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ArGarBarGar · 10-03-2017, 05:44 PM

<div align="center">Top 100 SHL Players of Today!
Season 37

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Season 36

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Welcome back everyone, to the seasonal top 100 players of today. So for those who do not know, this is the 18th edition of this article, awarding the top 100 players heading into the 37th season.

I'd like to give a big thanks to the following users that helped me make this article possible.

Experts:ArGarBarGar, r1c3bowl22, Baelor Swift, Lunaro, RomanesEuntDomus, mpc, spooked, Zoone16

Experts and Writers: ArGarBarGar, Baelor Swift, PeanutButter

Together we made a panel of 6 experts who graded over 130 players, narrowing the list down to 100 and ranking those elite 100 players of the SHL.

I'd like to ask the media grader to wait for my PM before grading this article.

100. (S32) LW (Seattle Riot) - Cory Knouse || New Entry
Average Grade: 75.63
Past Seasons: None

Starting off the top-100 is Cory Knouse of the Seattle Riot, entering the list after his third SHL season and already showing some offensive flash with his physical play. Knouse scored 14 goals and 39 points in S36, registered 98 hits, and did that playing fewer than 20 minutes of ice time on average. Knouse is still trying to hone his defensive game, finishing at -11 on the season (tied for the third worst on the team), but as he getting bigger and closer to his prime he should be able to get there. Knouse is a growing winger and the sky is the limit for him right now.

99. (S33) D (Toronto North Stars) - Zander Rhys || New Entry
Average Grade: 76.00
Past Seasons: None

At 99 is North Stars defender Zander Rhys, another youthful player who is known more for his work in his own zone rather than the offensive zone. With 149 hits he has certainly shown a mark out there, especially on the opposition. The offense has started to come as well, with 8 goals and 30 points, and has been getting a lot of ice time for the North Stars as they start to work towards a rebuilding era. Rhys should be exactly where they need to be once they get back into contention, but that is predicated on if Rhys makes due on what is expected of him going forward.

98. (S31) LW (West Kendall Platoon) - Pietra Volkova || -5
Average Grade: 76.00
Past Seasons: S36-93

At 98 is Pietra Volkova, back on the list again despite falling a bit in the rankings. Volkova had a big breakout season in S35 where she scled 11 goals and 37 points, and there was a lot of expectations she would either keep that scoring up or improve on it even more. However while the goal scoring improved a great deal (18 goals), she didn't have the help when it came to playmaking for her to up her assist numbers as well. What resulted was a disappointing 29 point campaign and a -10 plus minus. Though Volkova has continued to be a force physically, improving to her first season with 100+ hits.

97. (S32) D (Minnesota Chiefs) - Noctis Caelum || New Entry
Average Grade: 76.13
Past Seasons: None

At 97 is Chiefs defender Noctis Caelum, the possible future franchise defenseman for the Chiefs and already improving year after year. Surprisingly S36 has not been his best year from an offensive standpoint, as he went from 8 goals and 34 points to 7 goals and 32 points. However, Caelum blocked 80+ shots once again and started to pick up the hitting, something the Chiefs used to succeed as much as they did over the season. He has seen his minutes increase as a result of his play, and is starting to get even more looks on the top pairing, meaning he could be getting groomed to be their franchise defenseman in a few seasons.

96. (S26) RW (New England Wolfpack) - Tim Buckner || +1
Average Grade: 76.13
Past Seasons: S33-72, S34-47, S35-68, S36-97

Tim Buckner comes in at 96, having trouble getting back to his top-50 ways back in S33 where he scored 40+ points for the first and only time. Buckner is an interesting case, because he has actually been pretty competent scoring goals for the Wolfpack, and even scored 18 goals in S36. But he doesn't seem to have an eye for making passing plays, and when he does get the puck it is unlikely he is going to give it up to a teammate. Buckner's 33 points in that respect comes off as unfortunate, as there is a lot of talent in the player. His physical game even grants him more space than most to make plays, and sometimes draws double coverage because he is able to just power through players. If only he could use that to pass more and rack up those assist totals.

95. (S20) D (Buffalo Stampede) - Barney Stinson || +1
Average Grade: 76.75
Past Seasons: S23-56, S24-34, S25-28, S26-55, S27-90, S28-87, S29-52, S30-8, S31-16, S32-8, S33-18, S34-21, S35-72, S36-96

At 95 is Stampede defenseman Barney Stinson, who despite his age continues to keep on trucking. Unfortunately it appears that Stinson's best years may be behind him, as for the third straight season Stinson failed to reach the 30 point plateau, scoring 6 goals and 29 points on the season. Stinson couldn't even get things going after being traded from the Riot to the Stampede, as he scored only 5 points in 15 games with the club. However, he remains one of the top physical players in the league with 169 hits, and was even extensively used on the penalty kill where he was quite formidable. His offensive days may be done, but at least he is demonstrating intangibles that should keep him in the league for at least a few more seasons.

94. (S32) C (Minnesota Chiefs) - Derrick Glover || -10
Average Grade: 76.75
Past Seasons: S36-84

At 94 is Chiefs center Derrick Glover, a member of the Chief's new direction and already getting some pretty good development. Glover scored 13 goals and 36 points, which wasn't quite up to par with his 40 point season in S35. However he has started to hone other facets of his game and has improved on the dot extensively (winning almost 55% of the draws he took). He is also improving defensively and with the extended ice time is starting to learn from the increased competition he is facing. Glover isn't quite the franchise's new hope, but he is getting there quickly.

93. (S25) LW (Texas Renegades) - Adam Falk || -28
Average Grade: 76.75
Past Seasons: S30-76, S31-24, S32-37, S33-40, S34-43, S35-76, S36-65

At 93 is Renegades winger Adam Falk, enjoying his first cup win since joining the SHL and still proving to be competent on the ice even though he is unlikely to ever be the same player from the early S30s. Falk scored 14 goals and 37 points, was +18 on the year, and was used in all situations, scoring 7 points on the powerplay and even getting a goal on the penalty kill. Falk has done Texas good in his short time there, and though retirement may be imminent, the Renegades are happy to have him in his waning seasons.

92. (S30) C (West Kendall Platoon) - Jon Ross || -29
Average Grade: 76.75
Past Seasons: S33-89, S34-84, S35-58, S36-63

At 92 is Platoon center Jon Ross, taking a significant drop in the list due to the last couple seasons of a lack of production. Ross scored 14 goals and 35 points in S35, and considering his previous two seasons, most expected him to improve. However S36 wasn't much better, as Ross scored 14 goals again, but only 36 points. Ross was also a -9, a significant drop in that statistic, and overall didn't see much improvement on any other category. Ross is still youthful, and is active as ever in the locker room and in the weight room, so the odds of this slide continuing are not likely. It is just unfortunate that the Platoon are having to deal with these growing pains five seasons into his development.

91. (S23) D (New England Wolfpack) - Lukas Johnson || Returning Entry
Average Grade: 77.00
Past Seasons: S27-83, S28-80, S29-64, S30-49, S31-86, S32-57, S33-45, S34-81, S35-95

At 91 is Wolfpack defenseman Lukas Johnson, back on the list as he is back into decent production for a new team. Johnson scored 5 goals and 32 points in 49 games, 36 of those with the North Stars. When he came to New England, he actually went on a bit of a hot streak, scoring 2 goals and 9 points in 13 games, which could be a sign of things to come for the defenseman, despite his advanced age. Surprisingly Johnson has outlasted a lot of players from his draft class, and a number of those who are even younger than he is. Either way, Johnson still has some offensive flair to him, despite the fact his defensive game is limited.

90. (S30) D (Seattle Riot) - Viatcheslav Orlov || New Entry
Average Grade: 77.25
Past Seasons: None

At 90 is a newcomer on this list in Viatcheslav Orlov, enjoying his first season of 30 points. Orlov is somewhat of an unknown product at this point, despite being a S30 draftee and many players in his draft class already showing their chops. But many say Orlov is a late bloomer, looking to see how his talents translate to the league before he ends up demonstrating everything he has. If that is the case, consider this his first attempt at moving on up, which isn't a bad first attempt, honestly. Orlov's physical play has particularly been impressive, and in S36 registered 132 hits on a struggling team. His work on the PK has also been impressive, and if the offense can improve along with it, he could be a formidable force on the back end.

89. (S24) C (Buffalo Stampede) - Jack Burton || -22
Average Grade: 77.25
Past Seasons: S28-102, S29-79, S30-92, S32-88, S33-88, S34-55, S35-46, S36-67

At 89 is Stampede center Jack Burton, falling back a bit after an okay but not particularly great season where he scored 16 goals and 31 points. Burton in recent years has made the switch to center, which has seen him scoring more goals but not improve a lot in general points, so it is contentious that he should have done so.

88. (S34) LW (Hamilton Steelhawks) - Noro Wozy || New Entry
Average Grade: 77.50
Past Seasons: None

New on the list at 88 is Steelhawks winger Noro Wozy, following up his first season with 10 goals and 23 points with a huge follow up season of 19 goals and 43 points. Wozy is starting to really flourish with the Steelhawks and has earned a lot more ice time as a result, improving his skills on the powerplay and even becoming more of a physical player. Defensively he has a lot of work left, but is one of the top upcoming talents in the league at this current point.

87. (S24) D (Texas Renegades) - Winston Windsor || -9
Average Grade: 77.75
Past Seasons: S27-71, S28-60, S29-77, S30-43, S31-40, S32-63, S33-65, S34-65, S35-60, S36-78

At 87 is Renegade Winston Windsor who has slowly but steadily been declining since S33, finishing the season with 7 goals and 34 points. Not all too bad, especially considering he finished the season +20 and earned himself a Challenge Cup as one of the more important pieces on the roster. But with regression kicking in and Windsor tapering off in a lot of aspects of his game, Windsor is not looking like the same player that we saw in his prime when he was challenging for 40 point seasons every single year.

86. (S24) C (Los Angeles Panthers) - Kaapo Kekkonen || -5
Average Grade: 78.00
Past Seasons: S31-69, S32-47, S33-22, S34-44, S35-53, S36-81

At 86 is Panthers center Kaapo Kekkonen, another player who has had a bit of a decline in recent seasons, now with 11 goals and 31 points in S36. Kekkonen has never quite been the offensive powerhouse, and has demonstrated his skills in other areas such as hits and faceoffs, which hasn't seemed to fall off just yet. Kekkonen is looking more to be a defensive-minded center during the later years of his career, hoping the Panthers can get it together and win him his first cup.

85. (S32) C (Seattle Riot) - Samee Iqbal || Returning Entry
Average Grade: 78.25
Past Seasons: S35-79

At 85 is Riot center Samee Iqbal, who has had quite the up and down career so far. Iqbal is looking to be back in the swing of things by bouncing back from his 24 point S35 campaign with 13 goals and 36 points, although it isn't quite as good as he was hoping to perform considering his sophomore season saw him score 43 points. Iqbal right now doesn't have a specific skillset that towers above his opponents, and instead has favored a general "jack of all trades" approach. Even his faceoff percentage isn't amazing (worst on the team among those with 1000+ faceoffs), but with time to grow he can flesh those things out.

84. (S25) D (Texas Renegades) - Cody Black || -32
Average Grade: 78.25
Past Seasons: S30-81, S31-91, S32-28, S33-68, S34-73, S35-54, S36-52

At 84 is Renegades defenseman Cody Black, falling back after a tenuous few seasons where he could not re-establish himself as a dominant defenseman. Black scored 9 goals and 31 points in S36, registered 74 hits, was -2, scored 6 points on the power play, and played 110 minutes on the PK. Not an awful stat line, but nothing that is going to turn heads any time soon. As the years go on and Black continues to sit in this quagmire of "meh" production, it becomes more and more likely his 45 point campaign in S31 was just an aberration.

83. (S33) RW (Minnesota Chiefs) - Halfdan Thorstein || New Entry
Average Grade: 78.38
Past Seasons: None

Another new entry on the list is Halfan Thorstein of the Chiefs, coming in at 83. Thorstein saw his first two seasons on the Chiefs bring him some pretty good production and improvement for his age, and in S36 he was able to quickly adapt to the league and become a top talent. Thorstein scored 22 goals and 45 points in his third season, something you don't see too often. Thorstein wasn't even that bad defensively, and overall despite being a bit one-dimensional is progressing the exact way the Chiefs want him to.

82. (S31) LW (Seattle Riot) - Trevor Wilson || New Entry
Average Grade: 78.63
Past Seasons: None

At 82 is Trevor Wilson of the Riot, another new entry and doing so by finally being able to get out of the rut he was stuck in for the last couple of seasons, unable to break the 30 point marker. In S36 he did, and even broke the 40 point marker with 18 goals and 22 assists on the season. Wilson has a very similar look to Halfan Thorstein, and has shown his ability to commit to the defensive aspects of the game, which makes him a more reliable player in a lot of cases.

81. (S26) G (Winnipeg Jets) - Lukas Berger || +19
Average Grade: 78.63
Past Seasons: S30-75, S31-82, S36-100

At 81 is Jets goaltender Lukas Berger, trying to get a revitalization in his play after what has been an awful start to his career. We saw Berger start that attempt last season where he went 26-17-1, go back into the 900s with a .907 save percentage (first time since S29), a 2.944 GAA (again the first time since S29 below 3.00), and two shutouts. S36 saw the first sign of consistency in his career with a 27-13-4 record, .906 save percentage, and 2.75 goals against average. Berger could still improve a bit to bring up up to par with the other goaltenders in this league, but with his age and the looming threat of regression, that becomes harder and harder every season.

80. (S25) C (Toronto North Stars) - Travis Kudleychuk || -57
Average Grade: 78.63
Past Seasons: S30-95, S31-68, S32-60, S33-61, S34-33, S35-26, S36-23

At 80 is North Stars center Travis Kudleychuk, still kicking and looking to keep producing even as his age begins to show. Kudleychuk fell of quite a bit from last season, however, scoring only 11 goals and 36 points on the year (compared to his 18 goals and 45 points the previous season). Kudleychuk is still a reliable contributor, though, and even though he typically flies under the radar, is still used for important situations (particularly the PK) and does his job efficiently.

79. (S23) D (Edmonton Blizzard) - Viktor Svensson || Returning Entry
Average Grade: 78.75
Past Seasons: S28-86, S29-89, S30-54, S31-93, S32-90, S34-42, S35-94

At number 79 is Blizzard defenseman Viktor Svensson, who is back to making waves for the Blizzard after a couple seasons off the list. Svensson has been one of the unsung heroes of the SHL, doing what he needs to do to help the team win, and in S36 he was able to have a resurgence of sorts, scoring 5 goals and37 points, leading the team's defensemen in scoring and proving the haters that he would be back at some point. We don't hear much from Svensson these days, but he continues to press on and despite the lack of coverage may still be a contender for this list for a few more seasons.

78. (S27) G (West Kendall Platoon) - Matt Lewis-Flood || -41
Average Grade: 78.88
Past Seasons: S31-90, S32-46, S33-54, S34-22, S35-44, S36-37

At 78 is Platoon goaltender Matt Lewis-Flood. The Platoon right now are dealing with an odd situation: not having famous defenseman Bojo Biscuit on the roster (who has been there since S20). This has led to other players needing to take up the mantle and make up for his great defensive play, and one of those players is goaltender Matt Lewis-Flood. Unfortunately for Lewis-Flood he was not able to do his part for the Platoon in S36. He went 23-20-1, had a .896 save percentage, and finished with a 2.93 goals against average, which overall is a pretty underwhelming season. Lewis-Flood has been one of the better goaltender in the league, if not ever the outright best, so seeing him this low is very surprising.

77. (S23) D (Calgary Dragons) - Connor O'Reilly || Returning Entry
Average Grade: 79.13
Past Seasons: S27-82, S28-101, S29-65, S30-42, S31-53, S32-67, S33-71, S34-30, S35-52

At 77 is Dragons defenseman Conno O'Reilly. O'Reilly had quite the drop off in the S36 list, going from 52 to who even cares, so it was important for the defenseman to get back into things and prove his career was far from over, especially with the team losing Bubba "the Trucka" Nuck to the Rage. Well, O'Reilly proved exactly that and got himself back in the list with 36 points. Weird thing for the defenseman is this is the second straight season where he was unable to score a single goal, which could be a record for a player who scored at least 20 points. Welcome to the history books in a weird way, O'Reilly.

76. (S31) D (New England Wolfpack) - Toivo Kosonen || Even
Average Grade: 79.38
Past Seasons: S36-76

Toivo Kosonen enters the list at 76, not moving a single inch after his 7 goals and 32 points for the Wolfpack in S36. Kosonen has had a prettty linear progression so far in the league, up until this most recent season where his offensive production didn't quite match the production he had before. However his 7 goals and 32 points was still pretty good on a team that relies on overall team production rather than individual production. Kosonen also looks to have gotten back into his physical game, which could make him very reliable as he progresses and players like Clayton open up more ice time that he will need to improve his two-way play for.

