03-14-2020, 06:21 PM(This post was last modified: 03-14-2020, 07:59 PM by PremierBromanov.)
~5350 words, double draft media, ready for grading.
Today we're going to examine the top 16 TPE earners in draft class 53, take a look at their builds, and speculate wildly about what kind of player they might become. As always, TPE isn't everything as GMs draft for a variety of reasons and indeed some of the best players are required to be taken by their team in certain rounds. So rather than speculating how the draft might go, we're just gonna look at TPE.
#1 Ambacas Cuddles Defensive Defenseman Current TPE: 306 Next Update: 368
Ambacas Cuddles, better known as Carolina Kraken General Manager cpetrella, is the current TPE leader in terms of updates that are in the system. Ambacas is a Defensive Defenseman who can put up a lot of points when needed. In season 52 in the juniors, he potted 1 goal and 20 assists in 50 games, playing 18 minutes a night. He led rookies and defensemen (except Pokrywka) in time on ice, averaging 18 minutes a game. The next highest rookie was Michael lee, with just 13. As a defenseman, he also managed to rank 8th in all rookie points, tried with Jukka Timonen and Paddy Kane-Reilly the 2nd.
Examining Ambacas' build, its tough to say what he'll become as he has yet to submit an FHM build. His defense in his next build is already 83, and he has strong puck handling and skating skills. With such strong tendencies towards the mental side of the game and with limited TPE going into passing/scoring, there's still any number of styles of defense Ambacas could play. Being a strong skater and puckhandler sets him up very nicely for offensive defenseman, like Rushing Defenseman, Quarterback, Mobile Defenseman, or Playmaking Defenseman. One thing that can't really be determined though is where he will dump his mental stats. If indeed Defense is a good indicator of Offensive and Defensive read, I would expect Ambacas to have about 15 in either read, potentially both. But don't be surprised if those take a hit to make his skating very strong.
#2 Rocco Berni Playmaking Center Current TPE: 306 Next Update: 322
Rocco Berni, once Hall of Famer Griffin Simons, is a play making center who isnt afraid to get down and dirty along the boards. Rocco saw 3rd line minutes for the Kelowna Knights, putting 6 pucks in the net and helping another 16 for a total of 22 points. This lead all rookies on his team and put him in the top 10 of all rookies in the junior league. Rocco also shoots an impressive 10% out of 58 shots. He can also put the game on his back when required, as he managed to get a game winning and game tying goal this season. Although Berni had an impressive season, he struggled in the face-off circle against other stronger, more veteran players in the league, winning a scant 45% of his 746 faceoffs.
Rocco's build build can be summarized in one word: Flexibility. He has strong skating skills, with Acceleration, Agility, and Stamina at 12 along with that 12 bravery that will help him engage in board battles to win the puck. The rest of his skating stats are 10, which will help him keep up with just about anyone in the league. On his side of the ice, he has 11 Defensive Read, Stickcheckng and Positioning which will help him keep pressure off of his team and get the puck going the other way. With checking and hitting at a measly 5, Rocco may find trouble when he inevitably does engage with a board battle, but I would expect these lesser stats to even out over time. He also has 12 face-offs, to help control the pace of the game, something that should assuage fears that his poor performance in the face-off circle will continue. Finally, Rocco's real strengths are Puckhandling and Passing at 13, with his Offensive Read at 12, just a touch above defensive. He could use improvement on shooting range and screening, but it seems Rocco isn't much interested in goal scoring just yet. Given his stengths, Rocco would do well as a Dangler, a Playmaker, Gretzky's Office, or A counter-attacking forward. He could be deployed as more of a two-way center in the future, but the low hitting and checking may hurt him.
#3 Jaska Seppala Left-Wing Sniper Current TPE: 291 Next Update: 315
Jaska Seppala, better known as Zombiwolf and Buffalo Legend Charles Walker, is an offensively minded Left Wing with strong skating skills. In the juniors, Jaska was outshined by teammate Rocco Bernie, but Jaska also played fewer minutes and almost none of the power play, where Rocco earned 6 points. With 4 goals and 4 assists, Jaska wasn't turning heads this season, but sometimes thats just the way simon is. At 3rd most TPE in his class, GM's arent exactly worried about picking up Jaska early. Given Jaska's new build, he should see a lot more success next season.
