S68 Top 20 Rookies Draft Analysis

[PotatoKing 46]

S68 Top 20 Rookies Draft Analysis

 

As the draft closes upon us, it's time to have a second (or fiftieth) look at this years' rookie class. How will teams conduct the draft? That is still yet to be seen, but we all have had our eyes on the rookies in questions long enough to be able to make some judgement call at this point. So, without further ado, Here is a list of the Top 20 Rookies to look out for in the upcoming draft, according to our scout reports and available metrics:

 

N.B.:This list is purely tentative and is not meant to offend anyone involved -- additionally, I will not be including Jeff Tates to the list for obvious reasons.

 

1. Condor Adrienne - 432 TPE  @OrbitingDeath

Doubtless to say the Vatican native will top many lists and will most likely end up being the 1st overall selection for the draft. The sustained gap between the 6'8" defenseman and his peers attracted the attention of several GMs and scouts over the last season, placing him comfortably at the first rank in this list. Adrienne is estimated to be the most VHL-ready player in the draft class; for that reason alone he should be a prime target for any team regardless of their positional needs.

 

2. Lance Flowers - 365 TPE @CowboyinAmerica
Another defenseman likely to go among the first is the aspiring UK-born Flowers. The 244 pounds player laid down over 190 hits last season with the Yukon Rush, granting him the 8th highest total of hits in the VHLM in S67. VHL GMs can expect an impactful player with enough grit and defensive skills to make it in the VHL. It's safe to say Flowers will see his name listed among the first few when the actual draft comes around; it would be surprising otherwise.

 

3. Luciano Valentino - 297 TPE @Kekzkrieg
Perhaps the first controversial selection in the list, this hard-working defenseman went uphill last season. Despite being drafted 53rd overall in the VHLM for S67, the young Italian draftee agressively climbed up the ranks in the eyes of several scouts by staying active. What distinguishes him from his peer is the fact that he only has one season under his belt as opposed to the more common two seasons required to reach these heights in TPE. Expect Valentino to be drafted earlier than other lists you've seen.

 

4. Thorny Underyew - 313 TPE @jack
First forward to make the list is the UK native Underyew, a 6'3" center who made his marks in the VHLM by leading the entire league in goals for both the regular season and the playoffs (with 34 total points in the playoffs), leading his team, the Ottawa Lynx, to the coveted Founders' Cup last season. Though one could point to the overall strength of his team, there is no doubt Underyew has a strong build that should translate well into the VHL. His rank is also boosted by the lack of forwards in the upper echelons of the draft class this year; any team looking to specifically draft a forward need not look elsewhere.

 

5. Sigard Gunnar - 265 TPE @Big Mac
Another upstanding forward player, left wigner Sigard Gunnar is our next selection as a top rookie to look out for. The young Iceland skater netted barely over 1 PPG last season, but the reason for his early nomination is largely due to, similar to Valentino, his TPE amount resulting in one season in the VHLM as opposed to two. This signifies that although Gunnar might not be ready to make the jump to the major league immediately, he could potentially have a higher ceiling than even some of the other players named above. GMs, take notes!

 

6. Jeff Downey - 305 TPE @JeffD
Downey has seen his share of ups and downs in the race to the top of the potential prospects list, but his tenacity and perseverance bears fruit by granting him the 6th rank of our list. The defensively-focused dimension to the Canadian defenseman's game brings his play to a higher level than most players in the VHLM currently and shows statistically in hits as well as shots blocked. It's hard to determine how early Downey will be selected, but don't expect his skills to go unnoticed. We fully expect him to fall somewhere within the top 10 choices of this year's draft.

 

7. Micha Sage - 266 TPE @AcousticKazoo
Speaking of top potential prospects, here comes Sage, a Canadian left winger with loads of potential upswing and with a marked rapid growth throughout the end of the season; can the forward expect to make it 7th in the draft to come? Time will tell, however for now we confidently attribute him the spot in light of his 94 points in S67, the result of him landing the 4th most shot in this season within the VHLM. GMs looking for an offensive canon with a high ceiling may just turn to the 19 year-old prodigy.

