Future of the Blues in the VJHL
Blues has 4 prospect and they are all playing defense in the VJHL so this position is the strongest area for the years to come for the Blues. Ron Hainsey 17 year old, Defense Ron is playing for Frontenacs and he is the #1 d-man for them, he has 0 goals 5 assists in 4 games played with a +6. I am sure Hainsey will be a great d-man on our pro roster, but we are not there yet he still have some years to develop in the VJHL. He is as good on offense then defense. Lukas Krajicek 16 year old, Defense Lukas is playing for the Rebels and he is the #2 d-man for them, he has 0 goals 2 assists in 6 games played with a -5 but he is an offensive d-man. I am sure Lukas will be a great d-man on our pro roster, but we will have to develop his defense skill on the AP side. He is as good on offense. Ryan Cadwell 17 year old, Defense Ryan is playing for the Oceanic and he is the #3 d-man for them, he has 0 goals 2 assists in 6 games played with a +4, he is an offensive d-man that still need to polish his game. I am sure Ryan will be a great d-man on our pro roster, but we will have to be better to become a Blues but AP boost will help. He is as good on offense. Tomas Mojzis 16 year old, Defense Tomas is playing for Thunderbirds and he is the #5 d-man for them, he has 0 goals 5 assists in 4 games played with a +6. I am sure Tomas will be a great d-man on our pro roster, but we are not there yet he still have some years to polish his game in the VJHL. He is as good on offense then defense. Note : We still have 5 first picks in year 15, 16 and 17 and you can bet we will be aiming on forwards. We are set in net with Roy and Vokoun, on defense we are fine for 3 years or more, on attack we are ok for a couple of years. So the position we need the most is at forward. By Homer Simpson !
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Oilers GM Chris Baker has always built his teams from the blueline and back. So it should come as no surprise half of the team’s top ten prospects are defenseman.
While they say defense wins championships, there has to be some concern the Oilers don’t have enough youthful firepower up front. Only Chris Kunitz and Antoine Vermette crack their top 10 as bonafide offensive minded forwards, and at 22 years of age, Kunitz is on the cusp of being “too old” to be considered a prospect. The Oilers are clearly in win-now mode and the type of offensive help they’ll want come the trade deadline in preparation for what they hope is a long playoff run likely won’t come from Fort McMurray.
“He’s strong offensively and defensively, plays tough and uses his size,” Langley said. “Sure he’s young, but he has it all.” ACQUIRED s8 draft, 16th overall (Ottawa)
Markov will never be considered the most physical player on the ice, but as he showed last season when he unexpectedly made the 23-man roster out of camp, he has the ability to put up points. ACQUIRED s8 draft, 6th overall
The Seattle Thunderbirds’ superstar flies up the ice and casually creates offense. He’s a lock for next year’s Miners’ roster and will have a legitimate shot at making the Oilers as a potential 3rd line center. Currently in his final season of the VJHL, Vermette leads the league in goals (12) and points (22) through just six games played. ACQUIRED s10 draft, 8th overall
The fact that Edmonton were able to beat out numerous teams vying for his services coming out of the college ranks as an undrafted rookie bodes well for a franchise that has had its troubles signing high-end free agents. ACQUIRED s11 offseason, college free agent
Not as well rounded as Stuart, the oilers feel he is built in the same vein. A rugged stay-at-home defender who will think defensively first before looking to make offensive highlight reel attempts. ACQUIRED s10 draft, 20th overall On the Horizon – The NEXT Five
Profiling one draft eligible player from each team of the WHL DivisionOver the next few days (more likely weeks), this column will be devoted to running down the various divisions of the VJHL. Starting today with the WHL Division, I will profile the development of one draft eligible prospect per team in the division who has caught my eye in the first few games or so of the current season. To kick things off, we’ll start with the Regina Pats and Joe Thornton - their second most important player behind New York Rangers’ blue chipper Milan Hejduk . Likely to be drafted based on his sheer size as a giant towering over his peers both physically and as measured by skill, Thornton looks to have the makings of a prototypical #1 centerman. Although very early, there are legitimate concerns with Thornton as a prospect due to his more meagre totals so far this season with the Pats, where he has only contributed with three assists through his first six games. As the season progresses, fair or not, it’ll be hard not to compare Thornton with Hejduk despite the positional difference. In spite of the worries about his level of competition, Thornton will undoubtedly be a first round selection come draft time. Not only is he absolutely massive (6-4”, 220), but he has the strength to handle the rigors of the pro game. He also has a pair of soft hands, allowing to create nice plays in small spaces. Did I mention he was also huge? He’s huge. He remains a physically imposing player, and possesses a physically dominant game; at times. He can be tough to dislodge from a given spot in the offensive zone, but only about half the time evident by his 21 hits delivered to 15 hits taken. Playing on the Kamloops Blazers