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They Grow Up So Fast! An SMJHL-to-SHL Draft Review (x2 Media)
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[Image: 2020-virtual-nhl-draft.jpg?fit=1717%2C930&ssl=1]

The year is 2020. Because of the global pandemic, the SHL was forced to do its draft remote--- actually, wait a minute! That would have happened anyways.

Another draft has come and gone -- and you know what that means: horribly uninformed opinions based on speculation and draft rumors! Here, I plan to analyze the narrative about players going into the draft (and/or since they were in the SMJHL draft), how they fit their team's needs, and eventually grade their picks & whether I found them surprising!

I'd intended on making this a three-round draft review but...

Well, just take a look for yourself.


1.1 | Renegades (via WPG) | LD Mikkel Asmus Sondergard @Rabidsponge21 Timber 
Junior League Draft Position – 1.1 | Current TPE – 405
 
While a vast majority of mock drafters were fooled by a little GM smokescreen, the result was always the same – and M.A.S.’s own agent mocked him (unsurprisingly) to the correct team several hours before the draft. Around the league, people were frustrated with the lack of integral information – in particular this first overall pick, which seemed to dictate all others.  The rumor mill runs fast in the SHL, and as you might expect, many believing they’d gotten a peep of information from Texas ran with the assumption that Ryosuke Sato would be the first overall selection. You can see it in over two-thirds of the edited posts in the mock draft thread: any shred of information was blown up and found to be a lie (and as the adage goes, it gets ‘round the world once before the truth has a chance to get its pants on).
 
Shortly after the draft, Mikkel got straight to practicing for the upcoming season – and he’s, as expected, already well past the SMJHL cap as the S54 TPE leader. He continues to embody the classical two-way defenseman, with diverse offensive options and incredibly solid defensive foundations to build off of, including the ability to read the ice almost as well as the pros. What’s popped out to most scouts thus far is his excellence as a physical specimen, with pro-ready stamina, acceleration, balance, and speed. While he may have struggled as a rookie with the Maine Timber, this season ought to be a different beast entirely.
 
And be forewarned, SHL – this anime-avatar-havin’, Challenge Cup winnin’ two-way defenseman recreate is coming to a Texas saloon near you even earlier ‘n you expect. With their sixth defenseman (S44 draftee Jean-Pierre Gay) at 625 TPE, it wouldn’t surprise me if Sondergard took the ice in an SHL arena as early as a season from now.
 
Pick Grade – A. Sondergard is a no-brainer for any team needing a defenseman.
Surprise Factor – Moderate; Texas definitely managed to bamboozle over half of the mock drafters, for better or worse.
 
1.2 | Stars | RD Ryosuke Sato @Dextaria Whalers 
Junior League Draft Position – 2.16 | Current TPE – 380
 
Admittedly most teams weren’t far off in predicting Sato to go first overall (and those that didn’t put him somewhere in the top three). Indeed, he’s one of the great success stories of the S53 SMJHL draft, making a fourteen-spot jump from 16th overall to 2nd. But as a first generation player, it’s not terribly surprising to see his original SMJHL draft position – after all, highly-coveted recreates have a longer track record, and (hopefully) a big bank to piggyback their career off of.
 
One season in, however, Sato has over $54M in the bank – likely tops among first generation players – as a result of plenty of graphics and long-form articles over the course of the first season. Our last check-in with the Japanese skater – a distant month and a half ago (April 5th) – showed Sato’s leadership abilities in an interview setting, heaping praise on his teammates like fellow rookie Cal Covid (now Name Redacted) and adjusting his playstyle to complement that of his other defensive half in Yxshaft. He was originally intended to be a pure playmaking defenseman (at least based on his player creation thread) – and for the most part he’s retained that offensive excellence, carefully controlling possession through pinpoint passing and masterful puck handling. But he’s matched most other top defenders in dispossessing unruly forwards and reading offenses at the same time.
 
In terms of pro viability – were there any teams that needed high-quality players as the hapless S53 Toronto North Stars? Indeed, their top defender (Ursin Zimmerman) is a serviceable and young SHL starter. But the chips don’t exactly line up well in Toronto’s defensive depth (648, 621, 589, 455, 449), so Sato may also find himself on professional ice in short order.
 
Some may discredit Sato due to his… unwillingness to commit to physical checks. But if you have a “plus player” defenseman and they happen to be oriented around finesse… why not use them? At the very least, it throws other teams’ game plans off. And while we’re quick to suggest Hamilton has wrecked the sim once more, twists in build and strategy still have a long time to pay off through experimentation.
 
