VSN Presents: VHLM Week 3 Power Rankings

[fromtheinside 1,278]

 

Another week of sims has come and passed and the ever-changing landscape of the VHLM continues to take shape. This week the battle for M supremacy heated up even more as Mexico City and Philly both continued winning at torrid paces. We also saw Halifax regain some of their S74 form as they had themselves a solid week, while over in the Western Conference, Yukon experienced some struggles and now find themselves clinging on to the last playoff spot. It was another eventful week of sims, so without further ado, let's start breaking it down!

 

Last Week: 2  |  This Week: 1  

Almost half the season in the books and finally there is heir to the Power Rankings throne! The Kings are truly amongst VHLM royalty this season, currently boasting a pristine 23-4-3 record which is good for first in the entire league, edging out the Reapers by a mere 2 points. This two point discrepancy is not the reason I put them over Philly though. These teams are awfully close in mostly every aspect you can think of, but the reason I gave Mexico the edge this week is because they actually beat Philly head-to-head this week by a score of 5-3. I would even go as far to say that the Kings and the Reapers are 1A and 1B but for the sake of fairness crowning a clear winner, I gave it to Mexico this week.  Offensively @jhatty8RJ Thatcher and @youloser1337Justin Lose are the teams one-two punch providing 17 and 16 goals respectively. The team continues to get solid offensive support from their second line also, and longtime VHLM journeyman defenseman @LefLopKing Kruul sits amidst the top 5 d-man scoring. With 7 of their players sitting at the 200+ TPE mark (and another 3 knocking on the door), the Kings are poised to make a solid run for the Founders Cup this season. They are unquestionably the best team in the Eastern Conference and this week, they are #1 on our list!

 

Last Week: 1 |  This Week: 2  

For the first time all season, the Reapers find themselves looking up in the Power Rankings! Like I mentioned while recapping the Kings, this could easily be flip-flopped as both these top 2 teams are total powerhouses in their own right. While I may go as far to say the Kings are a more complete team overall, the Reapers are right there with them and I think they pack more of a punch with their top end talent also.  The top line for Philly continues to reap offensive benefits as the top line of McLaren, Bouchard and Marimoto are ALL in the top 5 for scoring right now. At this point, there seems to be no stopping that line. What's even crazier is some of the supporting cast that's been developing in Philly this season also! @EynhallowIsau DaMoose has been a top TPE earner the past few weeks and it's starting to show! DaMoose just surpassed his point total last season with his 28th point of the year. Last year it took him 52 games to get 27 points, so you can see the progress this player has made. Also many people may overlook @CrazyCaityCatCaitlyn Catowize since the numbers aren't jumping off the page at you. This prospect is playing a depth role because she's on a LOADED Philly squad, but make no mistake, this will be a player to watch heading into the VHL Entry Draft and VHLM Dispersal Draft next season! And rounding things out is the rock-steady @Greg_DiTom Eagles.  This S76 recreate is developing at a rapid pace and it proving to be the D-man Philly needed him to be this season. 

 

Last Week: 6 | This Week: 3 

The biggest jump up in the Power Rankings this week belongs to the San Diego Marlins. The Marlins enjoyed a red-hot week of sims and have went 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, including a victory over the powerhouse Philadelphia Reapers.  While @ProutCowboy Prout and @fromtheinsideScotty Kaberle continue to go 1-2 in defensemen scoring leaguewide, @Jonessee27Nero Endrizzi and @TateRed Lite have carried the core of forwards on the team with 38 and 40 points a piece. GM @InstantRockstar identified the teams lack of scoring depth yesterday and went out and acquired @Nepto Maksim Yakolevsky from Ottawa. This marks the second consecutive week Maksim has been traded but this could prove to be a massive addition for the Marlins. San Diego fans are hoping that by bringing in Yakolevsky, the team can finally spark some offense on their second line. Getting some production from their offensive depth could really put the Marlins over the edge and maybe even push them in "contender" status. The have elite scoring. They have a defensive core that is second to none, and goalie @MSO94 Michael Olson has started to show some signs of improvement after a slow start to his season, posting 2 shutouts in the past 7 days. 

