Rookie Watch

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I had every intention of following up on last week's Rookie Watch article, and discussing the impact rookies have made so far in the playoffs.  However, they all suck because they are not on New York.  Therefore, I wanted to do something different this week and examine the upcoming draft.  Most drafts usually end up with at least a few players playing their first VHL season right after being drafted.  Some have to go back to the minors for seasoning and to work on their game, but the upcoming draft has a lot of talent that could be headed to the big leagues right away.  At the moment there seems to be at least eight games likely to play up in the Victory Hockey League next season, making this draft not just one for quantity, but also quality.  This article will take a look at three of those prospects as we will look to continue this on up until the draft.

 

Jackson Miller is definitely the most VHL ready prospect available in the draft.  He has a lot of skill and is likely the best offensive prospect available in the draft.  He is a solid skater with a great shot and a knack for finding teammates with pretty good accuracy.  He does have to work on the defensive side of the game, but he definitely has the potential to be in the mold of a Mikey Blade.  There are some concerns over his ceiling, as some feel his potential isn't on the level of a Tyson Stokes or a James Faraday.  With that being said though, there is something to be said for an already ready VHL prospect.  We do not expect Jackson Miller to go first overall, but expect him to slot in anywhere from two-to-five in the draft.  It is likely that Jackson Miller will be one of the favourites for the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy next year as he may not have the long-term potential of other players, but he will be the most ready for sure.

 

Tyson Stokes is the player who I feel has the highest ceiling in this draft.  There is a lot to be said for potential, and Stokes has plenty of that.  With that being said, Tyson is not a raw project either, and is not far away from being a very good player.  Stokes possesses a solid two-way game that is focused much more on passing than scoring.  Many have compared him to Americans center, Tom Slaughter, and we definitely see the similarities.  Both are good two-way players who are not very physical and are great playmakers.  Stokes definitely will be a capable forward next season and may be able to challenge for the Stolzschweiger as well.  As for where he will likely go in the draft, I definitely think he will go in the top two.  Definitely could see him go first overall but if not, no chance he will get past two.

 

The third and final player probably poses the biggest risk of the three.  Koji Yamazaki was a very raw player just a couple seasons ago, and no one really knew much about him.  However, the young defender has soared up the charts and has become a legitimate threat for the position of top prospect in the draft.  The big defender definitely has a special skill set that is not too unlike those of legends like Ryan Sullivan, Daniel Braxton and Sterling Labatte.  He can skate well, hit hard, is stingy defensively and moves the puck pretty well.  With a skill-set like that, Yamazaki very well could find himself selected in the top three, especially if a team needs a defender.  Yamazaki has done nothing but impress, and we really do not see that changing any time soon.  With the talent he has, there is a pretty good chance that his impact could be similar to Ryan Sullivan's in his rookie year that saw him around a point per game and roughly two-hundred hits.  If he can match those numbers, he will be tough to beat.

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As I promised, I will take a look at three new prospects that will be drafted in the upcoming Season Thirty-Nine Victory Hockey League Entry Draft.  After analyzing prospects Jackson Miller, Tyson Stokes and Koji Yamazaki, I will now look at a group of guys who definitely have the potential to go in the top three.  James Faraday, Mikkel Boomgaarden and Devin Sundberg will be the next three that I will profile, as I will give you an in-depth scouting report and a prediction to what kind of impact they could have in the VHL next year and in the more distant future.

 

James Faraday as often been described as a prospect with some of the highest top ceiling potential in the draft.  He is learning under the Mitch Higgins training camp which was so successful with future Hall of Fame goaltender Tuomas Tukio.  Now Higgins is showing Faraday what it takes to become an elite level Victory Hockey League player, and a lot of people see the promise in his potential.  James already has a great skating stride and there is room for improvement with his top end speed.  What is already developed are really solid puck skills and a knack for knowing what to do with the puck on his stick.  Faraday definitely has the potential to go first overall as the promise is certainly there, but I don't necessarily think he will have a huge impact on his Victory Hockey League team next year.  He is certainly talented enough to make it, but is still a little raw in areas.  Look out for Faraday in about two to three years, as that is where we will see his talent shine through.

 

Mikkel Boomgaarden is usually considered the second best defensive prospect in the upcoming draft.  Some scouts feel he may be a safer pick than Yamazaki, but the potential is not quite as high.  With that being said, Mikkel Boomgaarden would be a top three in most drafts, but the talent in this one is making him slip a bit.  Boomgaarden projects as a physical two-way defender in the mold of Daniel Braxton.  He is physical and moves the puck well but offensively he does look to jump in and try to score.  Mikkel will definitely have a role on whatever team drafts him and the potential is certainly there to make a solid impact.  With the potential of a bubble team drafting him, look for Boomgaarden to earn some solid playing time on a solid team next season.  I expect him to go anywhere from three to six in the upcoming draft as I just cannot see him slipping any farther than that.

 

Devin Sundberg is getting a little overlooked when it comes to the talent in this draft class.  People seem to focusing more on Stokes, Faraday and Miller and are overlooking a really talented center in Sundberg.  Devin is certainly a little green but he has a pro level body and already has the offensive skills to be quite successful at the next level.  There are some concerns that he may not be ready for the Victory Hockey League next year, but if he does make it I could see him having a solid second line impact on whatever team drafts him.  He is not very physical and does need work on his faceoffs, but the rest of the skills are there and his long-term potential is pretty high.  I think he is the type of player that makes for a great project pick, and the potential is certainly there to be a number one center for a good team down the road.

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The Final Look

 

It seemed destined this way didn't it? The start of the season showed three rookies who were having phenomenal beginnings to their respective careers.  These rookies were the Wranglers' Travis Boychuk and two Helsinki Titans players in Kimmo Salo and Vojczek Svoboda.  Sure enough, these three would have the best seasons of all the freshmen and now are on the ballot for the Season Thirty-Eight Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy.  Who has the best chance of winning the prestigious award? Find out in the final look at this year's rookie award trophy.

 

Travis Boychuk turned heads right from the get-go this season.  He was not necessarily expected to be one of the top newcomers in the league, but did he ever prove people wrong.  On a fairly mediocre team, Boychuk dominated offensively with a very impressive thirty-five goals and sixty-eight assists.  He helped lead an offense that really only boasted other talents like Simon Tremblay and of course Godavari Yumalatopinto.  It really wowed a lot of  people to see the impact he had and it gave a lot of Calgary fans hope for the future.  With this kind of production, one has to think that Boychuk may very well be the favourite to win this award as he far and away out performed the others offensively and while Salo's goaltending efforts were impressive, one has to think his numbers are not good enough to put-weigh a one-hundred point player.

 

Kimmo Salo had a tremendous season in nets.  He is likely the underdog to win this award, but one should really not overlook his impressive season.  His .916 save percentage is pretty impressive for a rookie and is a better statistical rookie season than Skylar Rift, Brick Wahl and Mike Szatkowski Jr. all had.  The downfall to his numbers are of course the fact that he was on a poor team.  He had a high goals-against-average and a pretty bad wins-loss record, and while that is more due to the development of his team and the stage they are in right now, it will likely have an affect on his chances to win the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy.

