VHL Headlines

[Denver 198]

THE FIRST EIGHT GAMES
by Denver - VHL Headline Writer

 

Just eight games into the VHL season and what we thought we knew about the VHL coming into Season 42 has already been debunked, as several key storylines have seemingly taken weird turns over the course of this interesting start. The New York Americans looked as if they had avoided the dreaded “Cup Hangover” winning the first two games of the season against their VHL Finals opponents in the Riga Reign, and they also took on a hungry Toronto Legion team that’s always raring to go. The Problem with that has to be the games they dropped consecutively only losing by two goals, but it seemed as if the New York American’s win wasn’t as well received around the league. Teams were out to beat them and try as they might; they show that even the American’s can hit a slump. The biggest storyline out of the American’s slump as to be the uprising of the Seattle Bears, they’ve got a tying record with the Quebec City Meute at both 7-2 – The Meute with the slight advantage as they’ve had three less goals against and are four goals ahead of the Bears through eight games with both teams tied with fourteen points.

 

The Legion and Wranglers are the only two teams in the North American Conference to suffer overtime losses, they’ve almost got the same number of losses—but if recent memory serves correctly they should be fine—rocky starts early in a season only are prompted by sloppy play that’s almost non-existent midway point through a season.

 

The Helsinki Titans and the Cologne Express are mirroring the success of the Meute and the Bears in the North American Conference, in the European Conference they’ve got a 5-2 record both sharing a single overtime loss, Davos Dynamo are also 4-4 and also sporting an overtime loss of their own. The Stockholm Vikings are starting somewhat parallel to where they almost began last season, and surprisingly the Riga Reign are 1-7 after seeing such success the past several seasons. There are some asterisks in there somewhere as there were certain problems with personnel for several teams all of which should be taken care off before the start of next week’s round of games.  

 

Aside from shocking omissions such as Riga’s very shallow start happens to be one out of Davos that seems to center around the playing time and treatment of a certain player that had high hopes of winning Rookie of the Year this season. Eight games in and Bismarck Köenig is having to play catch up as several other top rookie selections are out playing him. Köenig is more than capable of reaching his full potential as the season progresses, but the question remains if such a non-existent start might cost him that Rookie of the Year honor.

 

These are all things we should all keep an eye on for the rest of the season, just in case a major shakeup happens you never know when you meet adversity head on and overcome it, we could be seeing a magical turn around right before our very eyes. 

[Denver 198]

ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES
by Denver - VHL Headline Writer

 

The VHL continues to roll through its schedule as its franchises seem to be doing all they can to sustain their successes often and earlier in the season, meanwhile leaving ample room for that late season push into the payoffs. We’re only twenty games in and there are signs directly surrounding certain teams, while others seem to be floundering underneath the pressure of it all. Still it’s far from over. Teams who are having trouble with certain teams could certainly go streaking and amass a number of wins, they also could poster up and win the entire thing. That’s the beautiful part about the VHL – at one time, you might not know who’s a surefire thing. At the moment the VHL looks like the parallel between Jekyll and Hyde as the season seems to show improvement for certain teams, and underachieving for others. The North American Conference is firmly in control by the Quebec City Meute who seems to do be doing a lot by the virtue of both Bruno Wolf and Brock Waldron. Of course their entire team seems to be pitching in while the biggest stat out of the Meute happens to be the best in the entire VHL as they’ve got a forty-five point Goal differential.

 

The Seattle Bears are grasping onto a slim lead over the New York Americans, marred in a certain controversy due to lack of attention to one duties. The Bears stuck by their fearless leader although, they’ve only remained ahead of the Americans by such a slim margin. The New York City Americans are above .600 and like the Bears are likely to be able to control their own destinies in terms of playoff position, however, it’s too early to tell if this trend is going to continue for the duration of the season. The American’s lack of dominance is a major story – it’s not the biggest one to come through the VHL as of late though. For some reason as strong as the Toronto Legion are they are behind the ball in terms of a successful season, same goes for the Calgary Wranglers who’ve shown flashes of brilliance in previous playoffs.

 

The European Conference is virtually the same. The Helsinki Titans core seems to be improving on a stance that was foreseen as of two seasons ago, this time around though they’ve managed to maintain their cool and keep ahead of the Express. The Stockholm Vikings are leagues better than their initial season; they’ve managed to find themselves second in a heavily contested conference with slim margins in-between win percentages. The Cologne Express  well enough for third place although if Logan Laich keeps playing the way he’s been playing, that could definitely change over time and let’s not forget O’Malley or Richardson either. Davos Dynamo are still hanging in their trying to string together something, they’ve at least managed to finally get their rookie Bismarck Köenig started. Köenig could easily tap into what made him great for the Yukon Rush in the VHLM and help them to some wins if they work at it. The Riga Reign went from cup darlings to the basement, that’s the most shocking storyline in the VHL right now.

 

Some might say that the Reign are getting older and others are saying that the teams surrounding them throughout VHL are just getting younger and younger. Fans will either empathize with them or want to see them come from behind no matter the situation or who they’re matched up against. It’s just a difficult situation to watch or to be in for that matter without hoping that the Reign relish what they have and continue pushing forward. 

[Denver 198]

IN PURSUIT OF SUCCESS
by Denver - VHL Headline Writer

 

“What is building, and rebuilding, and rebuilding again, but an act of faith” – Dave Eggers

 

The first half of the season is finally over for the VHL. It’s almost time to start thinking about the playoffs, the trade deadline is looming and some teams are doing better than others. For the Riga Reign, it’s starting to look as if their interest in the number one pick might actually payoff. It all depends on how they want to use it, should they actually spend it exercising a future core or shopping it to other teams for a more proven commodity. At the moment the signs of them taking a certain prospect seems legitimate, though a long shot that can all change if they get it together and knock of either the Calgary Wranglers and Seattle Bears – highly unlikely giving how they played against the newly somewhat emerging competitiveness in the North American conference. Yes, the New York American’s dominance has been seen and felt, it’s lasted the better part of their tenure. But it seems like a Seattle and a Quebec are open to competing, which was evident in how the Bears stayed at least ahead of the Americans at the start of the season. It was further during the Meute’s winning streak which was under fire due to how ‘easy’ the schedule was.

 

The Meute have a chance to prove the critics wrong if they can fix their team’s woes ahead of the playoffs, a streak isn’t impossible, but there is room for challenges and skids along the way. The second half sees the team from Quebec struggling in more ways than one, and it’s clear as a team these are much needed if they ever want to utter the words playoff powerhouse in seasons to come. Should they manage to stave off falling behind, lead the league headed into the playoffs, weathering the storm to come they could very well be champions. The American’s on the other hand will always be dangerous in some fashion or another, that’s just how they’re built.

 

As for the Bears and the Legion – something’s got to give either team has to prove their status in some shape or form. Calgary has a Gow leading them, enough said. Toronto has a chance in the next two seasons to do something phenomenal once they make a few adjustments. Same goes for Seattle, through sight controversy they’ve proven they’re a team you honestly need to watch in the future. The Wranglers are mostly the ones who could play the part of spoiler; they’ve made headway in showing up in the playoffs in previous seasons so that’s something to keep in mind.

 

Europe is very tightly contested as well the Titans are in a twelve round fight with the Express that’s nowhere near finished. The Express have taken their bumps but aren’t easily bruised headed into crunch time. The Vikings are the most surprising as they’re surpassing initial expectations of a season ago. The Viking’s rookie tandem has proven itself amongst some of the best the league has to offer, they’re showing promise in the future of the Viking’s as a franchise. As for the Davos Dynamo, they’ve shown flashes of being a franchise that might cause others to look down the road. The team itself has room to improve and grow, only time will tell how they shape up and focus on attaining a playoff spot bearing a successful rebuild.

