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The Season 50 Simulation Hockey League draft is in the books and now it is time for teams to reflect on the newly looking teams in the West. Teams like the Edmonton Blizzard and Toronto North Stars each added three first round picks to their rosters, while the Texas Renegades secured two out of the top five selections in the entry draft. I will go break down each team's draft picks in the West and offer some of my thoughts on their picks as well as how these prospects may fit into their long term goals and visions. As an outsider, of course, I generally do not have an inside view on the team management's aims for the short term or long term, so I am only offering what I can perceive from the outside.

The Northwest Division

  Edmonton Blizzard
4.  Edmonton Blizzard (via West Kendall Platoon, via Buffalo Stampede, via Chicago Syndicate) - Finn Rhys, 250 TPE, D 
7.  Edmonton Blizzard - Khabib Nurmagomedov, 263 TPE, LW 
16.  Edmonton Blizzard (via Buffalo Stampede) - Noah Andros, 257 TPE, D 
23.  Edmonton Blizzard - Jean-Paul Boivin, 210 TPE, LW 
32.  Edmonton Blizzard (via Buffalo Stampede) - Conor Tanner, 278 TPE, C 

The Edmonton Blizzard have really added onto a young core in recent seasons. Conor Tanner jumps out as an excellent selection, as he has extensive ties to the Blizzard organization and their upper management. Karlstrabe Scholz and James Truong, drafted in Season 46, along with Julian Tokolosh and Marc Hagan in Season 47, look like the future of Blizzard hockey. Defenseman Finn Rhys will seek to build chemistry with Scholz in training as the pair look to succeed Brady McIntyre as the premier defenseman for the Blizzard. Meanwhile, Conor Tanner who ironically has a very similar name to the newly retired Blizzard legend Connor Tanner, looks like he'll be the next big thing in the SHL. The Blizzard's prospect depth certainly looks as good as any after this draft.

  Winnipeg Jets
15.  Winnipeg Jets - Artem Mozgov, 256 TPE, LW 
31.  Winnipeg Jets - Henry Morris IV, 306 TPE, RW 

The Winnipeg Jets added very little depth this draft, although they'll be happy to have landed Mozgov. There are extensive rumors swirling throughout the league that former #1 overall pick and current restricted Free Agent Jax Duggan is defecting in free agency after reportedly inking a monstrous deal with an unknown team at the time. Luckily, this means the Jets will recover a 1st round pick as compensation for next season. However, after making a huge run to the Challenge Cup Finals last season, the Jets still boast one of the best young cores in the SHL. Young forwards Nick Brain, Michael Scarn, and Ola Wagstrom should all take leaps and bounds next season in terms of production. Mozgov should be valuable, but the story truly is the potential first round pick compensation for the Season 50 Simulation Hockey League entry draft.

  Calgary Dragons
9.  Calgary Dragons - Prince Devitt, 256 TPE, D 

The Calgary Dragons only selected one player in this entry draft, although they selected a prospect signed to CFJ, a renowned agent in the SHL universe. CFJ's previous player, Crossfit Jesus, was extremely decorated and talented. The Dragons have made repeated runs to the playoffs in previous seasons, but with limited success as the last time they lifted the Cup was all the way back in Season 42. Forward Mike Izzy's run at the top of his game should be winding down, so the Dragons will look to push on while excitedly monitoring Devitt's development on the back end.

  Minnesota Chiefs
No players selected

The Minnesota Chiefs disastrously held no picks in the early rounds of the Season 49 SHL Draft. I'm not sure if this goes all the way back to their punishment for tampering, which levied heavy heavy penalties on the franchise, as I think the franchise appealed successfully. Nevertheless, the Chiefs future has been severely compromised evidently even with a reduced punishment. Hopefully the Chiefs can recover in next season's larger draft class. I have to say that I am a little bit concerned about the future of the Chiefs, as they already have a weak roster with some turbulent upper management changes in the recent past, and now made no selections in this draft. I hope the Chiefs have the draft capital to really begin rebuilding next season.

