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ArGarBarGar · 01-26-2017, 12:45 PM

<div align="center">Top 100 SHL Players of Today!
Season 33

Season 20
Season 21
Season 22
Season 23
Season 24
Season 25
Season 26
Season 27
Season 28
Season 29
Season 30
Season 31
Season 32

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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 14th edition of this article, awarding the top 100 players heading into the 33rd season.

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

Experts: ArGarBarGar, RED, ThatDamnMcJesus, Tomen, Captain Crazy, Lunaro, Eurocap
Experts and Writers: ArGarBarGar, Baelor Swift

Together we made a panel of 6 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. (S17) C (Edmonton Blizzard) - Chico Salmon || Even
Average Grade: 71.57
Past Seasons: S20- 43, S21-20, S22-24, S23-37, S24-71, S25-5, S26-1, S27-23, S28-5, S29-59, S30-58, S31-88, S32-100

After just barely keeping his streak alive at thirteen Top 100 appearances in a row, Salmon is back with his second consecutive number 100 ranking. With a playing time increase for the Blizzard this season, his numbers also rose, picking up 10 goals and 27 points. But, perhaps most impressively, he ended the season with a plus/minus of +20, one of the top marks in the league. Chico Salmon may be one of the oldest players in the SHL but the former superstar is still contributing. Perhaps we can start calling him the Jagr of the SHL?

99. (S24) LW (Los Angeles Panthers) - Anton Fedorov || -22
Average Grade: 71.71
Past Seasons: S30-90, S31-52, S32-77

Anton Fedorov, the late bloomer with a breakout 49 point performance in Season 30, barely keeps his name on the list after a solid season with the President’s Trophy winning Panthers. He continues to show his scoring touch with a sweet 15 goals although his playmaking ability appears to be in freefall, picking up just 12 helpers in Season 32. With regression looming over his head, Fedorov likely does not have much more time in the Top 100.

98. (S31) D (Hamilton Steelhawks) - Ludwig Koch Schröder || New Entry
Average Grade: 71.86
Past Seasons: None

Rookie defenseman Schröder logged some big minutes with the rebuilding Steelhawks last season, playing more than 24 minutes per game en route to a 27 point debut. His 21 assists were certainly impressive for the young defenseman but where he really shined was on the powerplay. From the point, Schröder scored 4 of his 6 goals while adding 6 assists as his potential as a powerplay QB became evident. This may be the first time we see his name here but it surely will not be the last.

97. (S22) RW (Seattle Riot) - Pavel Bursyuk || -13
Average Grade: 72.14
Past Seasons: S27-51, S28-53, S29-8, S30-29, S31-54, S32-84

Pavel Bursyuk’s age is starting to catch up with him as his output continues to decline. Finishing the season with 10 goals, 15 assists, and a -9 rating, he was one of the weak spots for a Riot team that boasted a dominant first line. His 167 shots ranked third on the team but his ability to find the net was severely lacking, converting less than 6% of his shots on net into goals. Bursyuk has certainly had a solid career but perhaps it is time for him to take a lesser role to make room for Seattle’s future.

96. (S30) C (Los Angeles Panthers) - Jean-Luc Reflieux || New Entry
Average Grade: 72.29
Past Seasons: None

The rookie came into the league just in time to play for the top team in the regular season and it certainly showed as his 13 goals and 32 points were among the top marks for rookies this past season. The center also excelled in the faceoff circle, winning nearly 53% of his faceoffs. With Cunningham and Kekkonen in front of him at the center position, it may take some time before he grabs a top six center role but he has proven that the potential is there. After breaking a long playoff drought, Reflieux and the Panthers should see plenty of success over the next few seasons.

95. (S20) LW (Seattle Riot) - Jhonas Skarsgaard || Returning Entry
Average Grade: 72.29
Past Seasons: S20-76, S21-84, S22-53, S23-32, S24-47, S25-41, S26-34, S27-53, S28-96, S29-81, S31-100

Veteran forward Jhonas Skarsgaard has had a quietly successful career as he finds himself back in the Top 100 for the twelfth time in fourteen seasons. While his scoring output was not high, picking up 20 assists and 26 points, other aspects of his game were quite impressive. Despite limited playing time, Skarsgaard ended the season with a +20 rating and played a strong all-around game, using his body when necessary. While his age has certainly taken away some of the skill he once had, he is still a player who can regularly make key contributions.

94. (S25) RW (Buffalo Stampede) - Robb Wind || -36
Average Grade: 72.57
Past Seasons: S32-58

After making his debut on this list last season after a 40 point campaign, the former phenom and first overall pick for the Stampede has taken a step back as Buffalo shored up its roster for Season 32. Despite not meeting expectations, Wind is certainly a reliable player as he picked up 11 goals and 29 points, 12 of them coming on the powerplay. While Wind will never be the star the league once thought he would be, he should be a solid contributor for a few more seasons before his skill is withered away by age.

93. (S20) D (New England Wolfpack) - Benjamin Reid || -6
Average Grade: 72.71
Past Seasons: S22-90, S23-66, S24-73, S25-35, S26-33, S27-9, S28-34, S29-49, S30-52, S31-71, S32-87

Once considered to be among the premier players in the SHL, Benjamin Reid has experienced the effects of age along with younger and more talented teammates filling his place. However, his Season 32 performance was nothing to scoff at, picking up 25 points and a +10 rating in just over 16 minutes per game. While Reid, at number 93, is at his lowest ranking of his career, he still should have a few solid seasons left in the tank.

92. (S30) C (Buffalo Stampede) - Steven Stamkos Jr. || New Entry
Average Grade: 72.86
Past Seasons: None

Stamkos Jr. pulled off a solid season in his first year in the league. With the Stampede, he managed 20 assists and 32 points from the center position while finishing with a strong +5 rating considering his team’s overall performance. However, if Stamkos is going to be a key part of his team’s future, he is going to need to improve his ability at faceoffs. His 46.7% win percentage simply will not cut it in the SHL and if it is not something he is able to rectify, Buffalo may have to consider a move to the wing.

91. (S20) D (Seattle Riot) - Mikko Koskinen || +4
Average Grade: 72.86
Past Seasons: S23-86, S24-46, S25-20, S26-71, S27-33, S28-18, S29-24, S30-64, S31-79, S32-95

Koskinen, a longtime member of the Riot, actually finds himself moving up in the rankings after four straight seasons in decline. While his point total dropped from 25 to 22 in Season 32, the burly defenseman showed that he can still throw the body around, picking up 170 hits and 77 shot blocks. If he can continue to put in this type of performance, his name may not show up on the scoreboard as often but he will still be a highly valued member of the Seattle Riot.

90. (S24) RW (Portland Admirals) - Ray Pejonis || -54
Average Grade: 73.29
Past Seasons: S31-98, S32-36

Following a breakout Season 31 in which Pejonis scored 22 goals and 45 assists, it seems he has fallen back to Earth after nearly halving his output in Season 32, despite an actual playing time increase. His 25 points and 12 goals were a bit disappointing and his -13 rating was, by far, the worst on the Platoon. While regression has yet to hit, it is hard to imagine Pejonis staying relevant in the SHL much longer.

89. (S30) C (Hamilton Steelhawks) - Jon Ross || New Entry
Average Grade: 73.43
Past Seasons: None

We start of this next batch of ten with Hamilton rookie Jon Ross. After spending three seasons in juniors, Ross finally made his SHL debut in Season 32 and the extra development time certainly seems to have paid off. Despite yet another season outside of the playoffs for the Steelhawks, the rookie center was entrusted with a role on the first line and he did not disappoint, picking up 11 goals and a total of 33 points. And, as the lead faceoff man for his team, he won just over 50%, not too bad for someone of his age. As the Steelhawks begin to transition out of a rebuild, Ross will be entering his prime and barring a major disappointment, he should develop into one of the better players in the league.

