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ArGarBarGar · 09-21-2016, 09:56 AM

<div align="center">Top 100 SHL Players of Today!
Season 31

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Season 27
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Season 30

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Welcome back everyone, to the seasonal top 100 players of today. So for those who do not know, this is the 12th edition of this article, awarding the top 100 players heading into the 31st season.

I'd like to give a big thanks to the following users that helped me make this article possible.

Experts: ArGarBarGar, Blues, Tanner, Lunaro, Baelor Swift
Experts and Writers: ArGarBarGar

Together we made a panel of 5 experts who graded over 120 players, narrowing the list down to 100 and ranking those elite 100 players of the SHL.

I'd like to ask the media grader to wait for my PM before grading this article.

100. (S20) LW/D (Seattle Riot) - Jhonas Skarsgaard || Returning Entry
Average Grade: 71.60
Past Seasons: S20-76, S21-84, S22-53, S23-32, S24-47, S25-41, S26-34, S27-53, S28-96, S29-81

Back in the top-100 is veteran Jhonas Skarsgaard, who bounced back from his poor 25 point season in S29 with an 8 goal, 31 point campaign where he spent the majority of his time on the backend. Skarsgaard appeared to excel there, registering 67 blocked shots to boot and a big 140 hits. Skarsgaard's regression will be a problem going forward, but he has at least shown he can still keep up his play.

99. (S18) G (West Kendall Platoon) - Colin Schmidt || -55
Average Grade: 71.80
Past Seasons: S20-92, S21-64, S22-55, S23-60, S24-63, S25-65, S26-43, S27-4, S28-38, S29-2, S30-44

At 99 is Platoon goaltender and most likely future backup Colin Schmidt, dropping way back in this list and probably will be seen on this list for the last time. Schmidt played only 17 games in S30, the majority of starts going to his younger teammate Matt Lewis-Flood, and actually had a pretty solid showing in that role, which may be a far-cry from when he was a top-5 goaltender in the league but at least gives him something to play for as his career nears its end. Schmidt never did get that cup as a starter, unfortunately, and that may haunt him.

98. (S24) RW (West Kendall Platoon) - Ray Pejonis || New Entry
Average Grade: 71.60
Past Seasons: None

New Entry Ray Pejonis hits number 98 with a 15 goal, 30 point campaign. Not amazing by any stretch, but enough to start showing his talents to the hockey world and make himself relevant on this list. Going to be hard to keep on the list without a lot of offense, as his two-way play doesn't really exist and he isn't very physical out there. Still a couple years before he starts to decline, which if he trains a bit more means he can at least start to make a bigger impact out there.

97. (S24) C (Portland Admirals) - Beau Ballard || New Entry
Average Grade: 73
Past Seasons: None

At 97 is Admirals forward and one of the few bright spots on the team, Beau Ballard. Ballard surprisingly was not on the list last season despite leading the team with 47 points, but it seems him leading the team a second year with only 35 points. Perhaps it is just due to people actually campaigning for him to be even voted on this most recent offseason. Ballard may end up being trade bait soon, as Portland is in the process of major management changes that could affect how the team tries to mold itself going forward.

96. (S25) RW (Minnesota Chiefs) - Michael Gerrard || New Entry
Average Grade: 73
Past Seasons: None

At 96 is Chiefs winger Michael Gerrard, one of the big sleeper picks of that draft and finally coming into his own. Gerrard has spent a lot of his time in the shadows of other well-established stars, not really getting the chance to break out as anticipated, but Gerrard has started to show his ability with an 8 goal, 24 point season. Not great by any stretch, but this is also with limited powerplay opportunities and even strength time, which he could be seeing more of in the future.

95. (S25) D (West Kendall Platoon) - Maria Maximova || +1
Average Grade: 73.20
Past Seasons: S27-96, S29-71, S30-96

At 95 is defenseman Maria Maximova, with a less-than-stellar season by her own standards, scoring 8 goals and 19 points on the year and not matching her previous 26 point season the year prior. Her hitting and blocked shots have both gone up, showing that her dip in offensive production is being somewhat made up by her improving defensive play and intangible qualities. Is this enough to rise up once again? That is uncertain.

94. (S25) C (New England Wolfpack) - Jonathan Lundberg || -12
Average Grade: 73.20
Past Seasons: S30-82

At 94 is Jonathan Lundberg, who has had a number of different homes in recent history. First Manhattan, then Winnipeg, and now New England. It appears that he has found a good place with New England, though his numbers are needing to catch up a bit as he has a down year offensively. He finished the season wih 9 goals and 29 points, lower on the depth chart, but was instrumental in their 12-2 playoff run all the way to a Challenge Cup. That offense will need to get back on track, however.

93. (S23) D (Portland Admirals) - Victor Svensson || -39
Average Grade: 74
Past Seasons: S28-86, S29-89, S30-54

Falling back down to earth is Victor Svensson, who enjoyed a major jump in S30 with his great offense and stellar defensive play, but it seems like he has fallen back after trying to put the team on his back, scoring only 23 points on the season. His shot blocking was still superb, blocking 111 shots on the season and one of the most determined defensive seasons we have seen. Svensson is trying his best, but a single player can only do so much on a struggling hockey team.

92. (S21) RW (Seattle Riot) - Cameron Urbowicz || Returning Entry
Average Grade: 74.20
Past Seasons: S28-83, S29-69

At 92 is Riot winger Cameron Urbowicz, getting back to his list after a bounce-back season with long-time team Seattle. Urbowicz scored 14 goals and 31 points on the year, all this despite not a lot of powerplay time. With regression starting to rear its ugly head Urbowicz may not be able to take that next step to greatness, but he is shaping up to be a solid third line forward who can put the puck in the net. Seattle seems to like him, as they recently extended him with the intent to bring him a cup before he retires.

91. (S25) D (Hamilton Steelhawks) - Cody Black || -10
Average Grade: 74.20
Past Seasons: S30-81

At 91 is Steelhawks defenseman Cody Black, who falls back out of the 80s and into the 90s with a slightly better offensive season but one to be forgotten as a -30 and a brutal season all-around for the Hamilton Steelhawks. Black does appear to be getting a bit of a bum rap by a lot of pundits, as despite his -30 he blocked almost 100 shots and was a monster in the physical aspect of the game. Black is improving his offense as well, and there could be a big jump from him in the future.

90. (S27) G (West Kendall Platoon) - Matt Lewis-Flood || New Entry
Average Grade: 74.80
Past Seasons: None

A newcomer on this list and now starter for the Platoon is Matt Lewis-Flood, who spent a ton of time in juniors in order to be ready to take over the starting role immediately and is already starting to make a name for himself. He does have a lot to work on, though, as his .898 save percentage is not going to be enough to get West Kendall in contention status, despite the fact he won 17 games out of 33. He has shown a dedication to training, and that is a big reason he is so trusted to be the next franchise goaltender for the West Kendall Platoon.

89. (S18) C (Hamilton Steelhawks) - Miles Berger || -6
Average Grade: 75
Past Seasons: S21-85, S23-99, S24-74, S25-57, S26-47, S27-70, S28-67, S29-61, S30-83

At 89 is veteran Miles Berger, who remains somewhat in relevance despite not training anymore. Berger led the Steelhawks in scoring last season with a whopping 34, and while that isn't all that impressive on its own it has to account for the fact Hamilton was in full tank mode all season, relying on aging veterans and all-too-young prospects to lead the way. Strangely enough most of his points came with the Edmonton Blizzard, a team in the exact opposite end of the spectrum. Berger is just about done in this league, but he has had some pretty good seasons in his career.

