FOR

Call me biased here, but I'm quite proud of what I have accomplished with the transition to the new sim engine. FHM has proven the elite level that I am capable of playing at without the fickleness and limitations of STHS getting in my way. The breakout year my player, Ola Wagstrom, has been having, has been not only practically at a point per game pace, but also a goal per game pace, with an astonishing 33 goals on 35 games. Flacko Lagerfield has two more points than me at the time of writing, but he has also played 4 more games. And despite being on a team with one of the least games played so far, I'm leading by 8 goals and have racked up 53 points in just 35 games. This is already my second best season of my entire career, and if I can keep it up, I should be able to challenge for the highest point total in the league as well as my own career personal best.

Years of training have lead up to this moment. I'm over 2.1K TPE, I worked tirelessly to separate myself from the pack. Some say SHL is a marathon, not a sprint, but I've turned it into both. My work ethic is finally paying off and the fruits of my labor are showing on the ice. I could end up hitting the TPE record even though there was more TPE available in the past, a feat that would be noteworthy on its own without my impressive on-ice numbers. And I've been able to give my team offense without being a defensive liability. I can play a ton of minutes per game, and of the shots I take, I don't miss any. I'm a goalie's worst nightmare. A monster on the power play, with 13 power play goals so far and hopefully more to come. I've always wanted to be like Steven Stamkos, and now I can finally look to lead the SHL in goal scoring. The hard work has all paid off.

And the contribution to my team has to count for something. As the captain and its star player, I have to have some credit, some role in the amazing season my team has had after missing the playoffs all of the last 3 seasons. Leading our division, one of the favorites for the Cup. If we do end up winning the Cup, the case for me winning MVP is even more solidified. New England will need all of its best players to chip in, and they can count on Ola Wagstrom to get the job done. He will work tirelessly, and he wants the Cup more than anyone. This is his last year before regression, so this is the height of his prime, a Swedish super star at his best. It’s now or never, the window is closing. Time is slipping away, and if he wants to go down with a ring, he will have to show up in a big way now. He will go for the victory at all costs; the quest for glory is just beginning. The playoffs will be the real show for Ola Wagstrom, and then you will see why he is the clear cut MVP.

FOR

No team is quite on Toronto’s level of awfulness, not even the flailing Barracuda. Toronto has nothing, a team of low TPE regressing fillers with maybe three good players in Kandinsky, Rich, and Carpet. Their defense is an absolutely trainwreck, and two barely over 1K TPE forwards and a goalie can’t do anything to change that. They need to be relegated to the SMJHL, though I’m not even sure they could compete there. It’s a miracle Toronto has won the 4 games they have, and they’ll be lucky to win 1 or 2 more in the 14 remaining games.

Sure, Tampa is terrible and on pace to not even get double digit wins. But they’re already ahead of Toronto by two games in the standings, and they just aren’t quite as bad. Their roster is a little less piecemeal. And I expect the gap between them and Toronto to grow rather than shrink. Tampa has better chances of winning just by scoring a little more and giving up less shots. They are getting shelled, but not at the same level, and ultimately, that will be why Toronto will finish as the league’s worst team. The North Stars simply are a lost cause, and can count on holding on to last place for years to come. The rebuild will take many seasons, if it can ever be done at all.