88. (S30) D (Hamilton Steelhawks) - Ben Dover || New Entry
Average Grade: 74.14
Past Seasons: None

At 88, we have another Season 30 Draftee out of Hamilton, this time the number one defenseman with the oh-so-clever name. Despite a solid rookie performance last season, he did not quite make the cut for the list but after proving his 29 points was not a fluke, he came back in his sophomore season with 31 points and 23 assists. He also excelled as the team’s powerplay quarterback, leading the team in both powerplay goals and assists with 5 and 8, respectively. This offensive defenseman should be another key part of Hamilton’s hopeful return to competitiveness.

87. (S26) RW (Winnipeg Jets) - Don Pellegrino || New Entry
Average Grade: 74.14
Past Seasons: None

Somehow, after a 51 point season with the Admirals in Season 31, Don Pellegrino did not make the cut. However, after falling back down to earth in his first season with the Jets, picking up 15 goals and 31 points, he makes his debut, at long last, in the SHL Top 100. While Pellegrino has had a largely unspectacular career, he has certainly been a fairly valuable asset to each of his teams, which have been many over the past few seasons. However, the well-rounded forward should have a few more solid seasons left in the tank and, if used correctly, he should not be snubbed again.

86. (S24) D (Seattle Riot) - Jack Burton || +2
Average Grade: 74.29
Past Seasons: S28-102, S29-79, S30-92, S32-88

Jack Burton has been a mainstay in the bottom part of the list and this season is no exception as he finds himself ranked at 86, up two slots from last season and his second highest position of his career. The career Seattle Riot defenseman has been the epitome of reliable in recent seasons, logging solid minutes, using his body reliably, and being good for around 20 points. In Season 32, Burton picked up 24 assists and 26 points to go along with 154 hits. While he certainly will break no records, Burton is one of those rare stay at home defensemen in the SHL and it would be fair to say that his contributions have been undervalued by the experts in an offensive-minded league once again.

85. (S24) G (New England Wolfpack) - Earnest Ciarelli || -37
Average Grade: 74.29
Past Seasons: S30-67, S31-74, S32-48

For rather inexplicable reasons, the goaltender who came back home to New England dropped a whopping 37 spots after a strong Season 32. Perhaps he was overshadowed by historic goaltending performances by Robert Andersson, Brett Broadway, and Timo Haas this past season but Ciarelli put together a solid campaign, finishing with a .911 save percentage, good enough for fifth best in the league. However, his opportunities may be lacking in Season 33 as he will have to share duties with Mikke Laukkanen, who has established himself as one of the top goaltenders in the league.

84. (S31) LW (Buffalo Stampede) - Eduard Selich || New Entry
Average Grade: 74.43
Past Seasons: None

Making his debut in Season 32, Eduard Selich put together a tremendous performance for the Buffalo Stampede. He led all rookies with 36 points and managed to finish the season with a +11 rating after another season outside of the playoffs for the Stampede. However, with youngs guns like Selich leading the way, Buffalo could finally develop into a competitive team.

83. (S31) D (Buffalo Stampede) - Alexis Metzler || New Entry
Average Grade: 74.57
Past Seasons: None

At 83 we have another Stampede rookie in defenseman Alexis Metzler. Metzler capped off a strong rookie season with 9 goals, 5 coming on the powerplay, and 31 points. As the recipient of big minutes in her first year in the league, she certainly excelled, making valuable contributions both offensively and defensively. However, Metzler’s lack of physical play cannot be ignore although perhaps it did help lead to an unprecedented 0 penalty minutes in more than 1100 minutes played. If Alexis Metzler was able to put together this type of performance just one season after being drafted, we may be looking at a very special player.

82. (S24) C (Calgary Dragons) - Alex Mack || -32
Average Grade: 74.57
Past Seasons: S29-72, S30-65, S31-63, S32-50

On the list for his fifth consecutive season, Alex Mack drops more than thirty spots after a drop in offensive production. Coming off a 37 point season, the veteran center ended Season 32 with just 29 points; he did, however not see a major dropoff in his ability to find the back of the net as he added 12 goals. While his offensive production certainly declined despite an increase in playing time, there was one area where Mack was absolutely dominant – in the faceoff circle. Mack managed to win a very impressive 56% of his faceoffs to lead the Dragons and give his team a major advantage at every stoppage in play.

81. (S28) RW (West Kendall Platoon) - Mikko Linna || -5
Average Grade: 75.14
Past Seasons: S32-76

At 81, Mikko Linna has established himself as a solid contributor for the West Kendall Platoon. He followed up a 32 point performance in Season 31 with 33 points in Season 32. However, he struggled to put the puck in the net, converting on less than 8% of his shots and finishing with 13 goals on the season. But Linna continues to prove his worth and very well could be poised to have a breakout Season 33 as he is given more and more opportunities by the Platoon.

80. (S26) D (New England Wolfpack) - Mattias Holmberg || New Entry
Average Grade: 75.29
Past Seasons: None

Somehow, Mattias Holmberg finally finds himself in the SHL Top 100 after his first season with the Wolfpack in which he picked up 8 goals and 23 points. Interestingly enough, this was coming off of a very impressive 43 point campaign in Season 31 with the Admirals, which ranked second on his team and among the top scorers on D. Despite the lack of appreciation for his Season 31 performance in last season’s list, it is likely he received a delayed boost by the experts this season. If he is going to maintain his spot on the list, he will need to establish himself, once again, as a better than average defenseman.

79. (S27) LW (Buffalo Stampede) - Maximillian Wächter || +19
Average Grade: 75.29
Past Seasons: S32-98

At 79 is Maximillian Wächter, jumping up on this list despite lower production. Wächter scored 15 goals and 31 points on a Stampede team that was looking strong but had a brutal second half and missed out on their first ever playoff berth. The young winger got extended time on the penalty kill for Buffalo, and his two-way game is starting to improve despite the production not quite living up to what it was the previous season. Will Wächter become a top-tier talent? It is possible with his recent production. Just needs to get over that offensive hump.

78. (S23) LW (Manhattan Rage) - Bryce Collins || -22
Average Grade: 75.29
Past Seasons: S32-56

Manhattan Rage forward Bryce Collins enters the list at number 78, taking a step back from previous seasons and regression about to him him hard. Collins had another 30+ point season, overshadowed by a number of his teammates, however. It did lead to his highest goal total with 15 of his entire career. Unfortunately it is looking like his other attributes like defense are starting to falter, which means Collins' time on this list may be very short indeed.

77. (S30) D (Hamilton Steelhawks) - Danny Foster || New Entry
Average Grade: 75.43
Past Seasons: None

At 77 is Steelhawks rookie Danny Foster, taking advantage of a lot of ice time for the Steelhawks and scoring 29 points his first ever season. Hamilton looks to have acquired a future top-tier talent on defense, and Foster's 4 goals and 25 assists is pretty damn impressive considering Hamilton didn't have any veteran talent that could have inflated his numbers. His 76 blocked shots were impressive, too, and right now is already a solid defensive defenseman with offensive upside.

76. (S30) C (Seattle Riot) - Justs Sirmais || New Entry
Average Grade: 75.71
Past Seasons: None

At 76 is another Steelhawk, center Justs Sirmais. Sirmais had a great season his sophomore year, scoring 14 goals and 35 points, a +9 (much better than his lowly -24 the season prior), 7 powerplay points, and an improvement at the dot. He still has a lot of improvement to do, as his 48% faceoff clip isn't nearly enough to be considered a top-50 player, and his offense will need to be more consistent for him to move up in the ranks. Either way, Hamilton has another young prospect with a lot of upside and could make this team a sure-fire contender in the coming seasons.

75. (S28) D (Los Angeles Panthers) - Marc-Andre Malkin || +11
Average Grade: 75.86
Past Seasons: S32-86

At 75 is Panthers defenseman Marc-Andre Malkin, moving up a tad on the list with his 8 goals and 33 points. He seemed to be a much more consistent defenseman with the Panthers despite his lowered production, and defensively he didn't need to sprawl out and block as many shots as he did in Hamilton. The one thing that is interesting is he has already moved to his third team in four seasons. Is Malkin going to be a guy you rely on for multiple seasons or is he going to be inconsistent and/or flaky? That is something Los Angeles may be wary of despite the potential upside Malkin has.

