Claimed: McAllister's Lottery Team Fit [1/2]

[CowboyinAmerica 2,911]

 

Finding McAllister's Right Fit

 

While the VHL Playoffs continue to go forward, the non-playoff teams are left in a bit of a holding pattern. Sure, there are some preparations that are beginning to be made, but there remains one big question: Who will get the first pick in the draft?

 

At this point, it’s likely that left winger Gabriel McAllister will be the first pick, something that becomes even more certain if Ay Ay Ron is automatically assigned to Stockholm or New York via GM Rule as has been floated out there. A couple weeks ago, we talked with McAllister about why he’d like to go to each of the four teams that currently hold lottery picks. But in the lead up to the lottery, today we’re asking a different question: How does McAllister actually fit in with each of the non-playoff teams?

 

 Cologne Express

Since there isn’t much in the cupboard for the Express, the team can build around McAllister rather than fitting him into preexisting plans. Right winger Birkir Hólm Guðnason, who recently entered the VHLM and is already pledged to Cologne in the Season 57 draft, would help in that regard and give a fearsome one-two punch as early as Season 58. The fifth pick in this year’s draft and Cologne’s S57 first would also presumably be key pieces to the rebuild. But the key is that with McAllister on board, the team would have a lot of flexibility moving forward.

 

 Seattle Bears

The future of the Bears first line is up in flames – Xavier Laflamme, that is. Laflamme and center Mattias Forsberg have been key to an Oslo Storm resurgence in the VHLM this season, and it’s worthwhile to expect that the duo will take their act to Seattle together and perform in a similar fashion. By the start of Season 56, Laflamme will likely be around 250 TPE and Forsberg around 300, giving both players a solid building block towards Rookie of the Year aspirations.

 

Though Laflamme is a left winger similar to McAllister, one of the two players could easily move to the other side of the ice for an all-rookie first line. Aging, unwanted veterans excepted, nobody would be pushing Laflamme or McAllister for those first line spots, and it’s clear that they would be a pair for years into the future with this Seattle team.

 

 Riga Reign

McAllister’s fit would be similarly straightforward in Riga: first line left winger, with Fredinamijs Krīgars at center and Slava Aleksei at right wing. Just like in Seattle, both wingers would be entering from the VHLM at the same time and would complement one another in the Rookie of the Year race. Given the growth trajectory of Riga as well, it’s believable that both players would be with the franchise for a long time as well.

 

What might make that fit more interesting, though, is age: Krīgars is a S53 player, and Aleksei is S54. If the Reign snagged McAllister in the draft, would the team want to make trades and try and compete with Helsinki/Davos right away? Especially given the talent that could be available from New York and Stockholm this offseason, it could make sense for McAllister to be pushed down the depth chart in favor of an older star or two up on the first line.

 

 Toronto Legion

On the surface, McAllister’s fit in Toronto would also seem to be straightforward. You have Boeser at center, Reinholdt on the right wing, and McAllister on the left. It would certainly be a lineup of the future, and it would have more TPE off the top than any other line that McAllister would be on.

 

But there’s one wrinkle that I think could be potentially interesting: Toronto is likely to look to compete right away, and Daring Do is also waiting in the wings to make the jump next season. If Toronto thinks Boeser could hold down the first line scoring again similar to this season, would it make sense to pair Boeser with Reinholdt and Do, then have McAllister be the primary second line playmaker? It would be a way to counter a deep Quebec offense, and signing or trading for veteran players to pair with McAllister would certainly be easy. It’s an interesting thought at least, but one whose conclusion is far away.

[Eggy216 136]

 

Linemates forever

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

REVIEWED:

 

Like you said, most teams picking in the lottery are there for a reason. McAllister's a good enough player that any team would be able to fit him into their plans, but obviously it's easier for some than others. I'm sure McAllister will find success wherever he goes.