 

Last Week: 5 | This Week: 4 

Moving up for the second consecutive week is the Saskatoon Wild. Going 5-4-1 in their past 10, the Wild are starting to find their form. Florent Vericel and Steve Eso continue to lead the way up front but @coochimanVivek Weiner and @dshervill"Big Daddy" Braxton Hunter  continue you to develop nicely in their sophomore seasons. Meanwhile back on D, to nobodies surprise,  rookie prospect @Acydburn Battre Sandstrom has really started to make his mark on the club. He has been the Wild's better D-man thus far, leading in points as well as plus/minus. Among the returning blue-liners @yevtySilas LaFriend seems to have regained some of that rookie desire he had from last season, posting 31 TPE over the past two weeks and eclipsing the 200 TPE milestone. On the flipside though,  @GeckoeyGeckoGabriel Johnson has in my eyes been a disappointment this season. Last season Johnson was the cornerstone of the Wild's blueline and yours truly was lucky enough to play alongside him in my rookie season. Johnson was the player I strived to be like. He was in a prime position to cap his player in Season 75 and completely dominate all year.  While he has 23 points which is not at all bad, he could have been that piece to put the Wild over the top this season. If he took some time away from Summoner's Rift and hit the gym for some training, he could still be a huge player wherever he plays. Luckily, the Wild are getting lots of contributions elsewhere to make up for it. In net, @DragonFire420 continues to improve weekly.

 

Last Week: 4 | This Week: 5 

Another week, another spot lower in the rankings for @SpartanSpraytan and his Las Vegas Aces. The past week has not been great for the Aces. The club managed to go 5-5 in their past 10, with one of their losses coming at the hands of the lowly Ottawa Lynx (yikes). On top of the humiliating loss, they ALMOST lost a second contest to Ottawa, and they also dropped a contest to the Mississauga Hounds. Of their past 10 games, 6 games were against bottom tier teams in the league, so going 5-5 is really not much of an accomplishment. Despite all this, I still do believe Las Vegas is one of the better teams in our league. As mentioned in previous weeks of the Power Rankings, the top 4 defensemen for the Aces is unrivaled in the VHLM. Offensively @SimmerDown99Connor Sim has emerged as Vegas' trump card this year. Having just passed the 200 TPE mark, Sim has led the way with 19 goals for the Aces. Vegas is really going to need him to keep up his breakout season if they want to remain in the mix for the Founders Cup. Perhaps the Aces management will be looking to acquire a forward before the deadline to help bolster their offense?  Despite only putting up 18 points, sophomore @NordinKelly Power has also developed nicely this season as a dependable girinder type forward. Along with his 18 points, Power has amassed an amazing 111 hits already this year, along with 44 PIMS. Opponents know they can expect a rough night at the office when they roll into Vegas for a game against the Aces.

 

Last Week: 3 | This Week: 6 

Our biggest fall in the Power Rankings this week goes to the reigning, defending champions- the Miami Marauders. First off, I will take part of the blame for Miami's plummet to the 6 spot. I put them at 3 last week, and maybe that was an oversight on my behalf. But regardless of whether I had them at 3 or 4 last week,  they have certainly experiences a little bit of struggle over the past week.  While they did go 6-4 in their previous 10 games, many of those games were against weaker Eastern Conference opponents. The offensive has been sporadic as of late for Miami. Six of their last 10 games, the Marauders have only mustered 3 or less goals. And while they did post a couple of 7-spots in that 10 game stretch, it does seem as though Miami has hit a bit of a speedbump on their road to a title defense.  After coming out of the gate absolutely white-hot, the tandem of @RedSusCabe McJake and @Jayrad28Ryan Ryker have really slowed down as of late. Ryker especially comes as a surprised. As a forward I had pegged to have a monster year, the young right-winger has dipped below the point per game mark and it's also worth noting he just claimed welfare for the first week of December. At one point Ryker had been a top earner so I was surpised he claimed welfare, especially since he is so close to being capped out for the season. Another thing that Miami might be lacking is some real depth at the center position. This is no surprise as many teams in the M this season are short on good centremen.  The Marauders also could use some depth on defense as the TPE dips off pretty hard after @chiknChicken Wing and @Martin BradacMartin Master (both of whom are having decent campaigns). But if there is one thing that I- and the rest of the VHLM community knows- it's not to ever count out @Ricer13GM Ricer and his team. There's still plenty of time left to rectify some of their issues and all things considered, they are still a very formidable opponent. They also have the advantage of playing in the East, so they should be lock for a playoff spot.

