Claimed:Top 5 Teams To Consider For Contraction

[Tagger 2,722]

For those wondering where the “Top 50 players of 2016” article is, I will be looking to submit that late night Sunday/Early Morning Monday GMT to use as my PT for next week, so that I can spend this week gathering the rest of my info and writing it up.

 

Those of you who read my last article will already know that I am strongly in favour of the VHL implementing a contraction to take the VHL down to eight teams. My reasons are that I think it’s embarrassing to see two teams in the playoffs that have pretty much zero on-the-board activity and I don’t feel like, looking at the numbers and even with the two-player rule, we generate enough players to the point where we will ever properly make a competitive VHL. I also feel that the main negative of contraction, which would be that teams would potentially have to look at fielding three lines of players is far better than the current predicament of four-five near-abandoned teams per season. Perhaps the most difficult part of contracting a league though is deciding which teams are the ones to be contracted as, while it’s incredibly easy to add two teams in, taking teams out always comes with the risk of annoying certain people who may have an attachment for a given franchise. So I’ve come up with my list of five teams which I think would be the favourites to be considered for contraction (In no particular order).

 

The Expansion Teams (Quebec City Meute and Cologne Express)

Reasons: Lack of History

 

One of the big factors that would come into play when a fifty-plus season league decides it wants to contract two of its teams is the impact the team has had on the league historically. With the Meute and the Express, you have two teams who are less likely to have had as big a historical impact as the other teams in the league due to them not being introduced until the league’s 31^st season. While their status as expansion teams would obviously make them more prominent candidates for contraction, they would have been able to secure their VHL safety with a strong showing in their shorter time in the league. However, neither team has really had a super impact on the league since their induction. While Quebec have certainly had some strong teams in the past and have been the long-term homes of great players such as Aksel Thomassen and Bruno Wolf, just two Continental Cup final appearances and the lone Continental Cup victory in Season 35 ranks them as one of the least successful franchises in the post-expansion era. Despite a slow start that didn’t see Cologne make a Continental Cup final appearance until its 12^th season, they’ve gone on to feature more often in the Continental Cup finals than the Meute have, making four appearances with total. With that said though, that only puts the team in joint-sixth in Continental Cup final appearances post expansion and they are still tied with the Meute in Continental Cup victories with their lone victory coming against the Meute themselves in the S42 Continental Cup final.

 

Seattle Bears

Reason: Recent History

 

With all the recent struggles that the Seattle Bears have had, it’s strange to see that these problems never used to be an issue for the franchise in the past. Prior to expansion, the Bears had the joint-most playoff appearances along with the third-most Continental Cup victories. For whatever reason though, expansion seemed to have a big impact on the Bears, as they haven’t been close to having the same amount of success since the change to a ten-team league. Since expansion, they have had the joint-least amount of playoff appearances (tied with Stockholm), the joint-least amount of Continental Cup final appearances (again tied with Stockholm) and just the one Continental Cup victory. That lone Continental Cup victory came in Season 43 and it is widely considered the worst VHL team to have ever won the Continental Cup. In fact it was so bad, the GM for the Bears prior to the start of that season (Bushito) put the entire team on the trading block, figuring that it would not be strong enough to even compete that season.

 

While their recent history would certainly be a good enough reason alone to suggest that the Bears should be one of the teams contracted, what would be a point against the Bears contracting is that the team currently has a lot of talent and a GM who actually gives a shit about the team (more than can be said for some of the GMs Seattle has had), so it may be better given their roster to keep them intact and instead have them acquire additional assets through the contraction draft.

 

HC Davos Dynamo

Reason: Recent History + Current Roster

 

This may well be the most controversial pick of the article given the current records that the franchise currently holds. The Dynamo are currently tied with the Riga Reign for most playoff appearances, tied with the Toronto Legion for the most Continental Cup final appearances and, most importantly of all, holding the outright record for total Continental Cups with nine successful campaigns to their name. So why would I consider them a possibility for contraction given that they’ve obviously had such a big impact on the VHL?

 

Well firstly, while the Dynamo certainly has a great long-term history, it doesn’t have an all-that-great recent history. While they have managed to make the playoffs in seven of their last twelve seasons and did manage a Continental Cup final appearance in Season 49, they’ve never really felt like a true contender during that period, as five of those playoff appearances came with them entering as the third best team in the EU Conference, with the other two coming as the second-best team in the Conference.