top line with a pair of Buffalo Sabres prospects in Patrik Elias and Michal Handzus, Marian Hossa is off to a blazing start (pun intended). He has begun to find his name on the score sheet with impressive frequency, having scored a pair of goals while adding seven assists in his first eight games. His offensive prowess has earned him top power play time and he has responded to that carrot with a goal and two helpers with the man advantage. He has an impressively quick release on his snap shot, and he has a knack for getting himself into a good position to cause some damage seen by his team-leading 49 shots on goal. On the downside, there are two primary areas for concern. First is his astronomical shot total. His shooting percentage is an awful 4.08%, indicating that on most nights his shot selection is limited. The second area for concern is his continued lack of assertiveness. With 18 hits delivered compared to the 26 he’s taken, “Hoss” can disappear some nights when the tempo picks up and the bodies begin to fly. I want to see more commitment from Hossa in his overall two-way game to prove to me that he is capable of being a driver in addition to a finisher. Continuing with the Euro theme of players carving up the J, we come to Red Deer winger Kristian Huselius. Unlike Thornton and Hossa, who many expected to be point producers, the Rebels have to be pleased with the goal-scoring prowess of their young Swede. Through eight games, the left winger has lit the lamp four times and added five points. With 33 shots on goal and a 12.12 shooting percentage, it’s not out the realm of possibility that Huselius maintains these totals for the duration of the year. Huselius has a nice blend of offensive talent mixed in with a commitment to the defensive side of the game. Not that he is a big brute who can’t skate, and causes havoc in the corners, like in past generations, but that he is competent at puck retrieval and is a good enough skater to control the puck on his own if need be. Huselius has roughly average size, packing 184 pounds on a 6-2” figure. Besides his durability, skating would be Huselius’ best attribute. He looks to have enough wheel power to keep up with most skilled forwards in the pro ranks, making his game even more attractive. Take everything written above about Joe Thornton and make it around 5% sunnier and we will have a nice approximation of what Patrick Marleau brings to the ice. On most game nights so far, he has been the best player on an exciting Seattle squad. His impressive point total, in addition to owning a big tool box of skills, Marleau has many a scout chomping at the bit to file scouting reports about his game. With four goals and nine points in the Thunderbirds’ first eight games, Marleau looks to be taking his game to another level. What Marleau brings to the ice is a level of intensity combined with talent that delights coaches, scouts and fans alike. He has a plus shot and likes to use it (3rd most SOG with 36). His speed is also about average in comparison to the rest of his draft class making him a weapon on the penalty kill and whenever there is a loose puck. Despite his high energy game, he still has very soft and nimble hands. Marleau brings his skills together with plus hockey IQ. He plays a patient game in his own zoneand his game processing, skill set, and strength are all ready for the next challenge. He may need some more seasoning in the VJHL, but he should be able to take on a second line role as well as work on both special teams units in the pro ranks in short order. I’ll admit, I was tempted to leave this space blank. Not because the final team in the WHL Division doesn’t have a draftee worthy of speaking about, but rather that he’s a goalie, and well I’m really not too sure how to grade one as such. That would have been both lazy and unfair, so we’ll talk a little about Brandon’s Roberto Luongo, instead. “Bobby Lou” as he’s known to teammates is generally the player I refer to as “Exhibit A” when it comes to reasons why not to judge teenagers too early in any given season based only on their statistical production (I know, I know, seems hypocritical given that’s all this article is doing). At first glance, the Wheat Kings netminder has a meh win-loss record at 4-3-1. But upon further review, his 1.11 goals against average is exceptional. Combine that total with his gaudy .956 save percentage, and you have to wonder how the hell this guy has three losses. A traditional butterfly-style goalie that reacts well to shots and keeps rebounds to a bare minimum, Luongo has the natural size (6-3”, 217lbs) and talent to excel in the butterfly-style. His game doesn't depend on one's pure athleticism as much as one's focus on responsible positioning and quick reflexes. That being said, Luongo is quite athletic and, while rarely caught out of position, is able to make those quick lateral movements along the ice, or extend his upper body to make the necessary saves. The 1997 S8 draft is a much bigger offensive class than we have had in the past several seasons. This draft has a clear forward focus where in prior drafts there was a healthy mix of players; there may not be a defensemen selected in the top 10 which has not happened in the entirety of the VHL. As much as defensemen are lacking in this draft there is also only one bona-fide future VHL starting goalie. This draft has great top end talent at the top of the draft drops off after 6 and picks back up in the late teens. Below is an early season mock draft for the upcoming season.