For jaska's build, he went classic Sniper/Perimeter Shooter. He has strong tendencies to shoot with 13 points, and his Getting Open, Puckhandling, Screening, and Offensive read at 12. Jaska should have no problem putting himself in a position to receive a pass from Rocco. His shooting range is also an impressive 10, which means he'll be able to clap bombs from just about anywhere on the ice, except maybe the blue line. His weakest offensive stat is passing, at 9, which shouldnt be much of a problem give than he will inevitably be in a good place to take a shot or make a pass regardless. For skating, Jaska sits at 12s all around, except strength. Not too fast, not too nimble, defenders will have a very difficult time keeping up with Jaska. Defensively, Jaska sits at 9s all around, except for faceoffs at 5, which he needn't worry about. This sort of flat, across-the-board defensive build essentially allows Jaska to be deployed defensively however required. However, as they say, a jack of all trades is a master of none, so this monochromatic defensive build could put him on the wrong side of the puck in certain situations. However, given his build, its more likely that Jaska plays a strong enough offensive game to avoid the puck entering his zone. Hopefully, too, he sees more power play opportunies. Given his build, Jaska would be an excellent Sniper, Garbage Collector, or Perimeter shooter, but don't be surprised if he tries out Dangler or Screener.
#4 Frans Eller
Goaltender
Current TPE: 290
Next Update: 349
Current backup but soon to be star Goaltender Frans Eller, and New England GM, is a traditional style goalie with a strong will and stronger pads. Only appearing in 12 games, Eller managed to play just as well as his Carolina Kraken counterpart Mike Hroch, with a .881 save percentage and 3.08 goals against average. Frans is also a naughty boy with 4 PIMs. Of those 12 games, Frans won 6 and lost the other 6, once in over time. He was bailed out for a few of those losses by Mike Hroch.
Frans Eller has quick glove hands and excellent positioning, with 14 for both, as well as excellent Rebound, Recovery, Reflexes, blocker, and Low Shots. Frans is the type of goalie to maintain position rather than "flop" around and make highlight reel saves, because he doesn't need to. Frans' weaknesses are in passing, puckhandling, and skating, which makes it difficult for him to play the puck and may cause GMs to employ a dump and chase strategy effectively against him. Other than that, Frans can't be overwhelmed easily, as he has no real weaknesses as far as stopping pucks does. Teams may be able to sow some chaos by controlling the puck, but they'll need a real good shot to get through him.
#5 Erben Kasius Offensive Defenseman Current TPE: 289 Next Update: 318
Erben Kasius is an offensive defenseman with a flexible offensive build. Kasius had an excellent rookie season for the St. Louis Scarecrows, with 10 goals and 15 assists, which lead all rookies on the team, despite being a defenseman. Erben did not shoot the puck too often, but when he did, 15% of them found the net. Given also his inexperience, Erben had an impressive 20 minutes a game and spent most of his time on the 2nd pair. 25 points is good for 5th among all rookies, and his amazing 9 power play goals tied for 3rd in the entire league with Luciano Vessot, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Mikas Bieska, Daniel Bischoff, and Marcus Ohlsson. He also recorded a hat trick. Wow!
Erben Kasius' build does indeed have "offensive defenseman" written all over it. But erben is determined not to be pigeon holed in his role, with 12s across the board for Passing, Puckhandling, Shooting Accuracy, Shooting Range, and Offensive Read. His only real downside being Getting Open, which honestly shouldnt be too hard given his position on the blue line. Where Kasius may struggle in his efforts to score goals and set up goals is his skating abilities. It's not a weakness, per se, but his point distribution definitely leans towards offensive abilities, with his Balance and Speed at just 11, with the rest of the skating at 12, and Strength at 9. These stats should be good enough to keep the puck moving in the offensive zone, but may see him burned by opportune forwards. Obviously, his defensive stats are lesser than his offensive stats, but he's no slouch in his own zone. Erben knows that to get the puck into the net, sometimes it has to travel 200 feet first. To that end, he has Defensive Read, Stickchecking and Positioning at 11, with shot blocking, hitting, and checking at 9. These might not see him shut down the SMJHL stars in the league, but should be enough to keep the scales tipped in his favor.