 

In addition, while I probably wouldn’t suggest an immediate contraction, I can’t see Davos adding too many assets in the near future, which could make the Dynamo an “easy contraction”. Right now, the only assets of any sort of value that the Dynamo possess are the former first overall pick Apollo Skye and the Dynamo’s GM player Pavel Komarov, who himself isn’t exactly a franchise player given that he’s currently under 400 TPE and set to face his first season of regression. As neither of these players are particularly vocal on the forums either, this would likely be the easiest team to contract in terms of likely putting up the least vocal resistance to contraction.

 

Stockholm Vikings

Reason: Everything Except the Current Roster

 

I probably don’t need to go into much depth to explain why Stockholm would be considered for contraction given its history in the VHL. Out of all the original franchises, they have the least amount of playoff appearances, the least amount of Continental Cup Finals appearances and the least amount of Continental Cup victories. What’s sad is that in these categories, they aren’t even remotely close to their competition; every other original VHL franchise has had over double the amount of Continental Cup victories that Stockholm has had and only Seattle doesn’t have double the amount of Continental Cup final appearances that Stockholm has had. Things haven’t looked that much better recently either. Since expansion, they are tied with Seattle in least amount of playoff appearances, are tied with Seattle for having the least number of Continental Cup Finals appearances and are the only team in the VHL who have yet to win a Continental Cup since expansion. The only thing historically in Stockholm’s favour is that (as the Vasteras Iron Eagles) they won the first ever Continental Cup in the VHL.

The only thing that would be against Stockholm being contracted is that by Season 53, they’re going to have a solid group of young players to their name, as Dragonslayer and likely a top three selection from the S53 Draft class will join Undertaker, Snatch and DeGrath to make a strong youthful core.

 

[boubabi 4,725]

[hedgehog337 3,480]

Once again, it's Dynamo here. hah

 

I was wondering about STO recently. Boubabi was fine, but it was enough only for one finals. Vasteras karma or meh S42 draft?

Edited January 3, 2017 by hedgehog337

[TheLastOlympian07 2,388]

contract the expansion teams. 

[Kendrick 4,741]

I'd think it would be Quebec and Riga getting the ax.

[scoop 3,384]

39 minutes ago, hedgehog337 said:

Once again, it's Dynamo here. hah

 

I was wondering about STO recently. Boubabi was fine, but it was enough only for one finals. Vasteras karma or meh S42 draft?

Severin von Karma was a fine player. Not a superstar but he wasn't expected to be. Not right to blame him for Stockholm's struggles. 

 

 

 

 

 

ps I know that's not what you were saying I was just making a joke

[Tagger 2,722]

6 hours ago, hedgehog337 said:

Once again, it's Dynamo here. hah

 

I was wondering about STO recently. Boubabi was fine, but it was enough only for one finals. Vasteras karma or meh S42 draft?

The sad thing for STO is they actually had a really good team during Season 43, which was the same year that the god-awful Bears team won, but they were knocked out before the final by Express. 

 

 

[Tagger 2,722]

6 hours ago, Kendrick said:

I'd think it would be Quebec and Riga getting the ax.

We can't get rid of Riga, think of the Latvian Sim League community!

[Kendrick 4,741]

7 hours ago, YEAH!stlemania said:

We can't get rid of Riga, think of the Latvian Sim League community!

You mean the same one who came here and figured it wasn't their thing? Yeah the one that is only really prevalent in the SHL.

[hedgehog337 3,480]

7 hours ago, YEAH!stlemania said:

We can't get rid of Riga, think of the Latvian Sim League community!

 

 

Heck, I'm even bigger, than Latvian Sim League community!

 

14 hours ago, Kendrick said:

Riga

 

Last seasons cup saves them for the next three seasons. Probably until Toast steps down.

 

7 hours ago, YEAH!stlemania said:

The sad thing for STO is they actually had a really good team during Season 43, which was the same year that the god-awful Bears team won, but they were knocked out before the final by Express.

 

Blame Cologne

[TheLastOlympian07 2,388]

5 hours ago, hedgehog337 said:

 

 

Heck, I'm even bigger, than Latvian Sim League community!

 

 

Last seasons cup saves them for the next three seasons. Probably until Toast steps down.

 

 

Blame Cologne

and this seasons cup

[eaglesfan036 4,593]

The only reason id support contraction is to have seattle and helsinki destroyed from this earth

[Will 4,660]

12 minutes ago, eaglesfan036 said:

The only reason id support contraction is to have seattle and helsinki destroyed from this earth

 

sorry pal Helsinki is forever safe  

[Kendrick 4,741]

Claimed