#i can see even nolan taking us under his wing and hyping us up and going “WOW thats so pretty!!!” at a drawing we made

[anxiously-sidequesting]

So I once made a funny shit post about the Young Wizard actually beaming to the Spiral at the tender age of 45 but it got me thinking of the opposite. What if the Wizard was incredibly young

Since in the game it isn't specified at what exact age we arrived in the Spiral I think it's just up to the player to come up with that part. I personally like to think The Wizard was around 7 or 8 when this happened but what if they were actually like four or five years old

Like shieeeet that's young enough where we wouldn't really remember our time on Earth very clearly right? Our family and maybe our friends but unless we had like ungodly memory powers, we wouldn't be able to remember all of the details of our original home. Like isn't it proven that human beings first gain self and special awareness at 3 or 4? Something like that

And this can open up for some sweet scenarios - little kid Wizard running up to Malorn with a scribbled drawing of him with a big smile on his face, or us and Ceren reading picture books together or clinging onto Nolan's robes as we attempt to stand on his feet as he walks like a penguin, but there's also this sad and messed up undertone that in this universe Ambrose took what was essentially a child just out of toddler stage and decided to keep them in the Spiral instead of returning them to their family

And like imagine how that would affect us. We would see it as normal at first because we grew up in the Spiral, we spent more years in the wizard world than in our home on Earth, but what if the Wizard gained awareness later on in life and actually realized what happened. Would they even care at that point because the Spiral was integrated in them at such a young age? Would they feel any yearning towards their original family, would they miss them at all? Would the Wizard be bitter about not getting to know them?

It's different when you're 7 - 10 and onwards because at that stage in your life you've more than gotten used to Earth life. You've gained awareness and it has been emotionally and mentally established that THIS (Earth) is your home. You know your parents and you know your friends and you know your environment. You will miss that when it's gone and feel it's absence because you're old enough to at least notice when you're taken away from it. But when you're still at that impressionable and oblivious stage of like 4 - 6 years old? The Spiral is all you know now. Your parents faces will be blurry, you may not even remember the details of what your home looked like. You may remember certain smells, colors or feelings you experienced when you were on Earth but that may be about it. And the saddest part about that is depending on what Ambrose and the other adults put our Wizard through, we may grow to completely forget even those essential memories. That Earth part of us would TOTALLY be gone and that would include even our parents (or other caretakers). I'm crying actually

[axiomsofice]

Breakout Candidates: Pacific

Anaheim: a young team with many applicable potentialities, the most prominent of which are their last 3 first round picks. Zegras and Drysdale both played a handful of games in the NHL last season, and have clear paths to both prominent 5v5 roles and PP1 minutes. Personally, I would be tempted to exercise more caution with inserting the younger Drysdale in too soon, but Zegras is at a point where there is not really a reason to delay his arrival. Recent 3rd overall pick Mason McTavish plays a physical and pro style game, but as with every other pick in the 2021 entry draft, the pandemic year that it is, McTavish is best served with at least another year before having a serious shot at making the NHL. Beyond that the Ducks have a large amount of young players who should have more to give, as reflected by Anaheim’s recent results in draft lottery contention. Forwards such as Steel, Comtois, Lundestrom are complimentary pieces that will look much stronger as the team’s performance improves, so it would be hard for them to garner as much attention or credit if say, Comtois has a strong 20-goal season playing on Zegras’ wing. On defence there are similar complimentary options. I have been a fan of Mahura’s game but his time might be now or never to break into the league. Larsson is a bit younger but hopes of him being an impact defender lay farther into the future. In net the Ducks are set with the underappreciated Gibson, but prospect Dostal has been building his resume nicely. In general the Ducks, under GM Murray, have done a really good job at drafting and developing.

Calgary: a new coach represents a power vacuum, a chance for all players to drastically change their position on the depth chart. We saw the beginnings of that during their disappointing season in the North division, and this uncertainty is spilling into this offseason. Rumours surrounding Monahan, Gaudreau, and Tkachuk. Giordano gone already, but not much change has actually occurred. Perhaps the best chance of a breakout lies with defenders Kylington and Valimaki, who have both already played well for the Flames. Valimaki was probably a strong candidate for such a title 2 seasons ago, before tearing a knee ligament that sidelined him for quite some time. Especially with Giordano gone, and a decently strong defence group around them, these 2 might be the biggest x-factors for the Flames success this season. Up front there are some prospects looking to make the jump, first rounders Peltier and Zary both present skilled players who bring a certain tenacity that could endear them to coach Suter. Matthew Philips has some fans and provides some play making ability that could compliment this group nicely should he get the chance, personally I’d say this is less likely than some of the younger forwards I’ve highlighted here.