 

Finally, Vojczek Svoboda had a very impressive campaign on defense for the Helsinki Titans.  His eighty points is an incredible total for a rookie defender given some of the legends of the past like Ryan Sullivan and Daniel Braxton had less than that in their rookie seasons.  Svoboda also impressively had the most blocked shots in the league.  While he wasn't as physical as perhaps some expected him to be, it's hard to argue with the offense and defense that Svoboda provides to Helsinki.  It seems that the matchup is Boychuk versus Svoboda, and while the Wrangler forward did have more points, given that Svoboda is a defender, his eighty points is very impressive.

 

All in all, we have to give the edge to Travis Boychuk as one-hundred point seasons just don't come around very often. While Svoboda's blocked shots and points totals are impressive, one has to keep in mind that his blocked shot total is inflated by the fact he is on a weaker team that faces more shots.  Salo had an impressive year as well, but his accomplishments are definitely more common than a rookie who hits triple digits in the point column.

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The draft is over with and we can now look forward to a new season.  The Christian Stolzschweiger race is usually a very interesting one and given that the most recent draft was one of the most talented in recent memory, this one promises to be another fantastic battle.  However, based on most of the predictions so far, there is one clear favourite to bring home the trophy.  This man was not in the most recent draft and was instead the third overall pick in Season Thirty-Eight.  Don Draper is on a rising team and he is a big piece of their future success.  Not only that but he is our clear consensus favourite to win the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy.

 

Don Draper was a huge part of the Yukon Rush championship season last year.  He led the team in points with 134 and had fifty goals, an amazing total for a defender.  He was even named the top defenseman, an award that many greats have won before in the Victory Hockey League Minors.  His General Manager, Austin Gow, had this to say about Draper:  "He was our MVP in my books.  There is nothing more you can say about a player that talented.  He brought it every game and he led on and off the ice.  I loved having him on the team and I wish him the best in Helsinki."

 

Draper is certainly the favourite to win the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy, but we have seen many guys as the favourite struggle in their rookie season.  However, there are definitely some things working in Draper's favour.  First off, he is on an up-and-coming team that will allow him to flourish with other great young players.  Second, he doesn't have to be rushed into a top pairing role which could see him find success against other second lines.  Finally, he is certainly more seasoned than any other potential candidate and often it is the more seasoned players that win the trophy.  Michael Angelo is a great example as he had a huge amount of points earned coming in as a rookie, because he was a season or two older than the rest of the crop.  It will be a great season to follow rookies, and Don Draper is certainly the one to keep an eye on.

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Very Early Season Report

 

Okay, you can't really tell who is going to win awards by the first dozen games or so.  With that being said, what does it hurt to just take a look at how the current rookies stand and see who has started out the way they need to, in order to win the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy.  Last year, the early start saw the eventual three nominees having great first glimpses in the VHL, so perhaps there is some sort of connection between how players start and where they eventually finish in award races.

 

This seems curiously reminicisent of the way Kimmo Salo started last year, but Brock Waldron currently leads all VHL goaltenders in save percentage.  The Meute goaltender is quickly letting opponents know that he is the future of the Quebec City Meute and will be a force for years to come.  Despite being on one of the league's worst teams, Waldron has posted an impressive .923 save percentage and 2.98 goals against average.  At the moment, he is definitely the league's top performing rookie and while it will be difficult to keep it up playing behind such a poor team, Waldron is putting himself in a place where he could be a favourite for the Stolzschweiger Trophy.

 

Speaking of guys no one expected to be in the awards race, we can't not talk about another member of the Quebec City Meute, Azi Ali.  The season thirty-seven draftee, who is known for his all-around play, has been a machine this year with a league rookie best five goals and eight assists in eleven games.  He has also shown a physical side with twenty hits in the eleven games he has played.  While Ali doesn't necessarily have the potential that some of the other rookies do, he has shown himself to be a quality young player who has a future in this league.  Expect him to slow down a slight bit but definitely to be in the conversation come the end of the season.

 

The third and final rookie we have to talk about was the favourite coming into the season.  The soft as butter but talented defenseman, Don Draper, that plays for the Helsinki Titans.  A lot of people have been comparing him to Alexander Valiq due to his non-physical yet dangerous offensive skill-set.  So far he has looked good in his rookie season as he tied for second in scoring with nine points and has also blocked a very impressive twenty-six shots.  In this writer's opinion, Draper has some of the best potential of all current rookies in the Victory Hockey League, and I'd be surprised if he wasn't the top rookie this season.  I expect him to stay around a point per game and be one of the best shot blockers in the league.

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Mag 205

 

It has been a year for the unexpected.  Don Draper, Jackson Miller and Tyson Stokes were considered the three front runners to win the Christian Stolzschweiger, but it appears it will be a battle between three other individuals for the prestigious award.  This article will take a look at those three players and why they are the current leading pack in the race for the trophy.

 

Dimonthenis Vlasis is by many accounts the leading candidate at the moment for the award.  The Express defender is over a point-per-game and is sixth in the entire league for defenders in scoring.  As the current point leader for the Cologne Express, Vlasis has taken a leadership role within the team in just his first season.  In addition to his impressive offensive performance, he has been a physical force with one-hundred and sixty hits and an equally impressive one-hundred and twenty-one blocked shots.  One has to think he is the leading candidate for the award, but one also has to wonder if the loss of David Collier will hurt his point totals going forward.

 

With forty-eight points in fifty-four games, Azi Ali has to be up as one of the favourites for the award.  Probably the most unexpected out of the three leading candidates, Ali has put together a very solid season on the fairly mediocre Quebec City Meute.  Ali does have ninety-one hits this season, but don't expect his two-way game to be a huge strength going forward.  He will be mostly noted for his offense, but don't expect him to continue improving too much.  Perhaps this is just me undervaluing him, but I have a hard time seeing him kick his offense up to win the top rookie award.

 

The final candidate is a goalie who is thirty-two games below .500.  However, it is hard to argue with a very solid save percentage just short of .920 and a goals against average of just over 3.00 on a very poor team.  It is likely going to be between Waldron and Vlasis for the award and given one of them has been the best rookie skater this year, and the other is a top young goalie, this does seem to make sense.  This is a great start for one of the best young goaltenders in the league, and I definitely think he will be a huge factor going forward for the Meute and their rebuild.

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I feel like this years rookie race has basically been the same people involved all year.  Therefore, in order to switch things up, I want to look at a slightly different topic.  With the season nearing a close, it will soon be time to predict next years top rookie.  There are already three fantastic candidates that are about to be drafted into the Victory Hockey League, and they are the subject of this weeks article.

 

In a draft full of talented defensemen, Mason Richardson has stood out from the pack.  With the most practice hours in the entire list of draftees, Richardson is already developing an impressive two-way game.  He is efficient in the offensive end, the defensive end and has a mean streak as well.  We seem to say this with at least one player in every draft, but he may be the next generational defender to come through the league.  It is hard to ignore his clearly impressive skills and the work ethic that goes with them.

 

While Richardson might have the best overall package, it seems that most teams are salivating at the possibility of selecting Thomas O'Malley.  In fact, it is the mix of leadership skills and overall talent that has him the arguable favourite to go first overall.  With already elite skating and scoring ability, many have him pegged as the next Kameron Taylor as his impressive offensive package is way farther along than any of his fellow draftees, and even some of the previous draft's top players.  A lot of debate will be had on whether or not the team with first overall should select O'Malley or Richardson, but I personally feel it depends on what position you need more.  They are both incredible talents and will be some some of the best players the league has.

