I was trying to avoid being the guy to do this since I run the league and also play in it, but I want to try and get the ball rolling on these rankings/write up threads because they're a fun part of this community. I'll also try to be as unbiased as possible but again, considering my position that's unavoidable. Being new to this console this year means I will not know everyone or everything. I'd love to see someone else who's been around for a while write one of these and rank the teams based on their prior knowledge. These are not listed by rank or where I think they'll finish. Roster Drops - Grim, JLP, its Gally, Nybo Roster Adds - @DDW4, @xTheos l7l, @StamToast, @lx JoneZ xl It's only fitting to start with the returning champs from last event. Do I think they'll repeat? No idea. Do I think they'll be a top 3 contender to win? Easily. This team oozes offensive prowess with guys like @Sitful magically bringing his HUT meta to EASHL and finding ways to beat goalies from everywhere. The chemistry between @l1l Bones l3l, @Jemima, and @Sitful is going to give teams who are a little loose defensively nightmares. Defensively they'll play a classic next gen style and be very careful when they choose to break formation. This team suffered from having multiple players banned in the LGNHL due to cheating, but thankfully they were able to scrounge up some of their winnings and put it towards getting Sitful back. Losing @G lR ii M x is probably the only move that hurts them. Adding @DDW4 is going to be a fine replacement and @xTheos l7l will do just fine being a role player when needed. In net, @Scheckel29 brings a veteran presence to the crease and will have some work to do when the better teams start to work the puck around their passive defense. As we saw in the playoffs last event, he is fully capable of carrying his team to a win when it's needed most. @lx JoneZ xl is also a great fit for this team and has the perfect opportunity to gain back some of that lost reputation from last year in CAN AM. Composure Roster Drops - Kerns, Skillzpaybillz, Hriiz, Str8Syko Roster Adds - @kcut, @nO Undies On, @Dxwny, @x Unknown 31 A team that is always near the top every year and it's for good reason - @Odieeeeee, one of the top defenders in the game, if not THE top, knows exactly what it takes to win games and makes sure anyone who he brings on to his team is on board with their style. @Tendy, @jdheagle-, and @mR Hit DaT are going provide the most frustrating experience for defenders in the entire league by playing an unforgiving puck possession game. They'll wait you out, never lose the puck, and capitalize when you take a penalty out of frustration. You can love it or hate it, but they have their style down to a science and it's worked for them longer than any other team out there. If you can manage to get the puck in their end for more than a few minutes, there aren't many holes to exploit. @drally20 will stop most of the chances he sees as he's done for longer than the majority of goalies in this league. Adding the ulimate ultility, backup, and master of availability - @kcut was a smart move as he'll be able fill any role needed and do it well. @Dxwny replaces Skillzpaybillz who was also one of the top dmen in this league last event. Downy is fully capable of playing with wet and has proven so on PS4. @x Unknown 31 finally getting the attention he deserves by playing on a top team. He may not see as much ice as @drally20, but he has earned his spot on this team through a few excellent seasons over on PS4. Delusions Roster Drops - XxNash61xX, Crazzy Canuck Roster Adds - @SJUSoccer9 Where has this team been? Who plays club at 7pm on a weekday? Apparently normal people like the players on Delusions. A very quiet offseason and preseason shows that this team is confident in what they have and will play their style without fret. Some have said their style is outdated, however it worked well enough for them to finish near the top last event. @cj142, @Fr33kOnTheStix, @Kodyyy have been around for a long time. They've proven they can adapt their play to the current meta and are currently going to throw just about every puck they get on net to create action. They will shoot fivehole... lots. It may seem silly, but it works very well for them. @Nuge aka nugget and @SeaRed Bull hold it down on defense and as long as they stay within their limits they will be able to lock down most teams. @X1xHeArLeYx2X and @Chriz split time in net last event and it will be interesting to see if that's the case again this year. When their defense gets a little eager, these guys seem to be there to cover up for their mistakes. A playoff team without question. Raw Talent Roster Drops - brandovedo Roster Adds - @D4D USA, @Iebren RAW finished first place last event, but had a very forgettable playoff run. They're going to be able to redeem themselves again this year without a doubt. A forward line of @Hxndry, @PureFiishin, and @Bouch 26 seem to find a way to force the puck through numerous defenders - a very difficult feat in next gen hockey - which creates chaos for teams playing comfortably on defense. They move the puck incredibly fast as a team and have great young