S68 VHL Mock Draft: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work [1/2]

[Gustav 6,469]

HELLO EVERYONE AND WELCOME to the single best, most comprehensive, most secretly-kept (unless you're @Esso2264, who I trusted with the information) mock draft of the season, posted later than we would have liked because organization is easy until you actually have to do it.

 

So here's the scoop: a while back, @McWolf messaged me and a few others about the possibility of completing a mock draft collaboratively this season. I loved the idea--of course, I've written a mock of my own that I just love to talk about, and so have these guys. For the sake of transparency, this wasn't even my idea--I'm just making the post since McWolf is out of town today. I don't care about my fake Internet points, myself, but make sure that if you do like this article, you go out and give @FrostBeard, @McWolf, and @Renomitsu a like on something they've posted, to give all concerned here the credit they deserve.

 

What you're about to see is a representation of the hypothetical picks of the very soon-to-come draft. Each of us provided a separate ranking of the picks, and our rankings were compiled, with a list being made in order of the average of each of our rankings for the player concerned. If a pick doesn't make sense, it's because of the averages, and we apologize. But, we feel that this will at least give a good general sense of what's about to happen, and, who knows, it might even kill it (feel free, too, to check out our individual rankings, to see who's got the most psychic ability).

 

So, without not a great deal of additional ado...

 

 

 

1  Condor Adrienne | D | Philadelphia Reapers | 423 TPE | @OrbitingDeath

FrostBeard 1 | GustavMattias 1 | McWolf 1 | Renomitsu 1

 

Unsurprisingly, the consensus number one pick for the S68 VHL Entry Draft is Condor Adrienne, from the @Green player agency, one of the most decorated agency in the history of the league. The alien defenseman relies on deceiving speed, solid defensive awareness and great hand-eye coordination to help make his team competitive night in, night out. He has developped into a great presence, both offensively and defensively, for the Philadelphia Reapers. He is more than ready to make the jump straight to the VHL as a rookie in S68 and he'd settle well in a depth role if he lands on a deep team, ready for a playoffs run for a year or two before becoming a star himself. Defensemen are usually not seen as difference makers as much as forwards or goaltenders, but you still usually need one or two great ones in your roster if you want to be able to compete with the best teams. A forward might help the team more next season, but our experts agree Adrienne is simply too good to pass on and he'll easily be the better player down the line, when the Nighthawks are starting to compete for a Continental Cup. - McWolf

 

2  Lance Flowers | D | Yukon Rush | 365 TPE | @CowboyinAmerica

FrostBeard 2 | GustavMattias 2 | McWolf 2 | Renomitsu 2

 

With nearly 50 TPE between him and our consensus #3 and 60 TPE over the next best defender, @CowboyinAmerica's Lance Flowers felt like a lock for the New York Americans' first pick in this draft. An excellent defender and passer in his minor league season, Flowers was 6th in assists and 11th in points among defensemen; he also sported a +30 plus-minus. He lays out hits (191 last season), is capable of getting in front of the puck on defense, and sets his forwards up to succeed, following a prototypical, tried-and-true playmaker-style defensive build instead of the scoring paradigm we've seen emerge over the last several seasons. Though not a strength of his, he converted 14.75% of his shots on offense, good for second on his team among those with more than 10 points. And while the stats are nice, various media outlets have additionally pointed out his excellent fit in NYC, as well as the fact that he's pretty agreeable to joining a rebuilding team. Even with defenseman Keven Foreskin arranged to join the Americans, they can't field more than one complete defensive pairing - and that makes Flowers a no-brainer at this selection. -Renomitsu

 

3  Thorny Underyew | C | Ottawa Lynx | 268 TPE | @jack

FrostBeard 3 | GustavMattias 3 | McWolf 3 | Renomitsu 3

 

Underyew represents our first deviation from the TPE rankings, and while Jeff Downey certainly makes for a respectable choice here, given his position at #3 in the rankings and steady earning since returning to the league, Underyew gets the call with this pick as defense isn't currently a pressing need in Seattle--GM player Ambrose Stark and S67 first-rounder Hulk Hogan make up the top pairing, while fellow S67 Kevin Low sits on the second with Charles Puidgdemont, inactive but at 475 TPE. Instead, the team picks up a center who, once he passes Shane Mars in TPE, will earn a spot on the second line by the end of the season, and figures to be a major part of the team's rebuild. -Gustav

 

 

4   Jeff Downey | D | Houston Bulls | 305 TPE | @JeffD

FrostBeard 4 | GustavMattias 4 | McWolf 5 | Renomitsu 4

 

