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(Graded) Looking Back On New England's S41 Draft Class
#1
(This post was last modified: 08-29-2020, 04:24 PM by Leppish.)

The New England Wolfpack were one of the most prestigious teams across the whole league between the late S20s to the late S30s winning 3 Challenge Cups, making 4 finals as well as winning another 3 President Trophies. However, their core that brought them this success were starting to begin to show their age. Players like Mia Landvik, Nathan Rusell, Raven Silverwing, Jasper Clayton and Patrikov Bure were no longer some of the league's best players that they once were.

Realizing this, the New England General Managers at the time had decided that a small retool would be needed if they wanted New England to continue being the SHL's top team in the future. After just missing the playoffs in S40 finishing 7th in the league standings, the Wolfpack were heading into a very important S41 draft where they had the 7th overall pick as well as Seattle Riot's 2nd overall pick that was acquired through a trade before.

However these two picks were not enough for this team and after the 2nd overall pick was announced, Commissioner Eggy at the time announced a jaw dropping trade that would send New England legend Jasper Clayton as well as next season's first to the Toronto North Stars in exhange for their third overall pick, thir 17th overall pick, and their 2nd round pick in S43. The lights were now on New England to draft the next great crop of Wolfpack players. 15 seasons later, let's see how they did.

Alex Andani - The 2nd overall pick of the S41 draft, Andani was one of the most highly touted prospects in this draft class and was seen as a can't miss pick if you spoke to some around the league. However, high expectations were placed on Andani to be the next top center of the team for future and to put it short, those expectations placed on him were not met. Andani started off his first few seasons as New England's third line center and after some disappointing seasons he was exposed in the S46 expansion draft where he was selected by the New Orleans Specters. After being unhappy in New Orleans, he then would request a trade 2 seasons later where he would end up on the Tampa Bay Barracuda. In his first season, he would see himself as the team's top center putting up a career high of 52 points which would be enough to secure him the Aidan Richan trophy. However in S49, rumours came out that he was unhappy in Tampa after being demoted to the third line and so he decided to retire. Andani never quite achieved much outside of S48 and many would label him as a disapointment of a 2nd overall pick.

Piotr Czerkawski - The 3rd overall pick of the S41 draft, Piotr was another highly touted prospect and unlike Andani he delivered on all of what was expected of him. After an unhappy off season in New England, Czerkawski would see himself traded to the Edmonton Blizzard after just one season with the club. Posting some average seasons there, Czerkawski would then go on to sign in New Orleans as a free agent where he would make a name for himself there making an immediate impact there and having some great seasons as well as winning a few trophies like the McDonald and being named to a few all star teams. However in S52, he would see himself traded to the San Francisco Pride and still managed to make an impact in his few seasons there. However, this past season he saw himself traded to the Texas Renegades when the Pride entered a mid season rebuild. Czerkawski lived up to the expectations placed him, but not for New England and if he continues at this rate he can expect to see himself in the Hall of Fame one day.

Kristaps Ball - The 7th overall pick was originally drafted as a winger, but management had convinced him a few seasons later to make the switch to defenseman where he would put up some average seasons in New England. Like the other two, Ball found himself on a different team some time later when he was traded to the Tampa Bay Barracuda and was given the role as the number one defenseman on the team at the time. Ball would play five seasons in Tampa where in 2 of them, he managed to capture the Scott Stevens Trophy as well as nominations for the Aidan Richan Trophy and the Ron Mexico Trophy. Ball is now retired after finishing a short career ending it with the West Kendall Platoon and while his trophy case screams Hall of Fame player, his longetivity might hold him back, but one thing is forsure. Kristaps Ball had a great career.

Overall, none of New England's players from this class panned out for them, but Czerkawski and Ball panned out for other teams and could both see themselves in the Hall of Fame together one day in the future. Not a bad class.

APPROVED! +5 TPE @JSS

sorry for the delay

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#2

We are thinking about simillar things, since I'm in the middle of writing S41 redraft that will be coming up soon.
Thanks for the kind words and I'm indeed aiming for HoF and will be playing until it's surefire pick. Just to clarify I was following @Evok for the 1st ~8 seasons or so of my career so she is to blame for all that journeyman movement Tongue The SFP trade was a formality since I was joining them that offseason anyway and move to Renegades last season took me by complete surprise since it was the lone time I forgot to ask @Grapehead (pls comeback) for the NTC, still the team embraced me nicely, which I'm thankful for.

Also looking at your career kind of wishing now I gave HAM more thought back before S54 start (FHM switch), since those past two seasons weren't bad, but could've been much better and FHM regression seems more ruthless than it used to be with STHS.


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#3

08-23-2020, 05:19 PMmajesiu Wrote: We are thinking about simillar things, since I'm in the middle of writing S41 redraft that will be coming up soon.
Thanks for the kind words and I'm indeed aiming for HoF and will be playing until it's surefire pick. Just to clarify I was following @Evok for the 1st ~8 seasons or so of my career so she is to blame for all that journeyman movement Tongue The SFP trade was a formality since I was joining them that offseason anyway and move to Renegades last season took me by complete surprise since it was the lone time I forgot to ask @Grapehead (pls comeback) for the NTC, still the team embraced me nicely, which I'm thankful for.

Also looking at your career kind of wishing now I gave HAM more thought back before S54 start (FHM switch), since those past two seasons weren't bad, but could've been much better and FHM regression seems more ruthless than it used to be with STHS.

Heart Heart Heart

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#4

08-23-2020, 05:19 PMmajesiu Wrote: We are thinking about simillar things, since I'm in the middle of writing S41 redraft that will be coming up soon.
Thanks for the kind words and I'm indeed aiming for HoF and will be playing until it's surefire pick. Just to clarify I was following @Evok for the 1st ~8 seasons or so of my career so she is to blame for all that journeyman movement Tongue The SFP trade was a formality since I was joining them that offseason anyway and move to Renegades last season took me by complete surprise since it was the lone time I forgot to ask @Grapehead (pls comeback) for the NTC, still the team embraced me nicely, which I'm thankful for.

Also looking at your career kind of wishing now I gave HAM more thought back before S54 start (FHM switch), since those past two seasons weren't bad, but could've been much better and FHM regression seems more ruthless than it used to be with STHS.

Looking forward to that S41 redraft article, very weak class in terms of size but there was quite a few players that made an impact in the league. Should be interesting.

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#5

Exciting times, I've played it out differently in my mind a few times

Reed Kobo - Winger - #33
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Elijah Jones - Winger - #33 Retired
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Toivo Kosonen - Defenseman - #33 Retired
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