Hi all - figured I'd have some fun and write up a little media before my WJC debut. Apologies if I've glanced over anyone/anything obvious, haven't been in the CHL in quite some time and might not be as familiar with some of the newer players. Hope you enjoy! - Fly --- Group A: Germany Management: @Jayson x 29 (O), @TNOOSE856 (GM), @MathFromThe6 (AGM) Germany put together a veteran-laden squad on draft night, picking up a few underrated forwards, notably @W4tt DuhPuck, @CornHoleCaron, and @LogJam73, as well as @CaPTaiN PauL, @PickySaturn03 and @bostonsniper4t4 on defense. They probably could've done with another puck mover on the back end, as they may struggle against some of the higher end talent in this WJC, but time will tell. The team as a whole looks like they would thrive best in a grinding style of game, which may help them mesh quickly in a short tournament. @SaltyKitten8566 is a very good starter and will need to be the difference for this team to make a run. Forwards: B Defense: C+ Goalie: B Overall: B/B- Netherlands Management: @Elite Scrub4152 (O), @Suzuki x 61 (GM), @Rbounce7 (AGM) The Oranje won the draft lottery, allowing them to select arguably the best player in the draft pool @Tsunami Qc. After this though, things took a sideways turn, with the legend himself @Pick Skipped making a comeback to the podium. The Netherlands won the chance to have the first crack at each snake cycle, but did not take full advantage, leaving talent on the table in favor of players who probably would've been available later on. Overall, this team has a bit of scoring punch with @CTRL ALT DLeeTu and @Xx S Curl xX along with the management group, but there's a good chance they're on the outside looking in come playoff time. Forwards: C+ Defense: C Goalie: B- Overall: C+ Poland Management: @RtC21 (O), @Pres LV (GM), @COSTA i2i (AGM) Whoever was doing the drafting for Poland should be fired.. Reaching for @Darkeey at 3 and then **2 PICKS SKIPPED!!** No more drafting for these guys... ever. SHOCKINGLY, they recovered fairly well, getting Darkeey's Oil Kings running mate @Sportfreak114 and bringing in a few depth forwards that can contribute. The bottom half of the roster will struggle against the higher end of the division, so the x-factor will be if @palittinoah4 can take the reigns and steal a few. Forwards: B- Defense: B- Goalie: B- Overall: B- Switzerland Management: @KJ l91l (O), @SCREEEEEN (GM), @fuzzmiller23 (AGM) I actually like Switzerland's forward core - good amount of depth for this tournament, all 3 lines should be able to score at a decent clip. However... the defense and goaltending are very concerning to me, I predict quite a few 5-4 games in Switzerland's future. @splashcj3 will have to find his NHL 19 form and management will have to hope @YaboiGamerghost's play in TC league games / limited CHL action wasn't a fluke. Playoff spot contender or huge bust potential here. Forwards: B Defense: C- Goalie: B-/C+ Overall: C+ Ukraine Management: @V 4 T T Y (O), @EhCanadianHobo (GM), @IAmUntamedChaos (AGM) Personally I think picking @Sbrangy at 6 is WAY too high, however the defense is what's going to bring Ukraine to the playoffs. Him and @Pockets 5 O will have to take command of ice, trap well, and win the ugly, low scoring games with the help of @Caboose35 and @JRrr37 who have played on defensively-oriented teams in the past. The goaltending will have to be consistently stellar for this team to compete. I'm not so convinced. Forwards: C Defense: C+ Goalie: C Overall: C Japan Management: @EliteDeltaDC (O), @flyguy2525- (GM), @l Freddy ll (AGM) I won't post grades for my team, but I believe we did well picking the best available at our position in the draft, despite having the last pick. In addition, picking several players with chem will be extremely beneficial in a short tournament. Group B: Canada Management: @l Emery87 l (O), @H A B S Y 96 (GM), @IGaGootsI (AGM) I like what Emery was able to do, especially on the defensive side of the puck. @OSSWALD, @The Riddler3, and @WannaBE Cali give Canada an experienced RD on each line, able to take control of a game if needed. They may need to spread out the forward talent in the regular season to rack up enough