74. (S20) LW (Texas Renegades) - Yuri Boyka || -60
Average Grade: 75.86
Past Seasons: S22-97, S23-64, S24-55, S25-17, S26-53, S27-25, S28-66, S29-34, S30-17, S31-38, S32-14

At 74 is a major drop down in Yuri Boyka. Boyka enjoyed his best season in S31 with 17 goals and 54 points, jumping to the top-20 for the third time in his career. However he was unable to get close to that number in S32, with 14 goals but only 29 points. Not making the 30 point mark can be a death knell for some forwards, and for Boyka it definitely is a concern considering he is heading to year four of regression.

73. (S29) C (Buffalo Stampede) - Nicolas Winter || New Entry
Average Grade: 76
Past Seasons: None

Another new entry to the series is Stampede center Nicolas Winter, with a major jump after a couple of sub-20 point seasons. Winter was a coveted draft pick in the S29 draft, and already in his third year he is starting to show that potential. With 10 goals and 38 points, Winter was arguably the top forward on the Stampede, with nowhere to go but up. He will need to work on his physical game (130 times hit is concerning), but his 54.26% faceoff clip is a huge asset going forward and Buffalo has already seen their team improve as a result of his work.

72. (S26) RW (New England Wolfpack) - Tim Buckner || New Entry
Average Grade: 76.29
Past Seasons: None

At 72 is Wolfpack winger Tim Buckner, joining this list after a number of seasons with some really unfortunate numbers. Buckner scored 9 goals and 33 points, his first 30+ point season, and even his first 20+ point season. Buckner was invaluable getting the Wolfpack to 1st in the East and bringing them to the playoffs for their third cup run. Buckner may see his usage increase (or see himself traded to another team) with the incoming cap changes, so Buckner will either have his numbers balloon from the added ice time, or he will collapse due to the increased pressure from top defensive units.

71. (S23) D (Winnipeg Jets) - Connor O'Reilly || -4
Average Grade: 76.86
Past Seasons: S27-82, S28-101, S29-65, S30-42, S31-53, S32-67

Jets defenseman Connor O'Reilly enters the list at 71, staying around the same area with his second identical 4 goal 33 point season (and nearly similar to his 5 goal 34 point season two years prior). The crazy thing is he has had 29 assists in 4 of the last 5 seasons, which is pretty incredible when the game of hockey is as random at times as it is in the SHL. If anything, the Jets have enjoyed O'Reilly's consistency, despite the fact he has never made it past the 40 point mark. He is a reliable defensive specialist, though, and the offense is just a bonus for him.

70. (S22) C (Toronto North Stars) - Andrey Barbashev || -28
Average Grade: 76.86
Past Seasons: S27-87, S28-30, S29-44, S30-23, S31-23, S32-42

At 70 is Andrey Barbashev, who took a break in S32 due to breaking some major rules. Barbashev had a couple top seasons in S29 and S30, but in S31 he fell back a bit with only 39 points. He appears to be trending downward (which makes sense considering he is starting to regress), and with an entire year of not playing competitive hockey he could be so out of shape that he may never get back to his glory days scoring 40-50 points in a season. Couple that with Toronto as a team trending downward and Barbashev may not even make the list next season.

69. (S22) D (Calgary Dragons) - Bubba Nuck || -29
Average Grade: 77
Past Seasons: S24-98, S26-59, S28-51, S29-74, S30-63, S31-3, S32-40

At 69 is Bubba Nuck, really falling from grace the last couple of seasons with his play. Nuck had an historic season back in S30 where he scored 61 points and took home the Stevens, but since then hasn't even reached that point total over two seasons combined. Nuck scored 4 goals and 25 points, and was not a huge factor in the team making it to the post-season. However he was a major contributor for the Dragons winning their second Challenge Cup, so they probably aren't too broken up about it.

68. (S25) D (Texas Renegades) - Cody Black || -40
Average Grade: 77
Past Seasons: S30-81, S31-91, S32-28

Cody Black enters the list at 68, a major drop back to his sub-30 seasons. Black was a Stevens contender back in S31, but in S32 he scored 7 goals and 29 points, well below previous seasons. What's more is his shot totals decreased to the lowest they have been since S28, and his ability to generate offense for his team suffered as a result. Black has a couple seasons left before he feels the effects of regression, but it is a concern that he will be able to get back to that elite level we saw a couple seasons ago.

67. (S23) D (Calgary Dragons) - Michael Boychuk || -43
Average Grade: 77.29
Past Seasons: S28-97, S29-67, S30-53, S31-41, S32-25

At 67 is Dragons defenseman Michael Boychuk, who also had a major step back despite a couple of very productive seasons. Boychuk scored 7 goals and 31 points, which is pretty respectable, but wasn't the elite guy that the Dragons were used to in previous seasons, and scored the lowest amount of points he has seen since way back in S27. Boychuk is about to hit regression, so it is a good thing the Dragons took advantage of him when they did and won the cup this year. They may not have the production from him to do it again next season.

66. (S26) LW (New England Wolfpack) - Mainio Makinen || -22
Average Grade: 77.43
Past Seasons: S31-72, S32-44

Wolfpack winger Mainio Makinen enters the list at 66, with a significant drop despite not a significant drop in production. Makinen scored 17 goals and 35 points, still pretty damn good. However while the offense has been there the hitting hasn't really followed, and defensively Makinen wasn't even a factor with zero penalty kill minutes. Still time to improve, so that may be a part of his progression in the coming seasons. Will need to show it before we are impressed, though.

65. (S24) D (Edmonton Blizzard) - Winston Windsor || -2
Average Grade: 77.57
Past Seasons: S27-71, S28-60, S29-77, S30-43, S31-40, S32-63

This guy seems to have fallen off a bit. Winston Windsor, a former high profile prospect and former 40 point scorer, hasn't exactly been as dominant as originally expected, particularly the last couple of seasons. Windsor this very season scored 10 goals but 27 points, not raking in those assists and seeing his offensive game struggle. His shot blocking was also brutal, the lowest in his entire career with 55. Is this the end of Winston Windsor, or is he expected to have a resurgence?

64. (S30) LW (Buffalo Stampede) - Nolan Angello || +27
Average Grade: 77.71
Past Seasons: S32-91

Nolan Angello enters the list once again at 64, one of the few real youngsters you see on this list. Angello scored 17 goals and 36 points with the struggling Stampede, already proving the Stampede's second attempt to build a team might be the trick. He has even started early on the hit column, registering 60 on the season. He is not quite the elite player we will compare with a lot of the top-50, but one more season like this and we may start discussing him in that light. Maybe.

63. (S23) C (Seattle Riot) - David Benson || +6
Average Grade: 77.71
Past Seasons: S28-98, S29-29, S30-72, S31-64, S32-69

David Benson enters the list at 63, a Riot center who had a lot of hype in his early years but has seen that die off a bit. Benson scored 10 goals and 32 points, which is pretty darn good in a Riot uniform, but hasn't really been used as a center his entire career and never really amounted to that kind of player. Benson is about to start regression, so his 47 point season in S30 may be the last we see of his elite level. However Seattle has done more with less talent entering regression years, so he may still have some productive years in him, yet.

62. (S18) C (Hamilton Steelhawks) - Miles Berger || Returning Entry
Average Grade: 77.86
Past Seasons: S21-85, S23-99, S24-74, S25-57, S26-47, S27-70, S28-67, S29-61, S30-83, S31-89

Didn't this guy retire? Mile Berger of the Steelhawks enters the list at 62, a guy who everyone had left for dead until his corpse actually had some production with the Steelhawks. Berger scored 13 goals and 39 points, played a decent amount of minutes, and overall was a bright spot for a team that didn't have many bright spots to think of overall. Berger probably isn't going to keep on this list considering how old he is and how he never trains, but it is fun to see the veterans just snatch a spot on the list when nobody expected it.

