S65 VHL Draft Rankings, Week Four: Initial Mock Draft

[McWolf 3,116]

Rank	Change	Player Name	TPE	Team	Nat.	Member
1		C - Carles Puigdemont	281	OTT	ESP	Eudaldkp
2		D - Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen	217	OTT	USA	Fire Hakstol
3		D - Dallas Jones	197	OTT	USA	Trifecta
4		G - Joe Nixon	184	LVA	USA	Bonzaijoe
5		C - Gritty	174	OTT	USA	eaglesfan036
6		C - Roll Fizzlebeef	162	OTT	CAN	TacticalHammer
7	Up 4	D - Bald Guy	160	HFX	JPN	Galdoblame
8	Down 1	D - Brady Stropko Jr	154	OTT	CAN	Bushito
9	Down 1	D - Elasmobranch Fish	149	HFX	ESP	Sharkstrong
10		D - Mitch Matthews	148	LVA	CAN	Antone10
11	Down 2	C - Viktor Kozlov	147	HFX	RUS	Kuch9
12		RW - Jack Lynch	139	OTT	CAN	xsjack
13		RW - Matthew Kai	135	OSL	SKR	FBR
14	Up 1	C - Orion Slade	130	LVA	USA	BluObieZ
15	Down 1	D - Denver Wolfe	126	LVA	IRE	Goonie
16	Up 1	C - Anthony Matthews	122	LVA	CAN	Anthony Matthews
17	Down 1	G - Justin Cole	120	SSK	USA	WhiteMocha
18	Up 1	G - Chase	118	HFX	CAN	Chase Klein
19	Down 1	LW - Matteo	102	HFX	USA	tunedtorock
20		C - Dorian Mason	92	OSL	USA	Tim
21		RW - Dick Rash	89	HFX	USA	nick_716
22		RW - Don Draper	84	OTT	CAN	Infernal
23		C - Teagan Glover	82	HFX	USA	Bucky___lastard
24		LW - Nico Sulerzyski	79	LVA	USA	Brolaski
25	Up 1	D - Fylo Gibbles	79	LVA	USA	SpartanGibbles
26	Down 1	LW - Willy memelander	76	LVA	SWE	jacobaa19
27		D - Benson Van Roosen	66	YUK	CAN	Benson
28		RW - Brian Strong	65	SSK	USA	Wheaties
29		C - David Harrison	62	OSL	USA	Lightningyamasha
30		LW - Austen Fourier	60	LVA	FRA	speck1447
31		LW - Milan Griffin	57	SSK	ROM	Sogarn
32		G - Pekka Pouta	53	YUK	FIN	Snussu
33		LW - Magnus Pederson	50	OSL	NOR	Bandit
34		D - Jad Clapperton	47	HFX	JAM	Jad
35		RW - Michael McConway	46	OSL	USA	Sixersfan549
36		D - Hadrian Melborn	44		USA	Bear
37		D - Robert Burns	42		USA	OneBuffalo1230
38		D - Derek Bohne	42	LVA	GER	wuma
39		C - Josh Wilson	42	HFX	CAN	jDubzzz
40		C - Scead Simmons	42		SWE	Scead Simmons
41		LW - Kaz Uzu	36		CAN	Kazuzu
42		G - Evgeny Rapinsky	36		RUS	Bonaventure
43		C - Stray	34	YUK	CAN	Stray Games
44		LW - Billy Kimber	34	HFX	CAN	Dingle
45		D - Brett Ewing	32	SSK	GER	kegoo11
46		RW - Callum MacElroy	32		UK	GlowyGoat
47		LW - Colum ODowd	32		IRE	sour_chin_music

 

 

It is time for another list by yours truly. This week, we'll try and predict where everyone ends in the draft. It will be rough, as we don't even know the actual order of the draft, since the season is yet to be done, and the lottery is still in a pretty long time. Still, it should be fun to write about what every team could be targeting and where every player could end up in this first inaccurate mock draft. For the sake of it, the order of the draft will be a reversed standings, and we'll pretend Moscow drafts 6th. They will be awarded somewhere between 4th and 9th, so we'll put them near the middle. This means the order would be Davos, New York, Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver, Moscow, Helsinki, Seattle, Riga for the 2 rounds of this mock. So, without further ado, let's get into it.

