eaglesfan036 4,605 Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Edition 34 Season 38 VHLM Draft Analysis The Season 38 VHLM Dispersal draft marks the beginning of what looks to be another exciting season. In no particular order, Yukon, Brampton, Moscow, and Turku seem like the top four cup contenders, with teams like Ottawa, Saskatoon, and Oslo posing potential threats as well. In this article, I will highlight each pick made in the first round and discuss why I believe each team’s GM made their pick. Pick #1 – Yukon Rush – Brock Waldron (G) – 137 TPE Ever since the Rush obtained the first overall pick in their blockbuster deal, it was almost certain Waldron was going to be their pick. After seeing how Kimmo Salo helped lead the Rush to a cup victory last season, Yukon hopes that Waldron can become their Salo, or even better. Waldron already showed plenty of promise with the Turku Outlaws last year, as he joined the team off waivers and developed enough during the season to help bring the team to the second round of the playoffs. As long as Waldron can continue working hard at his practice hours each week, Yukon believes Waldron can help them make another deep playoff run. Pick #2 – Brampton Blades – Tyson Stokes © – 75 TPE Stokes was a bit of a surprise pick, as his practice hours were well below some other potential draftees available at this position. However, it is easy to understand why Brampton selected Stokes when you look at his agent’s history. Fever95 has produced many quality players in the past, and the Blades were stoked that they were able to select Stokes. Stokes should provide Brampton with the playmaking center every team needs, as scouts agree he has the potential to be one of the best passers and defensive forwards in the league this season. Pick #3 – Moscow Red Wolves – Seth Rollins © – 50 TPE Rollins was the most surprising pick of the entire draft. Rollins has only amassed 50 practice hours, and his agent has not been in contact with the VHL for over a month. Maybe Moscow’s GM knows something the rest of us don’t, and plans on contacting Rollins’ agent to get him back to the practice facility. Assuming Rollins does not attend another practice in his VHLM career, he still will provide the Red Wolves with a solid scoring threat who also has some skating ability. Pick #4 – Oslo Storm – Jackson Miller (RW) – 102 TPE Many scouts consider Miller to be the steal of the draft, which is an assessment I would agree with. Miller had the talent to go first or second overall this draft, along with an agent in Beketov who has also produced quality players in the past. Many draft experts thought Oslo may trade out of this draft pick, as they on paper don’t look built to compete for a cup this season. Miller provides Oslo with an elite goal scorer and a blazing fast skater, a combination all teams would covet. In fact, if Oslo does not look like it is heading towards the playoffs at the trade deadline, they may try to sell off Miller for a king’s ransom. Pick #5 – Saskatoon Wild - Mikkel Boomgaarden (D) – 104 TPE This is another pick draft experts expected to be traded, as Saskatoon is also not in a great position to compete for a cup this year. However, Boomgaarden will certainly help Saskatoon have at a shot at being playoff contenders, as he provides the Wild with a solid defender who also has a wicked slap shot. Boomgaarden also likes to bring the boom to his opponents, as scouts believe he will become a ferocious checker this season. If Saskatoon does not look like it will be in playoff position when the trade deadline rolls around, Boomgaarden is another player teams would be heavily interested in. Pick #6 – Brampton Blades – Tyrone Williams (LW) – 88 TPE Brampton made another surprise pick with their selection of Tyrone Williams. With only 88 practice hours logged, Williams may not be the consensus top pick here, but his agent, Koradek, also has a history or producing solid players. Williams provides Brampton with a solid scoring touch and fast skating ability. However, what makes him stand out from the rest of the players in the draft is his fighting ability. While most other players spend their practice hours trying to hone their hockey ability, Williams spends a lot of his time in front of a punching bag. Pick #7 – Turku Outlaws – Koji Yamazaki (D) – 69 TPE Trade time! Turku must be very high on Yamazaki, as they gave up their future Season 40 1st round pick and Season 39 2nd round pick in order to acquire him. Yamazaki has shown a lot of potential since declaring for the VHLM draft just a few weeks ago. As of now, Yamazaki has shown scouts he has solid defensive ability, along with being a fast skater. Scouts project that if Yamazaki continues working hard at practice, he may turn into a bone-crushing hitter and develop a mean slap shot. Pick #8 – Moscow Red Wolves – Steve Tremblay (LW) – 109 TPE Moscow’s GM must have been delighted when Tremblay was still on the board with their eighth pick. It is rumored that the Red Wolves were desperately looking for a sniper who could score a lot of goals, and Tremblay certainly fits the bill as he puts much of his practice time into goal scoring. Along with a great shot, Tremblay also possesses excellent skating ability and puck handling. However, it is rumored that many scouts are not too happy with his ability in the defensive zone, which is why he was able to last until the eight pick. Pick #9 – Turku Outlaws – Milos Dennis (RW) – 40 TPE While Dennis only has 40 practice hours as of right now, his GM, Tyler has been known to produce solid players in the past. As of right now, Dennis’s best abilities are his scoring touch and skating speed. Scouts project that as Dennis develops during practice, he may develop more offensive weapons such as better puck handling and passing. With Turku’s defense shorn up in their selection of Yamakazi, Dennis should help shore things up on the offensive side of things. Pick #10 – Brampton Blades - Hunter Backenbauer (LW) – 20 TPE While Backenbauer is another player with low practice hours, the Blades believe his agent will continue to progress and help Backenbauer improve his game. As of now, Backenbauer’s only real talents are decent skating and passing abilities. However, if Backenbauer continues to progress as planned, his entire offensive game should become potent by the time the playoffs roll around. Brampton will need all three of their forwards to progress this season to make a lot of playoff noise, and if things go as planned Brampton potentially could run a first line of Backenbauer, Williams, and Stokes. Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/7962-eaglesfans-articles/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfan036 4,605 Posted May 26, 2014 Author Share Posted May 26, 2014 Edition 35: Power Ranking the Top 5 VHLM Teams Season 38 is shaping up to be an exciting season, as multiple teams have viable shots at winning the Founder’s Cup. Before I start, I would like to mention that my power rankings are ordered by what teams I believe have the best chance at the cup, rather than just their current record. 1) Yukon Rush 14-3-0 17 games into the season, the Rush have jumped out to the lead as the clear leader of the pack. While the Rush have only scored 64 goals this season, their wins have come from an outstanding 33 goals allowed. This low goal total can be attributed to Yukon’s goalie, Brock Waldron, who has a league leading 0.922% save percentage. Also helping out Yukon’s defense is their top defenseman Don Draper, whose 33 shots blocked puts him among the league leaders. Lastly, while Yukon’s offense isn’t perfect, Don Draper, Luke Riggs, and Kayl Kuzie work as great scoring threats alongside passers such as Kai Randal and Bennet Wahl. 2) Turku Outlaws 11-4-2 The Outlaws offense has been unstoppable so far this season, with 92 goals scored in only 17 games. Leading the team towards all these goals are Dexter Morgan and Dimothenis Vlasis, both of whom have an absurd 52 points on the season. On the defensive front, the Outlaws have two really good defenseman in Dimonthenis Vlasis and Koji Yamazaki. However, the Outlaws problem lies in their goaltending, as Fernando Pergher, only has 31 practice hours and does not look like he will be improving. If the Outlaws hope to win the cup this season, their offense will have to continue its scoring pace along with their top two defenders helping out their goalie as much as possible. 3) Brampton Blades 8-9-0 Heading into Season 38, most experts thought the Blades would surely be one of the top two teams in the VHLM. The Blades are loaded with talent this year, yet for some reason have not yet been able to bring things together. Brampton’s problems this season stem from their offensive woes, as they only have 52 goals scored so far this season (2nd lowest in the league). Oddly enough, the Blades top two points producers are their top defenseman, Triton Jackson and David Januzaj. However, the saving grace for the Blades anemic offense may come as their forwards such as Tyson Stokes, Tyrone Williams, and the Backenbauer brothers continue to develop. Until then, their defense and goalie Vladimir Bodnar will try to bail the Blades out. 4) Ottawa Lynx 10-6-1 With their recent surprise acquisition of Chris Raymond, the Lynx have turned into playoff contenders. Before the season started, few predicted much of the Lynx this season. However, a great draft by GM Jim Gow has put the Lynx into playoff contention. The Lynx’s core of Mike McGrattan, Chris Raymond, Andrew Erikson, Leo Tesla, and Dylan Raseri are already a solid core and have the potential to be great if they all continue to practice hard. In fact, Leo Tesla is leading the Lynx for total points with 41, followed by Andrew Erikson with 32 points. However, the Lynx are going to be plagued this season by their goaltending and defense. Goalie Adrej Hasek has the potential to be solid if he continues attending practice, but that is a big if. Also, the Lynx have nearly no defenseman to speak of. 5) Moscow Red Wolves 10-7-0 The Red Wolves have had a decent start to their season, and will only get better as some of their star players continue to improve. On offense, the Red Wolves are led by star first round pick Steve Tremblay, who has 43 points so far this season. Defensively, the reason the Red Wolves have a good shot at a cup this season is goaltender Jose Cansenco. Cansenco holds a respectable 0.872 save percentage, and will only improve as he continues to attend practice. Also helping the Red Wolves is new waiver wire addition Aksel Thommasen and D.B. Cooper. If this small core can continue to produce along with their goaolie, the Red Wolves have a good shot at the cup this season. Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/7962-eaglesfans-articles/#findComment-77497 Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfan036 4,605 Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 Edition 36 Under the Radar Players In every professional sport, the flashy superstars receive most of the media attention due either their great play or attention-seeking attitude. The VHLM is no different, as the league’s stars receive a lot of attention, though for good reason. However, there have been many players this season who have quietly went about their work and are having solid seasons. In this article, I am going to highlight players who are producing solid seasons but are not receiving much attention. Leo Tesla – Ottawa Lynx Drafted late in the second round in the Season 37 VHLM draft, Tesla was considered an afterthought in one of the deepest drafts in VHLM history. However, Tesla has been quietly improving his game throughout the past two seasons, as he has just reached 125 practice hours. Tesla’s dedication at practice is showing up in the rink, as he is posting phenomenal numbers for the Lynx with 57 goals and 53 assists so far this season. Tesla is certainly a major reason why the Lynx have best offensive output in the North American Conference. Andrew Erikson – Ottawa Lynx Erikson was another second round steal for the Lynx, as he was drafted by Ottawa with the first pick of the second round in the Season 38 VHLM draft. Erikson’s agent, eQuilibrium, has decided to return to the VHL and it looks as though he will be managing another quality player. Considering Erikson was just drafted this season, his practice hour production is phenomenal as he has accumulated over 109 practice hours. These practice hours are also showing up on the score sheet, as the pass-first player has logged 28 goals and 54 assists so far this season. Lights Bokan – Saskatoon Wild Sticking with the common theme, Bokan is another second round pick with a promising start to her career. Bokan was named Saskatoon’s captain this season, and has earned a lot of praise from her GM, “Not only has she earned the title of team captain, but she has been a persistent and diligent worker throughout. She's not a real vocal character, but she makes up for it with positivity, due diligence, effort and of course patience with our situation in Saskatoon.” While Bokan has exhibited great leadership abilities this season, she also has had a great season on the ice, logging 8 goals and 48 assists so far this season. Bennett Wahl – Yukon Rush With Brock Waldron and glory-hog Don Draper stealing most of the attention in Yukon this season, the rest of Yukon’s players have been largely overlooked. Drafted by Yukon in the second round of the Season 36 VHLM draft, Wahl is Yukon’s wily veteran who teaches the young guns and makes everyone laugh with his locker room antics. Wahl has been a solid playmaker for Yukon this season, logging 31 goals and 42 assists. He also boasts a league-leading 66.82% faceoff percentage. Jose Canseco – Moscow Red Wolves Another second round steal, Canseco is the starting goalie for Moscow and is a large part of why they have taken over first place in the European Conference. While Canseco only boasts a modest 0.878% save percentage, expect his stats to get better as the season goes on and he logs more practice hours. If Canseco continues his rate of practice hour production, he has the potential to become the second-best goalie in the VHLM as he is one of only two active goalies. Koji Yamazaki – Turku Outlaws Yamazaki was considered by some to be a surprise selection at 7th overall this season. However, Yamazaki has more than lived up to expectations, as his rapid practice hour production already has him over 133 hours logged. Considering Turku has had two outstanding stars this season in Dexter Morgan and Dimothenis Vlasis, it is easy to see how Yamazaki may be overlooked this season. However, Yamazaki has produced a team-leading 86 shots blocked this season, along with 39 goals and 78 assists. Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/7962-eaglesfans-articles/#findComment-82099 Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfan036 4,605 Posted June 23, 2014 Author Share Posted June 23, 2014 Edition 37 Appreciating VHLM Contributors While the VHLM will never be as exciting as the VHL, I would argue that the VHLM is more important. This is because every new player starts off in the VHLM, and their experience in the VHLM is the ultimate deciding factor on whether they will remain an active member in the VHL. Over the past few seasons, the league has recognized the huge importance of the VHLM and player development. In honor of our better than ever VHLM, I will be highlighting some members who go above and beyond to make the VHLM a great place for player development. Jardy and Higgins The simming has been excellent this season, as I don’t think a day of simming has been missed outside of when the website went down. Along with keeping up to date with simulating games, Jardy and Higgins have done a great job of adding waiver players to their respective VHLM rosters with speed, updating VHLM players within the sim, and keeping new lines up to date. By quickly placing players on their teams and updating their stats in the sim, players feel rewarded for their activity and are encouraged to continue. Keep up the good work Jardy and Higgins! eQuilibrium and Green Our recruitment drive has been an outstanding success, as over 10 recruits have been added for the S40 draft! These new players have filled the VHLM with activity, as each player provides teams with another piece for a playoff run. Along with recruiting new members, some old members have also returned and hopefully will stick around this time. Congratulations is in order to everyone who recruited someone this season, I just took a quick glance and it looked like eQuilibrium and Green produced a good amount of the recruits. Nice work everyone! Kendrick I consider Kendrick to be the head figure of the revamping of the VHLM, as he started a lot of conversation and debate with his topics on things such as the VHLM waiver claims and VHLM Cap Rules. Both of these topics brought up excellent points, and I would suggest to anyone who hasn’t seen those two topics to go check them out. Among Kendrick’s main points was placing waiver players on new players quickly, which is something I feel has significantly improved over the past few seasons. Kendrick is also continuing to support player development, as he and Slobo seem really committed to keeping their players active in Saskatoon. Corco Being a VHLM commissioner seems like a thankless job, as the job requires a lot of time and receives very little recognition. Corco has been pretty consistent in posting VHLM games with speed this season, which is of great importance because games generate discussion and let people see how their players fared in the game. Corco has also done a respectable job in the waiver thread, as he as kept up with it to the best of his ability while new recruits keep pouring in every day. VHLM GMs I feel as though the league has done a great job in hiring GMs who are active and promote activity. Sure, some GMs may make questionable decisions such as trading for players with 0 TPE, but activity wise I feel as though every GM is very helpful and enthusiastic with the players on their team. Compared to when I was a noob in the VHLM, I feel as though new players today have a much more rewarding experience. Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/7962-eaglesfans-articles/#findComment-86108 Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfan036 4,605 Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 Edition 38 - I forgot to post this a few days ago Founder’s Cup Matchups to Watch After an exciting Conference Finals round, the Founder’s Cup matchup many in the league hoped for has finally arrived. The league’s best offense is set to take on the league’s best defense, creating a true test of whether offense or defense wins championships. On the defensive side, we have the Yukon Rush, a team that has only allowed 148 goals in 72 games during the regular season. On the other end of the spectrum, the Turku Outlaws have scored a whopping 355 goals during the regular season’s 72 games. Because this looks to be a promising series, I will highlight some key matchups to watch heading into the Founder’s Cup (Note, I will not make a prediction on which team will win, as I don’t want to jinx anything.) Don Draper vs. Dexter Morgan It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the significance of this matchup. The Rush’s best defenseman will try to shut down Turku’s best goal scorer. Morgan had by far the most goals on Turku (106!), but he also took a ton of shots (766!). If Draper can cover Morgan like a blanket, Turku should have a hard time scoring in this series, as Morgan has taken 2 times more shots than any of his teammates. The best way Draper can stop Morgan from shooting is by keeping the puck in Turku’s zone. Draper has an excellent 76 +/- while logging tons of tough minutes, which shows he has the ability to not only shut things down on defense but keep opposing teams pinned in their end. He also has blocked over 100 shots this season, and 100 percent of the shots that miss the net don’t go in. Turku Forwards vs. Yukon Defense Three of Yukon’s top five points producers are defensemen, which is rare for most hockey teams. Yukon especially has a lethal first pairing on defense, with Don Draper (50 goals) scoring off of a lot of passes from his defensive partner, Kai Randal (86 assists). In order to stop Yukon’s defense from scoring, Turku will have to cheat a little bit towards the blue line. Helping on this front will be Kez Kincaid, who had 211 hits during the regular season and will be looking to knock over any Yukon defensemen who try to get too cute. Dexter Morgan also could help prevent Yukon defenseman from scoring; if he is always shooting the puck in Yukon’s end, the Rush’s defenseman become much more worried about playing defense. Yukon Forwards vs. Turku Defense Much like Yukon, a lot of Turku’s offensive production comes from their defense. During the regular season, Turku’s two best defenders (Vlasis and Yamakazi) combined for a total of 73 goals and 228 assists. Many of these assists have come off stretch passes coming out of their zone. If Yukon wishes to prevent Vlasis and Yamakazi from causing havoc, they must prevent these stretch passes from opening up the ice for Turku forwards. One way Yukon can stop these stretch passes is by sending Luke Riggs out to knock over Turku players, as he lead the league during the regular season with 339 hits. Bennett Wahl could also help defend against stretch passes, as he is a wily veteran who has great defensive skills for a forward. El Salvador and Lukas Nykvist vs. Thomas O’Malley The reason I picked these players has nothing to do with regular season stats. All three of the players listed were acquired on waivers (Salvador and Nykvist by Yukon, O’Malley by Turku). While none of these players put up the most impressive stats during the regular season, they have all been consistently improving their players’ practice hours. I predict that one of these three players will break out during the cup final, as their hard work in earning practice hours will finally pay off. Brock Waldron vs. Magalhães Pergher As always, goaltending will be of huge importance during the Cup finals. Past history has shown how goalies cans stand on their head and carry their team to a cup. The problem is, out of these two goalies, only Brock Waldron has the ability to carry a team. Waldron was without a doubt the best goalie in the regular season, boasting a 0.915 save percentage and a 2.03 goals against average. If Turku is going to win this series, they will need Pergher (0.874 save percentage, 3.35 goals against average) to play better than he did in the regular season, along with continuing to put up offensive numbers like their series against Moscow. Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/7962-eaglesfans-articles/#findComment-91246 Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfan036 4,605 Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 (edited) edition 40 S39 Draft Recap Many experts have called the S39 VHL the best draft ever, and the same argument can be made for the S39 VHLM draft. The Season 39 VHLM Dispersal Draft features strong top-end talent, along with one of the deepest draft classes in league history. In this article, I will highlight the first seven draft picks in the draft. Next week, I will take a look at the next 7 draft picks. Round 1 1. OTTAWA LYNX (from Bratislava): Aksel Thomassen Considering that Ottawa held the first three picks of the draft, Thomassen should feel honored that he was selected first (though Ottawa really couldn’t have gone wrong with whoever they picked first).Last season, Thomassen played in 72 games for the Red Wolves, and accumulated 21 goals, 72 assists, and 122 hits. Thomassen should provide Ottawa with an excellent playmaking center, especially considering the past success of his agent, Frank. 2. OTTAWA LYNX (from Minot): Thomas O'Malley O’Malley provides Ottawa with another player who’s agent (Green) has an excellent track record. Last season, O’Malley was a last-minute waiver wire addition for the Outlaws. In just 23 regular season games, O’Malley produced 13 goals, 17 assists, along with winning over 55% of his faceoffs. O’Malley showed off his potential as an outstanding goal scorer last season, and projects to continue his success and put up a lot of points for Ottawa. 3. OTTAWA LYNX (from Oslo): James Faraday Faraday helps to round out an excellent forward core for Ottawa, as the Lynx’s first three picks would be an excellent first line for any VHLM team. Continuing with the pattern, Faraday is another player whose agent has a track record for success, especially considering that Higgins’ last player broke the practice hours record. Last season, the Rush traded for Faraday after the Watchmen claimed him off waivers. In 45 games with Yukon last season, Faraday managed just 7 goals and 10 assists. However, last season’s poor stats do not reflect upon Faraday’s work ethic, as he has consistently been earning practice hours and should provide Ottawa with an excellent goal scorer this seasons. 4. SASKATOON WILD: Mason Richardson The Saskatoon war room must have been thrilled when they found out Mason Richardson was still available, as Richardson’s agent is the Wild’s assistant GM, Kendrick. Richardson did not play a game last season, as he declared for the draft after the playoffs had already started. However, Richardson has been working hard as he has already earned 157 practice hours, and projects to be an excellent two-way forward for Saskatoon this season. 5. SASKATOON WILD (from Bern): Gunnar Skovsgard Skovsgard was the first goalie selected in the draft, as well as the first non-forward selected in the draft. While Skovsgard’s agent (Arcehole#1) may not have the same track record as those drafted above him, I believe he will be one of the steals of the draft. Skovsgard joined the VHL too late last season to play in any games, but his strong work ethic is shown through his 73 practice hours logged already. If Skovsgard continues to produce at this rate, he has the potential to be the best goalie in the VHLM this season, something that could come in handy for Saskatoon come playoff time. 6. OTTAWA LYNX (from Brampton): Jerrick Poole Poole was the first defenseman selected in the draft, and for good reason. Poole was acquired by Ottawa on waivers last season to help with their playoff push. In 15 games, Poole netted 2 goals, 5 assists, 18 hits, and 14 shots blocked. While these may not be the most overwhelming stats, Ottawa saw Poole’s potential to be a quality number one defenseman next season, as Poole has already reached 110 practice hours. If Poole keeps up his hard work, he will be a major factor in Ottawa shutting down some of the excellent forwards in this draft. 7. OTTAWA LYNX: Soren Douffet Douffet was the second goalie selected in the draft, and for good reason. While Douffet only has 35 practice hours logged, his agent, Spangle, is a league veteran who has made some successful players in the past. Considering goalie is also arguably the most important position in hockey, this pick was a no brainer for Ottawa. One note of interest is that Douffet has excellent rebound control. Ottawa’s defense is already going to be solid this season, and if Douffett can limit the rebounds on the few shots he sees, Ottawa’s defense will shine. If Douffet continues his activity, he will be competing with Skovsgard for the title of best VHLM goaltender. Edited July 17, 2014 by eaglesfan036 Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/7962-eaglesfans-articles/#findComment-95641 Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfan036 4,605 Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 edition 41 What Does the Noob Say? Over the past few seasons, creating a supportive environment for new players has been a top priority as both the recruitment team and VHLM have been revamped to create a much more positive environment for new players. In Season 38, the recruitment team sent out surveys to new members after they had experienced the league for a few weeks. These are their stories. Question 1: Overall, have had a good experience thus far with the VHL? – 13 yes, 0 no Every single member said in the survey they have enjoyed the VHL, which is a great sign. I feel as though a great reason for that has to do with the community. Whether it’s player creation threads, helping out noobs, or just chatting with them, I feel as though the VHL does a great job with making sure its new members have a good time. Question 2: The overall layout of the site is well organized and displayed: - 10 yes, 3 no The three people who did not like the layout of the VHL website came from the SHL, so naturally they are probably just more used to how the SHL runs things. Personally, I think the site layout is solid, though it could use a few changes. I feel as though the pm box in the top of the screen should be more noticeable when you get a message, as there have been a few times I’ve sent noobs messages, but they just haven’t seen them even though they were logged in. Another thing I think we should emphasize is how to access the S39 index. I remember in my first few months of the VHL, I didn’t even know about the index, I just saw the games posted in games discussion. Question 3: Upon joining the VHL, did you find the members welcoming? – 13 yes, 0 no Every member felt welcomed to the league, and as I stated earlier I think the community has a lot to do with that. In every creation thread you see usually at least 10 people posting a welcome, along with a host of people who I am sure chat with new players and are happy to help. Question 4: Upon joining the VHL, did you find there was enough information to get you started? – 9 yes, 5 no I can understand the amount of no’s as the VHL took me a little while to understand. However, I feel as though the new player guide threads should help more of these turn into yes’s, if we start advertising it a bit more. Also, I feel as though the intro pm we have now is a little lacking in depth compared to the long version of it I put up in the new player guide. Question 5: Do you find that our point task/attribute system is a fun way to improve your player? – 12 yes, 2 no Not much to say here. We provide a good array of options with media spots, graphics, or podcasts. They are all pretty simple to figure out what to do and allow you to be creative. Question 6: Upon first signing up, the VHL forum was easy to navigate and understand? – 9 yes, 4 no This is pretty much the same as question 2. Some people said they found the forums unorganized and difficult. Question 7: It was easy to understand where to create a player? – 12 yes, 1 no It says create a player at the very top of the page and has simple directions. Very easy to find. Question 8: I feel like other VHL members were helpful to me? – 12 yes, 1 no As I touched on earlier, it seems as though a lot of people chat with and help out new members, and pretty much every member is happy to answer a question for noobs. Question 9: I am happy with how quickly my player was placed onto a VHLM team? – 10 yes, 2 no Most players are placed on their team within at least 48 hours if not sooner through the waiver wire. The only reason some people said no was because they joined during the playoffs or the offseason and had to wait a while. I feel as though it is hard for noobs that join during the offseason to really feel involved, but I’m not sure there is much we can do about it. Question 10: My VHLM General Manager was or has been helpful to me? – 8 yes, 3 no I think we’ve done a great job with bringing in GMs who have an emphasis on helping out new players, as the VHLM is much better in helping new players than when I first started. However, the 3 no’s are still troubling and I encourage all VHLM GMs to try to keep in contact with their new players as much as possible using chat, pms, and the locker room. Question 11: The games are easy to find and easy to understand? – 10 yes, 2 no I touched on this earlier. We do a good job of posting games quickly in the discussion threads once they are simmed. Question 12: The point task system is easy to understand? – 12 yes, 1 no The point tasks seem simple to me, and the numbers back it up. Question 13: The VHL was overwhelming when I first joined? – 8 yes, 5 no The VHL is a lot to process, but again, the new player guide should help out with that. Also, once placed on a team and even beforehand, VHLM GMs should be able to help out a lot with questions. I’m not sure there’s much more we can do to help with this. Question 14: I have enjoyed the VHL community so far? – 11 yes, 2 no The only no’s were because said players had not been placed on a team yet. I feel as though our community is the best part of the VHL and is absolutely great. Question 15: I see myself staying in the VHL? – 13 yes, 0 no While every person answered yes, unfortunately by my rough guess about half the accounts created leave the VHL after the first 2 weeks. I don’t think this is necessarily anything we do wrong, it’s just that sim leagues aren’t for everyone or people are busy with other stuff. Response Questions: Question 1: What do you believe are/is the strength of the VHL? The main theme from all the members’ answers is the longevity of the league, the great community, and the adult/professional members. Question 2: How can we improve the VHL? The main theme was making the site more organized so stuff is easier to find. Question 3: What could we do to keep you involved and part of the community? New members mainly said to give more jobs to new members and keep doing what we are doing. Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/7962-eaglesfans-articles/#findComment-98793 Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfan036 4,605 Posted August 2, 2014 Author Share Posted August 2, 2014 (edited) edition 42 Interviewing Fine VHLM Gentlemen This week four fine young gentlemen will be interviewed for the VHLM mag. My selection was based upon finding newer players who I felt were interesting and deserve some VHLM spotlight. Without further ado, here are their interviews. Alexander Adams 1) How did you come up with the name for your player? A play on words on my real name. Alex is my real first name but my last name translated into English has to do with 'Eve' so 'Adams' because of the Bible Story of Adam and Eve. I also like the ring of Alexander Adams. 2) The Yukon Rush have just put in a claim for you on waivers. Will you be excited to join them? I can't say I have a preferred destination but being with the defending Cup Champs would be awesome. 