Pick Grade – A. Dextaria is a masterful earner with >$50M in the bank as a first-gen coming off of one season. I think they’re a pretty safe bet, and a great fit to boot.
Surprise Factor – Minimal; Sato was mocked top two in at least 70% of drafts.
 
1.3 | Wolfpack (via TEX) | RD Matthew Sawful @SAwful Armada 
Junior League Draft Position – 1.2 | Current TPE – 379
 
Anchorage surprised (and devastated) plenty of mock drafters when they jumped for true rookie defenseman Mathew Sawful. After all, Sawful and the player formerly known as Cal Covid were absolute sim league greenhorns – and while SAwful’s graphics were unique and awesome (I’d even asked to use them in an interview article!) first-gen players are often unpredictable in their level of activity. But this defenseman’s (and his user’s) impeccable sense of humor, inventive graphics, and a demeanor that includes “never takes himself too seriously” made him an easy positive influence on whatever locker room he joined.
 
Fast-forward a few seasons and Sawful is sitting pretty in the early first round yet again – this time the object of desire of an extremely strong New England Wolfpack team with Ola Wagstrom, one of the top few players in the league. Though rumors swirled around who the ‘pack might select, they ultimately either weren’t able to select or opted not to select potential candidates like Sondergard, Bergman, Knight, or Laforest, among others. Instead, they went for the highly malleable Sawful, who’s shown equal aptitude shooting the puck from the blueline as he does blocking shots and poke- and body-checking opposing forwards. We’re still healthily into the selections that have already passed the SMJHL cap, so Sawful still has quite a lot of TPE allocation to do.
 
In spite of his healthy accumulated TPE, Sawful is extremely unlikely to head up to the majors any time soon, unlike the two selections before him. The Wolfpack’s lowest-rated defenseman is S46 draftee Dylan Karlsson – who may not be earning, but still has some 400+ TPE over this new draftee. That probably puts the Armada at ease, as Anchorage now has leeway to keep a capped Sawful for multiple seasons to come (or at leastuntil Karlsson’s contract expires). And he’d likely sit on the third line for a few seasons even after that, as the likes of Ensio Kalju, Rex Kirkby, Perry Morgan, and Guy Zheng still have a boatload of TPE with which to wade through depreciation.
 
Pick Grade – B+. From my limited experience, Sawful keeps things light and enjoyable in Discord LRs and is a fantastic defensive earner for a team that didn’t have really specific needs but will have a spot or two in a few seasons.
Surprise Factor – Almost zero. The North Stars needed a great pick here and Sawful is absolutely one of them.
 
1.4 | Barracuda | LW Dwight Knight @hockeyiscool Kraken 
Junior League Draft Position – 3.21 | Current TPE – 384
 
Originally taken by the now-champion Detroit Falcons in the early third round, Dwight found himself the subject of a near-draft transaction that sent Zbigniew Pokrywka and a third rounder in Season 56 back to the Falcons. In return, Carolina received the highly coveted Knight, who quickly replaced the Polish player in Michiganders’ hearts. Like Sato, Knight made a huge leap on draft boards as he managed 21 points in a challenging rookie season that saw Carolina occupy the basement of the East with Maine. But the limited success Knight had over the course of the season didn’t worry Kraken management: with a relative CF% of +6.6 and relative FF% of +4.6, it’s obvious that Knight adds incredible value to a Carolina team that desperately needed some good news.
 
One quick look at the Barracuda roster should show that it’s a bit light on personnel in general – they’ve rostered exactly 13 members as of this post, and although they had eight prospects waiting in the wings prior to this draft, just three of them were forwards (two of which are active). At present, they have just five forwards on the entire pro roster, but they range from 623 TPE (S44 RW Bernard Freeman) to as high as 896 (S50 RW James Ronlain). They’ll either need to take one of their two remaining prospects or immediately elevate Knight to the pro roster if they want to be able to complete even two forward lines, which means this Carolina Kraken may not be long for the SMJHL.
 
The Barracuda realistically were thinking “best pick available” with this selection – and Knight is probably that guy. But were there a significantly better defenseman available, it’s entirely possible this power/two-way forward hybrid could have fallen another pick or two. Clearly, Tampa Bay have found someone that will be around to bring their franchise back to glory – their Knight in shining armor, if you will.
 