 

*Disclaimer: I don't know how everyone feels about everyone. This draft has more recreates than the other one I covered, so there might be some selections here that make sense on paper, but that have actually 0 chance to happen based on 2 players not liking each other too much. Sorry, if that happens. You can laugh about it in the comments, that'll teach me about your relationships with everyone.

 

 

1.  HC Davos Dynamo selects Carles Puigdemont - C, 281 TPE

 

I wasn't around for that long, so I can't really speak about drafts before S63, but I think Puigdemont set himself apart from the competition in the same way Kastelic did in S63 and Sullivan Jr. did in S64. There are only two players in this draft class who are over, Werbenjagermanjensen at 217 and the Spanish center at an astounding 281. @Eudaldkp also just took over Oslo, which should help guarantee his activity for a while. I could talk about how this is the pick Shawn (or any other GM, really, Puigdemont is a keeper) needs to make here if he has the #1 pick, but I'll keep it simple and just say that, even though the draft might be in like 3 weeks or so, this pick is already 100% sure to me. Puigdemont goes first, whoever has the first pick, and he'll be an offensive force for years to come.

 

 

2.  New York Americans select Brady Stropko Jr - D, 154 TPE

 

If we are being completely honest, with McWolf, Sullivan and Parker in the roster next season, the New York Americans probably need more forwards than defensemen, but I can't come around to put any forward ahead of the available defensemen. Werbenjagermanjensen is the best available player, but I think Spade goes with Stropko Jr, here. Everyone knows @Bushito is a great member of this community. He's been for a long time and he's amazing at collecting that TPE. Recently retired Norris Stopko is the leader in all-time TPE with 1623 (now tied with Quik's Mats Johnsson, actually. But Bushito should take back the lead in a couple of seasons with Jasper Canmore). Stropko Jr will probably end up as the best defenseman in this class, adding to the already pretty solid defensive core of the Americans, who'd be only a couple of strong forward free agents away from being contenders. Plus, drafting Stropko Jr with the 2nd pick prevent Bushito from drafting himself, holding to his 2 players for their complete careers and building a dynasty like he did with Stopko and Canmore. He'll probably build a dynasty anyway.

 

 

3.  Calgary Wranglers select Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen - D, 217 TPE

 

I said it right up there, Bushito would probably love to pick himself and recreate the Stopko-Canmore madness with Stropko Jr-GM player yet-to-be-named. However, he'll have to turn to Werbenjagermanjensen in the situation that Stropko Jr was drafted before the Wranglers selection. Werbenjagermanjensen is a strong alternative, as he currently leads all defensemen in TPE and is essentially capping every week. @flyersfan1453 is also a veteran member who's made solid players in the past, so unless he disappears, you know what you are getting with this one. He'd join a core of welfaring or inactive defensemen, leaving him an easy way to become the leader of the Wranglers blueline in the future.

 

 

4.  Vancouver Wolves select Roll Fizzlebeef (from Toronto Legion) - C, 162 TPE

 

Beaviss finally got what he wanted; he became a good GM the league moved a team to Vancouver and, of course, it was his own Quebec City Meute that was relocated (which I'm fine with, considering the Meute is the name of a Quebec extremist group). This crop of draftees will be the first one to be officially drafted by the Vancouver Wolves. The first of many will be Roll Fizzlebeef. @TacticalHammer is a simleague vet and he can count on welfare from affiliate leagues to safely develop. He might seem like a bit of a reach with this pick, considering I'm skipping Gritty (who I don't consider as safe a pick as Fizzlebeef) and players from other positions but, if we look at the draftboard, there are not a lot of elite forwards in this class, so it might be an idea to load up on them early.

 

 

5.  Vancouver Wolves select Bald Guy - D, 160 TPE

 

The Wolves actually have a second pick in a row (if things go my way) and with it, they select Bald Guy, an actual sumo wrestler on skates. @Galdoblame is fairly new in the sim league scene, but he got used to it pretty quickly and he doesn't seem like he's going to stop anytime soon. Plus, this might be an unknown fact, but the guy is a STHS wizard. He knows about the most efficient way to build his player and it showed, as Guy is almost going point-per-game over the course of the season, despite joining after it actually started. The fact that he's capping most weeks helps with that too. In fact, Guy went from a waiver pickup one week into the season to now the 7th spot in the rankings.