#6 Jack Kanoff
Offensive Defenseman
Current TPE: 288
Next Update: 318
Here we have another Offensive Defenseman, this one with a little more defense in his build. Jack Kanoff had an impressive 20 point season as a rookie defenseman, with 7 goals and 13 assists. He played fewer minutes than his contemporaries and did not register in the top 10 rookies, but those can be waived away as simply simon being simon. Detroit is a team with a massive amount of rookies, and given that Kanoff and the other rookies have made a name for themselves. While SMJHL star Kaarlo Kekkonen helped lead the team to a first place finish, the rest of the rookies held the line in the depth positions. For that, GMs should take a good look at Jack Kanoff.
Jacks build, as mentioned, is strong in the ozone but also pretty good in his own end. He has 13 offensive read which should help him navigate the ice, and his 12 puck handling will allow him to outwit opposing forwards. His shooting and passing and getting open arent as high as his rivals, but he makes up for this with slightly better skating and much better defensive tendendies. His skating is 12s all around, except agility which is 10 and strength at 11. Low strength and agility may find him flat footed in tough situations, but he should be able to keep up better than most offensive defensemen. His 12 defensive read will see him in good position anyway, with 11 checking, positioning, and stick checking to frustrate and foil fowards in his own end. His hitting and shot blocking, however, sit at a paltry 5. But Jack knows that if he plays the game right, he wont need to lay heavy hits or leave his feet to block a shot.
#7 Jimmy Wagner
Two-way Right Wing
Current TPE: 282
Next Update: 304
Jimmy "Jimbo "JimJam"" Wagner is the 3rd rookie Kraken in this list and ranked 7 in TPE. He is a strong Two-way foward who likes to shoot the puck. Jimmy had a quiet, yet not bad, season with the Kraken, registering 6 goals and 8 assists in 50 games playing only 11 minutes a night. Jimmy should be getting closer to 40 or 50 points this coming season as his ice time goes up drastically as stars Tom Fiddler, Alexei Rykov, Michael Fitted, and Joseph Weston leave the league this offseason. Still, Jimmy can be a hero, with 2 game tying goals. Jimmy helped the kraken reach a tied-for-first-but-not-quite-first place finish in the SMJHL.
Jimmy has a very purposeful build, with strengths on both ends of the ice. His biggest strengths are his legs, with 13 speed, acceleration, and agility, with 12 balance. Jimmy looks to depend on his skating ability to out-work his opponents at both ends of the ice. His low strength (9) and Bravery (5) may see him in trouble along the boards, but his he does everything right he may not need to engage in board battles much at all. Jimmy's Offensive and Defensive read both sit at 12, and he has similar strengths in shooting, puckhandling, and defensive positioning. His passing, hitting, shot block and screening are low, making Jimmy a highly specialized player who can excel if you use him right. Jimmy would be suited as a Counter attacking forward, a two-way forward, or an up and down winger.
#8 Magns Liljestrom
Two-way Defenseman
Current TPE: 281
Next Update: 298
Magnus Liljestrom is a two-way defenseman who also helped lead Detroit to a strong first place finish. Liljestrom had an impressive season with detroit, with 17 points, 4 of them goals. But Liljestrom is one of only a few rookies with a positive plus minus. His poise and responsible play helps him rack up points without hanging his goalie out to dry. While he didnt play as much as other defensemen in the draft, he still managed 18 minutes a game. One thing Magnus needs to keep an eye on is his discipline. He saw 62 PIMs in 50 games, which is honestly impressive. I'm not even mad. He threw a whopping 86 hits as well, and made everyone who played against him cry.
Magnus has a classic two-way build, with a strong emphasis on passing. He has 12 Defensive and offensive read, with 13 passing and puck handling. Meanwhile, 12 positioning and stick checking to keep opposing players in check. His only real weakness is a lack of emphasis on skating. His acceleration is a measly 9, and his balance and speed sit at 11, with 12 stamina and 10 agility and strength. These aren't huge gaping weaknesses, but they may see him burned by strong skating players in the league (Jimmy Wagner, for instance). The acceleration may be most noticeable on the ice. still with such strong puck management skills, Magnus is going to have a very successful sophomore season with detroit. His only other drawbacks are hitting, and shooting range, both of which are more than compensated for by his other more relaxed stats. Magnus also has one of the highest shot blocking ratings ive seen in the juniors and I'm excited to see that come into play.
