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Star Studded Newfoundland Rookie Class (2x Draft Day Media)
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(This post was last modified: 04-01-2021, 07:32 PM by visceralpotamus.)

As the Gm team of Nhamlet and Juke exited last year's SMJHL rookie draft, they calmly unfurled a "mission accomplished" banner, and revelled in the glory of the precision picks that propelled Newfoundland towards a top 3 finish, as well as a heart breaking semifinal loss in the playoffs. Sure, the cup is the goal, but with the backbone drafted by the Berserkers, the future is bright. Like stare into the sun and develop permanent retina damage bright. Not only were they able to shore up a healthy contingent of rabid canucks fans and demko worshippers to join departing captain Vaseline Podcalzone, but they also found some decent hockey players. Let's take a peek at this draft class, as well as a clutch free signing, to explore the Maritime offering to the upcoming SHL draft.


The #1 overall pick was Aleksandrs Balcers (315 TPE)

Presented the rookie of the year from FHM itself, Aleksandrs was one half of the phenomenal rookie defensive pairing that posted a mind-numbing plus-minus during the season. Balcers himself topped all Berserkers at +44, good for 3rd in the league. A good chunk of that plus minus came from the offensive engine that Balcers proved to be, posting 11 goals and 21 assists as a rookie. He managed these totals with less than a minute of powerplay time per game. As he climbs the depth chart, look to see Balcers dominating the offensive zone for years to come. Easily a contender to repeat as a top draft pick, teams would be foolish to ignore the impact he has had in just his first year.

13th overall Robert E. O. Speedwagon (307 TPE)

At the top of the 2nd round, Ham and Juke decisively picked up young Speedwagon. The winger paid back immediately, with 4 goals and 16 assists, as well as 48 blocked shots and 52 hits. His two way game landed him on the PK unit, averaging almost a minute per game while shorthanded. Standing at 9th overall in TPE, Robert Speedwagon is a sure bet to be a high level contributor in The J, as well as into his SHL career.

15th overall Evgeni Petrov (294 TPE)

The Berserkers continued the draft harvest by snagging the top goalie from the draft. Easily the highest TPE earner in terms of goalies, Petrov backed that on the ice. Posting 5 shutouts, he proved to be extremely reliable in his rookie year. His 2.15 GAA was in the top 5 for goalies this season as well. While goalie is a competitive position, Petrov has already shown his worth, and teams would be foolish to sleep on this Thatcher Demko-esque top prospect.

25th overall Robert Black (292 TPE)

The first pick in what would prove to be a busy 3rd round, the Zerks solidified their 4th line center position with the dependable Robert Black. Putting up 12 goals and 14 assists, as well as 14 takeaways and 27 hits, You could count on the centreman to get the job done on both ends of the ice. In fact, this fourth line would prove to be a real source of energy, frequently turning the tide in games when the Newfies felt the ice was slanting in the wrong direction. We can certainly expect Black to continue to rise in the depth chart, driving play and being a necessary sparkplug.

32nd Sabarro Torretta (250 TPE)

The second half of the aforementioned powerhouse rookie D pairing Sabarro posted an incredible +40. This was good for 7th in the league. What an incredible rookie pairing. Typically teams feel a need to shelter their 3rd pairing, especially if they have no experience. Instead, this pair led the group in even strength goal differential. Sabarro tended to play more of the two way game, while his partner focussed on the offensive end. His 21 points were substantial, but he also brought the pain with almost a hundred hits on the season. Sabarro has been an absolute force in his rookie season, and I would expect him to far exceed his SMJHL draft position.

36th Pasta the Turtle (296 TPE)

Rounding out a busy 3rd round, Ham and Juke picked up a 3rd rookie defenceman, who had a very different outlook compared to his rookie classmates. Posting a paltry 3 goals and 9 assists, Pasta was not an offensive weapon; instead, he proved to be a wrecking ball on defence. 123 hits led his team, and was in the top 15 in the league! He also posted 58 blocked shots and 31 takeaways. This resulted in Pasta being partnered with offensive wizard Matty Sandeen for most of the season, providing some defensive stability while his partner put up godly offensive numbers. Never flashy, Pasta provides a steady presence and would continue to be a huge contributor as a shutdown defenceman to whatever team takes a chance on him.

47th Slavakov Vladimirashenko (289 TPE)

*THEFT ALERT* How the Russian with the unpronounceable name dropped this low can only be attributed to the fear GM's had of having to type his name into possible line combinations. With a huge locker room presence, and another third of the aforementioned high energy 4th line, Slavakov has been the absolute steal of this draft. The young power forward snatched 3 goals and paired them with 14 assists, adding a bruising 58 hits to his resume. Slavjhdgsjkgfkjadheklsjd Vladkljfdlkhklfhalds is sure to be a name that will be rising up any competent SHL GM's draft board, and a name you will be sure to hear often during his promising SHL career. A great pickup looking to pick up a power forward - just don't compare him to Todd Bertuzzi.

Undrafted Sam Savage (240 TPE)

Joining the party a bit late, was un drafted super signing Sam Savage. In only 41 games played, the young agitator was able to put up 2 goals and 4 assists, although his work was more often felt in the 35 hits he also posted in his brief audition. A name many are likely sleeping on due to his short season, Sam has been an absolute high voltage surge of energy on the 4th line that helped Newfoundland surge into their 3rd place finish. A fantastic locker room presence, Sam Savage is sure to become a fan favourite for whatever team drafts, and a much maligned opponent for the rest of the league.

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