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Arkz · 12-02-2020, 10:04 PM

[Image: SJHN_Blue_lightgrey_wordmark.png?width=849&height=262]

It's that time again! With another new season on the horizon, it’s time to start the annual tradition of the SMJHL Power Rankings from your friends at the SHN! Hopefully this season we can be a bit more consistent this time and keep these updated, but here are the pre-season rankings for the league. As a warning, various members of the committee adopted different methodologies here, so there should be some wild swings and divergences between highest and lowest rank (seriously, it gets weird). After the first week of the regular season we should have these much more tightened up, but we are prepared for the salt and roasting in the replies below. So, without further ado, let's get into it!

Graphs and rankings set prior to regular season start date of 12/4/20

Highest ranked: 11
Lowest ranked: 12

Arkz: Falcons once again look to start the season at the back of the pack. In the playoffs last year they had a surprising start, mostly built off the back of goalie Thor Odinson. However, Thor has moved on this year to play in the big leagues, so it will be on Detroit to figure out how to survive without him. Still, the Falcons have the tools and the potential building blocks to succeed, especially in an East conference that has experienced a tremendous amount of turnover in the offseason and looks to be much more open aside from teams like Carolina and Quebec City. The Falcons will have to prove themselves, but there’s a soft underbelly to this division that some Falcon talons may find a gap in.
Shuff: Ya, the Falcons aren’t very good. I guess that can happen to teams. The worst team last year by nine points, they have a way to go before being competitive. They made three first round picks, and all three will be given minutes right away. Luc Blouin at two, Pavel Lezaik at three and Kermitt Murphy are all respected users who should progress nicely. I’d think that the Falcons can compete next season, and may be just two seasons away from being a real threat in the east. The S56 and S57 classes were strong, S58 with those three players likely will be too. The SMJHL is a quick turnover league. Losing Odison will sting, he really has been a top goalie for a few seasons.

[Image: 11_STL.jpg]

Highest ranked: 8
Lowest ranked: 12

Arkz: There was more or less consensus that Detroit was the team at the back of the pack to start this season, but now we’re going to start to get into the discrepancies. Some folks had the Scarecrows as the bottom team in the league, while one voter had them in the bottom mid-section of the pack. But if St. Louis is going to warrant such a placement, they are going to have to improve over their previous season. While they had some sort of strange voodoo over Maine in the regular season, we’ve reached a new year and a new league. The Scarecrows have had some interesting performances in the pre-season, so we’ll have to see how they are able to perform when the games start to matter.
Shuff: They finished ahead of the Knights, but the committee put St. Louis behind them in these preseason rankings. One thing the scarecrows have is a great goalie in Nicolae Antonescu. One thing they do not have is a good defense in front of him, outside of Detroit who was really bad, St. Louis allowed the most shots on goal by about three per game (same difference as Detroit to them). Wisely they picked Jean-Locke Zidane, a defenseman, first overall, but with just two defenseman over 350 TPE and not much after them the defense will once again be the Colin Lampert only show, but they may have thought about the post-Lampert team.

[Image: 10_KEL.jpg]

Highest ranked: 6
Lowest ranked: 10

Arkz: One of the surprise teams in the playoffs last season, Kelowna went into S56 with a solid plan to rebuild. However, one surprising upset victory over the Anaheim Outlaws later, and Kelowna saw themselves playing Vancouver in the second round. Sure they got blown off the ice, but it still was a much better showing than people expected for the Knights. Perhaps that’s why some rankers had them as a top-6 team in the league. If Kelowna can recapture that magic that got them to the second round and continue to build off the solid foundation they laid last season, they might just be up to that level in S57.
Shuff: Teddy Park is their best player, but they have another 425 in Goodname, a 350 in Petrov and 2 exciting rookies in Izzy and LaFleur on defense. The offense is lacking first line talent, but their second and third line is respectable for a team we are ranking at 10. They have 2 goalies at 400+ TPE. The biggest flaw is the offense, but this is a team that may just be less than the sum of its part. The defense will have to carry them, expect low scoring games if the Knights are going to win.

[Image: 9_COL.jpg]

Highest ranked: 3
Lowest ranked: 11

Arkz: Yes, that is not a typo. One of our rankers had Colorado at three in their overall rankings. That’s a bold claim, and the upstart Raptors will have a lot of work to do if they are going to try and make a run at such a serious placement. As Shuff will mention, they got hit with a number of call ups and this isn’t the same team that played last season. Still, there’s some rookie development here and second-year goalie Yanno Rosejac will be looking to take the next step after getting a full season under his belt. The Raptors probably won’t be a top-five team in the league, but they’ll be capable of taking a game off anybody if they aren’t careful.
Shuff: Hit with five callups, including most of their scoring, it is safe to assume that Colorado may fall a bit this season. The defense looks healthy enough even without Aumy Jr., they still have 3 425s on the roster, 2 rookies and a 350 goalie. Scoring will be the issue for the Raptors, and that is why we have them ranked this low.