Pick Grade – A. The Barracuda read the room well and could have realistically gone with Knight or maybe Laforest here, since they both hold a healthy lead over all other forward prospects.
Surprise Factor – Minimal; it’s possible the Barracuda were searching for a great LR fit – but they got one of the best available picks regardless.
 
1.5 | Stampede (via MIN) | RD Emilia Bergman @Renomitsu Outlaws 
Junior League Draft Position 2.17 | Current TPE – 379
 
I’m going to re-iterate that I hate talking about my own player, so I’ll keep this comparatively short. Like most of the top teams in the league, Buffalo don’t have a true weakness worth addressing in the draft. They have four fantastic defensemen on the books, nearly all of whom are at 1,000 TPE or more, and nine forwards who hit the same mark. Add a pair of brand-new call ups with over 800 TPE in Elizabeth Doyle and Nicholas Owens and the Stampede have one of the shiniest-looking rosters in the league.
 
Since their prospects prior to this were all forwards (C Alexander Roach, LWs Steve Harrington and Jaska Seppälä) or the aforementioned call ups, it makes sense that they opt for a defenseman who can wait in the wings for a possible third-pairing spot a few seasons in the future. Seems like a reasonable move to me, and I’m pretty happy in Buffalo so far!
 
Pick Grade – Hahaha no. I’m not going to do this.
Surprise Factor – Gonna go ahead and pass on this one too.
 
1.6 | Dragons (via BAL) | C Mats Marner @leafsftw1967 Berserkers 
Junior League Draft Position – UDFA | Current TPE – 334
 
Whispers around the rumor mill painted a picture suggesting the Chicago Syndicate had Marner relatively high on their draft board (or maybe some were looking through the mock drafts with a fine-toothed comb). As fortune may have it, the Baltimore Platoon received an offer with the 11th and 27th picks – spoils in an exchange that sounds reasonable at worst and a steal at best.  The Dragons swooped in and selected Mats in a heist befitting… well, befitting a crime syndicate, if the rumors were indeed true.
 
But why was Marner – who’s some fifty TPE behind some of the picks around him – in such high demand? A quick look at Marner’s profile shows a very healthy bank (~$50M) and an extremely long-standing member (2012) who went undrafted in the SMJHL, only to sign a one-year contract with Newfoundland shortly thereafter. And even after missing a large chunk of pre-draft TPE (as he created some two weeks after the draft), Marner has crested the 330 TPE mark, which puts him solidly into the category of top earner in spite of his comparatively lower TPE amount. And Calgary are likely thrilled to have Marner aboard – as his management has three Four Star Cups (dating as far back as Season 7) and a Hall of Fame player.
 
Calgary management can rest assured that they’ve yet another proven member among their ranks – and a few dozen TPE can go by the wayside with a virtual guarantee of prolonged activity. Beyond that, Marner’s distributed his TPE broadly, meaning he fills virtually every role on the ice equally well and can be developed per the Dragons’ tactical needs. But Calgary currently has ten quality forwards on their team, so this center’s professional call up depends on when the likes of Mike Izzy (entering his 20th season) will consider retirement.
 
Pick Grade – A. The Dragons snuck their way into an extremely reliable forward at pick #6, and probably disappointed Chicago fans (or at least their management) in the process.
Surprise Factor – High! For a newbie like me, one might not be familiar with Marner (in no small part because he created well after the draft); to see him taken this early when players like Vitecek, Laforest, and Shepherd were all ahead of him helped me appreciate Calgary’s management.
 
1.7 | syndicate | LW Vítek Víteček @MegaSkuci Kraken 
Junior League Draft Position – 3.30 | Current TPE – 369

Next on our list of high risers is none other than Vítek Víteček, a late third round SMJHL selection and yet another first generation player in this S54 draft class. The Czech’s management has a knack for hype videos, as seen in his coverage of Vítek himself, as well as the likes of Jimmy Slothface and Ruslan Zaporozhets. And Víteček isn’t afraid to voice his emotions, declaring his love for Kalakar in an open forum post just a couple of days before the draft. He’s consistently max-earned for the last several weeks and has a trio of bomb signatures to go along with his success so far.
 