61. (S25) C (Winnipeg Jets) - Travis Kudleychuk || -1
Average Grade: 77.86
Past Seasons: S30-95, S31-68, S32-60

At 61 is Jets center Travis Kudleychuk, a player without a sense of direction until recently when he signed a long-term deal with the Winnipeg franchise, ensuring he would play there longer than any other team he has played for since. Kudleychuk scored 13 goals and 37 points, a solid production for a player like Kudleychuk, but there are still some concerns about his compete level and his commitment to the team and its goals. Are these concerns founded? I'm sure some Jets players will object and say of course not, but you never know.

60. (S23) D (West Kendall Platoon) - Slappy McDoodle || -1
Average Grade: 77.86
Past Seasons: S29-95, S30-57, S31-67, S32-59

Rounding out the 60s is Platoon defense-forward Slappy McDoodle, having one of those good not great seasons which encapsulates the Platoon franchise as a whole. McDoodle scored 14 goals and 35 points, was killer on the dot with a 54.48% clip, and registered 227 hits. Unfortunately the major problem has been his offensive contribution, which keeps him out of the top-50 yet again. There may be a time when the voters acknowledge hos defensive and physical abilities, but it isn't going to be this year.

59. (S25) C (Buffalo Stampede) - Jonathan Lundberg || +6
Average Grade: 78
Past Seasons: S30-82, S31-94, S32-65

At 59 is Jonathan Lundberg, continuing his ascent towards the top-50 with his 13 goal, 35 point performance. Lundberg found a new life with the New England Wolfpack, and has since become quite the commodity among SHL teams. Lundberg's biggest problem has been his inability to quite match his physical season back in S29 where he was all over the play in a lot of different ways. Lundberg has since been traded to the Buffalo Stampede, and with the Stampede starting to improve their roster in multiple facets, Lundberg is looking to be a part of the team's bright future.

58. (S25) RW (Edmonton Blizzard) - Ivan Koroviev || +6
Average Grade: 78
Past Seasons: S31-70, S32-64

At 58 is Ivan Koroviev, Blizzard winger who is moving up little by little with his consistent performances and improvement in almost every facet of the game. Koroviev scored 17 goals and 35 points for the second straight season, was relied upon more on the PK, and defensively proved he can be a pretty successful two-way forward. Koroviev hasn't been physical during his career, which may keep him from entering the top-50, which could be problematic.

57. (S25) D (West Kendall Platoon) - Maria Maximova || -5
Average Grade: 78.29
Past Seasons: S27-96, S29-71, S30-96, S31-95, S32-52

At 57 is Platoon defenseman Maria Maximova, who has really taken off the last couple of seasons with two 30+ point performances. S32 saw her with 10 goals and 36 points, higher on the assist totals which is probably why she fell back a bit on this list. She also wasn't quite as physical, something that Bojo Biscuit may want to remind her is important to being a two-way defenseman in the league. Maximova did improve a great deal on blocked shots, however, and she still has room for improvement.

56. (S28) G (Seattle Riot) - Michael McFadden || +17
Average Grade: 78.43
Past Seasons: S31-73, S32-73

At 56 is Michael McFadden of the Riot, who had a bit coming out party as he won 25 games and finished with a .914 save percentage on the season. He isn't likely going to win the McBride this season due to the incredible performances by Andersson and Broadway, but this young goaltender is absolutely putting himself in the conversation. McFadden has been a stable performer for the Riot so far in his career, and if he keeps it up he may turn the Riot into a defensive juggernaut that will contend for a cup very soon.

55. (S22) G (Toronto North Stars) - Mark Harter || -38
Average Grade: 78.43
Past Seasons: S24-101, S25-78, S26-89, S27-69, S28-22, S29-25, S30-30, S31-44, S32-17

At 55 is Mark Harter, who had a bit of a down year by his own standards, as the Toronto North Stars and all their talent failed to make the playoffs and in general were a problem team all season. Harter only started 36 games, went 12-18-6 in that span, and had a save percentage of .904. Not exactly a world beater last season. Harter has hit the regression part of his career, and with Toronto starting to get into rebuilding Harter may need to look elsewhere if he wants to get that elusive Challenge Cup.

54. (S27) G (West Kendall Platoon) - Matt Lewis-Flood || -8
Average Grade: 78.57
Past Seasons: S31-90, S32-46

At 554 is Matt Lewis-Flood, who had a big performance last season but has fallen back a bit this season. He won 24 games, but his save percentage of .901 was even worse than Harter's. Lewis-Flood really has been a solid acquisition for the Platoon, and even with him playing in a backup role up until S30, West Kendall has been enjoying him on the team quite a bit. If Lewis-Flood improves and becomes an elite goaltender, he may get the Platoon into the Challenge Cup Finals and finally break the curse that has haunted them for so long.

53. (S31) G (Los Angeles Panthers) - Timo Haas || New Entry
Average Grade: 79.29
Past Seasons: None

Timo Haas enters the list at 53, a goaltender who appears to have come out of nowhere, really. Haas entered the SHL as a starter, something we don't see from a lot of our goaltenders these days, and immediately made an impact, winning 35 games and finishing with a .912 save percentage. He was a major reason why the Panthers had such an incredible seaon, and while he will admit his playoff performance wasn't exactly up to par, the Panthers are excited to have a goaltender like him, something they haven't entirely seen since the loss of Jackson Weekes.

52. (S27) RW (New England Wolfpack) - Raven Silverwing || New Entry
Average Grade: 79.57
Past Seasons: None

At 52 is Wolfpack winger Raven Silverwing, finally getting on the list after multiple seasons in the SMJHL and a number of seasons just not quite being up to snuff (and also not being put on the list last season where he scored 47 freaking points, what the hell?). Silverwing scored 20 goals and 39 points on the season, a bit of a step back from the year prior where he scored 20 goals and 47 points, but he was instrumental for the Wolfpack making it to the Eastern Conference finals for the third straight year and almost getting them to the Challenge Cup. Silverwing's biggest fault so far is his defensive play, which will hopefully be improved in the next couple of seasons.

51. (S26) D (Winnipeg Jets) - Scott Robertson || -2
Average Grade: 79.86
Past Seasons: S31-76, S32-49

At 51 is Scott Robertson who drops just out of the top-50 with his recent performance. Robertson scored 10 goals and 36 points, registered 72 hits, and blocked 54 shots. Robertson's biggest failings on the season were his lack of goal scoring from the year before and his inability to get in front of a lot of shots compared to the year before. Robertson had a bit of a step back, a lot of players do, but with him getting closer to regression he will need to really ramp up his progression for the Jets.

50. (S18) LW (Calgary Dragons) - Esa Anrikkanen || -35
Average Grade: 80.43
Past Seasons: S20-45, S21-48, S22-35, S23-6, S24-7, S25-34, S26-14, S27-27, S28-29, S29-12, S30-11, S31-5, S32-15

Starting the top-50 is Esa Anrikkanen, Dragon veteran and two-time Challenge Cup Champion after his intense performance this season. Anrikkanen scored 18 goals and 34 points in S32, which is indicating a downward trend for the prolific scorer. Can't really be surprised, though. Anrikkanen is one of the few players who was drafted before S20, and the fact he continues to be a top-50 player (has not missed the top-50 once) is an incredible feat. The Dragons were lucky to snatch him up back in the S18 draft, and the league is lucky to see him still an elite talent after all these years.

49. (S21) RW (Calgary Dragons) - Tommy Creller || -10
Average Grade: 80.57
Past Seasons: S22-99, S23-40, S24-38, S25-11, S26-51, S27-20, S28-25, S29-30, S30-68, S31-45, S32-39

At 49 is Dragons winger and former 1st overall pick, Tommy Creller. Creller found a new home in Calgary after jumping back and forth to a couple of teams, and with Calgary he was able to earn his second Challenge Cup Championship. Creller scored 15 goals and 34 points, but with regression taking its toll it is clear Creller is not quite the forward he used to be. This may be one of the last times we see him in the top-50 due to his increasing age, but with his clutch play over his career and his hockey sense, Creller will still be an expected player on this list for a number of years.