 

  Now is not the time to panic. Rebuilding and starting fresh isn’t always a bad thin, even with the idea of future playoffs and cups hanging in the balance. Older cores are looking to be younger meanwhile younger cores are looking to become more experienced. The Playoffs are approaching, and we’re about to see what some teams are truly made of. 

[Denver 198]

MOVIN' AND SHAKIN'
by Denver - VHL Headline Writer

 

The VHL trade deadline has come and gone and marks the ending of yet another season. With only twenty games left on the schedule, the deadline is the push for some teams to try to fix whatever woes ahead of the Playoffs. This season wasn’t as big as some of the VHL’s previous seasons, but has plenty of future implications if you consider the picks involved and what they might turn out to be. March 5^th saw King Czar III leave the Helsinki Titans for the Calgary Wranglers, as the two teams traded cross conference. The Wranglers gave up a pick to acquire the services of Czar III; meanwhile the Wranglers have up a Goalie in Coca Cola – in a turnabout move to help the Stockholm Vikings whose goalie situation is interesting, even if their plan isn’t written down anywhere. The Wranglers seem to want to be healthy at Goalie in time of the playoffs, maybe have a bit of a selection of who to play against what team, baring them making some kind shocking return in a season or two? That’s something to keep an eye on headed into both next season and season after next. The Riga Reign a ship that’s possibly getting older depending on who you ask sent off Robin Gow to the Cologne Express for a pick, as it they try to turn the coal of a pick into a diamond of a player. Gow walks into a situation where he can thrive should certain things happen. In general being on the Express at this point in time isn’t a bad thing. The Express sooner or later will make it happen they’ve improved and continue to show that they’re going to be a team to fear within a couple more seasons. In a wrestling sense the New York American’s time is now, the Helsinki Titan’s have become number one contender now that Riga has decided to go collect themselves and come back stronger. The Express embody the type of team that could very much turn out to be a dynasty even with some people being skeptical of O’Malley and Richardson staying together.

 

Calgary and Helsinki also traded at the deadline. Robert Gow III was sent to Helsinki for a combination of picks at the Titan’s disposal, one of which came from the Express and two of which were for the upcoming S43 draft. Konstantin Azhishchenkov better known collectively as “KJA” was on the move from the Riga Reign, as he was silently traded to the New York Americans for a Season 43 2^nd round pick. The American’s gain some depth at Center as the Reign tallied up a total of nine draft picks headed into this draft, the options and possibilities are endless as they could easily find players to trade for where teams are either hurting at a position and willing to draft for or actually wanting to shed cap for a floor that needs to be raised and a ceiling that’s still needs to be fixed.

 

Even if the rest of the VHL wasn’t directly involved in talks you can already assume off-season moves and either pre-draft or post-draft moves are soon to follow, free agency is also another thing to be considered.  As far as the playoffs are considered, not many of the trades can be labeled as “cup winning” these were all necessary trades to ensure that teams who want to have a future in the playoffs, actually can compete for the next couple of seasons. Unless one of the Gow’s turn in an ungodly performance or KJA wreaks havoc in the next twenty games. Above all else it looks like the VHL is closing yet another successful chapter as teams are ready to go to war in the name of the Continental Cup. 

[eaglesfan036 4,604]

Playoff Teams Starting to Pull Away

 

Season 42 has experienced an unusual amount of parity, as eight teams had legitimate shots at the playoffs this season. While it has always been known that the big four of Quebec, New York, Helsinki, and Cologne would make the playoffs, the race for the third playoff spot in each Conference has remained tight. In the North American Conference, the Legion have climbed their way up the ladder from last place to seven points above the Bears. In the European Conference arms race, the Vikings and Dynamo have traded places all season, with the Vikings currently holding a seven point lead over the Dynamo.

 

Seattle and Toronto have been polar opposites in their respective playoff pushes. The Bears started off hot, as they actually held down first place for a short while in the beginning of the season. In comparison, the Legion had an awful start, as they were in last place and behind the rebuilding Calgary Wranglers. Even though Toronto had a worse record than Calgary at one point, Legion GM Edgar never lost hope, as he cited Toronto’s rough schedule as the main reason to the team’s poor start. Upon review, Edgar did bring up a solid point, as the Legion experienced a brutal schedule to start the season, with seven games against the Americans, two against the Meute, six against the Titans, one against the Vikings, and seven against the Express. In comparison, Seattle’s first 23 games consisted of two games against the Titans, five games against the Dynamo, three games against the Reign, one game against the Americans, two games against the Vikings, seven games against the Meute, and three games against the Wranglers. Comparing the two schedules, the Legion had a valid excuse to their poor start as they pretty much only played against quality teams, while the Bears had a mildly difficult schedule but must be given some credit for beating the teams they should and holding down first place. However, as the season progressed and the schedules started evening out, the Legion slowly caught up to the Bears in points, and currently hold a seven point lead over the Bears. Rather than calling this an epic collapse by the Bears or an epic comeback by the Legion, I’d call it the schedule restoring balance.

 

In the European Conference, the Vikings and the Dynamo competition for the third playoff spot is nothing like the North American Conference. Instead of being polar opposites this season, the Vikings and Dynamo have remained close and frequently exchanged their hold on the third playoff spot. This competition took off during the offseason, when Davos traded a boatload of players and picks to Stockholm for the 1^st overall pick, with which they selected goaltender Callum Sinclair. The trade seems to have benefitted Stockholm more than Davos this season, as Sinclair has not had a very good season in goal for Davos (though he still projects to have a very bright future). In comparison, Mario De Rossi and Joseph Roy III have combined for 127 points for Stockholm this season, as they make up an important part of the offense. The blockbuster trade has benefitted Stockholm more than Davos so far this season, and is part of the reason why the Vikings currently hold a seven point advantage over the Dynamo. However, both teams will be battling it out for many seasons to come, and their records in the future will indicate the true winner of the trade.

[eaglesfan036 4,604]

How the Lottery Effects the Draft

 

The commissioners recently hosted the Season 42 Draft lottery, and the results are probably the best scenario possible for those who enjoy draft-day drama. Most pundits envisioned a scenario in which either Riga or Calgary would own the first overall pick, as the two teams hold the worst two records respectively. However, each of the four teams in the lottery has a 25% chance of winning, and it turns out the Stockholm Vikings will hold the first selection of the Season 42 VHL Entry Draft.

 

Who Stockholm will select with the first overall pick on remains a mystery, as there is no clear route for the Vikings to take. Goaltender prospect Hans Wingate is widely considered the best prospect in the draft, but the Vikings already have two solid goalie prospects in Jax Barnstormer and Blake Campbell. Unless the Vikings plan on trading both of their goalie prospects, it would not make much sense to draft Wingate and add a third goaltender to the fold. Should the Vikings keep the first overall pick, many experts expect them to draft a forward, with E’twaun Delicious and Bronson Faux being at the top of the class. Lastly, if the Vikings don’t like any of their options at first overall, they could trade the pick to a team in need of a goaltender or top forward.

 

The Riga Reign hold the second overall pick, and their draft scenario on paper seems a lot simpler than Stockholm’s. Via the GM rule, Riga is guaranteed a franchise goaltender in Bernie Gow, meaning Wingate would not be a fit for the team. Outside of goaltender, Riga will likely draft the best player available as they have needs at both forward and defense. Because of this, Riga will likely pick either Delicious or Faux, either picking whomever isn’t selected first overall or having their choice between the two. The Reign could also trade the second overall pick, but it’s not something that seems imminent.