He’s the second of a quartet of forwards taken consecutively in this draft – and that likely isn’t terribly surprising, provided there are points of significant drop off between ‘tiers’ of any class. One natural question is how he fits into the future plans of the Syndicate. And a quick glance across the Chicago roster makes this a no-brainer: their six oldest players (dating back to S42 draftee and star Cameron Carter II) are all forwards, and five of those players are wingers. That’s the majority of their rostered forwards, which makes a sniper-style forward like Víteček an obvious fit. While some may criticize the winger’s defensive abilities or agility, there are few in any team’s prospect pools better than Vítek at absolutely nailing a well-placed shot for a goal. Among those with fifty games played, this rookie places a remarkable third among ALL SMJHL players with a 17.33 shooting%, beating out those in the league with a season or two’s worth of experience under their belt.
 
As we’ve commented on previously with other current Kraken players, the team’s success last season doesn’t speak to this season’s SHL draftees’ potential; this Czech winger has all the reason in the world to believe he can perform at a pro level in due time.
 
Pick Grade – B+. Víteček is one of the few forwards with a clearly defined identity, something the Syndicate will probably love to see. Beyond that, he’s a great earner and has an argument for best pick available to a team that sorely needs wingers.
Surprise Factor – Small. Rumors before the draft certainly included Víteček as an option to be taken by the Syndicate. There simply weren’t enough picks before Chicago drafted to prevent both him and Marner from being drafted here. 
 
1.8 | syndicate (via SFP) | LW Rotticus Scott @RotticusScott Knights 
Junior League Draft Position – 3.24 | Current TPE – 339
 
The script certainly seems to have flipped for one Rotticus Scott, a mid-third round draft pick who was declared firmly in the third or fourth tier of forwards when the SMJHL draft rolled around. But now he finds himself drafted even before his teammates Simon Takshak and Devin Williams, to mention nothing of the other dozen or so players he’s leapfrogged. In stark contrast to now-teammate Víteček, Scott’s a forward that hasn’t clearly developed into one role versus another. He has good decision-making skills, a solid shot, and passes extremely well at the junior level. But he also is slightly better defensively than the Czech, and has a host of physical attributes that make him versatile even prior to the S54 deluge of points (coaching, training camp, etc.).
 
This Canadian skater, hailing from Laval, Canada, had a relatively quiet season and received a relatively small number of minutes (~11.5) per game during his rookie season. And he’s had some difficulty earning goals and assists (8 total points), though that could just as easily be because he spends more time on a short-handed rink (~1 minute) than on the power play (~20 seconds) on a per-game basis. As a result, most pundits suggest that his game tape isn’t reliable (is it ever reliable for rookies?). His advanced statistics pale largely because of the overall excellence of the Kelowna roster, and as a result it’s difficult to get a read on what Scott can do (aside from earn that precious TPE).
 
At any rate, Scott is an good choice for a Chicago team that, as noted previously, has a plethora of aging forwards that will (at some point) need to be replaced, unless we plan on seeing Zombie Cameron Carter II play on the ice in Season 60. Depending on how these two develop over the next few seasons, he could be an excellent complement for the shooting heavy Víteček up top or another quality winger to put on a second or third line and fill out Chicago’s ideal strategy. Only time will tell.
 
Pick Grade – B. With $3.5M sitting in the bank currently, Rotticus doesn’t have quite enough to purchase the top tier of equipment (which he’ll likely get after the contract money is deposited). Nonetheless, he fills a great positional need for Chicago.
Surprise Factor – Moderate. There were still some forwards available that one could possibly place above Scott (including our next pick), but Chicago clearly liked something when they scouted this versatile Canadian forward!
 
1.9 | Blizzard (via MAN) | C Daniel Laforest @Snoopdogg Knights 
Junior League Draft Position – 1.7 | Current TPE – 386
 
Prior to this draft, few forwards were hyped more than Daniel Laforest, a first-round selection drafted by the Kelowna Knights in the S53 SMJHL Draft. He’s an excellent earner, writes frequently, and has a healthy amount of money banked ($29M). Like many rookies on high-quality teams before him, however, Laforest’s statistics were admittedly less than inspiring – and his relative advanced statistics are obviously not great either. But as a rookie, managing 11 points on just 12-13 minutes per game and solid defensive marks (63 DGR, 50 SBs) isn’t a bad place to be when most players are all about scoring goals without much regard for the other half of the ice.
 
Laforest is, all things considered, a two-way forward whose primary offensive responsibility is facilitating offense rather than scoring goals specifically. He has a great eye for both sides of the ice, excellent mobility, and solid defensive abilities that allow him to operate well regardless of the situation. Because his TPE (like a few others) is spread relatively evenly between a dozen and a half attributes, he has the versatility to occupy a more specialized role down the line should he so choose.
 