A well-balanced defenceman that has proved himself as a quality player, a pick you can’t really go wrong with. Probably his biggest strength right now is that he has developed a physical aspect to his game that many other young defenceman don’t focus on. His VHLM season stats might not be looking so great, but considering that he spent most of the season with one of the worst VHLM teams in the league before the trade that sent him to Houston he should be looked upon with more of hopeful rather than doubtful look. In my personal opinion, Jeff Downey is having all the tools to be the best defenceman in the league and I strongly believe that he can accomplish that in Davos. Davos are having quite a stacked defensive core with players like Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen and Charlie Paddywagon but adding a young, defensively and offensively capable player that is showing promise as one of the most well balanced defencemen this draft should be truly a no-brainer pick. - FrostBeard

 

5  Teemu Lehtinen Jr. | LW | Houston Bulls | 292 TPE | @Sixersfan549

FrostBeard 5 | GustavMattias 5 | McWolf 4 | Renomitsu 5

 

Lehtinen Jr., a 21-year-old Fin, is a massively-built winger (6'4", 215 lbs.) with staying power, graceful puck control and skating, and a roaring shot  with pinpoint accuracy that arguably tops this class. He's a little more mobile than your average sniper and has good technique on the defensive ice; with S66 draftee Dimitri Volosenkov's progression slowing considerably, Lehtinen may see third-line minutes almost immediately as he takes on mentorship from older wingers like Randoms, Jorgon Weyed, and Dan Bailie. As Moscow's something of a contender, he may see many more minutes in the regular season than the playoffs - but he's excellent insurance and solid depth as he grows. His game will continue to diversify from his sniper/tranditional forward skill set, and it helps that he's backed by a well-reputed agent in @Sixersfan549. -Renomitsu

 

6  Sigard Gunnar | LW | Philadelphia Reapers | 256 TPE | @Big Mac

FrostBeard 7 | GustavMattias 6 | McWolf 6 | Renomitsu 6

 

So far, our draft has been fairly consensual, and Gunnar continues the trend at #6, going to New York. Though there are other players on the board with higher TPE (Eller with 270, Stanson at 287, etc.), Gunnar joined the league right before the VHLM draft this past season, and didn't have much time post-deadline  or in the preseason to catch up. His earning has been somewhat better than the others, and for this reason he's at #6 in our mock after New York trades up a spot in the first round. Is it the right choice? Only time will tell, but a high-quality, consistent earner isn't out of place anywhere, much less on a rebuilding team with nowhere to go but up. -Gustav

 

7  Frans Eller | C | Yukon Rush | 270 TPE | @Ace

FrostBeard 6 | GustavMattias 7 | McWolf 7 | Renomitsu 7

 

Our experts mock drafts had Frans Eller selected with the 7th overall pick, on average, meaning he would join the Calgary Wranglers as their first selection in this draft. @Ace's player is the 2nd ranked centerman in this class. The Wranglers are actually pretty deep down the middle, but if Eller agrees to play on the wing, the S67 Quarter-Finalists would get their hand on a versatile, defensively sound, shoot-first forward, which would definitely help the team with depth down on the wings. The Dane was dangerous every time he touched the puck this past season with the Rush and he's ready to bring that same level of sniping potential in the VHL starting next season. - McWolf

 

8  Wolf Stansson Jr. | D | Yukon Rush | 287 TPE | @Cornholio

FrostBeard 8 | GustavMattias 12 | McWolf 8 | Renomitsu 8

 

Remember how we said New York needs defensive depth? Even after drafting Flowers, they still need a player to fill out the second defensive pair unless Kyson Blake has a sudden resurgence. Stansson, one of relatively few players to hail from Iceland, fits the bill brilliantly. He's oriented a bit more around scoring and finesse in contrast to Flowers - while he doesn't lay out tons of hits (63 with Yukon last season), he managed more overall points (71) thanks to 19 goals - including 4 game-winners and 10 while on the power play. Admittedly, New York could certainly use a forward to start filling out their second line - hence why Gustav has center Frans Eller going at this pick instead of Stansson - but with plenty more forwards available and New York also getting #9 overall, we can interchange this second defenseman with their next pick. -Renomitsu

 

 

9  Owen Nolan | RW | Halifax 21st | 262 TPE | @studentized

FrostBeard 10 | GustavMattias 13 | McWolf 9 | Renomitsu 9

 

