S72 Future Watch: EU Conference

[Patrik Tallinder 1,087]

 

Welcome back to Future Watch, where we analyse the prospect pools of each VHL team! In the last article, we covered the North American Conference. This week, we will shift our focus to the European Conference. Without further ado, let’s get to it.

 

 

PRAGUE PHANTOMS | 6th in EU | 9th Overall

Top Prospect: Woody McPine - S71 3rd Round (35)

 

Prague saw both of their prospects from last season return to the VHLM in S72, and has added two more. Leading the way for the newcomers is third-rounder Riley Knight Gee. The 5’10” defenseman is a solid player at both ends of the ice and has produced at just over a point-per-game rate over his whole VHLM career to date. His TPE earning has varied a lot in his career so far, mostly because he doesn’t earn an overwhelming amount of capped TPE, but he takes advantage of any uncapped opportunities that present themselves to him. Also new to the organization is Ernie King, who is an interesting prospect. After joining pretty late in the season, King had two productive weeks, earning 23 TPE in that time frame. Following that, he went inactive for two weeks, and only claimed 1 TPE in the next week after that. But then he came back, and seemed back on track, until going inactive yet again for the past two weeks. He could be an intriguing prospect if he finds any regularity in his TPE earning, but hasn’t shown the ability to do so yet.
 
Returning from last season’s Future Watch are S71 draftees Woody McPine and Jack John. McPine is a VHL-ready goaltender having an amazing run with Minnesota this season. His record of 40-5-1 is truly unbelievable, displaying his ability to lock it down when his teammates need it most. He had a brief dip in activity not long ago but is back on track to becoming quite possibly a VHL starter. John is exactly where we thought he would be last time we checked in on him, as his impressive steadiness in earning TPE has remained intact. He has seen much growth in his game this season, already setting career-highs in goals and points, as well as tying his records of assists and hits. This is with 26 games remaining too. 
 
Lastly, we have the recently acquired Adam Syreck. Leading the VHLM in points, Syreck is an offensive monster who has torn up the league for two seasons now. With over 350 career points in the minors, Syreck will look to replicate that success with Prague next season with his VHL-ready status. He consistently earns around 7 TPE per week from welfare and practice facility. Prague’s group doesn’t have a crazy amount of upside but will produce some quality players for the future.
 

 

RIGA REIGN | 5th in EU | 7th Overall

Top Prospect: DeFenz Mann - S72 2nd Round (18)

 

Riga’s farm system is one of immense depth at both the centre and defence positions. They have two VHL-ready prospects, and one of them has returned from last season’s Future Watch. That would be JaredN, an S70 draft pick who has steadily made his way to the VHLM’s TPA cap over the past few seasons. He doesn’t have tremendous upside but will provide some high-quality scoring depth for the Reign. The Canadian centre is in the top 10 in scoring in the VHLM in S72 with 84 points, which is a big improvement on what was already a breakout season in S71. DeFenz Mann finds himself in the same boat as JaredN, at least in the sense that they are both waiting for their shot at the VHL level. Mann leads all defencemen in points this season and is following up an incredible S71 performance with possibly an even better one. He earns around 13-14 TPE per week most commonly but can add onto that as well. He is definitely one to keep a watch out for.
 
After picking DeFenz Mann, Riga would later have two back-to-back third-round picks in the S72 Draft, with which they picked Jay Jones and Bobby Wyman. Wyman is an active member in the EFL and SBA, displaying his experience in sim leagues. His TPE output fluctuates a fair amount, but ultimately he’s still earning enough to be successful. He is a mean two-way defender with a physical edge, which is nice to see in a young player. Jones is also a decent two-way player, but he really shines in the offensive zone, where he’s able to put on a show with his versatile skill set. He also sees his TPE output fluctuate a bit, but usually, he doesn’t fall below 10 in a week.
 