[Image: 8_MET.jpg]

Highest ranked: 4
Lowest ranked: 9

Arkz: With a highest ranking reflecting their playoff performance last season, the Maine Timber sit at an interesting crossroads. They’ve lost some talent, but find themselves in a division that was just as ravaged this offseason. But there’s a ton of talent in the forwards and defense on this team, and so if their second-year goalie is able to keep it together, this is a team that might impress, especially with some gaps in the division around them. But Maine will need to make all their inter-division games count if they are going to separate themselves from the pack and make a deep run at the cup.
Shuff: The Timber also lost 5 players due to callups, including goalie Leo Bloomfield. This is a team I’d expect to try to make some moves over the season. They have 8 players for the S55 or S54 classes, and 2 more from the S56 class. That’s up to 10 players they may lose next season, although Konrad Danke will probably stay down for a fifth season. Still 7 players going up automatically and 2 more that could. They could really use a goalie, Bloomfield is missing out on the best team in front of the goalie in years, 5 425s on offense, 3 more on defense. With no S57s other than Gatez to speak of, this season may be their best chance to get a cup. The lack of a goalie may haunt them.

[Image: 7_NL.jpg]

Highest ranked: 2
Lowest ranked: 9

Arkz: I mean what do you do with Newfoundland? This team constantly gets counted out, but then roars back at the right time. They were dead and buried by midseason in S56 before pulling it together and taking it to six games in the finals. Still, Newfoundland will be without consensus Goalie of the Year in Cale Amundsen, and so they’ll no longer be able to rely on that humanoid brick wall to back them up on nights when the offense is feeling a bit off. Still, there’s a good amount of talent and experience here to at least make some noise.
Shuff: Kind of odd to see Newfoundland here. I feel like everyone wants to talk about them eventually retooling, but they’ve been in the final for the past three seasons. With a very solid 5 425 forwards, and 2 425 defenders, their biggest issue may be goalkeeping, with Hugo Gronroos at just 255 TPE. They will miss Cale Amundsen, but with a very solid team up front, the demise of the Berserkers may not be coming quite yet.

[Image: 6_ANA.jpg]

Highest ranked: 3
Lowest ranked: 8

Arkz: We’re now one season removed from the Boxman II incident, and Anaheim probably wants to put that all behind them. After a disappointing end to a season where they started out on fire, the Outlaws will look to put the rest of the pieces together to try and take another shot at ultimate glory. There’s still a lot of talent on this team, and a few players came on strong at the end with Boxman II’s noticeable gap in the line. The real issue for Anaheim is that they find themselves in a crowded West, where games will be difficult and victories will come at a premium.
Shuff: Can’t help but wonder how this team looks like with Boxman II still playing. Even without him, their offense is 7 420 TPE players deep. It was their defense that cost them games in the Boxman II era, and it hasn’t improved much, Arsence Leclerc did unbank to 350, but there is still some holes there, and they also lack a capped goalie, with Vincent Mietitore at just 305 TPE, 45 shy of his cap. They lost no players to the SHL, which may be why they are in a good position going into S58, but defense and goaltending may be their achilles heel, and they may be a team looking to make a trade.

[Image: 5_VAN.jpg]

Highest ranked: 1
Lowest ranked: 7

Arkz: The fact that defending champs almost fell out of the top five is disgusting. Like, yeah, this team was ravaged by callups and the S56 drafted included a single player (though they added more in S57), this team is still dangerous and is capable of putting together an extremely solid season. While I doubt that the team is able to repeat the regular season success that they saw in S56, the Whalers should still compete for first in the division and a first round bye. But if that’s going to happen, their second and third-year players are going to have to take a big step forward to replace their losses. A big, big step.
Shuff: Ah yes, my own team, the Whalers. We lost 9 players to callups, including the league MVP. The top two offensive lines look good (6 425s), as does the defense top 4 (3 425s and a 380), and the goalie in Jon St. Ark at the 350 cap. The issue may be is can those 13 players play enough to carry them. They lost almost all of their scoring so they will need new players to step up. Expect a bigger season from Valtterri Kauppinen who will likely see another 3-4 minutes of ice time, as well as my player, Johnny Shuffleboard who had a monster first like 15 games before a coaching issue went unnoticed that killed the rest of the his season (can’t say anything other than screw mills about that one). While this is a bit of a retool year for the Whalers, they can hang in the division race if they choose, or they can move assets for picks or young players. It’s an interesting place to be as a team.

[Image: 4_CAR.jpg]

Highest ranked: 3
Lowest ranked: 8

Arkz: Where to put the Kraken? No one really knows. They had the best record in the East last season but unfortunately had to play the Whalers in the semi-finals. Still, they gave the champs their toughest test, taking the series to the seventh round. Carolina has great leadership and some strong players, including returning goalie Blunt Man, and Rookie of the Year nominee Freyja Hellstorm, so the expectation is that they’ll find themselves close to the top of the East again this season.
Shuff: The Kraken seem to love finishing second, but we have them fourth in our first ranking. They lost four players to the SHL, but the most important one was Axel Foley, who won the best defenseman award, and led defenders and the Kraken in points. Behind him the defense looks weak, no player has more than 240 TPE. Blunt Man is a top stuff goalie, but he may face a barrage of shots to say the least. The offense is solid but nothing special. I can’t really be sure why Carolina is so high, when on paper Vancouver, Anaheim and Newfoundland are better than them, but some teams consistently outperform their rosters, and if there is a group of GMs that can do that, it’s Carolina’s.