Edmonton: Holland did a lot this offseason, and I wasn’t a huge fan of a lot of his moves. That being said the Oilers are in a good spot, perhaps their best in several year heading into 21/22. A huge part of it is a potential youth movement dawning underneath the RNH-McDavid lottery crew. The first prospect to point to would be forward Dylan Holloway, who posted a really strong sophomore season at Wisconsin. Holloway is big and strong, plays centre or wing, gets to dirty areas, wins battles, is a great forechecker, and might even find his way into fitting very nicely alongside either McDavid or Drasaitl. He’s not exactly Zach Hyman, but adding those two to this forward group should work out really well. McLeod and Benson have done enough in the AHL to have every chance to make this roster as well. It’s not out of the question that we see Puljujarvi reach another level of play this year, whether it’s somewhere in this lineup, but honestly now that he’s bounced back and adjusted to the NHL (recouped value) it might not be with the Oilers. I do hope that he gets a shot at a big role, but as we’ve mentioned the forward group is getting crowded. On defence Bouchard is the point of intrigue, especially with the likes of Jones and Bear shipped out. I don’t think he’ll be as good as Dougie Hamilton, but it’s not unreasonable to hope he eclipses fellow offensive defenceman Tyson Barrie in the next 2-3 years. Holland’s track record of slow development from Detroit, as well as the acquisitions of Keith and Ceci tell us all we need to know about Broberg or Samorukov having a chance at cracking this years roster.

Los Angeles: poised to be one of the most exciting, or at least surprising, teams LA has a plethora of candidates for this breakout player discussion. Primarily is the eventuality of Quinton Byfield, who had a strong underage rookie AHL campaign. It’s not too much to think that he could lead this team in points this season, especially with fellow centres Kopitar and Danault taking on the heavy lifting defensively. Outside of that predicting what this lineup might look like is near impossible, and the reason the Kings are often atop any prospect ranking. Kupari, Thomas, Kaliyev, and Turcotte could each make a strong case for making the opening night roster, but based on how crowded the forward group is to start will most likely continue their work in the AHL. On defence there are at least 2 candidates for breakout player, depending on your definition. Mikey Anderson was one of the Kings’ best defenders last season, so the only breakout would be in recognition. Bjornfot played well for the 20-odd games he was in the lineup and will look to continue impressing. Clague is the oldest and has played the least NHL games of these 3 defenders, but with strong skating skill, a large frame, and some offensive abilities might catch a lot of people’s eyes. In a division where the 3 seed is anyone’s game, LA will be a young, fun team that many will be paying attention to and rooting for.

San Jose: The Sharks could really use some breakout players, as some new skill and energy would go a long way towards reinvigorating this franchise. It’s probably at least another year until some offensive options in Gushchin or Wiesblatt are pushing for a spot. There are some forwards like Chmelevski, Blichfeld, and Gregor who could be NHL regulars, but probably not enough to get national attention. The most critical spot will be in net, an area of great concern for the past few seasons. Aiden Hill and James Reimer isn’t exactly a world beating tandem, but could easily give the Sharks their best performance in years. They have Ben Gaudreau (many years away), but much closer are a pit of 23 year olds in Melnichuk and Sawchenko. Neither have played a large volume of games in a season to this point, but specifically Sawchenko has posted really promising results, leading the AHL Barracuda in save percentage the last 2 seasons, yet still splitting time in the ECHL.

Seattle: the Kraken don’t have years of development to fall back on here, but nonetheless found a way to acquire some options for breakouts thru the expansion draft. On defence the most likely is Cale Fleury, as Dunn probably shouldn’t qualify for such a distinction, even after a tough 2021. Up front lies perhaps the biggest x-factor for the team in Morgan Geekie. He’s scored at every level, including his limited amount of games in the NHL despite being used sparingly. That, and the Kraken’s scarcity of young players, centres, and goal scorers make a Geekie breakout a potentially franchise altering development. Alex True might also benefit from a change in scenery under similar criteria, although less likely.

Vancouver: outside of Demko, the biggest reason for a strong Canucks’ season is their top 9 forward group, among which depends on the strong play of a young trio. Dickinson is less of a breakout candidate and more so continuing his good play in a Canadian market, after a few years of playing a role with Dallas that saw him move throughout the lineup. Hoglander was quite good last season, but we should expect his growing influence on play and higher offensive numbers. Podkolzin is similarly well insulated and should have a chance to find a synergous role with good linemates. On defence we will see if Rafferty delivers on promising hype and if Chatfield can continue improving. Although he’s not as young or skilled as many in this conversation Tucker Poolman has an interesting possibility of fitting into this lineup partnered with Quinn Hughes. Personally I’ve liked his play, a good defender with smart enough support pass abilities, and it’s not out of the question he beats out Travis Hamonic for the high leverage opportunity.

Vegas: clearly in a different competitive level than the rest of their division, Vegas’ breakouts will mostly be concerning existing NHLers. Because of their centre group and his draft pedigree Nolan Patrick is a good place to start. He’s missed a lot of time due to injuries, so naturally staying healthy is a big part of it. He’s been effective so far, perhaps lacking in the dynamic qualities you’d expect from a potential 1st overall pick. The Knights have been famously effective at getting the most from their centres, and it’s not rare that a change in scenery can push a players play in a positive direction. Another highly drafted centre will have similar opportunities, as Peyton Krebs tries to make the roster. He has been practicing with Vegas as far back as the 2020 bubble, and posted really promising results in 24 WHL games and 5 AHL games before a 4 game preview in the NHL. Keegan Kolesar played really well last season, and with Tuch out to start the year he might have a good chance to run with an even greater role this season. On defence Hague and Whitecloud have already been performing at a high level, but the longer they stick around the more people will understand that. Brossoit will be in net more often than he was in Winnipeg, and I agree he has a good chance to deliver on those hopes as Vegas gave him a contract the going rate NHL backup, but there’s no reason to think he won’t continue improving and might be in line for a raise at the end of his current deal.