Like Chicago, Laforest’s role down the line is to replace aging stars, rather than to (almost) immediately step in as a starter. Edmonton has 9 total forwards on their professional roster, the oldest of which is the ancient Hercules Rockefeller (S37; 1,124 TPE). When he hangs up his skates (whenever that is), it’s likely that Laforest would be brought in to fill out Edmonton’s third line. Contingent on how the Edmonton management feels regression is affecting Rockefeller – or perhaps contract disputes down the line – Laforest could be brought in as soon as a couple of seasons down the line.
 
Pick Grade – A. Laforest has a slight lead over some prospects selected before him, and regularly produces content for the SHL in addition to holding a job. I think Edmonton gets awesome value at ninth overall.
Surprise Factor – Minimal. Most teams thus far have gotten what they wanted (save maybe Chicago), and Laforest is definitely not an exception to that rule. This pick might be extremely surprising without knowing the context around Marner’s selection, but now that he’s off the board and already been discussed, I think this is a selection that makes logical sense.
 
1.10 | Specters | LD Bork Lazer @Frick_Nasty Armada 
Junior League Draft Position – 4.32 | Current TPE – 353
 
After a quick run on forwards, the S54 draft gets right back to its roots: defense, defense, defense. Quite a few mock drafts had Lazer going at this selection specifically – and this marks our fourth or fifth selection that jumped up the draft board relative to their SMJHL position. Of all selections thus far, Lazer has jumped the most (22 spots), mostly because the other risers didn’t have 22 spots to move up from! Just to add more praise to the heap so-to-speak, Lazer had a fantastic season at defenseman, playing roughly twenty minutes a game while scoring 26 points on a +13 clip.
 
While Lazer had a few questionable possession decisions (33 giveaways vs. 15 takeaways), scouts were overall impressed with this draftee’s defensive performance on the season (DGR 68) in spite of playing nearly two minutes of short-handed ice time per game. And although Anchorage was one of the better-performing teams in the J, Lazer still performed extremely close to the team’s above-average Corsi and Fenwick scores, suggesting it’s a bit more than just luck at play.
 
After losing their second-round selection in a playoff roster debacle this past season, New Orleans definitely had to hit on this draft pick – both in terms of filling a need and drafting the best player available. Provided Frick_Nasty has under $1M left in his bank, the Specters must have been won over by his tell-all article, “10 Reasons Why You Should Draft Bork Lazer,” which stated in no unclear terms that he’s a Chad (not a simp), but more importantly is a team player that looks good in all colors that gives “1000% effort.”
 
If the Specters plan on promoting Lazer any time in the next, say, five seasons, it would have to be as the second member of the third pair at best. Even when good ol’ DeMaricus Smyth retires, New Orleans has another five defensemen at 800+ TPE, the oldest of which is a Season 47 draftee. That being said, selecting a defenseman here probably made a little more sense than taking a forward, as the Specters have a dozen of those currently rostered without counting a single prospect.
 
Pick Grade – B-. Bork’s a rock-solid defenseman, but some may have questions because of his limited bank (as mentioned previously). That can always be overcome with some good old-fashioned hard work, of course, and he gets a big boost here for being a decent guy.
Surprise Factor – Not a whole lot. Both this pick and Baltimore’s first selection were both reasonable outcomes provided the mock draft, even if the Platoon made their pick at a different selection than expected.
 
1.11 | Platoon (via CAL) | LD Pojo Biscuit @.bojo Armada 
Junior League Draft Position – UDFA | Current TPE – 300
 
Ah – at long last, we come to the Baltimore Platoon’s first (and second) selections down here at eleventh. Baltimore taking Pojo Biscuit was one of the least well-kept secrets of the draft, as suggested by many of the mocks projecting him to go there specifically. Why? Well, I’m not terribly privy to that conversation, but a quick look at the entire first page of the mock draft PT showed 12/12 assignments of Biscuit to Baltimore. It didn’t seem like a terribly contested pick, either – which is surprising provided .bojo’s lengthy track record in the league, +111 reputation, ~$50M in the bank, and his approximate maximum earning since joining in mid-April.
 