 

The third and final draftee has been overshadowed a bit by the two mentioned above.  However, one can not ignore the accomplishments that Riley Cote already has this young into his career.  Currently third in practice hours, Cote is a bit more of a project than the other two.  He is pretty good at a lot of things but not truly great at anything.  Give him two seasons and I can see him being one of the elite young centers in the league.  However, I do think his all-around build might hurt him in the rookie race next season, since someone like O'Malley has some talents that might serve him better statistically in the short term.

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Rookies Celebrate New York Victory

 

In an interesting twist this playoffs, the only team that had any rookies on their team were the New York Americans.  The Season 39 Cup Winning Champions sported a lineup with four rookies in it as Milos Denis, Bennett Wahl, David Januzaj and Mikkel Boomgaarden all played a role in their playoff success.

 

Milos Denis definitely deserves the most glory on this one as he rebounded from a rough season to record five points in ten games, including the cup winning goal.  It was a great step for Denis as he heads toward what will likely be a much improved second season.  There is a lot of talk that he will likely end up on the first line next year and with this playoff performance, he should be able to hold his own going forward.

 

Bennett Wahl probably should have had a better playoff performance, but with him being on the wing and in a defensive role, it's understandable why he only recorded four points in ten games.  The Americans hope to get this rookie signed so that he can be a long-term member down the middle.  Unfortunately for New York, with the ability and versatility Wahl has shown, it would not be surprising to see Bennett garner a lot of interest and his playoff experience should only benefit him.

 

David Januzaj had a fantastic season with seventeen goals as a defender but his playoff performance was not what anyone really expected.  With just one point in the playoffs, Januzaj played a more defensive role and really didn't contribute at all offensively.  Januzaj, who is also a free agent this off-season, talked about his disappointment in his performance when he told us: "I feel like I could have performed better.  I definitely am happy we won the Continental Cup, but I do wish I could have contributed a bit more offensively."

 

Finally, Mikkel Boomgaarden was the fourth and final rookie who played for the New York Americans during their cup run.  Boomgaarden is definitely a bit green as a player, and his regular season performance showed that.  Mikkel didn't record a point during the playoffs but his twenty-one hits and fifteen blocked shots showed that he was fully embraced in a shutdown role.  While playing twenty-nine minutes a game, Mikkel showed that his defensive role played a big role in the Americans cup victory.

 

So perhaps it isn't a bad thing to have a few rookies in your lineup.  Only one team entered the playoffs with rookies on their team, and they cruised to what seemed like a pretty easy Continental Cup victory.  While none of these players were among the best players during New York's run, they also played a role in a truly impressive victory by the kings of the North American Conference.

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With Season 40 approaching, I figured it was time to take a historic look at the best rookie seasons of all-time.  Interestingly enough, four of these five players are in the Hall of Fame, showing that these elite starts can really lead to greatness in the Victory Hockey League.  

 

5. Alexander Labatte (S28, Toronto) - It doesn't seem that long ago now, does it?  A lot of people forget about just how impressive Alexander Labatte's rookie season was, perhaps due to the fact that he split the award when he should have outright won it.  While the player he split it with (Shane Lynch) had a very impressive season, it is truly a rare feat to see a rookie goalie above a .920 save percentage.  I guess we shouldn't be surprised as Alexander Labatte would eventually go down as one of the greatest goalies to ever play in the Victory Hockey League.  What some didn't know though was that he had one of the best rookie seasons ever as well.

 

4. Michael Angelo (S20, Helsinki) - Here is the one player on the list that didn't get inducted into the Victory Hockey League Hall of Fame.  A lot of people credit his success to how bad the goalies were in Season Twenty, but you still have to acknowledge the season he had for the Helsinki Titans.  In fact, he still holds the record for most assists by a rookie with ninety-eight.  While Angelo would only go on to have a solid career that included a cup and a run as captain of the Titans, he will never be forgotten for his incredible rookie campaign.

 

3. Jardy Bunclewirth (S18, Calgary) - How can anyone forget the man who was just a third round pick the year before.  Perhaps the greatest steal of all-time, this eventual Hall of Fame player would have a ridiculous one-hundred-and-thirty-two point season with the Wranglers, which ranks second all-time behind Christian Stolzschweiger.  While we know him more for his drinking habits and simming disabilities, one should also know that Jardy Bunclewirth was the first ever player of JardyB10's VHL career.

 

2. Christian Stolzschweiger (S2, Toronto) - The award is named after him and he has the most points ever by a rookie.  One-hundred-and-forty point season back in Season Two is still the record and it is doubtful that it ever will be broken.  Most would probably have him number one on this list, but the only thing limiting him is that when he set this record as the competition had very little TPE so it was easier for a rookie to be a top guy.  With that being said, he was the MVP and still had the greatest offensive rookie season ever and that could never be taken away.

 

1. Benoit Devereux (S10, Avangard) - How can the guy who has his name on the award not be number one on this list? Well, it's pretty simple.  Benoit Devereux decided to post a .936 save percentage and win the Tretiak Trophy for top goalie.  While Stolzschweiger did win the MVP and many other accolades, it is hard not to look at the fact Stolzschweiger played in a weaker league, as part of the reason he was so successful.  That isn't to diminish his accomplishments, but what Devereux did on such a weak team was very impressive, and he arguably should have won MVP for leading that mediocre team to the playoffs.  While they didn't go anywhere in the playoffs, Benoit Devereux took the stage in the VHL and put himself in the middle of the spotlight with a tremendous and unmatched rookie season.

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Mag Edition 214 - Catching Up on Our Rookie Race

 

The regular season is already over halfway done which means it is time to catch up with the race for the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy.  It does already seem like a one-man race but there are two other potential candidates that I will look at as well.  It has definitely been a strong rookie class with seven players on pace for over fifty points.  In addition, there are three players on a point per game or better pace and two that have a very good chance at hitting triple digits.

 

Tyrone Williams (Vasteras, 71 PTS in 41 GP) - This guy is definitely the favourite at this point in the season.  In fact, Williams is on pace to have the third most offensively productive season in rookie history.  Currently, he is on pace for 65 goals and 124 points, numbers that seem awfully familiar to the ones Odin Tordahl has been posting over the last few seasons.  Why is Williams having such a great season? While he is a very solid rookie, the fact that he and Niklas Lindberg run that offense is definitely a big factor in the success he has had this season.  With the likelihood of a trade involving Lindberg at the deadline, it would not be overly surprising to see Tyrone dip after the transaction.  It is still very likely that he will hit triple digits, but a slight drip in production could open the door for someone else to win the award.  Regardless though, we cannot take away from the success Tyrone has had, as there have been many players over the years who have been in the same situation and have not been nearly as productive.

