Claimed:The Titty's Draft

[Will 4,660]

Season 38 VHL Entry Draft - Helsinki Titans

The day of the VHL Entry Draft is always one of the most exciting times of the year, and this year was certainly no different. Each and every analyst report had wildly different predictions, keeping us on the edge of our seats to hear the next name that would be called. There is a lot to talk about in this draft, far too much to cover in this article, but today we will be zoning in on the Helsinki Titans. After winning the draft lottery, the Titans ended up with the first, third, seventh, fifteenth and nineteenth picks in the Season 38 VHL Entry Draft.

The Titans draftees gettin' their pose on.

Their first pick, which happened to be the first overall pick, was one that most analysts actually did agree on. Vojczek Svoboda is a Czech defenseman who dominated the VHLM with his heavy hits, quick feet, laser shot, and crisp pass. It was no surprise to anyone that he was drafted first overall to the Helsinki Titans. With their next pick, the third overall pick, the Titans chose to draft another top-tier defenseman: Don Draper. Draper only became a known name in the hockey world shortly prior to Season 37 when he announced his entrance to the VHLM. After a slow start, Draper quickly rose to be one of the most prominent players in the league. This pick, however, left many people wondering why Helsinki would use two first round picks to draft two defensemen, especially when they already had more of a defensive core than an offensive. Here is what GM Vince Wong had to say:

“When you get a chance to add two guys with the drive that Svoboda and Draper have, you simply can’t pass that up. Their work ethic is priceless as far as I’m concerned. If our offense is lacking in the future, well, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Now, this draft wasn't all about the defensemen for the Titans. With their third and final first round pick, seventh overall, the Titans picked up budding forward Chris Raymond. As the end of Season 37 approached, we saw Raymond’s practice hours skyrocket. He has proven that he has the enthusiasm and drive to be a top-tier forward in the VHL. Raymond is under the player agent Kachur, who has fielded many depth players in the past, but will certainly be looking to turn Raymond into a superstar.

Chris Raymond logging some practice hours.

Next up, at 15^th overall, is Josh Bennett. Not much is known about Bennett at this time, but with any luck, he could become a good depth player for Helsinki in later years. With their final pick of the draft, 19^th overall, the Titans opted for yet another defenseman; Ryan Barrett. However, unlike the first two defensemen they drafted, Barrett seem to be developing quite slowly and it’s questionable whether he will ever make it to the big leagues or not.

Overall, I think this draft went really well for the Titans. They have put themselves in a position that allows all of their Season 38 draftees, with the exception of Svoboda, to continue developing in the minors for another season. If the players drafted this season develop into the players we expect them to be, the Titans will be a force to be reckoned with in future seasons. Edited May 17, 2014 by Draper

[STZ 5,360]

Bennett-Barrett 2 gud

[Guest Svoboda_3]

Content: 3/3

570 words. A real nice recap of the Titans' draft. I thought you did a good job at staying brief, but providing all the necessary points of information. We had a good draft and should expect more of the same next season.

Grammar: 2/2

pass = passes

 

Appearance: 1/1

Looked good enough.

Overall: 6/6

Edited May 17, 2014 by Svoboda_3

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