A Change Is Gonna Come

[Exlaxchronicles 415]

A Change Is Gonna Come
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With the exodus of offensive defence men Keaton Louth, Adam Warlock and forwards Fook Yu and Lukas Muller it was expected that Quebec's offense would struggle even more, but that has not been the case what so ever.
If anything, the Meute's cast of players have picked it up a notch or two and have performed to the point where the team hasn't missed a beat.

The recent acquisition of Mathieu Bourdon, a highly regarded SAHD with deft puck handling and a solid first pass out of the zone has been a welcomed addition to Quebec. He excels in the defensive zone, anchoring the back end which the team sorely needs.
Bourdon will be paired with hard hitting defense man Luc - Pierre Lebrunette, another solid defensive defence man.
While Bourdon brings a little more offence behind the blue line, Lebrunette adds a more physical presence to the duo. Playing together, the two should compliment each other quite well. This writer definitely likes what he see's.

Speaking of picking it up right now, Lavar Ball clearly leads the pack in that department. His game has improved immensely since the roster changes and now that he has been given a bigger role with the team, he has taken that challenge and ran with it. I expect his progress will continue to climb. Ball should garner at least a few votes for most improved this year because he's proved he has what it takes to be a leader.
If Ball decides to pay special attention to the physical part of his game to go along with his huge frame, he could be a force to be reckoned with.
Also joining the team via trades is the young slick center Elias Sobek. He had a bit of a slow start with the team but has picked up his game and recently has become a steady contributor to the club.

Known as a player with soft hands, he also has the ability to be a future set up man with Quebec. If he continues working on the defensive aspects of his game and concentrates more on his physical play he can take his level to new heights. The potential is definitely there so keep an eye on this player.

Another player joining the fold recently is Left Winger Veran Dragomir. Right now he leads the team in goals and points with 32 and 64, and sits 16th in the scoring race.
He fits the same mold as Sobek, both being similar in size, play and skill sets.
Dragomir has pretty much been the most consistent player game in and game out, contributing on a regular basis offensively for the club.
He can soar to even greater heights if he keeps up with his training, and pays extra attention to areas where he needs work on being his physical play.
Look for Dragomir to be a steady and top contributor offensively for Quebec.

On the blue line we have Luc - Pierre Lebrunette, a steady physical presence on the back end. Due to his style of play, opposition players need to be fully aware of when skating into the defensive zone as Luc loves to play a hard nosed game.

His biggest assets are his defensive acumen and he plays a simple yet effective style, to go along with his hard hitting presence. 
Lebrunette always comes to the aid of his team mates and isn't one to back down from a challenge. 

He has to keep his game simple to be really effectuve due to the fact he can be caught flat footed, and if pressured to much too he has a tendency to cough up the puck.
If Luc can focus some of his energy in practice towards his skating and puck handling skills you can expect his game to improve all around. He is an asset on any club he plays for.

Quebec's Phil Bennington is a massive forward at 6' 5" and weighs in at 240.
He has some good solid offensive skills and has decent fore checking ability.

The knock on Bennington is his lack of work ethic on and off the ice. He has an abundance of potential but continuously fails to live up to his ability. Hopes were high for him as he was progressing steadily in the minors but his play tallied off once he turned pro. 
Although being a big physical presence on the ice, Bennington doesn't use his size nearly enough to be more effective during game play. If he could focus a lot more of his training on getting stronger, and playing a more physical game his stock would surely rise.
With that being said he is still young and maturity comes with age, so hopefully we'll see a turn around in Phil's game. If that happens...watch out VHL!

One of two remaining members of the Ottawa Lynx cup champions, David Kiaskov could be considered the spark plug of the team. He is a pesky little forward, always antagonizing the opposition and is difficult to play against. David also brings a physical presence to his play, despite his diminutive size and he is not afraid to drop the gloves if needed.

He plays an all around solid game with his grinding two way acumen, which allows him to be placed in pretty much all game situations. His face off ability and scoring touch are also added assets to the club. David could be considered the quintessential journey man utility player. 

As physical as Kiaskov is, his size can be a hindrance to how he plays the game. David is a constant target for the opposition, and ranks as one of the VHL's top players on the receiving end of hits. This can work against his favor as he has the propensity to get injured, especially as he gets progress's in age.
He needs to continuously work on his physical training so as to avoid injury.

One fault of Davids game is his consistency. He needs to work extra hard to make up for his lack of size, game in and game out. This seems to affect his ability to play a steady game during the season. Because of this, Kiaskov tends to score in bunches so one game he's dominant, and the next he disappears. That's not to say he is a liability but if he can dig deep and press on working his skills, he has the ability to add more steady play to his game.

With the up coming draft, some solid prospects in the minors and a young and enthusiastic group on Quebec, we can expect to see the Meute be competitive in the next season or two.

A change is gonna come.

Word count including these ones: 1142.
Claim for this week and next 6 + 6 TPE

Edited May 20, 2018 by Exlaxchronicles

[hedgehog337 3,483]

11 minutes ago, Exlaxchronicles said:

Mathieu Bourdon

 

his career path so far (besides Cologne):

 

Seattle->Quebec->Riga->Seattle->Quebec->...let's take bets and predict when he's gonna be traded to Riga.

[Banackock 8,143]

I think Quebec still has a ways to go on their journey through the rebuild. 

[DollarAndADream 3,357]

Meute are on the up and up! Always a fan of the Meute, it's one of the first teams I ever played for in the VHL. @Exlaxchronicles

 

Here's an old player card that still on Travis Boychuk's player page.

 

[Exlaxchronicles 415]

10 hours ago, Banackock said:

I think Quebec still has a ways to go on their journey through the rebuild. 

 

I think if Iseault and Shields keep updating, and Beave pulls in a few good draft picks coming up we' all be able to compete in two seasons.

At this point I can see Quebec fighting for the sixth spot in the standings next year with Shields and Iseault graduating.

Btw, how are my writing skills compared to my gfx? Be honest!

[Banackock 8,143]

3 minutes ago, Exlaxchronicles said:

 

I think if Iseault and Shields keep updating, and Beave pulls in a few good draft picks coming up we' all be able to compete in two seasons.

At this point I can see Quebec fighting for the sixth spot in the standings next year with Shields and Iseault graduating.

Btw, how are my writing skills compared to my gfx? Be honest!

Good, man. I'm not really one to critique as I'm not the best of writer, nor am I amazing with grammatical shit and such. Furthering, I mean, graphics - not my forte. However, while I love looking at the graphics some of these guys can do (special shout outs to @STZ @Bushito @Pandar @solas), I really enjoying seeing you write too. I love seeing peoples perspectives and feelings come to life in an article. It opens the door for conversation and activity.

 

 If we're being honest, spruce it up a bit. Format it, add pictures and make it look a little nicer and neat, imo. Other than that, man - it's solid work and I look forward to reading more. You've definitely been brought along for "quite the ride" in Quebec. Rebuilding can be tough, but stick with it, keep improving your player and much reward will come to you and the Meute.  

 

@DollarAndADream this is my first review TBH. Proud?