Predicting the Future SHL Hall of Famers Written by true rookie, MattyJ
With the upcoming SMJHL draft, I thought it would be interesting to predict which draftees will eventually make the SHL Hall of Fame. This will purely be a guess based on the information I have now. Some draft classes still do not have a hall of famer to show for but I will guess three. I will be predicting one from each position of the class, one forward, one defenseman, and one goalie. Without further rambling, lets get into it.
Goalie is a tough position to break into in the SHL. At goalie, there are 5 options to choose from. The choice was between two players, Thorn Brown and Anastasia Soderstrom. However, the future hall of famer will be......Thorn Brown. At 6'6" 200 pounds, Thorn is a lanky individual. However, this does not slow him down him in net. Thorn has incredibly strong reflexes and the ability to get to any puck no matter the difficulty. Using his long arms and reflexes, players will have a hard time getting past him glove or blocker side. Standing so tall, Thorn will need to overcome his five hole weakness to strive in the SHL. However, with how strong he is in net, I have no doubt this will not drag him down. He also has good recovery and positioning in net. Thorn's ascent in the goalie position is not just marked by his physical prowess but also by his commitment to improvement. Upon entering the SMJHL, look for Thorn to improve in other areas of the crease. With each game, he is poised to refine his techniques, strengthen his weaknesses, and showcase an increasingly well-rounded skill set. We all will look for Thorn to cement his name into the SHL and SMJHL record books in no time.
The next position is forward, one of the deepest positions in the SHL ranks. This choice was easy, the future SHL Hall of Famer will be The Cod Father. I am sure that others would have picked Anna Skovgaard, however, she may struggle in agility has a tall center. Do not let her 110 million dollar balance sway you.The Cod Father is a lefty Left Wing standing at 6'0" but only 155 pounds. Cod is a future offensive superstar. What he struggles on defense, he makes up for on offense. Cod is an excellent skater that excels at reading the defense and putting himself in great position to score. He also handles the puck on a string and can skate around anyone. He can create for himself, pass to others, and snipe from Ovi's office. Where he really excels is around the crease. Expect him to put any loose puck in the back of the net. At left wing, he can play like a center and will put a lot of breakaways home. I also expect him to improve at his stick checking to become a viable defensive player. He is a future SHL first line power player. He is going to make Portugal proud by quickly moving into the SHL and eventually into the Hall of Fame.
Lastly, the defense position. Whole will rise above the rest? This may be a predictable pick, but I am going with none other than Will Nuck. A returning player that will undoubtedly be a star in the SHL soon. He is a true Russian defenseman. Standing at 6'4" 225 lbs, good luck getting past this guy. With exceptional range and skating ability, Will Nuck will be a defender that nobody wants to go up against. He understands offense and can read exactly what they are trying to do. At his size, he will be able to knock anyone off the puck or poke check it away from them. Do not ignore his offensive ability either. Although not an elite scorer, leave him open and it will be in the back of your net. With his speed, he can catch defenders off guard and find himself in some 2 on 1 situations. Forwards are going to have a fun time vs Nuck in the upcoming SMJHL season. Nuck is not afraid of anything, he will block the puck or step up against a power forward. As Nuck continues to grow his game, we will see him in the SHL Hall of Fame.
Who do you think will be in the Hall of Fame. Let me know your predictions at each position.