3) What kind of NHL player are you modeling Alexander Adams after? I am thinking two way sniper right now. A Ryan Kesler in his prime sort of player. Or Kessel or Lupul if they weren't the two worst defensive players in the league. Good God, I hate being a Leafs fan. 4) If you had to be stuck on an island with one member of the league, who would you pick? Probably my recruiter, Seventy-Four just because I know her the best. But I'm the type of guy that values tranquilly and calmness being from the most beautiful town in all of Canada (Gravenhurst), so I'd probably just 'get rid' of my friend on Day One. 5) What was your first impression of the VHL? It was very friendly and the members were very helpful even when I asked questions that were common knowledge. My friend strongly suggested both leagues (SHL and VHL) as I was a semi addict to hockey fantasy leagues and Be A Pro mode in NHL games despite how horrid EA made it, but ultimately chose the VHL because the forum design is unbelievably appealing. 6) What are your expectations for Adams this season? I just want to get a feel for the text based simulator this season and hopefully experience some success this season team wise. Now obviously, I wouldn't say no to individual awards, most namely the Top Scorer and best Two Way Forward but ultimately, I really want to get my hands on the Cup. 7) Yukon 2 gud? More of a statement than a question, but Yukon 2 GOD. MF Percy Miller 1) How do you feel about being about to wear the “A” for Moscow this season? First of all, thanks a ton for the interview. I came into the league with a rash of excitement but clearly haven't lived up to that on the ice. This season could be the culmination of all that potential coming about face in the VHLM. I've been with Moscow since an early trade in my career and they've been nothing but supportive. For me to wear the "A" this year just signifies my growth both in the league and within the organization. I'm truly honored. 2) Where did you come up with your player’s name? The name is in honor of someone who came from nothing in his life to be a pioneer in his industry. I'll leave specifics out but he's been a positive change in the lives of a lot of people in the area I grew up. The most recent name change is simply to live up to the expectations of being a "mother fucker" in the league. Hopefully that spills over to the ice sooner rather than later. 3) What are your expectations for Moscow this season? As we speak, Moscow sits atop the rankings in our respective conference but I'd be a fool if I ignored how good the four teams fighting spots are in the other conference. It's no doubt we're taking advantage of the position we're in at it may just buy us enough time to add some pieces. If not, who knows what happens in Moscow. I just want what's best for the franchise, whether it be an attempted run to the finals or a rebuild. They deserve the best. 4) The Red Wolves are currently in first place in the European Conference. Do you feel as though this is something that will continue? I do firmly believe we'd win our European Conference if we so choose to do so. However, if there isn't a feeling soon that a legit run could be made, that could change drastically. I'm hoping I stay with Moscow as long as I can but I have come to grips with the fact that this is indeed a business we're in. 5) You currently lead Moscow in points. Do you feel as though you have a shot at winning any awards this season? I'm not sure on the awards front to be honest. I'm playing the best hockey of my life for sure but that doesn't mean I compare to others. I was always taught to never compare myself to others but simply put my best foot forward and respect where I end up. If I were to stumble upon an award, it would be an absolute honor but all I expect is my best. 6) If you had to be stuck on an island with one member from Moscow, who would you pick? It would certainly be our GM. He's stood by me no matter what from day one. When everyone else was hating, he was showing me love. No doubt if we were on an island together, he'd have my back. The only issue that might come up would be his undying love for a certain track athlete. Wouldn't wanna be around him during his private recallings of her pre race warmups. 7) Yukon 2 gud? Shiiii nah, whew. I held it in all this time but bro we aint there yet. We certainly moving in the right direction but a long way from being 2 mother fuckin gud. Thanks for the interview homie but back to my bitches and blow. Lucas Nykvist 1) How did you come up with your player’s name? I loved Markus Naslund growing up so I wanted to go with a Swedish name. I was going through swedish names online and I saw Nykvist and it stuck. I found Lukas in swedish baby name site. 2) What are your feelings on being traded from Turku to Brampton? I was somewhat surprised. We had a decent start to the season and I was playing well but the GM did do is due diligence and inform of a potential trade. When the news came I was sad to go but I am very happy now to be a part of the Brampton Blades and be a contender. 3) What are your expectations for Brampton this season? I expect to fall nothing short of the finals. The championship is my goal and our goal so anything less will be a disappointment. As a team we need to play well all season and put ourselves in a spot to win the cup. 4) You are producing over a point per game so far this eason. Do you feel as though this trend will continue? I sure hope so. It’s been a great start and I see myself as a leader both on and off the ice. I want to continue to be steady and help keep the team in a good spot in the standings. 5) You have a 72% faceoff percentage. What dirty tricks are you using on faceoffs? I am a magician. I cannot share my secret. All jokes aside I think it may be somewhat the luck of the draw and I just want to do my best at being consistent in the circles. 6) If you had to be stuck on an island with one member from Brampton, who would you pick? Well it would be rude to separate the Backenbaurer brothers so I would go with Tyrone Williams. I don’t know him well yet but he seems like a cool dude and pretty down to earth. 7) Brampton 2 gud? Brampton may only be 1 gud this season but I hope to be 2 gud! If we continue this torrent pace and keep showing the synergy of our team I can guarantee we will win the championship. Gunzerker Salvador 1) Where did you come up with the idea for your player’s name? When I first joined VHL I was in the middle of a playthrough of Borderlands 2. Salvador the Gunzerker is my favorite character from the game, but it was not my only idea for a name. Handsome Jack, the antagonist of Borderlands 2, had a nice ring to it when I thought of creating a player. It didn't have the ring for a defensive player though. Maybe in the future if I were to create a forward or a goalie I would consider it. Salvador had the perfect intimidation ring to it though, so I went with it. 2) You have changed agents three times within the past month (BL2, BL2archole, and duckworff). Can you explain the reasons behind your agent changes? BL2Arcehole was just a gag with The Arceholes for the Season 38 Super Cup. We all embraced the spirit of Zach Arce to be the biggest Arcehole we could be. BL2GG was based on the Borderlands 2 theme I was going with but realized that most of the people trying to say who I was had difficulty saying my name in speech. Also, most of the people who know me from outside the VHL were still calling me by duckberg, my username in football leagues. While making a guest appearance in the Pajodcast for the Awards Ceremony this season, Devise (unsurprisingly) mispronounced my old username as Ducksworth from the Mighty Ducks. Jericho and I went on for a bit joking with him and I decided to go with my new username variation. It also may not the last time I change. My ADD is a terrible thing combined with the freedom we are given with display name changes. 3) Saskatoon has only allowed 19 goals so far this season, which is far less than any other team. Do you feel as though this trend will continue throughout the season? We have a very solid defensive core here in Saskatoon and with Mason Richardson, Gunnar Skovsgard and myself I don't see things changing for the worse. If anything, we could improve as a defensive unit. 4) You currently have the second most points (19) for a defenseman. Do you feel as though you have a shot at winning the award for best defenseman this season? I was surprised when I saw the stats to start the season. I was away for a little over a week for vacation and had not updated anything involving early season points. Seeing the numbers I have already put up, the only person who may beat me out is Mason Richardson, my linemate. 5) What are your expectations for Saskatoon this season. I really like what we have done so far in Saskatoon this year. We are only 2 points out of first place and the squad is shaping up better each and every day. I could see us taking the whole thing if everything works out the way coach sees it working out. 6) If you had to be stuck on an island with one member from Saskatoon, who would you pick? Mason Richardson, because I would get off and strand him then no one would stand in my way for the defensive title 7) Saskatoon 2 gud? No one but the Season 38 Yukon Rush will ever be "2 gud". While the Wild are very talented and fun team, not just any team can be "2 gud". It takes a certain swagger and goofiness to become what will never be again. Yukon 2 gud will forever be my first VHL memory. Edited August 2, 2014 by eaglesfan036 Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/7962-eaglesfans-articles/#findComment-101940 Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfan036 4,605 Posted August 10, 2014 Author Share Posted August 10, 2014 (edited) Edition 43 How Waiver Wire Pickups Can Help Their Teams Our recruitment drive this season has been a huge success so far, with so many new recruits coming in it is hard to keep track of them all. Because these players have just joined and don’t have much tpe, they most likely aren’t going to receive much recognition this season. However, many of these new players are deserving of recognition for their hard work so far, as they may help their team make the playoffs or win the cup. In this article, discuss some waiver wire players who I feel are working hard to improve their player and team. Sachimo Zoidberg – Yukon Rush Zoidberg’s has been dubbed the nickname “Roidberg” by his GM for his outstanding play so far this season. Through 11 games, the first-line winger has amassed 11 goals, 15 assists, and 37 hits. Roidberg is only beginning to show his potential, as he has earned 47 tpe so far and plans on continuing his rapid pace of tpe earning. If Roidberg can keep up his torrid pace in both the stat and tpe department, Yukon may be a surprise contender in the playoffs. Marcus Eisenhower – Moscow Red Wolves Eisenhower has played in 5 games this season, and has 1 goal and no assists. However, this is not really his fault, as Eisenhower only has 17 minutes played through those five games. When asked for comment on this, Moscow’s GM said Eisenhower would be centering the third line until he earns a good amount of tpe. Personally, I think this is the wrong approach to take as young players need playing time to develop, especially if inactive players above them are already done developing. However, Eisenhower has been developing at a great pace, as his agent has already earned 32 tpe and has applied for jobs in the VHL. If Eisenhower’s development continues, he could be a key piece for Moscow in their cup run. Oskars Harumpf – Saskatoon Wild In four games this season, Harumpf has 1 goal and no assists while centering Saskatoon’s second line. While Harumpf’s production may be low right now, it is expected to dramatically increase as Harumpf continues to earn practice hours. So far this season, Harumpf has logged 34 practice hours, which is exceptional considering he has only played in 4 games. Harumpf projects to be a