 

Last Week: 8 This Week: 7

Up one spot this week to number 7 is the Halifax 21st, ran by noted uprising-thwarter @Dil. Despite the man's hate for AGM's everywhere, he does a pretty good job of fielding a competitive club in the VHLM. As the saying goes, you're only as good as your best player, and that is especially true for this club.  @DolantDolant Ferititta continues his dominance of the minor leagues with 49 points in 30 games, which is just one off the pace for tops in the league (currently held by @tcookie25 Addison McLaren).  While the 21st have some decent support pieces,  I feel the Boatgang is in the same boat as the Marauders. Not alot of talent up the middle. Though their top man in between the dots is @StamkosFanEmpty with a respectable 180 TPE, he isn't putting much effort into developing his player, and after him there isn't much too speak of on the depth chart unfortunately. I guess the real question is will Dil be a buyer or seller at the trade deadline. Does he try to play the Miami role and maybe sneak into the playoffs as a low seed and make a run? If so he will need to add a piece or two at the deadline. On the flipside, Fertitta could fetch a high price as a rental player for a contender and Halifax could stand to replenish the cupboards a bit and refocus on next season. It should be interesting to see which way Halifax goes, because at this point it literally could go either way. Only time will tell. 

 

Last Week: 7 | This Week: 8 

 

In a week that saw the Rush go 5-5, they fall yet another spot to 8. Their 5-5 stint is sort of a microcosm of their season thus far. A team that has potential to do well, yet is mired in mediocrity. When you really boil it down, Yukon is one of a few teams who are victim to the uber-competitive Western Conference. Even last place Houston is on a three game win streak and there are literally no easy games within those 6 teams. While it is great for parody in the league, Yukon execs are pulling their hair out trying to figure out how to come out ahead in this juggernaut conference. Both player acquired via trade this season have yielded positive results for Yukon. @Jake Sumner has potted 17 goals and 30 points, meanwhile just a week into his Yukon stint, center @TenZiKevin Sterk has posted 17 points (5G, 12A) in just 13 games. Meanwhile team captain @GreenGatoVick Fairchild continues to show why he wears the "C" as not only does he lead the team with 35 points (11G, 24A) but he also has been a max earner every week since joining the Rush. Meanwhile back on the blueline, @GoliathusTee Pee E II continues to lead the team as their top defenseman, however, young rookie prospect Kristof Welch has came onto the VHLM scene like a bat out of hell, already at 129TPE in his first few weeks in the league.  While only putting up 7 points in 20 games, don't be deceived, by my estimation this blue-chip rookie is going to have an incredible career and is already the talk of the S75 drafts. On the last line of defense, goaltender @Kloxified continues to develop in preparation for his callup to Chicago next season. He is having a stellar season and the Rush will need him at his best if they plan on doing anything in the playoffs this season.

 

Last Week: 10 | This Week: 9  

We've made it all the way to number 9, and Houston is the first team to hold at their original position from last week. That just goes to show how close things are this season with so many teams jockeying for position amongst the standings, and Houston really is not an exception to that either.  Although they didn't get out of the 9 hole this week, Houston rides a 3 game winning streak going into the end of the week, with the last of those 3 wins coming against the #1 ranked Mexico City Kings. They also just barely were edged out by the Kings at the start of the week. This is yet another example of just how tight things are this year. Left winger @domg5 Dominic Gobeil continues to impress in his second year campaign, tallying 18 goals and 18 assists for 36 points, which leads all Bulls players. Fellow winger @WebberjJon Webber is also having himself a solid season. Perhaps he should share some of his secret training tips to brother @WebberPPaul, as John is 11 points ahead in the Battle of Brothers Webb.  There is still plenty of time for this Houston team to keep developing. This team is almost exclusively made up of sophomores, so it's essential that the Bulls' players are working hard to earn as much as they can. If the whole team commits, its very possible for Houston to secure themselves a spot in the playoffs this season. And even looking forward, it seems like many of the players will be eligible to come back next season. Perhaps the Bulls are looking towards season 76 to be a dominant team, in which case one could speculate if Gobeil is moved before the deadline as he will mostly be going pro next season. Regardless, Houston is definitely an interesting team worth keeping tabs on. 