The Southwest Division

 New Orleans Specters
44.  New Orleans Specters (via Tampa Bay Barracuda) - Raquel Castillo Gutierrez, 261 TPE, RW 

The New Orleans Specters, haunted by playoff losses since their inception, only selected one player in this past draft. They have evidently put all their eggs into the current basket of the present. Although they clearly have one of the most talented rosters in the entire SHL, they have not been able to put it all together in the playoffs. Most notably, they failed to put the Winnipeg Jets away in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals this season, conceding a game-tying goal in the dying seconds before going on to lose early in OT and then dropping Game 7 in a dreadful effort. The Specters added some extra prospect depth with their sole pick in this draft. Luckily, they have young forwards like Jimmy Slothface and Michael Fox who should step up as older forwards like Oisin Fletcher and Joe K begin to age off of their excellent peaks.

 San Francisco Pride
3.  San Francisco Pride (via Texas Renegades, via Minnesota Chiefs, via Buffalo Stampede) - Bo Kane, 297 TPE, C 
11.  San Francisco Pride - Mikas Bieksa, 252 TPE, D 
27.  San Francisco Pride - Heat Siecker, 225 TPE, D 

The San Francisco Pride held two of the top eleven picks in the draft and also added a third player later on. Bo Kane certainly had a claim to be the single best player in the Season 49 draft, so the Pride will be thrilled to add on such a talented prospect to their team which already made the playoffs last season. The Pride fell early on in the playoffs to the eventual Western Conference champion Winnipeg Jets, so they should feel good about their most recent season. With players like Jack Tanner still playing at a high level, the two defensemen Mikas Bieksa and Heat Siecker should look to stick around Tanner to learn the tricks of the trade when playing at the back. With forwards like Knute Knurtsson, Filip Zadina, and Nathan Explosion, along with defensemen Dominic Montgomery and Ray Bork, the Pride hold another one of the top young cores in the SHL. Watch out for the Pride in the future, as they've certainly drafted well in recent seasons and should continue to make runs to the playoffs consistently.

 Texas Renegades
2.  Texas Renegades (via San Francisco Pride, via Manhattan Rage) - Noah Brusky, 285 TPE, D 
5.  Texas Renegades - Ricky Spanish, 275 TPE, LW 
21.  Texas Renegades - Jake Primeau, 267 TPE, C 
35.  Texas Renegades (via Minnesota Chiefs) - Cal Clucker, 191 TPE, D 
37.  Texas Renegades - Gavin Hughes, 221 TPE, D 

The Renegades held two of the top five picks in the SHL. The Renegades find themselves in an awkward position, having underachieved in recent seasons and not having won a Challenge Cup since Season 36. Will the Renegades hit reset totally and enter a rebuild? We are not sure, but they certainly have begun to reload by taking two seriously great skaters in the first round. Center Jake Primeau is certainly worth bearing watching for the future, as his TPE count is quite solid. The Renegades find themselves in a tough position with the Specters still all-in and the Pride ready to begin their run of contention. 

 Los Angeles Panthers
1.  Los Angeles Panthers - Elijah Jones, 299 TPE, RW   
18.  Los Angeles Panthers - Nolan McMahon, 249 TPE, G   

The Panthers held the 1st overall pick of the SHL draft this time around and selected consensus top prospect Elijah Jones. The Panthers unfortunately did not have much draft capital after the 1st round, however, as they only picked up goalie Nolan McMahon later on in the early second round. The Panthers are certainly in the midst of a rebuild and are likely looking at securing some additional prospects in the Season 50 entry draft, which should be full of talented players as a fairly deep pool to date. The Panthers roster also is a bit thin in terms of existing prospect talent, as center Philipp Winter and Max Mauldin seem like the only truly franchise players on the roster. Defenseman Jon Toner is playing near his peak but his window to perform at his highest level may not align with the Panthers next planned window for contending unfortunately. As the number one overall selection, I am certain that the rest of the Simulation Hockey League will watch Elijah Jones' development carefully with both curiosity and interest.

