This season has been very different for rivals Anchorage and Vancouver, as after 19 games the former is in 4th place, while the latter finds themselves in last. This is a direct reverse of the last season for the two teams, where Vancouver were the ones who came 4th while Anchorage were the bottom feeders. As someone involved in both locker rooms, I figured it would be fun to do a small report on how both teams have started so far in this landmark season for the league.

Anchorage Armada

Record: 10-7-2 (4th)

Team Outlook:

Anchorage have enjoyed a much better season in S50, which is ironic considering they lost many key pieces of the team in Raphael d'Alcott, Gabriel Johnson, Elijah Jones, Jonas Larsen, Johnny Sins and Kalevi Karhunen. Despite losing 4 of their top 5 point scorers last season, their offence has improved a lot so far, as they sport the 5th best offence in the league, and the 3rd best goals for/against. Special teams have been a huge improvement thus far as well, as they have the second most potent powerplay in the league, along with a PK that has improved from second-worst to middle of the pack. Their defence has also seen a major improvement, as they have allowed the fewest shots in the league. Perhaps this is down to Gabe Johnson's departure...?  Anyway, let's look at some players in particular who are making a big impact.

MVP: Jake Primeau

Primeau, the only one of Anchorage's top 5 scorers last season who stayed on board, has absolutely taken charge of the offence. After getting 30 points last season, the 3rd season boat already has 21 points through 19 games, making him 3rd in the league in points at the moment. He will likely manage to top 40 points this season, and be a key piece to any further success the Armada have this season.

Most Improved Players:

Daniel Bishoff

No improvement this season so far has been more drastic than Bishoff's, who went from a non-factor for Anchorage last season, to a key piece this season. Only managing 7 points last season, the Swiss forward has fit into his new role on the wing like a glove, already doubling last season's point total not even halfway through the season. He has been playing over 21 minutes a game, and getting minutes on special teams too. Topping 30 points would make this season a very solid one for the 4th round Anchorage pick in S49.

Darnell Johnson

Another vast improvement in the Anchorage ranks, captain Johnson has largely surpassed last season's totals already as well, as after scoring 0 goals and 10 points all of last season, he already has 2 goals and 15 points in just 19 games this campaign. With the departures of G. Johnson, Karhunen and Sins, the previously stay-at-home dman has been needed more on the offensive end, and has delivered. He's just shy of the numbers of the top 5 dmen in the league, while also blocking shots and throwing his body around as always too.

Augustus Wang

The first pick Anchorage made in S49, young starlet Wang has had a great second season to follow up on a very respectable 17-point rookie campaign. The 6th overall pick of the S50 SHL draft has been very effective offensively, with 15 points through 19 games, 10 of which have been on the efficient Armada powerplay. Currently on pace to have a second season similar to Gabe Johnson's last one in Anchorage, Wang has really broken out to show his promise as an offensive defenceman.

Andrei Petrikov

Petrikov has come out of relatively nowhere to be a very pleasant surprise for Anchorage this season. After scoring a solid 15 points as an undrafted free agent for the Boats, the 45th overall pick of the last SHL draft already has one point more than that total, with 8 goals and assists. This puts the Russian tied for second in points in Anchorage.

Top Rookie: Mitchell van der Heijden

The Dutchman has been a great surprise for the Armada this season, after being selected 11th overall last draft, as he is right on the tail of Ruslan Zaporozhets for top rookie in the league, nothing 8 goals and 13 points thus far this season. Likely to finish with points in the mid-to-high 20s range, van der Heijden has shown a lot of promise so far in his debut season and is definitely impressing SHL scouts watching out for the best players in what is generally considered a rather weak class.

Toughest: Stan Hanson

It's very rare that you see someone come into this league and make a mark in ways other than putting up big points, but Hanson has done just that. Hanson sits 4th in the league in penalty minutes with 30, and 3rd in league hits with 52. No one has mustered up the will to drop the gloves with the tough guy, as he is still waiting on his first fight, but when someone breaks the seal, it won't be pretty.

Goalie: Ian Venables

Venables had a very rocky rookie season, not putting in overly stellar performances as Anchorage came last place, but this season has so far been much-improved. After starting the season with back-to-back shutouts, 'Budgie' struggled a decent amount, but recently has seen an uptick in form, and managed another back-to-back shutout pair. This puts him on pace to potentially break the shutout record in the J, and although his stats as a whole aren't too great, the recent boost in performances from both him and the Armada as a whole could make this a memorable season for him.