88. (S17) C (Edmonton Blizzard) - Chico Salmon || -30
Average Grade: 75.20
Past Seasons: S20- 43, S21-20, S22-24, S23-37, S24-71, S25-5, S26-1, S27-23, S28-5, S29-59, S30-58

Speaking of another old-timer, Chico Salmon hits our list at number 88. The S17 draftee has made quite a career for himself, and like Berger has started to look forward to moving on with his career as he has not done much at all in training to keep himself fighting regression. With three top-5 finishes on this list and multiple high scoring finishes, Salmon scoring only 30 points on the year seems quite stale. But at his age we should be happy that we still get to see a future hall of famer put the puck in the net, if not nearly as much.

87. (S24) D (Texas Renegades) Patrick Brumm || +1
Average Grade: 75.40
Past Seasons: S27-89, S28-63, S29-91, S30-88

At 87 is a defenseman who is still not quite hitting his stride on a consistent basis, moving up on the list but only by a hair with a 12 goal 33 point season. A lot of that appears to be due to sitting in the shadow of fellow teammate Vladimir Lidstrom who had a monster 56 point season, and Brumm's physical play also appeared to hinder his movement to the higher rankings on this list. Brumm continues to work, and is getting closer and closer to becoming the player he was drafted to be, which should be good for Texas who continues to keep the ball rolling and churn out a competitive team each season.

86. (S23) D (Toronto North Stars) - Lukas Johnson || -37
Average Grade: 75.40
Past Seasons: S27-83, S28-80, S29-64, S30-49

At 86 is North Stars defenseman Lukas Johnson, falling back as he hit a wall along with the entire Toronto North Stars roster. Johnson scored 2 goals and 31 points, highest among defensemen on his team, but his ineffectiveness on the power play and overall weak two-way play hurt him this season. Johnson is a couple seasons away from regression, which means he could easily come back up the list and get back into that top-50, but his time is starting to run out as regression is a foul beast. The changing of the roster in Toronto could also change things, particularly the Palat trade.

85. (S22) D (New England Wolfpack) - Brandon Pomery || New Entry
Average Grade: 75.60
Past Seasons: None

At 85 is Wolfpack defenseman Brandon Pomery, hitting this list for the first time after a pretty solid 11 goal, 34 point season. While he took awhile to hit this list, Pomery looks like he is still making strides to improve his player, most notably on the defensive side of the puck. Pomery was a positive contributor to the Wolfpack cup run as well, and his play provided a lot of intangibles to their eventual championship. Regression is coming up fast, so we may not see him for very long.

84. (S16) C (Los Angeles Panthers) - Maxim Horvat || -7
Average Grade: 75.60
Past Seasons: S20-94, S21-77, S22-51, S23-41, S24-60, S25-7, S26-44, S27-8, S28-15, S29-16, S30-77

At 84 is Maxim Horvat, who has one more season to go before he calls it quits. Horvat has had quite the career, with two top-10 finishes, three Challenge Cups, and a ton of memories made along the way. Horvat's previous season saw him score only 4 goals and 30 points, which is a big reason why he is planning on retiring after S31, but his hockey sense over the years has served him well, allowing him 11 straight appearances on this list, including a 5 season stretch in the top-50. A future hall of famer, and one more season to go.

83. (S20) D (Calgary Dragons) - Sachimo Zoidberg || -48
Average Grade: 75.60
Past Seasons: S22-86, S23-76, S24-69, S25-55, S26-24, S27-47, S28-69, S29-47, S30-35

At 83 is Sachimo Zoidberg, another casualty of the big S20 regression. Zoidberg has moved aside for Bubba Nuck on the Dragons, as his 2 goals and 27 points was well below the team leader in points and fellow defensive teammate. However, Zoidberg has continued to be a physical beast, registering 171 hits and blocking 75 shots. Zoidberg may be past his prime with regression continuing to nibble at him, but he has been a huge contributor for the Dragons the last few years.

82. (S26) G (Winnipeg Jets) - Lukas Berger || -7
Average Grade: 75.80
Past Seasons: S30-75

At 82 is Lukas Berger, a young goaltender on the rise and trying to make a name for himself among the other young goaltenders currently in the league. Berger has hit a bit of a speed bump with a .894 save percentage and 3.36 goals against average, but like many goaltenders who start out strong just needs to chalk it up to a bit of a sophomore slump. Berger remains dedicated to becoming a franchise goaltender for Winnipeg, and we should be seeing him up among the top goaltenders soon if he keeps it up.

81. (S27) D (Los Angeles Panthers) - Chris Crutchfield || New Entry
Average Grade: 76.20
Past Seasons: None

At 81 is newcoming Chris Crutchfield who has broken onto the list after a few seasons of mediocre play. Crutchfield, who just signed a new four year extension with Los Angeles, scored 9 goals and 32 points, registered 171 hits, blocked 80 shots, and was a big factor in both the team's power play and penalty kill. Crutchfield is becoming a top-tier two-way defenseman, and while he hasn't quite mastered everything yet, he has all the tools to get to that point as early as next season. He just needs to finish it off.

80. (S25) C (Seattle Riot) - Evandrus Jesster || -32
Average Grade: 76.20
Past Seasons: S28-64, S29-60, S30-48

At 80 is Riot center Evandrus Jesster, drafted first overall back in the big S25 draft but not quite living up to those expectations so far. Unsure of what happened to Jesster with Seattle (that team does have a whacky general manager), the talented center scored 15 goals and only 29 points. After what we have seen from him in previous seasons, this seems like a very strange aberration, and hopefully it doesn't become a constant. At least Jesster was competent on the draw, because that is about all he had to work with last season. Not expecting him to stay here for too long if he continues to train, which we think he will keep doing.

79. (S20) D (Seattle Riot) - Mikko Koskinen || -15
Average Grade: 76.40
Past Seasons: S23-86, S24-46, S25-20, S26-71, S27-33, S28-18, S29-24, S30-64

At 79 is Mikko Koskinen, who has continuously been falling back ever since his top-20 finish back in S28. Koskinen had 9 goals and 32 points on the season, which isn't anywhere near what we had seen from him in his prime. Koskinen has been hit pretty hard by regression, and it appears that he doesn't have the work ethic to combat it, so we may be seeing the last of Koskinen if he can't get his act together. At least he is still a hard hitter, which is pretty damn entertaining.

78. (S26) C (Los Angeles Panthers) - Sven Karlsson || -16
Average Grade: 76.40
Past Seasons: S29-85, S30-61

Sven Karlsson hits our list at 78 after a somewhat disappointing season by his standards. In S29 he had a major uptick in scoring with a 16 goal, 43 point season and second on the Panthers in scoring. However in S30 he fell back, with only 15 goals, 35 points, -12, and none of his stats quite hitting their previous numbers. Karlsson's youth is an asset, so he shouldn't fall off for long, but it is definitely a speed bump.

77. (S27) G (Portland Admirals) - Selena Bauer || New Entry
Average Grade: 76.60
Past Seasons: None

Selena Bauer enters the list for the first time at 77, with a pretty solid year as 1B for the Manhattan Rage. Kimmo Lokinen went ahead of her towards the end of the season due to his great numbers behind a team that was definitely not at the same level as the majority of the league, but still had a good showing. With Bauer being traded to the Admirals, Bauer looks like she is being cast aside to one of the current dumpsters of the league while they wait for their young goaltenders to develop. Can Bauer fight through it and become the goaltender she was drafted to be?

76. (S26) D (Winnipeg Jets) - Scott Robertson || New Entry
Average Grade: 76.60
Past Seasons: None

Another new entry to this list is Scott Robertson of the Winnipeg Jets, defenseman of the future for Winnipeg and quite a season at his age. 14 goals, 37 points, 60 hits, and 71 blocked shots is an impressive number and a lot of potential for those same numbers to improve. With guys like Big Manious and Rembrandt Q. Einstein to help lead him, he has a lot of support to make sure his progression continues.