[S46] Michael Scarn - F - Philadelphia Forge
Drafted #17 Overall Season 45 Draft by Colorado Raptors
Drafted #27 Overall Season 46 Draft by Winnipeg Jets
TPE: 1500 | Lifetime TPE: 2122 | Peak TPE: 2057
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Career Highlights:
5x SHL Challenge Cup (S55, S56, S58, S61, S63)
2x SHL All-Star 1st Team (S57, S58)
2x SHL All-Star 3rd Team (S55, S56)
1x Sarmad Khan Trophy (S57)
1x Sergei Karpotsov Trophy (S57)
1x IIHF Silver Medal (S53)
2x IIHF Bronze Medal (S49, S54)
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SHL Regular Season:
SHL S47 (WPG): 50 GP, 15 G, 11 A, 26 P, +/-: +3, 24 Hits
SHL S48 (WPG): 50 GP, 08 G, 15 A, 23 P, +/-: +2, 24 Hits
SHL S49 (WPG): 50 GP, 11 G, 13 A, 24 P, +/-: -9, 33 Hits
SHL S50 (BUF): 50 GP, 12 G, 12 A, 24 P, +/-: +4, 68 Hits
SHL S51 (BUF): 50 GP, 15 G, 15 A, 30 P, +/-: +1, 7 Hits
SHL S52 (BUF): 50 GP, 20 G, 25 A, 45 P, +/-: +3, 8 Hits
SHL S53 (BUF): 50 GP, 19 G, 34 A, 53 P, +/-: +11, 157 Hits
SHL S54 (BUF): 50 GP, 20 G, 38 A, 58 P, +/-: +32, 107 Hits
SHL S55 (BUF): 50 GP, 20 G, 40 A, 60 P, +/-: +34, 123 Hits
SHL S56 (HAM): 50 GP, 13 G, 42 A, 55 P, +/-: +37, 124 Hits
SHL S57 (HAM): 66 GP, 36 G, 57 A, 93 P, +/-: +54, 129 Hits
SHL S58 (HAM): 66 GP, 36 G, 45 A, 81 P, +/-: +11, 141 Hits
SHL S59 (SEA): 66 GP, 18 G, 41 A, 59 P, +/-: +17, 142 Hits
SHL S60 (SEA/HAM): 64 GP, 23 G, 39 A, 62 P, +/-: -7, 112 Hits
SHL S61 (HAM): 66 GP, 27 G, 33 A, 60 P, +/-: +45, 112 Hits
SHL S62 (HAM): 66 GP, 27 G, 43 A, 70 P, +/-: +41, 95 Hits
SHL S63 (HAM): 66 GP, 24 G, 32 A, 56 P, +/-: +43, 82 Hits
SHL S64 (PHI): 66 GP, 23 G, 31 A, 54 P, +/-: +29, 79 Hits