The gestalt of Pojo Biscuit’s situation closely mirrors that of Marner – a long-time member makes their player quite some time after the draft but shows all of the signs of awesome activity from the past. So even though Biscuit has a nearly 100 TPE deficit relative to others at his position, I can’t really talk down on the Platoon for making this selection. Realistically, the Platoon were looking for an extremely long-term option, as their roster includes several young but well-earning forwards and defensemen. Realistically, Pojo is a contingency plan should one of their top defensemen go inactive, leave in FA, or (among older ones like Kristaps Ball or Geoff Moore) retire a handful of seasons down the line. They have a pretty active defensive prospect in Valentín Kalashnikov with an additional year of experience – so Pojo may be looking for a pro roster spot much later on.
 
Pick Grade – B. Pojo obviously checks a number of non-current-TPE boxes for the Platoon, who were basically attached at the him to him even before the draft started. Like Marner, provided his history he’s probably a high return on investment.
Surprise Factor – High. Like Marner, Pojo was an undrafted free agent, but created a couple of days later and has just 300 TPE as of researching for this article (may, of course, have more now).
 
1.12 | Platoon (via BUF) | C Patrick Shepherd @Cobbenstein Timber 
Junior League Draft Position – 2.18 | Current TPE – 364
 
I was a little surprised to see Shepherd take such a large tumble down the draft list – but on considering the situation further, I hadn’t overheard any specific connection between him and any of the top four or five drafting teams. As the “best available pick” for a couple of selections now (provided his most recent update per my research), Shepherd essentially needed to wait until there was a need for another forward. Cobbenstein is what many would consider a quiet earner in sim leagues – he has very few posts outside of those that earn him the sweet reward that is TPE. Throw on to that the fact that he has $3.3M left in reserve after purchasing his top-tier training, and perhaps trepidation on some teams’ parts is acceptable.
 
But even among higher picks, he doesn’t have the smallest bank; he doesn’t have the lowest TPE – what most likely hurt his draft stock is probably how quiet he is (at least outside of his own team’s LR). He’s a fantastic earner and doesn’t have any obvious red flags, but teams will often slightly prioritize players that have a good locker room presence over those with extra TPE (this goes triply so for those members considered toxic, of which there are generally very few and likely doesn’t apply to Cob). Sim leagues are inherently social entities, of course, and I’d like to think 12th overall is still a pretty excellent spot for a first-gen player to be in.
 
Shepherd has significantly more TPE to work with than Pojo Biscuit, and since the Platoon have an aging center in Dayymo Ralchankinov (S41, now 886 TPE), it’s possible he gets called up in a couple of seasons or if there’s a surprise retirement. In the meantime, he can continue to enjoy herding his sheep up in Maine.
 
Draft Grade – A. Shepherd is an excellent earner, and while I don’t know much about how he is in the LR, the Platoon have earned obvious value in adding him to their prospect roster.
Surprise Factor – Low. Shepherd was a great pick in terms of TPE, and from a strict numbers perspective he could have even gone a couple of picks higher. But there are plenty of factors that go into making a perfect fit in the SHL, and numbers are just part of the equation.
 
1.13 | Chiefs (via LAP) | LD Jack Klompus @Toast Berserkers 
Junior League Draft Position – 3.27| Current TPE – 367
 
Klompus rounds out our first-round defensemen, as the remaining three selections are all forwards. He’s also one of the handful of eleventh-hour creates to make it into the S53 SMJHL Draft, as he created on March 14th. And, like about half of the selections before him, this intrepid Minnesota native took a tremendous leap forward between the junior and professional rights drafts.
 
There are quite a few notable things about Klompus, the first of which is his offensive skew. Many of the top defensemen in the draft certainly have the ability to work the offensive ice, but Klompus takes it to another level – with many scouts suggesting that he’s a far better shooter and passer than shot blocker. That’s hardly a negative for specific individuals of the managerial persuasion, however – as variety is the spice of life (and is a nice twist to game-plan against, as noted previously). To be clear, however, Jack is hardly a slacker on defense – he’s still absolutely capable of checking, has solid positioning, and reads the defensive ice rather well. He just happens to be better at the whole point scoring thing.
 
One tricky aspect of all this isn’t necessarily his earning status – as he has a reasonable amount of TPE for this stage in the game – it’s his balance. Like Bork Lazer before him, Klompus has under $1M available in his bank, but those familiar with him around the league hardly find that a negative. After all, Toast has been at this game for over eight years now – certainly he knows his way around the SHL banking system. And with his S54 Training Camp out of the way, there’s no real stopping him (for at least another season, should he keep up with his weekly trainings).
 
