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marco999 · 11-26-2020, 03:32 PM

As a first-gen S57 rookie, I didn’t know much about the SHL Entry Draft and everything surrounding it, but I’ve done some research and I’m ready to dissect the new rookies drafted by the New England Wolfpack. After the big trade that saw the Massachusetts’ based team land the first overall pick, experts (I wouldn’t say I’m one) agreed that the Wolfpack was poised to acquire many players that would shape the future of their franchise. With three picks in the first round, including two in the top ten, and an additional pick in the middle of the second round, things were shaping up nicely, but they just had to pick the right players to make the most of this opportunity.

Round 1 – Pick 1 – 1st Overall – C Jonathan Granström (363 TPE)

Many people expected the Detroit Falcons player centerman to get drafted with the first overall pick back when it was owned by the Tampa Bay Barracuda and to the delight of every mock draft owners, they decided to draft Granström with the first overall pick after all. The centerman had a decent first season with the struggling Falcons down in the SMJHL, with 15 points in about ten minutes of ice-time. He also had a good defensive presence with 54 hits and 72 shots blocked in his first full season. He is a good TPE earner and he has a nice amount of money accumulated in his bank account to make sure he can still train his player appropriately. An overall strong choice for a future top 6 player, there’s no doubt about that.

Round 1 – Pick 9 – 9th overall – RW Brennan Huff (325 TPE)

The Quebec City native Brennan Huff was perceived by some media writers has a bit of a reach, but I tend to think otherwise. The big-bodied right winger had a decent showing in his first season with the Kelowna Rockets, netting 12 points in fifty games, despite not having power play time. This pick looks better behind the scenes, where you see that Huff is a consistent TPE earner with a nice amount of money in his bank account. It looks like better things are ahead for Huff and many predict that he could become a top 6 winger in the future if he keeps up the pace and that’s why New England decided to pick him with the ninth overall pick in the entry draft.

Round 1 – Pick 16 – 16th overall – LW Bas O’Bigbers (376 TPE)

It was a surprise for me to see Bas O’Bigbers still available at the 16th pick. The speedy winger had a great rookie campaign with the Newfoudland Berserkers, netting nine goals and thirteen assists, good for twenty-points, while playing third line minutes with no powerplay time. While he will need to improve his defensive play (5 to 18 takeaway to giveaway ratio), his offensive game remains on point and he will no doubt continue his TPE and media earning, in order to allow him to reach his full potential.

Round 2 – Pick 9 – 27th overall – C Kaapo Kampainen (321 TPE)

“This guy may be the steal of the draft” is what we heard when this name was announced during the S57 SHL Draft. Many players within the team were surprised to see him still available at 27th. But for the player (aka me), I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen. Only a few teams reached out to me, I had a disastrous rookie season down in the SMJHL with the Anaheim Outlaws. I was a late create, so I had a disadvantage TPE-wise from people within my class. Heading into the draft, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, in all honestly. I knew I wasn’t first round material, so I got that out of my mind from the get go. I had little hope in the early second round, as practically none of these teams contacted me. Then I landed to the New England Wolfpack, who were the team who seemed to have the most interest in my heading into the draft. Looking past the dreadful three points in 28 games and the minus nine differential, Kaapo Kampainen has a lot of potential. I was decent defensively, with an almost 1 to 1 giveaway to takeaway ratio and I almost have one hit per game and one shot blocked per game, which isn’t bad for a rookie centerman with fourth line minutes. I’m a constant TPE earner and I also have a healthy bank account (thanks in large part to my insane deal with the Outlaws) to allow me to keep developing my player for a while. I’ll start writing media to generate additional revenue to keep my balance high. I’m not that far behind from the ninth overall pick of the draft in terms of TPE, which is saying something about my TPE earning even if I came into the scene pretty late compared to my other draft class members. Perhaps teams will come to regret not drafting the Finnish with a higher pick if he keeps earning that much TPE, but only time will tell what will happen with Kaapo Kampainen.

Round 2 – Pick 17 – 35th overall – G Bigga Foryu (291 TPE)

The massive goaltender had a rough season down in the SMJHL with the Maine Timbers, with a goal average over 3.00 and a save percentage below .900, but if he can keep up his TPE earning, he could become a useful goaltender, but the jury is still out on that one. You know what they say, you never have enough goalies, so Bigga Foryu was a safe choice in the late 2nd round.

General Analysis

With their first three picks of the draft, the New England Wolfpack drafted two wingers and a centerman with huge potential, essentially drafting a future first or second line for the team. When I told that this draft class could shape the future of the team, that’s what I was talking about. With their other two picks, they drafted the wild card Kaapo Kampainen. With players like Jonathan Granström and Calvin Hobbes in the pipeline, where does that leave old Kaapo if he reaches his full potential? Only time will tell. They added another goaltender to the team, but as I said, you never have enough goaltending prospects.

Looking back the S57 SHL Draft, the New England Wolfpack is clearly a better team coming out of than they were coming in. The future looks stacked and they acquired several players with potential to become top liners, which is what a successful draft is all about!

Go Wolfpack!

1120 words

krazko · 11-26-2020, 03:42 PM

Cyanide · 11-26-2020, 04:53 PM

Welcome to the Pack! Wolfpack

Credit to Wasty
[Image: wolfpack3.png]

Credit to Sulovilen

***Ace*** · 11-26-2020, 07:13 PM

awooooooooooooooooooooooo

Zema · 11-27-2020, 08:47 AM

Stoked to have you on the Wolfpack!

*Fluw* · 11-27-2020, 09:14 AM

Packlife!

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