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SHL & SMJHL Draft Preview
Long Article
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NJBadAppleRegistered S36 Challenge Cup Champion
Good afternoon and welcome to a brief look into what's next for the SHL and SMJHL; the drafts! Whether you're a recreate looking to replicate a legendary career of your previous player, or a "true rookie" looking to come in and really make a name for yourself, the Entry Draft's always bring with them a little bit of expectations, and some unforeseen trades and picks that nobody could've guessed. It's an exciting time for players to know where their future lies and how it'll pan it for Season 26, in both the SHL and SMJHL... and it all starts with the draft. We'll be taking a very brief look into a select number of prospects from teams throughout the SMJHL and how they stack up against their competition from around the league. Am I doing a bit of scouting work for GM's? Not on purpose, but it must certainly lighten the load to see everything thrown together in one place. We'll then dive into a quick interview with the SHL's newest General Manager, and finish our journey with a few more prospects; those eligible for the SMJHL. Let's begin!
Conall Macleod (LW/RW) Halifax Raiders  Drafted 3rd Overall [S25 SMJHL Entry Draft] 19G/23A/42P/+14/14PIM/31HIT Bankroll: $5,300,000 308 TPE What a better place to start with our final draft rankings than with the Scottish phenom. Conall came in full-speed-ahead to the SMJHL entry draft and has lived up to his 3rd overall designation, and then some. He played the entire season on the Raiders top line, leading them to the conference finals in the playoffs, while also posting a miraculous 9 goals and 5 assists. That's good for 14 points in 12 games, AS A ROOKIE. There's zero doubt through the jury ladies and gentleman, you're looking at the future of an SHL franchise. A sure-fire top 3 pick, perhaps even higher. Whether or not Conall will return to the Raiders next season will be left to the imagination for the time being, and with similar TPE [at similar times] to S24 superstar Evandrus Jesster, history says he will be. But maybe he can make a case for himself as Zach Hoover and Robb Wind did this previous season in the big leagues. Either way, an excellent star forward in the making. Cody Black (D) Vancouver Whalers  Drafted 7th Overall [S25 SMJHL Entry Draft] 3G/21A/24P/+9/81PIM/86HIT Bankroll: $7,575,000 280 TPE Perhaps the underdog of the upcoming SHL class lies on the blue line in form of Cody Black. Cody is a tried & true Canadian defender, with a snarling case of being pissed off. He amassed 81 penalty minutes and maintained a positive +/- in his rookie season with Vancouver to secure a spot on their second pairing this past season. To go with a very respectable 24 points, Cody wasn't afraid to turn many opposing forwards into dust with 86 hits. Cody's transition game is incredible; there's simply no stopping the 5'9 185lbs roadster once his legs turn on the after burner. He's a likely first rounder, and will certainly return to Vancouver for a sophomore season in S26. It'll take a few seasons but Cody will certainly hit his ceiling as a top-4 defender in the SHL and play heavy, heavy minutes and in all sorts of scenarios. Power play, penalty kill, you nameit; Cody Black is your man for the job. Clayton Fuller (D) Halifax Raiders Drafted 26th Overall [S25 SMJHL Entry Draft] 1G/29A/30P/+8/39PIM/43HIT Bankroll: $300,000 261 TPE What a weird fucking stat line.. really, 1 goal?? Anyway... we venture back to Halifax for our third prospect and beneath the mess we find Clayton Fuller... an American hero from the windy streets of Chicago. With draft abilities like the Raiders it's no wonder they almost knocked out Montreal in the Conference Finals. They chose Clayton at 26th overall on a whim and they hit it clear out of the park. Not only did he play prime minutes, he outscored every other defenseman on his team. Posted 30 points, 43 hits, and even threw in 8 more points in the playoffs in a 12 game appearance. What a fucking steal, there's simply no way he falls that far in the SHL Entry Draft as he'll be near the top of just about every GM's defender rankings. Clayton does lack a large bankroll though, and will see some extra seasons down in Halifax to help boost his TPE total as well. With a slight boost in effort and dedication, Fuller will be an SHL regular in no time... especially with all of the talent he's surrounded by in Halifax. Sven Karlsson ( C ) Detroit Falcons  Free Agent Signing 5G/8A/13P/-11/11PIM/14HIT [Only 32GP] Bankroll: $2,300,000 228 TPE Is it even possible to have a more Swedish name than this??? Detroit started and... well, stayed at the bottom of the league for the whole season. They're clearly rebuilding, and Sven Karlsson jumped at the opportunity to hop on-board. He joined them 18 games into the season, as Detroit saw a glaring need at the Center position that Sven quickly filled on the third line. He's a