 

 

6. Moscow Menace selects Elasmobranch Fish - D, 149 TPE

 

Let's be absolutely honest, no one know what the Menace will need when the drafts unrolls. It will depend on the result of the expansion draft (which just now makes me realize I'll need to wait for the expansion draft to release my final mock draft, fuck me.) In that regards, I'm simply putting the best player available here. Elasmobranch Fish was a waiver pickup this season and he's been as solid on the ice as @Sharkstrong has been a fun locker room presence. Just as it was the case with Fizzlebeef, Fish got extra points for claiming affiliate welfare weekly, as it's a safe way to gather strong TPE without needing too much time. He still takes the time to get close to the TPE cap weekly, though.

 

 

7.  Vancouver Wolves select Mitch Matthews (from Helsinki Titans) - D, 148 TPE

 

Quebec/Vancouver mainly needs help on defense. They're losing both Colton Rayne and Casey Jones this offseason, as they are both hanging the skates, meaning Samuel Gate and Bald Guy (supposedly drafted earlier) are now the only active member on their blueline. Beaviss continues to draft defensemen, as he brings first-generation player Mitch Matthews aboard. @Antone10 has been steady since joining, claiming between 6 and 8 TPE every week and never missing a single week. He's not going to become a future elite defenseman, but if he can keep on his activity, he'll line up perfectly behind the two other defensemen named right above.

 

 

8.  HC Davos Dynamo selects Dallas Jones (from Seattle Bears) - D, 197 TPE

 

Dallas Jones is the player with the third most TPE right now, but I see him slipping down to the 8th pick. Maybe farther. Maybe not either. You gotta understand that @Trifecta comes with some level of risk. I put 3 straight first-generation defensemen above him, who all come with some sort of risk too. At some point, you gotta ask yourself which is most likely to happen. Is Galdoblame, Antone10 or Sharkstrong going to desert the league in a couple of seasons? Maybe. One thing about Trifecta is he won't desert for an extended period of time. He might however retire Dallas Jones (please don't though) and recreate after some brief inactivity. I joined before S62 and I have yet to see Trifecta reach the VHL. Hopefully this is the good one and Davos gets a steal with this 8th pick, as I know they're looking for defensemen in this draft (good thing there are a lot of them).

 

 

9.  Riga Reign selects Matthew Kai - RW, 135 TPE

 

Riga won last season and they're looking like the favourites to win again this season. They don't have a lot of place in the roster, but they might be facing some cap issues soon. Still, their roster and prospect pool are both stupidly deep, so I see the team just getting a solid future player here. Matthew Kai is nothing fancy. He looked like he was barely active at the start of the season but, since then, @FBR started gathering more and more TPE, accepted a job a Oslo's AGM, looked for other ways to get involved (like simming a potential VHLM All-Star Game) and he let the world know he's team tfong, when it comes to general opinion on k-pop and Asiatic culture. Good for you.

 

 

10.  Helsinki Titans select Viktor Kozlov (from HC Davos Dynamo) - C, 147 TPE

 

The Titans are in an interesting position right now. They bought one season-worth of retiring players in Johnsson, Louth and Kane and seem like their window is closing as soon as next season. The rest of their roster is fairly young though so, if their progression goes well, the team chould be exiting rebuild mode as soon as this very offseason. For this reason, I see them simply adding to their impressive bank with players getting a lot of TPE. Viktor Kozlov might not make the team this season, but he'd join in S66, when the team's back in their true contending level. @Kuch9 has been a great member here so far, getting 8 to 12 capped TPE weekly. The only thing holding him down is really the choice of building an enforcer. It might pay off but I kind of doubt he gets look over similar players with more traditionnal builds.

 

 

11.  New York Americans select Jack Lynch - RW, 139 TPE

 

The Americans are nearing the end of the rebuilding efforts and are soon entering their Cup window. Adding Jack Lynch here means adding a forward prospect that might be able to join the team either this year or next one, though it's probably going to be next one, as @xsjack has been a steady welfare earner, getting between 6 or 8 capped TPE every week. He'd be a great depth piece in New York's quest for the Continental Cup.

 

 

12.  Helsinki Titans select Denver Wolfe (from Calgary Wranglers) - D, 126 TPE

 

Again, the Titans just pick a player that's been one of the best earners in the recent weeks. @Goonie claims between 8 and 12 capped TPE weekly, adding uncapped event TPE along the way, which helps Wolfe develop into an interesting two-way defenseman. He'll need a lot more TPE to make his build efficient though, so hopefully he keeps going.