75. (S31) D (Buffalo Stampede) - Brynjar Tusk || New Entry
Average Grade: 79.50
Past Seasons: None

At 75 is Stampede defenseman (lots of defensemen in this section of the list) Brynjar Tusk, breaking the 30 point plateau with an impressive 4 goals and 37 points. Tusk improved in a lot of facets of the game, and going forward he is looking like he could be a top-tier defenseman. The only issue is his defensive partner Ludwig Koch Schroder may keep him from getting the type of minutes he would need to get into the upper echelon of points. Time will tell for the Stampede defender.

74. (S31) LW (West Kendall Platoon) - Alex Light || New Entry
Average Grade: 79.50
Past Seasons: None

At 74 is Platoon winger Alex Light, another new entry who also broke the 30 point plateau with his 17 goals and 42 points. He has improved almost every single season since coming up from the SMJHL, and his offense has finally seen a major uptick. Right now, however, he is a oe-dimensional talent, which could keep him from getting too high on the list and seeing his name alongside the two-way monsters of the game. However, being a youngster that he is, he could easily improve his game to where he is a defensive icon. Not just yet, however.

73. (S28) RW (New England Wolfpack) - Dieter Dominique || -14
Average Grade: 79.50
Past Seasons: S34-51, S35-86, S36-59

At 73 is Wolfpack winger Dieter Dominique, falling back on the list after failing to repeat his offensive performance in S35 where he scored 24 goals and 48 points, a career high for him. Dominique had a decent season, however, where he scored 18 goals and 36 points, and did a pretty good job on the power play, but other than that was kind of a one-trick pony most of the season. That may be a concern for a team like the Wolfpack, a team that takes pride in its players that can play a 200 foot game. So far in his career, he has not done so, and with his prime about the begin there is a lot of talk he won't be able to get there. If not, his offense will have to pick up if he wants to be a major threat and a top-50 player.

72. (S29) C (Buffalo Stampede) - Nicolas Winter || +19
Average Grade: 79.63
Past Seasons: S33-73, S36-91

At 72 is Stampede center Nicolas Winter, who we haven't heard much about in recent yeras after having his supposed coming out party in S32. Winter had a couple of down seasons in S33 and S34, but in S35 he was able to break through again and score 13 goals and 41 points. In S36 he even built on that season, where he scored 19 goals and 43 points. Not a big improvement points-wise, but with 6 more goals that is a decent bump in performance. Winter has even continued to tune his two-way game in a few places, so he is becoming much more well-rounded as he enters his prime. This is something the Stampede are hoping can take them to the promised land very soon.

71. (S20) RW (Toronto North Stars) - Kristian Eriksson || -16
Average Grade: 79.63
Past Seasons: S22-96, S23-77, S24-57, S25-40, S26-11, S27-30, S28-55, S29-39, S30-55, S31-30, S32-5, S33-20, S34-20, S35-38, S36-55

At 71 is Kristian Eriksson, taking a steady decline in the rankings ever since his appearance in the top-10 back in S32. Eriksson, despite his specific failings, has been one of Toronto's most consistent contributors, helping earn them a Challenge Cup victory only a year ago. In S36 he continued to be a productive player, scoring 20 goals and 39 points and being one of their top scorers on the season. Not too bad for an old-timer, one of the oldest players currently in the league. Eriksson may be on the downswing of his career, but he still produces and makes it known that he is a competent player in the league, still better than a lot of players most teams have on their rosters.

70. (S22) G (Toronto North Stars) - Mark Harter || -12
Average Grade: 79.75
Past Seasons: S24-101, S25-78, S26-89, S27-69, S28-22, S29-25, S30-30, S31-44, S32-17, S33-55, S34-53, S35-23, S36-58

Finishing the 70s is North Stars goaltender Mark Harter, still being a damn fine goaltender in his older years. Harter went 24-15-5 in S36, finishing with a .904 save percentage and a 2.91 goals against average, not quite up to par with his Challenge Cup season in S35, but still putting him as one of the better goaltenders in the league. While his raw talent is starting to fade away, he continues to be a fixture of the league with his veteran instincts, allowing him a little bit more leeway that other goaltenders aren't able to afford. Harter isn't long for this league, but while we have him we can still enjoy his abilities between the pipes.

69. (S31) G (San Francisco Pride) - Jeff Kirkstone || -16
Average Grade: 80.00
Past Seasons: S35-57, S36-53

At 69 is Pride goaltender Jeff Kirkstone, looking to be the starter to get the former Admirals on the right track with their move to San Francisco. Kirkstone has been pretty impressive for the start of his career, having over a .900 save percentage throughout (a lot of goaltenders cannot say that), and just last season registering a .908 save percentage. The problem was he was facing a ton of shots, leading to a problematic 13-26-4 season with the Admirals and a 3.15 goals against average. Now that the team has moved to San Francisco, he will hopefully have a new look and a better team in front of him to succeed.

68. (S31) G (Texas Renegades) - Georgette Pel || +24
Average Grade: 80.38
Past Seasons: S36-92

At 68 is another goaltender, Renegade Georgette Pel, who in his young career has started to turn heads and improve in his standing throughout the league. Pel went 24-14-5, registered a .907 save percentage, and finished with a 2.65 goals against average. However what really made people take notice was his run to the finals, playing as well as he needed to be and giving his team a chance to win every single game. He may not be a world-beater yet, but his ability to play in big games is going to be a factor going forward.

67. (S31)RW (Texas Renegades) - Reed Laing || -13
Average Grade: 80.38
Past Seasons: S36-54

At 67 is new Texas Renegade Reed Laing. Laing has had a bit of an off and on career so far, having some incredible performances like the one she had in S35, but other than that hasn't exactly shown up in the regular season. Laing scored 18 goals and 38 points for her last season in Toronto, and their play in the playoffs caused her to move on and transfer to another team. Texas has always been a home for her, even if she hadn't played there, yet, and because of this she is very likely to see a big uptick in production. That is assuming she doesn't grow tired of the place and moves out.

66. (S27) RW (Los Angeles Panthers) - Jaxson Reynolds || -38
Average Grade: 80.38
Past Seasons: S34-61, S35-34, S36-28

Jaxson Reynolds enters the list at 66 for the Panthers, a player who has had some incredible seasons as of late, but had a major struggle in S36 where he was unable to continue his streak of scoring 50 or more points. Reynolds scored 18 goals and 31 points, a major drop in production, and even finished behind players like Felix Herzog, something nobody was expecting when he joined the team. Reynolds seems to have just finished his true prime years, which means we may have seen the last of him at his best. Can he turn back time on his career and provide those dominant seasons?

65. (S26) LW (New England Wolfpack) - Mainio Makinen || -51
Average Grade: 81.38
Past Seasons: S31-72, S32-44, S33-66, S34-48, S35-7, S36-14

At 65 is Wolfpack winger Mainio Makinen, a long-time Wolfpack winger with a lot of productive seasons under his belt. Unfortunately with regression beginning to take its toll Makinen has shown many signs of faltering. He scored 15 goals and 35 points in S36, barely registered a hit (15 total), and had major issues with his two-way game, finishing only +3 on the year. The Wolfpack overall wasn't great defensively, but a lot of that falls on his shoulders.

64. (S27) LW (Edmonton Blizzard) - Reinis Aumeisters || New Entry
Average Grade: 81.75
Past Seasons: None

At 64 is Reinis Aumeisters, a new entry after finally being able to break through the offensive ceiling and finish S36 with the best performance of his career so far. Aumeister scored 19 goals and 49 points, both a career high, as well as registered 66 hits while only playing around 24 minutes a game. While a late bloomer with this performance, Aumeisters could be one of those rare talents that ages like fine wine. Unfortunately, we can't say that for sure until he actually produces as such.

63. (S30) C (Edmonton Blizzard) - Steven Stamkos Jr. || Returning Entry
Average Grade: 81.75
Past Seasons: S33-92, S34-29, S35-71

At 63 is Blizzard center Steven Stamkos Jr., coming back on the list after a couple seasons where he really just didn't have a lot of production. Stamkos Jr. got back into the 40 point range with 22 goals and 46 points, and while he has never been a big hitter, he was more physical than previous years and started to refine the intangible parts of his game. Stamkos Jr. is still learning, too, so he could keep going and become a consistent two-way player in the league.