stay-at-home two way forward, willing to play a 200ft game. Don't let the -11 fool you, the Swedish meatball is quick to move from circle to circle and will only see improvements next season. His bankroll is very respectable for joining mid-season and jumping right into form. Of course, he will be spending at least one, maybe two more seasons down in juniors to build his that TPE count. He'll be a go-to player next season for the Falcons and just about every aspect of his playing time will increase. Look for him to be one of the most improved players next year for the entire league. Patrick McEichel (C/LW) Vancouver Whalers Drafted 28th Overall [S25 SMJHL Entry Draft] 15G/23A/38P/+10/12PIM/38HIT Bankroll: $2,670,000 270 TPE It seems as if the deeper we go into the draft, the more talent there is... we must go deeper. The fourth round came quick for Vancouver, looking for enough offense to supplement the recent departure of star forward Zach Hoover... enter Patrick McEichel. I'm still trying to figure out how exactly he fell this far down but we'll go ahead and roll with it. Patrick was a blast to watch in his rookie tenure with the Whalers, leading his team and almost the entire league's rookies in points. While constantly overshadowed by Three Stooges of Bure/McZehrl/Durden, Patrick held his own and then some for the remainder of the team. The man has a bankroll, decent TPE, massive points for a rookie, is physical, positive +/-.. I really don't think there's anything McEichel won't cover. Definitely not a 4th rounder this draft; look for him to go later in the first round. He might slip to the second, and if he does, it's another steal for whomever grabs him. He'll be an SHL regular in S27 or S28. Mikelis Grundmanis (D) Montreal Impact Drafted 11th Overall [S25 SMJHL Entry Draft] 7G/23A/30P/+3/42PIM/42HIT Bankroll: $5,250,000 287 TPE It's been said that then-GM's Bloobz and Argar invented the ancient art of drafting well. Seriously, can they ever fuck up outside the top 5? Mikelis Grundmanis, despite sounding like a new breed of STD, is a Latvian cannonball for the already-loaded Montreal Impact. One big departure the Impact felt was Swedish defender Vladimir Lidstrom making the SHL jump and were left frantically looking for replacements... and luckily they found this behemoth. Standing at 6'3 230lbs, this refrigerator provided solid coverage on the blue line playing on the second pairing behind sophomore's Wolff and Morenov. Also in the post-season he recorded 7 more points to help propel Montreal to the Four Star finals for their second straight year. Dynasty anyone? He's got first-round written all over him, no way any GM tries to let him slip this time around. He could potentially be a full-timer as early as S27. My personal choice for Defender of the Year next season. Eoin MacGregor (D) Prince George Firebirds  Drafted 8th Overall [S25 SMJHL Entry Draft] 2G/15A/17P/+9/90PIM/107HIT Bankroll: $6,200,000 284 TPE Get the fuck out of his way; just move. Run for your life, it's the angry Irishman - Eoin MacGregor. Eoin is as frustrating on the ice as it is to spell his first name. He's a mean son of a bitch and doesn't really care about how you feel about it. He led his team in penalty minutes, hits, and attitude. In all honesty, Eoin is the second coming of Bojo in my opinion. He's a solid defender and is physical as all hell. You won't see a massive amount of points from him, but the sky is the limit in terms of his development and there's nothing in the foreseeable future stopping his trend upwards. You're looking at yet another sure-fire first round choice for the SHL and next season's #1 defender for the Firebirds. Oh, he posted 5 points in just 6 games in the playoffs for Prince George, and also added 12 penalty minutes and 16 hits in those same games. When he's on the ice, it's time for a shift change. Scott Robertson (D) Prince George Firebirds Drafted 12th Overall [S25 SMJHL Entry Draft] 7G/23A/30P/+3/40PIM/8HIT Bankroll: $6,250,000 261 TPE Ah, another under-valued defender. While we're on the topic of defenseman, let's take a look at Eoin's partner up there in Prince George. A much-nicer man by the name of Scott Robertson from the snowy mountain tops of New York state. Scott was chosen 12th overall by the Firebirds in hopes of building a blue line that could withstand 50 games + a solid run into the post-season. Despite falling short of the second goal, they're now set for S26 to be a huge rebound year for them. He claims as a two-way defender but I don't believe that for a second; he's an offensive-defender. 