75. (S25) C (Texas Renegades) - Jack Durden || -13
Average Grade: 76.80
Past Seasons: S30-62

At 75 is Renegades center Jack Durden, not quite the same player as he was last season when he jumped onto this list at 62. Durden's point totals remained the same, but unfortunately he was surpassed in points by a lot of his teammates, his hitting went way down, and his two-way game suffered. Durden may just have had a somewhat down year, but the Durden we saw last year may just be the Durden we see for the better part of his career.

74. (S24) G (Texas Renegades) - Earnest Ciarelli || -7
Average Grade: 77
Past Seasons: S30-67

At 74 is another Renegade, goaltender Earnest Ciarelli. After being traded from the Wolfpack to the Renegades, Ciarelli has struggled to hit the stride that he anticipated reaching after being drafted by the Wolfpack back in S24. So far he has not quite been the goaltender they have been looking for, and it must be especially disappointing to see him traded from his old team and watching them win a cup the very next season. A .899 save percentage, however, shows that he may have been a big reason they weren't winning, and he has to work to get that good-will as a goaltender back.

73. (S28) G (Seattle Riot) - Michael McFadden || New Entry
Average Grade: 77.60
Past Seasons: None

At 73 is Riot goaltender Michael McFadden, making a major splash due to a wonderful rookie campaign that saw him win 22 games, stop 1200 shots, and immediately earn the starting role for Seattle despite being such a young player. McFadden does have a long way to go before being considered an elite goaltender, mainly his save percentage which was a solid but not groundbreaking .908, but he has time to gain size and endurance so his saves come more often and he can provide the goaltending Seattle needs to get back to cup contention.

72. (S26) LW (New England Wolfpack) - Mainio Makinen || New Entry

Average Grade: 77.60
Past Seasons: None

At 72 is another newcomer Mainio Makinen, who probably should have been listed in the S30 addition as well, but her production didn't quite catch the eye of the voters despite scoring 17 goals and 42 points. In S30, Makinen scored 17 goals once again and scored 39 points, pretty damn good. Hitting is not there, so defensively she needs to work on that aspect of her game to soar higher, and defensively she has been good but not great, but a long cup run has shown that there are plenty of things she can improve on to help her team go back to back.

71. (S20) D (New England Wolfpack) - Benjamin Reid || -19
Average Grade: 77.60
Past Seasons: S22-90, S23-66, S24-73, S25-35, S26-33, S27-9, S28-34, S29-49, S30-52

At 71 is Benjamin Reid, a player we have seen many times over lately. Reid has done something that we haven't seen from him for a long time, however, which is score under 30 points. A 6 goal, 24 campaign is definitely not something we are used to from the veteran defenseman, and with regression starting to tug on him it is possible he is one of the players that hasn't quite been able to handle regression like a lot of other players have. Reid has fallen quite far since S27, and based on these recent seasons it is unlikely that we see Reid reach his prime again.

70. (S25) RW (Edmonton Blizzard) - Ivan Koroviev || New Entry
Average Grade: 77.80
Past Seasons: None

At number 70 is Blizzard winger Ivan Koroviev, entering our list after quite an impressive coming out party with 12 goals and 42 points. Many on Edmonton call him the go-to "assist-man" due to what he has been able to do dishing the puck to his teammates. And with the amount of passing power on Edmonton his ability to pass (second on the team in assists) is something to be proud of. Edmonton didn't quite get it done in the finals, but a guy like Koroviev is proving a lot to this franchise and will be a big contributor to their future.

69. (S24) C (Los Angeles Panthers) - Kaapo Kekkonen || New Entry
Average Grade: 78
Past Seasons: None

At 69 is newcomer Kaapo Kekkonen, an older player to join the list but starting to come into his own with an impressive 45 point season. 23 goalsa nd 130 hits made it into a much better season than we have seen from him in his career, and thankfully he still has a few more years to keep it up before his body starts to betray him.

68. (S25) C (Winnipeg Jets) - Travis Kudleychuk || +27
Average Grade: 78
Past Seasons: S30-95

At 68 is Travis Kudleychuk, a player who has had some up and downs in his career, being dedicated to training, then not so much, then back to it, then not so much again. Kudleychuk has gotten back into his groove in S30 with a 16 goal, 41 point season which saw him do alright for himself. Nothing to say "wow this guy is finally going to be the next superstar", but he is at least getting the points off and is looking pretty good doing it. Winnipeg has a pretty good player on their hands with plenty left in the tank even if he stops caring about training at this point.

67. (S23) LW (West Kendall Platoon) - Slappy McDoodle || -10
Average Grade: 78.40
Past Seasons: S29-95, S30-57

At 67 is sometimes defenseman but not really anymmore Slappy McDoodle, dropping back a bit in both points and on the list. McDoodle had a very very good season in S29 with 16 goals and 41 points, arguably his best season of his career. McDoodle didn't quite live up to that with only 7 goals and 35 points. The biggest disappointment is that his physical game was not quite up to par, with experts concerned that he has grown soft and may not have it in him to make those kinds of plays any more. He is getting older, after all.

66. (S25) D (New England Wolfpack) Jasper Clayton || +18
Average Grade: 79
Past Seasons: S29-99, S30-84

At 66 is Wolfpack defenseman and prodigy Jasper Clayton. Despite his gentle demeanor there are a lot of players in the SHL who are sick of his shenanigans, but he continues to play well year after year. Clayton scored 6 goals and 36 points, blocked 60 shots, earned 93 hits, and is starting to reach that progression point where he skyrockets into the upper echelon of current players. His playoff run should be a testament to what he has to offer the league, so keep an eye out for this one.

65. (S20) RW (West Kendall Platoon) - Jed Lloren || -14
Average Grade: 79
Past Seasons: S22-83, S23-68, S24-62, S25-19, S26-21, S27-68, S28-59, S29-46, S30-51

At 65 is Jed Lloren of the West Kendall Platoon, falling back after a couple seasons where it looked like he was going to get right back into the top-30s. Unfortunately Lloren has been affected by regression, scoring only 16 goals and 36 points, nowhere to his best totals and showing he is not quite the player he was when drafted way back when. The higher he goes up on this list, the more we suspect this could be the end of him very soon.

64. (S23) C (Seattle Riot) - David Benson || +8
Average Grade: 79.20
Past Seasons: S28-98, S29-29, S30-72

At 64 is Riot forward and center David Benson, top of his team in scoring and a great defensive player to boot. The one problem (and it could be Seattle's problem) is the roster around him hasn't quite been as stacked as other teams, not giving him a ton of huge options to pass the puck to. The addition of Creller definitely helped, as Benson was very close to hitting the 50 point mark. His physical game may be a detriment, though, because there are a lot of players with lower point totals higher than him on this list.

63. (S24) C (Calgary Dragons) - Alex Mack || +2
Average Grade: 79.20
Past Seasons: S29-72, S30-65

At 63 is Alex Mack of the Calgary Dragons. Once a major contributor winning the Ratzon for playoff MVP, Mack has not quite translated that game to the regular season where there are a slew of other awards for him to win. Mack scored 16 goals and 45 points, was not very physical, and didn't do amazingly on the powerplay, but overall had a damn good season despite being overshadowed by Bubba Nuck's incredible performance.

62. (S23) G (Los Angeles Panthers) - Erik Lundqvist || New Entry
Average Grade: 79.40
Past Seasons: None

Another newcomer to the list is Erik Lundqvist who hits the list at 62. Lundqvist didn't have one of his better seasons in terms of team performance, only winning 19. However his .910 save percentage was pretty damn good, and while his age has been a factor (and makes people wonder how this guy continues to get a starting gig despite not really being the type of goaltender that wins you championships) he still proves the haters wrong and keeps sticking with it.