solid two-way center with exceptional passing ability, and if his development continues, he may become a key piece in Saskatoon’s cup run as every team needs playmaking centers. Ryan Cattrall – Turku Outlaws Cattrall has appeared in 5 games for Turku this season and has produced at a PPG rate, with 2 goals and 3 assists. To start, Cattrall was playing as a forward on the 4th line and a defenseman on the second pairing, but I think that’s just what the lines were changed to before Turku’s GM could put in new ones. Cattral projects to be at least a second liner on the Outlaws, as his agent has been very active and has earned at least 12 practice hours so far. If Cattral keeps up his progress, he may be able to help Turku make some noise in the playoffs. Alistar "Bloodthirster" Graves - Turku Outlaws I can already tell Graves is going to be a great player, as he is the first League of Legends champion to join the VHL. Also playing 5 games this season, Graves has shown some goal scoring ability as he has 3 goals and 1 assist. So far, Graves has earned at least 11 practice hours, though he is projected to produce many more as his agent has been active throughout the league. If Graves keeps up his hard work, the Cattrall-Graves combo may start putting other teams’ playoff hopes in the grave. Edited August 10, 2014 by eaglesfan036 Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/7962-eaglesfans-articles/#findComment-105814 Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfan036 4,605 Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 Edition 44 Under the Radar Players The top three teams in the North American Conference have received a lot of attention this season, and for good reason. The Wild, Blades, and Lynx are widely considered to be the best three teams in the league, and the players on said teams receive all the attention star players should receive. In this article, I will give some love to players who are having impact seasons on teams that aren’t apart of the Big 3. Sachimo Zoidberg – Yukon Rush Zoidberg joined Yukon on waivers this season and has been Yukon’s only player to consistently attend practice. Zoidberg’s hard work paid off for him starting in his first career game, when he netted a hat trick! Yukon GM Austin Gow was very impressed with Zoidberg’s first game hat trick; he dubbed Zoidberg the nickname “Roidberg” because, “He must be on roids to be playing this good.” Roidberg has averaged over 2 points a game this season, with 22 goals, 28 assists, and 50 points in just 22 games. Lloyd Light – Oslo Storm Light has been an absolute steal for the storm, who selected him with their second round pick in the S39 VHLM superdraft. Light has already logged over 100 practice hours, which is by no means a light workload (pun intended). Oslo GM Don Draper had this to say about Light, “He is a guy who really hustles a lot, and his hustle combined with his offensive prowess has resulted in a lot of points for us. One could say he lights up the stat sheet.” So far this season, Light is earning well over a point per game, with 24 goals and 34 assists in 43 games. MF Percy Miller – Moscow Red Wolves Miller was acquired by the Red Wolves in a trade. After being considered a bit of a problem child when he first joined Moscow, Miller has turned into a very productive member of the Red Wolves, as he has logged over 100 practice hours. So far this season, Miller has 33 goals and 31 assists in 44 games, making him well over a PPG player. If Moscow is going to compete for a cup this season, Miller is going to have to keep producing at his rate, and possibly produce even more. Christoph Klose – Oslo Storm Klose was another one of Oslo’s second round picks this past draft, and is Oslo’s leading point scorer. The talented winger has 30 goals and 40 assists in 43 games played this season, and is the main reason why Oslo currently owns the third playoff spot in the European Conference. Klose has been especially lethal on the powerplay, with 3 powerplay goals and 11 assists. Christoph currently has 92 practice hours logged, and if he continues his rate of earning he could be a force to reckon with on Oslo for this season and the next. Tyler Cote – Moscow Red Wolves Cote was selected by the Redwolves with the 8th overall pick of this past draft, which was seen as a surprising fall to many, This seemed to put a chip on Cote’s shoulder though, as he has been on the ball netting 18 goals and 35 assists in 44 games, which is over a point per game rate. However, Cote is impacting his team in other ways, as he leads the league in hits (172), and penalty minutes (143). The young enforcer also leads the league with 2 fights won, which gives Moscow toughness that no other teams in the league possesses. Under the Radar Players The top three teams in the North American Conference have received a lot of attention this season, and for good reason. The Wild, Blades, and Lynx are widely considered to be the best three teams in the league, and the players on said teams receive all the attention star players should receive. In this article, I will give some love to players who are having impact seasons on teams that aren’t apart of the Big 3. Sachimo Zoidberg – Yukon Rush Zoidberg joined Yukon on waivers this season and has been Yukon’s only player to consistently attend practice. Zoidberg’s hard work paid off for him starting in his first career game, when he netted a hat trick! Yukon GM Austin Gow was very impressed with Zoidberg’s first game hat trick; he dubbed Zoidberg the nickname “Roidberg” because, “He must be on roids to be playing this good.” Roidberg has averaged over 2 points a game this season, with 22 goals, 28 assists, and 50 points in just 22 games. Lloyd Light – Oslo Storm Light has been an absolute steal for the storm, who selected him with their second round pick in the S39 VHLM superdraft. Light has already logged over 100 practice hours, which is by no means a light workload (pun intended). Oslo GM Don Draper had this to say about Light, “He is a guy who really hustles a lot, and his hustle combined with his offensive prowess has resulted in a lot of points for us. One could say he lights up the stat sheet.” So far this season, Light is earning well over a point per game, with 24 goals and 34 assists in 43 games. MF Percy Miller – Moscow Red Wolves Miller was acquired by the Red Wolves in a trade. After being considered a bit of a problem child when he first joined Moscow, Miller has turned into a very productive member of the Red Wolves, as he has logged over 100 practice hours. So far this season, Miller has 33 goals and 31 assists in 44 games, making him well over a PPG player. If Moscow is going to compete for a cup this season, Miller is going to have to keep producing at his rate, and possibly produce even more. Christoph Klose – Oslo Storm Klose was another one of Oslo’s second round picks this past draft, and is Oslo’s leading point scorer. The talented winger has 30 goals and 40 assists in 43 games played this season, and is the main reason why Oslo currently owns the third playoff spot in the European Conference. Klose has been especially lethal on the powerplay, with 3 powerplay goals and 11 assists. Christoph currently has 92 practice hours logged, and if he continues his rate of earning he could be a force to reckon with on Oslo for this season and the next. Tyler Cote – Moscow Red Wolves Cote was selected by the Redwolves with the 8th overall pick of this past draft, which was seen as a surprising fall to many, This seemed to put a chip on Cote’s shoulder though, as he has been on the ball netting 18 goals and 35 assists in 44 games, which is over a point per game rate. However, Cote is impacting his team in other ways, as he leads the league in hits (172), and penalty minutes (143). The young enforcer also leads the league with 2 fights won, which gives Moscow toughness that no other teams in the league possesses. 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eaglesfan036 4,605 Posted August 25, 2014 Author Share Posted August 25, 2014 Edition 45 Who Will Win the Founder’s Cup? So far this season, three teams have stood out among the rest as legitimate contenders to win the Founder’s Cup. The Brampton Blades, Saskatoon Wild, and Ottawa Lynx each possess many strengths and only a few weaknesses, making it difficult to predict who will ultimately bring home the cup. Here is my analysis and predictions 1) Brampton Blades – 44-8-1 The Good The Blades boast the best record in the league with 4 more points than the second place team, the Wild. Unsurprisingly, the team with the top VHLM record also has the best point differential, at 118. Much of this has to do with Brampton’s offense, as they lead the league with 309 goals. Two star forwards have been paving the way for the Blades this season, with Tyrone Williams (84G, 54A), and Lukas Nykvist (52G, 71A) combining to make an outstanding 265 points in just 48 games so far. Defensively, the Blades are solid with Ikier Manuchez posting a .904% save percentage and an average of 3.25 goals allowed a game, which makes him the second best goalie so far this season. Also helping out Manuchez is defenseman Mikko Leskonnen, whose 103 shots blocked is among the league leaders. The Bad The Blades weakness is their defensive depth. Outside of Leskonnen, they have no one with a significant amount of tpe on defense. Veteran Moe Mills has been performing admirably this season, but when he faces playoff competition he will likely not produce very well. Another weakness on the Blades is their goalie, even though he has been putting him solid stats. Saskatoon and Ottawa both have active goalies who are earning more and more tpe each week, and both goalies will have earned significantly more tpe than Manuchez once the playoffs start. 2) Saskatoon Wild – 41-8-2 The Good The Wild have the second best record in the VHLM with just 1 more point than Ottawa. Saskatoon has achieved the second best record in the league using the time honored motto “defense wins championships.” The Wild have only allowed 133 goals this season, which is much less than everyone else in the league. This is because the Wild boast a special defensive core, with 4 outstanding players who are active and attending practice each week. The Wild’s four defensemen have combined for 325 blocked shots, with Joshua Rubin leading the way with 101 shots blocked. Saskatoon’s defensive corps also is strong in the offensive zone, with Mason Richardson ( 33G, 59A, 92P) and Gunzerker Salvador (27G, 44A, 71P) leading the team in points. Lastly, the Wild have the best goalie in the league in Gunnar Skovsgard, whose 0.907% save percentage and 2.56 goals against average lead the league. Skovsgard will only continue to improve as he has been attending practice diligently each week. The Bad The Wild have only scored 200 goals so far in the season (5th best), meaning they have scored much less goals than the other contending teams. The Wild’s leading forwards in point production are Ashton Galbraith (25G, 42A, 67P), followed by Rami Jakobbsen (17G, 36A, 53P). While these are respectable stats, they aren’t the over the top phenomenal stats seen by Ottawa and Brampton’s leading forwards. However, Saskatoon has addressed some of their scoring problems, as they recently traded for Kez Kincaid, who is now centering their first line. Also, it must be noted that Saskatoon’s second line of Iglina, Hunter, and Harumpf are all active players who are earning tpe each week, meaning their improvement could also help the Wild’s goal scoring. 