30 points don't just trickle into the net for rookie's on the back-end, Scott is no exception to this. Despite standing at 6'0 217lbs he's a rather docile creature and prefers finesse over being an overwhelming asshole. He's a great player, is what I'm trying to say. He might not be a first rounder, but may there be no surprises if he's taken in the second. Mattias Holmberg (D) Detroit Falcons 5G/9A/14P/-2/6PIM/14HIT [Only 30GP] Free Agent Signing Bankroll: $1,300,000 213 TPE What a roller coaster season for young Mattias, only to end in extreme disappointment. Mattias Holmberg, SMJHL's most recent addition to the Swedish takeover, signed as free agent with the Montreal Impact almost halfway through the S25 campaign. Just as he was getting comfortable, he was then shipped off to Detroit as the centerpiece of a package in exchange for Jasper Clayton and Michael Burch. Once again, Detroit realized they were entering a rebuild phase and wanted Mattias as part of that process. The two-way defender had a respectable season and will only continue his rise among the ranks next season in Detroit, as they hope to go a little further in the playoffs next time. Mattias' season came full circle when the Falcons faced and were ultimately eliminated by... yep, you guessed it - the Montreal Impact. With continued dedication, expect Mattias to go in the SHL Entry Draft somewhere late in the second round, if not the early third. Robert Andersson (G) Montreal Impact :impact: 8W / 5L / 2 OTL / SV% .882 / GAA 2.25 Drafted 28th Overall [S25 SMJHL Entry Draft] Bankroll: -$125,000 265TPE Our first goalie of the bunch! Why do all the fucking goalies in this league come from Sweden, can't we just have one or two American or Canadian ones??? Robert was taken in the later rounds of the SMJHL Entry Draft because... goalie's are typically a crapshoot. He's quickly evolved into quite the personality and the undisputed King of Sweg. Playing the boring game of patience and behind starter Earnest Ciarelli, Robert provided great relief in the 15 games he played in and secured his spot for next season as the Montreal starter; assuming Earnest Ciarelli graduates to the SHL. He's one of the largest players in the draft, standing 6'5 211lbs. He's a little lanky for that height but it enables his east-west movement to be lightning quick. He'll spend the next two seasons as the Montreal starter, and Ballerstorm couldn't be happier. Note his bank account in the negative's, something that needs to be addressed ASAP as equipment & weekly training will become far more expensive once drafted. Jordan Mack (RW) Montreal Impact :impact: 9G/11A/20P/-9/8PIM/12HIT Drafted 22nd Overall [S25 SMJHL Entry Draft] Bankroll: $1,875,000 256 TPE The offspring of the short-tenured Devon Mack and sibling of the late Bernie Mack, Jordan hails from the shitty terrain of western Canada. A sniper by trade, Jordan was chosen 22nd overall by the Montreal Impact, his father's alma mater. He's played a role of the right flank between the second and third lines all season, unable to find a real stability and see hs production increase to what is what down in the major-junior leagues of Canada. With captain Evandrus Jesster leaving this coming off-season, Mack will most certainly receive increased playing time and will have his opportunity to shine during prime minutes as a top six forward. Even in this season's playoffs, he's already posted 7 points in just 12 games; almost half the amount he put up in a full 50 game stretch. All stats aside, he's a great teammate all around and is completely dedicated to the league. I'd expect a mid-second round pick at the very latest for Jordan. Rick James (RW) Vancouver Whalers 5G/11A/16P/+2/50PIM/105HIT Drafted 42nd Overall [S25 SMJHL Entry Draft] Bankroll: $3,150,000 196 TPE He's Rick James, bitch. The UK forward is a traditional, 70's-style, bang 'em up kinda guy. It's a little understandable how Rick fell so far down in the draft, seeing as hit point totals won't blow anyone away anytime soon; but his peripherals are something to marvel at. He led the Whaler's rookies in hits (second on the team only to Marshal) and was near the top in PIM for the entire team. He's likely to see a massive increase in playing-time next season with half of the Vancouver roster getting full time jobs in the SHL. What does that translate to? Bigger everything. If he could have a huge offseason in terms of TPE earnings and continue his bankroll upward, he could start next season around 275TPE or even more; we could be looking at the next Buster Killington. Not an immediate impact at the SHL level, but a raw prospect with very high ceiling. Potato Chips (D) Colorado Mammoths  13G/30A/43P/+-0/12PIM/29HIT Drafted 31st Overall [S25 SMJHL Entry Draft] Bankroll: $40,899,995 258 TPE Potato's parents were brave enough to let their child name himself, and the first thing the child saw was.... well, you know. Mr. Chips was born in the UK and sent up for adoption, and was claimed by a family down in South Korea where he ultimately learned to conquer the sport all Koreans love and cherish; poverty. In the meanwhile, Potato became a massive sensation for South Korea, piling up the points in junior leagues travelling throughout Asia and Eastern Europe. He made the transition to North American hockey last season and dominated most, if not ALL rookies with 43 points. He's a regular practicing Buddhist and self-soothes with the art of meditation, resulting in