61. (S25) C (Edmonton Blizzard) - Nikolaus Scholz || +36
Average Grade: 79.60
Past Seasons: S27-91, S28-40, S30-97

At 61 is Blizzard center Nikolaus Scholz, moving on up and trying to get back to his 40 spot from two seasons ago. Scholz scored 18 goalsa nd 40 points, and his season was a major improvement over the debacle that was a 10 goal, 27 point season on the cup winning roster. Scholz is another S25 player who is rising up in the rankings, but needs to be a little more consistent if he wants to get past that 40 spot which so far is his peak.

60. (S20) LW (New England Wolfpack) - Blake Sherrill || Even
Average Grade: 79.80
Past Seasons: S23-83, S24-85, S25-68, S26-70, S27-52, S28-44, S29-54, S30-60

At 60 on the list is Blake Sherrill of the New England Wolfpack, scoring 21 goals and 40 points, exactly how he performed in S29. Sherrill is starting to get attached to this specific place in the rankings, and with his performances year after year, he is about as consistent as you can get. Though his performance in the playoffs was definitely surprising, and New England is hoping they can channel that type of game in the few seasons he has left before he starts to fall out.

59. (S20) LW (Winnipeg Jets) - Elyk || -13
Average Grade: 80
Past Seasons: S25-60, S26-27, S27-29, S28-49, S29-28, S30-46

Falling out of the upper half of the Top 100 for the first time in five seasons in Jets forward Elyk. He has been a fixture on the Jets’ roster for years but it appears with regression starting to hit, he is giving way to some of the young blood on the team. He, however, is still producing as he finished Season 30 with 19 goals and 20 assists. With Winnipeg currently going through a changing of the guard with new management for the first time in team history, expect Elyk to transition into a support role and, likely, continue to fall on this list due to diminishing ability and role.

58. (S22) RW (Calgary Dragons) - Pierre-Luc Laflamme || -44
Average Grade: 80
Past Seasons: S24-92, S25-95, S26-18, S27-17, S28-47, S29-40, S30-14

After making a return to the top 20 in Season 30, the talented forward has fallen hard to 58. This drop can largely be attributed to a highly mediocre statistical season in which he scored just 13 goals and 21 assists for the Platoon. He did, however, play a high quality two-way game in Season 30, being relied on heavily on the penalty kill and finishing with a respectable +9 rating. With a move to the Calgary Dragons, one of the most talented and high scoring teams in the SHL, Laflamme is likely to bounce back and once again establish himself as a premier player in the league.

57. (S21) C (Calgary Dragons) - Jaime Hill || -12
Average Grade: 80.20
Past Seasons: S25-83, S26-40, S27-65, S28-81, S29-66, S30-45

At 57 we have Jaime Hill, longtime center for the Calgary Dragons. While she has never been an elite SHL player, she has been a constant presence in the Top 100 and continued that after a solid campaign last season in which she scored 38 points and finished with a +15 rating. However, the former center has been moved to the wing as the Dragons’ ridiculous depth continues to lessen her role and with regression looming, it seems that the best days for Hill are in the past. She may have one, two if she’s lucky, season remaining in the Top 100 but she has undoubtedly enjoyed a solid career with plenty of team success.

56. (S18) LW (Winnipeg Jets) - Vidrik Onoprienko || +1
Average Grade: 80.60
Past Seasons: S20-67, S21-49, S22-26, S23-7, S24-1, S25-8, S26-2, S27-5, S28-1, S29-7, S30-25

With a ranking of 56, it seems as if Onoprienko’s days as an elite player are over. With two number one rankings in Season 24 and Season 28 and an incredible and rather unprecedented seven season stretch in the top ten, he is a Hall of Fame lock and will be remembered as one of the very best players to ever lace up the skates in the SHL. But with a middling 34 point performance in Season 30, it seems as if age is catching up with him as the former Jay McDonald Trophy winner scored just 9 goals all season. While he may still have some time left in the Top 100, he clearly is no longer the player he once was; it remains to be seen, however, if he will undergo a sharp fall from grace after being ranked seventh just two seasons ago or if we will see him age gracefully over the next few seasons. What is for sure is that his legacy will live on long after his playing days are over.

55. (S26) G (Portland Admirals) - Christoffer Björnsson || New Entry
Average Grade: 81.20
Past Seasons: None

After a stretch of aging veterans on the list, we have up and coming goaltender Christoffer Björnsson making his debut at 55 with a breakout performance in Season 30. Despite playing for the struggling Admirals, he was able to stand his ground in net and give opponents a slight challenge as he helped to steal some games and finished the season with a more than acceptable 0.913 save percentage. He has a bright future in the SHL; the Admirals, however, will not be able to reap the benefits. Björnsson has moved on to the upstart Manhattan Rage, who made the playoffs last season after a long drought, as he will be a key piece of the puzzle as his new teams looks to establish itself as a Challenge Cup contender.

54. (S22) RW (Seattle Riot) - Pavel Bursyuk || -25
Average Grade: 81.20
Past Seasons: S27-51, S28-53, S29-8, S30-29

After breaking out a couple seasons ago, Bursyuk now finds himself ranked lower than he has before since debuting on the Top 100 list at 54. After looking like an elite player not long ago, he ended the season with just 35 points despite receiving ample opportunity on the ice, averaging over 21 minutes per game. He undoubtedly is a skilled player but Season 31 will be of much importance as Bursyuk’s performance may tell us if he is simply falling back to earth or if last season was just an off-year. With regression coming up for the veteran player, this very well may be his last shot to prove the doubters wrong.

53. (S23) D (Winnipeg Jets) - Connor O'Reilly || -11
Average Grade: 81.40
Past Seasons: S27-82, S28-101, S29-65, S30-42

At 53, it appears that Connor O’Reilly may have received the benefit of the doubt from the experts as his performance last season was far from spectacular. Playing most of the season with the tanking Steelhawks, he scored just 23 points in 37 games before finishing off the season with 11 points in his final 12 games. However, even with the Jets, he achieved a -2 rating and failed to display much in the way of a physical game. While certainly not a bad season and one that is definitely deserving of appearing on the list, he will have to put together a strong campaign in Season 31 if he wants to move up the list and show that he can be a top pairing SHL defenseman.

52. (S24) LW (Los Angeles Panthers) - Anton Fedorov || +38
Average Grade: 81.80
Past Seasons: S30-90

Fedorov is the definition of a late bloomer as he debuted on the list just last season, his sixth since being drafted, and now finds himself at 52 after a surprisingly strong performance. His 49 points and 31 assists both led the Panthers last season as he was a bright spot on a team currently working its way to prominence. However, sustaining this level of success will likely be difficult for Fedorov as his overall ability has never been very impressive. But if he can build off last season’s performance, Los Angeles would certainly be happy as they appear to be ready to try and compete in a very tough Western Conference.

51. (S20) LW (Toronto North Stars) Chester Cunningham || -15
Average Grade: 81.80
Past Seasons: S23-69, S24-50, S25-81. S26-50, S27-56, S28-19, S29-13, S30-36

Toronto struggled to score as a team last season and Cunningham’s ranking certainly suffered because of it, sliding out of the top half for the first time since the Season 27 edition. His 19 goals and 18 assists last season did not amount to an impressive total as the North Stars failed to make the playoffs despite boasting a talented roster. With some off-season tweaks, Toronto is expecting to bounce back and, with that, Cunningham’s performance should as well.

50. (S26) D (Manhattan Rage) - Wyatt Wolker || +50
Average Grade: 82.20
Past Seasons: S29 -94, S30-100

After two seasons of hovering around the very bottom of the list, highly touted defenseman Wyatt Wolker burst onto the scene last year and finds himself ranked 50th in the league. Wolker logged a lot of minutes last season and took advantage of the added responsibility, picking up 44 points and having a +7 rating as a key player for the Rage both in the offensive and defensive aspects of the game. While Manhattan would be thrilled to see a repeat of Wolker’s play in Season 31, what is for sure is that the youngster is well on his way to becoming a strong player in the SHL.