 

8. Teemu Lehtinen Jr.- 292 TPE @Sixersfan549
This 6'4" Finnish prospect has been generating a lot of buzz with his excellent offensive numbers so far. Scouts have highlighted his natural talent for goal scoring and outlined him as a true menace on the ice in the VHLM. It's hard to tell whether the player's capacities will carry over well into the VHL, but there is a lot of potential for growth which should excite any GM looking to add to their offensive lineup significantly. For this reason, Lehtinen makes it all the way up to 8th place in the rank.

 

9. A Red Guy - 270 TPE @.sniffuM
Many were looking forward to Fang Flashback being the upstanding goaltender of the year this draft class; however our scouts place A Red Guy higher up due to his consistently improving abilities, as well as due to his  remarkable play with the Yukon Rush last season. It is quite possible to see the Australian player be picked even earlier than 9th overall, due to the limited availability of goaltenders in the draft. Overall, A Red Guy could end up making a major impact in the VHL in the seasons to come.

 

10. Keven Foreskin - 274 TPE @Esso2264
The Brunei-born defenseman made a strong debut in the VHLM, leaving no doubt as to the success ahead in his career. With undeniable playmaking talent and an excellent total plus/minus throughout S67, Foreskin leaves little doubt he has what it takes to make it far in the VHL in the long run. The young rookie ranks 10th overall in our list, and quite rightly so. Can we hope to see him in the VHL right out the gates at the start of next season?

 

11. Owen Nolan - 262 TPE @studentized
With a gritty and effective build on hand, the 21 year-old right winger proved his worth with the Halifax 21st this season, leaving no doubt as to whether he would be selected early in the upcoming draft. Many rate him between a 1st and 2nd round selection, but we will venture here a guess that the emerging talent will break the 1st round barrier due to his shown development still being early in his career.

 

12. Wolf Stansson Jr. - 287 TPE @Cornholio
Stansson showed great promise this season by barely logging below 1 PPG from his 6'8" tall defense position. His consistent growth makes his selection a safe bet when the draft time is upon us, and any GM would do well to keep an eye out for the Iceland native to make waves sometime next season. After slotting in at 7th best defenseman in points in the VHLM, can we expect Stansson to make an impact in the VHL? Only the future will tell.

 

13. Raymond Bernard - 265 TPE @Mr_Hatter
After surpassing all expectations through the playoffs with the Ottawa Lynx, Bernard, the 20 year-old US-born goaltender, makes it to 13th in our list as the second best goaltender avaiable this draft class. And though discussions will surely abound regarding whether he or A Red Guy is the best choice in this specific position, neither players are to be overlooked. Could the similar talent levels to lead to a possible rivalry throughout their careers in the major league?

 

14. Fredrik Elmebeck - 252 TPE @Elmebeck
First Sweden player to make the list is the talented defenseman Elmebeck. With only one season (with the Houston Bulls) to his name,  the 174 pounds defenseman showcased his speed and passing abilities this season, earning him the 14th spot in this list as one of the top rookies to look for. He, without a doubt, joins some of the other larger-than-life D-men helming the top of this draft class. Elmebeck should turn out to be an early 2nd round selection.

 

15. Frans Eller - 270 TPE @Ace
Eller joined late in S66, foregoing most of the seasons back then; therefore this season was his first full one in the VHLM, and what a season it was! The 5'11" center stands atop 84 points from his offensively-minded build that capitalized on the presence of his teammates. Though it may surprise some that his name didn't appear earlier, we believe the Danish forward has nothing to be ashamed of, still landing in at a lofty 15th rank as best rookies to choose from. His longterm growth is still largely to be decided.