wins to make the playoffs in this division. @JonPaine, @cokmills and @Slummy x 7 will need to carry the load on offense and support what I expect will be solid defensive team play. Emery / @Duckyy315 is one of the stronger goalie tandems in the tournament and they will be heavily relied upon. Forwards: B- Defense: B Goalie: B+ Overall: B Great Britain Management: @Lord 21 x (O), @x Rollinj x (GM), @MURPH0270 (AGM) One of my favorite management groups, full of great humans.. I was wondering if/when @RY0NN would be taken from me, and the band-aid was indeed ripped off early, with the big man going #4 to Great Britain. I'd expect that he'll be amongst the scoring leaders of the tournament playing with @x Loops 19 x or @JP NASTY and @KamaKazi Katze. Open question... who is going to stand on the left side of the ice for this team?? Hopefully they have a plan in mind (because it ain't Ryonn, I can assure you). They will need secondary lines to step up, as much of the depth forwards, outside of @ADeBrincat x12x, and the d core don't jump off the page. The @BEEF7474 and @SamEvilSon duo in net is underrated.. one of these decades Sam will get to the playoffs, I just know it. Forwards: B Defense: B- Goalie: B/B- Overall: B/B- Jamaica Management: @Jumbo Jonesy (O), @xMecciah (GM), @Saquon (AGM) There's no better match for the vibes of a Team Jamaica than Jonesy and Saquon. I was committed to team swapping to Jamaica as soon as owners were announced, but this was just too perfect. Wear it proudly gents. Roster-wise, they bring in one the top few players in the draft @KnifeVet22, who in the AHL is a 'give him the puck and get out of the way' type of guy. Good luck in a CHL tournament. I like the defensive focus of grinding forwards like @VVop and @Hey Bomber, and a rock solid top 4 on D. Don't let the vibes fool you, the Jamaicans are legit. @Rosa-Leaf was on my radar in net and could be quite a steal. Forwards: B/B- Defense: B/B+ Goalie: B/B+ Overall: B/B+ Norway Management: @DDRIZZL01 (O), @JJr (GM), @l SMUR l (AGM) Boy it helps having a mentor who knows the player base across the website, and a high-level AGM who also plays PSN. Norway was able to stockpile high end players (usually taking who I wanted a few picks before me each snake cycle), especially up front. Heighton (@l Coe l) is Smur's running mate from Kamloops this season, and @x Viper 94 is a sneaky pick-up, playing on the Dallas Stars on PSN while RVing on Xbox. The lower end of the roster may struggle a bit, but that's probably the case for every team in the tournament. Assuming their goaltending holds up, Norway is a clear gold medal contender. Forwards: A Defense: B/B+ Goalie: B- Overall: A Sweden Management: @zCORNDOG 39z (O), @dekez4lyfe12 (GM), @GoonThaBearded (AGM) Starting off with the positive.. I like the overall depth of the group, and I think Corndog did a good job pulling together 3 lines that can grind away. @JayC021 and @dekez4lyfe12 will have to carry the top end of their offense, which may be a tall task in this division. Now with the not so positive.. in my opinion, the pick of @fajardo1bw at 5 was a massive reach, with several better players on the board early in the first round, and I think it had a trickle-down effect on the overall talent level of the rest of the roster. The goalie tandem is the team's Achilles Heel and may prevent them from competing with the big boys of the division. Forwards: B- Defense: B- Goalie: C Overall: C+ USA Management: @Posted Alone (O), @ASAP Jiren (GM), @glex (AGM) Not sure how the Pizza Potential boys ended up taking over Team USA, but here we are.. They were able to complete their triumvirate by getting @Gumba l11l (somehow) at 7. Aside from team pizza, USA will need to spread out the talent on the roster and find another line combination that can secure wins. Their defense should be able to keep them in almost every game, but goals may be come at a premium at times. One of @Ibleedblue636 or @TBZ EvanKMan will need to step up as the clear starting tendy in the playoffs given their divisional matchups. Forwards: B Defense: A- Goalie: B Overall: B+
LMAO How is 2x NHL Cup champ and longime nhl owner @JJr allowed to manage in this tourney. Norway 100% wins