62. (S29) G (Buffalo Stampede) - Casey Holmes || -1
Average Grade: 81.75
Past Seasons: S34-80, S35-77, S36-61

At 62 is Stampede goaltender Casey Holmes, falling back a spot but maintaining his spot in the 60s, still looking to get into the top-50 range. He has shown signs of being able to get in there, but no real elite performances of yet keeps him out. Holmes went 27-14-3 in S36, had a .908 save percentage and a 2.81 goals against average. All of those stats are pretty good, but none of them are great. Holmes still can work on some parts of his game, but time is quickly running out before he begins to see his play regress.

61. (S23) C (West Kendall Platoon) - Slappy McDoodle || +3
Average Grade: 81.88
Past Seasons: S29-95, S30-57, S31-67, S32-59, S33-60, S34-77, S35-70, S36-64

At 61 is Platoon center Slappy McDoodle, about as consistent as a player can ever get even if it isn't the best kind of consistency you want. Slappy McDoodle has prided himself on his numerous 30+ point seasons, always being there when you need him to. McDoodle had one of his high points in S36, scoring 13 goals and 41 points while maintaining his physical presence with 163 hits. McDoodle is an older player, but is still able to get the job done.

60. (S26) C (Texas Renegades) - Sven Karlsson || -4
Average Grade: 81.88
Past Seasons: S29-85, S30-61, S31-78, S32-74, S33-46, S34-90, S35-63, S36-56

At 60 is Renegade center Sven Karlsson, finishing up the 60s after scoring 11 goals and 46 points. Karlsson has jumped around to a few teams, from Portland to Los Angeles then back to Toronto. Now in Texas his game has been pretty solid, even if he doesn't have a wide variety of tools to his arsenal. With regression hitting him now, it is unknown exactly what kind of game Karlsson will be able to bring in future years. How good is he now and how good will he be five seasons from now?

59. (S23) D (Calgary Dragons) - Michael Boychuk || -9
Average Grade: 81.88
Past Seasons: S28-97, S29-67, S30-53, S31-41, S32-25, S33-67, S34-57, S35-50, S36-50

At 59 is Michael Boychuk, long-term Dragon, and solid top pairing defenseman. Since the absence of former Dragon Bubba Nuck, the Dragons have needed to make some changes to their lineup to accommodate. One of those changes was giving Michael Boychuk an extended look at the pop pairing. Boychuk filled in admirably, and in the last two seasons has averaged 5 goals and 39 points. For a team that prides itself on team play and not individuals, Boychuk had a monster couple of seasons, and despite dropping in the list is still recognized as a major contributor to the roster.

58. (S25) C (Seattle Riot) - Jonathan Lundberg || -28
Average Grade: 81.88
Past Seasons: 30-82, S31-94, S32-65, S33-59, S34-49, S35-27, S36-30

At 58 is Jonathan Lundberg, struggling during S36 and eventually seeing himself traded to the Seattle Riot. Lundberg played okay initially, but after 36 games where he only scored 6 goals and 21 points, Lundberg was proving not to be up to snuff, and his -17 plus minus was a big indicator of that. The Riot took a chance on him, and he seemed to get back to his game, scoring 5 goals and 14 points in 15 games, finishing at a respectable 11 goals and 35 points. Lundberg wasn't setting the world on fire, but his physical play and ability to put the puck in the net every so often keeps him as a valuable SHL weapon.

57. (S30) LW (Texas Renegades) - Conklin Owen || Returning Entry
Average Grade: 82.50
Past Seasons: S35-85

At 57 for the Renegades is Conklin Owen, back at it after scoring a career high 25 goals and 50 points. Owen has had a bit of an up and down start, looking pretty good after his third season, then falling off a cliff in S35 where he scored only 18 goals and 32 points. Owen seems to be back on track, and while there isn't a lot else to his game, he is producing despite not getting a lot of ice time. That is a depth secret weapon who can produce like a top line talent. Can Owen get even better?

56. (S32) RW (Minnesota Chiefs) - Terrance Nova || -20
Average Grade: 82.63
Past Seasons: S34-83, S35-28, S36-36

At 56 is Chiefs winger Terrance Nova, dropping back but continuing to be a consistent part of the Chiefs forward core. Nova scored 26 goals and 46 points, just shy of his total goals scored career high, but what killed in in S36 was the assists. Nova didn't quite have the scoring help which led to a lower set of points, something that is looking like a trend ever since his 53 point season in S34. Nova is one of the younger talents in the league, though, and with the right coaching and attitude he could get right back in the swing of things and back into the top-30.

55. (S31) LW (Winnipeg Jets) - Corey Bearss || New Entry
Average Grade: 82.75
Past Seasons: None

At 55 is Jets winger Corey Bearss, moving on up and making this list for the first time after his 22 goals and 47 points in S36. Bearss has been pretty productive ever since being called up, scoring 24 points in S33 and S34, then 34 points in S35. With this most recent surge in production, Bearss is slated to be a top tier winger and with the influx of youth on the team Bearss could be getting a lot of opportunities to score.

54. (S31) G (Manhattan Rage) - Jason Aittokallio || +40
Average Grade: 82.88
Past Seasons: S35-99, S36-94

At 54 is Rage goaltender Jason Aittokallio, enjoying his best individual season to date. Aittokallio went 21-18-2, had a save percentage of .911 and a goals against average of 2.98. The only concern is Aittokallio's goals against average, which is indicative of the team in front of him not doing a good job of suppressing shots. Aittokallio is starting to get close to his prime, and he could be an elite goaltender for many seasons, but his odds of being a regular McBride contender will be small if the team in front of him can't get their act together.

53. (S25) D (Toronto North Stars) - Cynthia Taylor || +4
Average Grade: 82.88
Past Seasons: S34-87, S35-66, S36-57

Cynthia Taylor comes in at 53, moving up even closer to the top-50. Taylor is dealing with regression, but she has surprisingly had some of her best seasons while regressing. Taylor scored 4 goals and 34 points for the Stars, registering 184 hits and blocking 91 shots. Taylor has never been the kind of top-pairing talent that some expected her to be, but he career has seen her be quite productive and a steady source of defensive play for a team that was able to finally earn a Challenge Cup a season ago.

52. (S31) LW (Buffalo Stampede) - Eduard Selich || -14
Average Grade: 82.88
Past Seasons: S33-84, S34-36, S35-12, S36-38

At 52 is Eduard Selich of the Stampede, surprisingly falling back from the list despite having a major uptick in production. It seems like his S35 season hurt him in a way on this list, as his 34 points was the worst offensive season of his career. However, Selich is getting back into it, and in S36 he scored 23 goals and 47 points. Selich still has time to improve his two-way play, which is the worst part of his game, and if he can do that, he could get back towards the top-10s. Or he could keep getting 60+ point seasons like in S34.

51. (S21) G (Calgary Dragons) Hunter Wong || -8
Average Grade: 83.38
Past Seasons: S23-94, S25-82, S26-83, S27-63, S28-46, S29-31, S30-33, S31-18, S32-11, S33-39, S34-31, S35-55, S36-43

At 51 is Dragons goaltender Hunter Wong, who still remains a major fixture in this list in his advanced years, proving what a great draft pick he was back in the S21 offseason. Wong went 27-13-4, had a .907 save percentage and a 2.61 goals against average. While he isn't winning a McBride with those stats, that is still damn good for a goaltender who is deep in regression at this point. Wong still has a bunch in the tank, too, so it still may be another 10 seasons before we see Hunter Wong off this list in the end.

50. (S29) D (Los Angeles Panthers) - Felix Herzog || +45
Average Grade: 83.50
Past Seasons: S36-95

Starting the top-50 is Felix Herzog, making a major jump in the list with his 9 goals and 41 points. Herzog has done nothing but move up in production, and while his goal scoring in S36 wasn't as amazing as it was in S35 (where he scored 18 goals), he has started to round out his game and is becoming a much better overall defenseman, something the Panthers have needed from him since he was called up to the roster. Could Herzog become an elite defender? He has plenty of room to grow, that's for sure.