49. (S25) RW (Texas Renegades) - Geoffrey Allen || +38
Average Grade: 83
Past Seasons: S28-72, S29-73, S30-87

At 49 is Renegade and member of the big S25 draft class, Geoffrey Allen! Allen makes a big jump in the rankings with a 34 assist, 48 point season behind some big names. Allen hasn't quite hit the "I'm an elite player" category yet, while many expected him to considering what they were saying about him when he was drafted, but a 48 point season isn't half bad. Now with guys like Knight and Kinsler on their way to retirement (or close to it), Allen will have a good shot to be an MVP player for the Renegades going forward.

48. (S20) D (Los Angeles Panthers) - Chuck Goody || -11
Average Grade: 83
Past Seasons: S22-56, S23-8, S24-3, S25-44, S26-45, S27-86, S28-28, S29-42, S30-37

At 48 is Chuck Goody, with a solid season overall for Minnesota. While Goody may be retiring, he has been shown to be a major HoF player, winning a Stevens back in the day and also having many successful seasons on a couple of different teams. Goody scored 11 goals and 43 points on the season, right behind Barney Stinson among defensemen, blocked 75 shots (second on the team), and played a whole lot of minutes in every category. With Los Angeles as his final destination, he may have one more solid showing.

47. (S20) RW (Seattle Riot) - Dean Colt || -35
Average Grade: 83.20
Past Seasons: S25-73, S26-25, S27-62, S28-21, S29-51, S30-12

At 47 is "Hey look how many faceoffs I win guys!" Dean Colt, winger for the Seattle Riot although he has been used as a center because he seems to love taking faceoffs for some reason. Colt had a major down year offensively, scoring 18 goals but only 37 points, being traded midway through the season from Hamilton to Edmonton, where he scored the majority of his points. Colt now sees Seattle as his home, and with a more team-oriented system his faceoff prowess might be what the team needs to win that Challenge Cup.

46. (S22) D (West Kendall Platoon) - Ales Smirnov || +1
Average Grade: 83.40
Past Seasons: S26-84, S27-58, S28-93, S29-56, S30-47

At 46 is Platoon defenseman Ales Smirnov, playing a team game and putting the puck in the net at the same time. Smirnov scored 11 goals and 40 points, a pretty solid year, didn't move up much in other categories (shot blocking was a low 57 considering his role on the team), and kept about as consistent as you can get. Smirnov is close to regression, but has been a stabilizing force with Bojo Biscuit getting older.

45. (S21) RW (Edmonton Blizzard) - Tommy Creller || +23
Average Grade: 83.60
Past Seasons: S22-99, S23-40, S24-38, S25-11, S26-51, S27-20, S28-25, S29-30, S30-68

At 45 is Tommy Creller, a former face of the Rage franchise now forsaken to the Western Conference. Creller hasn't enjoyed the change, it seems, but had a bit of a bounce back with 8 goals and 36 points. Not quite his prime standards (he was one of the youngest players ever to win the playoff MVP if you forgot), but getting back into shape and making a name for himself again. Edmonton is once again stacked, and now with Creller joining the team in the offseason it will be an interesting season as Creller acknowledges he is not quite as active as previous years.

44. (S22) G (Toronto North Stars) - Mark Harter || -14
Average Grade: 83.60
Past Seasons: S24-101, S25-78, S26-89, S27-69, S28-22, S29-25, S30-30

Mark Harter enters our list at 44, the Toronto goaltender with a career of very few playoff accomplishments. Harter still trucks along, but fell back a bit with a .904 save percentage and only 23 wins on the season. The North Stars failed to make the playoffs, and I have to imagine Harter is not entirely happy. Will he stick with the team that drafted him going forward or demand a trade to a non-curse team?

43. (S20) C (Toronto North Stars) - Niklas Wikstrom || -25
Average Grade: 83.60
Past Seasons: S22-91, S24-89, S25-70, S26-97, S27-61, S28-61, S29-6, S30-18

At 43 is North Stars center Niklas Wikstrom, who held out for a ton of money after a long offseason and a solid year. He may not be the same kind of player that we saw when he was in Winnipeg, but he has a lot of talent and continues to produce. Toronto is looking for one more push with Wikstrom before his eventual retirement, so Wikstrom will need to make it count. His 20 goals and 39 points will need to be replicated for the team to have success and make the playoffs.

42. (S26) G (Minnesota Chiefs) - Robert Andersson || -14
Average Grade: 83.80
Past Seasons: S28-45, S29-87, S30-28

At 42 is Minnesota prodigy and another goaltender without much playoff success, Robert Andersson. Andersson won 29 games and faced one of the highest number of shots in Chiefs history, but his .906 save percentage was not entirely that impressive when considering what the team expects of him year to year. His playoffs were not up to par either, but that is mainly due to the team in front of him not doing much. Andersson still remains faithful and with the Chiefs re-tooling he may have a better core to work with in the coming years.

41. (S23) D (Calgary Dragons) - Michael Boychuk || +12
Average Grade: 84.40
Past Seasons: S28-97, S29-67, S30-53

At 41 is Dragons defenseman Michael Boychuk, in the top-50 for the first time in his career with a 6 goal, 41 point season. Not too shabby, though his physical play and defensive play wasn't entirely there. Many people in the media didn't even follow his solid performance offensively due to being in Bubba Nuck's shadow all year. Boychuk is starting to enter his prime, and while he is not likely going to turn into a top-20 type player he can still get a few more seasons in the top-50 going forward.

40. (S24) D (Edmonton Blizzard) - Winston Windsor || +3
Average Grade: 84.40
Past Seasons: S27-71, S28-60, S29-77, S30-43

At 40 is Blizzard defenseman Winston Windsor, a former Minnesota product and now core piece to Edmonton's future. Windsor scored 9 goals and 37 points, blocked 69 shots, registered 57 hits, and had a pretty solid showing on all aspects of the game. Windsor hasn't quite catapulted to the elite dominating defenseman that he was originally billed at, though, and he will have to become more than a jack of all trades type if he wants to become that.

39. (S20) D (Toronto North Stars) - Simon Palat || -1
Average Grade: 84.80
Past Seasons: S26-65, S27-37, S28-11, S29-53, S30-38

At 39 is North Stars defenseman Simon Palat, coming off a couple of very good seasons with Minnesota despite the fact he didn't end up winning the chalice. Palat scored 12 goals and 36 points on the season, registered 93 hits, and blocked 62 shots. Palat has begun to regress as a veteran and because of that has made it clear this will be his last one. Now on the North Stars who are desperate for a Challenge Cup Palat is going to try and make his last year the one that finally wins it all.

38. (S20) LW (Texas Renegades) - Yuri Boyka || -21
Average Grade: 85.20
Past Seasons: S22-97, S23-64, S24-55, S25-17, S26-53, S27-25, S28-66, S29-34, S30-17

Yuri Boyka comes in at 38 with a bit of a let-down season in comparison to the season prior, but did pretty well for himself regardless. He scored 22 goals and 44 points for the Renegades, had a major 259 shots, and was pretty solid on both ends of the ice. Boyka has stepped back with regression, however, and it is unlikely he is goin gto get back into top-20 form at this point, unless the Renegades young guns help prop him up for a season or two.

37. (S25) C (Winnipeg Jets) - Luke Fleming || +42
Average Grade: 85.40
Past Seasons: S29-100, S30-79

At 37 is Jets center Luke Fleming who made a major jump in the rankings with 25 goals and 52 points on the season, his career high so far. At such a young age Fleming is starting to go gangbusters on the league. Fleming also had a pretty physical style to his game, registering 130 hits on the year as well. Winnipeg has a major star in the making on their hands right now, and Fleming is proving that Winnipeg made the right decision when drafting him.

