VSN Mock Draft: S70

[Gustav 6,428]

Hello everyone! You all know who I am (or, rather, most of you know who I am at least), so although a brief introduction is in order, I'll keep it to a VSN introduction rather than an autobiography. Recently, I've had the privilege of joining the VSN staff as a sort of long-term-projects guy, pretty much writing whatever I want, whenever I want, so long as it's quite the undertaking. You certainly won't see me putting out VSN content every week, and not every article I write will be a VSN article, but just know that I am here and (somewhat) dedicated to bringing top-quality content to the masses. That's more than enough about me, though. Right now it's all about the draft, and with all the hype, what's better than another mock? 

 

You'll notice that this mock follows the same format as the big mock drafts you've seen in previous seasons--first, in S68, run by @McWolf, and second, last season, run by yours truly. Each player's placement was predicted by four people in this case--not just myself but @Doomsday, @Erik Summers, and our editor-in-chief, @FrostBeard. Overall order was determined by ranking the placement of the averages. At a certain point (read: when all these trades were only about halfway through), the teams were locked in, as everything was simply happening too quickly to adjust everything and make changes to every pick that had been traded. TPE numbers, too, are as of a couple days ago, and though they're generally accurate they may not be completely so. So, if your team is shown here picking in a spot where they shouldn't be picking, feel free to yell at me about it, but please understand that we didn't have much choice.

 

Onto the mock!

 

 

ROUND 1

 

 #1. Calgary Wranglers 

Edwin THE Reincarnacion | @Tagger | D | Saskatoon Wild | TPE: 351

Frostbeard: 1 | Gustav: 1 | Doomsday: 1 | Erik: 1

Calgary's plans for the Season 70 draft were hardly a secret: get Bek and Tagger. Or was it Tagger and Bek? Either way, thanks to the lottery awarding them the top two picks of the draft, it really doesn't matter as the Wranglers will be adding the new players from both builders. Edwin THE Reincarnacion gets the nod for first overall due to coming into the draft with over 350 TPE, which will easily slide him into Calgary's defensive core as their fifth defenseman. He'll immediately become a Top Four quality defenseman right off the bat with his elite work ethic, which was on full display during the Saskatoon Wild's thorough whipping of the VHLM this past season, in which the 50 year-old racked up 122 points and another 24 in the playoffs. Calgary is walking away with an absolute stud on and off the ice in Edwin THE Reincarnacion.

-Doomsday

 

 

 #2: Calgary Wranglers (from Davos via Vancouver) 

Mikko Lahtinen | @Beketov | C | Saskatoon Wild | TPE: 343

Frostbeard: 2 | Gustav: 2 | Doomsday: 2 | Erik: 2

It's really a no-brainer what Calgary should do with the first two picks in the draft, and whether it's Encarnacion and Lahtinen or vice versa doesn't really matter. The Wranglers know exactly what they're getting here, and it's hard to imagine that any team wouldn't--our commissioner has been an active member of this league since its inception on July something-or-other, 2007, and regardless of his Hall-of-Fame luck, whoring TPE for 69 68 whole seasons (of course, I can't write about Bek without also annoying him about the whole S1 debacle) is very significant, and certainly doesn't suggest that things will change anytime soon. So, whether it's first or second, Lahtinen to Calgary.

-Gustav

 

 

 #3: DC Dragons 

Odin Omdahl | @zepheter | D | Mexico City Kings | TPE: 302

Frostbeard: 3 | Gustav: 4 | Doomsday: 4 | Erik: 3

The only non-Calgary pick in the top four, DC has a lot of solid options. After picking forwards almost exclusively in the S69 draft, I expect that they will favor defensive prospects in this draft. Among the top defenseman last season in the VHLM was Odin Omdahl. With 48 goals, 68 assists, and 102 shots blocked, Omdahl made a difference every time he was on the ice. He was 10th overall in scoring and 4th among defenseman. Odin seams to be developing into an power play specialist, with the second most power play goals in the VHLM last season with 28. Also of note, Omdahl was tied for first among defenseman in game winning goals, making it clear that he can turn it on when it matters.

