11-26-2020, 11:21 AM(This post was last modified: 11-26-2020, 11:23 AM by dogwoodmaple.)
(3,081 words, 2x draft media)
With the SMHL Draft in the books, let's take a look at the first two rounds and how they fit in with their new teams. For averages, I rounded when necessary and for highest attribute, I ignored the base 15 mental ratings. For each player's TPE, I found the most recent update on their update page and used that amount. If you recently updated, your TPE might be out of date on here.
Round One
1. St. Louis Scarecrows select RD Jean-Locke Zidane @Nictox
6'4" 227 lbs
Current TPE: 209
Highest rating: Stamina (12), Checking (12)
The Scarecrows go with the big French defender here at #1 overall. Last season, they allowed the second-most goals in the league, so picking up an elite defenseman was an easy decision for the St. Louis brass. Zidane is a workhorse on the ice, boasting one of the highest stamina ratings in this entire draft. And when you're on the ice with him, keep your head on a swivel - he'll knock you into next week. Fantastic pick here for the Scarecrows.
2. Detroit Falcons select RD Luc Blouin @DrunkenTeddy
6'5' 225 lbs
Current TPE: 223
Highest rating: Stamina (13)
What's better than one, enormous French defender? Two enormous French defenders! Blouin heads to Detroit as the first of their trio of top four picks. Standing 6'5" and tipping the scales at 225 lbs, he's an intimidating presence the second he gets on the ice. One of the most impressive aspects of his game is his incredible conditioning. He makes the Energizer Bunny look lethargic and will be an impact player from day one. Really excited to see how he plays in the preseason for Detroit.
3. Detroit Falcons select RW Pavel Jeziak @Leppish
6'1" 205 lbs
Current TPE: 208
Highest rating: Getting Open (13), Stamina (13)
Our first forward is off the board here with Pavel Jeziak at #3 overall. The Falcons scored the second-fewest goals last season so the addition of Jeziak should pay some major dividends this season. In addition to having a fantastic motor, Jeziak has a knack for being at the right place at the right time. That's bad news for opposing goalies.
4. Detroit Falcons select C Kermit Murphy @notorioustig
6'4" 230 lbs
Current TPE: 208
Highest rating: Stamina (12)
Detroit rounds out their trifecta with here with Kermit Murphy from nearby Hamilton, Ontario. Murphy is a do-everything center and can play any number of roles for the Falcons in the coming seasons. Detroit needed to absolutely hit these first three picks out of the park and it appears they did so. Murphy, Jeziak, and Blouin form a formidable trio that'll strike fear in the hearts of East Division coaching staffs.
At five, Kelowna adds right defenseman #A-Rye Izzy to help improve on their rough season last year. They finished with the second fewest points and scored the fewest goals of any team, but Izzy is a certainly a step in the right direction. He's a balanced defenseman who has great puckhandling, instincts, and, most impressively, an innate ability to find the open man. Izzy should be able to help on both ends for the Knights and could spark an impressive one-year turnaround for Kelowna.
Colorado heads to Lyon, France with their sixth overall pick and takes center Noel Blanchet. Blanchet is yet another physically imposing presence in the first round, standing every bit of 6'3". He's known for his rigorous workout regiment, which has led to him being in peak physical condition as we march towards the preseason. You'll simply have to drag him off the ice - something Colorado may not want to do, based on his refined skillset.
Back to Maine! I spent the last part of the postseason among the trees in Maine and I'm headed back there as the seventh overall pick in the draft. It seems only fitting, based on my username, that I re-join the Timber on a permanent basis. I wasn't too far off with this scientific draft prediction article, either.
After nabbing forward Noel Blanchet at sixth, Colorado goes for defense with the herb man himself, Basil Sivart. Sivart is already an elite defender and should provide the Raptors an immediate boost on the ice. His defensive instincts are second-to-none and he's never gets caught watching the puck. He's always in the right spot, forcing opponents to work hard for every single goal.
9. Anchorage Armada select RD Bean Beanman @"SeymourSnatches"
6'1" 219 lbs
Current TPE: 202
Highest rating: Stamina (12)
It's only appropriate that an alliterative team drafts our first alliterative player. Beanman makes the trek out to Alaska to join an Armada team that finished with the third most points in the league last season. They'll look to build on that this year and Beanman will be able to help on both offense and defense. He can handle the puck, is a master checker, and gets better the longer he's on the ice. Could be a huge year in Anchorage.
10. Carolina Kraken select LD Ole Olson @Amidships
6'3" 220 lbs
Current TPE: 225
Highest rating: Defensive read (13)
Apparently one alliterative player begets another as the Carolina Kraken take Ole Olson at #10. Olson is a well-built defender, coming in at 6'3" 220 lbs. He's got an incredible feel for all things defense, from anticipating opponents' moves to intercepting passes. He's always two steps ahead and will make life miserable for opposing teams. The Kraken got a great one here at tenth overall.