48. (S25) C (Texas Renegades) - Evandrus Jesster || -21
Average Grade: 80.57
Past Seasons: S28-64, S29-60, S30-48, S31-80, S32-27

Speaking of first overalls, Evandrus Jesster hits the list at 48 right behind Creller. Jesster was expected to really take off after his S31 performance where he scored 49 points, but he has since had trouble jumping off. Jesster scored 19 goals and 38 points, a pretty damn fine stat line for a non-playoff team. However this is a first overall pick we are talking about. Jesster is getting close to his prime, so at this point it is now or never to show the goods, especially when his physical game is just okay, and he hasn't played significant PK minutes since his time in Seattle.

47. (S24) C (Calgary Dragons) - Randy Randleman || -18
Average Grade: 80.86
Past Seasons: S27-64, S28-58, S29-20, S30-39, S31-36, S32-29

Send in the first overall picks! Randy Randleman, another first overall pick, enters the list at 47. Randleman had a similar problem as Jesster back in S29, however he was able to remain stable in offense and improve his defensive game, making him a valuable two-way threat. Randleman scored 16 goals and 37 points, which unfortunately is his lowest total since his sophomore year. His defense has remained top-notch, though, and with the Dragons winning a Challenge Cup with him at the helm he has been doing just fine.

46. (S26) C (Toronto North Stars) - Sven Karlsson || +28
Average Grade: 81
Past Seasons: S29-85, S30-61, S31-78, S32-74

Sven Karlsson, a first overall SECOND ROUNDER, hits the list at 46, his highest ranking yet. Karlsson scored 16 goals and 40 points, and while he wasn't enough to get the North Stars into the playoffs yet again, he was one of the team's best players. Karlsson also continued to be great on the dot and was utilized a ton on the PK as a result. Karlsson has been under the radar during the season, but most GMs in the know understand the kind of value someone like Karlsson can bring to an organization.

45. (S23) D (Toronto North Stars) - Lukas Johnson || +12
Average Grade: 81
Past Seasons: S27-83, S28-80, S29-64, S30-49, S31-86, S32-57

Lukas Johnson comes in at 45, back in the top-50 once again. Johnson scored 4 goals and 39 points, blocked 83 shots, and registered 134 hits. Probably deserves to be a little bit higher considering he was a defensive stalwart on a team that failed to make the playoffs, but what can you do? Johnson is getting older, and regression is going to start taking its toll, so time will tell if he will be able to convince the voters to get him into the top-40 or even higher in the coming seasons.

44. (S19) C (Texas Renegades) - Liam Kinsler || -1
Average Grade: 81.14
Past Seasons: S24-75, S25-25, S26-7, S27-1, S28-2, S29-19, S30-41, S31-25, S32-43

At 44 is veteran Liam Kinsler, with quite a career so far. Kinsler is looking to be trending downwards a bit, but it only took him 13 seasons for it to really happen. Kinsler scored 17 goals and 37 points, actually improving on his offense and a major reason why the Renegades were able to contend for a playoff spot in S32. His physicality is starting to fall off due to his age but that really is to be expected. With the offense next to go, will he be able to remain a faceoff monster and prevent himself from falling out of the top-50 for the first time since S24?

43. (S20) RW (Seattle Riot) - Dean Colt || +10
Average Grade: 81.43
Past Seasons: S25-73, S26-25, S27-62, S28-21, S29-51, S30-12, S31-47, S32-53

Speaking of faceoff monsters, check out Dean Colt, who hits the list at 43. Colt won a whopping 59.23 percent of faceoffs last season, the highest of his entire career and one of the best faceoff stats we have ever seen. Colt's offense was still pretty good as well, with 9 goals and 35 points to support the Riot. As far as physical play, Colt has his best season in that regard with a whopping 205 hits. He is a specialist, but a damn fine one at that. Dean Colt has found himself at a number of different teams, and with his career starting to wind down a bit, it is a wonder if he will end up picking Seattle as a permanent home.

42. (S29) LW (Manhattan Rage) - Harry Hans || New Entry
Average Grade: 82.43
Past Seasons: None

At 42 is a newcomer jumping right into the top 50. Harry Hans of the Rage scored 22 goals and 47 points in his third SHL season, something we don't normally see. It appears that playing with the likes of VLAD McZehrl and getting a ton of minutes helps quite a bit for offensively talented guys like Hans, and that kind of play from him is why the Rage were able to make it to the finals despite the lack of depth on their roster. Hans now has to take that next step to the defense, because as he saw in the playoffs, you need to be able to play defense if you want to win that Cup.

41. (S22) D (Winnipeg Jets) - Big Manious || +27
Average Grade: 82.43
Past Seasons: S27-42, S28-41, S29-45, S30-32, S31-22, S32-68

At 41 is Jets defenseman Big Manious, jumping up back into the top-50 with a 13 goal, 35 point performance. Manious, the former Stevens contender, has found himself in just the right spot for the Jets, continuing to be productive and help them get wins every single season. While Manious is falling back due to age, he is still physical as ever with 150 hits, and is pretty good defensively. One of the defensemen who gets sent under the radar a bit too much.

40. (S25) LW (West Kendall Platoon) - Adam Falk || -3
Average Grade: 82.43
Past Seasons: S30-76, S31-24, S32-37

At 40 is Adam Falk, former Toronto prodigy, turned Platoon sniper. Falk scored 21 goals and 40 points, his third season in a row scoring 20 goals or more. He was pretty awful physically, but still was a big contributor for the Platoon and showed West Kendall what they were trading for. Falk has announced he is going to stop all training while he helps do a service for the country, but he will remain a Platoon player and will likely finish his career as a pretty productive forward even in the coming seasons.

39. (S21) G (Calgary Dragons) Hunter Wong || -28
Average Grade: 82.71
Past Seasons: S23-94, S25-82, S26-83, S27-63, S28-46, S29-31, S30-33, S31-18, S32-11

At 39 is Dragons goaltender Hunter Wong, coming off a Challenge Cup Championship and a great season to boot. Wong had a bit of a down year in the regular season, going 22-18-4 with a .899 save percentage, and almost missing out on the playoffs entirely. Wong has begun to regress, and with the Dragons major players also on the downswing of their careers this may be Wong's last chance at the cup. Was a hell of a run if this is the case.

38. (S22) RW (Calgary Dragons) - Pierre-Luc Laflamme || +24
Average Grade: 83.57
Past Seasons: S24-92, S25-95, S26-18, S27-17, S28-47, S29-40, S30-14, S31-58, S32-62

At 38 is Dragons winger Pierre-Luc Laflamme, who was a major pick for the Toronto North Stars way back when. Since then he has found a good home in Calgary, a team that he was able to win his first Challenge Cup with, and was pretty productive as a result. Laflamme scored 16 goals and 43 points, getting back to his 40+ point ways and even having his highest hitting total of his career with 141.

37. (S22) D (West Kendall Platoon) - Ales Smirnov || -6
Average Grade: 83.57
Past Seasons: S26-84, S27-58, S28-93, S29-56, S30-47, S31-46, S32-31

Ales Smirnov enters the list at 37, falling back a bit but still maintaining a solid spot on the list. Smirnov scored 18 goals and 40 points, his third season in a row scoring 40 points or more, and his own career high in hits with 130. He was a pretty damn great two-way machine for the Platoon, and while it didn't lead to the team making it out of the first round, Smirnov is still getting things done while regression is knocking on the door.

36. (S24) D (West Kendall Platoon) - Klaus Wagner || -16
Average Grade: 83.71
Past Seasons: S29-93, S30-73, S32-20

At 36 is another Platoon player, Klaus Wagner. Wagner had his best season ever in S31 with 54 points, and in S32 he had a high bar to reach. Unfortunately he failed to reach it, but did score 6 goals and 38 points. Still a damn fine season. The one problem was his hitting game remains an issue keeping him from getting higher on the list, as well as his shot blocking, which was only 63.

35. (S25) C (Los Angeles Panthers) - Ryan King || +50
Average Grade: 83.86
Past Seasons: S32-85

Ryan King of the Panthers hits the list at 35, a huge jump due to being one of the players who helped catapult the Panthers to their best ever record and one of the most historic seasons in SHL regular season history. King scored 24 goals and 46 points, played 128 minutes on the penalty kill, and provided a great deal of awareness on the ice that helped his linemates produce and give them a dominant regular season.