49. (S20) LW (Manhattan Rage) - Pedro Sarantez || -2
Average Grade: 83.75
Past Seasons: S22-75, S23-54, S24-30, S25-33, S26-39, S27-6, S28-65, S29-50, S30-15, S31-7, S32-12, S33-23, S34-4, S35-15, S36-47

At 49 is Pedro Sarantez, dropping a couple spots but still in the top-50. Sarantez got back into the swing of things offensively, scoring 19 goals and 49 points. He even laid the body on a couple of times, bringing back some vintage Sarantez into the mix. Though we don't hear that much from the veteran forward these days, he still reminds us why we had him so high on our lists for so long, and even though he is no longer considered a top-10 player, sticking in the top-50 after so many seasons is a pretty great feat.

48. (S28) RW (West Kendall Platoon) - Mikko Linna || Even
Average Grade: 83.88
Past Seasons: S32-76, S33-81, S34-98, S35-61, S36-48

At 48 is Mikko Linna, Platoon winger and playing as well as ever, finishing S36 with a career high in goals with 24 and points with 45. Linna over the past three seasons has been a top-tier winger, scoring a total of 63 goals and averaging over 40 points each of those seasons. Linna still has a year or two left in the tank before he retires as well, which means the best may be yet to come from him.

47. (S24) RW (Winnipeg Jets) - Vincent-Leon-Anze Draisaitl-McZehrl || -42
Average Grade: 84.00
Past Seasons: S29-21, S30-9, S31-2, S32-2, S33-2, S34-2, S35-1, S36-5

At 47 is Jets winger VLAD McZehrl, falling way back after numerous seasons in the top 5 (possibly the greatest run in the top-100 we have ever seen). McZ faltered in almost every category in S36, scoring only 17 goals and 40 points, a far cry from his 30-60 seasons recently. It is possible his time in Buffalo was not well spent, as it didn't seem to take long for him to jump ship to the Jets, a team that enjoyed double-shifting their players as well. Seems like his kind of team.

46. (S22) RW (Los Angeles Panthers) - Ales Smirnov || -26
Average Grade: 84.13
Past Seasons: S26-84, S27-58, S28-93, S29-56, S30-47, S31-46, S32-31, S33-37, S34-75, S35-43, S36-20

At 46 is Platoon winger Ales Smirnov, who has been under the radar most of his career but has been a consistent top-50 player since S30. Smirnov dropped quite a bit this recent season while with the Wolfpack, and because of his poor play he was shipped off to the Los Angeles Panthers, where his game seemed to get back into the swing of things. Overall he scored 18 goals and 44 points, which is a really good production for a top line winger.

45. (S25) D (West Kendall Platoon) - Maria Maximova || -1
Average Grade: 84.38
Past Seasons: S27-96, S29-71, S30-96, S31-95, S32-52, S33-57, S34-71, S35-64, S36-44

At 45 is Platoon defender Maria Maximova. Maximova has stayed pretty consistent, moving into the top-50 the last two seasons with her improving play. S36 was no different, as she scored 7 goals and 38 points on the season, registered 162 hits, and blocked 65 shots. She is a pretty complete package, and what has stopped her in her search to soar even higher is she is more of a Jill of all trades, instead of a superstar at any specific position.

44. (S31) RW (Calgary Dragons) - Joe Kurczewski || New Entry
Average Grade: 84.63
Past Seasons: None

At 44 is a newcomer on the list, Joe Kurczewski, a future Dragon superstar. Kurczewski enjoyed playing with the likes of players like Randy Randleman, Nicholas Pedersen, and Esa Anrikkanen, not including the other depth players they had on the roster. With that he shined in a big way, scoring 23 goals and 52 points, second on the team in scoring to boot. His defensive work is still being improved, but with an offensive pedigree that he has, he could easily figure out the defensive aspects of the game.

43. (S30) C (Los Angeles Panthers) - Jean-Luc Reflieux || +56
Average Grade: 84.63
Past Seasons: S34-96, S35-97, S36-99

At 43 is Panthers center Jean-Luc Reflieux, making a big step forward in the rankings with his 23 goals and 50 points, the first time he reached the milestone. Jean-Luc has been a work in progress the last couple of seasons, but in S36 he finally proved that hard work developing him paid off, and he is one of the top talents on the team these days. While a bit one-dimensional, he has serious potential left and time to reach it before he starts to regress.

42. (S28) G (Seattle Riot) - Michael McFadden || -16
Average Grade: 84.75
Past Seasons: S31-73, S32-73, S33-56, S34-58, S35-21, S36-26

At 42 is Riot goaltender Michael McFadden, having another solid season but not quite living up to the previous ones. McFadden still saw success, going 24-11-6, with a .910 save percentage and a 2.91 goals against average, and the Riot have started to see some improvement on the team as a whole in front of him. The team still has a lot of work and McFadden may not quite be talented enough to carry the team on their back. But in this league, is there any goaltender who can claim to do that?

41. (S18) LW (Calgary Dragons) - Esa Anrikkanen || -16
Average Grade: 84.75
Past Seasons: S20-45, S21-48, S22-35, S23-6, S24-7, S25-34, S26-14, S27-27, S28-29, S29-12, S30-11, S31-5, S32-15, S33-50, S34-54, S35-35, S36-25

At 41 is King of Parms Esa Anrikkanen, still a top-50 talent despite the drop in production and overall skills due to his age. Anrikkanen is the eldest player in the top-100, one of the eldest in the league, and still dazzles with his moves and his shot. Anrikkanen scored 22 goals and 43 points, and with this season puts him even closer to reaching the 800 point mark, where he could be one of only four players in the history of the game to reach the milestone. Anrikkanen is assuredly going to do it, but can he hold on for even longer to take the SHL scoring crown?

40. (S31) C (Hamilton Steelhawks) - Ronnie Westbrook || +43
Average Grade: 85
Past Seasons: S34-97, S35-83

At 40 is Ronnie Westbrook of the Steelhawks, a center who is having to deal with a lack of talent alongside him, meaning he has over the last couple of seasons needed to do it all almost by himself (with the help of Dover and Wozy). Westbrook scored 19 goals and 53 points despite the lack of support, and while his -10 isn't very impressive, the fact he was able to do it alongside players that were in the negative 20s and 30s shows how important he is to the team. And he is a young talent, so him being able to carry the team like this means when the support comes, he will be ready to take them to the promised land.

39. (S25) C (Edmonton Blizzard) - Nikolaus Scholz || -15
Average Grade: 85
Past Seasons: S31-69, S32-47, S33-17, S34-28, S35-30, S36-24

At 39 is Edmonton Blizzard center Nikolaus Scholz, dropping back due to his inability to keep up with his S35 season where he scored 57 points, 40 of those points being assists. Scholz was the ultimate playmaker in S35, and despite his +/- being weak he seemed to have a pretty good go on the defensive end. Not so much in S36, as Scholz failed to have the offensive season he expected and fell back in the rankings as a result.

38. (S27) D (Minnesota Chiefs) - Chris Crutchfield || -21
Average Grade: 85.13
Past Seasons: S31-81, S32-72, S33-19, S34-41, S35-41, S36-17

At 38 is Chris Crutchfield, who has made a number of jumps since he left the Panthers in S35 (as in a single season and offseason). Crutchfield moved to the New England Wolfpack expecting to play for a cup contender, however his play seemed to be pretty awful there as he scored only 26 points in 37 games and the Wolfpack were clearly out of a playoff spot at the time. Crutch requested a trade and lo and behold the Wolfpack had a great season without him. Crutchfield finished the season with 36 points, which isn't bad, but now on the Chiefs he is going to have to do better if he wants the team to actually succeed.

37. (S28) D (Toronto North Stars) - Marc-Andre Malkin || +42
Average Grade: 85.88
Past Seasons: S32-86, S33-75, S34-85, S35-81, S36-79

Marc-Andre Malkin comes in at number 37, making one of the biggest jumps on the list after reaching a career high in goals and points. Malkin's main claim to fame during S36 was the goals he put up. 14 goals is nothing to scoff at for a defenseman, and Malkin has been making steps to his game that make his shot a deadly tool for the North Stars. As he continues to progress leading up to his last couple of prime seasons, Malkin could be poised for a brilliant run.

36. (S20) C (Calgary Dragons) - Nicholas Pedersen || -17
Average Grade: 86
Past Seasons: S23-46, S24-59, S25-16, S26-22, S27-49, S28-27, S29-58, S30-24, S31-17, S32-23, S33-26, S34-7, S35-39, S36-19

At 36 is Dragons center Nicholas Pedersen of the Dragons, who has had one of the most underrated careers up to this point. Pedersen has not once made it to the top-10, despite his consistent production and numerous times when he has been one of the top players in the league in offense. It is possible that Pedersen is just overlooked because he is on the Dragons where they have had other elite players who have outshined him, but Pedersen deserves to get more recognition, espcially with the last three seasons.