 

 

13.  Vancouver Wolves select Gritty (from Toronto Legion) - C, 174 TPE

 

I feel bad for dropping Gritty so low. But it's basically the same story as with Jones. More TPE than a bunch of guys selected before, but @eaglesfan036's past players have been far from impressive and he tends to retire them early too. Still, I do believe he's motivated with Gritty. He already has more TPE than the amount Chat and King Gow had when they got retired (definitely separately, but maybe combined too, I'd have to check). Plus, Gritty is the VHLM's best dangler right now, as he'll try to prove to the world that, like science suggested, Puck Handling is the best attribute for offensive players.

 

 

14.  Helsinki Titans select Matteo (from Vancouver Wolves) - LW, 102 TPE

 

Another Helsinki selection? Another Helsinki selection. No need for an introduction, they want the best earners, they're getting one. Matteo has been playing great in a mid-6 role so far this season in Halifax and it's all thanks to @tunedtorock TPE earning ways, as he's quickly learning to do better graphics and really seems to enjoy doing them, claiming 6 or 8 capped TPE everyweek thanks to them. He'll be a good depth piece in S66, when Helsinki are going to be really dangerous, probably.

 

 

15. Moscow Menace selects Joe Nixon - G, 184 TPE

 

Another draft, another goalie dropping way below his actual ranking due to needs in goaltending throughout the league. One good thing about the draft this season (for goalies, mainly, but also for everyone, really) is that there's a new team in town and they got literally no players at the moment. Sure, the expansion draft will change everything before the entry draft, but still, I don't think there's a goalie that will be made available in the expansion draft that is more interesting than Joe Nixon. @Bonzaijoe, like many before him, was given the choice of changing position and swiftly turned the offer down. It might pay off for him in the end, as Nixon is the best goaltender in this draft class by a wide margin, as he's been capping every week. In the event of Moscow getting away from the expansion draft with another goaltender, I'd still see Nixon being selected around this pick by the team that lost the goalie to Moscow, but I doubt this is happening.

 

 

16.  Calgary Wranglers select Anthony Matthews (from Helsinki Titans) - C, 122 TPE

 

The Wranglers get the last 100 TPE skater with this pick. Anthony Matthews is developping as a fun puck handling playmaker, testing eaglesfan's build advice. The result has not been so good for him so far, but it can be blamed on his time on ice being limited due to the fact that Las Vegas is stacked. @Anthony Matthews has been a good member so far, but he's been fairly inconsistent with earning TPE, claiming between 4 and 10 chained TPE. Hopefully Bushito can convince him to claim closer to 10 and he'll become an important piece for the the Wranglers in the future quest for Continental Cups.

 

 

17.  HC Davos Dynamo select Dick Rash (from Seattle Bears) - RW, 89 TPE

 

The most abrasive name in this draft class finally founds himself a team as the Dynamo could pick him with the 17th pick. @nick_716 was steady as a swiss watch, getting exactly 8 capped TPE in every of his first 4 weeks. Since then, he dropped to 2 last week and still nothing this week. Maybe tagging him here and showing how he dropped in the draft rankings will motivate him to come back and unleash his full potential. Hopefully, it works, or else Davos is picking an inactive minor leaguer in the 2nd round and Shawn would hate me for it.

 

 

18.  Riga Reign selects Fylo Gibbles - D, 79 TPE

 

A very recent recruit, Fylo Gibbles has been drawing attention as the best player to commit to the league in the last couple of weeks. @SpartanGibbles claimed a total of 19 capped TPE over the last two weeks and already wrote his rookie profile, marking him as an early fast-riser. Joining late in the season means he still definitely has a long way ahead of him before he joins the VHL, but it's fine because Riga doesn't even have room for more players at the moment. Perfect fit.