Vancouver Whalers

Record: 7-9-3 (10th)

Team Outlook:

Things are not nearly as peachy in Vancouver as they are in Anchorage, as the young and somewhat rebuilding Whalers find themselves in bottom place. Among the many problems this season is their woeful powerplay, which sits at just 15.71% success rate, as well as their allowing of the most shots against in the league. In general, both offence and defence have been problems for the Whalers, but especially offensive production, which has taken a nosedive compared to last season. However, the team is, as mentioned, in what is a rebuilding phase, so expectations were not quite through the roof. That being said, let's look at the positives in Vancouver so far this season.

MVP: Jan Zacha

Similarly to Primeau, Zacha wasn't the focal point of the Whalers offence last season, being 5th in team scoring with 31 points, but this season he's taken charge, with 18 points in 19 games, just short of point-per-game pace. He's been playing on all special teams units for the Whalers and logging close to 23 minutes a game on average, really cementing his importance to the team. Out of his 18 points, 7 of them came in one game against the Kraken, where he scored a hattrick and 4 assists. With some consistency, Zacha can easily top 40 this season.

Most Improved Players:

Marcus Ohlsson

After a season that he himself described as frustrating, first round Whalers pick Ohlsson has enjoyed an astronomically better second season. The Swede had 14 points in his rookie campaign, but has already shown way more of what he's capable of in his follow-up campaign, tying Zacha for the lead in points for the Whalers with 18, while playing around 5 minutes fewer than Zacha every game. He should be able to get 35 or more points, which would make it a great season for the Edmonton Blizzard draftee.

Jean-Paul Boivin

Named Captain this season for his leadership off the ice, Canadian starlet Boivin has demonstrated some on-ice leadership this season, too. In S48 Boivin was part of the Whalers team that won the Four-Star Cup, and then in S49 he was a late call-up to the Edmonton Blizzard Challenge Cup-winning squad, making him very well-decorated already. After posting 18 points in a decent S49, 'JPB' has notched 11 in 19, putting himself on pace for around 25. He was moved from winger to center for the Whalers this season and has transitioned well, winning the majority of his draws in the dot while also throwing his body around more than anyone else on the team, with 49 hits.

François Breton

Bet you didn't think I'd put your bum ass here eh @treesap ?

Breton, a very late draft pick in the large Reddit draft for Vancouver, has been a great presence on and off the ice for the Whalers. Last season he put up a very respectable 16 points in his rookie campaign, playing around ten and a half minutes a game. This year, he is playing almost twice the amount of minutes, and although he has only 9 points in 19 games, he can very well hit pace for 25+ points, and has shown a lot of growth and development in his game.

Sureshot Dombrowski

A pleasant surprise for the struggling Whalers thus far, Dombrowski, who has 4 goals and 6 points so far this season after managing only 5 points last campaign, has proven to be a very valuable depth forward for Vancouver. He's seen his ice time nearly quadruple from last season, and could very well hit double digits in points.

Top Rookie: Zlatan Ibrahimovic Jr.

In what is technically his second season wearing the Whalers Jersey, S50 6th overall pick Ibrahimovic Jr. has picked up right where he left off from his 7-game stint in S49, with 8 points in 19 games, putting him on pace for around 20. As he develops more as the season progresses he could even top his current pace, and potentially put himself in the running for a best rookie nomination.

Toughest: Bjorn Leppanen

A player who has made himself known in the league for his style of grit and fearsome nature, Leppanen is a violent beast who opponents tend to try and avoid at all costs. He recently beat up Anchorage veteran Stavros Halkias who, unfortunately for him, had the courage to stand up to Bjorn. The Finnish bully is in a tie for 2nd in penalty minutes this season with 37 PIM, and is second in hits among defenceman in the league. Aside from throwing his ruggedness and grit in the face of opponents, he has also put his fearless attitude to use skill-wise, as he is second in the J in shot blocks, getting in the way of 31 attempts.

Goalie: Kasperi Braulin/White Goodman

Amidst Vancouver's woes this season, goaltending has not been one of them. Kasperi Braulin, a player in the hearts of all Whalers fans for his heroic performances that helped lead them to their cup in S48, is continuing his good form that he's known for. In a league where goalies tend to rarely get above .900 save %, Braulin is the only goalie aside from defending top goalie winner Emiko Spector to have a percentage above that mark. And he's also doing this while being the goalie that's faced the most shots and and played the most minutes. However, unlike previous seasons, this season isn't the Braulin show in net, as promising rookie netminder White Goodman was drafted with the 10th pick in order to eventually take over from the WKP draftee. Goodman, an enthusiastic soon-to-be Texas Renegade, has already been impressing management and is likely to be considered to slot into Braulin's place soon.