thumbs, which always results great opportunities. Defensively I don't know much about them individually, but as a team they seem to lose focus at times or get overly aggressive which leads to quality scoring chances for the other team. If they can lock it down and stay consistent they'll make a better run this year. @Perrilyzer1 is going to go above and beyond what they need out of a goalie. This dude is ancient in terms of competitive EASHL history and will finish with over an .800 as he normally does. Turning Point Roster Drops - zPxcman, T1 Clamps Roster Adds - @Gwan, @xxDups77xx Your run of the mill playoff team here who got significantly better by adding a top level defenseman in @Gwan. It will be interesting to see how this team handles the increased competition in invite this event. Offensively they show signs of brilliance on occasion, but for the most part they are your standard, solid team built around their back end. @xxDups77xx was a great pickup who came packaged with @Gwan. He's going to bring some creativity and a little randomness to their attack. Individually they have one of the best in the game on defense with @Gwan, but as a team sometimes they loosen up a little bit and let teams get through to the net. @Vague Being who is touted as a top tendy is going to have to prove that he can yet again bail this team out when they get in trouble. If he's not available @APsychicTaco carries an almost identical skillset to Vague. I think they'll be in the playoffs again this year, but they'll have to make sure they take care of their games against the weaker teams. RATED R Roster Drops - Master America Roster Adds - @Shockz Put on your sunglasses, squint, or do something to protect your eyes because the Rated R brand is coming with their HOT NEON GREEN JERSEYS. These guys have been underestimated every year. They qualified twice for invite in 2 seasons and this event finally were able to breathe as they solidified their in invite through being a playoff team last event. You know what I'm going to do this year? Underestimate them again. I don't think they'll make playoffs this event - there are just too many quality teams that have been added. We've seen @Tb Toxic and @DeLong x 22 piece together some outstanding plays on occasion, but defensively they seem to struggle to keep the puck out of their end. @SteveB9211 and @GregxWhite have always been two major contributing factors to whether or not this team has a chance to win. They play a little deeper in their net due to the puck being worked around in their zone so much, but they are capable of going above and behind to save this team. The only issue is that in next gen hockey, it's hard to be consistent like that. They'll benefit from the most recent goalie tuner, but teams are going to find a way to beat them eventually. If any one of the expected top 8 teams slip up, watch out because these guys will be waiting to snake that playoff spot from them. Simplicity Roster Drops - riorio56, Two Inch Lynch, Newbsk00lbus, Cheetahlo Roster Adds - @GreasyGogan, @DomSquad100, @Poooch, @Darcy Kuemper Simplicity qualified for invite by winning last event's Open division playoffs. They showed they are able to handle decent competition and play under pressure. Would this team have qualified if they had to take part in the pre-season Qualifier? It's hard to say. @Unwxsted brings the heat on offense with above average hockey IQ and above average thumbs. The guy can flat out compete against high level competition. They can piece together a decent play here and there, but they're going to struggle to hold on to the puck against some of the strong defensive minded teams in Invite. Defensively they are also going to need to make a few adjustments if they want to compete. They let teams idle in their zone for too long and eventually, more often than not, break down to allow a quality scoring chance for their opponent. @DirtyJerrz973 is a tendy who I immediately identified as someone who has potential to be an elite one day. I honestly thought he was going to struggle up in invite - not because of the team in front of him, but because of his aggressive style which is unusual for most goalies in this league. He's shown he's quite the opposite as of late and I've seen him make some incredible saves already to keep his team in the game. That won't be enough for these guys though. What this team lacks is the experience and cohesiveness of other teams out there. Eventually I think we'll see them develop into a great team on their own, or a few of them will break off and join better teams. There is no question there is talent here, I just don't think it's fully bloomed yet. Prophecy It may be a new team, but the faces are all familiar here. They earned a spot in Invite easily via our pre-season qualifier and I don't think they're going to settle for anything less than a championship. With @ScaryJoeyy, @Class Act 27, @Gilleh, @Str8Syko__, and @Po1andsFinest available to play forward, there's just no holes anywhere. Any one of these guys could start on an Invite team and have been elite for years. They move the puck very, very quickly. @Gilleh has some of the quickest thumbs in the league