 

Spoiler

@Fire Hakstol @Tim @TacticalHammer @Eudaldkp @eaglesfan036 @Arch Stanton @Jad @jastep @Canadian_allstar @Viperxhawks19 @dgibs @Trifecta @speck1447 @Ryan Faid @Universe @Heckefar @nathan855mckay @Blades500 @Nizzx @lepavaa @Troix @Vijay Patel @Dallaszeek @Canucks23 @tjmckenna22 @Ckbruinfan @FBR @sboopy @Hawzy @Bated @Chesterfield @Skull @Maladus42 @Ninenine222 @Paul Wilkinson @kegoo11 @Chuck @Fevan @huntax0 @Gimmix @Gablae @Bonzaijoe @IgorPetrovic @murdockdm @Palmtoptiger @Foyboydahgoat @Brolaski @Halfchubfightclub @Harold McTaggart @Everlast73 @Bucky___lastard @btrav @Felixf21 @Jimmy October @Thomas Wilson @Gabella19 @MaceDouglas @mattymoo271 @Abdul Razzaq @Slappy1039 @SkeddaniusJunior @xsjack @Kuch9 @largenarbo @Szimanski @jrdwdmn @nawkturnal @Luke Allman @Erebrew @Chase Klein @NIKEJWN @Antone10 @Infernal @Dvich86 @HasekFan94 @oldmanfreeman @Sidhu @Prabh Ria @Jeffrey Wickersty @Bear @handfullofbubba @Snussu @Anthony Matthews @Consider_Me_OP @Hippie28 @BluObieZ @WhiteMocha @Bully22 @luke5299 @Woodsworth @smammy2ck @Kazuzu @Tak @Chicken Little @Scrogs @Dominic Brassard @OneBuffalo1230 @bucktown @hum0r_ha @nick_716 @tunedtorock @THS @Bushito @Sharkstrong @Gared123456 @jDubzzz @starboi @mu19mc2 @Sixersfan549 @Stray Games @rskinner2228 @Galdoblame @lfdorais @Sogarn @Goonie @Pekka Rinne @Jakob Kelob @Papa Bless' Memes @kotkaniemiisbae @Bagels @Mise @Penner9415 @DrunnkPANDAA @Mat Reimer @ziggyziobob @jacobaa19 @Dingle @sean @Marcel @MrCringleberries @Benson @Lightningyamasha @Panther10 @Pipe663 @cynftwproductions @The-OG-Of-Rivia @Peacock @ManualSamual @Cmk_ @Bandit @Scead Simmons @Kyler Kuzar @wuma @SpartanGibbles @Snowflyer @GlowyGoat @Mrhockey26 @Connor mcdavid @Mirgri @Bonaventure @Gav56789 @tyler brown @Wheaties

 

[eaglesfan036 4,605]

Lol ok

[McWolf 3,116]

53 minutes ago, eaglesfan036 said:

Lol ok

I like Gritty though ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

[eaglesfan036 4,605]

59 minutes ago, McWolf said:

I like Gritty though ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Want to put a $5 wager on if I drop to the 2nd round?

[McWolf 3,116]

37 minutes ago, eaglesfan036 said:

Want to put a $5 wager on if I drop to the 2nd round?

Nah I'm good. And in all honesty, I hope you don't. I just tried to factor in more than just 'how Gritty is doing rn' to rank him.

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

1 hour ago, McWolf said:

Nah I'm good. And in all honesty, I hope you don't. I just tried to factor in more than just 'how Gritty is doing rn' to rank him.

 

I think after 3, it comes down to how much you value new player/first gen hype versus old member reliability. 

 

@eaglesfan036 is the only member's player history I'm familiar with, and while you list Chat and King Gow, he's also had RGIII and Gownecny, so it's not like he hasn't had a history of successful players.

 

Either way, I think it's possible that he falls more than I personally think he should, but I would be very surprised if he drops to 13.

[McWolf 3,116]

2 hours ago, flyersfan1453 said:

 

I think after 3, it comes down to how much you value new player/first gen hype versus old member reliability. 

 

@eaglesfan036 is the only member's player history I'm familiar with, and while you list Chat and King Gow, he's also had RGIII and Gownecny, so it's not like he hasn't had a history of successful players.

 

Either way, I think it's possible that he falls more than I personally think he should, but I would be very surprised if he drops to 13.

I know he had great players in the past but the new gen of GMs will probably know him more for the two I named. Like you said, it's a matter of if the GMs would rather take a risk on a veteran member with a mixed history or on a first-gen with a lack history.

 

Looking back, putting Gritty in the mid 2nd was maybe a bit harsh. 

Edited February 2, 2019 by McWolf

[McWolf 3,116]

So, I was right?

[eaglesfan036 4,605]

On 3/12/2019 at 4:14 PM, McWolf said:

So, I was right?

nope, your draft prediction was still way off