 

Thomas O'Malley (Cologne, 56 PTS in 40 GP) - Here is the man that could really benefit from a slight slip up by Williams.  Thomas O'Malley is also having an excellent season and is currently on pace for 101 points.  The obvious difference between he and Williams is that one of these two players will not be losing their top linemate at the deadline this season.  O'Malley has had a terrific season on the wing with Logan Laich and Wesley Kellinger.  The fact that he is having such a good season on a good team is a testament to just how talented the young rookie is.  While he has some work to do to climb to first, he is still within striking range and has a shot at winning the Stolzy if and when Lindberg is traded.  Probably the rookie with the highest potential, O'Malley is having a helluva season that will put him among history's best for rookies.

 

Mason Richardson (Cologne, 46 PTS in 40 GP) - Why am I even looking at Richardson? He is ten points back of his teammate and twenty-five back of the rookie scoring lead.  The difference is that Mason Richardson is a defender, therefore giving him defensive stats that can make up for an offensive discrepancy.  While Richardson is hardly a very physical player, he is still on pace for one-hundred hits and also finds himself ninth in blocked shots.  On a very good team and one that will probably make the playoffs, being ninth in blocked shots is pretty impressive and definitely helps him in the race.  Richardson will have to up his offensive productive to win the top rookie award, but if he can land close to ninety points and finish with great defensive statistics, there is definitely a chance for Mason Richardson to get some votes at the end of the year.

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Mag Edition 215 - The Time Has Come

 

It is that time of the year again, when we say goodbye to some of the legends in our league and welcome in new blood that will fill our league for years to come.  These guys may be future candidates for the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy, so I think it's appropriate that I take a brief look at some of the players who declared for the Season 42 Entry Draft today.

 

G - Jax Barnstormer (63 TPE): I suppose he is already the favourite to be the top prospect in the draft given his tremendous pedigree.  His agent has already managed one of the best to ever play the game and also another very good players who finds himself in the top twenty all-time for assists.  The Canadian goaltender is the next installment and definitely has tremendous potential to be a great starting netminder in the Victory Hockey League.  A balanced goalie with good size, Barnstormer projects very much like Americans goalie, Brick Wahl, who started out a bit slow but has reached the point of being one of the league's best goalies.

 

C - A.C. Savage (53 TPE): Another player with some great pedigree, A.C. Savage has a very good case of being ranked as the top prospect in this draft.  If the team who ends up with first overall does not need a goalie, then Savage would be the early favourite to take that spot.  Projecting as a quick player with a great shot, Savage could easily be the type of player who dominates in the minors and improves his draft stock through his tremendous play.  Regardless of whether or not he goes first overall, this "Savage" looks like a bright prospect that will be a hot commodity when he enters the draft room.

 

W - Wolfgang Strauss (24 TPE): Perhaps a darkhorse top guy in this draft, Wolfgang Strauss' agent previously worked with Sami Kravinen, who was a very solid VHL defender that took more of a depth role during his time in the league.  With that being said, his work with Kravinen leaves hope that Strauss could be a bigger piece that really benefits from his time with his agent.  Wolfgang is definitely a raw prospect but like Savage also has a great shot and speed.  It might be a slightly longer growth period, but the potential is there for Wolfgang to live up to the Strauss surname.  

 

W - Marcio Greusinho (0 TPE): This could be the biggest darkhorse in the entire draft.  Many may not have strong knowledge of the name McZehrl, but the agent has quite a history in the Simulation Hockey League.  If he decides to make a big splash here with Greusinho, it could mean big things for this draft.  With the potential to be an easy top three pick, Marcio has a chance to show what he has got.  Does he have a lot of things he needs to improve on? Absolutely.  With that being said, if I had to pick one guy who isn't a surefire top guy that I thought was a great darkhorse, this would be the guy.

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Mag 216 - Richardson Should Win the Stolzy

 

I don't usually endorse someone to win an award given that I already have to vote on the winners and losers for each award as a General Manager, but I will make an exception today.  There is less than ten games left in the season and the award pictures are starting to become clearer.  When it comes to the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy, we see two forwards leading the way in points but a highly superior defender just slightly behind.  Mason Richardson has caught fire as of late and is making a great case for himself to win the illustrious trophy.  The fact that a defender is just five points back of the rookie scoring lead is enough cause usually to give him the edge due to the defensive stats and the fact that it is harder for a defenseman to record the most points.  In this case, Richardson also finds himself in the Sterling Labatte race and it is becoming quite clear that he should be bringing home some hardware this season.

 

Richardson has had a tremendous season thus far with eighty-eight points in sixty-five games played.  His sixty-three assists lead all rookies and puts him just ten back of the league lead.  In addition to that, Richardson also leads all defensemen in goals with twenty-five.  This is a pretty crazy amount of goals considering the amount of Hall of Fame defenders who never touched the mark.  While Mason isn't an overly physical player, he has still recorded a respectable number of hits while also finding himself seventh in blocked shots.  This is a pretty impressive statistic given how well Cologne has performed this season, as they find themselves first in the European Conference.  To wrap up his excellent case, he has been an absolute force late in the game and on the power play, while also leading the team in minutes played and posting a ridiculous plus fifty-four.  

 

So my case stands that Mason Richardson should win the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy.  He still has a chance to lead all rookies in scoring, but even just barely falling up short winds up in his favour due to the position he plays.  Add the defensive stats he has and it really isn't much of an argument for me.  While O'Malley may lead in points and Williams in goals, Mason Richardson has a whole list of reasons for why he should be the rightful Rookie of the Year winner.

[Advantage 2,899]

Mag 217 - First Impression When it Matters Most

 

The playoffs are underway and the best hockey that will be played all year, is still yet to come.  The New York Americans emerged as the league's elite and won the North American Conference handily.  The Quebec City Meute and Calgary Wranglers would slot themselves behind them respectively in the conference.  Across the ocean, the Cologne Express wrapped up the tigtly contested European Conference with a great finish to the season.  Riga and Helsinki would find themselves in the next two spots and will now have to battle each other in the first round.  All of these teams have young players making an impact, and some even have rookies looking to make a name for themselves.  Last year it was Milos Denis with his cup winning goal and now it is time for a new legacy to be written.

 

The Cologne Express duo of Thomas O'Malley and Mason Richardson make up one of the best rookie combinations in league history.  They tore the league apart this year with O'Malley hitting 110 points and Richardson being among the top three candidates for the Sterling Labatte Trophy.  It definitely seems likely that these two have the best chance of having a huge impact, and being on a great team should help.  The Express were highly powerful offensively during the season and will need to be once again in order to win their first Continental Cup ever.  I think if the Express go anywhere, these two will be a big reason why, and I would argue that O'Malley has a very good chance of winning Playoff MVP after his ridiculous offensive campaign.

 

Speaking of duos of great teams in the European Conference, the Helsinki Titans boast two of their own.  While this rookie duo did not have quite the impact the Cologne pairing did, Helsinki will need these two to step up to accomplish all their goals this season.  James Faraday is one of the more hyped prospects in the league, and after a solid rookie season, expectations are high to see him break out.  With his natural improvement and a big stage for him to excel on, this very well could be it.  The second rookie on Helsinki is darkhorse defenseman, King Czar III.  The third round pick shocked everyone making the Helsinki Titans roster, and while statistically he did not have a great year, he was solid defensively and rarely made mistakes, helping solidify Helsinki's back-end.