There are some less active players in this organization who could be of importance down the line, and as the trend seems to be, one is a centre and the other is a defenceman. The centre is Cassius Gardner, who has struggled to find any regularity in his TPE earning. However, he can claim 6 TPE from welfare due to his SBA activity, so if he can build on that, he could be a really nice piece for the Reign. On the blueline, we have Joe Jacks, who was earning 6 TPE every week, before dropping heavily in activity over the past few weeks. He could potentially be a good depth piece if he gets back to where he was, but as of lately the signs haven’t been too encouraging. Riga has a decent group with plenty of depth, which is nice to see.

 

 

 

MALMO NIGHTHAWKS | 4th in EU | 4th Overall

Top Prospect: Chris Hylands - S72 2nd Round (14)

 

In contrast to the Reign, Malmo does not have much depth at all, especially with the departure of Adam Syreck. However, depth isn’t all that makes a good prospect pool. What the Nighthawks have is star potential. Their only two active prospects are undeniable stars in the making and have been trending upward for some time now.
 
We’ll start with their top prospect, in my opinion, Chris Hylands. Hylands was selected by Malmo in the second round of the S72 draft and has continued the tear he was on leading up to his draft. He is an extremely flexible player, in the sense that his skill set is adaptable to however the team needs him the most. He can score, set up plays, and break up plays coming the other way. He has established himself in the community with his job here at VSN and is a must-watch for the future.
 
Six picks before Hylands, defender Viktor Alexei Kamenov heard his name called by the very same Malmo Nighthawks. Although I have him ranked lower than Hylands, it is no slight to Kamenov, who has been earning TPE at an almost unbelievably high rate for a while too. He and Hylands have been somewhat similar prospects, rising in the draft rankings around the same time, and finding their current jobs around the same time as well. BigTittySmitty has found his place in the community with scouting, which I can relate to. His series “A Sit With Tit on VHSC” has been a hit so far, and his future looks both secure and bright.

 

 

 

HC DAVOS DYNAMO | 3rd in EU | 3rd Overall

Top Prospect: Mickey Dickson - S71 3rd Round (25)

 

Davos returns this season with a similar boatload of prospects, though this group doesn’t necessarily have the same upside as it did a season ago. With the sheer volume of players here though, you are bound to have some valuable players come out of it.
 
The team has two players who are ready for the big league, one of whom I believe to be the team’s top prospect. That player is Mickey Dickson, who recently made noise around the league with an article about the importance of treating girls no differently than boys in VHL locker rooms. Outside of that article, Brewins15 has been a relatively quiet member on the forums but has been putting in the work behind the scenes extremely consistently. 10 TPE per week is just about a guarantee, and because of that, Dickson has seen steady and encouraging growth for a long time now. Also, VHL-ready is winger Big Chungus, who has been decreasing inactivity lately. Following the S71 Draft, Chungus quickly proved himself to be a huge steal for his draft slot and had a fantastic VHLM season with Ottawa. He is on pace to improve his goal total this season as well, even after the team lost last season’s MVP,  Richard Penisson. If Chungus could just get back to where he was a mere four weeks ago, he goes from a decent prospect to possibly Davos’ best.
 
With two second-round picks in the S72 Draft, Davos elected to choose forwards Joe Exotic and Jer Lefebvre. Joe Exotic is bordering on inactive at this point, but could be a thrilling prospect for the Dynamo should he return. Lefebvre was a bit of a reach at his draft position at the time of the draft but has wasted no time at all in proving his worth to anyone who doubted him. He has earned 69 TPE in under four weeks since the draft and is putting up some nice numbers in the VHLM.
 
Consistency is one of the most common issues for less active prospects, as not everyone has the time or willingness to update every week. Gino Alkamino has flirted with inactivity many times but has ultimately stuck around for three VHLM seasons now. The tendency for his activity to go up and down leads me to believe there isn’t a ton of upside here, but he could definitely be a solid depth piece at the VHL level as long as his activity outweighs his inactivity. Someone who’s had these same habits for even longer than Alkamino is King Kruul. He goes inactive for weeks at a time but never seems to walk away entirely from the league. Being an S69 prospect, his potential is not very high, but he could also serve as a depth piece if he can bring his TPE from 217 to 250 soon enough.
 
