Halifax 21st S67 VHLM Draft Review

[Thranduil 293]

Halifax 21st had a successful draft this season. The team came into the draft with no first round pick, and only 6 picks throughout all 7 rounds, but both management and players are coming away feeling immensely satisfied with the team's S67 draft class. This article will review each pick made.

 

2nd Round, 20th Overall: D - Pierre Persson, TPE: 176 @Dominus89

With their first pick in the S66 VHLM Dispersal Draft, Halifax struck it rich, while addressing their need for defense, picking up the inexplicably dropping Pierre Persson. Persson was expected to go in the mid first round, but for some reason, likely because of the amount of defenders in the draft, his stock dropped and he fell all the way to Halifax in the late 2nd round. No one foresaw Halifax picking up this stud this late, especially considering the season he had for the San Diego Marlins in S66, and the level of production and all defensive awareness he brought to them during the regular season, putting up a total of 57 points in 72 games, amazing numbers for a rookie VHLM defenseman. Pierre Persson is the complete package. He has everything you need to succeed as a VHLM blueliner. He's big and physical, while at the same time being a smooth skater, great defender, and passing machine. Persson is very well rounded and there isn't a single area he is lacking in. He is just the kind of player than the 21st need, who can play in every situation. Powerplay, penalty kill, overtime, you name it. Look for Persson to do some damage this season.

 

3rd Round, 31st Overall: D - Boheem Bismarck, TPE: 101 @Boheem

Halifax once again struck gold in the late third round, bringing back veteran force Boheem Bismarck. Bismarck appeared in 62 games for Halifax last season, and showed improvement near the end. His development seemed to have slowed down in the playoffs, but Halifax is confident that they can get him back on track. Bismarck has been seen working on his game all summer, trying to get back in shape, and it is likely that when he hits the ice for Halifax this season, he will have a breakout season. Bismarck is a bit more defensive minded than Persson, though not nearly as polished or intense. He projects as a first pairing player to start this season, but will need to develop into a more dynamic blueliner if he wants to remain there. Overall, a good pick by Halifax, most likely a steal of a pick in the end.

 

4th Round, 42nd Overall: C - Ryszard Franciszek, TPE: 75 @ItssYoBoiDaLegend

This pick was definitely a risk at the time, as there was some doubt as to whether Ryszard Franciszek, the young Russian defenseman, would be returning to the VHLM this season, or heading back to Russia. There were talks of him going back to his homeland after not having a fantastic experience in San Diego last season, where he saw limited ice time and opportunity, but after Halifax drafted him, Franciszek finally decided that he would be giving the VHLM another shot, and would do everything he could to find success, and make it count. Indeed it shows that he is eager to have a fresh start with Halifax, as earlier today, Franciszek announced he would be training as a center from here on in. This came as a surprise to many, but a pleasant one, as Halifax has been lacking a center for quite some time. With Franciszek transitioning to forward, it is likely that he will play a 2-way role in the team's top 9 this season. He is currently listed as the team's only centerman, although the signing of Anton Edvin is almost inevitable at this point. Overall, if this pick works out for Halifax, it could end up as their best pick of the entire draft.

 

5th Round, 53rd Overall: D - Luciano Valentino, TPE: 30 @Kekzkrieg

With their fifth round pick, Halifax decided to go off the board a little bit, adding a little known Mexican defenseman known as Luciano Valentino to their defensive depth charts. Valentino was the second Latino defenseman to be selected by Halifax in the S67 draft, after they took Bismarck in the third round. He looks to be a promising and gifted defenseman, that will slide into Halifax's top 4 nicely. He projects as a smart player, who cares about his own end, but does everything right. He is a smooth skater, hard shooter, and outstanding stick checker. As the season progresses, fans will be able to see where Valentino stands among their core. So far, he has shown a lot of promise. He has been spotted down at the practice facility playing with his new teammates on one occasion, and training at the gym on another. Valentino should fit in nicely with the young team from Halifax.

 

6th Round, 64th Overall: RW - Owen Nolan, TPE: 30 @studentized

In the sixth round, Halifax selected another interesting player who may have flown under the radar of many, by the name of Owen Nolan. Not a lot is known about the player, other than the fact that he is Irish. He was also the first natural forward that Halifax selected. He has shown tremendous ability to score in his junior days, and obviously caught the eye of some scouts in Halifax. Nolan appears to be a quik, strong player, who can lay the body when he needs to. He will most likely slot into Halifax's third line to start, but could be moved around the roster, depending on a lot of variables. Nolan seems like quite a personable young kid, and will do very well in a flourishing Halifax roster.

 

7th Round, 75th Overall: LW - Connor Bregham, TPE: 34 @Icedragon25

With their final pick of the S66 VHLM Dispersal Draft, the Halifax 21st selected a hardworking left winger by the name of Connor Bregham. Perhaps the most talented goalscorer in Halifax's draft class, Bregham certainly shows some promise for a 7th rounder. He plays the strong, honest, shoot-first type of game, that Halifax is typically so good at. Bringing in Breghas should add another layer of depth to an already loaded Halifax squad. As it stands, Bregham is the only player who has not met up with his new teammates yet, but he has plenty of time to do that with the long off-season ahead. He was a solid pick for the 7th round, and will provide good scoring depth for Halifax.

 

Conclusion

Halifax didn't stick to one area in the draft. Though they generally targeted defenders through the first few rounds, the picks later branched off into forwards as well. In the end, the team brought in a wide variety of players, at vastly different skill levels and abilities. Having only 6 picks in the draft, Halifax made out very well and it looks like they might just be competing yet again, for the 6th consecutive season.

 

Message from Aran Thranduil, Halifax GM

Everyone who was selected, welcome to the team! We are extremely happy to have you all play for us this season and we believe that if everyone here stays active and does their part, we have the ability to put together a 6th successful season in a row. Who knows? Maybe this will be the season we finally win the cup. If any of you have any questions or need help, I'm happy to oblige. @fonziGG and @Gaudette are here for you guys as well. Time to win the cup! Let's go prove those critics wrong!

Edited July 3, 2019 by Thranduil

[Gaudette 65]

Let's go Halifax!

[Thranduil 293]

week 2/2