 

The Wranglers possess the third overall pick, and like Stockholm have an interesting goaltending situation. Calgary’s goaltending prospect, Coca Cola, has slowed down his practice hour production in recent weeks, and the Wranglers will have to decide whether or not they are still sold on Coke. The Wranglers also have needs at both defense and forward, so they likely are looking at the best player available with the third pick if they don’t trade it away. This could be the remaining player of the Wingate-Delicious-Faux trifecta, or the Wranglers may decide to select a top defenseman such as Pablo Escabar or Francis York Morgan.

 

The Seattle Bears hold the fourth and final lottery pick, and seem to be in a different situation than the rest of the lottery teams. Seattle already had a franchise goalie in Niklaus Mikaelson, and already have a pretty strong forward core in place, meaning the Bears are likely to select a defenseman. The Bears are in luck, because if the above scenario plays out they will have their choice of top of draft’s top defensemen in Pablo Escabar and Francis York Morgan.

[eaglesfan036 4,604]

Cologne and Quebec Advance to the Finals

After one of the most exciting semi-finals in recent history, we finally have two teams advancing to the finals. The Cologne Express and Quebec City Meute will challenge each other for the Continental Cup, which will be the first in history for either of the two expansion teams. Neither team will have much time for rest, as both teams are coming off exciting seven-game series. With the finals finally upon us, I’ll be taking a look at how both teams managed to make it to the big dance.

 

The Quebec City Meute arguably have been the frontrunners to win the finals for most of the regular season, as they held down the number one spot in the standings for most of the season. Quebec’s success comes from an unusually successful strategy, as the team boasts few star players but has a lot of depth. The Meute have just one player over 800 tpe in Bruno Wolf, allowing them a lot more cap flexibility than other teams such as New York which holds three players over 900 tpe. Because of this lack of high tpe players, the Meute boast a rare combination of six forwards, four defenseman, and a solid goalie to boot. This strategy worked exceptionally for Quebec this season as Aksel Thomassen and Bruno Wolf were their offensive stars, Waldron held down the crease with a 0.920 save percentage, and the rest of the depth players such as Travis Boychuk or Rami Jakobssen cleaned up against other team’s lower end players. These depth players especially proved fatal to New York, who had a lot of bots playing due to having just five forwards and two defensemen.

 

Cologne’s route to the finals has not been as squeaky clean as Quebec’s, though the ends justify the means or something. The Express held down the second playoff spot in the European Conference for most of the season, but just didn’t seem like a major contender like Quebec, New York, or Helsinki for some reason. Trade deadline acquisition Robin Gow brought the Express an elite center who helped boost their offensive prowess, as their defensive statistics were already very good due to an elite goaltender in Martin Brookside paired with a shutdown number one defenseman in Mason Richardson. Gow’s excellent play carried over into the playoffs, where he is tied for the lead in points for the Express with 9 points in 11 games. Many other Cologne players put up great stats too, as it seems they’ve struck fire at the right time. Martin Brookside has an outstanding 0.944 save percentage to this point, and both Mason Richardson and Chris Raymond have blocked 13 shots, which is an immense help to the defense.

 

My Prediction:

Both teams have had tremendous goaltending during the playoffs, so I expect the series to be a low scoring affair. The Express have six forwards and three defensemen, so I don’t expect depth to be as big of an issue this series, ruins Quebec’s previous advantage against New York. I could see the series going either way, but I predict that Cologne will win the series in seven games because they just seem to have struck fire at the right time, and are out to prove the regular season doesn’t matter come playoff time. 

[eaglesfan036 4,604]

Blockbuster

 

The Season 42 offseason is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent memory. Just a few days into the offseason, we already have three big trades, and we haven’t even reached the draft yet. With New York selling, Cologne and Stockholm buying, and Calgary and Toronto exchanging assets, we’ve had a very interesting offseason so far, so I will recap everything that had occurred to date.

 

New York and Cologne

 

The offseason started with a blockbuster deal involving New York and Cologne. New York received Nicolas Caprivi, Godavari Yumalatopinto, Alistar Graves, and Cologne’s Season 45 1^st. In exchange, Cologne received wingers Christopher Klose and Xin Xie Xiao. The deal makes sense for both sides, as New York can jump start their rebuild with rising star Nicolas Caprivi, a young depth player in Alistar Graves, and a 1^st round pick. Yumalatopinto will be the interesting X factor, as he is too old to last for New York’s rebuild and will likely be traded. On the other side of the trade, we have Cologne receiving XXX and Klose. XXX is a very talented older player who will give Cologne a great veteran presence for their cup run, while Klose is a solid younger player who should be a good player for the Express for seasons to come.

 

Calgary and Toronto

 

The next trade of the offseason involves some Gow on Gow drama, as Riga actually had a trade in place to acquire Toronto’s Jaime Hill. However, Riga did not own the 2^nd round pick they offered, making the trade void. Calgary swiftly swooped in on the Hill sweepstakes, and offered Cologne’s Season 43 1^st and Calgary’s Season 44 2^nd for Hill’s services. The trade makes decent sense for both sides, as the Wranglers acquired a young defenseman for their rebuild, while the Legion gained some picks and cap space for whatever future roster moves they wish to make. It must be noted that this trade is part one of a two part deal, as the 2^nd round pick is rumored to be a placeholder for something else.

 

New York and Stockholm

 

The most recent trade of the offseason is perhaps the largest blockbuster so far, as both sides traded and received gargantuan pieces. New York received goaltender Jax Barnstormer, winger Mario De Rossi, the first overall pick in the Season 43 draft, Riga’s Season 43 2^nd, and Stockholm’s Season 44 1^st. In return for this boatload of picks and players, Stockholm received goaltender Brick Wahl along with forwards Tom Slaughter and Jody 3 Moons. Once again, this trade seems like a great move for both sides. New York can build their core around budding prospects Barnstormer and De Rossi, along with their excellent draft picks they received. Meanwhile, Stockholm arguably becomes the favorites to win the Continental Cup next season, as they’ve added an elite goalie to go along with an elite older forward and a solid younger one.

[eaglesfan036 4,604]

                                                   Season 43 Draft Adds New Stars        

 

Another draft is in the books, and another wave of stars will take over the VHL in a few seasons. Some of these future stars will begin their VHL journey this season, while others will spend another season developing their game in the minors.

 

Pick #1: New York Americans – E’Twaun Delicious - RW

 

New York must have been hungry for some Muffins, as they traded some of their own star players in a blockbuster deal with Stockholm in order to acquire the first overall pick. Delicious will be a key part of the Americans rebuild, as much is expected of the first overall pick. Look for Delicious to become a dominant goal-scorer in a few seasons, as the young winger has already flashed a lot of offensive potential.

 

Pick #2: Riga Reign – Bronson Faux - C

 

Faux was arguably the easiest draft pick to predict, as the Jamie agency has a long and storied history with Riga. Expect Faux to follow the mold of the Jamie’s previous players, as he’s expected to become an outstanding two-way player due to his outstanding abilities in the checking and passing department.  

 

Pick #3: Calgary Wranglers – Hans Wingate – G

 

Wingate was another easy pick to predict, as it would be foolish of the Wranglers to pass up on a potential franchise goalie. Wingate actually has earned the most tpe of all S43 prospects so far, as he is already up to 335 tpe. If Wingate keeps up this rapid tpe production, it’s not unreasonable to think he could quickly turn into one of the league’s top goaltenders.