35. (S25) C (Toronto North Stars) - Evandrus Jesster || -4
Average Grade: 86.13
Past Seasons: S28-64, S29-60, S30-48, S31-80, S32-27, S33-48, S34-86, S35-48, S36-31

At 35 is North Stars center Evandrus Jesster, who we haven't really heard much from in recent years but still keeps producing and showing up on this list. Jesster scored 14 goals and 52 points in S36, and while his point total was only one point shy of the previous season, he scored 10 fewer goals, which is an interesting development. It is very possible that Jesster may no longer be the goal scoring threat that he was in previous seasons, and with his age catching up to him it shouldn't be surprising.

34. (S28) G (New England Wolfpack) - Mikke Laukkanen || -7
Average Grade: 86.25
Past Seasons: S32-61, S33-30, S34-17, S35-25, S36-27

Mikke Laukkanen comes in at 34, another player to drop on the list. Laukkanen hasn't been able to replicate his season in S32 where he went 26-15-3 with a .918 save percentage, and S36 was an especially difficult season where he was unable to stop any pucks in the first half and finally got his act together in the second. He finished with a 24-14-6 record and a .10 save percentage, and took his team to the finals once again, but considering he should be getting much better and not slightly worse with his current age, it is not surprising to see him fall on the list a bit.

33. (S29) LW (Manhattan Rage) - Harry Hans || -17
Average Grade: 86.25
Past Seasons: S33-42, S34-45, S35-24, S36-16

At 33 is Harry Hans of the Rage. Harry Hans looked to be the king of the world for a couple of seasons in Manhattan, scoring 51 goals and 111 points in the previous two seasons, but Hans didn't quite take the next step according to some and fell back in the rankings with his 25 goals and 48 points. It is a weird circumstance, because his goal scoring has remained pretty constant, it is just that he didn't quite get as many assists as previous seasons which hurt him. Hans is still a top-tier player, though, and he should get a look at the top-10 very soon.

32. (S25) RW (Minnesota Chiefs) - Ivan Koroviev || +13
Average Grade: 86.75
Past Seasons: S31-70, S32-64, S33-58, S34-32, S35-65, S36-45

At 32 is Ivan Koroviev of the Chiefs, making his debut for Minnesota a big one where with the Chiefs he scored 46 points in 38 games, finishing th season with 22 goals and 54 points. If not for his poor start in Edmonton where he scored only 8 points in 13 games, he could have been a contender for the scoring lead. Koroviev took a little while to get to where he is now, and he still has yet to string two 50+ point seasons together, but he could be a player that ages like fine wine as he fights regression.

31. (S22) D (Winnipeg Jets) - Big Manious || +8
Average Grade: 86.88
Past Seasons: S27-42, S28-41, S29-45, S30-32, S31-22, S32-68, S33-41, S34-11, S35-32, S36-39

Big Manious comes in at 31, the big bruising defenseman who has been back and forth in the offensive categories, never quite up to the 50 point mark like some other defensemen, but back into the 40 point mark with 14 goals and 45 points. His physical play and defensive play is also top notch, which makes some confused as to why he doesn't get as many votes for the Stevens as some others do. Maybe it is true that defensive play does get underrated.

30. (S30) D (Hamilton Steelhawks) - Ben Dover || -1
Average Grade: 86.88
Past Seasons: S33-88, S34-34, S35-62, S36-29

At 30 is Steelhawks defenseman Ben Dover, having a couple of consistent seasons strung together and starting to prove himself as a top-tier talent on defense. Dover scored 11 goals and 44 points on the season, second among the Steelhawks in scoring. However what has hurt him in the last few seasons has been his defensive play, and nothing tells that story better than his -29 +/- with the team. While the Steelhawks are struggling, that really isn't an excuse for a top-tier offensive talent like Dover, and the team is expecting more from him. Maybe they should put him at forward?

Alonzo Garbanzo Final Tallies (Among Defensemen):
2nd in Goals (208), All-Time Assists Leader (765)*, All-Time Points Leader (973), 3rd in Hits (2587), All-Time Blocked Shots Leader (1882)*
*All-Time Leader Among All Skaters
Player Profile | Update Thread
[Image: IeEV7Iv.png]

ArGarBarGar · 10-03-2017, 05:44 PM

29. (S32) D (Winnipeg Jets) - Max Weber || +45
Average Grade: 87.38
Past Seasons: S36-74

At 29 is Jets defender Max Weber, jumping up to the top 30 of the list despite it only being his second appearance total. Weber has take the SHL by storm, playing three pretty productive seasons in Portland then one more in Winnipeg for S36, in which he scored 10 goals and 49 points, all while being a major contributor on the power play and improving every facet of his game up until this point. Weber hasn't gotten a lot of credit for his progression, but now the critics are starting to take notice.

28. (S27) LW (Calgary Dragons) - Shane Gagner || +14
Average Grade: 87.38
Past Seasons: S34-69, S35-83, S36-42

Calgary Dragons Shane Gagner comes in at 28, improving a great deal in almost every aspect (except for goal scoring where he was only just as good as the year previous), scoring 20 goals and 50 points, registering 177 its, and doing so while eating a lot of minutes and in many situations. Gagner is a bit of a late bloomer, but his play under the tutelage of the Dragons veterans has made him quite the competitor and talent out there. Gagner is yet another example of how good the Dragons are at cultivating forward talent, and even with Regression getting very close Gagner has more room to grow from here.

27. (S24) LW (Toronto North Stars) - Damien Wert || +14
Average Grade: 87.38
Past Seasons: S28-99, S30-98, S32-96, S33-24, S34-35, S35-84, S36-41

At 27 is Damien Wert of the North Stars. Wert's tenure with Toronto has been about as good as they were expecting when they acquired him back in S32, and Wert continues to dazzle even while being hit with regression. Wert scored 30 goals and 59 points on the season, was +12, and despite his lack of physical play he knew when to use his body and in the right ways. Wert has enjoyed his second straight 50+ point season, and with the goal scoring as good as it ever has been, Wert could become a top-10 player very soon.

26. (S20) RW (Seattle Riot) - Jed Lloren || +47
Average Grade: 87.63
Past Seasons: S22-83, S23-68, S24-62, S25-19, S26-21, S27-68, S28-59, S29-46, S30-51, S31-65, S32-34, S33-16, S34-50, S35-75, S36-73

At 26 is Jed Lloren, the one player you see on this list and go "how did he get this high?" Well, Lloren had a career season with the Seattle Riot despite being one of the eldest players in the league, where he scored 18 goals and 57 points, tied for second on the team in scoring. This was also while playing only 22 minutes a night and a shooting percentage of less than ten percent. Did he have a horseshoe stuck in his behind or what, because this is the best we have seen him play, and he was supposed to be retired by now. Could Lloren continue this type of pace through S37?

25. (S26) RW (Winnipeg Jets) - Don Pellegrino || +43
Average Grade: 87.63
Past Seasons: S33-87, S34-39, S35-51, S36-68

At 25 is Don Pellegrino of the Winnipeg Jets, a right winger who has improved a great deal since we saw him in the SMJHL circuit with his brothers (who are all now busts unfortunately). Pellegrino scored 23 goals and 61 points, adding to the list of players who have been able to reach the 60 point mark, and was a major contributor to the Jets forward core as he was double-shifted a lot during that stretch. Pellegrino doesn't have much other than the offense, which is why he isn't further on the list.

24. (S27) RW (New England Wolfpack) - Raven Silverwing || +9
Average Grade: 87.88
Past Seasons: S33-52, S34-37, S35-18, S36-33

At 24 is Raven Silverwing of the Wolfpack, with his fourth 40+ season in a row (and very close to his third overall 50 point season). Silverwing doesn't get a lot of press because of the way he handles himself most of the time, but in S36 the press took notice as he almost got into the top-20 for the second time of his career. Silverwing also is one of those players who is able to get the job done offensively despite not being given a lot of minutes, and Silverwing's 22 minutes a night were all he needed to be a top-tier offensive player.

23. (S31) RW (Winnipeg Jets) - Zach Evans || +39
Average Grade: 88.25
Past Seasons: S36-62

Zach Evans of the Jets comes in at 23, a career hjigh in both goals and points with 28 and 58, respectively. Evans was another Jet who needed to play a lot of minutes and was able to be productive because of it, and while many disregard those accomplishments because he played so often, it does take a lot of talent to be able to play those kinds of minutes and produce at the level that he has produced. Evans is another player making big jumps early, and the best may be yet to come from this winger.