 

The final duo is split up between the two kings of the North American Conference.  The New York Americans second line winger, Sam Keeler, will be looking to follow in the footsteps of teammate Milos Denis with a clutch playoff performance.  After a rough year, this is a chance for him to show his worth before the off-season, as there will be some salary that will have to be moved out.  It will be a tough task for him to be very productive given the nature of how tough it is to shine individually, but Keeler can at least play a solid two-way game.  Quebec City has a forward of their own, but he had a far better season and has a better chance of stepping up and having a huge role.  Aksel Thomassen has been hyped up for a while and a solid rookie campaign hardly drowned it out.  With the big stage on the horizon, can Thomassen produce offensively at a rate that gets Quebec past not only Calgary, but the defending champion New York Americans? Only time will tell. 

[Advantage 2,899]

Mag 220 - Stolzy Candidates for Season 41, Part 1

 

It is that time of the year again with the season starting and the predictions flying.  Over the next two mag editions, I want to look at nine potential Stolzschweiger Trophy candidates that could find their way to the top of the heap by the end of the year.  I would like to mention that this is a very deep crop of talented rookies and there will naturally be some that I will not mention, but that could still easily be among the best rookies this season.  Some of these names include talented defenders Lloyd Light, Joshua Rubin, Vladamir Komarov, Teuvo Ruutu and Wesley Matthews.  All five have a great chance to do well and will be big parts of their teams success this season.  I also really feel that Gifford Shock could also be a big factor as well for the very young Dynamo.  Finally, one candidate who has earned some respect this season for the award is Harumpf, who will likely find himself on the second line of the Helsinki Titans.  All in all, this was a tough list to make but I feel the elite six rookies will be featured over these two editions. 

 

C - Jody 3 Moons (NYA, 341 TPE): There may not be a player in a better position to do well this season.  Jody 3 Moons essentially replaces Bennett Wahl as the second line center on the highly powered New York Americans.  3 Moons, who is of comparable quality to Wahl, is filling a spot that saw Bennett finish with over 100 points as the center of Odin Tordahl.  While Tordahl is now retired, five-time defender of the year Conner Low is making the switch up front.  Low has a build and skill-set similar to Tordahl and that could mean huge things for 3 Moons.  Moons is primarily a scoring center who skates well and plays a solid two-way game.  He should really benefit from Conner Low's passing oriented style of play and there definitely is a chance for him to benefit in a big way.  Will he get 100 points? Probably not.  With that being said, he is in a situation to succeed and the Americans hope he can do just that.

 

LW - Christoph Klose (NYA, 316 TPE): Speaking of players in attractive positions.  Christoph Klose, like Jody 3 Moons, has found himself in a nice position.  Klose is currently slotted beside two of the best forwards in the VHL, Tom Slaughter and Xin Xie Xiao.  With Slaughter's playmaking ability and XXX's physicality, Klose's build really seems like a nice addition to that line.  He is a tremendous sniper that is good defensively and has a killer instinct offensively.  The last few years, this line could not get a third player going, but Christoph Klose definitely might be the player to change that.  The one thing that might hurt him is the other two having the puck more could cause Klose to have troubles much like Milos Denis did, but one could argue that his talent level is already getting to a point where he can make a larger impact than Milos did.  I expect he could easily end up having sixty to seventy points, but easily could struggle and finish around thirty or so.

 

LW - Rami Jakobssen (QUE, 306 TPE): This player might be one of the more overlooked prospects going into this season.  Rami Jakobssen is already an elite passer with a solid two-way skill-set and if he can click with either Travis Boychuk or Aksel Thomassen, he could have quite the season ahead of him.  Whether or not he is on the first line or second line may make a significant difference, as playing with forward Bruno Wolf could be quite important to his productivity this season.  I think he's probably a safer bet to finish around forty points, but if he can find some chemistry, you might see about a twenty point increase from that original predicted total.  One thing or another, the Meute are a younger team this season and will be looking for some of these young guys to step up.  Perhaps Rami Jakobssen will be one of those players.

Edited December 8, 2014 by Advantage

[Advantage 2,899]

Mag 221 - Stolzy Candidates for Season 41, Part 2

 

RW - Brady Stropko (SEA: 327 TPE): For the average person who comes in and sees the team this player is on, you may not think he would have the success that a Stolzy winner would need to have.  However, for those who have witnessed how STHS plays out, they know this is exactly the situation that could help Brady Stropko flourish this season.  The Bears have a lot of young, depth pieces this year with not much talent going around.  Stropko is one of the only expectations and he should easily be the leader of the Bears offensively in season forty-one.  Players in the past have really exploded when there isn't much around surrounding them, so we should all be on the lookout for Stropko this season.  He is an elite scorer and a great skater at such a young age.  Already this season he is exploding onto the scene with a league leading twelve goals.  He is second for rookies in rookie scoring and is arguably the favourite to win the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy.  We might see the second fifty goal scoring rookie in as many years, but this one might be slightly more impressive.

 

C - Rift Pajodcast (SEA: 225 TPE): Why is Rift Pajodcast on this list when I basically just said that Stropko will benefit from having very little talent around him? Well, simply because who else is going to pass to the leading man in Seattle?  Pajodcast will probably be on a line with Stropko and while he is not the most effective playmaker, he should be able to win a lot of draws and play some effective defensive hockey where he can force turnovers and send it to Stropko for the offensive counter attack.  Thus far, the plan seems to be working with Pajodcast in sixth for rookie scoring with eleven points in ten games.  As expected, most of his points are from assists with Rift only tallying the one goal thus far.  What does this mean for a season projection? I expect Pajodcast to finish around sixty points or so with about fifty of them being dimes.  I can't expect he will keep up with Stropko's projection but he definitely will have a very good rookie season as he's in an inviting predicament.  

 

RW - Sachimo Zoidberg (TOR: 423 TPE): The rookie with the most TPE this season, Zoidberg to a lot of people is the favourite to win the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy.  He is in a very good situation with Toronto as one of their better forwards and he should be getting quite a few minutes.  Zoidberg is an elite skater and scorer with a knack for being very defensively sound.  He projects as a non-physical two-way talent in the future that could certainly win some hardware down the road for his offensive accomplishments.  So far expectations are going pretty on par with Zoidberg recording twelve points in ten games for the Legion.  It will not necessarily be easy for Zoidberg to win the Stolzschweiger with the way Stropko, Jakobssen and 3 Moons are playing, but there is definitely a good chance that Sachimo will be in the running by the end of the year.  At the end of the day, he is the best rookie in the league on paper, and while that may not mean much, it certainly gives him a good chance at being the best statistically by years end.  

[Advantage 2,899]

Finishing up in word. Up soon.

[Advantage 2,899]

Mag 221 - Stolzy Candidates for Season 41, Part 3

 

Over the last few weeks I have been profiling some of the best rookies in this tremendous rookie class.  This will have to be the final edition where I will look at three of the best from the European Conference.  I want to make it clear that to highlight every single rookie would take weeks and weeks of this because there are so many tremendous rookies.  Among those who sadly was not featured include Niklaus Mikaelson, Wesley Matthews, Oskars Harumpf, Marcus Hurley, Jarome Iginla, Teuvo Ruutu, Shadhu Rathod Jr., Joshua Rubin, Jakub Rhinehart, Gifford Shock, Vladamir Komarov and Nicolas Caprivi.  All of these players could have tremendous careers and it is a testament to just how good this class of rookies is, that so many of these guys were unable to be individually featured.  Unfortunately this set of rookies was predetermined so despite some of the players who I mentioned above having amazing rookie seasons, I chose to stick with the nine that I picked from the very beginning as my nine favorites for the Stolzschweiger Trophy.