34. (S26) D (Manhattan Rage) - Wyatt Wollker || +32
Average Grade: 84.43
Past Seasons: S29 -94, S30-100, S31-50, S32-66

At 34 is Rage defenseman Wyatt Wollker, a future Stevens contender and major contributor to the Rage. Wollker scored 12 goals and 47 points, just shy of being a PPG defenseman. However his performance in both the regular season and playoffs took the Rage to an incredible Challenge Cup run which saw them unfortunately ousted by the Dragons. Wollker still has room to grow and if he gets his hitting up he may be a new superstar in the SHL.

33. (S25) C (Texas Renegades) - Jack Durden || +4
Average Grade: 84.57
Past Seasons: S30-76, S31-24, S32-37

At 33 is Renegades center Jack Durden, who took on defensive duties last season, and excelled wonderfully at it. Durden scored 10 goals and 42 points, blocked 85 shots, and scored 12 points on the powerplay. A versatile forward/defenseman and his statline shows it. Durden may need to pick a position going forward not to confuse the voters, but it is interesting to see someone go from forward to defense and do so well so easily.

32. (S26) G (Texas Renegades) - Christoffer Björnsson || Even
Average Grade: 84.57
Past Seasons: S31-55, S32-32

Another Renegade at 32 is goaltender Christoffer Björnsson. Björnsson had a great season, winning 26 games, having a save percentage of .910, and a goals against average of 2.401. Pretty impressive numbers, which unfortunately were not enough to get the Renegades in the playoffs. Quite a shame, but Björnsson is doing a good job of keeping pace with his fellow drafted goalies and staying a relevant contributor in the league.

31. (S29) LW (Los Angeles Panthers) - Sebastian Strange || New Entry
Average Grade: 85
Past Seasons: None

At 31 is the highest new entry on the list, youngster Sebastian Strange. Strange took a couple seasons to get going, but in S32 he took right off, with 22 goals and 51 points. Strange was one of the brightest spots for the Panthers as they ran away with the best record in the league, and the Panthers will be looking for him to do even more once he gets even older and starts to enter his prime. No pressure, though.

30. (S28) G (New England Wolfpack) - Mikke Laukkanen || +31
Average Grade: 85.14
Past Seasons: S32-61

Finishing the 30s is Wolfpack goaltender Mike Laukkanen, with his best season as a starter so far in his young career. Laukkanen won a Challenge Cup as one of the youngest goaltenders in league history, and continues to shine despite his youth with 26 wins and a save percentage of .918. New England may be doing a good job of sheltering him, but he has shown even when the going gets tough he is able to shut the door immediately.

29. (S20) D (West Kendall Platoon) - Bojo Biscuit || -3
Average Grade: 85.14
Past Seasons: S22-64, S23-36, S23-29, S25-26 S26-20, S27-35, S28-8, S29-14, S30-26, S31-20, S32-26

Coming in at 29 is Bojo Biscuit of the Platoon, dropping off a bit as his offensive game drops off as well. Biscuit scored 3 goals and 32 points with West Kendall, bringing them back to the playoffs but in a first round loss to Manattan, and he has remained a stable defensive player for the team. Biscuit also had 60 shot blocks and played 125 minutes on the penalty kill. The one issue is Biscuit has started to lose his physical edge, no longer being the major penalty minute holder nor getting a lot of hits on the year. Is Bojo Biscuit losing his crispiness?

28. (S22) D (Winnipeg Jets) Rembrandt Q. Einstein || +23
Average Grade: 85.43
Past Seasons: S23-85, S24-94, S25-89, S26-57, S27-78, S28-23, S29-36, S30-4, S31-21, S32-51

At 28 is Jets defenseman Rembrandt Q. Einstein, back in the top-30 after a brief hiatus. Einstein had a damn fine season with the Jets, scoring 5 goals and 40 points, but his defensive play has suffered a bit in recent seasons. 61 blocked shots, -4, only 43 hits. That is not the kind of statline you expect from a guy like Einstein, especially when he is considered the Jets number one defenseman right now. Einstein has begun to regress, and that may be a factor, which is unfortunate because Einstein came into the league as an immediate contributor and the league will be less entertaining if he can't get back to his top-10 form.

27. (S25) RW (Texas Renegades) - Geoffrey Allen || +3
Average Grade: 85.43
Past Seasons: S28-72, S29-73, S30-87, S31-49, S32-30

Geoffrey Allen enters the list at 27, still crawling up the list in his bid to make it into the top-10 for the first time. Allen had another 45+ point season, scoring 23 goals and 47 in S32, and finally getting a chance to show his faceoff prowess. Despite becoming an excellent faceoff player, Allen hasn't been physical his entire career and barely played at all on the penalty kill. If Allen wants to become a top-10 player in this league, he will either have to step up the offense or insert defense into his dictionary.

26. (S20) C (Calgary Dragons) - Nicholas Pedersen || -3
Average Grade: 85.57
Past Seasons: S23-46, S24-59, S25-16, S26-22, S27-49, S28-27, S29-58, S30-24, S31-17, S32-23

Nicholas Pedersen comes in at 26, the Dragons center who has been an incredible acquisition ever since moving on from Los Angeles. Pedersen scored 19 goals and 42 points, registered 99 hits, and was a key part in the Dragons cup run this season. Pedersen has started to fall off a bit in a few areas, and he didn't play the PK nearly as much as previous years, so Pedersen may be trending downward on this list. But he still should have a few more seasons where his name pops up on this list just for his commitment to the game.

25. (S25) C (Winnipeg Jets) - Luke Fleming || +8
Average Grade: 86.43
Past Seasons: S29-100, S30-79, S31-37, S32-33

At 25 is Luke Fleming of the Jets, getting close to the top-20 with a 21 goal, 44 point performance last season. Fleming also registered 135 hits and led the team in scoring which was a pretty down year for the franchise as a whole. Fleming is part of the S25 crew that has a ton of talent, and while Fleming started off a bit slow, he is quickly ramping up to being a real elite talent in the league, and not a moment too soon considering regression is on its way to greet him.

24. (S24) LW (Toronto North Stars) - Damien Wert || +72
Average Grade: 85.14
Past Seasons: S28-99, S30-98, S32-96

At 24 is Damien Wert of the North Stars, the largest shift in the list this season, an incredible jump considering he was off the list twice in the last five years Wert came out with an incredible season, scoring 25 goals and 51 points, one of the best performances we have seen from someone with no previous signs of elite play. Will Wert be considered for the Aidan Richan trophy for most improved? We shall see, but if he is not nominated it will be a very peculiar thing.

23. (S20) LW (Edmonton Blizzard) - Pedro Sarantez || -9
Average Grade: 86.57
Past Seasons: S22-75, S23-54, S24-30, S25-33, S26-39, S27-6, S28-65, S29-50, S30-15, S31-7, S32-12

At 23 is Pedro Sarantez, going into his fifth season with the Edmonton Blizzard. Sarantez has been nothing short of fantastic with Edmonton, despite his 20 goal, 44 point season being an off year by his standards. This is the fifth season in a row he has scored 40 points or more, was one of the most consistent players for the Blizzard last season, and is not really showing many signs of stopping. It seems like Sarantez is looking to punch his ticket to the hall of fame, assuming he can keep up this consistency for longer.

22. (S24) C (Los Angeles Panthers) - Kaapo Kekkonen || +25
Average Grade: 86.86
Past Seasons: S31-69, S32-47

At 22 is Kaapo Kekkonen, who has made a very quick jump into the top-30 for his recent performances. Kekkonen help catapult the Panthers into the top regular season record with his 18 goals and 46 points, not to mention an incredible physical season with 183 hits. He was also amazing at the dot as well, winning 52% of the faceoffs he took, and with his work ethic may have a few more seasons of this. This man is a Jeff Dar contender and even if he doesn't win is looking like a major two-way machine going forward..

