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awils13 · 02-18-2019, 09:05 PM

(1000 words - 2x media bouns)

The next season is right around the corner which means tons of fantasy drafts are happening this week. For those of you in dynasty leagues, it’s crucial to make the right decisions when it comes to drafting young talent. A couple of bad picks might set you back for years while getting that next superstar will skyrocket your team to the top. We’re here to help you with that. Today we’ll be reviewing the top performers of the SMJHL Prospect Showcase tournament.

1. Espen Knutsen Jr. - Center, Vipers
Stat line: 20 GP | 8 G | 25 A | +10 | 6 PIM | 12 PPP | 75 SOG | 25 HIT | 24 BLK

Espen Knutsen Jr. is the fantasy MVP of the tournament and it wasn’t close. He led the league in points, assists and PPPs while averaging over 3 shots, 1 hit and 1 block per game. Very impressive all-around performance. Don’t hesitate to draft him 1st overall in your dynasty draft.

2. Austin Roenick – Winger, Stingrays
Stat line: 20 GP | 15 G | 14 A | +8 | 6 PIM | 8 PPP | 97 SOG | 14 HIT | 8 BLK

Austin Roenick tied for the league lead in goals with 15 while firing 97 shots on goal (almost 5 per game). He’s a natural goal scorer and it’s amazing to watch him play. Some might point out that he doesn’t offer much in terms of peripherals (PIM, HIT, SB – all below average) but Roenick doesn’t have to take penalties or dish out hits in order to be a top 3 fantasy asset.

3. Gunnar Söderberg – Winger, Blazers
Stat line: 20 GP | 9 G | 20 A | +11 | 25 PIM | 4 PPP | 84 SOG | 20 HIT | 12 BLK

Gunnar Söderberg is one of 2 players who performed above average in every statistical category. While I tend to ignore +/-, his +11 rating is a testament to his strong two-way game and offensive skills. 25 penalty minutes is by far the most on this list and he was no liability in hits or blocks either. Furthermore, I believe there is room for improvement. Sht% is a bit lower than expected and Blazers had the worst PP in the league. If Söderberg improves his conversion % by a couple of points and plays better on the PP, he’ll challenge Espen Knutsen Jr. for the consensus #1 pick.

4. Jaguar Johnson – Winger, Stingrays
Stat line: 20 GP | 15 G | 13 A | +9 | 6 PIM | 4 PPP | 73 SOG | 28 HIT | 2 BLK

Jaguar Johnson led the league in goals with 15 (tied with his teammate Austin Roenick). No doubt, it was a very impressive tournament for him. That sht% (20.55) is bound to regress but I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Johnson had the 2nd lowest secondary assist rate among all players and like Gunnar Söderberg, he’s going to improve on the PP.

5. Kobe Krisp – Winger, Vipers
Stat line: 20 GP | 11 G | 15 A | +10 | 2 PIM | 5 PPP | 99 SOG | 22 HIT | 2 BLK

Like his namesake from the NBA, Kobe Krisp did a lot of shooting and not a lot of passing. But he didn’t have to because he played on a line with one of the best playmakers in the game (Espen Knutsen Jr). Krisp led the league in shots on goal with 99 converting at a perfectly sustainable 11.11% rate (11 goals). 2 blocks is bad even for a forward but that’s not important and same goes for penalty minutes. Take Kobe Krisp in the top 5, draft someone like Wibbly McButternutz (36 penalty minutes, 42 hits and 33 blocks) later in the draft, and you’re set.

6. Thomas Bathory – Defenseman, Stingrays
Stat line: 20 GP | 4 G | 20 A | +3 | 18 PIM | 10 PPP | 33 SOG | 21 HIT | 32 BLK

High-scoring defensemen are always in demand and Thomas Bathory is one of the best in the game. He led all dmen in scoring and PPPs while posting respectable numbers in other categories. I bet Stingrays’ head coach isn’t happy about 18 penalty minutes in 20 games but we’ll take it. I only wish he would shoot the puck more.

7. Jules L'Éclair – Winger, Blazers
Stat line: 20 GP | 10 G | 18 A | +7 | 10 PIM | 3 PPP | 81 SOG | 17 HIT | 4 BLK

Another Blazer who struggled on the PP. It’s obvious that this team has loads of talent, yet something isn’t working when it comes to playing with the man advantage. Nevertheless, Jules L'Éclair tied for 4th in scoring with 28 points. His +7 rating is not great but good and 17 hits is not too shabby either. L'Éclair has top 5 potential, assuming Blazers’ PP rebounds to where it should be.

8. Tony Ford – Defenseman, Vipers
Stat line: 20 GP | 6 G | 13 A | +8 | 12 PIM | 5 PPP | 36 SOG | 31 HIT | 46 BLK

Tony Ford is the second player who performed above average in all statistical categories. If you want to say that he should be the first defenseman off the board, I won’t argue with you. He’s the only player in the league with 30+ sog, 30+ hits and 40+ blocks all while scoring at an almost point per game pace. This is the kind of stat line that wins championships.

Honorable mention

Esa Parmborg – Center, Blazers
Stat line: 20 GP | 8 G | 16 A | -2 | 12 PIM | 7 PPP | 54 SOG | 20 HIT | 6 BLK

Center is usually the deepest position in the draft but not this year. Esa Parmborg is the second-best center available and you might want to draft him in the top 8 because of positional scarcity. He doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses and this is a fairly safe pick.

vbottas17 · 02-18-2019, 09:15 PM

420 blaze it! Wink

Nice article!

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