VHL S72 Top 25 Players, Part 5: 5-1

[FrostBeard 2,061]

 

VHL Top 25 Players

 

Part 5: 5-1

 

S72 has already started and VSN is back here again to rank and show who we think is going to be the best player of S72! There are amazing new candidates and many older players who are all showcasing their strengths and immense talent so be ready for our next iteration of VSN's Top 25!

 

This season, VSN Editor-in-chief @FrostBeard, writers @Doomsday, @Erik Summers, and @Patrik Tallinder, along with voice and video masters @Berocka and @Esso2264 and also with our distinguished guest @rjfryman ranked and debated who is going to be the top dog in Season 72. They are joined by @Mr_Hatter, VSN's VHLM aficionado, for the write-ups. Top 5 - here we go!
 

5. Scott Greene, C

 

Three-time Continental Cup winner, Scott Greene is entering his sixth season as a Seattle Bear. Over the course of Seattle’s success, Greene has filled many roles, playmaker, shooting outlet, physical presence, but now he can simply be known as “the guy” on the Bears’ roster. There is no obvious reason that Seattle would be unable to continue their near-unprecedented success, but if that is going to happen, Greene is going to have to continue to play at an ungodly level. Scott has fifty-five points in sixty-one playoff games over four playoff appearances. He is the epitome of clutch. What is even crazier? There is debate whether he is even the best centre on the team. However, I think we got it right and gave credit where credit was due.

Erik Summers

 

4. Julius Freeman, LW

 

Vancouver forward Julius Freeman has been the perfect example of what a sniper should be in the VHL. With 5 straight 30+ goal seasons and two 40+ goal seasons under his belt, he has been one of the most consistently great goal scorers in recent memory. His goal-scoring prowess is best represented by his 2 Kevin Brooks Trophies in the past 3 seasons, which is obviously an incredible achievement. 3 straight seasons of 79+ points are bound to stick out too. In terms of team success, Freeman won the Continental Cup in S67 with the Wolves, where he put up 9 goals and 17 points in 18 postseason matches. He has spent the entirety of his career with Vancouver, and he is signed with the team for his final two seasons before retirement as well. His ability to score goals stems from a versatile combination of a world-class shot, some really quick hands, and an ability to reach his top speed in the blink of an eye. His game includes no apparent weaknesses, which is another reason as to why he’s become so successful. He is once again up there with the top point scorers so far this season and has not shown any signs of regressing in the latter part of his career. After selecting him at 2nd overall in the S66 draft, Vancouver has seen Julius Freeman evolve and mature as a player, and turn into their all-time leader in points and goals.

Patrik Tallinder

 

3. Rayz Funk, G

 

What is there to be said about Rayz Funk that hasn't already been said? There are rarely players that have more or less locked up immortality in the VHL Hall of Fame before they even hit regression, and Rayz Funk without a doubt is one of them. The second overall pick of the famous Season 67 draft class, all Funk has done is succeed. After winning the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy in Season 67 with a 28-29-8 record and a .913 save percentage, Funk posted back-to-back seasons of 30 win, .920+ save percentages, and eight shutouts, which both culminated in Continental Cup championships and Daisuke Kanou Trophies as the playoff MVP. Funk has deservedly earned a reputation as an elite performer in the playoffs, with an average .930 save percentage and goals allowed an average of 2.00. Season 71, however, firmly cemented Funk among the league's all-time greats, as the Bears won their third cup in four seasons behind his .937 save percentage and 1.67 GAA. Additionally, Funk joined Daisuke Kanou himself as the only players to win a third Kanou Trophy. The craziest part is, he's not done. With three seasons yet to play, there's a strong chance he could earn a fourth or even a fifth. There may be goalies who put up better numbers in the regular season, but when it's all on the line, there isn't a single sane VHL GM that wouldn't want Rayz Funk defending their crease. 

Doomsday

 

2. Jet Jaguar, C

So, we are back here again? Jet Jaguar has been one of the reasons why Moscow Menace has been able to prove they are one of the best teams in VHL. Drafted 10th overall, Jet Jaguar has been on fire since joining the league. His impeccable ability to score is well recognized and currently, other S66 draftees are quite far away to even challenge his place on the leaderboard. Jaguar’s most dominating season would be S70 when he was able to put up 97 points in 72 games. His 42 goals were 2 goals short of the league leader Randoms who was his teammate at the time. In the last 2 seasons, his playoff production has been lights out as he has been able to put up 38 points in 30 games so there is no doubt that Jet Jaguar has the ability to play under pressure and be there for the team when it is most needed. For him, the biggest talking point is the lack of awards but in my eyes, they are not needed to cement his position as one of the greats that we see on the ice today. In my eyes, these last 2 seasons of his career will be extremely important to prove whether or not Jet Jaguar is better than his greatest nemesis Hunter Hearst Helmsley. 

FrostBeard

 

1. Hunter Hearst Helmsley, C

 

Welcome to HHH’s world; you are all just living in it. Somewhat of a black sheep in the VHL communities top-player debates, Hunter Hearst Helmsley’s ability has become too great to ignore. A mainstay on the top-ten list for points in the last three seasons (including a Szatkowski trophy last season, and a second-place finish in S69 by just a point), HHH is a scoring machine. He has hit 30 goals in each of the last four seasons, and is one of only four players since S69 to have reached 90 points; a feat he achieved in the same Season 69 with 42 goals and 50 assists. In fact, HHH has broken 50 assists in each of the past three seasons. Not only that, but he is a physical beast. He has registered over 260 hits in each of the past three seasons, with that finally being recognized this past season, winning the Scott Boulet Trophy for top two-way forward. In this era where high scoring is so rare, having such consistent numbers is something to behold. It is this consistency that earns HHH the number one spot on our list. The one area HHH hasn’t been able to get it done, however, is in the postseason. Despite appearing in the playoffs in each of his six VHL seasons thus far, he has never won a continental cup. With the Wolves forward core ageing, we may be approaching the end of his competitive window with the team. He will be hungry to taste playoff success and to try and cement his place as the best player from this era. He certainly hasn’t done that yet, but with his talent, it is too early to rule it out. Closing out his career with a few standout seasons might be all it takes, and so we at VSN wait with bated breath to see how our number one player for the upcoming season will perform. 

Mr_Hatter

 

Do you think VSN got it right? Do you think anyone else should be on this list? If so, post in the comments and debate it all! 

People mentioned: @DoktorFunk, @rjfryman, @Rayzor_7, @gorlab, @Beaviss

[Banackock 8,139]

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[Beaviss 4,958]

I have ascended! I think this is my first time ever at #1?