21. (S21) RW (Los Angeles Panthers) - Jorma Ruutu || +17
Average Grade: 87
Past Seasons: S28-91, S29-35, S30-34, S31-29, S32-38

At 21 is Jorma Ruutu, another Panther who had a great season. Ruutu scored 4 goals and 42 points playing on defense this season, blocked 82 shots, and registered 159 hits. He has been very versatile for the Panthers and is looking like one of the biggest steals a team has made picking this guy up. Ruutu is regressing, and we may not see this kind of season from him again, but to think about how this player was considered a lost cause only a few seasons ago is fascinating.

20. (S20) RW (Toronto North Stars) - Kristian Eriksson || -15
Average Grade: 87
Past Seasons: S22-96, S23-77, S24-57, S25-40, S26-11, S27-30, S28-55, S29-39, S30-55, S31-30, S32-5

At 20 is Kristian Eriksson, dropping out of the top-10 but remaining a top-20 player. Eriksson scored 23 goals and 41 points, a big drop of 21 points compared to the previous year. However he was still a great two-way player with 212 hits and 120 penalty kill minutes. Eriksson has been an interesting case, and despite his inconsistent career we certainly hope that Eriksson can get back to form from last year, just because he was one of the most entertaining players on the ice in S31.

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 · 01-26-2017, 12:45 PM

19. (S27) D (Los Angeles Panthers) - Chris Crutchfield || +53
Average Grade: 87.71
Past Seasons: S31-81, S32-72

At number 19 is Panthers defenseman Chris Crutchfield, not long in the league but already making a big impression. Crutchfield scored 12 goals and 49 points on the season, his best to date, and was one of the biggest reasons the Panthers had such a great record in the regular season. Crutchfield also blocked 72 shots and played 121 penalty minutes, and really only has physicality as a weakpoint at this very point in time. It remains to be seen if Crutchfield will end up in the top-10, but he is on pace for it to happen.

18. (S20) D (Edmonton Blizzard) - Barney Stinson || -10
Average Grade: 87.71
Past Seasons: S23-56, S24-34, S25-28, S26-55, S27-90, S28-87, S29-52, S30-8, S31-16, S32-8

At 18 is Blizzard defenseman Barney Stinson, a veteran defenseman who has started to feel his age this year. Stinson has moved around a decent amount in recent years, but with each team he has played for he has really shown an ability to produce offense. Stinson scored 8 goals and 36 points with Edmonton, registered 135 hits, and blocked 67 shots. Stinson's defense was so valuable he helped keep the pucks away from Brett Broadway to earn 8 shutouts. Stinson might be trending downward, but he won't be going down easily.

17. (S25) C (Edmonton Blizzard) - Nikolaus Scholz || +30
Average Grade: 88
Past Seasons: S31-69, S32-47

At 17 is Blizzard center Nikolaus Scholz, jumping up to the top-20 with his 24 goal, 50 point performance. Scholz has been a great pickup for Edmonton, and his faceoff numbers are really starting to take off as well. Scholz is considered by some to be a bit of an inconsistent player with his track record, but he is now starting to show a bit of stability now that he is used to the Blizzard system, and may now take his talents to the next level.

16. (S20) RW (Seattle Riot) - Jed Lloren || +18
Average Grade: 88.57
Past Seasons: S22-83, S23-68, S24-62, S25-19, S26-21, S27-68, S28-59, S29-46, S30-51, S31-65, S32-34

At 16 is Winger Jed Lloren, back in the top-20 after a 7 year hiatus. Lloren got there with 25 goals and 53 points, and despite the other flaws to his game he did so with a lot of flash and flare that Lloren hasn't shown all that often during his career. He still has enough left in the tank to keep going despite his advancing years, and it will be interesting to watch his career at this stage as he fights off regression for another season.

15. (S19) C (Edmonton Blizzard) - Zallerras Szlerchek || +6
Average Grade: 88.57
Past Seasons: S20-86, S21-58, S22-40, S23-71, S24-68, S25-38, S26-48, S27-10, S28-14, S29-4, S30-16, S31-27, S32-21

Zallerras Szlerchek enters the list at 15, not missing a single beat with his new team in Edmonton. Szlerchek scored 15 goals and 45 points, registered 192 hits, was above 50% on the faceoff dot, and helped get the Blizzard to another Challenge Cup run. Szlerchek is another player who is fighting off regression, and as one of the oldest players in the league his inclusion in the top-20 is quite extraordinary.

14. (S24) LW (New England Wolfpack) - Patrikov Bure || -1
Average Grade: 88.71
Past Seasons: S31-12, S32-13

Patrikov Bure hits the list at 14, falling back just a bit but remaining a top-20 player for the third straight season. Bure scored 20 goals and 44 points, a very strange ratio of goals to assists. Bure has always been the kind of guys to shoot first and pass later, and this season was proof of that. Bure saw his physical game falter a bit, but with one more season to go before regression he remains in contention to earn a top-10 ranking and demonstrate himself as one of the elite of the elite.

13. (S24) D (Seattle Riot) Patrick Brumm || +42
Average Grade: 89
Past Seasons: S27-89, S28-63, S29-91, S30-88, S31-87, S32-55

At lucky 13 is Patrick Brumm, earning his first 50+ point season with 29 goals and 55 points. This is especially incredible due to the nature of Seattle's team system and how offense comes secondary to defense. Brumm, another S24 pick, had the hot stick and used it to earn his highest goal-scoring total of his career, and did all of that playing over 200 penalty kill minutes a night. Brumm is starting to round out his game, and as he is getting a bit older he will have to do so quickly.

12. (S21) RW (Edmonton Blizzard) - Theo Kane || -2
Average Grade: 89.86
Past Seasons: S23-75, S24-77, S25-56, S26-76, S27-57, S28-20, S29-32, S30-1, S31-13, S32-10

At 19 is Theo Kane of the Blizzard, falling back a bit in the rankings and out of the top-10, but having quite the season in a new position with 8 goals and 44 points. Even for a forward turned defenseman, that is pretty impressive. He also blocked 67 shots and kept the PIMs down to keep his team at even strength as much as possible. Is Kane going to become a defenseman going forward, or is this a one-off? I personally would like to see more of this new Theo Kane and what he can do as a defenseman. Lord knows the S21 draft class didn't have many of those to speak of.

11. (S26) G (Minnesota Chiefs) - Robert Andersson || +30
Average Grade: 90.14
Past Seasons: S28-45, S29-87, S30-28, S31-42, S32-41

At 11 is Chiefs goaltender Robert Andersson, just narrowly missing out on a top-10 selection but having his best season to date. Andersson won 22 games, had a save percentage of .925, and if not for his heroics in net would have missed the playoffs entirely due to a weak Minnesota Chiefs team. Andersson has some rivals who have thwarted him from his first ever McBride trophy, but Andersson has remained dedicated to winning that trophy, and winning the Challenge Cup right after that.

10. (S23) D (Texas Renegades) Vladimir Lidstrom || -3
Average Grade: 90.57
Past Seasons: S27-94, S28-82, S29-62, S30-59, S31-9, S32-7
<div align="center"> [Image: Top-100%20Lidstrom.png]

</div>

Starting out the top-10 is Vladimir Lidstrom, his third top-10 finish in a row and one of the best defensemen in the sport right now. Lidstrom scored 7 goals and 45 points, dropping back a bit from his previous 50 point season, but kept the Renegades in the playoff hunt all season and was one of the top offensive defenders in the league. Lidstrom's hitting has kept him from jumping up to the top-5, but even with regression starting to hit he has the tenacity and the ability to improve that and challenge as the best defenseman in the game today.

9. (S21) D (Minnesota Chiefs) - Alonzo Garbanzo || -5
Average Grade: 90.86
Past Seasons: S23-59, S24-76, S25-18, S26-30, S27-13, S28-3, S29-15, S30-6, S31-4, S32-4
<div align="center"> [Image: Top-100%20Garbanzo.png]

</div>

At number 9 is veteran Alonzo Garbanzo, taking a bit of a step backward due to his 5 goal, 38 point season, but remaining a top-tier defenseman and one of the best in the sport. Garbanzo also continued to be a monster defensively, registering 147 hits and blocking 97 shots. Garbanzo has tuned up his game despite entering regression, and is not looking to slow down anytime soon. Can he win another Stevens before he becomes to slow to handle the young talents coming up into the league?