3) Ottawa Lynx – 40-7-3 The Good The Lynx currently hold the third playoff spot because they are solid but unspectacular in both offense and defense. They do not have league bests in goals scored or goals allowed, but their +111 point differential is second best in the league, behind only Brampton. Offensively, the Lynx have two standout players in Thomas O’Malley (65G, 66A, 131P) and Andrew Erikson (43G, 81A, 124P). James Faraday and Leo Tesla have also been solid offensively this season, as both have averaged over a point per game. Defensively, the Lynx have 4 quality defensemen, though they are a little below the level of Saskatoon’s. Jack Ryan and Jerrick Poole make a solid first pairing, as they have combined for 157 shots blocked along with 211 hits. The second pairing is also solid, made up of VHLM veteran Razzle Dazzle (81 SB) and newly acquired Teemu Ruutu. The Bad To put it lightly, Ottawa’s goaltending has not been up to par. Drafted in the 1st round of the draft, Soren Douffet was expected to be one of the best goalies in the league. Instead, Douffet has a league worst 0.858% save percentage. Oddly enough, Douffett also has a second-best 3.10 goals against average; though this can largely be attributed to his team as his save percentage is not good. Douffet must be given some credit though; even though his production in goal has not been very good this season, he has attended practice weekly. His practice has started to pay off, as Ottawa has won 17 games in a row. If Douffet can turn his season around, Ottawa has a very good chance at a cup. My prediction I predict that the Ottawa Lynx will win the Founder’s Cup. Ottawa has always had a good team around Douffet, and now that Douffet is producing, the Lynx have won their past 17 games in a row. I am a big believer in the point differential column, as the point differential column shows how good a team truly is instead of just getting lucky in closer games. I think by the end of the season, we will see Ottawa overtake the Blades in the point differential column. Of course, I mean to take nothing away from the other two teams, as all three teams are really good and will make an interesting playoff series. So I ask my fellow members of the VHLM a question; who do you think will win? Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/7962-eaglesfans-articles/#findComment-112722 Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfan036 4,605 Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 Edition 46 Should the VHLM get rid of its Conference Playoff Format? This season, the Yukon Rush hold the 4th best record in the VHLM with a total of 79 points. Unfortunately for the Rush, they also hold the 4th best record in the North American Conference, which leaves them out of a playoff spot. Many players on the Rush roster have expressed disappointment at missing the playoffs, with one anonymous player saying, “It’s a shame we are in the stronger conference, as we would be in first place if we were in the European Conference. Instead, we are the 4th best team in the league but will be missing the playoffs.” Usually in the VHLM, the more active teams perform better than the teams that don’t have actives, for the obvious reason being that active teams earn tpe while inactive teams do not. In theory, if we removed the conference format for deciding playoffs and instead allowed the teams with the top six records to make the playoffs, the six most active teams would make the playoffs. To test this theory, let’s take a look at how the playoff situation is situated now: North American Conference: 1) Brampton Blades – 8 active players (First round bye) 2) Ottawa Lynx – 10 active players 3) Saskatoon Wild – 8 active players ----------------------------------------------------------- 4) Yukon Rush – 9 active player (miss playoffs) 5) Minot Gladiators – 1 active player (miss playoffs) European Conference: 1) Bern Royals – 3 active players (First round bye) 2) Moscow Red Wolves – 5 active players 3) Oslo Storm – 7 active players ----------------------------------------------------- 4) Turku Outlaws – 0 active players (miss playoffs) 5) Bratislava Watchmen – 3 active players (miss playoffs) Total active players in playoffs = 41 Playoff Format Without Conferences: 1) Brampton Blades – 8 active players (First round bye) 2) Ottawa Lynx – 10 active players (First round bye) 3) Saskatoon Wild – 8 active players 4) Yukon Rush – 9 active players 5) Bern Royals – 3 active players 6) Moscow Red Wolves – 5 active players 7) Oslo Storm – 7 active players (miss playoffs) 8) Minot Gladiators – 1 active player (miss playoffs) 9) Turku Outlaws – 0 active players (miss playoffs) 10) Bratislava Watchmen – 3 active players (miss playoffs) Total active players in playoffs = 43 Overall, de-conferencing the playoffs would result in only a minor change this season with only a difference of 2 more active players making the playoffs. However, de-conferencing would make a significant impact in bye weeks, as the Lynx would earn a first-round bye instead of the Royals. Some more food for thought comes in when you consider the new VHLM rule changes in only allowing one free agent and giving every team a 50 tpe goalie. Right now, teams such as Bern are able to make it into the playoffs with only 3 actives because they receive a lot of help from inactives such as goalie Vladmir Bodnar (80 tpe), Maira Corvia (112 tpe), and Earl Parker (112 tpe). Once the new rules come into effect, the Bern’s of the league will go away, leaving the teams with more actives with better records. In theory, this would make the six best teams in the league the six most active teams. If we removed conferences for picking playoff teams, it would ensure the six best (and hopefully most active) teams make the playoffs, instead of some active teams missing the playoffs because they are in the stronger conference while less active teams make the playoffs in a weaker conference. If removing conferences is considered to be too radical, another idea could be something similar to the old playoff format before expansion. This format would still involve the North American and European Conference with three open playoff spots in each conference. However, if the fourth team in one conference has a better record than the third team in the other conference, the fourth team could take the final playoff spot (ex. Yukon taking Oslo spot). Just some ramblings and food for thought, I’d be interested to hear you opinion on this. Also, I think it’s awesome that we have 54 active members in the VHLM! That is a bit more than I expected. *active player is defined as having posted within the past 7 days* Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/7962-eaglesfans-articles/#findComment-115876 Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfan036 4,605 Posted September 13, 2014 Author Share Posted September 13, 2014 Edition 48 What I Look for in Potential VHLM Draftees As with carry on with some exciting VHLM and VHL playoff series, there are a lot of first-gens who are excited to experience their first ever VHL and VHLM draft. As a VHLM GM, I figured I would share my opinion on how I decide who I will pick come draft day. 1) Have they been earning tpe each week? TPE earning is probably the most obvious indicator to look it, but it does not make it any less important. Draft picks should make up the core of a team, and in order for a VHLM team to be dominant, its draft picks must be improving weekly. As long as prospects do some sort of point task and practice facility each week, I consider them to be doing well in the tpe department. However, one area that immediately causes concern for me is first-gen welfare players. Along with earning much less tpe each week, I generally find welfare players to be much less active than the point task makers. Also, I find that first-gen welfare players become inactive at a much higher rate than point task makers. 2) How did our conversation go? One thing I pride myself on is frequently chatting with players on my team. This extends towards my player evaluations as well, as I find a conversation can tell you a good amount about a player. I generally try to get a feel for people’s personality, such as asking them to tell me a funny joke and where they live (creeper). I’m not saying you have to be the most exciting person in the world or anything, I just find that the players I can have a conversation with generally are more successful (and fun to be around) than those who either do not respond to my messages/pms or only give short yes or no answer and don’t really talk. Along with being more successful tpe wise, I like to add players with fun personalities to Yukon to make the locker room and team have a really fun atmosphere. 3) What player type are you making? In the VHL, we have an abundance of forwards who like to score, but don’t quite have as many of other player types. For example, goalies are much more rare than forwards in the VHL as there are only so many spots for them on a VHL team. Defensemen are also rarer, as people like to see their players put up points and defensemen don’t quite put up as many. If you are making a defensemen, goalie, or pass-first forward, I slightly bump you up in my rankings due to your position being a bit more rare. However, if you wish to make a goal-scoring forward, don’t fret because if you are an active member myself and other GMs will still be plenty interested in you anyway (plus every team needs to score goals ) Overall, the main point I want to make to first gens is as long as you are earning tpe each week and posting, GMs are going to want you. These are just some of the ways I pick those who I feel go above and beyond. I hope you found this interesting; I figured it would be unique to share the thought process of how a VHLM GM goes about drafting. Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/7962-eaglesfans-articles/#findComment-119774 Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfan036 4,605 Posted September 22, 2014 Author Share Posted September 22, 2014 Edition 49 VHLM Shoutouts Everyone loves seeing themselves featured in the VHL or VHLM magazine, so I figured I would spread the love. I will be writing a quick sentence shoutout about every active involved in the VHLM this past season(posted within last 2 weeks). Yes, I admit I stole this idea completely from STZ, but it is still a good idea. If I missed you, I am sorry! Nikkurri77 – You haven’t logged in for 7 days but I think you should because your profile pic looks cool. VHLwhat – Your latest media spot confused me as I don’t know if your player name is Bobby Ricky or Ricky Bobby Moztaburger- Nykvist had an excellent season this past season and I always translate Nykvist in Nyquist in my head (chocolate milk) Tfong- I’m glad you finally got to become a GM after you applied something like 5 times in a row Koradek – You also had a very good season for Brampton but your hair makes you look like Justin Beiber Cuffy – You seem like a cool guy and I’m glad you stayed active even though Minot didn’t really have many actives InstantRockstar – You are Minot’s GM and I am sad you retired and left Riga L Green – Grats on your hatty in the cup winning game. Green is my favorite color Frank – Quite frankly (hehe) I liked when you changed your username to Frankenstein and you are a funny person to talk to Higgins – I’m glad to see you managed to get over a PPG because Draper wasn’t there to steal all your points. Otrebor13 – Your graphics look awesome and you should stop being a welfare noob and make more pretty pictures J Ninetyfourgoalie – Welcome to the VHLM mag and I like your 73 assists RomansEatDonuts – I don’t know why Caprivi didn’t do well stat wise even though you had decent tpe it’s like you are Higgins or something Flyersfan – You are a noob