22. (S29) LW (Los Angeles Panthers) - Sebastian Strange || +18
Average Grade: 88.25
Past Seasons: S33-31, S34-59, S35-74, S36-40

At 22 is Sebastian Strange of the Panthers, asserting himself as one of the best players on the young Panthers roster, leading the team in scoring with 21 goals and 53 points and doing so playing fewer than 22 minutes a night. We talk about some stars who play a lot and produce, but Strange reached the 50 point mark and produced, including a big hitting game in the process with 119 hits. Strange now has two 50 point seasons in a row, and with his room to grow there could be more in the near future. Perhaps some hardware might be coming his way as well.

21. (S25) RW (Texas Renegades) - Geoffrey Allen || +1
Average Grade: 88.25
Past Seasons: S28-72, S29-73, S30-87, S31-49, S32-30, S33-27, S34-25, S35-16, S36-22

At 21 is Geoffrey Allen of the Texas Renegades, one of the most overlooked careers in the SHL. Allen over the last 7 seasons has scored at over a 46 point average, has reached the 50+ point mark twice, and over that span has a season high of 56 points and low of 45. Allen does this while being a stalwart defensive player and a primary player on special teams as well, all while playing a moderate amount of minutes. Will Allen get his shot in the top-10 soon? Or will he continue to be overlooked?

20. (S32) LW (Seattle Riot) - Kyle Kylrad || +55
Average Grade: 88.38
Past Seasons: S35-100, S36-75

Kyle Kylrad of the Riot comes in at number 20, scoring 26 goals and 57 points, a career high in both categories, and doing so with a superb physical game that has been on point for the last three seasons. Kylrad was also defensively sound and played important minutes for the team in the later stages of the season, making him one of the most valuable players on the Riot during their cup run. Kylrad is young, too, which means he can continue to tune other aspects of his game if there are any that really need to be tuned at this point.

19. (S24) D (West Kendall Platoon) - Klaus Wagner || +27
Average Grade: 88.38
Past Seasons: S29-93, S30-73, S32-20, S33-36, S34-62, S35-73, S36-46

At 19 is defenseman Klaus Wagner of the Platoon, once again needing to be the talent that West Kendall needed, scoring 10 goals and 47 points and leading the team in scoring as a result. Wagner has been the anchor that has held the Platoon together, and with fellow defenseman Biscuit gone, Wagner has needed to pull double duty. So far, he has done his job, and with two straight 40 point seasons (something he has never done before), it seems like he is taking the extra responsibility the right way, and flourishing under the pressure.

18. (S21) RW (Seattle Riot) - Theo Kane || -6
Average Grade: 89
Past Seasons: S23-75, S24-77, S25-56, S26-76, S27-57, S28-20, S29-32, S30-1, S31-13, S32-10, S33-12, S34-1, S35-10, S36-12

At 18 is Riot winger Theo Kane, still kicking on this list and in the top-20 for the 8th straight season (too bad for that S29 ranking, eh?). Kane scored 28 goals and 49 points, all while being traded to a new team for the first time in his SHL career since being drafted. In Seattle he did not have the best start, which hurt his overall production (was on pace for over 50 points with Edmonton), but he started to get his groove later in the season and could be a major weapon for the Riot in S37.

17. (S27) D (Texas Renegades) - Lord Vader || +15
Average Grade: 89.13
Past Seasons: S35-49, S36-32

At 17 is Renegades defenseman Lord Vader, earning his first 40+ point season in his career despite not showing up for many team practices or media events. Vader scored 9 goals and 46 points, was quite productive on the power play, and also was a major physical presence on the ice, putting his name to good use. Vader hasn't quite fit the bill of where he was drafted, but has maintained a very productive career with the Renegades, helping them earn their first cup since S20, so it seems his talent was not wasted after all.

16. (S27) LW (Buffalo Stampede) - Maximillian Wächter || -3
Average Grade: 89.13
Past Seasons: S32-98, S33-79, S34-56, S35-22, S36-13

At 16 is Stampede winger Maximilian Wächter, once again outside the top-10 despite another impressive run. This is Wächter's fourth 40+ point season in a row, and was just shy of a third 50 point season in a row, scoring 14 goals and 48 points. While Wächter has shown his mettle as an offensive beast, he also proves his worth in other ways, particularly with the physical aspect of his game. Wächter registered 233 hits on the year, which is among the best that we have seen from many players, and the fact this is his third straight season with 200+ hits is something to behold.

15. (S25) C (Texas Renegades) - Jack Durden || Even
Average Grade: 89.25
Past Seasons: S30-76, S31-24, S32-37, S33-33, S34-38, S35-20, S36-15

At 15 is Jack Durden, long-time Renegade and fitting into the mold as a major contributor nicely, one of the many stabilizing veteran presences that earned the team a Challenge Cup last season. Durden scored 22 goals and 55 points (the second straight season doing so), and while his two-way game has its ups and downs, he has been there in big moments and is one of the biggest moment players in the SHL right now. Durden doesn't show any signs of slowing down, either, as he has had his best seasons while under regression in the SHL.

14. (S32) LW (Manhattan Rage) - Luke Atmey || +37
Average Grade: 89.38
Past Seasons: S34-93, S36-51

At 14 is Luke Atmey of the Rage, proving that last season's 56 point dominant season was not a fluke, and he even did it on a completely different team. Atmey has fit into the Manhattan locker room incredibly well, filling in for the hole that a previous winger left (unceremoniously I might at), and doing so without flinching. Atmey scored 27 goals and 58 points, a career high in both cases, and is showing signs of improving his physical and defensive game, which could be a major threat if the Rage are looking to get back into the Challenge Cup circuit.

13. (S31) G (Los Angeles Panthers) - Timo Haas || -2
Average Grade: 90
Past Seasons: S33-53, S34-70, S35-19, S36-11

At 13 is Panthers goaltender Timo Haas, once again having a very productive season for his team, although the win record isn't quite as stellar as he had wanted. Haas went 21-19-4, matched his save percentage of .913 from the season before, and while his goals against average increased, it was due to the increase in shots against, which is not something he could really help. Either way, Haas remains a threat to make it to the top-10 once again, and is the youngest current goaltender to challenge for a spot in that exclusive part of the list.

12. (S25) D (New England Wolfpack) Jasper Clayton || -4
Average Grade: 90
Past Seasons: S29-99, S30-84, S31-66, S32-22, S33-8, S34-19, S35-8, S36-8

At 12 is Wolfpack defenseman Jasper Clayton, bounced out of the top-10 despite two straight top-10 finishes, but still being productive as ever for the Wolfpack. This is probably the first player you look at when you think of the phrase "the points don't tell the whole story." While Clayton only scored 12 goals and 39 points, he was arguably the most positionally sound defender in the league, and with the Wolfpack making it to yet another Challenge Cup final, it is possible that he just knows the right things to do to help his team win. Plus, when you are only playing 23 minutes a night, you are put at a bit of a disadvantage anyway.

11. (S31) D (Buffalo Stampede) - Ludwig Koch Schröder || +60
Average Grade: 90.75
Past Seasons: S33-98, S34-92, S35-82, S36-71

At 11, just outside the top-10 is Stampede defenseman Ludwig Koch Schröder, though he made one of the biggest jumps in the list going from 71 to 11. How did he do that? Well, it didn't hurt that he tied the league lead in defensive scoring, scoring 16 goals and 52 points, all while narrowly missing out on a Stevens trophy (had to settle for just a nomination). Schröder's biggest challenge at this point is keeping the points coming and rounding out the rest of his game, because if he can continue to be an offensive juggernaut and ramp up his defensive and physical attributes, he could be the next #1 defender in the league.

10. (S25) C (Winnipeg Jets) - Luke Fleming || -6
Average Grade: 91.25
Past Seasons: S29-100, S30-79, S31-37, S32-33, S33-25, S34-12, S35-3, S36-4
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First in the top-10 is Luke Fleming of the Jets, out of the top-5 but still one of the best players in the league because of how he is able to do almost everything in the game with peak efficiency. Fleming scored 23 goals and 50 points, not quite up to his own standards, but incredibly impressive that he has been able to keep his offensive contributions going strong as per usual. Fleming's biggest challenge now is to make sure his regressing skills don't include defense too much, because that -4 is going to stick in a lot of people's minds.