 

16. Willie Dredge - 224 TPE @sjs88speed
With a reasonable return on a thoughtful sniper build and a significant growth as of late, Dredge climbs his way up to the 16th rank in our list. The American winger will most likely be a 2nd round pick, but given how early in his career he still has, he could surprise more than one in the seasons to come. Keep an eye out for this up-and-coming talent.

 

17. Kaspars Claude - 215 TPE @Bruins10
Having experienced a single season within the lineup of the Minnesota Storm, the 6'3" left winger should be expecting to hear his name within the 2nd round of the VHL draft. Claude showed consistent progress throughout the year and has the potential to keep getting better as much as any other player in this list. He should be looking to beat his 41 points from last season in the VHLM skirmishes to come during the next regular season to help him climb his way to the major league.

 

18. Samuel Ross - 223 TPE @Brrbisbrr
Ranking comfortably as best 3rd goaltender of the draft class, Ross contributed (with great success) only as a backup resource to the Ottawa Lynx last season. It is possible the US-born player will be looking to play a bigger role in the VHLM next year to provide him with the experience needed to make waves in the VHL. Regardless, it is worth noting the 5'10" masked man logged a W 20 times out of 24 last season, so there definitely is some potential waiting to be polished.

 

19. Ryan Busser - 186 TPE @diacope
With 64 points over the course of 72 games, Busser has shown to be a major force amongst the San Diego Marlins. His playmaking abilities shined and largely contributed to our decision to place him at 19th in this list. Busser has a competent build on his hands that should result in repeated success next season. Look for him to make the list somewhere in the 2nd round.

 

20. Aamon Grim - 197 TPE @aCrypticPancake
Fittingly, we are ending this list with a defenseman; 220 pounds American Grim, who, after a very short season with the Mississauga Hounds, bounced back this season with almost 1 PPG. His offensive defenseman build is sure to draw the interest of at least one GM within the first 2 rounds of the draft, not only due to its effectiveness but also thanks to its steady development over the course of S67.

 

And there you have it, our list of the Top 20 Rookies to look out for in the (very soon) upcoming draft. Hopefully this list was insightful and made you look at some of these players in a newly favorable light. 

 

Now dear readers, it is your turn to speak! Ranking prospects is obviously not an exact science, so the more information the better, generally speaking. If you feel any player was direly missed, or poorly evaluated, let people know!

 

As always, thank you for reading. I hope many of you will keep an eye out for the draft.

(2092 words)
(Using PT for weeks ending at 9-08, 9-15, 9-22 & 9-29)

Edited September 8, 2019 by PotatoKing
Spelling

[Seabass 593]

I get no love lol great article though honestly. 

[PotatoKing 46]

4 minutes ago, Sebster03 said:

I get no love lol great article though honestly. 

 

The tail-end of the list could be swapped out with so many names to be honest. I planned to get all the way to 30 but it was getting too difficult to track 

[ColeMrtz 571]

The fact that Eller is malleable and already has a strong FO stat puts him higher on the list for me, especially with how deep this draft is defensively the higher end offensive talent comes at a premium. Then again I draft really weird compared to most but that's my 2 cents

[Big Mac 310]

Thanks so much for the praise

[Mr_Hatter 1,603]

Thanks for the kind words

[Kekzkrieg 160]

Thank you and awesome take!

[PotatoKing 46]

41 minutes ago, ColeMrtz21 said:

The fact that Eller is malleable and already has a strong FO stat puts him higher on the list for me, especially with how deep this draft is defensively the higher end offensive talent comes at a premium. Then again I draft really weird compared to most but that's my 2 cents

 

I agree his being a center in this draft is a large factor as to why he will most likely be selected in the first round regardless of what this list might be saying. If I was a GM with a hole down the middle I would probably looking at Eller as well, nothing weird about that!

 

Thanks for the feedback!

[AcousticKazoo 73]

Thanks for the mention! Awesome read, looking forward to the season ahead!