-Erik

 

 

 #4: Calgary Wranglers (from Prague) 

Jacques Lafontaine | @SlapshotDragon| G | Saskatoon Wild | TPE: 258

Frostbeard: 4 | Gustav: 4 | Doomsday: 3 | Erik: 6

The best goaltender in the draft, a goaltender that just won Founder's cup, what is there not to like?  Lafontaine was a true backbone to what we saw in Saskatoon's incredible playoff run. An active member of our community, weekly 12 TPE guaranteed, probably even more. This is a guy you really want to replace your goal-tending core that you just traded away. Calgary is going to be rebuilding and for that, they will be in need of some talented players to help them grow and become something more than just a bottom-feeding, hopeful playoff team.

-FrostBeard

 

 

 #5. Davos HC Dynamo (from Toronto) 

Chad Magnum | @Corco | C | Yukon Rush | TPE: 210

Frostbeard: 5 | Gustav: 5 | Doomsday: 5 | Erik: 5

The Davos HC Dynamo come into the draft holding several first round picks, but despite a rough season, they don't get their first selection until now. For a team in need of considerable help, VSN is projecting them to select a player that scored 25 points in 67 games between Mexico City and Yukon last season in the VHLM. While that is a surprisingly low total, Chad Magnum did score 12 goals on just 51 shots. With advanced statistics being all the rage, perhaps General Manager Katie Warren envisions Magnum becoming the VHL's next elite sniper. But regardless of what you feel about his lack of statistical production in the minors, the fact remains that Chad Magnum is a talented player that absolutely is worth the top five pick being used here to take him. With a strong off-season, he will be in Davos making his mark this year instead of returning to the VHLM. 

-Doomsday

 

 

 #6: New York Americans 

Iangenere Risteneen | @Maasa | LW | Ottawa Lynx | TPE: 201

Frostbeard: 6 | Gustav: 6 | Doomsday: 6 | Erik: 4

Risteneen is the first great first-gen player in the draft class (unless you'd like to count Omdahl, whose agent had a previous player, albeit with limited success), and sees himself breaking well into the first round after being drafted into the VHLM with 32 TPE. New York's alternative at this position, Lewis Dawson, has similar TPE and, as a recreate, much more experience--but with recreation comes carryover, and with that comes the fact that Risteneen has a higher earn rate and is on pace to pass Dawson, possibly for good. Drafting first-gens is always much riskier than taking the safe road with a proven vet, but here Maasa's active Discord presence, earn rate, and great enthusiasm in general make the decision for the Americans, who pick up a player with loads of potential and a great future.

-Gustav

 

 

 #7: Malmo Nighthawks 

Lewis Dawson | @monkeywrench15 | C | Mexico City Kings | TPE: 207

Frostbeard: 7 | Gustav: 7 | Doomsday: 7 | Erik: 7

The VSN prediction committee was unanimous on this one. Malmo will be looking to refill their prospect pool soon, as they are quickly running out of potential players in their farm system. Lewis Dawson is an excellent candidate for this, as he had an excellent finish to his S69 season in Mexico City. Dawson will need to spend another season in the VHLM to develop, but he is a steal for a team like Malmo who doesn't need the help immediately. They say not to trust someone with two first names, but I think that must also go for the numbers of someone with two last names. Lewis Dawson had 30 points this season, but his stats don't tell the whole story. Dawson might be the most improved player of S69 in the VHLM, highlighted by the amazing shorthanded goal he scored late in the season.

-Erik

 

 

 #8: Helsinki Titans  

Jaxx Hextall | @ROOKIE745 | G | Halifax 21st | TPE: 184

Frostbeard: 8 | Gustav: 8 | Doomsday: 10 | Erik: 10

An important piece on Halifax roster, another goaltender in our top 10. In this case, this is a pick of plain need. Helsinki are very well aware that their star goaltender in Alexander Pepper is not going to be there for much longer so they need to find a quality replacement and why not go for a guy who has been an active member of community from his day one and who is as active as you can be in terms of claiming TPE and building his player to the standard you would want your future Number 1 goaltender be.