Next comes the ever-so-pertinent question of how he fits into the Chiefs’ plans – after all, I’ve hardly mentioned his drafting team. The Minnesota defense appears to be in a bit of a holding pattern at the moment – with multiple defensemen at least five seasons old barely poking over 500 TPE (if that). As a result, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Klompus become an almost-immediate starter or late-season call-up as he earns his way past 400 TPE; after all, if he’s better than the pros, why not at least give him some game time?
 
Pick Grade – A. Klompus absolutely fills a need and is the best pick by maybe a dozen TPE in that capacity. Plus, he’s from Minnesota, which means he could probably stay close to his parents! A win-win.
Surprise Factor – Minimal. As said above, he fits the need, stays close to home, and was one of the best available picks at this selection. Plus, Toast is a longtime veteran of the SHL.
 
1.14 | Renegades (via NEW via BAL) | C Taisto Jutila @Murtsi Falcons 
Junior League Draft Position – UDFA | Current TPE – 308
 
Those hoping to see Snussu’s ever-lovable defenseman here might have been fooled by the T. Jutila moniker – but don’t be deceived. This Finnish skater, recruited by none other than Tom Hanks, joins the ranks of high-quality two-way centers. But unlike some of our other more veteran prospects that just happened to create late, Taisto doesn’t have the luxury of a long and storied SHL career. In fact, he joined in early April – two or three weeks after the SMJHL draft – and has managed to accumulate $7.1M in that time. This budget, in some sense, puts him in a bit of a tricky spot: he’s a little short of the seasonal coaching, which he’ll almost certainly get after contract money or his next media spot rolls in, but he’s a little behind some of the other prospects as a result.
 
Jutila’s selection here likely means some degree of connection with the Renegades – and as an SHL neophyte I don’t really have access to that information. But it’s easy to see why a GM might be tempted to take him as a high second or late first round selection: he’s participated heavily in the last several weeks and is known to be active in both the NSFL and the smaller GRSL for some time. It’s an even better background than some of our super-high-earning sim league infants (like Sawful and Redacted) in some sense, though the loss of lots of TPE around the draft puts Jutila at a solid disadvantage.
 
The need for Jutila is obvious and transparent: the Renegades have two centers on their roster and need a good forward that can take face-offs. Thankfully, while he may or may not be pro ready yet, Taisto is precisely that in the SMJHL: a two-way forward that splits faceoffs evenly with even experienced junior league players, solid in terms of physicals, and able to facilitate offense. Some may question his overall offensive efficacy in terms of shooting prowess, but he still managed 10 points and a +14 in his partial season with the Falcons in spite of playing under nine minutes a game.
 
Pick Grade – B-. Jutila obviously has the short-term activity down – will he continue to pan out as he moves into his second season? Some other draftees have been active for a time-and-a-half as long as this now late first round draft pick, and while his earning potential is promising, management will need to make sure he’s on his game going forward.
Surprise Factor – Medium-High. Perception tends to get blurred a little bit as the league heads into the second round of a non-Reddit draft, so late firsts, seconds, and thirds could just as easily be hits as they could be misses. This one feels like a bit more of a gamble (as with any UDFA), even if I know Murtsi is a highly active member in two other leagues.
 
 
1.15 | Panthers (via EDM) | C Linus Grimstad @Turd Ferguson Kraken 
Junior League Draft Position – | Current TPE – 328
 
Another late first, another late create! Linus Grimstad comes from the renowned Turd Ferguson school of hockey, one that’s hoisted both Challenge and Four Star Cups as well as a Hall of Fame player. His time as a created player in the league dates way back to the Season 3 SHL draft, when to-be Hall of Famer Turd Ferguson was drafted (though he later position swapped between center and defenseman). Like many of the recreated prospects drafted before him, Ferguson has an extensive history on the site that I won’t even try to explore here. Importantly, he has $55.5 M in the bank after buying his personal coaching for the season, meaning he’ll likely be relatively low maintenance with an obvious ability to earn plenty more through graphics or media.
 
Grimstad presents as a slightly more offensive center than Jutila before him – with excellent playmaking skills and careful protection of the puck as his primary calling cards. Defensively, he relies on his intuition and finesse to dispossess opposing forwards. Perhaps what makes him most versatile, however, is his excellent physicals: he skates with the best of them, and can easily avoid defenders or get in opposing forwards’ way; he hardly wears down; and easily keeps his balance even against stronger defenders. Even if FHM is a new system, we can likely rest assured that Grimstad has a pretty good idea of the kind of player he wants to create. And he has plenty of time to sit in the SMJHL waiting for a call up: even if McZehrl were to retire soon, Grimstad would be the fourth-best center on the roster.
 