9. (S26) G (Minnesota Chiefs) - Robert Andersson || +9
Average Grade: 91.75
Past Seasons: S28-45, S29-87, S30-28, S31-42, S32-41, S33-11, S34-8, S35-11, S36-18
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At number 9 is Robert Andersson of the Chiefs, who will be enjoying a top-10 finish for his last ranking in the top-100. Going out on top, in a way. Andersson went 26-12-7, had a save percentage of .918, and a goals against average of 2.39. He was the best goaltender in the league when almost everyone was able to score on goaltenders, and he was able to prove that you could still put up peak numbers. Andersson won a McBride for his trouble, and after so many seasons missing out on the trophy and so many nominations, it must feel good for the goaltender to finally earn one. Now all he has to do is win that Challenge Cup and it is the cherry on top of a Hall of Fame career.

8. (S31) RW (Manhattan Rage) - Ace Redding || Even
Average Grade: 91.88
Past Seasons: S34-78, S35-42, S36-8
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At number 8 is Ace Redding of the Rage. Redding got a bit of a mulligan from the voters this season, as he was able to score 25 goals and 50 points, but it wasn't nearly the same kind of production as the season prior where he scored 36 goals and 67 points. Redding's hits have gone down as well, but of course 171 hits is a lot more than most players in the league even get close to. Redding still has a lot going for him, particularly his youth and the fact he is always in the gym making sure he is in peak condition. Even though this season is considered a down year, he has all the tools to bounce back and get into the top-5 like many are expecting him to.

7. (S26) D (Manhattan Rage) - Wyatt Wøllker || +4
Average Grade: 92.38
Past Seasons: S29 -94, S30-100, S31-50, S32-66, S33-34, S34-15, S35-6, S36-3
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At number 7 is another Rage player, Wyatt Wøllker, who scored 11 goals and 47 points, which is also not quite up to his 11 goals and 57 points the season prior. With this appearing like a Manhattan Rage thing and not particularly an individual thing, it is possible that the offense got a little more spread around this season, with guys like Wøllker needing to share the pie a little more than they were expecting. Either way this defenseman has got game, and continues to produce even when being hit with regression. He may not win a Stevens going forward, but he certainly is going to make a big case for himself in the years to come, regression or not.

6. (S31) C (Winnipeg Jets) - Jason Visser || +43
Average Grade: 93
Past Seasons: S36-49
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At number 6 is Jason Visser, probably not a name you were expecting on this list so soon. Visser scored 27 goals and a staggering 70 points, which could be a record for the highest number of points scoring by a player who has only played 5 seasons in the league. It was just an incredible sight, and while being a pretty formidable opponent in the defensive zone and along the boards. He has utilized his size to a great degree and has made the most of the minutes the Jets have given him so far in his career. Though the question will linger if he can repeat that 70 point performance. There is a lot of competition in this league.

5. (S22) C (Seattle Riot) - Kian Hamilton || +2
Average Grade: 93.50
Past Seasons: S27-41, S28-36, S29-33, S30-21, S31-33, S32-16, S33-6, S34-8, S35-4, S36-7
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At number 5 is Kian Hamilton, a regular top-10 member with his fifth straight top-10 finish. Hamilton led the Riot in scoring with 20 goals and 62 points, proving that he didn't need the ridiculous offensive scheme of the Rage to be a productive player and a top-5 player in the league. Hamilton also doing this when most people thought he would be retired by now. S22 is a long time ago, and most of the players in that draft class, if not all of them, have pretty much packed things up and moved on to retired life. Hamilton still being around and in this type of condition just shows how competitive he is.

4. (S22) D (Manhattan Rage) - Bubba Nuck || +6
Average Grade: 94
Past Seasons: S24-98, S26-59, S28-51, S29-74, S30-63, S31-3, S32-40, S33-69, S34-73, S35-14, S36-10
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At number 4 is Bubba Nuck. After a few seasons where we weren't sure if he was ever going to bounce back, Nuck has proven he still has the chops to turn heads and win awards, scoring 9 goals and 48 points, registering 163 hits, and being a top-tier defensive player to earn him the Stevens Trophy (the third of his career and second in three seasons). Nuck has been quite the talent in the last few seasons, and despite his high and low career, his highs are so high that we just have to stop and say "wow".

3. (S21) D (Minnesota Chiefs) - Alonzo Garbanzo || -1
Average Grade: 96.13
Past Seasons: S23-59, S24-76, S25-18, S26-30, S27-13, S28-3, S29-15, S30-6, S31-4, S32-4, S33-9, S34-2, S35-5, S36-2
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At number 3 is Alonzo Garbanzo, a consistent defenseman who just doesn't seem like he wants to ever quit. Garbanzo was at it yet again, scoring 11 goals and 52 points, the first time he has scored 52 points since way back in S31. This tied the defenseman scoring lead, and he did it with one of the best two-way games you can think of. While he didn't quite have the type of season to earn him his fourth Stevens, Garbanzo has shown that consistency can be an invaluable tool in this league, and that consistency could very well carry over to one of the greatest careers in SHL history.

2. (S24) C (Calgary Dragons) - Randy Randleman || +3
Average Grade: 96.75
Past Seasons: S27-64, S28-58, S29-20, S30-39, S31-36, S32-29, S33-47, S34-8, S35-8, S36-5
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At number 2 is Dragons center Randy Randleman, moving on up and as close as he can get to the throne without actually sitting on it. Randleman scored 37 goals and 74 points, the most impressive season of his career and a season that even he may never match. What is even more impressive as he was able to do it with one of the most punishing games that you will ever see, as he registered 189 hits and was tenacious on the puck more than any other player that you see in this league. Coupled with his speed and shot and you have one of the most dangerous players on earth...with a hockey stick.

1. (S25) RW (Minnesota Chiefs) - Lord Pretty Flacko || Even
Average Grade: 97
Past Seasons: NS30-70, S31-11, S32-1, S33-1, S34-6, S35-2, S36-1
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Number one on our list for the second straight season is Lord Pretty Flacko of the Minnesota Chiefs. Flacko scored 27 goals and 70 points, the third straight season with 60+ points, the 6th season in the last 7 with 60+ points, and the first of his career with 70 points. Flacko has been good in every aspect of the game for almost a decade now, doing everything it takes to put the puck in the opposition's net and keep it out of his own, so it is no surprise to see him retain the title as the best player in the league. The only thing that can stop him right now is the slow sands of time, but who knows when that will end up cashing in. Could Flacko make it three?

Alonzo Garbanzo Final Tallies (Among Defensemen):
2nd in Goals (208), All-Time Assists Leader (765)*, All-Time Points Leader (973), 3rd in Hits (2587), All-Time Blocked Shots Leader (1882)*
*All-Time Leader Among All Skaters
Player Profile | Update Thread
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crutch · 10-03-2017, 05:52 PM

fuck yes, favourite time of the ssn

fgh · 10-03-2017, 05:54 PM

FINALLY got on the list

Nereus · 10-03-2017, 05:55 PM

i am monitoring this thread

dnL · 10-03-2017, 05:56 PM

Congrats <a href='index.php?showuser=2374' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-3'>DonutDefender</a> and <a href='index.php?showuser=1242' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-13'>Andybj</a>!

Andy · 10-03-2017, 05:58 PM

Quote:Originally posted by dnL@Oct 3 2017, 04:56 PM
Congrats <a href='index.php?showuser=2374' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-3'>DonutDefender</a> and <a href='index.php?showuser=1242' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-13'>Andybj</a>!

:wub: :wub: very honored to be on this at all

DonutDefender · 10-03-2017, 06:17 PM

Quote:Originally posted by dnL@Oct 3 2017, 04:56 PM
Congrats <a href='index.php?showuser=2374' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-3'>DonutDefender</a> and <a href='index.php?showuser=1242' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-13'>Andybj</a>!

Happily surprised to be on this again. Smile

ThePandava · 10-03-2017, 06:43 PM

Top 100

TheWoZy · 10-03-2017, 07:57 PM

Quote:Originally posted by ThePandava@Oct 3 2017, 06:43 PM
Top 100

congrats

~~formx~~ · 10-03-2017, 08:04 PM

Have a feeling this is a list my player will never get on for his entire career.

Brb getting salt and making my own Big Baller list.

Allen · 10-03-2017, 08:23 PM

Quote:Originally posted by formx@Oct 3 2017, 07:04 PM
Have a feeling this is a list my player will never get on for his entire career.

Brb getting salt and making my own Big Baller list.