S67 Class Struggling to Find Their Way

[HenrikZoiderberg 469]

S67 Class Struggling to Find Their Way

 

Pictured: Vancouver's Michael Scott looks for an out

 

A strange phenomenon has manifested across the league. From Vancouver to Prague, players drafted in the S67 season have had their scoring dry up. In spite of advancement of skills and conditioning training, players drafted in this previously thought to be historic year are having difficulty finding the back of the net, or putting their pucks on the sticks of those who could do the same. In today's article, we'll be examining players from Vancouver and Seattle and what's changed in terms of their skillsets and deployment to bring on this rough stretch that seems to be ubiquitous through the league.

 

Michael Gary Scott

A rookie photo of @Motzaburger

 

The skilled and widely-respected Scott recently took a chance with Vancouver and re-signed a three year extension, in spite of concerns since his rookie year with his deployment and minutes on the ice. Regardless of his recent extension, it's well-known league-wide that Scott recently requested a trade out of Vancouver, and since then has been given a bit of a longer leash on the Wolves, racking up several points in his past few games while at the same time maintaining a relatively neutral goal differential. Widely known for his offence, Scott's previous deployment in a defensive role seems to be baggage that he's in the process of shrugging off. Given the Wolves' recent resurgence from mediocrity, the man known league wide as, "The Manager" will have some scoring management to maintain as the season progresses. 

ACL Tear

ACL Tear's alter-ego @Quik on draft day

It's been a long three years for ACL. Having played for three different teams over three different seasons would take its toll on any player, let alone one so young to the league. At his time in Helsinki, Tear was though to have broken out, having scored at a respectable 26-24-50 pace over the season; however, it seems that glory was not to continue for the young first-round winger. Through the first half of the season, in spite of his constant improvement, Tear has posted a single digit point total and less than a fifth of his full-season goal total from his S68 outing. Vancouver GM Beaviss has been known to make his players earn their spots in his lineup, and it seems that despite his success in Helsinki, premium minutes will not be coming any time soon. Mark this down as another player who may soon be requesting a trade out of the West Coast market into greener pastures. 

 

Henrik Zoiderberg

Don't act like you didn't know this was coming.

 

What more is there to say about Henrik Zoiderberg that hasn't been said before? After leading the S68 Bears in powerplay goals, after leading the S68 Continental Cup Victory team in playoff powerplay goals, after finishing the S68 season third on the Bears in goals total, Zoiderberg has been taken off of almost all powerplay opportunities and has been put into a fully defensive role. Some have called Banacock's move boneheaded. Some have speculated that these choices are an attempt to drive the budding winger out of Seattle and into the arms of another GM who will apprecaite his high-end talents more. Some simply think Seattle's GM has lost his mind. the only thing for sure is that Zoiderberg isn't being put into a position to score goals, and the team is paying for it. After leading the entire league in +/- through the first 14 games of the season (true fact, look it up), the defensive responsibilities are beginning to wear on Zoiderberg, who has seen little in terms of compensation or recognition for his constant efforts. The young winger has always punched above his weight, but one has to wonder if other GM's are reaching out unseen tendrils of shadow to pull him away from Seattle's blue waters.

 

Why do you think scoring from the S67 draft class has slowed down? Let me know below, as well as further topics you'd like to hear about.

 

HZ out!

 

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TPE for week ending December 1, 2019