just 12 penalty minutes all season long. During the offseason, he stays in tip-top shape by Sumo wrestling back in his hometown of Changwon, and often wins with his absurd 7'5 310lbs frame. Potato is a top-shelf prospect, no doubt about it, and he'll be off the board in no time; most likely top 5. Whatever team drafts him will likely have to build a new stadium, to accommodate his size. Mainio "The Maniac" Makinen (LW) Kelowna Knights  10G/17A/27P/+6/24PIM/50HIT Drafted 21st Overall [S25 SMJHL Entry Draft] Bankroll: $1,000,000 284 TPE The self-proclaimed "maniac" comes from the flowing hills of Finland, where most horror films are shot. What they don't know, is that most of their films are based on Mainio's hockey career. Rumors have it that before transitioning to the SMJHL, Mainio would sneak into the opposition's locker room and place fiberglass in everyone's skates. Crazy. After getting out of Finnish prison, Mainio quickly jumped onto the scene the Knights didn't hesitate to draft him. He's had an excellent year playing respectable minutes for Kelowna, and leading all of their rookies in every single category. The Knights are a stacked team, and not to be outshined is Makinen, whom is quickly making a case for himself to be a top choice among the SHL draft-eligible players. You can see him be snatched sometime early in the second round, and also back in Kelowna next season. Interview Next, we have a very brief interview with none other than GCool. "Buzzkill" is still a relatively new member to the league, joining just back in March of this year and played just three seasons before taking the co-GM spot on the Portland Admirals during the offseason. The Admirals had their expansion draft prior to the start of Season 25 and finished dead last in the league, as many had expected. He's in the process of preparing for his first ever draft and eventually help command the ship for the 26th Season. Buzz took some time of his busy schedule to sit down with me for a few moments and answer some questions about the draft, his team, and the future of his career behind the scenes in Portland:  First off, thank you for doing this interview with us. What are your feelings, as a whole, about the incoming SHL draft class? Anybody in particular stand out to you?I have high hopes for this incoming class. Before the season got rolling, a lot of people were excited about the high-profile recreates - but there have been quite a few standout rookies proving that they could be great as well. There are a number of d-men who look great even besides everyone's top 4, like Clayton Fuller and Mikelis Grundmanis. There are also a few great centers, with Patrick McEichel being a true rookie worth an explicit mention. Portland finished dead last in the standings this year and grabbed the 2nd overall pick, which then was traded for the 4th overall. What do you attribute your teams performance to this season and what are your plans to remedy that?We didn't have very high expectations going into this season. We were fresh off an expansion draft and a S25 draft that wasn't thin but we didn't have much room to work. We had a few things to write home about, though, including great performances from all of our rookies and some helpful mentoring from Brovalchuk (who's since moved on) and Scherbluk (who's still with us for another year). The lack of depth and experience, especially in the tougher Western Conference, is clearly what did us in. We're hoping to get a lot more excited rookies who want to be part of a growing team! On a scale of 1 to 10, how much Sweg runs in your veins and whyHmmmm. Probably about a 6. I'm hoping SwegKingu really turns it on next season. Also, I'm sort of the league "buzz kill", so I can't be too sweggy. This will be your first season managing a team. What are some valuable lessons you hope to learn, and is there any one GM you look up to? Why?I hope to learn the ropes a little more. This offseason has been interesting, as I've become acquainted with the GM forum and how everything works behind the scenes. It'll be important to be involved in transactions and line creation, with the ultimate goal being to run a successful team in spite of our youth and lack of depth. JP has already taught me a lot. He's a quieter dude, but he knows when to make moves. I looked up to Tanner my first season or two because - along with his Challenge Cup victory - he and I are like-minded. After talking to him on Skype for a little it became clear to me that he's very analytical and plays a few moves ahead of the current stat lines. It's also been fun to watch Deener making a ton of moves; you can tell he's a dude who gets what he wants and will stop at nothing to create an entire team, much less a powerful line or group of players. Any advice for the players entering the draft?Just be yourself! Speaking from experience, LR chemistry is just as important as on-ice chemistry. You can't force yourself into a clique and expect everything to be okay; at the end of the day, this is just a