11. Newfoundland Berserkers select RD Billy Brooks @supertardis101
6'4" 240 lbs
Current TPE: 222
Highest rating: Strength (12), Checking (12)
Look at the size of this lad. 6'4" 240 lbs and he's a monster in he weight room. He benched a whopping 585 lbs at his pre-draft workout and immediately had scouts and general managers buzzing. That's not just weightlifting strength, though. It translates perfectly to the ice and he's able to use that as a punishing hitter. Despite his size, he's also surprisingly nimble and has no problem gracefully gliding around the rink. Newfoundland came up just short last season, but with Brooks on board they can give the title another run this season.
We end the first round with Kelowna's second pick and this time they opt for offense. They select Gerry Atrick here and get perhaps the best value pick of the entire round. He's got an incredibly advanced offensive game and knows exactly where to position himself to attack the net. Defenders will have to constantly account for him regardless of where he is on the ice. All it takes is a split second and he can go from a non-threatening spot on the ice to being wide open in front of goal. And those defenders better pace themselves - Atrick simply doesn't tire.
Round One Facts and Figures:
Average size: 6'3" 218 lbs
Average TPE: 217
Most common high rating: Stamina
Forwards: 5
Defensemen: 7
LW: 1
C: 3
RW: 1
LD: 1
RD: 6
Round Two
13: Carolina Kraken select LW Tomas Lind @Canadice
5'11" 175 lbs
Current TPE: 176
Highest rating: Strength (13)
The Kraken picked up a defenseman in the first round and go for offense here at lucky #13. Lind may not be the biggest player in the draft, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a stronger pound-for-pound player among this year's draftees. A workout fiend, he's got just about every physical trait you could want in an elite playmaker. He'll be all over the ice for Carolina this coming season, that's for sure. Really nice complementary pick by the Kraken.
14: Kelowna Knights selects C Roboute Guilliman @Hazack
6'0" 200 lbs
Current TPE: 221
Highest rating: Stamina (13)
After nabbing a right defenseman and a left winger, Kelowna drafts center Roboute Guilliman as their third pick in the first 14 overall. Guilliman is known league-wide for his fantastic conditioning, which should put him in line for some early playing time for the Knights this season. He's a balanced forward and will provide help on numerous fronts for Kelowna. Hard to look at his game and identify a glaring weakness, which is why this was such a solid pick for the folks from Okanagan Lake.
15. St. Louis Scarecrows select RW Friedensreich Hundertwasser @Asked Madden
Two things jump off the page when you look at Hundertwasser's game. First, his size. At 6'4" 280 lbs, he is the heaviest player in the first two rounds by a long shot. Rumor has it that growing up, his parents never let him skate on frozen ponds due to the feat of him breaking right through the ice. And second, his balanced skillset. He's simply good at everything and will fit in perfectly in St. Louis. With Zidane at #1 and Hundertwasser here, the Scarecrows have hit this draft out of the park.
16. Maine Timber select LW Fredrik Stefansson @The Professor
6'2" 225 lbs
Current TPE: 195
Highest rating: Positioning (14)
After picking me up in the first round, Maine go for The Professor here at 16th overall. He's another forward, but is one of the more balanced attackers in this draft. He's already an elite defender and will be wreaking havoc on both ends of the ice. While he can certainly fill up the net, he's known for his incredibly disciplined approach to his defense. He's always in position and never takes the bait when opponents try to confuse him. He's rock solid and we're thrilled to have him join the the Timber.
The Raptors use their third pick on Ruedi Huber after going with a center and right defenseman with their first two. Huber is a strapping 6'3" 224 lbs and knows how to throw his weight around on the ice. He'll be skating hard, hitting hard, and shooting hard for Colorado and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see him as one of the rookie standouts come season's end. There was a story floating around before the draft that he routinely broke the back of the nets at his home rink, but that's been unconfirmed. But with his power, I wouldn't put it past him.
18. St. Louis Scarecrows select G Kit Kirkstone @Grapehead
6'7" 205 lbs
Current TPE: 228
Highest rating: Glove (14)
Our first goalie is off the board at #18 to the St. Louis Scarecrows. Kirkstone stands 6'7" and takes the crown for tallest player in the first two rounds of this year's draft. He's got incredible reflexes and pucks just don't get past this enormous American. His glove is already among the best in the league and there's no reason to think he won't end up one of the top goalies in the league in short order. I simply can't rave enough about the Scarecrows' draft to this point. Great job making use of their picks.
19. Anchorage Armada select RD Gregory Goode @Keenan
6'3" 225 lbs
Current TPE: 225
Highest rating: Passing (15)
Anchorage has three picks from 19-23 and they get that run started with Gregory Goode. He won't be breaking any speed records for the Armada, but he enters the league as by far the best natural passer in the Draft. He's got the makings of a great two-way player and could end up being the outright assist leader among rookie defensemen this year. He also has a great instincts on both sides of the ice, which will serve him particularly well in Anchorage.