-FrostBeard

 

 

 #9: HC Davos Dynamo (from Moscow) 

Kyle Andersen | @Cusemode | D | Philadelphia Reapers | TPE: 170

Frostbeard: 11 | Gustav: 10 | Doomsday: 8 | Erik: 8

In a draft class that's thin on defensemen, it's difficult to say what exactly will happen with Andersen. Will someone reach for him out of positional need, or will BPA-type strategy take over and lead to a more realistic placement? To put it short and sweet: Andersen is the last defenseman for quite a while, and though he's (usually) more of a welfare guy, he regularly completes extra tasks and earns a solid 8 TPE or so per week. For a rebuilding (?) team like Davos, this is just fine--not only do they capitalize on the best defenseman on the board by far, they end up with a player who will be in his prime right along with Glade, making the future look bright for the Davos blueline.

-Gustav

 

 

 #10. Toronto Legion (from Vancouver) 

Jared Spaz | @Spaz | RW | Yukon Rush | TPE:158

Frostbeard: 9 | Gustav: 11 | Doomsday: 9 | Erik: 13

 

With GM changes in Toronto, you can finally see a true rebuild happening . With so many acquired draft picks and more, the team is looking solid and will be a contender once their draftees from next few seasons will be ready to tear up the league. One of these very well might be Jared Spaz. Even though his stats are not really showing much in terms of on-ice production, we are looking at a guy who is a hard worker, who constantly gains at least 12 TPE weekly and is growing rapidly for a first-gen player.

-FrostBeard

 

 

 #11: Helsinki Titans (from Riga)  

Damien Wolfe | @Laflamme | LW | Philadelphia Reapers | TPE: 161

Frostbeard: 10 | Gustav: 9 | Doomsday: 17 | Erik: 9

Well then, a player who just recently got traded away from Saskatoon Wild, a team that won the Founder's cup, to Philadelphia Reapers. A welfare player that many might think is not worth such a high pick, but I beg to differ as he has proven himself to be a proficient scorer and a true playoff contender. All what his new GM has to do is inspire Wolfe to spend more time in practice facility and get extra few TPE weekly as that will make this pick extremely reasonable.

-FrostBeard

 

 

 #12: H.C. Davos Dynamo 

Shawn Glade Jr. | @ShawnGlade | D | Ottawa Lynx | TPE: 245

Frostbeard: 12 | Gustav: 12 | Doomsday: 12 | Erik: 12

The first of the GM plays to be subject to the new rules, the VSN prediction committee unanimously agreed that Shawn Glade would be using Davos' first round pick on Shawn Glade Jr. The Dynamo have been in dire need of reinforcements for some time and it looks like they finally have some coming. Shawn Glade Jr. was the second highest scoring defenseman in the VHLM this season, with 38 goals, 91 assists, and 145 shots blocked. He is also the highest scoring player available in the S70 draft, despite playing with much less support on the Lynx than many other available players. The Drafting of Shawn Glade Jr. might finally signal a change in the fate of HC Davos. 

-Erik

 

 

ROUND 2

 

 

 #13: H.C. Davos Dynamo 

Gabriel Gutzwiler | @DaftRaincloud | LW | Halifax 21st | TPE: 150

Frostbeard: 14 | Gustav: 15 | Doomsday: 11 | Erik: 11

This first pick of the second round and the first of the Gutzwiler brothers. With the best defenseman locked down with the 12th pick, expect Davos to be in search of some offensive prospects as well. Gabriel Gutzwiler managed just over a point per game with 73 points in S69 and an impressive 13.25% shooting percentage. The Gutzwiler brothers will likely stay in the VHLM another season. Not only will it benefit them to develop a little longer, but the 21st may make a deep cup run this coming season, giving Gabriel some much needed big-game experience.

-Erik

 

 

 #14: DC Dragons 

Derek Eriksson | @DirtyDerek | RW | Philadelphia Reapers | TPE: 150

Frostbeard: 15 | Gustav: 14 | Doomsday: 13 | Erik: 14

If Eriksson is on the board at 14 (and only one of our pundits believes that he won't be), I can practically guarantee that he'll be heading to the Dragons. Why is that? Well, first of all, he's a good pickup at this point, consistently earning 6-8 capped per week and looking like a solid future option for any team willing to take a chance. And, second of all, it's hard to name a player in this draft more closely connected with DC management than Eriksson--originally joining the league discord for a gaming hangout with a few friends, one of which is Dragons GM Enorama. Today, he's seen not only there but on our forum as well, where he likely figures to be available when (guess who) DC is up on the clock.