but congrats on winning the cup Kendrick – Your new username is probably a joke I don’t understand, but anyway congrats on Richardson’s great season FueledbyRamen – I don’t think I’ve ever actually had ramen before but Rubin is fueled by it. Harumpf – “Oskars Harumpf, shortest player to ever score a playoff shorty” I liked that quote Hawksfan19 – I just read your glorious Sasky Segway Race Topic and I thought it was enjoyable you should write more J Philthethrill81 – Jakobbsen had a solid over a PPG season and it’s nice of him to stay in Sasky to try and bring them the cup again Toast – You are a cool guy but it seems like you are going inactive I hope you stick around Kincaid – You had a pretty solid season and you write some entertaining media spots I hope you stick around Svoboda_3 – You and Kendrick did an excellent job putting together an active team that had a lot of fun and had an awesome playoff series with Ottawa Jalador – Roidberg was a beast this season and I am convinced you are Draper’s second account because you are a tpe whore. Also congrats on your GM job Paramorise – You only got to be on Yukon for a little while but you and Calliaen gave us a lot of girl power J Mr. Baller – I consider you silent but deadly as you consistently put in your point task work and are making a good player but you don’t talk much. LvShark – You also don’t talk a ton but you are funny and you make good graphics and Ziedens is probably going to be underrated. Caillean122 – I can never remember how to spell your username but you created an excellent defensewoman and are fun to chat with Denver – Cattrall is also probably underrated and I think your social media xm radio stuff is cool and I hope you stick around Kikish18 – You are an awesome Latvian bro and you are working hard to make Graves into a good player and I enjoy talking to you (when I can actually understand you ) Maus – Carl Sledgehammer is an awesome player name and I hope you stick around Eaglesfan036 – Word on the street is you are the coolest guy in the VHLM Boom – You are the bestest assistant GM ever and I can’t believe you’ve actually liked every single Yukon post this season Gorlab – You are a very opinionated person but opinionated people can be entertaining to be around AwfulHomesick – I’m not sure why you left your GM job but I hope all is well and Olynik is a good player Greggreg – Sundberg had a really good season that went under the radar as you got 179 points and I didn’t even know 701 – Matthews is another player that was overlooked as you were over a PPG but just were on the Watchmen xDpark – Superbman is an interesting name and so is Chico Salmon Seth – You have assembled quite the stockpile of draft picks and you are a funny guy to talk to but you haven’t been on as much Bluesboy71 – Is your username because you like the hockey team Blues? Also yeah Griffon Simons makes me think of Wayne Simmonds Kitras - Your profile picture is awesome and good work recruiting people to the league already Da Bearfan – I guess you are pretty happy about the Bears beating the 49ers. Also your player name reminds me of Ed Snider MF Percy Miller – Another opinionated and entertaining person, Miller put up well over a PPG this season so nice job R1c3Muncher – I also have trouble remembering how to spell your username. Also I bet your Samuelsson will be as good as Jeevan Samuelson Ball – Cote was an excellent two-way player for Moscow this season and I kind of like you when you aren’t in full anti Riga mode J D3vilsfire – Hi Harley I didn’t realize you had so many actives on the Red Wolves nice work! Oh yeah that’s right we were having our waiver wars J Gooninitup – Komorav had a great playoff performance especially for a defenseman and you were a big reason Oslo made it to the cup AIM-11 – Your robot persona makes you in my top most funny people on the board right now you are awesome and making a great player I hope robots take over the world Der meister- Klose was a beast this season keep up the great work brah also cool profile pic Da Trifecta – I wrote this at about 1 in the morning Eastern Standard Time J. Anywho welcome to the mag crew and I bet your goalie will be pretty good. Clankt – Your username always reminds me of the video game Ratchet and Clank. Anyway keep up the good work with Baumann. Streetlight – Congrats on getting the Ottawa GM job and I like your giraffe Pokémon profile picture. Draper – You are doing a great job building Oslo into a good team and your are funny to talk to and I am going to trade with you someday when you are drunk. Kesler – I refuse to call you whatever your other username is. FAT. Corco/Flyersfan/Smarch – Thanks for all the hard work you guys put into being commish it’s a lot of work without much thanks but you guys are doing well so far and I like most of the changes you guys have made. Jardy – You consistently updated my lines and I’m sure others and THANK YOU FOR SIMMING <3 Overlord Victor – You also helped a lot with permissions and moving topics and you chilled in the Yukon locker room thank you as well old man. Boubabi - Thanks for being a great mag boss and being a chill French guy. Anyone I missed – I’m sorry I missed you but whoever you are you are a great person. Da Trifecta 1 Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/7962-eaglesfans-articles/#findComment-123444 Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfan036 4,605 Posted September 29, 2014 Author Share Posted September 29, 2014 Edition 50 Best VHLM Team in the Past 10 Seasons Every season, the best team in the VHLM is the team that wins the Founders Cup. The Founders Cup winning teams are usually really stacked and filled with multiple first round picks. Out of all the teams to win the Founders Cup in the past 10 seasons, which one is the best? Regular Season Record Playoff Record S39 Founder’s Cup Winner: Ottawa Lynx 57-12-3 8-4 S38 Founder’s Cup Winner: Yukon Rush 59-11-2 8-0 S37 Founder’s Cup Winner: Yukon Rush 64-8-0 8-2 S36 Founder’s Cup Winner: Bratislava Watchmen 66-5-1 8-2 S35 Founder’s Cup Winner: Ottawa Lynx 60-8-4 8-1 S34 Founder’s Cup Winner: Yukon Rush 60-7-5 8-3 S33 Founder’s Cup Winner: Bratislava Watchmen 52-18-2 8-3 S32 Founder’s Cup Winner: Oslo Storm 54-16-2 8-1 S31 Founder’s Cup Winner: Yukon Rush 51-19-2 8-0 S30 Founder’s Cup Winner: Kolari Panthers* 58-8-6 8-2 S29 Founder’s Cup Winner: Oslo Storm 53-13-6 8-5 Before I start comparing teams, I just wanted to point out an observation. The Lynx, Rush/Panthers, Watchmen, and Storm are the only teams to have won a cup in the past 10 seasons. Step it up rest of the league. Looking at regular season records, the two teams that jump out with the best records are the S36 Bratislava Watchmen and the S37 Yukon Rush. Because both these teams have the best records, I will be comparing them to see who earns the honor of best VHLM team of the past ten seasons. Goaltending Both the Rush and Watchmen had star goalies to help guide them to their cup victory, as almost every cup winning team has an outstanding goaltender. The Watchmen had goaltender Martin Brookside, who boasted a 0.924% save percentage and a 1.41 goals against average. In comparison, the Rush had Kimmo Salo starting in goal. Salo had a slightly worse save percentage at 0.917, and a worse goals against average at 1.66. Advantage – Bratislava Defense Overall, the Watchmen only allowed 104 goals in the regular season, compared to the Rush who allowed 20 more goals at 124. As a team, the Rush blocked 494 shots in the regular season, compared to just 397 for the Watchmen. This is a huge gap of almost 100 more blocked shots for the Rush. Leading the way in blocked shots for the Rush was Triton Jackson with 91 blocked shots, Gabrial Johnson with 81 blocked shots, and gloryhog Don Draper with 67 blocked shots. For the Wachmen, Andrey Zardov led the team with 92 blocked shots, followed by Slaeter Fjorsstrom and Phil Villenevue with 72 blocked shots each. Advantage – Yukon Offense Overall, the Watchmen scored 297 goals in their regular season, compared to 348 for the Rush. Obviously, the Rush scored 51 more goals than the Watchmen, which makes for a significant number. Leading the way for Yukon was Johan Hallstrom, who had 128 goals and 64 assists. Other significant offensive contributors include Queen Latifa (140 points), and Konstantin Azhishchenkov (118 points). Overall, the Rush had seven players who averaged over a point per game. For Bratislava, Tom Slaughter led the way with 51 goals and 51 assists. Other significant contributors included David Januzaj (105 points), and Phil Villeneuve (102 points). Overall, the Watchmen had five players average over a point per game. Advantage – Yukon Overall Overall, in my completely unbiased opinion as the Yukon Rush GM, I think that the S37 Yukon Rush were the best VHLM team in the past 10 seasons. The Watchmen had better goaltending, but the Rush had a better defense and held an offense that scored 51 more points and had 2 more PPG players than the Watchmen, showing their offensive depth. However, both teams were outstanding, and I believe that if the two faced off in a playoff series it would go to game 7 and could go either way. *Kolari Panthers moved and became the Yukon Rush Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/7962-eaglesfans-articles/#findComment-128952 Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfan036 4,605 Posted October 5, 2014 Author Share Posted October 5, 2014 Edition 51 Steals of the Draft Maybe it’s just me, but I find the second round of the draft much more intriguing than the first. Almost all the players selected in the first round turn out to be successes, but the second round is much different. The second round of the draft is filled with many players who have the potential of first round picks, but may not have the pedigree of first rounder’s or quite as much tpe. In this draft, I will identify players who I believe were steals in the past draft, particularly in the second round. Round 2 11. BRATISLAVA WATCHMEN: Danny Schneider, 92 TPE - D Schneider had 92 practice hours at the time of the draft, and now he is all the way up to 127 practice hours. Schneider is the perfect example of a steal, as I had not heard much about Schneider and didn’t really know who he was until examining the draft. Schneider’s agent, Da Bearfan, has been decently active throughout the league, as he has participated in training camp, along with joining the VHL’s welfare program. Schneider looks to provide Bratislava with an excellent combination of strong defensive play combined with fast skating ability. Round 2 Pick 17 . BERN ROYALS: Jaime Hill, 55 TPE - D Jaime Hill played for the Yukon Rush last season and showed her potential as a defensive defensewoman who also had the ability to knock people over. While the Royals GM surely was interested in Hill’s athletic ability, it is rumored that Hill is in a relationship with Jalador. Hill’s relationship with Jalador will help team success by giving her the extra motivation to succeed. So far, this move has paid off as Hill has now reached over 100 practice hours and looks to be a very productive defensewoman for the Royals this season. Round 2 Pick 20. OSLO STORM (from Ottawa): Ryan Cattrall, 55 TPE - W Cattral is another example of a player who is quietly earning practice hours each week without gaining much recognition. As the former GM of Cattral, I was shocked he made it all the way until the last pick of the second round. What sets Cattral apart from other players is his elite skating ability, though interestingly enough he is a fast skater who is a pass-first player. The combination of being a unique pass-first player along with earning a solid amount of practice hours each week will turn Cattral into a steal for the Storm. Round 3 Pick 24. YUKON RUSH: Fedir Okranitz, 0 TPE - G After entering the draft with just 0 practice hours, Okranitz has already earned 45 practice hours. Okranitz’s agent, Mook, is known for producing talented players in the Simulation Hockey League, and the Rush sent little birdies to said league to scout for talent. Okranitz also is very valuable because of the general lack of goalies in the VHLM due to little demand in the VHL. If OKranitz keeps up his production, his talent in the league’s most important position could help the Rush compete for a cup for the next two seasons. Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/7962-eaglesfans-articles/#findComment-132316 Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfan036 4,605 Posted October 20, 2014 Author Share Posted October 20, 2014 (edited) Edition 53 Gow Family Coaching Tree It is a running joke among VHLM fans that the Gow family is plotting to take over the VHLM. The Gow family’s influence includes one Gow commissioner, one Gow GM, and 3 GMs with connections to the Gow family. If Rush assistant GM Vladimir BoobChenko ever becomes a GM, the Gows will literally hold influence over half of the VHLM’s GMs and one half of the commissioners. Here is how the Gow tree has grown. Jim Gow Jim Gow is the Tywin Lannister of the Gow family tree, as he started the tree and is the head of operations. Jim originally became the Ottawa Lynx GM during Season 33, and led the Lynx to cup victories in Season 35 and Season 39. During Season 34, Jim hired his brother, Austin, during Season 34 to become assistant GM. Jim retired from his GM duties at the end of his Season 39 cup run, and is now one of the two VHLM commissioners. Austin Gow Austin Gow is the Tyrion Lannister of the Gow family tree, as he is often bullied by members of the Rush, but is able to defeat his enemies with his cleverness. While in Ottawa, Austin learned key managerial ideas such as how to establish a fun locker room environment and a winning culture. Austin was able to put his knowledge to good use, as he was hired as the Yukon Rush GM during the preseason of Season 36. During his time with Yukon, Austin has led his team to cup victories in Season 37 and Season 38. Also during his time in Yukon, Austin has hired the following current GMs as his assistants; D3vilsfire (S36), Draper (S37), along with sort of working with Jalador when he was on his team (S39). D3vilsfire D3vilsfire is the Cersei Lannister of the family tree, as he loves his players obsessively like they are his children. During his time with Yukon, D3vilsfire learned about having a fun and winning atmosphere, as he got to be an assistant GM while also having his player on the team. D3vilsfire was hired as the Red Wolves GM during Season 38. While he has yet to lead the Red Wolves to a cup, D3vilsfire has guided the Red Wolves into the playoffs on multiple occasions. Draper Gloryhog Donald Draper is the Hodor of the Gow family coaching tree, as he loves shouting his name and carrying things in wagons. Draper was hired as Yukon’s assistant GM during Season 38, which was also the same season his player played on the Rush. After participating in some of Yukon’s free agency and waiver claims, Draper was hired as Oslo’s GM during Season 39. Draper has been rebuilding Oslo into a solid contender, as this season the Storm look to be a superpower this season with a solid chance of winning the cup. Jaladolar Jaladolar is the Jon Snow of the coaching tree because he is the newest member, so I can say, “You know nothing Jaladolar Snow.” Along with that, Jaladolar has a girlfriend who likes to make fun of him a lot, similar to Jon Snow. Anyway, Jaladolar never was actually an Assistant GM on Yukon, as that spot was held down by Vladimir Boobchenko. However, Jaladolar’s player played for the Rush during Season 39 and he learned how to have an awesome locker room during his time with the Rush. Jaladolar was hired as Bern’s GM for this season, and looks to be building Bern into a solid contender. *Note, I am in Season 4 episode 3, so no spoilers please* *I am also scared of attending weddings* Edited October 20, 2014 by eaglesfan036 Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/7962-eaglesfans-articles/#findComment-139093 Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfan036 4,605 Posted October 26, 2014 Author Share Posted October 26, 2014 Edition 54 Depreciating Value of Goalies In the Season 38 VHLM Dispersal draft, the Yukon Rush traded for the first overall pick to select goaltender Brock Waldron. Once the Rush selected Waldron, most experts agreed that the Rush would win the cup, as Waldron was far and away the best goalie that season. Due to some new rule changes and a few other factors, having the best goalie in the league can no longer guarantee teams the Victory Cup. Rule Changes Due to the previous lack of goalies, the VHLM rule makers decided to lessen the gap between the haves and have not’s. Implemented this season, the new rules give every VHLM team a bot goalie with 50 TPE in hopes of increasing the level of parity in the VHLM. Previously, whoever had the best goalie in the league (let’s just say the goalie had 200 TPE), held a 200 TPE advantage over most teams in the most important position in hockey. With the new rule changes, the best goalie now only holds a 150 TPE advantage, and the opposing team will have a goalie that may actually be able to make some saves. More Active Goalies In the past seasons, there were usually only one or two active goalies, with one being a first gen and one being a recreate. This season, we have four active goalies in David Blind, Coca Cola, Fedir Okranitz, Niklaus Mikaelson. Out of these goalies, Mikaelson projects to be over 250 TPE by seasons end, Okranitz over 100 TPE, Blind over 75 TPE, and Cola is a mystery as he has not shown up to practice for the past few days. Either way, three guaranteed active higher TPE goalies creates a slightly higher supply of goalies than usual, which slightly lessens the importance of having a top goalie. More Inactive Goalies There is a total of five inactive goalies over 50 TPE, with Ikier Manushez (63 TPE), Gunnar Skovsgard (168 TPE), Soren Douffet (88 TPE), Vladmir Bodnar (80 TPE), and Jose Cansenco (78 TPE). Overall, between inactive and active goalies, there are eight goalies who have over 50 TPE in the VHLM. This is a much higher supply of decent goalies than most seasons, and should in theory greatly increase the parity in the VHLM. So far, the parity has increased as only two teams look to be clearly out of playoff contention, and the highest differential in points among playoff teams is only 14. Overall Overall, the supply of good enough goalies in the VHLM is much higher than in most past seasons. While there is still a team with one clear top goalie this season (Oslo), they are not going to have an easy cruise to the cup, as Saskatoon, Bern, and Bratislava all pose a solid threat to Oslo. All three of these potential cup threats to Oslo have one theme in common; they have an inactive goalie who has enough TPE to get the job done. Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/7962-eaglesfans-articles/#findComment-141802 Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglesfan036 4,605 Posted November 4, 2014 Author Share Posted November 4, 2014 (edited) Edition 55 Ask a GM For this week’s edition, I decided to ask all of the VHLM GMs a variety of questions that I thought would be of interest. In this article, I will summarize their answers to some questions and give some whole answers. 1) You are starting a team from scratch and own the first overall pick of the draft. Any player you draft will be your typical active 200 tpe player. What position do you draft and why is that your choice? Every single GM who responded said they would select a goalie. The number one reason GMs would select a goalie is because of the scarcity of quality goaltenders. Quality goaltenders are seen on almost every cup team, as some GMs mentioned recent elite goaltenders such as Brock Waldron and Niklaus Mikaelson. 2) Who is your favorite player on your team and why are they your favorite? “Tough because there are plenty but the most up and coming one is Jakob Rhinehart. The favourite has to be one of our leaders in Jakobssen or Hunter.” “I'd have to say my favorite player on my team is a tie between two: Vladamir Komarov (Gooningitup) and Ryan Cattrall (Denver). They are both super enthusiastic first-gen players and have been really impressive so far.” “Samuelsson, but he is about to get traded. Well he was active and he is a cool guy. Unfortunately he was a part of a team that wasn’t ready for success which is unfortunate.” “I do not have any players so no favorites” “All the members on my team are my favourite. They all bring different things to the ice and the locker room and in the end it brings a great mix that has been working wonders for us everywhere.” “Jack Harkness, primarily because I talk to him quite a bit outside of the VHL and we play lol ” 3) What team do you think will win the cup this season and why do you think they will win? One GM did not care who would win the cup, as they knew their team did not have a shot. The majority of GMs picked the Oslo Storm as their cup favorite. They cited the Storm’s excellent goaltending and defense as the main reason the Storm would win. Two GMs had it as a toss- up between Saskatoon and Oslo, as they believe the two teams differ in their strengths (Oslo = defense + goalie, Sasky = Offense), but both have a lot of talent. Lastly, one GM outright picked the Wild to win due to their depth and their bad luck in last season’s playoffs . 4) Have any new members not on your team impressed you this season? “Kristers Daugavins, but that is because I placed enormus expectations on him after talking to him consistently and on a daily basis the first several weeks, something seems to have happened and he is lost most of his activity. I'm still hoping he will be back soon though.” “Plenty of them. Jaime Hill, Borje Samuelsson, Nicklas Karlsson, Pettyfer and Graves have all surprised me.” “Harumpf has really impressed me over the past season and a half. His player is kind underrated and over shadowed by Sachimo Zoidberg, but I truly think Oskars Harumpf is one of the most promising players that are on the rise right now.” “Any new members impressed me that werent on my team this season.. Does Jalador count? He seems to be the 2nd Coming of Draper. I wish i had that activity still.. I follow through the emails ” “I hate every other team, and they're all garbage.” “Ryan Cattrall (Denver) has really impressed me so far, I claimed him on waivers last season and ended up trading him away at the deadline and since then he has really been a good player and even got on the VHL mag.” 5) Anything you would want changed about the VHLM? A lot of GMs said the rules were fine as is or didn’t have any suggestions. Here are some of the more interesting answers. “To stop hiring guys who go inactive. It's time we stop giving these position to "New Guys" just because we want to bring them in. Often times it seems to fail.” “Increased league size (not happening). Less flip flop seasons. In all, being a VHLM GM has its perks and it also has its cons.. You just take each as it is and you do your best with what you got.” “Make Eaglesfan supreme dictator” Edited November 4, 2014 by eaglesfan036 Link to comment https://vhlforum.com/topic/7962-eaglesfans-articles/#findComment-145381 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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