After being awarded defensemen Lance Flowers, Wolf Stansson Jr and left winger Sigard Gunnar with their first three selections of the first round, our panel see the New York Americans adding yet another forward with the 9th selection, @studentized's Owen Nolan. The Americans are at the very beginning of a long rebuild process, meaning they need everything. Owen Nolan is quickly developping into a sharpshooter with smooth dekes and, let's be honest, there's nothing wrong with adding another goal-scoring forward to hopefully future Cup contenders. - McWolf

 

10  Luciano Valentino | D | Halifax 21st | 248 TPE | @Kekzkrieg

FrostBeard 11 | GustavMattias 10 | McWolf 11 | Renomitsu 10

 

I've actually got a bit of a connection to Valentino--he's a defensive defenseman who hopes to model his build after Jerry Garcia. Apart from being flattered by this, I'm more than happy to write about his dedication to his build and well-thought-out (at least, in my opinion) goals for his player's future. Vancouver is a good fit for him, too--if selected by the Wolves, Valentino figures to slide into a bit of a depth role at first, and will be behind all four of Vancouver's defensemen. With that being said, though, look for him to serve as the eventual replacement for Konstantin Mulligan, as the defending champions look to keep their elite status in the future. -Gustav

 

11  Frederik Elmebeck | D | Houston Bulls | 252 TPE | @Elmebeck

FrostBeard 12 | GustavMattias 9 | McWolf 12 | Renomitsu 12

 

With our experts ranking Mr.Elmebeck at 11th position, we could be looking at an interesting choice that could be going even higher in the draft. Clearly, blue line prospects are not a rarity this draft, but taking a quality puck-moving defencemen for an expansion team might be the best possible move. It has to be said, that Mr.Elmebeck is a true offensive defenceman that can perform well in a two-way form as well. DC Dragons first pick in franchise history will be looked at and evaluated for a long time and there will be a lot of pressure on player who will be picked, that being said, Frederik Elmebeck is the person to draft as his leadership ability and locker room presence will push him to be fan favourite for all of his career. - FrostBeard

 

 

12  A Red Guy | G | Yukon Rush | 270 TPE | @.sniffuM

FrostBeard 17 | GustavMattias 8 | McWolf 14 | Renomitsu 11

 

Goalies are where mock-draft-by-consensus gets pretty tough. As you can see, none of us had Guy going 12th, although Frostbeard did have him selected by the Phantoms. Neither expansion team has anything resembling a franchise goalie (in fact, D.C. doesn't even have a goalie rostered right now), and for our purposes Prague gets the goalie chain started. @.sniffuM represents the top netminder in this draft - and with borderline-pro level hand speed, style control, and rebounding right out the gate, he'll be able to do the job for either one of D.C. or Prague. The draft will be essentially one big game of chicken - seeing who can draft the greatest number of other assets before starting a goalie chain reaction. Raymond Bernard is the pick who waits below Guy, and admittedly our pick here only has a slight edge. But with teams like Riga and Calgary hoping to draft players to sit behind their mid-career goalies, it's a bit risky for D.C. or Prague to wait until the first goalie is selected. While Fang Flashback is represented by a high-quality agent in uphillmoss, teams have to be concerned about Kyle Sabertooth's abrupt retirement. In this hypothetical, Prague gets their goalie first and sends D.C. into a panic. -Renomitsu

 

 

13  Micha Sage | LW | Ottawa Lynx | 266 TPE | @AcousticKazoo

FrostBeard 9 | GustavMattias 14 | McWolf 13 | Renomitsu 14

 

Another pick, another New York Americans pick and the rebuilding franchise is adding yet another shoot-first winger. I said it before, there's nothing wrong with adding more forwards looking to score every time they get the puck. They say defense wins championship but, let's be honest, STHS works in its own way and it's been proven time and time again that teams need offensive support from everywhere in their lineup if they hope to compete for Continental Cups. That being said, adding @AcousticKazoo's dangler to Gunnar, Nolan and S67's Boris the Forest is a good way to make sure you'll score enough to win most nights in a couple of seasons. - McWolf

 

14  Kaspars Claude | LW | Minnesota Storm | 205 TPE | @Bruins10

FrostBeard 13 | GustavMattias 15 | McWolf 10 | Renomitsu 13

 

There's a bit of volatility with Claude here, largely dependent on reputation but dependent upon merit as well. Claude's agent, Bruins10, is a veteran of the league and renowned graphics guy. He's also a former GM--he was at one point at the helm of Helsinki (I think), and with experience comes the idea that both player and manager know what they're getting. In Claude's case, the Dragons here pick up a solid earner and a great forward prospect, who isn't hard to visualize as a future star. -Gustav

 

 

15  Ryo Yamazuki II | RW | Minnesota Storm | 200 TPE | @Donno100

FrostBeard 15 | GustavMattias 16 | McWolf 15 | Renomitsu 15

 

One of the reasons why Minnesota Storm performed so well this season was because of the scoring ability of Ryo Yamazuki II. Very disciplined and defensively capable forward with a wicked shot is something that any team in VHL could be looking at. Seattle Bears are already stacked when it comes to forward prospects, but adding another one to push their prospect pool over the top might be a choice to make. We ranked Ryo Yamazuki II in the 15th position, but there is always a chance to rise up in rankings considering how strong his upside is. – FrostBeard

 

16  Raymond Bernard | G | Ottawa Lynx | 265 TPE | @Mr_Hatter

FrostBeard 18 | GustavMattias 11 | McWolf 17 | Renomitsu 17

 

Alright, I'm getting tired of analyzing New York Americans picks. Plus, none of our experts actually have @Mr_Hatter's Raymond Bernard going to the Big Apple. Pretty much everyone agreed that the first teams that should draft goaltenders are the two expansion teams, as they're not carrying any potential future starting goaltenders on their roster. I personally had Bernard going to D.C. with the very next pick, after sending A Red Guy to Prague a couple of picks earlier. That being said, it could still make sense for the Americans to pursue a future starter at the moment and Bernard could very well be their man. Their only goaltender is rookie Thorvald Gunnarsson. He was drafted a season ago but only has 42 TPE over Bernard. Both are young and look like they'll develop into starters, but having both would give the team some security, if one of them eventually stops progressing. They could split the load this season and next, and then move forward with the man they'd consider their starter when they are ready to compete. - McWolf

 

 

 

17  Ricky Johnson | D | Philadelphia Reapers | 200 TPE | @Midnite

FrostBeard 14 | GustavMattias 18 | McWolf 16 | Renomitsu 16

 

While most of our panel have Johnson going to the Dragons, there's little question that Prague would also love to have a capped defender in @Midnite waiting in the wings to join them next season. Like our second-overall pick Lance Flowers, Johnson takes the playmaking/defending approach to the VHL - and with 55 points and a +23 plus-minus, he shows a fair amount of promise. He's shown strength and skating that make him one of the better physical prospects in the draft; as the lone active defensemen for the Phantoms (since Bolt Vanderhuge won't be returning any time soon), Johnson has his work cut out for him. Prague already has a starting point for their offense in Wilcox, Draven, Pearson, and BigShotty - enough for a starting line and some chance - and Johnson will probably be waiting for his pair partner later in this draft. -Renomitsu

 

 

18  Gert B Frobe | D | San Diego Marlins | 210 TPE | @NumberJ5

FrostBeard 16 | GustavMatthias 20 | McWolf 18 | Renomitsu 19

 

The D.C. Dragons, one of two new franchises joining the VHL in S68. As it's usually the case in these situations (don't look at the Golden Knights), the expansion teams rosters have blanks all over. The team got out of the expansion draft with 2 interesting forward prospects and a bunch of aging defensemen, so it makes sense for them to add defensive prospects. Frobe would suit well behind Malenko and Jerwa on the depth chart for this season, and then take over a spot on the top line from there. Anything would help the Dragons, but I do believe they need goaltenders and defensemen more than they need forwards, and @NumberJ5's player could be their man. - McWolf

 

 

19  Aamon Grim | D | Ottawa Lynx | 197 TPE | @aCrypticPancake

FrostBeard 19 | GustavMattias 21 | McWolf 21 | Renomitsu 20

 

That's right - I'm evaluating all three of Prague's inaugural draft picks - and it's Ricky Johnson's pair partner just two picks later. Acquired in a trade from Riga, this selection is the third in a series of defenseman picks. What makes Grim particularly promising is consistency and being a 'known quantity' - @aCrypticPancake has a good reputation in other professional leagues, particularly in the SBA, that makes him a likely long-term, devoted defender. His skill set is diverse - as he's capable of passing and scoring with roughly equal proficiency - and he's capable of changing possession of the puck. He's not the most intimidating defenseman, though you might be inclined to shy away at his 6'5" stature, and and has some difficulty staying on the puck in spite of his decent skating ability. But these areas for improvement are likely to improve with time; for now, he's a raw prospect with several different possible directions: a jack of all trades, and a master of none. His GM will have a large part in how he develops. -Renomitsu

 

 

20  Finnegan MacBurn | D | Ottawa Lynx | 174 TPE | @DizzyWithLogic

FrostBeard 20 | GustavMattias 23 | McWolf 19| Renomitsu 21

 