Career: 1026 GP, 367 G, 566 A, 933 P, +/-: +351, 1567 Hits
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Trophy Case/Achievements:
S44 WJC Gold Medal, Team Czechoslovakia
S46 WJC Gold Medal, Team Czechoslovakia
S48 SHL Cole Reinhart Trophy, Winnipeg Jets
S49 IIHF Bronze Medal, Team Czechia
S52 SHL Nomination for Aiden Richard Trophy - Most Improved Player
S53 IIHF Silver Medal, Team Czechia
S54 SHL Nomination for Jeff Dar Trophy - Best Two-Way Forward
S54 IIHF Bronze Medal, Team Czechia
S55 SHL Challenge Cup, Buffalo Stampede
S55 SHL All-Star 3rd Team
S56 SHL Challenge Cup, Hamilton Steelhawks
S56 SHL All-Star 3rd Team
S57 SHL All-Star 1st Team
S57 SHL Sergei Karpotsov Trophy - Most Points
S57 SHL Sarmad Khan Trophy - MVP Voted by Players
S58 SHL Challenge Cup, Hamilton Steelhawks
S58 SHL All-Star 1st Team
S61 SHL Challenge Cup, Hamilton Steelhawks
S63 SHL Challenge Cup, Hamilton Steelhawks
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Transactions:
S46 Signed 1 YR / $5.5M contract with Winnipeg Jets
S46 Traded to Halifax Raiders from Colorado Raptors
S47 Signed 1 YR / $6.0M contract with Winnipeg Jets
S48 Signed 3 YR / $18M extension with Winnipeg Jets
S50 Traded to Buffalo Stampede from Winnipeg Jets
S50 Signed 5 YR / $30M extension with Buffalo Stampede
S55 Opted out of 1 YR / $6.0M mutual option with Buffalo Stampede
S55 Signed 1 YR / $8.0M extension with Buffalo Stampede
S56 Signed 1 YR / $9.5M contract with Hamilton Steelhawks
S57 Signed 1 YR / $6.0M extension with Hamilton Steelhawks
S58 Signed 1 YR / $6.0M extension with Hamilton Steelhawks
S59 Signed 1 YR / $6.0M contract with Seattle Argonauts
S60 Signed 1 YR / $6.0M contract with Seattle Argonauts
S60 Traded to Hamilton Steelhawks from Seattle Argonauts
S61 Signed 1 YR / $6.0M contract with Hamilton Steelhawks
S62 Signed 1 YR / $5.0M extension with Hamilton Steelhawks
S63 Signed 1 YR / $5.0M extension with Hamilton Steelhawks
S64 Signed 1 YR / $6.0M contract with Philadelphia Forge
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Playoff Statistics:
SHL S48 (WPG): 19 GP, 6 G, 8 A, 14 P, +/-: +5
SHL S49 (WPG): 5 GP, 1 G, 0 A, 1 P, +/-: -1
SHL S50 (BUF): 6 GP, 3 G, 1 A, 4 P, +/-: +3
SHL S51 (BUF): 8 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 5 P, +/-: +5
SHL S52 (BUF): 15 GP, 6 G, 4 A, 10 P, +/-: -1
SHL S53 (BUF): 4 GP, 0 G, 3 A, 3 P, +/-: -1
SHL S54 (BUF): 13 GP, 2 G, 6 A, 8 P, +/-: -2
SHL S55 (BUF): 17 GP, 6 G, 7 A, 13 P, +/-: +6
SHL S56 (HAM): 18 GP, 6 G, 13 A, 19 P, +/-: +7
SHL S57 (HAM): 14 GP, 5 G, 9 A, 14 P, +/-: 0
SHL S58 (HAM): 19 GP, 6 G, 17 A, 23 P, +/-: -4
SHL S59 (SEA): 10 GP, 6 G, 3 A, 9 P, +/-: -2
SHL S60 (HAM): 10 GP, 1 G, 7 A, 8 P, +/-: -2
SHL S61 (HAM): 19 GP, 6 G, 15 A, 21 P, +/-: +17
SHL S62 (HAM): 22 GP, 3 G, 11 A, 14 P, +/-: +4
SHL S63 (HAM): 25 GP, 5 G, 9 A, 14 P, +/-: +5

Career: 224 GP, 64 G, 116 A, 180 P, +/-: +39

 

"I hope the Chiefs have the draft capital to really begin rebuilding next season"

:(

Player Page  || Update Page

In regards to Minny according to my knowledge we have a decent number of picks for the next draft. With it being a reddit draft this will be the one to fill out prospect needs and bring new blood in to support the young core as players age out and retire.

     

Jets suck

Aleister Cain - S42-S57
HOF GOALIE- CLASS OF S60- SECOND BALLOT
S54 CHALLENGE CUP
S54 RAZOV

Ville Kurri - S57-S70
BEST SMJHL DEFENSIVE FORWARD S60
That's pretty much it

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