36. (S24) C (Calgary Dragons) - Randy Randleman || +3
Average Grade: 85.40
Past Seasons: S27-64, S28-58, S29-20, S30-39

Randy Randleman hits the list at 36, rising up a bit on the list but not quite to where he was in S29. Randleman had a solid season, scoring 25 goals and 42 points, registering 111 hits, but hasn't hit that next level that we got a taste of in S28. Is Bubba Nuck taking away his mojo? Is Randleman one of those overripe prospects that cannot be elite on a regular basis? One would hope not, because he is arguably the most hyped up player from the S24 draft class. He still has time though, and continues to train and get better.

35. (S18) RW (West Kendall Platoon) - Oliver Pettyfer || -4
Average Grade: 85.40
Past Seasons: S20-87, S21-41, S22-60, S23-65, S24-51, S25-12, S26-15, S27-21, S28-10, S29-43, S30-31

At 35 is Platoon winger Oliver Pettyfer, falling back a bit but still in the hunt to get back to top-10 status, despite being one of the few S18 players left in the league. Pettyfer scored 20 goals and 42 points, but has completely shied away from any and all physical contact at this point in his career. That is about to be expected at his age, however, and scoring 20 goals at this point is a major contribution to the team. Pettyfer may not have that many years left in the tank, but this hall of fame player is continuing to dazzle.

34. (S21) C (Seattle Riot) - Sean Leonidas || +22
Average Grade: 85.60
Past Seasons: S25-102, S26-28, S27-16, S28-9, S29-48, S30-56

At 34 is Sean Leonidas, jumping back up to the high points on this list, though it doesn't seem to matter anymore as Leonidas has announced his retirment and only has one more season left in him before hanging them up. The former SMJHL 1st overall pick has not quite been what was expected at the time, and despite some pretty damn good seasons never did hit the 50 point mark in his career. With him undergoing regression he will have an even bigger hill to climb to reach that if he wants, but we have seen stranger things happen in this league.

33. (S22) C (Minnesota Chiefs) - Kian Hamilton || -12
Average Grade: 85.80
Past Seasons: S27-41, S28-36, S29-33, S30-21

At number 33 is Chiefs center, Kian Hamilton, unable to recreate his season from S29 where he was one of the class players of the league. Hamilton still had a great year by his standards, scoring 22 goals and 46 points, registering 200 shots and 59 hits, and blocking 11 shots. Hamilton had some great two-way play that benefit the Chiefs in their bid to take top spot in the East during the regular season. The Challenge Cup still eludes him on the Chiefs, but he still has one more year on his contract to try and win it for himself once again. After that? Who knows what will happen.

32. (S26) G (Edmonton Blizzard) - Brett Broadway || New Entry
Average Grade: 86
Past Seasons: None

At 32 is newcomer Brett Broadway who has already set high standards for himself as the second most winningest goaltender in S30, as well as the fourth best goaltender in save percentage with .917. His goals against average was pretty solid as well with a 2.45 GAA. He did get a great supporting cast with Edmonton, and also had a veteran to lead the way in Aittokallio. Either way, Broadway is in the best position to succeed as a youngster and will only be going up from here if he keeps up his training.

31. (S21) RW (Buffalo Stampede) - Rider Clitsome || -26
Average Grade: 86
Past Seasons: S23-82, S24-45, S25-64, S26-56, S27-67, S28-13, S29-4, S30-5

At 31 is Stampede forward Rider Clitsome, formerly known as Steelhawk, and now formerly known as North Star where he scored 21 goals and 43 points while his team failed to make the postseason despite a stacked roster. Clitsome clearly did not like it in Toronto, and the issues in the locker room were very present involving him (at least so it seemed). Clitsome now will try to revitalize a young and inexperienced Stampede roster along with some other new free agent additions, and Clitsome in his aging years will try to get that fire back that was once lost.

30. (S20) RW (Toronto North Stars) - Kristian Eriksson || +25
Average Grade: 86.20
Past Seasons: S22-96, S23-77, S24-57, S25-40, S26-11, S27-30, S28-55, S29-39, S30-55

At 30 is Kristian Eriksson, another North Stars player from last season but is sticking with his North Stars brethren after a 24 goal, 52 point campaign which saw him 2nd on the team in scoring. Eriksson isn't quite what he used to be in his prime years, but this season has provided a glimpse of what we remember from the potential future hall of famer. Eriksson is old, but he may have another year or two left before he decides to hang them up, giving us a couple more chances to see him show those flashes of brilliance we remember.

29. (S21) RW (Los Angeles Panthers) - Jorma Ruutu || +5
Average Grade: 86.40
Past Seasons: S28-91, S29-35, S30-34

At 29 is Panthers winger Jorma Ruutu, who has made quite a career for himself despite being a pick nobody entirely expected would be as good as he has been. S30 saw him score 18 goals and 44 points, veyr solid, register 220 hits, great, and block 18 shots. He has been a physical force for the last few seasons and has so far proven to be a great pickup for the Los Angeles Panthers despite his advancing age.

28. (S23) RW (Seattle Riot) Asbjørn Alexandersen || -6
Average Grade: 86.40
Past Seasons: S28-30, S29-23, S30-22

At 28 is Riot Winger and soon to be retiring phenom Alexandersen, who has dropped a bit but not out of the top-30 for the third straight season. As a member of the high-flying Chiefs in S30, he scored 23 goals and 48 points, one of many Chiefs to have a great regular season. Other than that he wasn't much to look at, but all in all he has shown himself to be a pretty damn good player for the last four or so seasons, and with one more season to go before his early retirement he is expected to continue his talent.

27. (S19) C (West Kendall Platoon) Zallerras Szlerchek || -11
Average Grade: 86.60
Past Seasons: S20-86, S21-58, S22-40, S23-71, S24-68, S25-38, S26-48, S27-10, S28-14, S29-4, S30-16

At 27 is Platoon center Zallerras Szlerchek, falling behind after a bit of a disappointing year by his own standards. Zalleras scored 18 goals and 43 points, but only 102 hits on the year and not much else to show for his skills. Szlerchek has finally began showing his age after three seasons in the top-20, and this may be where we see Szlerchek slide towards the bottom half of this list.

26. (S20) C (Minnesota Chiefs) - Griffin Simons || -24
Average Grade: 86.80
Past Seasons: S22-66, S23-58, S24-37, S25-14, S26-32, S27-28, S28-4, S29-9, S30-2

At 26 is Griffin Simons of the Minnesota Chiefs, moving on and asking for a trade when his big season with Toronto didn't live up to expectations. He did score 22 goals and 45 points, but barely had any hits, was a wreck the first half of the season, and eventually missed out on the playoffs despite being on such a stacked roster. Simons is starting to regress, so it is looking less likely he will be able to be that dominant player we have seen the last few years, but you never know.

25. (S19) C (Texas Renegades) - Liam Kinsler || +16
Average Grade: 87
Past Seasons: S24-75, S25-25, S26-7, S27-1, S28-2, S29-19, S30-41

At 25 is Liam Kinsler, who is having a bit of a resurgence so close to retirement and with two straight seasons of regression. Kinsler scored 21 goals and 49 points on the season, registered 100 hits, and had a plus minus of 10, which is not to bad all things considered. It should be pointed out that a main reason he may have had such a great season compared to the last two was the fact that Lidstrom is starting to come into his own and show himself as a dominating possession player.

24. (S25) LW (Toronto North Stars) - Adam Falk || +52
Average Grade: 87.40
Past Seasons: S30-76

At 24 is Toronto North Stars phenomenon and player entering his prime is Adam Falk, who has had one of the biggest jumps on this list with a 20 goal, 54 point campaign leading the North Stars in scoring, despite their shortcomings as a team during the season. Falk was the main bright spot along with Eriksson, and despite his lack of physicality is becoming one of the most dangerous forwards in the league. If they can surround him with some talent the North Stars may be able to get over that hump and make a solid cup run out of it.