-Gustav

 

 

 #15. Moscow Menace (from Prague) 

Justin Graves | @JDGraves | RW | Mississauga Hounds | TPE: 137

Frostbeard: 13 | Gustav: 13 | Doomsday: 15 | Erik: 16

Early in the second round, the Moscow Menace are finally on the clock for the first time. The impact prospects are off the board, but there is still plenty of value to be had with this class. Justin Graves is a young winger who had limited playing time in the VHLM with Mississauga, but quickly emerged as a selfless, pass-first type of player. While he will more than likely require another season in the minors before he’s ready for the pros, Graves still is a perfect fit for a Moscow team with two aging wingers in Jorgon Weyed and Dan Bailie. He will be able to take that extra season to develop without hurting the Menace one bit, and when Weyed retires following Season 70, Graves will be ready to go to take his place on the roster. Regardless of who selects him, Justin Graves will be a very nice pickup at this point of the draft for any team.

-Doomsday

 

 

 #16: New York Americans 

Leon Gutzwiler | @Gwdjohnson | C | Halifax 21st | TPE: 139

Frostbeard: 19 | Gustav: 18 | Doomsday: 14 | Erik: 15

The second Gutzwiler brother is expected to go just slightly later in the draft than Gabriel. The New York Americans have a lot of good prospects in the works and Leon Gutzwiler should keep the pipes stocked with new, high-quality recruits. Leon actually outscored his brother in S69 with 81 points in the regular season and another 13 in the playoffs. This is pair is going to be dominant in the VHLM this year and hopefully, with the extra experience, they will be ready to make a big splash in the VHL in S71.

-Erik

 

 

 #17: Helsinki Titans (from Toronto)  

Dick Cheezy | @goldenglutes | C | Mississauga Hounds | TPE: 128

Frostbeard: 17 | Gustav: 16 | Doomsday: 16 | Erik: 17

Dick Cheezy is an interesting choice as he has been a welfare taker for all his career and now it almost seems he will out on some extra TPE as he hasn't updated this week yet. For Helsinki this is a huge bet in the dark - will this player turn out to be anything valuable or he will end up being a bit of a bust.  He spent his last season on Mississauga and had a decent season statistically, nothing to write home about but a strong showing by a rookie in VHLM.

-FrostBeard

 

 

 #18. New York Americans 

Aleelee Kiak | @Grant | RW | Houston Bulls | TPE: 121

Frostbeard: 18 | Gustav: 20 | Doomsday: 18 | Erik: 18

After spending his season with the Houston Bulls, in which he put up 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists, -26), Aleelee Kiak is a guy that is, fair to say, rather under the radar. He is a skilled scorer, but unfortunately that ability is held back by his skating, which quite simply isn’t good enough for this level yet. His work ethic leaves something to be desired, but Kiak is still improving on a consistent basis and that alone will get him drafted into the VHL as a solid flyer. The New York Americans are a team that has considerable depth at forward, which is something that Kiak could fit into nicely if he makes the jump to the VHL. If he finds his way onto a team with a general manager that believes in him and can motivate him to work harder, Aleelee Kiak has the potential to develop into a very dangerous role player.

-Doomsday

 

 #19: Seattle Bears (from Malmo) 

Alex Bridges | @Alex Bridge | C | San Diego Marlins | TPE: 97

Frostbeard: 16 | Gustav: 17 | Doomsday: 20 | Erik: 24

Bridges is a diamond in the rough, and if he's available here, Seattle picks up the best prospect of the late second round. Joining the league later on in the season, Bridges is one of very few left at this point who has recently maxed out, earning 12 capped last week and doing graphics--not welfare!--for the last two. Take this, along with the fact that he was recently named AGM of the Marlins after making what must have been quite the first impression, and you've got a bright spot in a thin draft class that teams will be willing to reach for, first-gen riskiness aside. Look for Bridges to be picked ahead of a few with higher TPE, and look for him to prove his worth to the defending champions.

