KRICE'S S71 VHLM TOP 5 DRAFT RANKINGS

[Ricer13 2,592]

KRICE'S S71 VHLM DRAFT RANKINS: TOP 5

 

    Hello everyone, welcome to my top 5 draft rankings for the upcoming VHLM draft. I am going to rank my top five prospects and give a breakdown of each player and why I feel they deserve to be in that position. This is only my opinion and in no way shape or form does that make it right but I appreciate you taking the time to read it anyways. So with my first pick in the upcoming draft I would choose....

 

#1 - @Zyrok - 180 TPE

 

      Zyrok I have slotted in the number 1 position in this draft. The reason being is because he is a defenseman. Everyone is in dire need for a top defenseman and with the abundance of wingers in this league, I think the need for defenseman give Zyrok12 the edge. Zyrok has 180 TPE which isn't to far off the number one ranked Proto who currently sits at 195 TPE. He is a smooth skating offensive defenseman who split the last season between the Yukon Rush and Ottawa Lynx where he went to the Founder Cup finals where he ended up losing to the Minnesota Storm. When given top line minutes in the Yukon Zyrok was producing points at an alarming rate being that he was given top pairing minutes. When he made the move over to Ottawa he played less minutes and that's where we saw his point production drop off. Whomever takes Zyrok in this upcoming draft is going to be happy they did because this number 1 defenseman is going to be lighting up the scoreboard in season 71.

 

#2 - @Proto - 190 TPE

 

      Second on my list is Proto. Proto is coming off of a championship winning season with the Minnesota Storm. He was picked up as a waiver signing and contributed significantly as a supporting role player on a deep Minnesota team. This goal scoring winger is going to be getting a promotion this season as he will surely be playing top line minutes and ripping up this league before making the jump to the VHL. Proto had a modest 38 points in 66 regular season games but where he shined the most was in the post season. He racked up 18 points in 14 games during their championship run. I am sure the trait of stepping up when the games count the most is one that will get any GM excited to pick this player.

 

#3 - @McWolf - 170 TPE

 

      Third on my list is center SS Hornet. Centres are a vital piece of any team and SS Hornet has to be the best one available in this draft. He came into the league as a waiver signing late into the season but came in and dominated for Houston. He played 22 games and in those 22 games he scored 22 points including 6 goals. He made is impact right away for the Houston Bulls but when the playoffs came around he fizzled out a bit only scoring 3 points during their 8 games. Houston wasn't as deep as some of the other top VHLM teams so I wouldn't let SS Hornets stats in the playoffs scare you from taking a chance on this future elite centre. He is sure to step into the lineup next season and be the number 1 guy for the team that drafts him. 

 

#4 - @Pengu - 167 TPE

 

      Next on my list I have another centreman. Pengu centered the top line on the Halifax 21sts for the majority of the season. The 21sts were not a competitor this season but that gave ample opportunity for Pengu to rack up the points. In his first season as a waiver signing Pengu scored 62 points in 54 games played. He only scored 10 goals in that time but his 154 shots shows encouraging signs that his goal total will improve as long as he keeps shooting the puck. Another positive for the team who takes Pengu is that he is apparently a great locker room presence. If Halifax had the opportunity to move up and draft him I know they would in a heart beat as he left quite the impression on the team. 

 

# 5 - @Zetterberg - 149 TPE

 

     This last pick to round out the top 5 was a tough one for me to make. The reason I went with Ray Sheilds is because there is an abundance of wingers in this draft and in this league. Ray plays center and in my opinion you can not have to many of those. Ray played 57 games last season between Yukon and Houston. He went from playing first lines minutes and racking up points in the Yukon to playing a more shutdown role in Houston and his point totals reflect that. He had only 26 points those 57 games but was a +12 showing off the defensive side of his game. The team that drafts Ray will be getting a two way center that will contribute on both ends of the ice and can slot in on any teams top line for the next season or two. 

 

Honorable Mentions

 

      I wanted to take a second to mention others who could have easily slotted into the top 5. Robin Winter @Sonnet is an excellent goal scoring winger who I feel deserves a little spotlight. The only knock I have is that there is an abundance of wingers otherwise Robin is going to be an elite winger in the near future. Another player I wanted to mention is winger Valtteri Vaakanainen @Jubo07 and defenseman Randy Marsh @oilmandan who are going to be studs in the near future as well. 

      

       Well that wraps up my S71 VHLM Top Five Draft Rankings. I hope this gave you some insight on each player and why I think they deserve to be in the top 5. Again this is my opinion and I welcome you to comment below telling me who you think your top 5 would be! Thanks for tuning in!

 

 

 

WORD COUNT: 1000 WORDS

[Ricer13 2,592]

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[Pengu 87]

Thanks for the kind words!

[Ricer13 2,592]

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[Renomitsu 930]

Review

I always give love to the writers that are brave enough to pen an article about "top" picks in this day and age - especially if they don't religiously follow an absolute TPE listing. It's also tougher to judge VHLM talent because they'll likely only be in the M for another season at most, so "value" of picks is a little distorted.

Anyways, a couple of small things. In your Zyrok entry:

Quote

Everyone is in dire need of a top defenseman and... I think the need for defensemen gives Zyrok12 the edge

the main thing here is that your "I think the need for xyz" refers to a plural, so making sure your noun agrees with that is important; in this case, your verb "give(s)" refers to "the need," which is singular. Otherwise your article has small typos that a few more seconds of proofreading will get rid of.

 

I enjoyed the selections and your justifications for them! In particular, it's interesting how you noted the importance of position (e.g. need for defenders for Zyrok) and last season's stats. I would consider formatting the player name next to the username in each of your selections.

[VinCal 112]

Nice

[VinCal 112]

Good Stuff