Jonathan Hill off to a Blistering Start

[Thranduil 293]

Of all the VHLM emergences we have seen this year, perhaps one of the most surprising is that of recently signed Halifax 21st rookie defenseman, Jonathan Hill, who has emerged as an elite VHLM player already. In 18 games for Halifax this season he has posted a stunning 17 points ( including 3 goals in his last 3 games), which leads all first-year defensemen. On top of those outstanding point totals, Hill also is tied for the league lead in the +/- category (With teammate Nathan MacKinnon) , with an astounding +21 rating, as well as being second in blocked shots with 41, only 3 behind fellow Halifax defenseman, Juri Rykonen. It's amazing that a newly signed defenseman, with no expectations on him whatsoever, was able to become such a dominant force, so early in the season. He has been handling most of Halifax's roles as their go-to guy, controlling, the top pair, the powerplay as well as the penalty kill and often playing over 30 minutes per game.

 

Recently, Halifax GM, @ShawnGlade made a few big trades to bring in two of the league's top defensemen (Jesse Wilson and Evgeni Komarov). As a result, Hill's minutes will most likely suffer severely, but at the same time, there will be less pressure on him to perform and he will be able to experiment with his game a lot more. If he keeps his spot on the top pair and ends up with Jesse Wilson, he will most likely end up producing at an even higher level then previously and together, him and Wilson be one of the best defensive pairs in the VHLM. Even if he keeps playing with his current partner, Juri Rykonen, on the second pairing, he will still be a part of a killer Top-4. It was a great decision by Shawn Glade to sign Hill to his team, and I think I can speak for everyone when I say I am excited to watch him play for Halifax, as he continues to improve his game and establish himself as a top D-man throughout his career.

Edited October 31, 2018 by Thranduil

[ShawnGlade 1,010]

Still undecided where he'll be in the lineup. Komarov and Wilson are above him in the depth chart, but I've been impressed with his play.

 

Also, Juri Rykonen was dealt to Vegas in the Komarov deal