8. (S25) D (New England Wolfpack) Jasper Clayton || +14
Average Grade: 91
Past Seasons: S29-99, S30-84, S31-66, S32-22
<div align="center"> [Image: Top-100%20Clayton.png]

</div>

At 8 is another defenseman in Jasper Clayton, voted the top defenseman of this list. Clayton had a couple of rough patches to his start with New England, but has started to take the league by storm. He scored 7 goals and 41 points, had a +/- of 23, registered 39 hits, blocked 65 shots, and overall was good in every category. Clayton was even nominated for the Stevens for good reason, and while he hasn't won it yet, Clayton is vying for it each and every season. This is his first entry into the top-10, and he is looking to make it one of many going forward.

7. (S20) RW (New England Wolfpack) - Nathan Russell || -1
Average Grade: 91.29
Past Seasons: S24-91, S25-72, S26-12, S27-31, S28-16, S29-22, S30-27, S31-15, S32-6
<div align="center"> [Image: Top-100%20Russell.png]

</div>

At 7 is Wolfpack winger Nathan Russell, still in the top 10 and fighting regression with all his might. Russell scored 14 goals and 48 points, registered 152 hits, played 135 minutes on the PK and even took faceoff duties during the season. Russell continues to dominate even at his age, and while the hits are starting to lessen as he gets weaker, he still produces and that's all the Wolfpack are really asking for.

6. (S22) C (Manhattan Rage) - Kian Hamilton || +10
Average Grade: 93
Past Seasons: S27-41, S28-36, S29-33, S30-21, S31-33, S32-16
<div align="center"> [Image: Top-100%20Hamilton.png]

</div>

Kian Hamilton hits the list at 6, entering this list for the first time despite entering regression. Hamilton scored 23 goals and 58 points for the second straight season, one of the underrated performances of the year with VLAD McZehrl stealing headlines. Hamilton may not be in the top-10 going forward, but with his recent track record since changing names he is absolutely vying to be a regular contender. We have seen stranger things in this league.

5. (S20) LW (Los Angeles Panthers) - Chester Cunningham || +19
Average Grade: 94
Past Seasons: S23-69, S24-50, S25-81. S26-50, S27-56, S28-19, S29-13, S30-36, S31-51, S32-24
<div align="center"> [Image: Top-100%20Cunningham.png]

</div>

At 5 is Panthers winger Chester Cunningham, a player that was so good that he was snatched up in a trade during the season. Cunningham scored 19 goals and 56 points despite only playing 49 games, registered 174 hits, and earned 15 powerplay points. Cunningham also won the Jeff Dar award for best two-way player, and boy did he earn it for his performance. Another regressing player coming into the top-10, and with his new team he may try to soar even higher on this list if he can.

4. (S22) RW (Portland Admirals) - Chernika Banananov || -1
Average Grade: 95.71
Past Seasons: S25-96, S26-90, S27-19, S28-48, S29-1, S30-3, S31-1, S32-3
<div align="center"> [Image: Top-100%20Banananov.png]

</div>

At 4 is new Admirals winger Chernika Banananov, with his fifth 50+ point season in a row and 6th 20+ goal season in a row. Banananov, despite the lack of a physical game, has been incredibly consistent, this season scoring 20 goals and 57 points, helping lead the charge with a handful of players to get the Chiefs into the playoffs. Now with a new team and even more opportunities, Banananov hopes to do the same thing with a new team for the first time.

3. (S26) G (Edmonton Blizzard) - Brett Broadway || +6
Average Grade: 96.71
Past Seasons: S31-32, S32-9
<div align="center"> [Image: Top-100%20Broadway.png]

</div>

Entering the top-3, we have Brett Broadway of the Edmonton Blizzard. Broadway takes home the bragging rights for best goaltender in the list, winning every single trophy he could win over the offseason and proving himself as arguably the most dominant goaltender in the league today. Broadway won 29 games, had a save percentage of .926, and even registered 8 shutouts. An incredible statline, and Broadway still has a few more seasons to go before age even starts to knock on the door for him. Broadway does have competition, but right now he is the top dog and it will take a lot to knock him off that perch.

2. (S24) RW (Manhattan Rage) - Vincent-Leon-Anze Draisaitl-McZehrl || Even
Average Grade: 97.57
Past Seasons: S29-21, S30-9, S31-2, S32-2
<div align="center"> [Image: Top-100%20McZehrl.png]

</div>

At number 2 on this list for the third straight season we have Vincent-Leon-Anze Draisaitl-McZehrl, who had a record-breaking season with the Manhattan Rage. VLAD scored 31 goals and 70 points on the year, registered 153 hits, blocked 21 shots, and scored 19 points on the powerplay. VLAD is considered by many to be the best player in the game today, but issues with the locker room and how he interacts with some players has seemed to keep him from the top perch. Either way, he is producing for the Rage and they are happy to have him every step of the way.

1. (S25) RW (Minnesota Chiefs) - Lord Pretty Flacko || Even
Average Grade: 97.86
Past Seasons: S30-70, S31-11, S32-1
<div align="center"> [Image: Top-100%20Flacko.png]

</div>

At number one, once again the top dog of the list, is Lord Pretty Flacko. Flacko scored a record-breaking 36 goals and 68 points, registered 91 hits, was +9, and scored 12 powerplay points. Flacko was one of only a few producers on the Chiefs, and his can-do attitude and commitment to excellence propelled a Chiefs team that nobody expected to make the playoffs into the 4th seed. Flacko still has youth, and with two straight number 1 finishes he has no intention of giving up the crown, so going forward there will be a ton of competition to see who gets to knock him off.

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]

crutch · 01-26-2017, 12:46 PM

I have a boner for these articles

LB. · 01-26-2017, 12:46 PM

i'm on portland yo

TML99 · 01-26-2017, 12:46 PM

Congrats <a href='index.php?showuser=1290' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-10'>vbottas17</a> for making the list in your Rookie season! Panthers

Eggy216 · 01-26-2017, 12:46 PM

Woo Reid still edging his way onto the list!

ArGarBarGar · 01-26-2017, 12:47 PM

Quote:Originally posted by LB.@Jan 26 2017, 11:46 AM
i'm on portland yo

There ya big whiner

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]

LB. · 01-26-2017, 12:52 PM

Quote:Originally posted by ArGarBarGar@Jan 26 2017, 06:47 PM

There ya big whiner

muchas gracias wuss

GoodLeftUndone · 01-26-2017, 12:53 PM

See how worse I get ranked as a dmen :ph34r:

Kevin Juice Bieksa · 01-26-2017, 01:14 PM

I can't wait to see how far I dropped!

All-time New England Wolfpack scorer
[Image: Derisraka.png]

Chris-McZehrl · 01-26-2017, 01:15 PM

Quote:Originally posted by Kevin "Juice" Bieksa@Jan 26 2017, 07:14 PM
I can't wait to see how far I dropped!

not in that list Ninja

Kevin Juice Bieksa · 01-26-2017, 01:16 PM

Quote:Originally posted by Chris-McZehrl@Jan 26 2017, 05:15 PM

not in that list

:wub:

All-time New England Wolfpack scorer
[Image: Derisraka.png]

Rabidsponge21 · 01-26-2017, 01:18 PM

Top 100 after 1 season?

#Blessed

Thanks <a href='index.php?showuser=2261' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-63'>Gooney</a> for blessing me so much already in Hamilton. You truly are are saint.

Chris-McZehrl · 01-26-2017, 01:18 PM

Quote:Originally posted by Kevin "Juice" Bieksa@Jan 26 2017, 07:16 PM

:wub:

maybe we should do our own list?

1st McZ
2nd Patty McZ
the rest ... not made the list

:-x

Eggy216 · 01-26-2017, 01:19 PM

Quote:Originally posted by Chris-McZehrl@Jan 26 2017, 01:18 PM

maybe we should do our own list?

1st McZ
2nd Patty McZ
the rest ... not made the list

:-x

I want to be a McZ too Crybaby

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