This is already Kelowna's fourth pick in the draft and they spend it on left winger Danny C. He's an incredibly well-rounded player and should be in line for significant minutes from the start. He's a physical presence on the defensive side and has advanced puckhandling skills as well. He'll be a scorer and more than capable defender for Kelowna this season and may end up being one of the steals of this entire draft class. With his work ethic and determination, C could be in line for some awards this year.
21. Quebec City Citadelles select RW Mew Two @zeagle1
Scoring, scoring, and more scoring. That's what Quebec City is getting here with Mew Two, who stands at 6'7" and 269 lbs. Whether it's long distance sniping, cleaning up the trash in front of the net, or simply lying in wait for the perfect opportunity to strike, Mew Two is truly a rare breed when it comes to offense. QCC didn't have a pick until now in the Draft, but they wasted no time adding a major impact player here with the 21st overall selection.
22. Anchorage Armada select LW Paul Binder @CaptainCamel
5'11" 175 lbs
Current TPE: 178
Highest rating: Offensive read (12), Passing (12)
Anchorage follows up their pick of RD Gregory Goode with left winger Paul Binger at 22nd overall. This Austrian forward has a great mind for offense and has as good of an understanding of attacking schemes as anyone in the league. He's also a plus passer and won't hesitate to find one of his teammates if he doesn't have an open window. All in all, the Armada have filled a big need here with a well-balanced forward whos unselfishness and timely defending will prove valuable in Anchorage.
23. Anchorage Armada select RD Jorg Fuchs @rapideagle
With their final pick of the second round, Anchorage pick Jorg Fuchs from Leipzig, Germany. Fuchs is our second tallest player in the first two rounds, standing 6'6" and weighing in at 232 lbs. Fuchs will be an instant threat on the offensive side of the ice as well as at his natural defensive position. He's more of a straight-line speed skater, but when he gets a head of steam, look out. Whether it's chasing down opponents or racing down the ice to find the back of the net, Fuchs has one of the most unique overall skillsets in the draft. Really fun player to watch and I know the Armada are thrilled to add him to the roster.
24. Vancouver Whalers select LD Zayne Rotzbua @inverted
We go from one giant to another and end this series with the 6'8" 260 lbs Zayne Rotzbua, who's headed to Vancouver. In addition to his outrageous size, Rotzbua is a Swiss Army Knife of a player and is proficient at almost every aspect of the game. He's athletically well-rounded, a big league checker, and has been known to get into a fracas or two. Rotzbua will be a major annoyance to other teams who will constantly have to account for him on the ice. With his talent, size, and overall balance, it's flat-out insane that the Whalers were able to scoop him up a the end of the second round.
Round Two Facts and Figures:
Average size: 6'3" 223 lbs
Average TPE: 207
Most common high rating: Stamina
Forwards: 8
Defensemen: 3
Goalie: 1
LW: 5
C: 1
RW: 2
LD: 1
RD: 2
Comparing Round One and Round Two:
Average size: same height, Round Two + 5 lbs (223 vs. 218)
Average TPE: Round One +10 TPE (217 vs. 207)
Most common high rating: same
Forwards: Round Two +3 (8 vs. 5)
Defensemen: Round One +4 (7 vs. 3)
Goalie: Round Two +1 (1 vs. 0)
LW: Round Two +4 (5 vs. 1)
C: Round One +2 (3 vs. 1)
RW: Round Two +1 (2 vs. 1)
LD: Same (1 vs. 1)
RD: Round One +4 (6 vs. 2)
Takeaways:
Not a huge difference in TPE from Round One to Round Two as teams definitely accounted for personality fit and user history for the draft.
The main difference was forwards vs. defensemen. Round One was all about the defenders, while Round Two had a run on forwards. In fact, every pick from #13 to #17 was on the offensive side of the ice.
Only one goalie taken in the first two rounds, but Kit Kirkstone is in solo second place in TPE. Love that pick by the Scarecrows.
The tallest player in the first round was 6'5" - in the second, there were four players taller than that. Round two also had the only sub-6'1" players in the first 24 picks.
The clear most common high rating was Stamina across the board. The highest high rating belongs to Gregory Goode, who sports a 15 passing rating.
Two teams had four picks each here (Anchorage Armada and Kelowna Knights) while three teams only had a single selection in the first two rounds (Newfoundland Berserkers, Quebec City Citadelles, Vancouver Whalers).
Each of the three teams with only one pick drafted a different position (LD, RD, RW)
The two teams with four picks each both selected a 3:1 split of offense and defense. Anchorage went with three defensemen and one forward, while Kelowna took three forwards to one defenseman.
We had five alliterative players drafted and Anchorage was the only team to select more than one (Bean Beanman, Gregory Goode).
11 of the 24 picks were traded at some point and only one selection was dealt twice (#17 overall, Ruedi Huber)
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