 

RW - Kurtis Hunter (DAV, 282 TPE): I really expected big things from the young Dynamo forward.  Kurtis Hunter has impressed a lot of scouts with his all-around game that blends a good offensive game centered around solid finishing and a keen eye for his teammates, with a solid defensive game that is generated through Hunter's superior positioning.  One of the concerns scouts do have though is whether or not Hunter will be elite at any aspect or if he will just round out as a fifty point depth player who can help out on the second line.  I think Hunter's potential is a little higher than that and certainly in his rookie year, I do expect big things.  I see Hunter as one of the leaders on the Dynamo which means he very well could produce around a point per game.  With that being said, there is a chance he will struggle as well without the elite talent around him.  So far, it seems that the former is closer to the correct answer as Hunter has recorded twenty-four points in twenty-five games this season.  He has been a leader offensively for Davos and even sees himself third in goals among rookies (behind Stropko and Zoidberg).

 

D - Lloyd Light (STO, 304 TPE): When looking at the Vikings, they have three very good young rookie defenders and two of them will be featured on this list.  The reason I went with Light over Ruutu is simply the extra year of experience, and that does give him an advantage when we are just discussing the current season.  Light came over in the Seattle Bears trade that saw Pajodcast go to Seattle.  Light projects as a very solid defender going forward, with indications that he may even turn into a top defenseman.  Light is a high scoring defender with a pretty solid defensive game that is based around Lloyd's strength. The Canadian defender will have to improve his positioning going forward but for now he does look like a productive offensive defenseman.  Despite being on the struggling Vikings, Light has seventeen points in twenty-five games this season.  He hasn't been very physical with just twenty-one hits but he does have forty shot blocks which is a respectable number, although one that is likely inflated due to the other team having the puck more.  All in all, I could see Light still hitting the sixty point mark with a hot stretch somewhere down the road.  While he is unlikely to win the Stolzschweiger, he might just be the defender with the best chance to win it.

 

D - Jack Kowalski (STO, 301 TPE): The second defender that will be featured among the top nine rookies was the second overall pick last season.   Jack Kowalski is considered a unique defender with a very physical and defensively based game that admittedly probably will serve him better in the long-term.  With that being said, due to the unique style of play I had to include Kowalski on this list just in case he surprised offensively and still lit it up in the physical and defensive categories.  Unfortunately for Jack, he really hasn't had the season I think he was hoping to have.  With just eleven points, thirty-seven hits and fifty-six blocked shots, Kowalski has definitely made more of a defensive impact.  However, Jack would probably like to be a bit more of a factor physically and offensively, where truly he has been mediocre in comparison to the expectations I had.  However, as the season continues I could see that physical edge getting ramped up and perhaps even an increase in offensive production once he gets more comfortable with his transition to the Victory Hockey League.

[Advantage 2,899]

We are most of the way through the season and it is time to look at who is contending to win the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy for the top rookie in this year's class.  It has been a great group this year, but these three players have really stood out and are garnering the most attention at the moment.

 

C - Jody 3 Moons (57 GP, 26-63-89) - It has been a very impressive year for Jody 3 Moons and it's safe to say that he is currently the leading candidate for the Stolzschweiger Trophy.  On top of being second in the league in assists, he is already top five in points as well.  In addition, he hasn't been a liability with undisciplined play as he has taken just two penalties all year.  3 Moons is on pace for 112 points this year and with that pace he could go down as one of the most successful rookies since the famous season twenty class.  While some may associate his success with the fact that he has been playing with Xin Xie Xiao and fellow rookie Christoph Klose, it is hard to ignore the fact that 3 Moons is just a few points back of leading the New York Americans in scoring.

 

RW - Sachimo Zoidberg (57 GP, 37-42-79) - This guy was the favourite to win the Stolzschweiger based on his junior success and the fast development he has shown.  So far, he is having a stellar year that sees him with thirty-seven goals in fifty-seven games.  This pace could vault him into the first place spot but he will likely have to improve a bit in order to close the gap and take home the hardware.  Despite playing on a team that has been struggling this season, Zoidberg really has excelled and is making a name for himself as one of the best looking young talents in the league.

 

RW - Brady Stropko (57 GP, 41-32-73) - Some still think that this man should be the favourite to win the Stolzschweiger right now.  Stropko is playing on a depleted Bears team that simply does not have a lot of great talent and is filled more with potential.  Stropko is proving though that he is not just potentially a great player, but is already one.  With a fifty-two goal pace this season, Stropko could very well finish in the top three for goals, but he might need to pick up his overall production to get closer to Jody 3 Moons.  While his goal total is very impressive, being sixteen points back of the rookie lead in scoring is probably too much to overcome in a vote, so he must pick up his pace and close that gap a bit.

[Advantage 2,899]

The playoffs have started and therefore the rookie content is slightly less easy to write about, but what we can do is look at rookies who will likely make quite an impact (or at least will have the chance to) in the Victory Hockey League playoffs.  This will be a slightly shorter article but we will look at each player and how we expect them to perform during the post-season.

 

The Americans boast rookies Jody 3 Moons and Christoph Klose.  3 Moons might have the best chance to make a huge impact among rookies because he is on arguably the favourite for the Continental Cup, the New York Americans.  In addition, 3 Moons is coming off a ridiculous rookie campaign that saw him finish with over one-hundred.  Klose, on the other hand, probably won't perform quite as well just due to some line complications, but he is arguably just as talented as 3 Moons and really picked it up late in the season.  The Meute and the Wranglers also boast rookies but with the expected easy win for Quebec in the first round, Calgary's rookies Hurley and Iginla likely won't have quite as much of an impact.  Rami Jakobssen, Wesley Matthews and Dexter Morgan definitely have a decent chance of having a great playoffs.  Jakobssen and Matthews especially could be dangerous with their significant impact on Quebec, and with the great offense the team possesses.  

 

The European Conference sees some rookies who could have quite an impact to with the Express having Nicolas Caprivi.  While he is their fourth defender, it's pretty clear he has the talent to be a great player and this playoffs he could look at potentially breaking out with a much bigger role for Cologne.  He had a very solid end to the season and if Cologne can go far, look out for him.  The Reign only have Alistair Graves who probably won't have too much of an impact for the defending champions, but look out for Harumpf on the Helsinki Titans.  He had fifty-one points this season for the Titans and had a solid role on a Finnish team who showed how great their team offense was during the season.

 

Jody 3 Moons definitely has the best chance of ripping it up this playoffs with Zoidberg's Legion not making it, but look out for Harumpf and Jakobssen if either the Meute or Titans can go far.  It's an exciting time to keep track of rookies, and we all know that the playoffs make stars.

