Season 73 VSN Top 25: #10 - #6

[Doomsday 4,143]

Big thanks to @Pengu for his graphical wizardry!!

 

#10 - #6

 

Well, folks, we've finally made it to the Top Ten! While all of the players who earn their way into the Top 25 are elite players in their own right, we're truly entering the best of the best now. These are the skaters capable of taking over a game, the defensemen capable of changing the flow, and the goalies that teams can count on to lead them to a big win on any stage. All of the players featured today appeared on the Top 25 last season, but two of them are making the big jump to being Top Ten players in the VHL, including a newly-transitioned forward who jumped forward the most rankings out of anyone on the Top 25! But first, we'll begin with a defenseman whose reinvention of his playing style has elevated him to become one of the best at his position...

 

10. D - Hulk Hogan

Season 72: 18

 

A player who has found much success since his days in the minors, Seattle’s Hulk Hogan has had quite the remarkable career. Beginning in his first and only VHLM season, he wasted no time establishing himself as a top prospect. He claimed the Ryan Sullivan and Vladimir Boomchenko Trophies that season, putting up 77 assists and 94 points in the process. After his 5th overall selection, Hogan has gone on to win 3 Continental Cups in his 6 seasons so far in the VHL, being a vital piece of an almost unstoppable Seattle team. His 156 points in his last 150 games (from the beginning of S71 to now) really stick out, and his defensive numbers have been exceptional as well. There’s really no areas of weakness in his game right now; He is simply one of those players who can take control of a game at both ends of the ice. His VHLM awards, Continental Cups, and an Alexander Beketov Trophy from S71 already might not all fit in his trophy case back home, and there’s a very possible chance that he adds even more to his collection.

- Patrik Tallinder

 

9. G - Greg Eagles

Season 72: 7

 

Despite a strong playoffs run in Season 72 that saw his trophy case welcome another award, Greg Eagles falls from 7th in last season's ranking to 9th this time around. Indeed, the Riga Reign goaltender was awarded the Daisuke Kanou Trophy after posting a straight-up unfair .936 save percentage in 13 games, en route to his second Continental Cup conquest. He led the Latvian franchise to a historical 12-1-0 record throughout these playoffs, making the S72 Reign the team to win a Continental Cup in the least amount of games since the post-season tournament was expanded to three full rounds and possibly the team to post the best win percentage at 92.3% in a single playoff run. His subpar regular season stats last season might be the reason he slipped 2 spots but, at the end of the day, the Season 70 Goalie of the Year is still considered as a Top 10 player in the league, having won north of 30 games in his previous five campaigns, with a career-high of 44 when he was the starting netminder of a strong Vancouver Wolves team. Now entering the penultimate season of his career, his third as the Reign starter, Eagles is still expected to post strong numbers which would get him to be considered as one of the best goaltenders in the league, as age doesn't seem to have caught up to him just yet. 

- McWolf

 

8. LW - Jerry Garcia

Season 72: 22

 

Jerry Garcia was a player known around the league as an elite player in his own end of the ice, but snakebitten in the offensive zone. After being traded from his previous life-long home in Malmo to the HC Davos Dynamo, many analysts were rightfully sceptical of his switch to left-wing from the blue line, but against all odds, it was a move that paid off. The only player in the VHL to have a flavour of ice cream named after him finished just short of 40 goals with 39, or two less than he had scored the previous four seasons combined. He tacked on 45 assists for 84 points, a tremendous season for a player just getting their feet wet at forward. Sadly, this will be Garcia's final season, but his offensive potential, combined with his amazing play at his new position, made him the player with the single biggest leap forward in our rankings, moving from #22 all the way to #8. It's been a wild ride for the first Jerry in the VHL, but his contributions both on and off the ice have Davos in a prime position to send him off to retirement as a big winner. 

- Doomsday

 

7. G - Rayz Funk

Season 72: 3

 

Rayz Funk actually finds himself falling down a few spots to 7th this year. Not to say he had a bad season, but his numbers were slightly down compared to his usual performance. I still expect Funk to be among the top 3 goalies at the end of this upcoming season, and I would say he has a great chance at still being #1. Seattle looks to be set to compete once again, and Funk will be aiming to be that solid backbone that the Bears can build upon game after game. However, Funk could see his number of starts come down slightly, as Seattle drafted their goalie for the future in this season’s entry draft and will be ready for the VHL as well. What Funk does best is remain calm at all times, you will rarely see Funk scrambling for position and is rarely beaten by a poor shot as he has a great sense of positioning. Opposition forwards don’t often find themselves with 2nd or 3rd chances on Funk either, as he just swallows pucks with his excellent rebound control. It’s tough to predict how Rayz will perform this season, but I would think that he will be disappointed with his overall play last year and may come back with one of his best seasons yet. Seattle will always be deadly as long as Funk keeps up with his usual performance and will have his eyes set on adding some more silverware to his collection. 

- hylands

 

6. D - Lincoln Tate

Season 72: 8

 

Lincoln Tate is the perfect example of a player who has consistently improved his game season upon season. He put up a career-high 86 points in S72, which beat his previous career-high of 67 points in S71, and every season but one he has improved upon the prior year’s total. This season in particular, Tate has also had the privilege of taking home a cup for his efforts. A strong contributor on both ends of the ice, his 86 points aren’t the only thing to write home about either. 202 hits, 134 blocked shots, and a plus 20 round out a great all-around performance for the veteran defender, one that surely helped to propel his team to the success it had both in the regular season and the playoffs. Speaking of playoffs, he put up a further 17 points there, in just 13 games - as it only took Riga 13 games to win the entire thing outright.

- diamond_ace

 

The VHL season may just be beginning, but we're reaching the end of the Top 25! Hulk Hogan and Jerry Garcia reached the Top Ten for the first time, with Garcia jumping a staggering 14 spots. Goalies Greg Eagles and Rayz Funk continue their good showings on this list, and Lincoln Tate is on the verge of kicking down the door to reach the Top Five after another excellent season from the blue liner. Only five spots remain now, and at this point, there likely isn't much speculation who the Top Five will be. The real question will be, as it always is, who did VSN rank as the top player in the VHL? The answer, along with the Top Five players in the VHL, will be revealed tomorrow!

 

Players Mentioned: @TXC, @Greg_Di, @GustavMattias, @Rayzor_7, @Tate