23. (S22) C (Toronto North Stars) - Andrey Barbashev || Even
Average Grade: 88.40
Past Seasons: S27-87, S28-30, S29-44, S30-23

Another North Star is Andrey Barbashev, who also had a monster year despite not moving up in the rankings. Barbashev scored 14 goals and 47 points, won almost 900 faceoffs, and was a mainstay on the PK at crucial points during the season, showing his veteran presence on a team that was definitely missing some leadership last season. Barbashev is close to entering regression, but he still has some energy left in the tank and is expected to be a contributor once again while Toronto looks to bounce back into the playoffs.f

22. (S22) D (Winnipeg Jets) - Big Manious || +10
Average Grade: 88.80
Past Seasons: S27-42, S28-41, S29-45, S30-32

At 22 is Jets defenseman Big Maniouus, who actually moved up in the rankings despite not an amazing offensive season. Manious scored 11 goals and 36 points, which is pretty good for a defenseman, but also had 123 hits and 60 blocked shots. All in all a pretty solid season and many experts have argued he has been an incredible player due to intangible qualities that you don't see on the scoresheet. From what we have seen, that is an accurate assessment of his play.

21. (S22) D (Winnipeg Jets) Rembrandt Q. Einstein || -17
Average Grade: 88.80
Past Seasons: S23-85, S24-94, S25-89, S26-57, S27-78, S28-23, S29-36, S30-4

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Rembrandt Q. Einstein at 21, dropping out of the top-10 with a 4 goal, 44 point performance. He even blocked more shots than Manious. However, like with Manious, sometimes it is the intangibles that can make or break your ranking, and many were not impressed with Einstein's ability without the puck and his ability to play position effectively. One expert even accused him of being soft out on the ice, which is something that Manious has over him in terms of the toughness department.

20. (S20) D (West Kendall Platoon) - Bojo Biscuit || +6
Average Grade: 89
Past Seasons: S22-64, S23-36, S23-29, S25-26 S26-20, S27-35, S28-8, S29-14, S30-26

At number 20 is Platoon defenseman Bojo Biscuit, jumping up with another solid hitting season and a 36 point campaign. Bojo hasn't quite been the top-10 elite product we saw back in S27 and S28, but he remains consistent and one of the hardest workers of the league, as well as a fierce competitor with his work along the boards and in front of the net. He may no longer be competing for the Turd Ferguson Trophy, but he is still a presence to be feared out on the ice.

Alonzo Garbanzo Final Tallies (Among Defensemen):
2nd in Goals (208), All-Time Assists Leader (765)*, All-Time Points Leader (973), 3rd in Hits (2587), All-Time Blocked Shots Leader (1882)*
*All-Time Leader Among All Skaters
Player Profile | Update Thread
[Image: IeEV7Iv.png]

ArGarBarGar · 09-21-2016, 09:56 AM

19. (S21) LW (Texas Renegades) - Sterling Knight || +21
Average Grade: 89.40
Past Seasons: S26-82, S27-46, S28-32, S29-55, S30-40

At 19 is Renegades winger Sterling Knight, with a major jump in production leading up to regression. Knight scored 28 goals and 59 points, one of the many players who took the new scoring league by the horns and ran with it. Knight had some hits and also played in a ton of situations, making him once again a major two-way player in the league. Knight is unfortunately retiring after this next season, but he sure has went out with a bang on this list.

18. (S21) G (Calgary Dragons) Hunter Wong || +15
Average Grade: 89.60
Past Seasons: S23-94, S25-82, S26-83, S27-63, S28-46, S29-31, S30-33

Hunter Wong enters the list at number 18, finally getting to the top-20 of the list with some consistent seasons and bringing Calgary a couple of major cup runs along the way. Wong finished with 31 wins and a .915 save percentage, continuing to be a major piece in Calgary's roster despite some counting him out early in his career. Will Wong be able to continue his play past regression? That is the real question going forward.f

17. (S20) C (Calgary Dragons) - Nicholas Pedersen || +7
Average Grade: 89.60
Past Seasons: S23-46, S24-59, S25-16, S26-22, S27-49, S28-27, S29-58, S30-24

At 17 is another Dragon in Nicholas Pedersen, who scored 22 goals and 54 points on one of the dominant lines alongside guys like Anrikkanen. Pedersen has fallen back a bit in the hitting department and isn't quite the physical beast that we have seen in seasons past, but he is right where he was when he was one of the best players in the world in S24 and could be bringing it back despite his increasing age.

16. (S20) D (Edmonton Blizzard) - Barney Stinson || -8
Average Grade: 89.60
Past Seasons: S23-56, S24-34, S25-28, S26-55, S27-90, S28-87, S29-52, S30-8

At 16 is Blizzard defenseman Barney Stinson, not quite living up to the expectations set from last season but having a great season regardless. He scored 7 goals and 46 points in the season, and alongside Alonzo Garbanzo made up one of the best top defensive pairs in the league, as well as being part of by far the best top-4 defensive unit. Stinson is moving to Edmonton in his final year, but is very likely to have another top-10 performance with his abilities.

15. (S20) RW (New England Wolfpack) - Nathan Russell || +12
Average Grade: 89.80
Past Seasons: S24-91, S25-72, S26-12, S27-31, S28-16, S29-22, S30-27

At 15 is Wolfpack winger Nathan Russell, coming off an incredible run to rival even his prime in S25-S27. Russell scored 16 goals and 53 points on the year, was an assist machine, and brought the Wolfpack to the playoffs when the majority of the league counted them out. Russell was dominant in his playoff run as well and is proving that his physical prowess has not slowed him down in the slightest.

14. (S20) G (New England Wolfpack) - Jakob Tanner || -7
Average Grade: 90
Past Seasons: S22-94, S23-61, S24-80, S25-42, S26-68, S27-60, S28-52, S29-38, S30-7

At 14 is another Wolfpack in Jakob Tanner, a new arrival last season when he was surprisingly traded from the team that drafted him and his home for almost 10 seasons. Tanner had a pretty good season with 26 wins and a .910 save percentage, but played incredibly down the stretch willing his team into the playoffs and then being possibly the MVP as the team won a Challenge Cup despite all odds. Tanner has continued to win everywhere he goes and with three Challenge Cups he is one of the greatest goaltenders to ever play.

13. (S21) RW (Edmonton Blizzard) - Theo Kane || -12
Average Grade: 90
Past Seasons: S23-75, S24-77, S25-56, S26-76, S27-57, S28-20, S29-32, S30-1

At 13 is Blizzard winger Theo Kane, falling back and having a considerably worse season than previously with only 16 goals and 40 points for the Blizzard. Kane appears to have slowed down slightly between seasons, whether it is because of wear and tear or the opposition getting used to his play. Either way he remains a very physical specimen and still has a lot to offer the Blizzard other than just point totals.

12. (S24) LW (New England Wolfpack) - Patrikov Bure || New Entry
Average Grade: 90.40
Past Seasons: None

At 24 is Wolfpack Patrikov Bure, who for some reason has not been part of this list until this season. Bure has entered the list in a big way, though, with a 26 goal, 61 point season, the main contributor behind the Wolfpack making it into the playoffs despite what some would call a weak roster. Bure even last year was a major contributor, and is proving his worth as a winner with his excellent playoff run as well. Bure is young and has a few more years before regression, so he is a threat to be a top-10 player very soon.

11. (S25) RW (Minnesota Chiefs) - Lord Pretty Flacko || +59
Average Grade: 90.40
Past Seasons: S30-70

At 11 is Chiefs winger Lord Pretty Flacko who made the second biggest jump this season and just missed the top-10 with his performance. Pretty Flacko scored 27 goals and 62 points, third in the league in scoring and second behind dominant offensive powerhouse Chernika Banananov. Flacko was also quite formidable in two way play with PK time and a decent physical game to top it off. Flacko has joined Banananov as a couple of the team's two young guns along with Kian Hamilton who have made the team's offensive unit one to be feared.