 

Pick #4: Seattle Bears – Pablo Escabar – D

 

After much debate over whether Escabar or York Morgan was the better defensive prospect, it appears the Bears have picked their favorite in Escabar. If Escabar keeps up his current rate of tpe production, it’s predicted he will become a top-flight defender for the Bears with great defensive and offensive prowess.

 

Pick #5: Stockholm Vikings – Francis York Morgan – D

 

The Vikings selected another potential stud defenseman at the number five spot, as both York Morgan and Escabar figure to be competing with each other for top S43 defenseman for seasons to come. Morgan’s strengths lie in his passing and his defense, and he projects to be a top-pairing defenseman within a few seasons.

 

Pick #6: Helsinki Titans – Thomas Duddy – LW

 

Duddy completes the Ottawa Lynx trifecta, as picks 4 and 5 also featured Lynx players. Duddy had a great season with Ottawa, as he registered 117 points, a factor surely considered when the Titans selected the young winger. If Duddy keeps his tpe production up, he projects to be either a first or second line forward who can bring solid two-way play.

 

Pick #7: Riga Reign – M.C. Hammer – D

 

Riga went a little off the chart with this pick, as many expected them to select a higher tpe player such as Jorma Ruutu. However, the Reign must see a lot of potential in the AndyBj agency in order to take him with the seventh pick. Hammer’s stats didn’t light the world on fire in the VHLM last season, but he’s been earning tpe at a consistent rate. Expect Hammer to become either a top-pairing or second-pairing defenseman in the seasons to come!

[eaglesfan036 4,604]

Reviewing the Forgotten Trades

 

Many monumental trades occurred this offseason, yet few have received much coverage due to two other storylines considered more exciting. Many trades occurred within a few days of the draft, and with the draft being the main story of the offseason some of these trades were overlooked. Also, when trades were covered, the main storyline was how the Helsinki Titans surprisingly decided to rebuild and sell off their young core. In this article, I’ll be looking at many of the forgotten trades of the offseason (aka trades not involving Helsinki).

 

Davos and Cologne

 

  Sends:

C - Bismarck Koenig

LW - Azmet Ali

 

 Sends:

D - Mason Richardson*

S43 DAV 2nd

S45 COL 2nd

S45 COL 3rd

 

Considering the major pieces moved in this deal, it is surprising how little coverage it received. According to rumors, the Dynamo’s Season 41 number one overall pick was unhappy with his situation on the team. Davos quickly decided to solve this problem, but they made sure to get equal value for a top-notch center. The Dynamo sent Koenig and depth winger Azmet Ali to the Express. In return, Colgone received defenseman Mason Richardson, S43 Davos 2^nd, S45 Cologne 2^nd, and S45 Cologne 3^rd. The key part of this return is obviously Mason Richardson, as the stud defenseman has also amassed a high amount of tpe and looks to be a key cog in the Dynamo defense.

 

Calgary and Quebec

 

  Sends:

S44 HSK 2^nd

S45 CGY 2^nd

 

  Sends:

LW - Rami Jakobssen

S44 QUE 2^nd

 

While this trade isn’t quite as exciting as trading former 1^st overall picks, it did have an impact for both teams. The Meute received two 2^nd round picks, one of which was promptly used in a trade with Helsinki the team that must not be named. It seems Quebec’s goal in the trade was to receive good compensation while at the same time saving some cap space for future trades. In return, Calgary received Rami Jakobssen, a player represented by the Philthethrill agency. The S41 draftee is currently at a solid amount of tpe, and looks to play apart in the Wranglers rebuild. Calgary also received a S44 QUE 2^nd, which they will likely use in the upcoming draft.

 

Riga and Toronto

 

   Sends:

S44 COL 1^st

 

   Sends:

 

C – Raphael Pettyfur

 

This trade is similar to the Calgary-Quebec trade, as one team is clearing cap space while the other team is receiving a player to jump-start their rebuild. Toronto received a low first round pick in the upcoming draft, and it’s unknown whether they will use this pick or trade it for even more players. In return, Riga received a young S41 draftee who looks has the potential to be a key piece of the rebuild should she continue her rate of tpe earning.

 

 

[Ball 453]

First trade was Davos and cologne not Helsinki Cologne

[eaglesfan036 4,604]

First trade was Davos and cologne not Helsinki Cologne

oh the logos, good catch :3

[Ball 453]

I gotchu big homie

[eaglesfan036 4,604]

Express, Dynamo, Bears off to Strong Start

 

After what seems like a blink of the eye, we are already 22 games into the VHL’s 43st season. Currently, five teams look like strong playoff contenders as Seattle, Quebec City, Cologne, Davos, and Stockholm all have 30 or more points, along with Toronto barely holding the final playoff spot with just 17 points. In particular, Seattle, Cologne, and Davos are off to hot starts, and we’ll be taking a look at each of these teams so far.

 

Cologne Express

 

The Season 42 Continental Cup Champions have picked up right where they left off, as they currently lead the league with 36 points. The Express have succeeded so far due to a balanced attack, as they have scored the third most-goals in the league and only given up the second-least goals. Cologne’s goal scoring is led by their multitude of elite forwards, as Thomas O’Malley, Xin Xie Xaio, Bismarck Koenig, and Christoph Klose have all registered above a point per game. Defensively, the team is led by Chris Raymond who leads the league with an absurd 50 shots blocked in the 22 games so far. Also helping out on defense is star goaltender Martin Brookside, whose 0.936 save percentage is second best in the league.

 

HC Davos Dynamo

 

Following closely behind the Express is the Dynamo, as Davos sits just one point behind the Express at 35 points. While many expected Davos to become a playoff team this season, few thought they would hold the second best record in the league through 22 games. However, it is unknown if the Dynamo’s strategy can hold up throughout the rest of the season. Davos has the least amount of goals among all playoff teams, but makes up for it by giving up a league low 29 goals, which is insanely good as the team is averaging just a little over one goal against per game. Much of this credit should be given to young goaltender Callum Sinclair, as he leads the league with an outstanding 0.946 save percentage. Also helping Sinclair is arguably the league’s best defense, with the top pairing of Mason Richardson and Andrey Zardov boasting a combined 1,527 tpe and 70 shots blocked. Offensively, the team is led by Gifford Shock and Devin Sundberg, as both players have registered a point per game so far this season.

 

Seattle Bears

 

In the words of Dennis Green, the Bears are who we thought they were! With New York rebuilding, Seattle has taken the reign as the number one team in the North American Conference with 32 points on the season, though the Meute are close behind. Seattle’s success so far has come from a strong offensive attack as they have the second most goals in the league, along with a defense that is just good enough to get the job done, as they’ve surrendered 46 goals on the season. Leading Seattle in points so far is James Faraday, Phil Villeneuve, Nicklas Karlsson, and Jakub Rhinehart, as all four players have registered above a point per game. Defensively, the Bears are led by Phil Villenvue and Pablo Escabar, as both players have 40 and 37 shots blocked respectively. Lastly, goaltender Niklaus Mikaelson has been solid so far, as his 0.922 save percentage is third best in the league. 

[eaglesfan036 4,604]

Shoutouts to Everyone!

 

Brovy – I enjoy having weird chats with you and nice job making it to the finals last season!

 

Frank – You’ve put in a lot of work in the BoG and really seem to care about the VHLM, so thank you for that.

 

Streetlight – I’ve never really talked to you, but you’re a nice guy

 

Boubabi – I really enjoy our conversations, and I think you are an excellent Mag leader and GM!