Welcome to the new VJHL. The following is a list of rules and procedures for the junior league where VHL prospects will develop. This new format will feature 17 teams in 3 divisions which will be maintained for balance and optimal prospect development. There will also be opportunities for VHL GMs to participate by requesting scouting reports, blogging about prospects and the VJHL to earn AP, and even bidding for the right to submit lines for a team of their choice (a great way to get your prospects good ice-time!). The VJHL is a work-in-progress and as such, constructive criticism, suggestions and civil discussion is always encouraged! Simulation ScheduleVJHL sims will be done on a weekly basis every Sunday evening (between 7pm and 10pm EST). Ten(10) sim-days will be run during each simulation. Team BalanceFor the launch, teams have been balanced taking into consideration prospect positions, OV and PO. The league commissioner will attempt to maintain balance through occasional transactions and roster and/or line modifications. However, given the time that would be required to maintain 15 teams, this may not be a "perfect" answer for GMs seeking optimal development of their prospects. GM Participation - Rosters & LinesGMs wishing to have a say in the development of their prospects can bid on the opportunity to submit lines for a team's upcoming games for the week. Should a GM's bid be successful, he will be able to submit a lineup that favors his own prospects. NOTE: the GM is ALSO EXPECTED TO MAKE AN OPTIMAL LINEUP from the remaining players (no double-shifting, no benching of the best players etc...). Failure to do so will result in the suspension of his best prospect for 12 days (1 sim). The bidding window for the following week's sim will open on Saturday (12:00am) and close on Sunday (11:59pm). The minimum bid will be set at 5 AP with no maximum. The highest bid on a team will win the opportunity to submit the lines for said team's next games. GM Participation - TransactionsTwo or more GMs can submit a trade request to the league in order to consolidate their prospects on the same team or to place them in a more favorable position. The VJHL and VHL Commissioners will evaluate the proposal to ensure the trade is reasonable for all teams involved. Only undrafted prospects and prospects belonging to the GMs submitting the trade may be involved. GM Participation - ScoutingGMs wishing to obtain more detailed information about any prospect's ratings will be able to do so by requesting scouting reports from the Central Scouting Bureau. Both undrafted and drafted prospects can be scouted to obtain a clearer picture of their skills. Undrafted Prospects Scouting window is open weekly on Saturday & Sunday.
Drafted Prospects Scouting window is open weekly on Saturday & Sunday.
GM Participation - BloggingGMs are encouraged to join the VJHL Scouting Collective by contributing to the "VHL's Future" blog. Contributors can earn AP and/or Scouting Tokens for their work. Article topics can include but are not limited to the following:
Blog articles should be submitted to [email protected] including the article (ie; Note Pad or Word doc) and any relevant images. A note about Scouting Tokens (ST)
Scouting Tokens are more valuable than AP when it comes to scouting and may only be used for the purposes of scouting. The following is a list of purchases that can be made with Scouting Tokens:
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The VHL Scouting CollectiveThe VHL Scouting Collective is a group of supremely knowledgeable "hockey folk" eager to share their thoughts and opinions with the world. Archives
April 2019
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