Claimed: Bogdonavic Transitioning into a Two Way Player (1/2)

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When Niko Bogdonavic entered the VHLM, he went on record to say his game was strongly centered around only the defensive end of the ice. His scouting report even reflected this, heavily in fact. But with mostly everything in this World, things change. Some for the better, some for the worst. Niko is a perfect example of a change for the better. With each passing day and game, it seems as if Niko creeps just a little bit closer to the top of the leaderboards for the statistical categories for Defenseman. Now, his numbers may not blow people away, but they're certainly starting to garner some attention. "He's a guy you definitely need to keep an eye on." Said one VHLM GM "When he first came in, no way were you worried about his offensive abilities, but now, hes definitely someone we need to pay attention to."   While it's certainly one thing to be making a name for yourself in the VHLM, it's a completely different animal in the VHL, but Niko and Riga know this. "While we are certainly proud of the accomplishments Niko has earned, and we love his hard work and dedication, we all know that he will need to work Even harder once in Riga if he wants to maintain this level of play, but we're all confident in his abilities." said a source close to the Riga leadership. Currently as of today, Niko finds himself sitting in fourth place for total points for Defenseman in the VHLM. He has 54, of which 35 of those are assists. His 19 goals put him tied for second place among VHLM defenseman.  "Niko has shown a ton of hard work and determination to improve his game on both ends during his time here in Ottawa."  said Ottawa Co-GM Kendrick "We are proud of him. Coming in we knew he had issues on the offensive end, but that was Okay. Some defenseman are like that, and strive, others adapt and evolve. Niko has evolved." He concluded. And what does Niko himself have to say on the matter? We caught up with him after a recent training session. "I wanted to help the team, really. I was okay with being a defensive minded defenseman, but when the team started struggling to manufacture goals I knew I could do more to help. I hit the ice and worked on my shot and my passing as much as I could. It's been a fun run since." When asked if he was offended when Kendrick started bringing in more bodies on the offensive side, "Absolutely not. No. The more the merrier. We're having a ton of fun right now, and that's all the matters. Some others out there would make you think this league is all about business all the time, it's not. It's about having a great time and developing yourself as a player before you reach the VHL. I think Ottawa is the embodiment of that statement." 

 

 

Niko has also notched himself 8 game winning goals, which not only leads all defenseman, it ties him for fourth in the league. Ottawa is currently 7-3 in their last ten games and has closed, what some thought was an insurmountable, gap between themselves and Oslo. Can the unthinkable happen in the next 9 games? Some will say it probably helps that Oslo lost Quill, but Ottawa will say that's just the power of having great team chemistry, playing with confidence, and just having fun playing the game they all love. 

Edited July 12, 2017 by Jonessee27

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REVIEW:

A nice article detailing the offensive improvement of Bogdonavic in the VHLM. I'm not sure if this is your intention or not, but my first player was going to be a shut down defensive defenseman, but I quickly found that you don't really wrack up any stats on a team that's halfway decent and turned him into a more two-way player. At the very least, Bogdonavic seems to be finding success in the VHLM, both on a personal and team level.