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mastersheep · 05-19-2020, 08:55 PM

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2x draft media - 1872 words

The 54th SHL draft kicked off last weekend and unlike draft number 53, which I was a part of, this draft was filled with trades, drama, and lots of twists and turns. Overall, this class is a fairly impressive one for a non-reddit draft and it’s very interesting personally to see how the league continues to find fascinating people and develop quality players. With that being said, let’s see what the teams did in the first round and how they shore up their future.

[Image: Texas.png]

1. Texas Renegades - Mikkel Asmus Sondergard
Defense
Czechia
SMJHL Team: Maine Timber
S53 SMJHL Draft Selection: 1st Round, 1st Overall

While there was heavy speculation leading up to the draft about him wanting a large contract right off the bat, Texas ended up taking the top TPE earner of the class in Sondergard. He slots in well as an old school defenseman and should be up in a few seasons likely as one of the replacements for retiring defenseman Harvey Danger or the aging Jean-Pierre Gay. Last season, he played on the top pairing with Valentin Kalashnikov on the Maine Timber and put up 6 goals and 8 assists and should continue to have a major role on the club in the following few seasons before being called up.

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2. Toronto North Stars - Ryosuke Sato
Right Defense
Japan
SMJHL Team: Vancouver Whalers
S53 SMJHL Draft Selection: 2nd Round, 16th Overall

Sato is a two-way defenseman and is one of the bright spots on Vancouver right now and is now very much in the spotlight after the North Stars selected him second overall. He was immediately put into a large role on a young defensive core, playing top minutes and on the top penalty killing unit. He only had 2 goals and 7 assists on the season, but he is still just beginning to develop and will be out to prove his qualities on a rising Whalers team next season.

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3. New England Wolfpack - Matthew Sawful
Right Defense
Great Britain
SMJHL Team: Anchorage Armada
S53 SMJHL Draft Selection: 1st Round, 2nd Overall

Sawful had an impressive rookie campaign with 6 goals and 15 assists and had a team high plus/minus of +15 for the Armada and was already highly touted when he first came on board in the SMJHL, so it’s no surprise that the Wolfpack decided to draft him here. Sawful quarterbacked the second powerplay unit for in Anchorage for most of the season and they will be pleased that he should be around for a while since the Wolfpack are at the top of the league and have plenty of defensive help for the time being.

4. Tampa Bay Barracuda - Dwight Knight
Left Wing
Undetermined
SMJHL Team: Carolina Kraken
S53 SMJHL Draft Selection: 3rd Round, 21st Overall

If Dwight Knight wasn’t known very well when he first came to the SMJHL, he certainly is now. Knight was speculated to go anywhere in the top five and became the draft’s first forward off the board. Knight had 11 goals and 10 assists for the Kraken and is looking to develop into a strong hard hitting winger who is great at parking himself in front of the net and will fight for every inch of space. Tampa Bay has to be ecstatic that they got their guy.

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5. Buffalo Stampede - Emilia Bergman
Left Defense
Sweden
SMJHL Team: Anaheim Outlaws
S53 SMJHL Draft Selection: 2nd Round, 17th Overall

Buffalo continues to collect top prospects despite being one of the best teams in the league after a whirlwind of offseason trades with their new selection. Bergman has been very significant to the Outlaws to say the least. The young blue liner has been a workhorse, logging an average of over 25 minutes a night and put up 2 goals and 21 assists this season despite the stay-at-home defenseman style of play.

6. Calgary Dragons - Mats Marner
Center
Latvia
SMJHL Team: Newfoundland Berserkers
S53 SMJHL Draft Selection: Undrafted

While many people expected Baltimore to take Pojo Biscuit here, the Platoon opted to trade down for later in the draft hoping that Biscuit would still be available. The Dragons were a great trade partner here as they were high on Marner and needed a two-way center after selecting a defenseman in the previous draft. The Berserkers had originally picked up Marner six games into the season and while he saw limited minutes on the club, he was able to put up 7 goals and 9 assists. He also is one of the few players in the league who took no penalties all season long. Only Detroit’s Kaarlo Kekkonen played more games with zero PIMs.

7. Chicago Syndicate - Vitek Viteček
Left Wing
Czechia
SMJHL Team: Carolina Kraken
S53 SMJHL Draft Selection: 3rd Round, 30th Overall

The Chicago Syndicate having two selections in a row made the decision to take two wingers in a row who could not be more opposite from each other. The first selection, Vitek Viteček, is a pure sniper who put up 27 points for the young Kraken squad, best among the large pack of rookies in Carolina. He had a significant role in the club on the top powerplay and should continue in that role in season 54. His biggest drawback is his lack of commitment to play defense at all, something that scouts believe won’t be an issue by the time he reaches the SHL.

8. Chicago Syndicate - Rotticus Scott
Left Wing
Canada
SMJHL Team: Kelowna Knights
S53 SMJHL Draft Selection: 3rd Round, 24th Overall

The other winger picked by the Syndicate is a pass first winger who is great at causing turnovers and creating quality scoring chances. Rotticus Scott sat on the fourth line just about all season, but managed to put up a goal and 7 helpers. He should be in a much more important role on the Knights this season after the departure of several key players and see more ice time to develop his skills even further.