Pick Grade – C+. Grimstad will likely be a rock-solid earner for seasons to come – but unless this selection is a sign that GOD McZehrl is going to retire soon, Grimstad’s professional play is not going to come for some time. He's got some obvious trade value, but I doubt LAP sends away their top draft pick so soon.
Surprise Factor – Moderate. Any of the four or so veteran late-creates have some degree of surprise factor to them, and it’s a little puzzling to see him join a team with a bunch of pretty good centers. But I’m positive Los Angeles has a plan for this Turd Ferguson client.
 
1.16 | Steelhawks | RW Simon Takshak @GeckoeyGecko Knights 
Junior League Draft Position – 1.4 | Current TPE – 337
 
Last (but not least) is our favorite Treecko lover: Geck.
 
Saved by Hamilton from the horrible depths of the second round (agh!), Simon Takshak has one of the most prominent agents in the business in GeckoeyGecko. He’s been with the site for some two years now – reaching his second anniversary just ten days ago – and has all the reasons in the world to be happy with his current situation. He fell in the draft to the reigning champions, gets to continue on with a ridiculously strong Kelowna Knights team, and, I mean… he’s Gecko.
 
Takshak is what we like to think of as a support-y forward or grinder – he’s excellent at screening shots, and has body checks and hits that allow him to compete with the absolute defensemen. Some have voiced their concern over the winger’s propensity for penalty minutes, making him one of the more unique forwards in the game today, but if he’s playing just 11 minutes a game, how large a negative effect could that possibly have on his team? After all, in 48 games played, he’s averaged just 0.25 PIMs anyways.
 
Based on a recent post, it seems like Hamilton have their strategy all figured out (before radically changing it next season, perhaps), and they’ve clearly decided Takshak is going to be a part of that. With a roster filled to the brim with 1,100+ TPE players (even among their younger skaters like defenseman Samuel Michaud and winger Hugh Jazz), it’s highly unlikely Takshak sees pro-level ice any time soon. He theoretically could be called up in the spot of a sixth winger to complete a third defensive line – though he’d have to leapfrog the likes of (Clean) Andrei Kostitsyn and Krišs Dārziņš in the process – so he’s likely better suited to stick with the Knights and see if a Four Star Cup is achievable with Detroit’s roster whittled down a bit.

Pick Grade - e (just kidding, it's a B.)
Surprise Factor - Medium. I do think it was a little surprising to see such a prominent SMJHL draft pick nearly fall out of the first round, but Geck doesn't necessarily earn at the same rate as, say, Mikkel Asmus Sondergard.

(7,048 words by integrated counter; 6,512 by Microsoft Word.)

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#2

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#3

I love your material keep it coming!

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#4

05-19-2020, 10:11 PMRenomitsu Wrote: Pick Grade - e 
e

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Knights  Renegades norway   norway Renegades Knights
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#5

Ilike

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#6

Well done with the research and deep dive into each of the players! It made for a great read Smile

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#7

05-19-2020, 10:50 PMRedCapeDiver Wrote:
05-19-2020, 10:11 PMRenomitsu Wrote: Pick Grade - e 
e
e

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e
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#8

05-19-2020, 11:04 PMGeckoeyGecko Wrote:
05-19-2020, 10:50 PMRedCapeDiver Wrote: e
e
e

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#9

05-19-2020, 11:56 PMsve7en Wrote:
05-19-2020, 11:04 PMGeckoeyGecko Wrote: e
e
e



Past players:
(S3) C/D - Turd Ferguson (HOF)
(S7) LW - Anton Wagner
(S13) RW - Christian Bauer
(S18) D - Turd Ferguson, Jr.
(S30) D - William Goddard
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#10

Not GOD, but Mauldin will be retiring soon. Good write up though!

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#40 Niclas Wastlund - W - VANCOUVER WHALERS Whalers / MINNESOTA MONARCHS Monarchs
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#11

This is mad work

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#12

Wait, are you saying there's someone who doesn't love Kal?

Doing a podcast, ask me any question: HERE
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#13

05-20-2020, 07:38 AMMegaSkuci Wrote: Wait, are you saying there's someone who doesn't love Kal?
Everyone loves Kal, some people are just afraid to say it

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