and knows the value of a quality shot. @ScaryJoeyy is a top level C and one of the best at both ends of the ice. This team is also relentless on defense. Sure, having @SkillzPayBills3 who competes for the title of the #1 defenseman in the league helps, but as a team they are a wall at their own blue line. Trying to get through the neutral zone against them is comparable to trying to play soccer in 6ft of snow. In net, and proudly the only goalie on the team is @Kerns-_-. A top goalie who can read a play and a breakaway better than the majority. Now that's he's not sharing any time he'll surely have the confidence to clean up what his team leaves behind. This team should be a late round playoff team. Continuum A team with a roster filled with players who made the switch from PS4 and earned an Invite spot via the pre-season qualifier. This team was one of the best on PS4 and don't expect anything different from them over here. What's so special about this team is that they have depth. Every single guy on their roster could play on any given night and the team will feel the exact same. Led by @P t P 10, there is an expectation of not only winning, but playing an errorless game no matter what the outcome is. This guy can play any position on the ice and be a top 5 level player. @Aye Keeks brings the creativity on offense and will make you look silly if you give him the space. A huge addition for them will be @Trobs who will help them open up a lot of space in their opponent's end. Defensively they're anchored by @officialmark07 on LD. A veteran player who once he finds his groove can be dangerous in the offensive end. As a team they'll be looking to play a fairly aggressive style, which can have its risks and end in some easy goals, but big rewards if pulled off correctly. Between the pipes we've got @jonlol and the legend @Konzy splitting time. A top goalie tandem that should hold their own and then some. This team should make playoffs. Complicity Can you say West Coast Host? Well don't because it's not important. We're passed that. The only teams affected by playing on West Coast host are the weak ones. This team plays on an equally poor connection when they play on East servers and there's no complaints. Good teams will be unfazed by a slower connection and be able to carry on as they normally would. Another team with a few players transferring over from the PS4 side of things and earned an Invite spot via the qualifier. They had by far the absolute toughest qualifier schedule, but showed up ready to win and they did just that. Offensively @Hriiz and @KingClutch x 77 are going to work fast and crash the net hard which usually ends up in them finding a way to put it in the back of the net. Adding @PoIgz will make a huge difference and turn them into a team that will compete in the playoffs. Defensively they're anchored by the big big @Dannyy Briere who is a natural forward. That doesn't mean he'll short-change you, he's fully capable skater and will help this team greatly on the breakout. In net they'll have the old/young combo of @F R i K S x 9 9 and @HunterShinkaruk aka Kris. Both are solid tendys who we've seen make big saves when required. Time 2 Pound Roster Drops - BigJayAyotte, Sejje 19 Roster Adds - @Sbass19, @Rehanek T2P earned the final Invite spot in our qualifier by beating out 2 very competitive teams. Adding @Sbass19 and @Rehanek makes this team a lot more interesting and a lot more competitive. Despite what the community thinks about his attitude, @Sbass19 is by far one of the top forwards in the game. He plays an unorthodox style that many find tough to gel with, however this is an unorthodox team. What will decide if this team can steal a playoff spot is whether or not they can keep their heads when they're getting pressured by other teams. They no question have the skill offensively, but their team defense is the biggest question. In net big @Tex243 and @Zinc have proven to be very consistent goalies. They may not be as big of a factor as some of the other big names listed above, but they're no liability whatsoever. Immunity An honest surprise for me in the qualifier and a team that had to win a couple of big games to get where they are now. There is a lot of young, quality talent on the this team and it's hard to know where they'll be at the end of the season. They have some difficult competition ahead of them and if they aren't able to come together as a team they'll struggle, especially against some of the powerhouse teams in this division. That being said, they have the ability to gain some momentum and once they get that first goal can really start to pour it on. They'll have their work cut out for them this event and will have to sort out some internal issue before they can really take off. Players to watch: @Yung Gren @Basful @Desyd19 (I dont know a ton about your team, so I'd rather only say a little. Sorry pals.)
Thank you. Some guys I just don't know all that well so any corrections would be appreciated. I'm still very new to xbox.
you'd have to be pretty fucking stupid to think R wouldn't make the playoffs. clearly these guys belong and if you don't think so, you should probably ask them.