#9 Edward Williams
Power Center
Current TPE: 280
Next Update: 310
Eddy Billyams, better known as Edward Williams, is a power forward that I am excited about. In a land of two-way players and perimeter shooters, we finally have a man who thinks he is Brenden Shanahan. Yet another Falcons wrookie, Edward Williams let rookies on his team with an excellent 32 points. 14 goals and 18 assists, Eddy rivals many 2nd year juniors in only his first season. He shot at an astounding 19.72% shot rate, with 71 shots in total. He also managed 18 minutes a night. Eddy's 32 points saw him tied for first in the league among rookies with Anchorage rookie Danny White.
Edward Williams is built like a freight trains. He is very fast and very strong. He has one of the highest strenghts i've seen so far, at 13, with 12 balance, speed, and stamina. His big weakness, like a train, is his agility and acceleration, both at 8. But once Williams gets going, he's unlikely to stop unless he meets a player or the boards or both. His next best stats are Checking, Screening, and Getting Open at 13. With these strengths Edward hopes to become a really aggressive net front presence once play does eventually settle down. His Puck handling and hitting will also serve him well in this effort. He's even got a cheeky 7 aggression and 8 fighting! The big drawback for Williams is low Offensive and Defensive reads, both at 8, and positionining, shot blocking and stick checking also at 8. If Williams can get the puck, it's going to be difficult for anyone to stop him. Eddy would be best suited as Power Forward, Punishing Forward, Garbage Collector, Goon, Enforcer, Agitator, or Screener. His agility is going to hinder him a lot, as many of these archetypes rely pretty heavily on balance to work the puck in front of the net.
#10 Ethan Duncan
Defensive Center
Current TPE: 279
Next Update: 306
Finally a draftee who isnt a Kraken or a Falcon and....its another Knight. Oh well, good teams gonna be good. Ethan Duncan is another build I'm excited about, one of very few builds I've seen who are strictly defensively minded. Ethan had a quiet season with the Knights, with only 8 points in 50 games, and a minus 7. He played only 8 minutes a night, which really explains his quiet season. But, he found success in the face-off circle. In the coming seasons, getting more ice time will see Ethan shine. Ethan looks to be a PK specialist who can help generate some offense as well. He will be a player teams can rely on.
Ethan's strengths lie in his Defensive read, positioning, stickchecking, and checking, as well as a decent bravery score of 8. He's really going to win board battles in his own end to help jumpstart the play. He also has 12 passive. His low offensive read, 9, may see him lost once the play does develop, but with still 44 points left in his build it's a gap that can be easily fixed. He also has 10 puckhandling and 10 shooting accuracy, which makes him adept at just about any situation. Ethan looks to succeed in this league the right way, the hard way: through responsible play making from deep in his own end, and his high passing can help him make cheeky stretch passes. His skating isnt anything to write home about, with 12 in balance, 11 in accelleration, speed and stamina, and 10 agility. Still, it's more than good enough for Ethan to stay on his toes and keep up with opposing players. But if he gets mismatched with some star players, his defensive abilities should help bail him out. Duncan would do well as a Two-way center, Backchecking forward, or even a grinder.
#11 Steve Harrington
Offensive Left Wing
Current TPE: 279
Next Update: 308
For real this time, some team diversity in the mix. Steve Harrington is a offensively minded center with a strong emphasis on goal scoring and puckhandling. Harrington had a decent rookie season with 7 goals and 10 assists and a plus 0. He played only 13 minutes a night. Still, he had a decent shooting percentage at 9.49%. Stevies rookie season isn't turning any heads, but the consistency at which he plays shows real promise.
