as the second place team in the conference, they have four skaters, one goalie and had gone pretty much the entire season without a single defensemen until they brought up Syndergaard from the VHLM. Part of me hopes they win just based on how empty their Continental Cup page will look on the site with how little players they have. Rounding out the conference is a Davos Dynamo side that can certainly match any team in quantity, but certainly not in quality. While they have ten skaters on their roster, only four are at a TPA (#TPAStillMatters) level over 200, although that figure would probably be at two had Jory Rose and Wesley Babiy been regressed correctly.

 

A fun fact to show you how the Dynamo look at the minute, if you were to combine their points total from this season and last season (they made the playoffs last season in third place, they're on pace to make it this season again in third place), the Dynamo would still be 30 points shy of the point total the Americans had in S49, a season where they only finished their conference third in points! 

 

Christ...

 

3. Despite This, The General Consensus Seems To Still Be Fuck Contraction

 

I've brought up contraction in the past both in the BOG and on the forums and the general consensus and response to the idea has been no with a few yes's dotted in. The main reason cited for this is that it's a "bad time" for it considering the implementation of the two player idea, and while I know what they mean when they say that, I still strongly believe that Contraction would be the right move.

 

I've had a look through the rosters and I currently see 70 players on a VHL roster that are actually at a TPE (TPE, not even TPA) level to play in the VHL. That's only enough for seven teams to play ten VHL quality players (which would follow the current norm of 6 forwards, 3 defensemen and a goalie). Heading into Season 53, we're not even going to be adding any meaningful amount to that, as we currently have 14 of those set to retire this season and looking at around a maximum of 17 players making the VHL this season. so we aren't really boosting the VHL number count by any significant number. If we were to contract to eight teams, the worst case scenario is that some teams may at some point have to make a third line of players which, let's face it, isn't all that bad. 

 

I can't be alone in thinking that the VHL is at it's very best when it's competitive right? I mean, look at the rosters Cologne and Davos are making the playoffs with. Is that fun to see teams with pretty close to zero on-board activity make the playoffs? I don't know about you, but it isn't to me. 

Edited January 2, 2017 by YEAH!stlemania

[Will 4,662]

I've never been staunchly against reversing expansion, although its never really come up in any serious way that I can remember. I wasn't there at the time so there's only so much I can say on the decision but I have wondered how necessary it actually was or if the allure of expansion took hold. I saw it when we started talking about 2 players - there were people that immediately started calling for plans for expansion and all that, which obviously was quite unrealistic but people love expansion, or at least the idea of it. 

 

Whether warranted then or not (it matters little at this point and I bring it up mostly just out of curiosity), there probably is a strong argument to be made today that the league would be better off with 8 teams. 

[Tagger 2,722]

7 hours ago, Will said:

I've never been staunchly against reversing expansion, although its never really come up in any serious way that I can remember. I wasn't there at the time so there's only so much I can say on the decision but I have wondered how necessary it actually was or if the allure of expansion took hold. I saw it when we started talking about 2 players - there were people that immediately started calling for plans for expansion and all that, which obviously was quite unrealistic but people love expansion, or at least the idea of it. 

 

Whether warranted then or not (it matters little at this point and I bring it up mostly just out of curiosity), there probably is a strong argument to be made today that the league would be better off with 8 teams. 

The reasons behind the expansion are something I'd have been interested to read more about as well (I only joined a few seasons before yourself so wasn't there at the point), 

 

Looking at the rosters pre and post expansion, I'd be inclined to agree that maybe there could have been a case of the excitement of expansion setting up the decision. Season 30 (the last season with eight teams) didn't have every team filled with players as Helsinki, Riga and Iron Eagles were only at 5-6 skaters each. Post expansion, the Bears only had only one skater of VHL quality and the Legion only 2.

 

Think the only time we've ever been close to justifying having ten teams was Season 43 (where the only teams that didn't have enough VHL quality skaters were the Titans with 2 and the Wranglers with 5), but that was off the back off the extraordinary Season 40 class and the less-extraordinary but still provided a lot more VHL players than usual (15) Season 41 class.

[NotAVHLM-GM 1,858]

1 hour ago, YEAH!stlemania said:

The reasons behind the expansion are something I'd have been interested to read more about as well (I only joined a few seasons before yourself so wasn't there at the point), 

 

Looking at the rosters pre and post expansion, I'd be inclined to agree that maybe there could have been a case of the excitement of expansion setting up the decision. Season 30 (the last season with eight teams) didn't have every team filled with players as Helsinki, Riga and Iron Eagles were only at 5-6 skaters each. Post expansion, the Bears only had only one skater of VHL quality and the Legion only 2.

 

Think the only time we've ever been close to justifying having ten teams was Season 43 (where the only teams that didn't have enough VHL quality skaters were the Titans with 2 and the Wranglers with 5), but that was off the back off the extraordinary Season 40 class and the less-extraordinary but still provided a lot more VHL players than usual (15) Season 41 class.

 

From what I gathered the expansion was just done to show Vasteras it was possible to create a championship team over time with limited starting resources.

As both Quebec and Cologne managed this, I would call the expansion a succes.

[Tagger 2,722]

13 minutes ago, Green said:

 

From what I gathered the expansion was just done to show Vasteras it was possible to create a championship team over time with limited starting resources.

As both Quebec and Cologne managed this, I would call the expansion a succes.

What's sad is that the Continental Cup rates of the expansion teams are barely any better than Vasteras/Stockholm's. (Meute and Express have each won one continental cup every 22 seasons, Stockholm/Vasteras have won one cup every 26 seasons).  

[Higgins 3,618]

Expansion was an inside job

[NotAVHLM-GM 1,858]

20 minutes ago, YEAH!stlemania said:

What's sad is that the Continental Cup rates of the expansion teams are barely any better than Vasteras/Stockholm's. (Meute and Express have each won one continental cup every 22 seasons, Stockholm/Vasteras have won one cup every 26 seasons).  

 

Blame franchises like New York properly handling their assets all the damn time

[Kendrick 4,741]

Claimed