[Image: 3_QCC.jpg]

Highest ranked: 1
Lowest ranked: 10

Arkz: I mean, look at that swing. Some people had the Citadelles at the bottom of the league. Others at the very top. Here’s what I think: the last time Quebec City stepped on the ice they lost convingly to Colorado. Now past performance is no guarantee of future play, but I just can’t in good conscience give the top spot in a power ranking to a team that got knocked out in the first round by a mid-tier team just a short time ago. Still, this team finds themselves with all the tools needed to make a run and in a league that’s gotten significantly worse around them. The real question will be to see if Quebec can pull it all together, but it won’t be talent that holds them back.
Shuff: Losing zero players to the SHL means the Citadelles are ready to make their first run at the cup in team history. With six forwards over 400 TPE, 2 capped 425 defenders and a capped goalie the Citadelles can play with anyone. Their 2nd d-pair may scare fans, but a 350 TPE pair is nothing to turn your nose at. With just 2 S55 players on the roster they shouldn’t be decimated by call ups after the season either, they have a solid 2 year window right now.

[Image: 2_ANC.jpg]

Highest ranked: 1
Lowest ranked: 5

Arkz: The Anchorage Armada made a great run last season in the playoffs, beating the higher-seeded Nevada before falling to the Berserkers in six games. Still, the overall season was a strong one for Anchorage, and the expectation is that they’ll continue their winning ways in S57. There’s been some turnover on their team, but they’ve had the depth to fill the gaps with some strong replacements, so there isn’t any reason why Anchorage can’t repeat their performance as the top scoring team in the league this season.
Shuff: They lost three players, including goalie Scoochie Stratton to the SHL, but they have Chimkin Teddy right there to fill his shoes. With 6 capped 425 forwards, 4 capped 425 defenders, the Armada are for real. If they look to make a deal to solidify the team they might want to add a winger or two, but they also have two rookies in Paul Binder and Cole Carter who may be developing nicely by the trade deadline time.

[Image: 1_NBB.jpg]

Highest ranked: 1
Lowest ranked: 6

Arkz: And here we have it, the top team in the league in Nevada. As you can see by the ranking swing, it was unanimous and we’ll have to see how things will shake out but Nevada has certainly put themselves as the favorite team to make a run at the Four-Star Cup. They have all the tools they need to perform, in a strong offense and and even better defense and goaltending. Scoring will come at a premium for teams that play the Battleborn, and they’ll need that sort of strength when facing some top offenses in Vancouver and Anchorage regularly in the West. But with Vancouver regressing, it looks like it may once again be a dog fight between Nevada and Anchorage for the top spot in the West. Right now we give the edge to Nevada, but a lot can change once the pucks get dropped.
Shuff: Ranked number one is the Nevada Battleborn, who lost just Leonids Balzams to the SHL this season. While that is 21 points, that is not the worst hole to find yourself in. Their defense is scary deep with 5 players at 425, and one almost there, sadly for them Sniff is capped at 350 so they won’t get to the full 425 defense, but it will be a fully capped defense. They combine that with 2 425 goalies in Supernaw and Weaver, and don’t expect to score on the Battleborn. On the offensive side they have the first two lines to hang with anybody, and their third line should hold its own as well. The Battleborn are our favorites in this, the first power rankings. Job well done by Jearim and Noka to take an expansion team and get them to number one.

[Image: SMJHL_Power_Rankings.png?width=470&height=462]

And that's it for our first edition of the Power Rankings for S57! We'll be (hopefully) a bit more consistent on delivery this season, so check in after the first full week of the regular season to see some updates and where the teams currently stand. There's a lot of variance in the ranks for this edition that should be more evened out once we see how teams really stack up in regular season play. As always, happy for any questions or comments, salty or otherwise. Thanks for reading and check back next week!

Word Count: 3,050. Split 50/50 between me and @mee

***WannabeFinn*** · 12-02-2020, 10:41 PM

***Faelax*** · 12-02-2020, 10:49 PM

Whoever ranked QCC at 10 should be fired

MrRuihu · 12-02-2020, 10:54 PM

Don't talk to me or my son ever again.

DeletedAtUserRequest · 12-02-2020, 10:58 PM

#Will2Win

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***bluesfan55*** · 12-02-2020, 11:02 PM

ImShiny · 12-02-2020, 11:02 PM

what article

BDonini · 12-02-2020, 11:16 PM

Quote: It was their defense that cost them games in the Boxman II era, and it hasn’t improved much, Arsence Leclerc did unbank to 350, but there is still some holes there, and they also lack a capped goalie, with Vincent Mietitore at just 305 TPE, 45 shy of his cap. They lost no players to the SHL, which may be why they are in a good position going into S58, but defense and goaltending may be their achilles heel, and they may be a team looking to make a trade.

This is certainly.....a take Hmm