Claimed: Positive Change for Saskatoon

[MD9 139]

Positive Change for Saskatoon

 

 

 

This season, no one has been able to find an answer for the Las Vegas Aces. From top to bottom, they have fielded one of the most powerful teams that the VHLM has ever seen. With Rusty Trombone scoring well over a goal per game, and five other players all recording over a point per game in his wake, they have been an offensive powerhouse. To make matters worse, they have been defensively solid, physically hard to play against, and their goaltender’s excellent play has taken a dominant team to an even higher level. With a 0.922 save percentage and a startling 1.07 goals against average, not many people are going to be betting against the Aces this year.

 

That kind of success is something to be proud about, but it also paints a target on a team’s back. One team that looks to be gunning for the Aces is the Saskatoon Wild. Led by Bo Boeser, who has managed to match Trombone’s offensive production with 21 goals in just 15 games, the Wild have had a season that is decidedly middling. Winning seven games and losing seven games, plus one loss in overtime, they haven’t been exceptional -- but they haven’t been all that bad, either. They’re a team with a lot of potential upside, but some pretty heavy gaps that they need to fill in order to become competitive -- especially with a team like Las Vegas.

 

With yesterday’s signing of rookie center Jake Scheel, the Wild took one step towards that.

 

Jake Scheel, a young center out of Augusta, Maine, was expected to be acquired by a VHLM team ever since late last week. With a few teams putting in bids, Scheel made the decision to move to Saskatoon, claiming that he “hoped to help lift the team to greater success”. It should come as no surprise to anyone that a team in dire need of a second line center would find it easy to lure a player such as Scheel to their team. With the VHL draft drawing ever nearer, rookies need to make the most of the ice-time they get -- and the Wild may be able to offer him ample playing time to prove himself in the eyes of scouts.

 

However, while it’s clear how the Wild can help Scheel, the question stands: can he make a difference for them? On the face of it, they’re in dire need of center depth. While Boeser may be able to hold the fort on the first line, which he has been doing admirably, a single capable center isn’t enough for the top six of a team that wants to compete. On that level, Scheel’s benefit is obvious. A look into the team’s statistics as a whole also provides evidence of how he could help lift the team: although the Wild have a decent offense, tied for second in goals for with 47 (a far cry from the Ace’s 81, admittedly), their defense has been less than stellar. Allowing 58 goals against, they are tied with the Oslo Storm at the very bottom of the league in that respect. Being among the worst defensive teams in a league full of teams being exposed on a daily basis by a single offensive powerhouse is nothing to be proud about, but the acquisition of a defensive-minded player could be one step towards fixing that. As it stands,  their second line is a combined -37, while their first line boasts a positive plus/minus across the board. With Scheel’s addition to the line, those numbers may hopefully begin to crawl back up.

 

One player -- and a rookie at that -- won’t make or break the season for the Wild, but it appears they have at least made a positive gain by signing the young center. With a defensively porous second line, it seems clear that any changes made could stand to benefit the team. Scheel may well horribly underform and see his own statistics at the end of the season reflect that. He might fail the team, and the team might fail him, and he might be forced to sit through the first, second and even third rounds of the VHL draft without hearing his name. But maybe, just maybe, this could spell a change in the winds for the Wild, and for the scout’s appraisal of Scheel alike.

 

(I'm assuming that because my last media was in the April 10th-16th period, I can do this for the April 17th-23rd period, even though it was just a day ago! But if I'm wrong, lemme know.)

[Gudnason 607]

Yup this MS is fine @MD9. PT weeks start and end on Sunday 11:59pm Eastern.

 

Good luck in Sasky

[MD9 139]

Just now, punkhippie said:

Yup this MS is fine @MD9. PT weeks start and end on Sunday 11:59pm Eastern.

 

Good luck in Sasky

Thank you!

[Fowll 62]

So nice work (: