A Quik Blurb About the S65 VHL Entry Draft

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A Quik Blurb About the S65 VHL Entry Draft

 

As we begin S68, that means that the players from the S65 VHL Entry Draft will be halfway through their careers at the conclusion of this season. This media spot will be a quik look at how the players selected in picks 1-5 of the 1st round are currently doing.

 

1st overall - Carles Puigdemont -  ->

Leading up to the draft, Puigdemont was neck and neck with Werbenjagermanjensen for most TPE. Given that Carles had slightly more TPE and the Americans had drafted defenseman Ryan Sullivan the season before, it made sense for the Americans to select the forward Puigdemont over the defenseman Werbenjagermanjensen. However, since then, Carles' development has flatlined. Puigdemont has not trained since May of 2019, and there is no reason to suspect that that will change. At 475 TPA, Carles most likely has one season left as a solid depth player, but father time will soon sap some of Puigdemont's skill, at which point he will be nothing more than a bottom of the roster player. This off-season, Puigdemont was either traded or signed as an inactive free agent by the Seattle Bears.

 

2nd overall - Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen -

It was a no brainer for Davos to select Smitty at 2nd overall. With the second most TPE in the draft, Davos was able to select a high potential player at a time when the franchise was in need of high impact skaters. Werbenjagermanjensen has continued his strong development and now leads all S65 players in TPE (842 at the end of this week). Smitty is continuing to show that he is the real deal, and many expect him to become one of the league's top defensemen. Werbenjagermanjensen re-signed with Davos for a 1 year deal with a no trade clause.

 

3rd overall - Brady Stropko Jr -

This is going to sound extremely familiar. It was a no brainer for Calgary to select Stropko Jr. at 3rd overall. I don't recall where Brady finished in TPE at the time of the draft, but his player agent is not only well known as a top TPE earner, but also is the general manager for the Wranglers. Stropko Jr. is now 2nd in TPE for all S65 players, and 3rd place isn't anywhere close. It isn't likely that Stropko Jr. will catch Smitty in TPE, but I don't think Calgary will care. Stropko Jr is well on his way to joining Werbenjagermanjensen as one of the next top defensemen in the VHL. This off-season, Stropko Jr re-signed with Calgary on a 1 year deal.

 

4th overall - Gritty -

At fourth overall,  the Vancouver Wolves (known as the Quebec City Meute at the time of the selection) selected Gritty, a center from the USA. While Gritty may not have had the high-end potential that the higher picks had, he also had a very high floor. There was very little doubt that Gritty would become a solid VHL player - the only question was if there was a chance he could become something more than that. At 595 TPE, Gritty has proved that he is a solid player, and while the individual results have not shown themselves yet, there is still the chance that he has a mid-career emergence as a top line player. His 595 TPE is good enough for 5th most TPE in the S65 draft class. Gritty had previously signed a one year extension with the Wolves.

 

5th overall - Roll Fizzlebeef -

At fifth overall, the Calgary Wranglers selected center Roll Fizzlebeef. Fizzlebeef was a high-risk, high-reward prospect. His player agent is well known outside of the VHL, but did not have a history in the league. Fizzlebeef has rewarded Calgary be developing into a solid player. At this point, Fizzlebeef may not develop into a super star, but he is currently a solid player in this league. Similar to Gritty, it's entirely possible that Fizzlebeef has a mid-career emergence as a top player, but it may be more likely that Fizzlebeef remains as a high-end 2nd line player. Fizzlebeef's 588 TPE is good for 6th in his draft class. Fizzlebeef signed a 4 year extension with Calgary that will keep him a Wrangler until S70.