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

Rookie Watch 238

 

With the beginning of the Season 42 Off-Season, awards will soon be handed out to some of the best in the VHL and the VHLM. One such award in the VHL is the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy, given to a rookie player deemed the best of his class. The recipient of this award often goes on to do great things in the VHL, but there are those who fail to live up to expectations, such as Season 39 winner Dimothenis Vlasis and Season 30 winner Austin Gow. However, this class of rookies appears to be extremely strong, especially the players from the European Conference.

 

D - Lord Karnage (32-55-87)

 

The points leader for rookies this season was a mammoth defenseman out of Somalia named Lord Karnage. The Stockholm defender led the league in this category for almost the entire season. His 32 goals, 55 assists, and 87 points are all league leaders for rookies, a feat that doesn’t happen very often. In addition, Karnage’s 146 shots blocked and 249 hits are both top 10 in the VHL. With these stats, it’s not exactly a stretch to say that the Somalian is the favorite for the Stolzschweiger. With a rookie season like this, it appears that the Stockholm Vikings have a franchise defender for many seasons to come.

 

RW – Mario De Rossi (28-46-74)

 

Coming in second in points for rookies was Mario De Rossi, another member of the Stockholm Vikings. Hailing from Milan, Italy, the rookie right winger was able to put up some pretty respectable numbers, especially when you consider the Vikings made the playoffs. As a player with much more of a reputation as a sniper than a playmaker, it’s a little surprising that his ratios of goals to assists is as low as it is, but if you asked him about it, I don’t think he’d mind. After a recent trade to the New York Americans, it may be hard for the soon to be second year player to repeat the success of his rookie year. However, the Americans seemed to have added a solid second line player who may have a chance at becoming a complimentary winger to the first line.

 

C – Joseph Roy III (24-42-66)

 

Rounding out the top three is center Joseph Roy III. The Stockholm Viking from Manitoba, Canada put up a solid stat line, with 24 goals, 42 assists, and 66 points to go with his 46.51% faceoff wins, a pretty respectable number for a rookie. With recent improvements to the team, it remains to be seen if the young center’s career will continue in Stockholm, but wherever he ends up, that team will have a solid second line center for years to come.

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

Rookie Watch 239 – S43 Pre-Season Stolzschweiger Favorites

 

The beginning of each season in the VHL is filled with awards predictions. Every year, we see some pre-season favorites fail to meet expectations while other players win awards seemingly out of nowhere. During this pre-season, there seem to be three favorites for the Season 43 Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy: Patrick Demko, Severin von Karma, and Pablo Escabar.

 

Patrick Demko – D – QUE

 

The fourth overall selection in the Season 42 VHL Entry Draft, this young defensemen out of Indianapolis, Indiana found himself part of an off-season blockbuster. Moving from Helsinki to Quebec along with defensemen Jake Wylde, Demko is expected to currently fill the role as the Meute’s number two defensemen. After an extremely successful Season 42 campaign with the Oslo Storm, where the young defensemen put up an astounding 58 goals, 121 assists, 179 points, 174 hit, and 155 shots blocked, many are expecting Demko to continue his success at the VHL level. Barring any future moves, Demko should get the time necessary to put up stats on a good Quebec City team. At this point, it’s fairly safe to say that Demko is the pre-season favorite for the Stolzschweiger.

 

Severin von Karma – C – STO

 

This young center currently playing for the Stockholm Vikings is attempting to pull off the improbable. Von Karma is attempting to become the first winner of the Christian Stolzschweiger not drafted in the first round of his draft since defenseman Michael Angelo won the award in Season 20. As the thirteenth overall selection of the Season 42 VHL Entry Draft, von Karma didn’t have the expectations that come with being a high selection. However, von Karma is attempting to prove that he belongs in this race. After leading the Bern Royals to the playoffs with his 66 goals, 64 assists, and 130 points, von Karma will join a forward group led by Tom Slaughter. While points may be hard to come by on the second line, if von Karma plays with Slaughter, he could end up with a successful campaign similar to how Tyrone Williams was able to succeed playing next to Niklas Lindberg.

 

Pablo Escabar – D – SEA

 

The most recent draftee of the three, Pablo Escabar was the fourth overall selection in the Season 42 VHL Entry Draft. The defensemen from Canada will join a defense core led by veteran Phil Villenueve. Escabar’s reputation as a more defensive defensemen may hurt his chances of winning this award, as offensive stats are preferred over defensive ones. Although Escabar led the Lynx in points last season with 119, the Bears defensemen has yet to practice his passing. However, Escabar has seen his skill increase at the fastest rate between these three players, so it is possible that an in-season practice adjustment could help Escabar put up the points needed to win this award.

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

Rookie Watch 241 – Rookie Surprises

 

With almost one-third of Season 43 completed, there have been a good number of rookie surprises. Some of these unexpected first year campaigns are positive, but not all of them. We have pre-season Rookie of the Year favorites having less than stellar stat lines while also having a couple of rookies no one expected to succeed this year have good to great seasons to date.

 

Hans Winsgate – G – CGY

 

It’s no secret that the VHL can be a rough environment for most rookies. It’s rare to see first year skaters perform well, but it’s even more unexpected when first year goaltenders put up good numbers. With 20 games played, Hans Winsgate may have a paltry 4-14-2 record, but his .922 SV% is nothing to sneeze at, especially when you consider that Winsgate has faced the second most shots in the VHL (688) and his defense is comprised of Ed Grrr, King Czar III, and Jaime Hill. With better stat lines than Continental Cup winning goaltenders Mike Szatkowski Jr. and Brick Wahl, Winsgate seems to be the player to beat for this year’s Christian Stolzschweiger award.

 

E’Twaun Delicious – RW – NYA

 

The recent first overall selection in the Season 43 VHL Entry Draft is having one of the best seasons when compared to his rookie peers. Delicious is eating up opposing goalies. His 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points currently leads all rookie skaters by a wide margin. While Delicious is blessed to play with veteran playmaker Nicolas Caprivi, attributing all of Delicious’ success to his line mates would not be fair to the Americans right winger. E’Twaun has put in the hard work to have a successful rookie year, and so far, the work is paying off.

 

Severin von Karma – C – STO

 

Picked by more than a few people to win the Stolzschweiger before the start of the season, rookie center Severin von Karma is so far failing the expectations placed upon him by pre-season predictions. With only three assists on the year, von Karma is leaving something to be desired from his offensive production. However, some of von Karma’s lack of production can be attributed to his usage for the Vikings. Severin is currently averaging only 16.32 minutes per game, and is listed as the third line center and a winger on the second power play unit. On the other hand, even if von Karma averaged about another 10 minutes to get to about the VHL league average for a forward of 26 minutes per game, it is unlikely that Severin’s production would increase to the point that he would be considered a favorite for Rookie of the Year. While the young center will most likely go on to have a successful career, his rookie season is currently one to forget.

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

Rookie Watch 243 – Rookie Checkup

 

At this point in the season, the VHL can sometimes be in the doldrums. We’ve since passed the excitement brought about by the beginning of a new season, but we haven’t quite yet gotten to the drama of the trade deadline, with deadline day deals, members re-creating, and playoff races starting to heat up. As a result, this episode of Rookie Watch will just give an update on how some of the VHL rookies are doing so far this season.