Steve Harrington has a very specialized build, with an emphasis on skating and dangling the puck. He has an impressive 14 offensive read, one of the highest for rookies I've seen, 13 puck handling, and 12 accuracy. His getting open and passing are pretty low, which tells us that Steve is hoping to carry the play by himself, allowing teammates to follow his lead. His high shooting and good read will see him with some success in that. His medium balance and strength could see him struggle at certain roles, and his defensive abilities are pretty mild as well, with 10s across the board except in hitting, shot blocking, and face offs, which shouldnt really hinder his abilities much. Expect Harrington to drive play and make highlight reel plays. He can best be deployed as a Dangler, Sniper, or Speedy Forward
#12 Jukka Timonen
Two-Way Defenseman
Current TPE: 279
Next Update: 305
Jukka Timonen is a more defensively minded two-way defenseman. Jukka had an impressive 21 points in his rookie season as a defenseman, with a 16% shooting percentage, and playing a whopping 21 minutes a night. Still, these numbers put him right alongside his rookie teammates in terms of points per 20 minutes played, so those with fewer points than him may be pointing to this factor for their alleged shortcomings. Still, Jukka had a strong season playing 2nd pairing minutes. He already looks comfortable on the ice playing against veteran juniors.
Jukka has a very defensively minded build, with a strong emphasis on agility. His Defensive Read, Acceleration, and Agility at 13 should allow him to keep up with even the 425 stars in the league, but these come at the cost of his offensive read which is only 7. Still, with so much room below the cap, I imagine this hole will be filled, much like your mom. He has decent defensive stats otherwise, with good positioning and stick checking. Besides his low offensive read, he has great offensive skills, with a shooting range of 12, puckhandling at 12, and passing at 12, Jukka looks to move the puck very well on the blue line. Once he finishes filling out his offensive read to where he knows what plays to make, he will have no problem making them. Jukka would excel as a Quarterback, Rushing Defensman, Two Way Defenseman, or a Mobile Defenseman.
#13 Reid Sutherland
Playmaking Center
Current TPE: 278
Next Update: 301
I'm seeing red. Detroit Falcons red that is. yet another one to add to the pile. Reid Sutherland is a solid playmaking center with a strong emphasis on passing and puck handling. Reid had a decent rookie debut with 16 points and 6 goals. His shooting percentage wasnt anything to write home about, but his propensity to shoot the puck helped him show up on the scoreboard. He also played an impressive 16 minutes a night and dominated the faceoff circle, taking 54% of his 989 tries.
Sutherland is a Playmaking center who can do well in his own end as well. We call this being defensively responsible. His Passing and Puckhandling sit at 13, which should help him manage the puck and get it into the hands of the people who need it. His offensive read could use a small bump, but its plenty good at 12. Reid also looks to continue dominating the face-off circle with 12 in faceoffs. His 11 defensive read, 10 positioning and stick checking should be more than good enough to drive play from his own end. Despite his focus on passing, he also shoots the puck well, with an accuracy of 10. But his getting open is so low he may need to make the play himself. His skating stats are decent as well, but as with some others, arent anything to write home about His primary strengths there are agility and stamina. His unusually high bravery should also see that he wins board battles to dig the puck out and make the pass. Reid would make a good Setup Man, Gretzkys Office, or Two Way Forward.
#14 Burlok Sulfurgold
Two-Way Right Wing
Current TPE: 278
Next Update: 297
RED ALERT! WE HAVE ANOTHER POWER FORWARD IN THE DRAFT. This time, a more balanced, two-way version. Burlok Sulfurgold was one if a few detroit rookies lucky enough to play on the 3rd line, and yes you read that right. A detroit falcon. Crazy, right?? Anyway, He had 12 points in 50 games, with an impressive 10% shooting percentage. He played 14 minutes a night alongside Reid Sutherland and Paddy Kane-Reilly II. His rookie season is "good enough", and more like what most rookies ought to expect in their first season, as many fight for ice time and good line mates. Not that Burlok lacks good talent around him, but sometimes you see a 30 point rookie season and it turns out they played on the first line for no reason.