-Gustav

 

 

 #20: Helsinki Titans  

Ike Bennett | @Caboose30 | LW | San Diego Marlins | TPE: 87

Frostbeard: 20 | Gustav: 19 | Doomsday: 21 | Erik: 19

One of the most intriguing young player coming into their 2nd VHLM season probably has to be Ike Bennett who was brilliant and yet unpolished player for San Diego last players and at the end of the season. 10 TPE a week and who knows, this guy might actually be a steal this late in the draft. For Helsinki, they need new blood and many of their current players will be retiring and leaving Helsinki soon.  With 17 points in 27 games played last season, we might see a huge resurgence in production for this young man. 

-FrostBeard

 

 

 #21: Moscow Menace

Jimothy Frost | @Frostbite | C | Mississauga Hounds | TPE: 130

Frostbeard: 23 | Gustav: 24 | Doomsday: 19 | Erik: 21

Moscow should be a force to be reckoned with in S70, and getting sleeper picks like Jimothy Frost is only going to keep them competitive for even longer. Frost developed slower than expected in his first season in the VHLM, but he received some very valuable experience with the Mississauga Hounds deep playoff run. Jimothy didn't quite reach a point per game with only 56, but that may have been due to a lack of shooting opportunities. He regularly capitalized on his shots with an 18% shooting percentage and he often came in clutch with 7 game winners.

-Erik

 

 #22. Vancouver Wolves 

Vladimir Shaposhnikov | @ng1291 | RW | San Diego Marlins | TPE: 71

Frostbeard: 21 | Gustav: 21 | Doomsday: 22 | Erik: N/A

A Russian in Vancouver? Absolutely, according to VSN, which would be quite the move from his current home in San Diego with the Marlins. Vladimir Shaposhnikov didn’t exactly set the VHLM on fire with his statistical output (9 goals, 14 assists, -11) or his work ethic (77 TPE at the time of print), but for a late second round pick in this draft, Shaposhnikov can give you something rather unexpected: consistency. He may not be maximizing his practice hours, but he is consistently improving at a steady rate and taking advantage of some opportunities along the way. That being said, this is still a flier pick all the way. It may be quite some time before he could crack any VHL roster, but at this point of the draft, you’re looking for a prospect that has the potential to potentially blossom into something useful, and that’s exactly what you’re going to get with Vladimir Shaposhnikov.

-Doomsday

 

 

 #23. Toronto Legion (from Riga) 

JaredN | @jared | C | San Diego Marlins | TPE: 74

Frostbeard: 22 | Gustav: 22 | Doomsday: 23 | Erik: N/A

It’s late in the secound round and the Toronto Legion are looking for a diamond in the rough. Suddenly, they stumble across a prospect in JaredN who earned 10 TPE last week, including making a graphic! Jackpot! Well, there’s a reason that JaredN is still here, and that’s the weeks before that in which he only got 2 TPE a week. He also brought in less than full marks on a career point task, bringing home a 2 on his Junior Review. On the bright side, at least he has shown he can at least be capable of doing those point tasks. JaredN is also a very raw prospect and will likely be spending at least two more seasons in the VHLM at his current pace. He could be a diamond in the rough, but it’s going to take a lot of work to smooth this one out. 

-Doomsday

 

 

 #24: Calgary Wranglers (from Seattle via Helsinki) 

Aleksandra Olsen | @GlowyGoat | D | Mississauga Hounds | TPE: 96

Frostbeard: 24 | Gustav: 23 | Doomsday: N/R | Erik: 22

It's safe to say that Olsen's position in the draft will certainly be called into question, no matter where it ends up being--on one hand, she's the last active blueliner in the class, and positional need and general value placed on defense this season may cause a GM or two to reach up the board and see what they can do to develop her into a solid VHL player. On the other hand, though, Olsen's earning has been somewhat inconsistent as of late, and should she reach the VHL, she'll be the first of GlowyGoat's three players to do so. Our predictions may be just about right here, but they also may be dead wrong.