In the fourth round of the S72 Draft, Davos seems to have found a lot of success. They picked Turner McHugh with the 37th pick, and he has been exactly what they hoped for. McHugh is a skilful playmaker, which are less common in today’s VHL. His skating and vision stand out the most, and hopefully, they can translate to success at a higher level of play. The team followed McHugh’s selection with American defenceman Chance Rust. This season, Rust returned for his second World Junior Championship, and unfortunately fell to Team Europe in the finals. Rust is a great puck-moving defenceman and will be a solid addition to the Dynamo’s blueline once he reaches the VHL. One more S72 fourth-round pick has become a player to keep an eye on, and that would be Jared Willis. He went from earning 2-6 TPE per week prior to the draft, to an average of 13 since then. His draft position may cause him to have a lower profile than most, but his promise is up there with some of the names taken above him.
 
While it isn’t a player’s dream to go in the fourth round, some would consider them lucky. Multiple prospects go undrafted each season and need to get themselves noticed by VHL teams in order to get a contract to keep their dream alive. Davos has two of these players, being Riley Walker and Trey Nets. Neither of them have been too active lately, but Trey Nets specifically has shown VHL promise early in his career. He left a comment on last season’s Future Watch, explaining that he had to step away from the league for a bit due to some terrible circumstances and that he would be back soon. We here at VSN are rooting for you, and wish you the best moving forward.

 

 

HELSINKI TITANS | 2nd in EU | 2nd Overall

Top Prospect: Spencer Elsby - S72 2nd Round (17)

 

Helsinki saw a big change in the structure of their prospect pool this season. Last season, the draw of their group was the number of decent players who were almost VHL-ready. Well, those players have moved on to the VHL, and now this group has had a complete identity shift. The thing about the active prospects in this system is that each one has shown notable potential. Starting off with the highest potential player, we have my VSN Scouting partner, Spencer Elsby. Elsby has a job as the AGM of Philadelphia, and one as a scout and writer for VSN. As far as his player is concerned, he is unquestionably among the top prospects league-wide. He is approaching 300 TPE and has made his mark on the ice as a premium two-way defender with the potential to quarterback a powerplay. Elsby is a big part of Helsinki’s future and adds onto an already exciting group of defencemen.
 
Also selected in the S72 draft were Zamboni Driver and James Rose. Zamboni Driver seems to be on pace to become Helsinki’s starter one day with his recent increase in productivity TPE-wise. He has been a quality goaltender for two seasons in the VHLM now and has already produced a great VHL player with Joey Boucher. Rose has been earning nicely as well and seems to be yet another fine defenceman in this prospect pool. I would say he is more of a two-way defender with a versatile offensive tool kit and a good mind for the game. Both of these players just back up the idea that the S72 Draft was an absolute slam dunk for this Helsinki team, and will fuel them in the future.
 
Taking a trip back to the previous draft, Bob Helminen and Hex Valentine make their returns to this list in S72. Last season, I called Valentine and Ike Bennett wildcards for the Titans, as Valentine had just come back from a long stretch of inactivity, and Bennett had just gone inactive. This label proved to be accurate, as one ended up inactive, and the other one is still around. Valentine is quite possibly poised to be the backup to Driver if everything stays how it is now, given that his period of inactivity has made it difficult to catch up with his peers. Helminen is back as well, though he certainly won’t be next season. A VHL-ready prospect, the Finnish winger is currently pushing for a goal-per-game average on the season. He has earned his TPE very steadily over the course of time, not necessarily blowing anyone away with it, but proving his reliability. Overall, Helsinki has some nice pieces at all positions and a good foundation for the future with this unit.

