The Super Rookie has Arrived

[bigAL 2,176]

Groovy Dood had some pressure on him. He was a member of that Minnesota Storm team that dominated the regular season but flamed out in the playoffs, letting the expansion Miami Marauders drag them to 7 games in round one before losing round two. His stats were good, not great, on that stacked Storm team. In the S74 VHL Draft, there were some very big names at the top of the prospect ranking, and Groovy Dood wasn’t always among them. bigAL was hoping that a VHL franchise would take a chance on Groovy Dood in the first round.
 

Welp, now we know that a team did take a chance on Groovy Dood in the first round. In fact, the D.C. Dragons took the rookie first overall, ahead of perennial competitors like Tyler Walker and Micah Adrienne.
 

First overall comes with some heavy expectations. The Dragons were not the worst team in the league last season; their GM @Enorama would tell you matter-of-factly that they were the “third most skilled team in the league” despite their finish outside of the playoffs. This D.C. team has been consistently underperforming for years, and a lottery win was expected to vault the Dragons into immediate contention.
 

Initially, Groovy Dood wasn’t up for all that stress. He had dreams of playing another season in the VHLM; hopes of getting traded to his beloved Miami Marauders and leading his rag-tag group of groupies to a Founder’s Cup. The plan with his agent all along was to spend one more season marinating in the minors with the expectation of being a beast of a rookie in S75.
 

Dragon’s management wasn’t about that plan. The owners and fans in D.C. have had enough of their mediocrity and are demanding a quick return to the playoffs. Another losing season could have disastrous effects on the front office and the roster. A first overall super-rookie was to be the final piece of the puzzling puzzle that puzzled the Dragons for seasons.

Again, that’s a whole lot of pressure for a rookie to handle. Despite some serious off-season training, Groovy Dood wasn’t yet mentioned in the same breath as his S74 rookie brethren. Through the first half of the season, Dood was struggling to adjust to the VHL. His pass-first mentality that earned him praise from coaches and linemates alike in the M wasn’t translating to the VHL. Groovy worked with Skills Coach @fonziGG to develop a lethally accurate wrist shot, and rumours are floating that an off-side one-time slap-shot is the next tool being sharpened. Management gave the new and improved Groovy Dood opportunities to shine, and slotted him in the first powerplay unit.
 

Since developing that shot, Groovy Dood has developed the confidence needed to assert himself as a force in the VHL. Dood’s great coming-out party happened on August 4, in a matchup with the expansion Phoenix Chicagoes. In a 7-1 game the Dragons absolutely dominated, it was the young Groovy Dood that led the way. By the end of the second period, the Dood had a hat-trick and two assists. Doubters bemoan that anyone can rack up points on the powerplay against bad teams, but two of his three goals came at 5 on 5 even strength. The powerplay time was the spark that ignited the competitive flame in Groovy Dood, D.C.’s super rookie.
 

As of now, the D.C. Dragons are in the final playoff spot. Groovy Dood is expected to lead the team into the playoffs and beyond. If all goes well, he will be the last top-10 pick the Dragons make this decade.