One of the most productive pass-first defencemen in S68 draft class in Finnegan MacBurn. Even though he is not showing much of his defensive game on the stat sheet, he is capable to hold his own and might be one of the most undervalued two-way defencemen in VHLM. Moscow is very stacked when it comes to the blue line depth but adding another player could be beneficial as you can never predict how much better players will get in VHL. Moscow might be looking at a replacement for Paolo Nano who has been an important veteran piece in the Locker Room for the past 2 seasons. – FrostBeard

 

21  Seabass Perrin | D | Yukon Rush | 200 TPE | @Sebster03 

FrostBeard 23 | GustavMattias 19 | McWolf 26 | Renomitsu 18

 

Back in the good old days of S65, the Reign spent their first-round pick (one of four, actually) on a defenseman named Aron Nielsen, whose agent, @solas, is a two-time Hall of Famer in this league. While a solid choice at the time, he's since gone inactive, leaving Riga with a bit of a hole in their future plans. While Nielsen will remain on the team for now, they look to move on with this pick, drafting Perrin and hoping he'll figure into their long-term plans. Perrin may be staying down in the minors for another season, at 200 TPE exactly, and this may even be optimal for Riga as this gives them the time they need to clear space on the roster. All in all, we had our differences in the ranking, but our average fell into a nice place. -Gustav

 

22  Ryan Busser | RW | San Diego Marlins | 186 TPE | @diacope

FrostBeard 25 | GustavMattias 22 | McWolf 20 | Renomitsu 22

 

Busser could end up going a good deal earlier than 22, if GMs take note of his as-of-late rise up the draft rankings. In the past week, he's displaced five different players, and as a relatively later addition to the league, he hasn't quite reached his peak in the rankings. Here, New York gets a steal in Busser, who's staying down this season but will easily factor into the team's rebuild when he makes the journey up to the big leagues. There was a bit of a red flag with his build--until recently his defense rating was a bit low, but he's recently bumped it up and looks to continue to improve for the foreseeable future. -Gustav

 

 

23 * Fang Flashback | G | Philadelphia Reapers | 179 TPE | @uphillmoss

FrostBeard 21 | GustavMattias 24 | McWolf NR | Renomitsu 24

 

As said with a few of our other selections, goalies are always tricky in a mock-draft-by-consensus (note the asterisk). Technically this pick belongs to Seattle - but our panel had him going to Riga or Vancouver. At this point, there's relatively little that Vancouver actually needs - but with Kingfisher retiring soon, Pouta and Chyrnoble as fodder in exchange for a S68 1st rounder, and Flashback staying down in the minors after claiming his achievement tracker, he can be some nice insurance or a great trade piece should either of D.C.'s or Prague's goalie draftees not work out. On the other hand, if he goes to Riga as predicted by Frostbeard, he could end up a long-term project/reliable backup as Kriketers begins to age. There's marginal uncertainty about Flashback because of @uphillmoss's sudden retirement of Sabertooth, but since he's involved with VSN and a relatively vocal member of the community, we're giving him the benefit of the doubt. -Renomitsu

 

 

24  Willie Dredge | RW | Yukon Rush | 224 TPE | @sjs88speed

FrostBeard 24 | GustavMattias 26 | McWolf 22 | Renomitsu 23

 

Vancouver is a team that already has one of the most well built prospect pools adding a player that could be considered a true “glass cannon” should be a bet they take. Willie Dredge is a player with an unchallenged ability to shoot the push. He has the necessary skill to be a true Power-play specialist for any team in VHL considering his ability to move the puck and skate on the same level as many VHL players already. The only question is will his defensive game game grow or we will be using the term “glass cannon” for the rest of his career? - FrostBeard

 

 

25  Mac Hooper | RW | Minnesota Storm | 165 TPE | @MacH

FrostBeard 26 | GustavMattias 29 | McWolf 23 | Renomitsu 25

 

In most of our drafts to this point, D.C. has their goalie and a couple of defenders. The next natural step would be to give Aaltonen and Gles some young forwards to mentor - and Mac Hooper will be one of them, in time. He's very raw - and likely will spend time in the minors next season - and has a relatively diverse skill set. He fits broadly into the category of winger, with passable scoring, defending, and passing, with the ability to get to loose pucks and quality skating speed. His ice time with the Storm was limited, and Hooper came up effectively as an unknown quantity, as @MacH isn't a particularly well-known agency (yet).  -Renomitsu

 

26  Jaxon Walker | RW | Minnesota Storm | 161 TPE | @hewasajazzman

FrostBeard 22 | GustavMattias 31 | McWolf 24 | Renomitsu 30

After using their three first selection to address their most urgent needs (goaltending and defense), the Prague Phantoms could use their latter picks to add forward projects. @hewasajazzman's player, Jaxon Walker, is a great defensive forward with a knack for shooting the puck, who could developp into a solid 2nd liner if he continues to grow at his current rate. I originally had him going to Vancouver with the 24th selection, but at this point in the draft, players are not ready to make the jump straight to the VHL and everyone comes with an added level of risk. Walker would fit well in Vancouver, but he'd also fit well in Prague's depth chart. - McWolf

 

27  Jeff Tates | RW | Saskatoon Wild | 184 TPE | @PotatoKing

FrostBeard 28 | GustavMattias 27 | McWolf 27 | Renomitsu 27

 

New York picks up another steal with this pick, and in retrospect Tates could be going a good deal higher than 27, if you ask me. This past week, he's surpassed four players in the rankings, and he's looking like a player any GM would be happy to hit after the first round. As of late, Tates has been a scout's dream, but the question that must be asked is--is this too much of a scout's dream to escape the attention of, well, most other scouts? PotatoKing has been reasonably active around the league--he's popped into my press conference thread lately--and has likely drawn the attention of anyone who's cared enough to pay it. So, for now, Tates at 27, but don't be surprised if he's up the actual board a bit more than that. -Gustav

 

28  Chad Gilbert | C | San Diego Marlins | 192 TPE | @Fire_In_Babylon

FrostBeard 27 | GustavMattias 28 | McWolf 30 | Renomitsu 26

 

Gilbert has a higher TPE than those around him, for sure, but drops down the board due to a bit of a lower earn rate in recent weeks. Davos is here more than happy to pick him up, though--he fits well into the future plans of the team at center, established last season with the selection of Dan Gles and subsequently erased this season with the disappearance of Gles in expansion. While Gilbert will likely take a season to see himself rise to the ranks of the men (and women) in purple, look for that time to be spent on preparation and development, for a better entrance. -Gustav

 

29  Liam Rooney | RW | Mississauga Hounds | 149 TPE | @elrune1988

FrostBeard 29 | GustavMattias 32| McWolf 25 | Renomitsu 28

 

Liam Rooney is an interesting pass-first centre with a well developed defensive ability at a very young age. Considering that  Seattle Bears are not very stacked right now on future Centres, adding a young and promising player could be a way to go for a team that at the 3rd Overall pick could be looking at picking up Thorny Underyew. It is never clear if players who are not yet even close to VHL Ready will make it and be successful but you have to gamble and hope that players like Liam Rooney are committed and are the future of VHL. – FrostBeard

 

30  Balentine Kidd | C | Mississauga Hounds | 145 TPE | @TukTukTheGreat

FrostBeard 30 | GustavMattias 30 | McWolf 29 | Renomitsu 29

 

Oh, look, I get to write about one of my players. I signed Kidd the day before the trade deadline, and he's earned at an impressive rate since, making his 145 TPE at the moment more than meets the eye. He's been actively involved in the site and in our locker room since the start, and if you ask me he's just as much a steal as anyone else you'll encounter in this mock. Though Davos picked up Gilbert earlier in the round, picking up Kidd is not necessarily harmful in terms of satisfying the team's needs--with both Kidd and Gilbert staying down in the minors for another season, Davos can take that time to evaluate their progress and decide which center they'd like to keep in the future. -Gustav

 

 

31 * Samuel Ross | G |  | 223 TPE | @Brrbisbrr

FrostBeard 35 | GustavMattias 17 | McWolf 35 | Renomitsu 35

 

Ross is another pick that depends greatly on how the rest of the draft plays out. Gustav has Ross going to Prague relatively early - not surprising, provided his recent excellent growth - while the rest of the panel gives New York a chance to claim @Brrbisbrr's client. What may buoy Ross up in the draft as early as #17 may be his locker room presence and activity in league discussions; he's often seen in the league Discord, a quality that some GMs may look on very favorably as it's a good predictor of activity in the pros. By this point, D.C. very likely has a goalie already (so you can largely ignore the little logo above) - but New York can get a solid backup and some insurance on the off-chance Gunnarsson doesn't develop as fast as they'd like. -Renomitsu

 

 

32  Jerry Wang | RW | Halifax 21st | 137 TPE | @ColeMrtz21

FrostBeard 31 | GustavMatthias 34 | McWolf 28 | Renomitsu 31

 

A true hybrid forward with a tremendous skating ability and good shot is clearly good enough for a 32nd pick in the entry draft. Moscow adding a player like this could be another bet similar to already mentioned Vancouver who could be taking a player with a very low defensive rating. In the case of Jerry Wang, he is clearly a person to grow in your system and help him develop with players that are known for their defensive talent like Randoms and Jet Jaguar. – FrostBeard

 

 

33  Jacob Perry | RW | Mississauga Hounds | 164 TPE | @Liberty_Cabbage 

FrostBeard 32 | GustavMattias 33 | McWolf 31 | Renomitsu 32

 

While raw, Jacob Perry does have a relatively defined play style as shown in his time with the Hounds - he's a prototypical offensive defenseman with a penchant for scoring and reasonable supplemental defensive attributes. He can lay out hits, skates reasonably, and can get the puck to his teammates - but ultimately what makes @Liberty_Cabbage's client so compelling is his ability to sneak shots in from nearly mid-rink. While he's likely to spend another season in the minors - having made his first update the week of July 14th - he has shown ~10 TPE/week earning during the season. By most metrics, that'd make him something of a steal at this stage of the draft, his lower starting point notwithstanding. With triple-digit hits and shots blocked, 8 power play goals on limited ice time in the VHL is a nice mark to hit. Depending on his GM, he may want to be a bit more judicious in his hits (122 PIMs, 186 hits last season) - but some may just want to steer into the curve. In this case, New York gets another promising winger who will have time to grow as their S66/S67 players swing into their prime. -Renomitsu

 

 

34  Tony Bolonee | D | Yukon Rush | 161 TPE | @Tbeez99

FrostBeard 36 | GustavMattias 35 | McWolf 33 | Renomitsu 33

 

This draft class is really a special draft class. There are way more top end defensemen when compared with forwards, but teams are usually not looking forward to have more than one star defenseman. That means that some great defensive prospects are probably going to be sleeped on while lesser forwards are selected before them. It's the case for @Tbeez99's Tony Bolonee, whose 161 TPE is borderline ridiculous for a late 3rd round pick. He's already on the right track to become a massive steal, just needs to keep on developping throughout his career. - McWolf

 

 

35  Killy Foilen | RW | Minnesota Storm | 137 TPE | @Aye my name jeff

FrostBeard 33 | GustavMattias 37 | McWolf 32 | Renomitsu 36

 

In Killy Foilen, New York rolls the dice on @Aye my name jeff's agency, who has a strong reputation for being outspoken and excellent activity in the Simulation Basketball Association. The Aussie winger made his debut with the start of Season 67, just like Jacob Perry, but Foilen goes down the less-traveled path of playmaking, finesse-style forward with flexibility enough to play center (65 FO). With a couple of former centers having gone inactive, Foilen provides a safe option at multiple forward positions and perhaps an occasional welfare claim. But because he's a ways under the minors TPE cap at the moment, New York can leave him on a smaller contract with the option to re-up him should his weekly earnings return. With a whopping tenth pick in this draft, the Americans have somewhat slim pickings; at this stage, it's low risk with a chance for reward if they can lure Foilen back into the fold. -Renomitsu

 

 

36  Bud Knight | RW | Philadelphia Reapers | 163 TPE | @Dilly Dilly

FrostBeard 34 | GustavMatthias 36 | McWolf 34 | Renomitsu 34

 

Late third round is always a bit of a tough situation to be in. The aptly-named Knight and agent @Dilly Dilly has had pretty spotty activity as of recent, while prospects like Alyksander Hunter (not mentioned in this mock) are more active but have a but just happen to fall in a defense top-heavy draft. It's difficult to predict how, exactly, Knight will compare, but this pick will inevitably have some time to sit in the minors while Vancouver evaluates if he'll stick around. -Renomitsu

 

 

37  Jason Connors | LW | San Diego Marlins | 117 TPE | @Klrpizza

FrostBeard 38 | GustavMattias - | McWolf 36 | Renomitsu –

 

Jason Connors is surely an odd draft pick to choose considering his very limited growth this season, but because he has been consistent and had a very physical first season we could be looking at a player who in a season or two might be a very valuable power forward for DC Dragons. His biggest strength probably is his ability to work wonders on the defensive end, but for that to be effective in VHL Jason should work on his skating ability and puck handling. - FrostBeard

 

 

38  Alyksandr Hunter | D | San Diego Marlins | 171 TPE | @Jaku

FrostBeard 37 | GustavMattias 38 | McWolf 37 | Renomitsu 38

 

