Season 74 of the Simulation Major Junior Hockey League should be an interesting one for the reigning Four Star Cup champions, the Maine Timber. Having successfully completed their championship run, the team is already preparing to retool for another deep playoff push. To bolster the remaining players from last season, Maine selected three forwards from Quebec in the first two rounds to reinforce their already potent offensive output. Later, they also added a goaltender and another center to round out the Season 74 draft. Maine has also made a few additional post-draft movies, including trading a player for future assets and bringing in a few additional free agents to fill out the team's lines.

Center Edouard Lavoie was the first draftee for Maine this season; Lavoie is a newcomer to the Major Juniors having spent most of his athletic career on the lacrosse pitch. Convinced by close friends Jean-Jacques Francois Jacques-Jean and Mia Lavoie, Edouard has made the move to the ice and is getting up to speed on the technical skills required to play the sport. He entered the draft as a raw physical talent, but has already put his coaching to good use as he works on a balanced skill set to enter the season and lead the Quebecois line for Maine.

In the second round, Maine added Mia Lavoie. Mia is an exceptionally fast skater that shoots left handed; her skill set fits perfectly on the right wing of Edouard. The two have spent a lot of time training together before the draft, and are expected to continue to develop their chemistry on the ice throughout the season. Mia's talent resides in her raw physical ability, getting off the line and skating faster than her opponents and rarely needing a break while doing so. She is also a marksman with the puck in close. Her technical skills have already started to improve with proper coaching which will make her an even bigger threat on the ice.

JJ Frankie JJ, as he's known by his friends, is a hulk of a man, coming in at a whopping six foot five inches. He will lend the Quebecois line some needed muscle on the left wing. Another raw physical talent, Jacques-Jean has the endurance of few his size and with it the ability to beat players late in the game when everyone is gassed. JJ has attended all team activities, but this reporter has been unable to ascertain which skills are likely to stand out for JJ this upcoming season. We expect them to impressive, however, as the Quebecois line look to outperform their age and help push Maine back into the playoffs and beyond.

In addition to the trio from Quebec, Maine added goaltender Shotty McStopper. McStopper is a massive product of Ireland who plays a much more technical game than you'd expect from his massive size. His highest ratings come from his positioning and reflexes meaning he's smart and agile. Combine that with his massive size and he should make for an exceptional rookie goalie for the Timber.

The last pick for the Timber this season was center Jonesy Fortnight from Czechia. The smallest of the newcomers, Jonesy Fortnite has already started to get acclimated with the team despite coming the furthest distance and learning the language. Fortnite can skate up and down the ice with the best of them, rarely getting tired. Of the five additions, Jonesy is the most likely to drop the gloves, and if that happens you'd do well to avoid his hands.

Maine has the difficult task of repeating one of the toughest achievements in the league, but with this draft class anything is possible.