-Gustav

 

 

HONORABLE MENTIONS

 

 

Rede Kachur | @Reverb | RW | Philadelphia Reapers | TPE: 74

Frostbeard: N/A | Gustav: N/A | Doomsday: N/A | Erik: 20

Kachur is an interesting selection made by one of our guys, but it could simply be that he knows something that I don't. Originally signed by my team, the Hounds, he showed high activity levels at first and then simply disappeared, having not been seen on the forum since late October. Though Reverb only joined in early October, though, he's an alt account of Kachur, an early member of the league (since, I believe S4) who found his way back recently under the Reverb name. Whether he'll come back again remains to be seen, and for now the future doesn't look bright. He could be a chance some GMs are willing to take, though, so we'll see just what happens.

 

Mikeal Cuddy | @cjc_24 | C | Saskatoon Wild | TPE: 95

Frostbeard: N/A | Gustav: N/A | Doomsday: N/A | Erik: 23

Cuddy's earning was a solid 6-10 capped each week, along with almost daily logins during the Christmas giveaway to claim each day's prizes. Though doing welfare, he was certainly a promising welfare guy--until he stopped. Last seen in late December, he hasn't claimed since. Though his disappearance is puzzling, we shouldn't dwell on the past and instead inquire about the future, where the question of whether or not he'll make a return is floating out there. Should he do so, he'll be a steal in the draft, and at least one of us believes that a team within the first two rounds is willing to take that chance.

 

Elias Ostling | @Elias Östling | LW | Yukon Rush | TPE: 57

Frostbeard: N/A | Gustav: N/A | Doomsday: 24 | Erik: N/A

Ostling's earning isn't good, but at the very least it's consistent. Joining the league as a part of this past season's infamous YouTube recruitment drive, he earned a decent amount at first but has since slowed, claiming practice facility and only practice facility for the past six weeks. Though this isn't a particularly encouraging sign, the consistency is absolutely there, and it's possible that the learning curve of the league, which in some cases is a monumental challenge, has yet to be overcome here. If his development takes a positive turn, he'll be a steal for whoever is willing to have a go at drafting him.

 

 

Get ready for the draft!

[Gustav 6,428]

I've already maxed out this week, so I'm not claiming this for anything capped.

 

I've had this doubles week sitting around forever, though, so I'll use that on this one.

[Beketov 9,029]

7 minutes ago, GustavMattias said:

of course, I can't write about Bek without also annoying him about the whole S1 debacle

[Peace 1,534]

Wouldn’t Shawn Glade Jr have to be claimed at fifth overall since it’s Davos’ highest pick or is it any pick can be used to select your own player? @Beketov @Beaviss

 

I see the potential for some serious exploration here. 

[Maasa 35]

I was aiming for top 5 but 6th is fine. Thanks for mentioning me.

[Beketov 9,029]

2 minutes ago, Peace said:

Wouldn’t Shawn Glade Jr have to be claimed at fifth overall since it’s Davos’ highest pick or is it any pick can be used to select your own player? @Beketov @Beaviss

 

I see the potential for some serious exploration here. 

Just needs to be a first round pick. Doesn’t need to be the team’s original pick and doesn’t need to be the highest pick, just a first rounder.

[Peace 1,534]

5 minutes ago, Beketov said:

Just needs to be a first round pick. Doesn’t need to be the team’s original pick and doesn’t need to be the highest pick, just a first rounder.

 

May have to be revised in the future after some testing then. Lol

[Beketov 9,029]

6 minutes ago, Peace said:

 

May have to be revised in the future after some testing then. Lol

We’ll find out. The intention wasn’t to make it incredibly difficult to get but still not completely free. If it becomes that every team is forever getting it for more or less a worthless pick then it can be revised.

[McWolf 3,115]

it's weird that Toronto has picks

[zepheter 586]

you heard it here first... I’m getting drafted by the DC Dragons

Edited January 11, 2020 by zepheter

[Esso2264 774]

@ShawnGlade are you claiming yourself

[Caboose30 152]

Actually, I'm earning 12 this week not 10

[Banackock 8,053]

53 minutes ago, zepheter said:

you heard it here first... I’m getting drafted by the DC Dragons

You heard it here first. @GustavMattias research good

Edited January 11, 2020 by Banackock

[ROOKIE745 604]

Hey great work guys!! really look forward to the draft tomorrow!! ^^

[Laflamme 376]

Called me a welfare player. I’m dead. I’ve hit 12 tpe every week except the last 2 weeks.