10. (S18) D (Manhattan Rage) - Roy Razin || +40
Average Grade: 90.60
Past Seasons: S20-82, S21-62, S22-46, S23-4, S24-17, S25-24, S26-73, S27-50, S28-74, S29-18, S30-50
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Starting out the top-10 is Roy Razin, who comes back to our list after a bit of a hiatus, falling all the way down to 74 before moving back on up. Razin has had a pretty damn successful career all things considered, and despite his fall-off has proven his mettle as a future hall of famer in these last couple of seasons. Razin scored 12 goals and 57 points, finishing second among defensemen in points on the season. Not quite enough for the Stevens, but a great year on a team that everyone counted out, nonetheless.

9. (S23) D (Texas Renegades) Vladimir Lidstrom || +1
Average Grade: 90.80
Past Seasons: S27-94, S28-82, S29-62, S30-59
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At number 9 is another defenseman, this time a youngster who has come out with a major season for the Texas Renegades. One of the most hyped-up prospects in the S23 draft, Vladimir Lidstrom has been a major contributor on every team he has played for. This season had him score 11 goals and 56 points, third among defensemen in scoring with a ton of minutes on the PK compated to his opponents. Lidstrom continues to improve, and we expect him to be a Stevens contender for the next few years at least.

8. (S20) D (Buffalo Stampede) Fredirich Muller || +12
Average Grade: 91.20
Past Seasons: S21-102, S22-47, S23-38, S24-66, S25-54, S26-75, S27-66, S28-75, S29-41, S30-20
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At number 8 is Stampede defenseman Friederich Muller, who makes it to the top-10 for the first time ever after 10 seasons. Muller had a very solid season with Edmonton in S30 with 10 goals and 42 points, 72 blocked shots, and one of the best defensive games among his fellow defensemen. Muller has moved on to another program in the Stampede where he is hoping to provide his veteran leadership to a team that is back on the drawing board with a new batch of prospects. Some may consider his place on the ranking surprising, but its all about the intangibles sometimes.

7. (S20) LW (Edmonton Blizzard) - Pedro Sarantez || +8
Average Grade: 92.80
Past Seasons: S22-75, S23-54, S24-30, S25-33, S26-39, S27-6, S28-65, S29-50, S30-15
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Pedro Sarantez comes into this list at number 7, back in the top-10 after a brief hiatus where he had a couple of down seasons. However, Sarantez has found his game once again, and Edmonton has brought it out just in time for him to combat regression. Sarantez over the last two years has 112 points and 56 goals, a major contribution all things considered. Sarantez also has 180 hits in those two years, proving that he still has a bit of bite to his game. While he is getting older, he is remaining a top-tier talent in the SHL right now.

6. (S20) D (Edmonton Blizzard) Jackson Rogers-Tanaka || +13
Average Grade: 92.60
Past Seasons: S23-81, S24-83, S25-74, S26-61, S27-73, S28-54, S29-9, S30-19
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Yet another Blizzard player makes it to the top-10 with Jackson Rogers-Tanaka coming up huge in a big way during his S30 campaign. Tanaka enters the list for his second time in three seasons, and in S30 he made sure to get right back into it with a 15 goal and 51 point season, standing out above a lot of very talented players which have been mentioned previously. He wasn't quite as defensively responsible as teammate Muller, but was still a great two-way threat.

5. (S18) LW (Calgary Dragons) - Esa Anrikkanen || +6
Average Grade: 93
Past Seasons: S20-45, S21-48, S22-35, S23-6, S24-7, S25-34, S26-14, S27-27, S28-29, S29-12, S30-11
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At 5 is the chicken parm king Esa Anrikkanen, coming in at his highest ranking ever at 11. Anrikkanen had some time in the limelight back in S23 and S24 when he was a top-10 player for two straight seasons. However he fell back a bit and has only just now gotten back to to his top-10 ways, though for the last three seasons he has been one of the top talents in the league. Anrikkanen in S30 and S31 has scored 43 goals and 108 points, over 200 hits just like Sarantez, and a ton of work on the powerplay and PK. Anrikkanen has been a major reason why the Dragons have gotten back into relevance the last few seasons, which is a sight to see considering that Anrikkanen is now considered to be an old-timer compared to the rest of the big stars.

4. (S21) D (Minnesota Chiefs) - Alonzo Garbanzo || +2
Average Grade: 94.40
Past Seasons: S23-59, S24-76, S25-18, S26-30, S27-13, S28-3, S29-15, S30-6
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Alonzo Garbanzo is back in the top-10 with a 4 ranking on this list. Garbanzo has been one of the most consistent defensemen in the last 5 seasons, with his lowest ranking in those years at 15 where he scored only 34 points on the season. S30 was a career year for the veteran defenseman, as Garbanzo scored 12 goals and 55 points, earned 172 hits, blocked a career high 104 shots, and was a premier contributor on the power play. Garbanzo was not quite good enough to earn his second career Stevens, but there is no reason to expect him to give up on another one with the way he has been playing.

3. (S22) D (Calgary Dragons) - Bubba Nuck || +60
Average Grade: 96.20
Past Seasons: S24-98, S26-59, S28-51, S29-74, S30-63
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At 3 is the top defenseman on this list, Bubba Nuck. Nuck has come out of nowhere on this list with one of the best individual performances by a defenseman in recent memory. 14 goals, 47 assists, and 61 points on the season. Not to mention 216 hits as one of the biggest bruisers in the league and of course the fact he led the team in scoring which is something we rarely see from a defenseman. Nuck may not have the same kind of performance next year (big performance to follow), but he has made a name for himself not only in the SHL today, but the history books as well.

2. (S24) RW (Manhattan Rage) - Vincent-Leon-Anze Draisaitl-McZehrl || +7
Average Grade: 96.40
Past Seasons: S29-21, S30-9
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Second on this list is one of the future dominant players of our time, Vincent-Leon-Anze Draisaitl-McZehrl. VLAD had his third 50+ point season in a row, scoring 34 goals and 69 points, breaking records in both categories for the current era. Not to mention 181 hits to top it all off and carrying his team to the playoffs and VLAD McZehrl is someone you would consider as the league MVP for both the Khan and the Mexico. If not for the competition this year he would be a major favorite to win both. McZehrl has some personality issues, but with this kind of elite consistency will he be the top player of this generation?

1. (S22) RW (Minnesota Chiefs) - Chernika Banananov || +2
Average Grade: 97.60
Past Seasons: S25-96, S26-90, S27-19, S28-48, S29-1, S30-3
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Coming in as the top dog of this list is Chernika Banananov, coming in at number 1 for the second season of his career. Like McZehrl, Banananov has had some major elite consistency the last few seasons, with a noted down season in S27 where he only scored 38 points. The previous few seasons had him score 58 points, 58 points, 52 points, and 67 points in that order. Banananov even tied VLAD McZehrl for the goal scoring title and this regular consistency is what puts Banananov ahead of all comers. Banananov is close to regression which means the McZ Banananov rivalry may not last much longer, but the battle between these two with Banananov taking the title was a sight to see.

Alonzo Garbanzo Final Tallies (Among Defensemen):
2nd in Goals (208), All-Time Assists Leader (765)*, All-Time Points Leader (973), 3rd in Hits (2587), All-Time Blocked Shots Leader (1882)*
*All-Time Leader Among All Skaters
Player Profile | Update Thread
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**.bojo** · 09-21-2016, 10:03 AM

99. (S18) G (West Kendall Platoon) - Colin Schmidt || -55
98. (S24) RW (West Kendall Platoon) - Ray Pejonis || New Entry
95. (S25) D (West Kendall Platoon) - Maria Maximova || +1
90. (S27) G (West Kendall Platoon) - Matt Lewis-Flood || New Entry

my babies <3