Season 73 VSN Top 25: #25 - #21

[Doomsday 4,143]

Special thanks to @Pengu for being a creative mastermind!

 

#25 - #21

 

It's been an eventful off-season for the VHL, with four brand new teams entering the fold. But with the expansion draft and VHL Entry Draft over, training camps have opened once again. A new season is just around the corner and the Riga Reign are ready to defend their status as VHL Champions, which means it's time once again for another staple of the VHL off-season: the VSN's Top 25! With eight different members of VSN contributing towards ranking the Top 25 this season (@FrostBeard, @Doomsday, @Erik Summers, @Patrik Tallinder, @Hylands, @rjfryman, @Matt_O, and @Berocka) and featuring write-ups from Doomsday, hylands, @Mr_Hatter, Patrik Tallinder and @diamond_ace, VSN's annual ranking of the Top 25 players in the VHL is here! As the league waits for the new season to begin, we'll count down from #25 all the way to #1, in the course of segments of five players. So, let's get started with #25, a member of the aforementioned VHL Champions...

 

25. LW - Patrik Tallinder

Season 72: Unranked

 

The list begins with not only a new entrant into the Top 25 but also a new entrant into the ranks of Continental Cup winners. With a career-high 63 points, Patrik Tallinder helped the Riga Reign to a quick, lopsided playoff run en route to the cup. This was a career year for Tallinder in most stats, with more goals than ever before, tied for the same assist total as last season, more shots, more shot blocks, more power-play goals, and fewer minutes spent in the penalty box. The one exception is his hit count has gone down season upon season - early in his career, he showed flashes of a physical game, but as his career has gone on he’s dropped that in favour of a higher scoring game. Given that trajectory, and on a team such as Riga, Tallinder could be poised to break out even more in the upcoming season since Riga should yet again be a top team, and Tallinder is in his prime.

 - diamond_ace

 

24. D - Cinnamon Block

Season 72: 21

 

S69’s first overall pick finds herself falling a bit in the rankings this year, but not by any fault of her own. Block followed up a fantastic breakout season in S71 with an even better S72 season. Despite a small drop in goal scoring, the Prague defender put up a notable 56 more hits, as well as 39 more shots blocked. Early on in her career, her game seemed to cater more towards defence. However, after her rookie season, she saw her defensive numbers dip a bit while her offence progressed. In S72, Cinnamon Block really started to see a nice balance between elite-level offensive and defensive play with the aforementioned stats. As soon as this season, we could be looking at a Labatte candidate because of just how little weaknesses she shows in her game nowadays. There’s no right answer to the question of whether offence or defence wins championships, so why not cover both bases with a defender like Block.

- Patrik Tallinder

 

23. D - Roque Davis

Season 72: Unranked

 

Entering into our preseason Top 25 rankings for the first time, we have the young Davos defenseman, Roque Davis. Davis has already achieved more than many players, and with only two seasons under his belt, he has a lot of time left to make his mark on the league. Following a fantastic performance in the VHLM with San Diego that saw him earning top defensemen while leading the league in assists and points, Davis had big expectations in his first season in the VHL. Playing on a Davos team that finished bottom of the league, Davis found himself as the key playmaker for the team as a rookie, and he failed to disappoint. Finishing with 69 points, he was tied for 3rd out of defensemen, but his astounding 25 goals lead the league out of defensemen and netted him not only the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy for top rookie but also the Alexander Valiq Trophy for top offensive defenseman. This past season, with a much-improved team alongside him, Davis shifted away from the role of goal-scorer and focused more on his playmaking, earning 14 more assists at the cost of 10 fewer goals. His 73 points, while not enough to earn him silverware in a season with star-studded defensive performances, showcases his solid output, as he remained in the top 25 for points. With the majority of his career ahead of him, we can’t wait to see what Davis does next!

- Hatter

 

22. C - Benny Graves

Season 72: Unranked

 

Now entering his fifth season, D.C. Dragons lifer Benny Graves, drafted second overall in Season 69 (nice), makes his debut on the VSN Top 25 after posting career-highs across the board in Season 72. Although he's been a remarkably consistent talent so far in his career, scoring 28 goals two seasons in a row in Seasons 70 and 71, he broke through with 37 goals in Season 72. Finishing with 74 points, Graves averaged over a point per game in what was a tremendously disappointing season for the Dragons. With a versatile skill set, Graves is a player that's simply dangerous anywhere on the ice. He's a threat to score, he's not afraid to hit, he's a wizard in the faceoff circle and became a major weapon on the power play with 12 man-advantage goals. If D.C. can figure out how to bust out of the rut they're in, Benny Graves could be a household name by the end of the season.

- Doomsday

 

21. RW - Owen Nolan

Season 72: 24

 

Jumping up a few spots from last year, on the back of a very good season with the New York Americans, we have the Irish winger, Owen Nolan. Nolan scored 40 goals and had 42 assists last season, for 82 points in 72 games. He upped his point production by nearly 10 points as the Americans benefited from some midseason acquisitions. The winger is quite versatile as a forward, boasting above-average face-off skills which allow him to be utilized both on the wing and at the centre. He has an incredible eye for goal and is seemingly able to score from anywhere on the ice. His shooting skill is nearly matched by his puck handling, which is what probably allows him to be so successful in the offensive zone, as he makes it seem like child’s play when he is at his best. Nolan is also a very responsible and reliable player in the defensive zone. His phenomenal skating ability comes in to play here; he is great on the backcheck and has all-around great hockey IQ. On an Americans team that is poised for another cup run, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Nolan build on last season and have his numbers go up even further and potentially be among the top forwards for scoring come the end of the season. 

- hylands

 

Featuring three players brand new to the Top 25, the next generation is beginning to make their presence felt in the VHL! However, we're not done revealing players new to the Top 25! Along with three mainstays to this list, two brand new players will be joining the ranks of the VHL's Top 25 on the next segment! Stay tuned for #20 to #16 on our next article!

 

Players Mentioned: @Patrik Tallinder, @omgitshim, @Josh, @STZ, @studentized

[Mr_Hatter 1,608]

I think Graves may be a bit of a surprise performer this season  We'll see!

[Victor 11,021]

Davis gonna be the new Smitty you heard it here first.

[omgitshim 903]

The disrespect.

[DarkSpyro 973]

I wonder if I’ll actually make it on this Top 25 list this season. 

[Beketov 9,101]

These came into existence after Thompson retired and before Lahtinen became less of a scrub so let’s see if I can manage to finally make it into one.

[Victor 11,021]

22 hours ago, Beketov said:

These came into existence after Thompson retired and before Lahtinen became less of a scrub so let’s see if I can manage to finally make it into one.

A damn shame we never got to see Thompson at #2.