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9. Edmonton Blizzard - Daniel Laforest
Center
Canada
SMJHL Team: Kelowna Knights
S53 SMJHL Draft Selection: 1st Round, 7th Overall

In what is honestly the biggest shock in the draft, Laforest watched player after player be selected until finally he heard his name called at number 9. After missing out on the rush on defense they were interested in, the Blizzard felt they had to go best available pick here and they made no mistake. Laforest is a playmaker who lounged on the Knights’ fourth line for much of the season, but his game picked up as the season progressed and he ended up with 5 goals and 6 assists.

10. New Orleans Specters - Bork Lazer
Right Defense
United States
SMJHL Team: Anchorage Armada
S53 SMJHL Draft Selection: 4th Round, 32nd Overall

The Specters picked a solid defenseman at this spot in the draft in Bork Lazer. Lazer had 6 goals and 20 assists, got in a fight, and also had a solid individual performance with 6 points in the 7 game series against the Outlaws while having very limited time on the powerplay. He expected to develop into a strong defenseman who will shut down the opposition and could eventually be DeMaricus Smyth’s replacement down the road.

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11. Baltimore Platoon - Pojo Biscuit
Left Defense
United States
SMJHL Team: Anchorage Armada
S53 SMJHL Draft Selection: Undrafted

Biscuit’s draft place may be somewhat of a surprise to some, but it’s a stark reminder that SHL GMs draft people, not players. The Balitmore leadership trust Biscuit to stick around and turn into a great player and that makes this selection worth it. Biscuit signed with the Armada just prior to the trade deadline and helped push them into the playoffs, but the Platoon may be ready for him to make the jump soon with the retirement of Kristaps Ball and Jack Wilson’s stalled development.

[Image: platoonbanner.png]

12. Baltimore Platoon - Patrick Shepherd
Center
United States
SMJHL Team: Maine Timber
S53 SMJHL Draft Selection: 2nd Round, 18th Overall

After originally dropping down in the draft to get a second round selection, Baltimore traded back up and selected a two-way center similar to last season after they selected some scrub named Ethan Duncan at sixth overall. The sentiment around the league is that management was looking for certain players after they had traded for the 11th overall pick and if one was there they were all in. Shepard had 3 goals and 12 assists on the young Maine Timber and looks to be placed into a larger role with the departure of some key players. On a personal note, I feel that Shepard is a terrific pick this late and I’m really happy that he fell to us.

[Image: Minnesota.png]

13. Minnesota Chiefs - Jack Klompus
Left Defense
Japan
SMJHL Team: Newfoundland Berserkers
S53 SMJHL Draft Selection: 3rd Round, 27th Overall

If you are looking for a guy who can shoot the puck and control the play, Klompus is that guy. Klompus often played the role of quarterback for much of the season on the Newfoundland powerplay. He had 7 goals and 6 assists and put the puck on net 100 times. The Chiefs have a few prospects on defense already, but none of them seem to be as far along as Klompus so for them to grab him here is a big win for them.

[Image: Texas.png]

14. Texas Renegades - Taisto Jutila
Center
Finland
SMJHL Team: Detroit Falcons
S53 SMJHL Draft Selection: Undrafted

Unlike last season where it seemed every other draft selection was from Detroit, our first one in the S54 draft is Taisto Jutlia, who joined about a quarter of the way through the season. Jutila played sparingly throughout the season averaging just under 9 minutes a game, but managed to put up 5 goals and 5 assists as a two-way center. There are a few forwards ahead of Jutila on the Renegades, so he will likely have a lengthy junior career before getting the call to the SHL.

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15. Los Angeles Panthers - Linus Grimstad
Center
Norway
SMJHL Team: Carolina Kraken
S53 SMJHL Draft Selection: Undrafted

The Panthers traded a first and the 29th overall pick this season to get this playmaking center out of Tromsø, Norway. Los Angeles management is clearly high on Grimstad and felt like they had to make this move now. Grimstad joined the league just after the draft and Carolina picked him up right away where he put up 6 goals, 6 assists, and also had a nice shooting percentage of 22.22%. The Panthers prospect pool is very slim, but most of their forward group is in their prime so they can take their time with Grimstad.

[Image: Hamilton.png]

16. Hamilton Steelhawks - Simon Takshak
Right Wing
Czechia
SMJHL Team: Kelowna Knights
S53 SMJHL Draft Selection: 1st Round, 4th Overall

Fresh off their latest Challenge Cup victory, the Steelhawks had the final pick in the first round and were rumored to have been interested in Takshak from the very beginning. Takshak had a minor role on the ice this past season, but he is significant to the Knights as the alternate captain. He clearly has a great deal of leadership and instantly changes the makeup of the Hamilton locker room.

Snoopdogg · 05-19-2020, 11:00 PM

Lets get the 4 Star Cup yeah!!!! Knights

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