Burlok is listed as a power forward, but his stats don't quite line up, which i think is due more to the flexibility of FHM. He has, most importantly, 9 aggression and bravery, which is going to put weaker, baby men in their places. His fighting is still only 5, which is really smart thinking anyway. Save the fights for when you're uncapped. His defensive read sits at 12, along with checking and hitting, which he is going to do, right where your face is. Good positioning ad Stick checking will ensure Burlok is a true pest in his end, keeping the puck out of his net and intimidating other forwards. At the other end, he's not much of a slouch, but he is focused on one area: Passing, with 13. His offensive read is only 11, but more than good enough for him to make the right play, and 10 puckhandling will help him maintain control as well. Screening, getting open, and accuracy at or around 10 will give him flexibility in that end as well. More of a two-way power forward, not a very common build, but I'm excited about it. His skating stats are focused on speed and acceleration, with weakness in agility. He may get turned around, but he will be the first one to the puck and put himself in great position to make plays. Burlok would make a good Counter-Attacking forward, Screener, Grinder, or Aggresive Forechecker. This man done made Darren Helm, good job!
#15 Burgerking Footlettuce
The last thing you want in your burger king burger is someone's fungas, but as it turns out, that might be what you gaet.
#15 Zoltan Topalo
Offensive Left Wing
Current TPE: 278
Next Update: 297
Jeez, I shouldve just made this a detroit rookie expose. Zoltan Topalo had an excellent season with detroit, with 30 points, 10 goals and 20 assists, with an impressive 10% shooting percentage. Zoltan played only 15 minutes a night, but still challenged fellow rookie Edward Williams for the rookie league who played 3 minutes a night more than him. Zoltan is a true hero with 2 game winning goals. Zoltan is another lucky rookie who managed to get time on the top 6 and he pulled his own weight.
Zoltan has a classic offensively minded build, with a little extra spice in aggression and bravery. Offensively, he has 12 read, shooting accuracy, getting open and screening, with 11 passing and puck handling, Zoltan is poised to excel whereever you put him. As long as that place isn't his own end. Yes, you heard that right, my only criticism here is his low defensive ratings, with 8s across the board, except checking and hitting which are 5. Its going to be difficult for Zoltan to keep the puck out of his net or to transition into an attack, but if he does manage that, he should be set. His skating is fairly balanced too, with high strength, agility, and balance. His stamina is lacking, which could get him into trouble in the unfortunate event that he does get trapped in his own end. Zoltan could be A Garbage Collector, Dangler, Sniper, Screener, or Perimeter Shooter.
#16 Bradley Barkov
Offensive Defenseman
Current TPE: 277
Next Update: 307
Bradley Barkov is an offensive defenseman who doesnt play for one of the 4 other teams in this draft. He had a quiet season for the raptors, with just 10 points and a minus 14. Bradley played big minutes though, which points to his sub par record. he may not have been ready. Still, the experience made him into a better player. His 20 minutes a night lead all rookies on his team, and was ranked 5th on the team.
Bradley Barkov boasts a balanced, yet offensively minded build. He has 13 offensive read and puckhandling which should help him walk the blue line and shoot pucks, which is further assisted by 12 range and accuracy. He boasts the highest passing rating thus far, with 14, and a getting open rating of 10. Barkov is poised to rack up big points next season as his work load improves. Defensively, he is no slouch, with 12 read and positioning, and 11 stickchecking and shot blocking. His low hitting and bravery may give him trouble along the boards, but probably not enough to call it a weakness. Where Bradley falls behind his contemporaries is skating. His 5 strength and stamina is really going to hold him back, as he wont be able to handle the big minutes he's looking for. The rest of his skating scores are 11, with balance at 10. So solid skills there, but probably not enough to stop him from getting burnt on the regular, especially with such low strength and stamina. I'm very curious to see how his first few games go before he dumps some TPE here. Bradley can excel as a Point Shooter, Two-Way Defenseman, or Quarterback.
03-14-2020, 09:57 PM(This post was last modified: 03-14-2020, 09:58 PM by MarlinManiac4.)
@PremierBromanov lol. i was hoping nobody would see the stamina yet. i was just copying straight down from my planned 350 build and ran out of points. thanks to coaching and training camp, i should be at 350 really quick and that issue will be fixed before this build sees any game time. great article though!
03-14-2020, 09:57 PMMarlinManiac4 Wrote: @PremierBromanov lol. i was hoping nobody would see the stamina yet. i was just copying straight down from my planned 350 build and ran out of points. thanks to coaching and training camp, i should be at 350 really quick and that issue will be fixed before this build sees any game time. great article though!
I see everything!! Ez fix though, i assumed it was your next point of attack