 

 

MOSCOW MENACE | 1st in EU | 1st Overall

Top Prospect: Alex Letang - S72 1st Round (11)

 

Moscow’s prospect pool is one with undeniable promise, and the one that I truly believe is at the top of the VHL. Headlining this group are two first-round picks in the S72 VHL Draft, being Lucas Brandt and Alex Letang. Brandt is a centre with close to 300 TPE, and an amazing ability to put the puck in the net seemingly at will. The amount of ground he’s been able to make up on the other stars of his draft class has been a sight to see, considering how late he joined in relation to the majority of them. Letang was recently named Las Vegas’ GM after the resignation of Proto, and also holds a job as an updater. He is a defenceman with high upside on both ends of the ice and is with Brandt on the road to VHL stardom.
 
On the trade front, Moscow has been extremely active in obtaining prospects over the past season. Most recently was Kazimir Komarov, who we actually covered in this season’s North American Future Watch. Komarov has a rich family history, some untapped potential, but also some struggles with consistency. They have also received two S72 draftees, one of which was directly after the draft. Remy Moreau would be that player, and he has inspired a lot of confidence since the deal. A period of inactivity dropped Moreau’s draft stock, but with five consecutive weeks of 12+ TPE, he seems to have left that in the past. Acquired from Davos, Michael Hall makes up the other half of S72 draftees traded to the Menace. Hall has been reliable in his weekly TPE output, with at least 8 TPE in all except his first week. He’s on pace for a second straight 30 goal season in the VHLM, and could even push for 40. He’s a goal scorer at heart, with a great release and some remarkable skating ability. He, along with the other two acquired by trades, is on track to become important parts of this team should their activity stay up.
 
In terms of their own success at the S72 VHL Draft, this team had it in abundance, especially in the later rounds. Kicking off their later picks is Keith Krestanovich, who they chose early in the third round. Krestanovich earns a base of 8 TPE per week and frequently adds onto that as well. His player is a quality sniper with a lot of offensive potentials, but his defensive game is lacking. Moving on, Moscow then picked Cole Newhook later in that same round. Newhook was a late joiner, and only really hit his stride in the league after the draft. Now, he is one of the most active members on the forums and earning far more TPE than ever before. There is legitimate star potential here if everything goes right, which is rarely said for a third-rounder. With the second last pick in the draft, the Menace struck gold yet again with Pietro Angellini. This is another player with star potential, and who only showed that after the draft. He excels in protecting the puck down low and taking it to the net as much as possible. He went from earning 37 TPE over his first 8 weeks, to suddenly earning 89 over the next 4. Hopefully, all these prospects can keep it up because there is an almost unfathomable amount of upside to this group.

 

That concludes another season of Future Watch. I wish the best for all these prospects, and hope to see you at the VHL level soon!

 

Here at VSN, there are many outlets for you to follow these prospects yourself. Consider catching up on the WJC with daily updates, or seeing if any of them are making noise in the minors with VHLM Weekly! Here is some of VSN’s most recent work:

WJC Updates | Deep Rewind | VHL Weekly | VHLM Weekly

 

Players mentioned: @KnightRiley @Greg Ernest @HearnNation67 @GoadenGoalie35 @Spade18 @jared @Mike @TTtheT @Lefty_S @jhatty8 @ashton112 @Hylands33 @BigTittySmitty @Brewins15 @Ferda @Joe Exotic @Jer_Lefebvre @ChaceT @LefLop @Turner @turkey2349 @Jared Willis @GlowyGoat @KillaScrilla @Spence King @Tape-to-Tape @MattyIce @Big Bob @DrHexDex @twists @Spartan @Gooningitup @Da Trifecta @Hops @Boragina @GrittyIsKing09 @okifenoki

[Victor 10,836]

Moscow Moscow Moscow 

[MexicanCow123 906]

Yukon making me proud.

[samx 1,158]

Thank you!!

[mediocrepony 1,216]

Thanks @Patrik Tallinder

[jhatty8 663]

5 hours ago, Patrik Tallinder said:

The centre is Cassius Gardner, who has struggled to find any regularity in his TPE earning.

 

ballin

[mattyIceman 1,171]

Solid article!

[Da Trifecta 1,896]

MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW