S75 Draft Weekend Press Conference - Addison McLaren

[tcookie 927]

Since I technically don't have a team for now ... anyone have any questions for me heading into the VHLM and VHL drafts this weekend?

[Red 499]

1.First how nervous are you going into the draft, this can be a very stressful time for a young player?

2.Where do you expect to fall in the draft, do you believe that the projections/mock drafts are true?

3.How are you planning to celebrate once you've been drafted?

4.Where do you expect to be playing next year, the VHL or VHLM?

5.Which VHL player do you look up to or are emulating as you start your VHL Journey?

6.What are your expectations for yourself next year, any personal goals?

 

[tcookie 927]

8 minutes ago, RedSus said:

1.First how nervous are you going into the draft, this can be a very stressful time for a young player?

2.Where do you expect to fall in the draft, do you believe that the projections/mock drafts are true?

3.How are you planning to celebrate once you've been drafted?

4.Where do you expect to be playing next year, the VHL or VHLM?

5.Which VHL player do you look up to or are emulating as you start your VHL Journey?

6.What are your expectations for yourself next year, any personal goals?

 

 

1) It's definitely very exciting and very stressful all at once... so yeah I'm a bit nervous. It's ultimately out of my control now, I've had my chance to show teams what I'm about since joining and now it's up to the GMs, so I'm trying not to worry too much about it, but it's hard not to be a little nervous for it.

 

2) There are so many players in this draft, and so many good new players that have been really active, that it's a hard thing to predict, but I think late-1st/early-2nd sounds about right. I did have a couple of good interviews with teams that are not quite in that range so we'll see how it goes.

 

3) Between draft preparation and playoff run I haven't even gotten around to thinking about that! It'll be nice for the draft experience to be behind me, have some more certainty for the future, and just be able to take some time and relax.

 

4) If the team that drafts me wants me up, I'm not going to complain, but I expect to spend another year in the VHLM and I'm perfectly OK with that.

 

5) Kris Rice has been a role model so far as Miami's GM and he's a player who was kind of in my situation, a late first round pick, spent a year in the VHLM, had some steady improvement and really broke out the last couple of seasons. Another one, who plays stylistically closer to me, is Mikko Lahtinen. The season he just had was incredible, 61 goals, 123 points, 306 hits. Obviously scoring like that is tough but I think I can be a guy who puts up some PPG seasons and throws the body around like that.

 

6) Assuming I'm in the VHLM, I'm going for another ring! Although I'm more concerned about winning than numbers, there's a certain standard of play I hold myself to. I'd hope I can put up 50 goals and close to 100 points with another year at the VHLM level. If I play at the VHL level, which I kind of doubt but just to give a complete answer to the question - I know I've got some development to do to be at the level of someone like Taro or Stamen or some of the S74 picks that spent a year in the minors, so I'd just like to play well enough to be sort of in the conversation as one of the league's better rookies.

 

Thanks for the questions. You're the man Cabe, good luck in the draft!