 

Gorlab – Your antics are sometimes entertaining and 3 Moons is having a great season

 

Cuffy – One of the best captains you could ask for, thanks for you Wranglers loyalty and being a great guy to talk to

 

Flocka – I don’t really know you, but I think it’s cool that you are able to work past the language barrier here thanks for voting me as your prediction for executive of the year (probably not happening)

 

YEAH! – One of the nicest and funniest people on here, may your goalies sacks reign supreme forever.

 

Tylar – Your profile picture is really pretty and you’ll probably be the better Faux

 

Ahma – Valmount hype! You’ll be a top pick in the draft for sure and one of those great first gens

 

Nike – My favorite shoe brand, also a fun person to talk to and I think you’ll make a great defenseman.

 

Mr. Escabar – You’re also one of those really good first gens as I think Escabar will be a great player due to your high level of activity

 

JumpierPegasus – I enjoy reading your articles, such as your VHLM team profile which was good.

 

Lunaro – You do a good job at running the predict the score threads and Karlsson currently has a ppg streak

 

Banacock – You are Stockholm’s goalie of the future and I’m sure you’ll be a great goalie if you keep up your activity

 

Fever95 – I feel like Stokes should be earning more points this season, but I’m sure any team would be Stoked to have you (cool sig)

 

Edgar – One of my favorite strange people on this site, you are like the Munk that never was

 

STZ – Thanks for being flexible with my VHL Mag articles and you are a great member and was a great GM

 

Mike – mikemikemikemikemikemike – yep. Seriously please recreate I would miss you.

 

Ramicus – Another candidate for strangest person on here, I enjoy our frequent weird conversations

 

Individual – Theo will turn into a good prospect if you keep up your good rate of media spots! You nearly have a ppg

 

CowboyinAmerica – I’m sure you’re great goaltending will Wingate Calgary a lot of games, thanks for repping Calgary so hard

 

Nikkurri17 – Kurri is having a decent season with Quebec and you look like a solid player as part of their core

 

Tyler – You haven’t been on for a little while and Denis is having a solid season with the Meute

 

Greg – I’m glad to see you are becoming more active again and you were a good GM back in the day

 

Eaglesfan036 – What a great guy. Yukon and Calgary are 2 gud

 

Boomcheck – Rhinehart is going to be a stud for Seattle and I really enjoy reading your Checktalks

 

Toast – Your Toasty Power Polls are a staple of the VHL Mag and always great

 

Molholt – Olsen scored the cup winning goal so Olsen 2 gud

 

Corco – Pajodcast is turning into an underrated player for Seattle

 

DollarandaDream – Boychuk has turned into a stud

 

jRuutu – One of the best looking up an coming prospects

 

Harumpf – Your media spot on Theon Harumpf was funny and you made a solid player

 

Mpclardy – Clargary is going to Wingate multiple cups with you holding it down on d

 

Green – Another person who makes very good underrated players

 

John – I’m glad to see you’ve ramped up your activity, as Jedtsson looks like he will turn into a good player

 

Beketov – You’ve been here since Season 1 and are a great guy!

 

Noah – You have a funny sense of humor

 

Seth – When you actually are active you are fun to talk to Giroux > Tavares

 

Rum_Ham – Demko is an underrated stud who puts in his work each week, and you are always fun to talk to

 

NinetyfourGoalie – I like your VHL Mag articles and Poole is a good player

 

Munk – You make me laugh at least once a day, so thank you :3

 

Sterling – Thank you for taking the time, money, and effort to run the site

 

RomanesEuntDomus – Romans eat donuts is another person who makes solid underrated players

 

GoodleftUndone – You were looking like a good prospect, I hope you come back!

 

Christmas- Your VHLM Mag articles are always a fun read and I think FYR will turn into a stud defender

 

Mr. Power – I’m impressed by your GM skills, along with the great job you do with the Pajodcast and the BoG

 

Hybrid1486 – Waldron has turned into a pretty solid goalie, so nice work!

 

Jedi – Kriz is looking like a good prospect, I hope you stay active!

 

Flyersfan1493 – Thank you for being a great brother and friend

 

Andybj – Always a pleasure talking to you, I bet Hammer turns out to be a stud

 

Der Meister – You have a cool profile picture

 

Jaladolar – One of the nicest and more active guys on here, thanks for being my friend :3

 

Tfong – A top notch VHLM man, whether it’s reforming the league as commish or being a great GM

 

Doomsday – I think you might be the most talented writer here, I will miss your mag articles

 

Da Trifecta – One of our more active members, you make some excellent players!

 

Stevo – Ron World Peace is a fantastic player name

 

Kendrick – You’re a good guy and you make really good players

 

Mr. Grumpy Bear – You seem like you have a good plan at GM, I just hope you stay active to fulfill the plan

 

GooningitUp – Komarov is turning into a good goon, nice job!

 

Velevra – You’ve turned into a steal for Stockholm as you were just a second round pick

 

Muffins – Clearly from being the number one pick you make great players and are also really funny

 

Boom – One of the nicest people to talk to on the site

 

Waslund – Strauss has turned into a solid player for Seattle

 

Advantage – An outstanding GM and have also been great in being a commy

 

CoachReilly – Kendrick told me you are a nice guy, and it also looks like you are doing a good job as GM

 

Diamond Ace – You make really good players and thanks for being such a great mentor for me in Calgary

 

Duddy – You’re another good looking up and coming prospect

 

Kylrad – Many good prospects such as you have started off as a grader

 

Phil – Another great guy to chat with, your podcasts are always fun to listen to

 

Philthethrill – I’m glad I traded for you as you’ve been decently active and are a fun chat

 

Jamie – Jaymay is one of my favoritest people I the whole wide world

 

Ball – Another solid really active member who makes good players

 

Solas – Sinclair has been outstanding so far this season!

 

Taron47 – I’m glad to see you back, you looked promising in the past

 

BPH – You make some really sexy graphics

 

FueledbyRamen – I like your username and profile picture

 

NotJayTee – You were a fun guy to chat with

 

Jericho – Pewpewpew! I had a lot of fun when you GMd me on Ottawa many a year ago

 

Victor – Thanks for your many seasons as head commish! You are one of the pillars of this website. Also a great chat

 

Higgins – Thank you for taking the time and money to run this website. Also a great chat

 

Jardy – Thank you for simming and being a commish for many seasons, job well done. Great chat as well.

 

Graper – It looks really suspicious that all the commies posted in the Prediction thread in order. You are always fun to chat with whether drunk or sober (more fun drunk) and you make great player.

 

R1cemuncer – A solid GM and player, I hope you stick around!

 

Sandro – I hope you recreate!

 

Squinty – You aren’t even here but you should be here!

 

Caillean – I’m glad I traded for you as you are really fun to chat with and make pts just for me <3

 

Glaciem – You look like a promising prospect and I hope you stay active

 

Keenan – I hope you stick around!

 

Jasmine – I love your cat photo and you seem nice so I hope you stick around too

 

Mildaddy – You’ve been asking a lot of good questions hopefully you stick around too

 

BigTittySmitty – You are also fun to chat and look like a good prospect!

 

John Scott – JOHN SCOTT is a great guy everyone chat him

 

I’m sorry if I missed anyone! I just wrote about everyone who put in predictions for Season 43, and then wrote about anyone else I could remember off the top of my head.

[STZ 5,376]

jesus christ...

[eaglesfan036 4,604]

Can the Third Place Teams Make a Push for the Cup?

 

Oftentimes, the teams in the final playoff position are teams who have just left the rebuilding stage and are good enough to be playoff teams, but not yet developed enough to be legitimate cup contenders. This season, the Toronto Legion and Davos Dynamo seem to fit the bill, as both teams have exited their rebuilds and started to become playoff contenders. However, unlike other seasons, there is reason to believe that both teams could become viable cup contenders.

 

Toronto Legion

The Legion currently sit in third place in the North American Conference with 53 points, 118 goals for, and 112 goals against. Toronto has the worst point differential among all playoff teams with just a +6, as it seems neither their offense nor defense is clicking. Offensively, the Legion are led by Sachimo Zoidberg, who is seen as the quarterback of the offense with 30 goals and 32 assists. Supporting Zoidberg on offense are Tyler Cote and Jackson Miller, who have 47 and 42 points respectively. The Legion have just two defenders in Jerrick Poole and Slaetar Fjorsstrom, both of whom post respectable offensive and defensive numbers, but are only able to play around 50% of games, resulting in a lot of bots playing on defense for Toronto. Lastly, Toronto’s defense is led by one of the league’s top goalies, as Mike Szatkowski Jr. has the second best save percentage at 0.923, though his goals against average is high at 2.11 due to Toronto’s lack of defensive depth.

 

Even though a bunch of negative stats were listed for Toronto, there is reason to believe that the team is still a viable cup contender, as they do have many solid pieces and can be compared to the Cologne Express from last season. The Express did not experience much success in the regular season, similar to Toronto’s situation thus far. However, the Legion boast a top tier goalie in Szatkowski, who could catch fire during the playoffs similar to Brookside last season. Also, Toronto still has around $2 million in cap space, and will likely make a trade deadline acquisition to boost their offense or defense. This acquisition could prove very important, similar to how Robin Gow was a key player in Cologne’s cup run last season.

 

HC Davos Dynamo

 

The Dynamo currently sit in third place in the European Conference with 55 points, 107 goals, and 91 goals against. Davos’s 107 goals is the lowest among playoff teams, which is reflected by the fact that not a single player on the Dynamo has registered over a point per game. However, the Dynamo do still have some solid offensive pieces, as Devin Sundberg has 43 points on the season, and Mason Richardson is chipping in from the blue line with 41 points. While Davos has not been producing offensively, they have been saved by some excellent defensive play, as they have only allowed 91 goals on the season. The Dynamo arguably have the best defensive corps in the league, as they boast an outstanding top pairing of Mason Richardson and Andrey Zardov, along with a solid second pairing in Vladimir Komarov and Joshua Rubin. They also have received a lot of help from young goaltender Callum Sinclair, who was off to a sensational start to the season, though his numbers have dipped recently.

 

I can’t think of a team to compare to the Dynamo to, but I can still see them being legitimate cup contenders this season. Similar to Toronto, Davos also has a few million in cap room to spare, and will also be making a deadline acquisition to likely bolster their offense. With some added help on offense, it seems that the best route for Davos to win the cup would be to shut things down with their outstanding defense, hope Sinclair gets hot once again, and hope the offense can do just enough to win games.

[eaglesfan036 4,604]

Helsinki Saves the Trade Deadline

 

The VHL’s 43st trade deadline occurred just a few days ago, but it seems few have noticed. This trade deadline has continued an unfortunate trend of late, as trade deadlines have become rather dull the past few seasons with few if any trades actually occurring. Luckily, gloryhog Donald Draper was determined to make same waves, and completed two transactions which added at least some intrigue to the trade deadline.

Helsinki and Davos

 

The first trade of the deadline involved the rebuilding Titans sending defenseman Don Draper to the Dynamo for a Season 45 Davos 2^nd. Upon immediate review, the trade seems to heavily favor Davos, as they only had to give up a low 2^nd round pick for a one year rental of star player Don Draper. However, immediately after the trade occurred, Davos waived the league’s only robot, AIM-11, and it just so happened that Helsinki had the highest waiver priority at the time and claimed AIM-11. It is also rumored that the trade will feature a part two, making the trade seem much more reasonable as Helsinki received AIM-11 and a part 2 along with a 2^nd round pick in exchange for Draper. Upon the trade’s completion, Draper announced he would be changing positions from defense to center, where he hopes to bolster the Dynamo’s offense with his 1,008 practice hours.

 

Helsinki and Toronto

 

The second deadline deal also involved the Titans receiving a pick in exchange for a player, as Helsinki received Toronto’s S45 1^st in exchange for center Tyson Stokes. The deal seems to make sense for both sides, as Stokes should provide Toronto with solid offensive firepower for a few seasons. Helsinki receives another 1^st round pick, which gives them 7 1^st round picks in the next two drafts, with three 1sts in S44 and four 1sts in S45.

 

Why So Few Trades?

 

It seems the biggest reason there are so few deadline trades is salary cap constraints. Many teams plan out there salary cap and make their trades in the offseason, so they just have no cap space once the deadline rolls around. Before the deadline, the Vikings and Meute were already at maximum salary, while the Express virtually were at the maximum salary with just $500,000 to spare. Coincidentally, these three teams at max salary are the top 3 teams in the league standings. Also coincidentally, two playoff teams with cap space, the Dynamo and Legion, made moves to improve their roster and hopefully jump in the standings.

 

Speaking of salary cap, one playoff team in particular has $3.5 million still left to spend, and was rumored to make a trade deadline acquisition to fill this empty cap space. However, Seattle Bears GM Mr. Grumpy Bear has not logged in since May 25^th, and is rumored to have missed a trade deadline deal due to being inactive. However, I would like to add that I don’t know for certain whether Seattle actually had a deal in place or not, it just seems to add up.

[eaglesfan036 4,604]

Key Playoff Matchups

 

The first round of the playoffs will start in a day or so, and will feature the Legion vs. the Bears and the Express vs. the Dynamo. There were not any exciting playoff races, as all four non-playoff teams are in full-fledged rebuilds and were not expected to make the playoffs. However, the competition between the 2^nd and 3^rd playoff seeds has been fierce all season, and we’ll be taking a look at some of the key playoff matchups.

 

Old Goalies vs. New

 

Both 2^nd seeds have veteran goalies, as the Legion boast Mike Szatkowski Jr. while the Express have last year’s playoff MVP in Martin Brookside. These two goalies represent the old guard, as both star goalies are in their last season and look to add one more cup to their resumes. In comparison, both third seeds represent the new guard, as the Bears have up and coming Niklaus Mikaelson in goal, while the Dynamo boast the former first overall pick Callum Sinclair. Both young goalies have appeared dominant at times this season, with Sinclair even having the top goalie stats for the first part of the season. Brookside and Szatkowski have the top two save percentages respectively, so it will be interesting to see if one of the young goalies can catch fire and compete with these respected veterans.

 

Mason Richardson vs. Thomas O’Malley

 

Thomas O’Malley leads both the Express and the league in points, as he registered 131 points on the regular season. O’Malley is clearly the catalyst for Cologne’s offense, as he has arguably been the best forward in the league this season. If Davos has any chance to win this series, they must prevent O’Malley from showing up on the point sheet. Outside of using the goon strategy, the Dynamo’s best chance to prevent O’Malley from scoring is to use their top defender, Mason Richardson, to stop him. However, Davos must be careful to not use Richardson too defensively, as he does have the third most points on the team.