game. Keep updating, write an article or two, find a few friends in your LR, and stick with it. Consistency is key. Are you willing to disclose any potential draft picks or trades that Portland may have in mind? (figured I'd take a shot.)Hahah, sadly, no. We made the one trade with TEX just recently, so I'm not sure what else we're going to look at. We don't really have much to give away, so we might just have to hold off on trades. [Shout out to GCool for agreeing to the interview, thanks bud!] SMJHL Finally, we'll take a look at just a couple of the prospects entering the S26 SMJHL Entry Draft. This is really a crapshoot, as many players could be chosen early on and go inactive... and on the other end, could be chosen very late with little chance of success and flourish into a superstar in the league. Figured I'd round up just a couple of them and see what the future holds for us in the SHL and throughout the league in general. Selena Bauer (G) SMJHL Draft Eligible Bankroll: -$400,000 173 TPE Everybody loves a woman, and everybody loves a goalie. What if you can have both? Well, now you can. Selena comes from a long line of German drunkards and hopes to carry that tradition to North American ice. She stands at 6'1 167lbs, a rather miniature frame considering the job she's going to have stopping all those shots. As a hybrid type, she's looking to increase her weight by at least 20 pounds while still maintaining a quick post-to-post transition game. Her glove hand is unstoppable, it's not even worth the shot; save your attempt and go blocker side. She could have some trouble playing the puck as skating is her weakness, but we'll keep an eye on it. Goalie's tend to fall a little further down the draft board, so I'm going to say during the third round she'll be taken. She could easily land in Montreal with starter Earnest Ciarelli likely moving on. Sim Browski (LW) SMJHL Draft Eligible Bankroll: ???? 168 TPE There's a lot left to be desired for Sim Browski, a left winger from the Czech Republic. A forward with the build of Jakub Voracek and the tenacity of Brendan Gallagher, Sim brings a unique skill-set to the table that will be interesting to see if it makes an easy transition. The 6'4 210lbs monster will eat MASSIVE minutes, potentially 20+ per game as a rookie. His inability to score could hold him back though, as teams do need to score to win games. He's a giant pain in the ass along the boards and could send you airborne if you meet him in open ice - similar to the hammer in Super Mario Party. If you drop the gloves with him, you've already lost. We'll see if Sim can make an impact at the SMJHL level. William Fedorov (D) SMJHL Draft Eligible Bankroll: -$500,000 173 TPE William was built by Russian forces in a bunker deep within Chernobyl. With the help of Canadian scientists, William is primed for excellence at any level of hockey and his next step is the SMJHL. A dual Russian-Canadian from New Brunswick, he's been skating since the age of 3 and is ready for his first professional gig in North America. He's an all around defender that can help out in more ways than what the normal human being can handle. Even strength, penalty kill, power play, penalty shot, 3-on-3... William Fedorov is your man. One thing that could scare off GM's is that he hasn't done one single media article or GFX and is in the hole 500k with the bank already. We'll see what happens as the draft comes closer. Well, that concludes my long article on the SHL and SMJHL Entry Drafts. Thank you for reading, or even just clicking on the link. Have a great day! Go Impact! :impact: Go Toronto!  Code: Words: 4,233
JessterRegistered S8, S9, S35 Challenge Cup Champion
=D>
![[Image: thejesster435.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/thejesster435.gif) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ryan Jesster - HoF Goalie (S1-S14) Proud Calgary Dragon Alumni ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  |  | 
NJBadAppleRegistered S36 Challenge Cup Champion Quote:Originally posted by ogo445@Oct 7 2015, 02:00 PM  EDIT: You changed your post, and thank you.
AtlasRegistered S37 Challenge Cup Champion Quote: He might not be a first rounder, but may there be no surprises if he's taken in the second. > Implying I'll actually go higher than late third round Really good write-up though, good read.
Samsung virtual assistantRegistered Anime Enthusiast
studRegistered S13, S15, S16 Challenge Cup Champion
WeWantTaroRegistered S30, S31 and S33 Challenge Cup Champion
Nice article. Love seeing some detroit players up there. They're definitely going to make a splash this season
RichModerators S30, S31, S39 Challenge Cup Champion Quote:Originally posted by NJBadApple@Oct 7 2015, 12:51 PM 
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Oh, those silly drunkards! Thanks for including me!
 Although, despite what my sig says because I keep forgetting to update it, I have 178 TPE 
RHolder71Registered S36 Challenge Cup Champion |
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