 

Last Week: 11 | This Week: 10 

Flip-flopping with the Storm this week and coming in at number 10 is the Mississauga Hounds. Sadly, 10th is the highest I think the Hounds will end up being on this list the rest of the way.  Having posted an 11-17-1 record thus far, it's clear that the focus for the Hounds needs to be on the future. That being said, there are a pair of draft eligible wingers on this team that are most definitely worth keeping an eye on.  Finnish left winger@JollineEeli Rantanen has come strong out of the gate having already accumulated 125 TPE in just over 2 weeks! Seemingly inspired by Finnish countryman the Finnish Flash,  Rantanen has focused mainly on speed and scoring so far in their development. It's definitely paying dividends as Eeli has 38 points in just 29 games. Not to be outdone, teammate @SljppersErin Esurance has also come into the VHLM guns ablazing, earning 127 TPE in roughly the same timeframe as their teammate. Double E has opted for a more balanced build but has still has produced at more than a point-per-game pace (15G, 14A in 27 games).  Esurance has also jumped to the top of the TPE leaderboard this week in the early going, already posting a very impressive 35 TPE. These two are prime candidates to be high first round picks come draft time in the offseason.  While the S76 draft class may not be as robust as last season, there is surely no shortage in quality players to choose from, that's unquestionable.  Hopefully these two left-wingers keep doing what they're doing! Great job guys! As for the Hounds, look for them to potentially be sellers before the trade deadline and recoup some assets heading into the draft.

 

Last Week: 10 | This Week: 11 

Swapping places with the Hounds this week, Minnesota comes in at 11. While the season started on a somewhat high-note for the Storm, they have since went off the rails and seemingly are at the point of no return.  While they have done a decent job at signing some rookies off waivers, none of them have been notable earners like the aforementioned rookies on Mississauga. Are the Storm unlucky or perhaps there needs to be better leadership amongst the team to help get the young guys going. I'm not in the locker room, so it's hard for me to say. Of all the players on the roster, last week none of them did a 6 point media task and only 4 of them amassed 10 TPE or more. Not being a competitive team might happen from time to time, but it's truly unfortunate when a whole roster of players IN THE MINORS (where it's the best time to develop) are hardly doing the bare minimum.  Do better Minnesota.

 

Last Week: 12 | This Week: 12 

Well, Ottawa won another game, so that's good right? We all know this season is a write-off, but unlike the Storm, there are a few positives this week for the Lynx. Aside from beating the Hounds 4-3 over the weekend, they also got another point against a strong Las Vegas team, just barely losing in a shootout. Ottawa slowly is building their roster up also, this week signing another defenseman, which brings them to a total of 2! All kidding aside, I am excited about a recent waiver pickup Ottawa made. Left winger @IHateBobNuttingPhillip Stein has been in the league for less than 2 weeks, but he will surely be cracking triple digits TPE this week, which in turn will allow him to gain his First Gen Bonus. Getting over 110 TPE in under 3 weeks is great progress. He has contributed some quality content and is on pace to be a high end pick in next season's draft. Keep up the great work Phil. 

 

Another week of Power Rankings in the books. This week saw a whole lot of movement and turbulence in the rankings. As we've said numerous times over the past few weeks, this season is insanely close and it really is anybody's ball game this year. I'd consider Mexico City and Philadelphia the clear-cut top two, but after that, spots 3-10 are wide open for the taking. We are closing in on the half way point in the season and there are definitely more questions than answers. I imagine come trade deadline we could see some movement from teams trying to get themselves over the hump and legitimize their championship chances. Until next week, keep earning that TPE and keep improving! Cheers!

 

 

[Dom 1,440]

@fromtheinside its a 5 win streaks we got in Houston the reason the portal show 3 consecutive is because one of them was an OT win

[fromtheinside 1,278]

oh yeah I saw you guys had an OT Win and forgot to see if that made it a 5-streak. Lol you guys needed it though, pretty sure you lost 5 straight before that. Or something like that?

5 minutes ago, domg5 said:

@fromtheinside its a 5 win streaks we got in Houston the reason the portal show 3 consecutive is because one of them was an OT win

 

[Dom 1,440]

@fromtheinside yeah we had a rough loose streak before that

[Jayrad28 369]

Ryker’s a bust

[fromtheinside 1,278]

4 minutes ago, Jayrad28 said:

Ryker’s a bust

no way dude, you can still pop off, I have faith. 

[CrazyCaityCat 65]

Hey! Good lookin out! Thanks for the shoutout! I love these articles anyway but this was even better.

 

We in Philly are determined to catch Mexico City and win the cup!

[hylands 838]

MEXICOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[BOOM 8,400]

Good writeup man.