 

A.C. Savage vs. Legion Top Line

 

Toronto’s top four point producers consists of their top line and Bennett Wahl, showing how their star power has led the way in carrying the offense’s production (each of the top four players is above a point per game). In comparison, Seattle’s top line has two of the team’s leading point scorers, but has been dragged down due to the play of A.C. Savage. Whether it’s just gripping the stick too hard, a lack of talent, or a lack of chemistry, Savage has had an abysmal season, with just 36 points on the year. Savage’s poor play has dragged down Seattle’s first line, as no one on the first line is above a point per game, with the most points being James Faraday with 64. The lack of points produced by the Bear’s top line is a major reason Seattle has the least goals for among all playoff teams. If Seattle hopes to have any offensive success in this series, they need A.C. Savage to step up and help out his linemates. 

[eaglesfan036 4,604]

The Bears Aren’t Who We Thought they were

 

Raise your hand if you thought the Bears would be legitimate cup contenders this season. Unless you live in Seattle or were intoxicated during prediction season, you likely did not pick Seattle to win the cup. In fact, just one person predicted the Bears to be cup winners, as Boomcheck picked his own team to win. Contrary to everyone’s predictions, the Bears have done remarkably well this playoff season, and we’ll be taking a look at why that is.

 

Brady Stropko

 

Even though his player agent has gone inactive, Stropko is playing great so far in the playoffs. Stropko leads the Bears with 6 goals, 8 assists, and 14 points on Seattle’s 10 games played so far. He’s also bringing a lot of physicality to the team, as Stropko as registered 36 hits so far. The inactive superstar has provided a much needed boost to Seattle’s struggling offense, and if he can continue his outstanding play Seattle has a good shot at beating Cologne.

 

Niklaus Mikaelson

 

It appears that Mikaelson has turned the page on his career, and has elevated his game to superstar status. Mikaelson has second best save percentage among all playoff goalies at .926, behind only the infamous Martin Brookside. Because of Mikaelson’s outstanding play, the Bears have averaged only 2.1 points against per game, which is second best among playoff teams as they are just .1 behind Cologne’s 2 point per game average. If Mikaelson can keep up his great goaltending, he could possibly go toe-to-toe with Brookside in what could be a goaltending duel for the ages.

 

Second Best at Most Team Stats

 

The Bears are the second best at most of the good team stats, behind just the Express in most stats. While this may not bode well for their chances in the cup finals against Cologne, it does explain how Seattle was able to dominate their competition in North America. Among all playoff teams, Seattle has the 2^nd most points per game, the 2^nd least goals against per game, the 2^nd best goal differential, and 2^nd most shots blocked per game. The only area Seattle seems to struggle in is faceoffs, as they have only won 38% of their defensive zone draws and 43% of their offense zone draws. Just to see if anyone is reading this, the first person to post in the thread saying "lol higglypuffs" gets a quick shoutout next week.

 

So Who Will Win the Finals?

 

I just listed a bunch of impressive stats showing why the Bears have dominated so far. However, Cologne has also dominated their opponents in the European Conference, and appears to have a statistical advantage over the Bears in most areas. Even without their statistical advantage, it would be hard to pick against Cologne due to just how good Brookside is. It appears as though Seattle has a large mountain to climb if they hope to win the series. However, the Bears have the VHL just where they want to be; everyone is counting the Bears out, but there is a good chance they somehow find a way to win.

[eaglesfan036 4,604]

North America Master Race?

 

The North American Conference has dominated the VHL headlines lately, making many forget that the European Conference even exists. In the past week, the North American Conference has experienced a huge underdog win the cup, a blockbuster trade, and controversial GM changes.

 

Seattle wins the Cup

 

Out of the hundred predictions at the beginning of Season 43, only one member predicted Seattle to win the Cup (congrats to Boomcheck). Much of the negativity surrounding Seattle stemmed from their GM situation, as Seattle’s former GM, Bushito, was not well liked and heading down a slope of inactivity. However, Seattle seemed to feed off of this negativity, as they did not let it stop them from their goal. Around mid-season, Bushito officially became inactive, and Higgins stepped in as Seattle’s interim GM. With Higgins as Seattle’s evil ringleader, the Bears persevered throughout the playoffs, led by the outstanding play of James Faraday and Niklaus Mikaelson. Even when Seattle went down 3-1 to Cologne in the finals and everyone counted them out, Seattle still somehow found a way to win.

 

Toronto and Calgary BlockBuster

 

After a few unsuccessful seasons of competing for the cup, the Legion have decided to enter into a full-blown rebuild. In comparison, the Wranglers have acquired some pieces over their past few seasons of losing, and look to enter into a period of competing for the cup. This trade brought both teams a lot of help towards their respective goals. The Legion received Calgary’s Season 45 1^st and Season 46 2^nd, which will be of tremendous use to their rebuild, as S45 looks to be a super draft. In return, the Wranglers received two forwards with over 600 tpe in Tyler Cote and Jackson Miller, and they look to be key pieces to Calgary’s cup chances in the next few seasons. It is also rumored that this deal also features a part 2 in which Calgary will receive some more players.

GM Controversy

 

Seattle’s GM controversy stems back to last season, as the Board of Governors decided to fire Bushito for his inactivity, but Bushito was left in control due to strong support from the Seattle players. Bushito had a spurt of good activity for a while, but eventually became inactive, forcing Higgins to become Seattle’s interim GM. After a long debate in the Board of Governors, it was decided that Mike would become Seattle’s GM, and the rights to Mike’s player were soon traded to Seattle for just a third round pick. This sparked a lot of controversy, as many were up in arms over Seattle giving up no compensation to receive Mike, as well as having the ability to trade Bushito’s inactive player for picks. In defense of the commissioners, I must mention here that no one batted an eye when I joined Calgary via free agency, traded Diamond Ace for a 1^st and 2^nd, traded myself for picks, then got my own recreate for free. The only difference seems to be that everyone seems to want Seattle to suffer for some reason.

Jaladolar and Shoutout to Green

 

I’d like to use this section to first congratulate Jaladolar on becoming the Toronto Legion GM. He has done a great job with the Bern Royals as we just won the cup, and I’m sure he’ll do great with Toronto. Also, shout out to Green because apparently he was the only person to read my mag article last week.

[eaglesfan036 4,604]

VHL in Dire Need of Recruitment

The Season 44 draft was by far the worst one in recent memory. This is no offense to the members of the draft who are actually active, as the first round did feature some pretty good players. However, the second round of the draft was awful, as not a single active player was drafted in the second round unless you want to count Lenny Face. There will be no third round steals either, as there was not even enough draft prospects to fill out a third round. While the Season 43 draft was not quite as bad, it still did not feature many actives past the top of the 2^nd round.

 

Many point to the Season 45 draft prospects as evidence that the VHL will be fine. Players such as the Clegane brothers, Phil Hamilton, and Biggu Kyanon are all seen as top-notch prospects that will make this draft great. The problem is, none of these players come from new members, and while they do represent good and loyal members who are pillars of the VHL, they do not represent the new blood the VHL needs.

 

Luckily, the VHL has seen a lot of new blood join in the past few days. Players such as Tanner Hynes, Bobby Boucher, Matt Gatsby, Azor Ahai, Michael Burch, and Maxime Wright represent the future of the VHL. Many of these new members look very promising, whether it is writing rookie profiles, posting a lot around the boards, or asking all the right questions. It is important that we cultivate these new members, as members such as Leafsfan or Tanner could become the next Draper or Jaladolar and hold major league responsibilities, as well as adding a lot of fun to the league.

 

With much of the outstanding S45 draft class in the VHLM, now seems like a great time to hold a recruitment drive. The VHLM looks to be really active this season due to all the S45 prospects already in place, so it would be great if we could recruit prospects into an active VHLM environment where they can learn from all the veteran prospects. If we can have a draft class big enough to have some actives fall into the third round, I think it would be a great thing for league-wide activity as a whole.

Even though I just listed a bunch of negative stuff as to why we need a big recruitment drive, everything is not doom and gloom for the league. We have a lot of members who are very dedicated to the league and I have no doubt it will continue to run for many years to come. The league is arguably at its highest peak ever in activity and member base right now, and adding a lot of new blood to the league could make it peak even more and be an even more fun place to visit.

[eaglesfan036 4,604]

Changing of the Guard

 

The VHL’s 44^th season figures to be a defining moment for the season to come. Old playoff teams such as Toronto and Seattle have sold off their assets in hopes of a brighter future, while teams such as Quebec, Davos, and Calgary have bought new assets in hopes of a brighter present. Also making a surprise return to contention is Cologne, who pulled off a surprising move to obtain goaltender Brock Waldron in a three way trade.

 

The Playoffs Would Like to Say Goodbye To…..

 

Toronto Legion

 

The Legion started off the offseason with a bang when they sent star forwards Jackson Miller and Tyler Cote to the Wranglers in exchange for Calgary’s Season 45 1^st and Season 46 2^nd. This trade is also rumored to feature a part 2 where Toronto will send some more players to Calgary for more picks. Speaking of part 2, the Legion participated in another trade which seems like it has to feature a part 2, as Toronto only gave a 3^rd round pick to Stockholm in exchange for Teeuvo Ruutu and Jack Kowalski. Due to the low price given up for two solid players, expect a part 2 in this deal with Toronto likely sending Stockholm some pieces at the trade deadline. As the Legion currently stand, they have a solid squad that is just missing a goaltender, but with many pieces expected to be shipped off at the deadline they are not expected to make the playoffs. However, the good news is they will have lots of ammunition in the coming drafts.

 

Seattle Bears

 

The Bears may be one of those rare teams that go from the 10^th overall pick to the 1^st overall pick. Sensing that the team was rebuilding, Seattle lost some of its players such as Niklas Karlson and Rift Pajodcast to free agency so they could pick their own destination. The Bears then traded away their star goaltender Nikleaus Mikealson in the giant 3-way blockbuster and received an excellent package for a rebuild in two Season 46 1sts, a 2^nd, and a 3^rd. Without a goaltender and with most of the pieces looking to be shipped off, it seems as though Seattle will not be making the playoffs anytime soon. However, their rebuild looks to be coming along okay, as they have amassed quite a few Season 46 picks already.

 

The Playoffs Would Like to Say Hello To….

 

Calgary Wranglers

 

The Wranglers have been quietly acquiring young players over the past few seasons, and look to finally make their way into the playoffs again. Calgary jump-started their contention this offseason in their massive trade for Tyler Cote and Jackson Miller, as the two star forwards look to lead the team’s first line. Also making a name for himself is goaltender Hans Wingate, as the former third overall pick looks to be one of the top goalies for seasons to come. As Wranglers GM Austin Gow put it, “WinGod + BallGod = Unstoppable.” Calgary certainly hopes this will be the case, but will face stiff opposition to even make the Finals from their rivals the Quebec City Meute.

[eaglesfan036 4,604]

Quebec Talks the Talk, But Can They Walk the Walk?

 

If you’ve been following the game threads lately, it would be impossible not to notice the recent spark in activity, as many threads are reaching multiple pages with ease. In fact, Game 28 between Calgary and Quebec became the popular VHL hangout for the night, as it reached a total of 8 pages. If you take a look at the other active game threads, you will notice a familiar pattern; Quebec does a lot of trash talking.

 

Here are some examples of Quebec’s rabble rousing:

“I just don't get how one of the most random rosters beats a better team” – DT to Calgary

“It's like a VHLM team randomly beating a VHL team. You guys are like the MapleLeafs roster. How do you randomly win? That roster is a complete joke.” – DT to Calgary

“Wingate isn't even good enough to hold my jock strap” – DT

“Yeah like that's possible” – DT after loss to Cologne

“Are you all high?” – Kesler

“Ohhh, STZ that post you made in the locker room the last time we beat them. Ya you were right LMAO.” – Kesler

 

While trash talk often has a negative connotation, Quebec’s trash talk may not actually be a bad thing. It has provided the league with a lot of free entertainment, as those not involved in the trash talk can sit back and watch the fun, or even come in with their own fun gifs such as Phil. Also, DT lead the trash talking charge with Seattle last season, and the trash talking wound up with the Bears winning against what seemed to be much better teams on paper. Perhaps the trash talking works with some form of intimidation.

 

Quebec currently sits in second place in the North American Conference at 28 points, which is one point back from their rivals in the Calgary Wranglers. With their talent and spot in the standings, it is clear that Quebec will make the playoffs, most likely in either first or second place. This will definitely lead to some more trash talking, as the playoffs raise the stakes tremendously. If a Quebec-Calgary game thread doesn’t reach 10 pages in the playoffs many will consider it a disappointment.

Quebec has backed up some of their trash talk this season, as they do have a lot of stats to be impressed by. For example, the Meute have the most goals scored so far with 73 goals, and the best point differential in the North American Conference at 21. The team also boasts a lot of starpower, as Jake Wylde and Aksel Thomassen are both high tpe players who have 30 points so far in 18 games this season. This star power should carry load come playoff time, but a little trash talk along the way probably won’t hurt Quebec’s cause.

[Will 4,662]

Trade Deadline Incoming

 

As Season 44 motors onward, it was announced by Jardy, the resident drunk and occasional simmer, that the Season 44 Trade Deadline will take place on July 31, and 10:00PM EST. The conversion to Da Trifecta Standard Time is still being worked out, and will be announced when it is possible. The deadline has taken much criticism in recent years to the lack of exciting trades or, when exciting trades do happen, they are usually posted in advance with a note that it's a deadline deal. It's difficult to garner any true excitement for a sim league deadline because nobody trusts each other to be on at the last second to post these trades. Further, most of the big deals that do take place can be predicted from basically the beginning of the season. 

 

This season, however, there actually was a deal between Toronto and Stockholm that nobody really knew the specifics of - but those were of course leaked and the deal is now common knowledge. We can also see that the HC Davos Dynamo are saving some cap space for some kind of late-season deal, most likely with the rebuilding Seattle Bears for either Brady Stropko or James Faraday. Beyond that, this deadline looks to be another mediocre one.

 

Luckily for us, trades aren't the sole source of entertainment around the deadline. It is the optimal time for players to recreate, as it provides the maximum possible length of career and therefore the maximum possible TPE earning potential. Being the best time to recreate, this also means it's a common time to retire a player.

 

This season, any and all Season 37 players will have reached the mandatory retirement age at the end of the season, and it's safe to assume that at least some of them will be announcing their retirement and recreating at the deadline. Plus some younger players who will likely decide to call it quits. Anyways, whether your talking about the egotistical hot-shot Tom Slaughter, the ever loyal Travis Boychuk, or the town bicycle Azmet Ali, all these names have been around the VHL for what will be coming up on eight whole seasons and seeing them leave will obviously be unfortunate. However, with departure comes arrival and it will of course be nice to see some fresh faces enter the VHL, even if behind that face is a familiar name.

 

To summarize, don't get hung up on the lack of trades at the deadline. I've thought about allowing teams to settle their trades privately with the Commissioner's Office beforehand and then have the blue team post them at the deadline, but when the majority of such deals can be predicted so easily, I'm not sure there is a point. Instead, be happy that the first Season 46 draftees are coming along.