The LGHL Draft is one of my favorite times of the year. We get to see new and exciting prospects have their names called and join the elite list of players selected by the upper levels. Not everyone has the privilege of being drafted, so congratulations to all those who were selected in the S18 draft! I have not done media in a while but as I like to write (and procrastinate from my actual writing job) I thought I would serve some media up after an exciting night of the draft. So for this post, I am breaking down the top 5 picks and their (short) careers so far. Again, I try to stay positive when posting these and think media is a fun addition to the LGHL. I also made predictions on where these players will end up. I do not know the plans for these players and I tried to make a prediction based on last season and teams' needs. Either way, thank you for reading and I hope to post more media soon. ------ First Overall - Buffalo Sabres - @Biscuitz29 The former Moncton Wildcats’ centre is coming off an impressive and dominant season. In the QMJHL, Biscuitz tallied a staggering 124 points, suffering just one loss in the regular season. In the playoffs, Biscuitz continued to showcase their skill posting a 6-1 record with 17 points, eventually bowing out future Memorial Cup champion Charlottetown Islanders. During S18, we saw Biscuitz get a taste of the upper levels. ECUing for the Hershey Bears, the wins and points kept coming with a solid 3-1 record as a TC in Hershey, picking up 23 points in the process. As the top player in the draft, it will be interesting to see how Buffalo manages this player. If he does not find a spot on the Sabres, he would be a great addition to the already talented Rochester Americans. A well-known player outside of LG (like the RDS tourney) Biscuitz should make an immediate impact - whether it’s with the Sabres or Americans. S18 saw the Sabres finish 6th in the Eastern Conference (3rd in the Atlantic Division), while the Americans finished 2nd in the Eastern Atlantic Division and 6th in the Eastern Conference. It will be interesting in the coming days to see where Biscuitz ends up. If he starts on the Americans he joins two solid DPs @Ehtea and @stekan19. If he starts in the show, then there will be pressure but his small sample size has already proven he is ready to play in the upper tiers of the LGHL. Second Overall - Detroit Red Wings - @GunshyMelts- After scoring 116 points over two seasons in the CHL, Gunshy had their name called by the Detroit Red Wings. Last season, Gunshy was a key contributor to the Pats’ offense, leading the team in goals with 40. Overall, Gunshy went 13-5-1 in the regular season with 69 points, averaging 3.63 points per game. S18 saw the Red Wings (formerly Flames thanks to vanity swap) miss in the first round of the playoffs, so it will be interesting to see if Gunshy helps bolster Detroit in the NHL. Detroit owner @Domi_x_13 had lots to choose from in the first round, including two picks in the top 5. If these picks do NOT start in Detroit, Grand Rapids will be a team to watch. As the Heat in S18, Stockton started poor but finished strong, reaching the Western Conference Quarter-Finals. Either way, Grand Rapids should be excited. Due to Detroit’s elite draft, bidding should be relatively easy for the Griffins if two or three of their draft picks end up on the team. Third Overall - Edmonton Oilers - @Jags19- Taking GM with the Owen Sound Attack (OHL) didn’t stop the Edmonton Oilers from taking one of the league’s best third overall. Jags came into the CHL with a solid 12-8-2 record (61 points) but truly made a name for himself this season. S18 was the breakout season for the Right Wing sniper. Jags was a menace to his OHL foes, recording a staggering 20 wins in the regular season (20-3-1 overall) and 91 points. To top it off, he finished with a +70 rating and 39.6 SH% in the regular season. It was a season of missed playoffs for both the Oilers and Condors in S18. Oilers’ owner @Pavelbure_10 is back with Edmonton but has handed off the reins of Bakersfield to S18 Calder Cup champion @ZachJpQc. Jags’ services will be used for ECU purposes only, so it will be interesting to see how Edmonton/Bakersfield manages rosters in S20. As a manager, Jags will have another shot at the Memorial Cup but I suspect in the future he will don the colors of the Oilers and/or Condors. Either way, Jags has another chance to dominate the CHL and should be a force in the OHL this season. It will be fun to see if Jags gets ECU games with the N/AHL clubs in S18; a glimpse into what the future holds. Fourth Overall - Colorado Avalanche - @xSheLovesSnags The first defenseman selected in the draft, Snags’ 21-0-0 record in the regular season caught the eye of Colorado Avalanche owner @toslick. Focusing on S18, the defenseman from Shawinigan topped off an undefeated regular season with 7 goals (42 points) on the blueline. Showcasing his thumbs, Snags was an important figure in Shawinigan’s success. Overall, Snags entered the draft 28-11-2 lifetime in the CHL, with 55 assists. Last season with the Belleville Senators, Snags helped the BSens tally two wins in four games as an ECU, finishing with 14 takeaways. What does the future hold for this LD? Well, the Avalanche have several DP defenseman which could be interesting. I predict that Snags could slot into Colorado to start. If not, find him on the Eagles with @NoScxpe96, helping man the blueline. I am not sure how strong bidding will be for a defenseman in the upper levels, but if the DPs from Colorado starts in the AHL, then the Eagles will be a team to watch. Colorado has a ton of cash to work with entering bidding and few spots, so they could easily target the best defenseman the LGHL has to offer (in bidding). In the end, expect Snags to be a key piece with the Avalanche or Eagles. Fifth Overall - Detroit Red Wings - @Ghelm14 Detroit started off the draft with a forward and ended with a defenseman. Ghelm had an impressive CHL career and will be one to watch - whether he starts with the big club or helps the affiliate. In his career, Ghelm suffered just one loss in 30 games with the Moncton Wildcats. Like teammate and draft buddy Biscuitz, Ghelm solidified his skills with a solid showing in the RDS tourney. But focusing on his LG career, the Right Defenseman managed to go 6-0 in the playoffs S18 and ended the year a +104 over regular season and playoffs. Ghlem led the CHL in RD scoring and his +92 was the highest of any player in the CHL last season. Now, he has to serve a one-week suspension and I would predict that he would serve that as a member of the Red Wings (and have an AHL player ECU in his place). Either way, we will get to see what Ghelm can do in the upper levels during Week 2. Grand Rapids has 3 defensemen already, so GM @Hyperr x 27 could use Ghelm to help the right side and make bidding easier for the Griffins. Detroit’s only (non-DP) defenseman currently is @Heqld so the Red Wings/Griffins have tons of options for their first two picks. ---- Thanks for reading. Hope to post more media soon. If I messed up or had an incorrect stat, my apologies. Here's to S19!
Really appreciate you taking your time to make this little breakdown but I’m not gm for Owen Sound this season. GO OILERS
I think everyone already knows the top 5 picks are good players. How about something a bit more interesting like top 5 picks that went mid to late-round and have the potential to be top players this ssn based on your analysis? Good luck with media!
Because I just threw something together for fun and provide a little media. I don’t know much about the players taken or where they would end up so I put this out to just have a little media for the draft and highlight the top players taken. Thanks for reading!