 

Bronson Faux – C – RIG

 

My pre-season pick for Rookie of the Year, Faux has had a decidedly average season so far. He’s not playing out of his mind, but he’s not getting booed every time his skates touch the ice either. Through 45 games, Faux has 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points, but most impressively, his 200 hits are second in the league, trailing only Bruno Wolf’s 227. After a fast start to the season, Faux’s scoring pace slowed down dramatically to the point that Bronson went from leading all rookies and all members of the Reign in points to dropping to 6^th in points in Riga and 3^rd by rookies. However, Bronson is putting in the necessary effort both on and off the ice to improve himself, and it should only be a matter of time before everyone in the VHL knows Faux’s name. The young centerman may be a good choice for Most Improved in Season 44.

 

Francis York Morgan – D – STO

 

Somewhat shadowed by more recognizable names in Stockholm, Francis York Morgan has had an okay year so far. As the fourth defensemen on a very strong Vikings blueline, not much was expected out of this rookie. However, when looking at the context of his play time, Morgan has put up some decent numbers. 45 games into the season, Francis has 4 goals and 12 assists for 16 points to go with his 21 hits and 39 shots block. Perhaps most importantly, his +36 rating is consistent with his teammates, meaning Morgan isn’t screwing up defensively when on the ice, which is about what you can hope for from your least talented defenseman. I think it’s safe to say that Francis York Morgan won’t be a depth player forever. While he may have a tough time winning any Sterling Labatte trophies, Morgan will still develop into a player that every team would wish to have on their blueline.

 

Vogon Jeltz – RW – STO

 

Similar to Francis York Morgan, Jeltz’s playing time is reduced on a Stockholm Vikings team that has a large amount of quality and quantity of forwards. In 45 games, Jeltz has recorded 6 goals and 4 assists for 10 points, but he only averages about 19 minutes per game and is part of a second power play unit that rarely sees the ice. While Jeltz and the Vikings front office would most likely both want to see increased production out of the young winger, it’s way too early to be calling this rookie a bust. There’s still plenty of time for Jeltz to mature into a steady contributor to any organization.

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

VHL Families

 

Similar to the NHL, the Victory Hockey League has been known to have “traditional” hockey families, with members that sometimes span generations. From the early days of the Dubnikovs and O’Neals, to the Chereshenkos, Valiqs, Gows, and Wahls, different clans have left large impressions from their time period. With a new generation of players soon to be joining the VHL comes another group of families who will do their best to achieve VHL greatness.

 

The Cleganes

Sandro (G) and Greg (G)

 

Hailing from Team Europe, these two mountains of men recently declared for the much hyped S45 VHL Entry Draft. Not always known to have the best brotherly relationship, these two siblings will have no intrasquad quarrels, as they are both goaltenders, and are unlikely to be on the same team. Both players are from the “new-age” of goaltending school, as they are each at least six and a half feet tall while maintaining superb athletic ability given their size and stature.  Currently, Sandro Clegane plays for the Brampton Blades, the North American Conference VHLM favorites, while Greg Clegane is splitting time with fellow rookie goaltender Ariel Weinstein on the Ottawa Lynx, who are the Blades’s biggest challengers for a Founder’s Cup birth. Both of these players will be some of the top prospects in their draft class, but either could fall in the first round due to a surplus of goaltenders and team needs, similar to recent draftee Jax Barnstormer. However, I have no doubt that these brothers will be joining the big leagues as soon as possible.

 

The Hyvärinens

Kerkko (D) and Marquis (D)

 

With a name like Hyvärinen, there’s no doubt that this set of siblings hail from the hockey hotbed of Finland. Similar to many of their Finnish counterparts, neither Kerkko nor Marquis are particularly known for giving long-winded, “rah-rah” speeches, but when they speak, everyone listens. It’s pretty safe to say that Kerkko has the highest upside and floor of the two brothers. At 6’7”, this Hyvärinen has the combination of size and skill coveted by every team. While it is unlikely that Marquis becomes a bad player, scouts agree that his upside is most likely a solid, dependable, stay at home defensemen. While this type of player is necessary on every team for a variety of reasons, it’s unlikely that he’ll ever achieve much in the way of trophies, as his offensive upside seems to be pretty lacking. Kerkko is currently playing for the Ottawa Lynx, while Marquis has found himself on the Bern Royals. Look for Kerkko to go high in the upcoming S44 VHL Entry Draft, while Marquis will most likely be selected anywhere from the middle of the 1^st round to the beginning of the 2^nd round of next year’s S45 Entry Draft.

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

VHL Mag 246 – Rookies in the Playoffs

 

It is often said that the playoffs are a “second season” in the VHL. Once the post-season begins, what you did during the regular season means half as much as what you will do when the games matter most. It is often in these situations that an unheralded player steps up and outperforms his regular season production. In the past, we’ve had players like Brandon Holmes, Jody 3 Moons, Rami Jakobssen, and Markus Hurley find unexpected success in the playoffs. This year, there are only four rookies playing in the post-season. One of them has exceeded expectations, while the other three have either met or fell below what they were expected to contribute.

 

Prince Gigga-Bijou – STO – D

 

After a pretty strong showing in the regular season, Gigga-Bijou had a somewhat mediocre playoffs. After finishing the regular season with 55 points and a team leading 108 shots blocked, Prince only tallied 2 points, 5 blocked shots, and a -2 rating in 5 playoff games. Would Stockholm’s series against Cologne have gone any different if Gigga-Bijou produced more offensively and defensively? It’s doubtful, as there were many reasons that the title-defending Express were victorious in this series, but I think it’s safe to say that fans in Stockholm may start to expect more out of this defenseman during next year’s playoffs.

 

Pablo Escabar – SEA – D

 

As a member of a team on a fairy-tale run to the finals, Pablo Escabar is finally breaking out of his shell offensively and is possibly having his “coming of age” party in the VHL. While his defensive production was always there during the regular season, Escabar finished with only 26 points, a number far lower than anyone could have expected. However, Pablo has really stepped up his game during the Bears’s magical run to the Continental Cup. His player was a contributing factor to Seattle’s upset over the much favored Quebec City Meute. So far through 10 games, Escabar has put up 10 points, 35 hits, and 11 blocked shots. In only one-seventh of the games, Pablo has put up almost a third of his regular season production. If he can carry this offensive outburst into Season 44, Seattle could have a future gem on their hands.

 

Patrick Demko – QUE – D

 

Simply put, Patrick Demko’s regular season and playoff production was nothing special. In the regular season, Demko produced a team worse 34 points and an additional 103 shots blocked. His playoff production was slightly lower on a per game basis, with only 1 points and 5 blocked shots in 5 games. Demko’s disappointing play fit right in with the Meute’s play in the playoffs, but not all is bad in Quebec. This team and player may have a couple more seasons together to redeem what can be described as nothing other than a disappointing Season 43 playoff run.

 

Severin von Karma – STO – C

 

Similar to his regular season story, it was a slightly disappointing playoffs for von Karma. With only 1 point in 5 games during the playoffs to go with his 28 points during the regular season, Severin failed to show up on the score sheet more often than not. However, von Karma was often a victim of circumstance, as he averaged a team low 17.62 minutes per game during the post-season. Von Karma continues to train hard and hit the gym, so it’s doubtful that his production will remain this low in seasons to come.