One last pick for this mock draft and, once again, we see a defenseman going to an expansion team to give them some sort of depth. I originally had D.C. grabbing @Jaku's Alyksander Hunter with the 37th selection, but he could very well end up with Prague at pick #38. Both teams will need to get a good number of defensemen and hope that at least one of them grows into a nice future piece for them. - McWolf

 

 

 

HM Andrej Petrovic | D | Yukon Rush | 166 TPE | @Tyler

FrostBeard 37 | GustavMattias NR | McWolf 38 | Renomitsu 37

 

Andrej Petrovic is currently a solid VHLM defenseman, but the impressive number of defensemen available in this year's draft and the slow development of the blueliner from @Tyler's player agency makes him drop out of the first three rounds of the S68 VHL Entry Draft. - McWolf

 

HM Bruce Grimaldi | G | San Diego Mariners | 176 TPE | @Psyduck77

FrostBeard NR | GustavMattias 25 | McWolf NR | Renomitsu NR

 

Every season, members doing mock drafts stumble on the same issue: How many goalies will be drafted and where are they going? The victim this season is @Psyduck77's Bruce Grimaldi, whose 17 TPE should see him go easily in the first three rounds, but the fact that there are three goaltenders above him in the draft board and that there are really only 3 or 4 teams that might need a goaltender in the near future make it so he falls off our collaborative mock. - McWolf

 

 

 

Word counts:

FrostBeard: 1,082

Gustav: 1,770

McWolf: 1,421

Renomitsu: 2,077

Total: 6,350

[Big Mac 310]

1st and nice words as always 

[NotAVHLM-GM 1,858]

I think the 1st pick might be too obvious

[Kekzkrieg 160]

Thank you for the mention and great take!

[DizzyWithLogic 43]

I love the collaborative format even if the receiving teams don't always make sense. I also like that y'all were able to go deeper than most mocks but as you pointed out getting this a bit sooner would have been closer to ideal.

Also thanks for the MacBurn love y'all.

[ColeMrtz 574]

Damn, what an article

[PotatoKing 46]

Very interesting read. I like the collaborative aspect to this mock draft, it gives it a sense of balance. Good job!

[Bruins10 128]

Love the mention man. I was also a VHLM commish btw

[Mr_Hatter 1,608]

Wonderful article! Good luck all

[STZ 5,389]

Wow @Big Mac projected at 6 and @Bushito stole him at 20?

 

great write up guys

[McWolf 3,116]

thanks for putting it up, @GustavMattias and thanks @FrostBeard and @Renomitsu for your participation in my little idea

 

It's all love, guys

 

---

 

Claiming my 1k words on week ending on Sept 08 and Sept 15

Edited September 9, 2019 by McWolf

[Elmebeck 378]

Clever.

 

[Gustav 6,469]

1 hour ago, Elmebeck said:

Clever.

 

I'm proud of myself for nailing you and A Red Guy (not respectively) back-to-back.

[FrostBeard 2,061]

Happy to be a part of this Mock draft! Huge thanks to @McWolf for inviting me and thanks to @Renomitsu and @GustavMattias for being super amazing colleagues!

[Gustav 6,469]

With the permission of Bek, I'll be claiming my portion of this article in October because I've already got three weeks left of claiming for something I wrote last week. 

[Gustav 6,469]

On 9/9/2019 at 11:03 AM, GustavMattias said:

With the permission of Bek, I'll be claiming my portion of this article in October because I've already got three weeks left of claiming for something I wrote last week. 

Claiming for the week ending 10/6.

[Gustav 6,469]

Claiming week 2 of 3

[Gustav 6,469]

Dis bitch empty.

Claiming for the third, and final, time.

[Renomitsu 934]

Review

I don't know why you let this Renomitsu scrub into the committee @GustavMattias. Regardless, I felt this article had a great template/format to work from (found it pretty easy to work with from my standpoint), and clearly a lot of thought was put into each selection. One of the unfortunate complications of an averaged selection is that tricky positions like goalie always get put into weird spots numerically, which is pretty hard to avoid overall unless you fix specific selection numbers or teams to be goalies.

 

Without including my own writing, this is overall well-done!

[Gustav 6,469]

11 minutes ago, Renomitsu said:

Without including my own writing,

 

11 minutes ago, Renomitsu said:

this is overall well-done!

Pick one

[Renomitsu 934]

3 minutes ago, GustavMattias said:

 

Pick one

OBJECTIVITY GUSTAV

 

IT'S IMPORTANT