Adam Erne – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – DETROIT RED WINGS – NHL Player Profiles

Joe Yerdon – Forwards and Defense, Catherine Silverman - Goaltending — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 23:48:39 +0000

DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 22: Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider (53) takes a shot during the second period of a preseason game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings on September 22, 2019, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI. (Photo by Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire)

FORWARDS

Dylan Larkin

At 26 years old, Larkin has seen a lot of losing in the first seven seasons of his career, but now he’s in the prime years of his career and this year’s Red Wings team is poised to be the best team he’s been on as a pro. Larkin’s points per 60 minutes played in 2021-2022 was the best of his career (3.0) and he led the Red Wings in goals (31) and points (69). Those marks are each second best to marks he set in 2018-2019 (32 goals, 71 assists). Larkin is Detroit’s best player at 5-on-5 when it comes to Corsi (49.3 percent) and expected goals percentage at nearly 50 percent (49.97). Not enough good things happen for Detroit, but when they do happen, chances are Larkin is involved. The Red Wings captain drives the team and the similarities to how he and current GM Steve Yzerman have had in the first few years of their careers is a bit spooky. Both named captain at a young age, both the best player on an underachieving/poor team and now the question for Larkin is can he be the best on a team coming out of the darkness and back into the playoff light.

Tyler Bertuzzi

It was a career year for Tyler Bertuzzi in 2021-2022. He finished with 30 goals and 62 points in 68 games, both second to Dylan Larkin for team best marks. Bertuzzi did miss time due to COVID-19 issues from being unvaccinated. He missed five games in December because of protocols and any games in Canada as well. As a nearly a point per-game player, any time missed leaves a big hole in the lineup. His play is a typical power forward style, a skill shot, aggressive towards the net, and physical. He provided an element on his line with Larkin and rookie Lucas Raymond those players don’t necessarily have and helped the Red Wings have a true top scoring line for the first time in a while. The strong play at 5-on-5 is a positive, but Bertuzzi also improved his power play production as well. His six goals with the man-advantage were a career-high and helped Detroit’s team power play improve from 11.4 to 16.3 percent moving from 30 out of 31 teams to 26 out of 32. At 27, Bertuzzi has found his stride. He’s been a consistent high-percentage shooter and being part of a line that’s complete with complementing talent means more should be on the way.

Lucas Raymond

If it hadn’t been for his teammate Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond’s case to win the Calder Trophy would’ve gathered more attention. Raymond tied with four other rookies for second in goal scoring and was third in points behind Michael Bunting and Trevor Zegras. Raymond was third on Detroit in scoring with 57 points (23 goals) behind Larkin and Bertuzzi. What makes for an interesting note about Raymond’s season is that he was outstanding immediately on the power play. He was second on the team in powerplay points (18) behind Seider (21) with five power play goals, tied for second on the team. Unsurprisingly, his possession numbers were virtually equal with linemates Larkin and Bertuzzi as they were the three best on the Red Wings. At 5-foot-11, 182 pounds he has all the telltale traits of a playmaking winger. His hockey IQ is sky high, and his decision-making is equally strong to go with his speed and agility on the ice. If there’s a concern with Raymond it has to do with one of the old-school stats as his plus-minus rating was minus-32, second worst on the team (Nick Leddy was minus-33 before his trade to St. Louis) and fifth worst in the NHL. With expectations being a bit higher for the Red Wings this season, how Raymond handles his sophomore NHL season will be worth watching.

Jakub Vrana

When Jakub Vrana was acquired by Detroit in 2021 from Washington, the Red Wings knew they were getting an instant offensive weapon. The plan of seeing him jump in and light it up with the other young forwards got put on hold for most of last season after a shoulder injury in training camp–followed by surgery–kept him out of action until March. When he returned to action, however, it was clear he was missed. In 26 games, Vrana scored 13 goals (five on the power play) and finished the season with 19 points. Vrana also continued to show he’s not shy about shooting the puck averaging 2.5 shots per game, down from 2.91 with Detroit last season. Even though Vrana has shot a high percentage for his career, he shot an incredible 20 percent in those 26 games and in 37 total games with Detroit he’s at 21.6 percent. Most players don’t fill the net at that kind of rate over a full season and regression is expected, but he takes a lot of shots so even if he comes back more in line with his numbers from Washington (13.1 percent) he’s still going to score a pile of goals. Vrana is 26 years old which puts him right in line age-wise with most of Detroit’s other top forwards. If they all are hitting their peak strides now and doing it together, Detroit’s offense could turn out to be exciting.

Pius Suter

When Detroit added Pius Suter when he wasn’t qualified by the Chicago Blackhawks it seemed like a sneaky-good move and those instincts proved to be true. Suter settled in on Detroit’s second line and proved to be a consistently strong performer. He had 15 goals and 36 points in a complete 82-game season. Comparing his stats from his season in Chicago to last season with Detroit, they’re so close they’re nearly indistinguishable. From Corsi to points scored to points and shots per game they were minimal decimal points apart. You can’t say Detroit didn’t know what they were getting in him at least. But one thing Suter did more than he did in Chicago was play on the penalty kill as he found himself working both sides of the special teams, making him a solid utility knife kind of player. At 26 years old, the Swiss centerman did improve his work at the faceoff dot going from nearly 43 percent to 49 percent with Detroit. What’s worth watching is how Suter adjusts after Detroit adding Andrew Copp to (presumably) work on the second line. Whether he continues with Vrana or teams up with newcomers Dominik Kubalik or David Perron still means he’ll be working with excellent wingers who can add more offense.

Andrew Copp

Of the big free agent signings the Red Wings made in the offseason, Andrew Copp may have been the savviest of the bunch. Copp, a former University of Michigan standout and Ann Arbor native, went back home and his timing couldn’t be better for him to help pull the Red Wings back up the standings. Copp spent the first seven years of his career with Winnipeg and was a deadline day pickup for the Rangers last season. Copp set career-highs in goals (21) and points (53) last year and his move the Rangers helped them advance deeper into the postseason than they’ve been since 2014. What he’ll bring to Detroit is the ability to help his line dominate puck possession and a consistent knack of helping create quality chances (his xG% was above 50 percent with both teams. What’s interesting is for Copp is how he will adjust to having an elevated role. While Copp’s numbers have always been consistently strong, he’s also had ice time comparable to what a third liner would play for most of his career. It’s been more recent he’s earned the added minutes and responsibilities to play a second line role. That’s where he’ll most likely begin as a Red Wing and he’ll have plenty of solid options as wingers whether it’s Filip Zadina, David Perron, or Jakub Vrana. The offensive depth has very suddenly seemed strong and Copp should reap those benefits.

David Perron

Seeing David Perron signing with a team that’s not the St. Louis Blues is startling. All roads (and contracts) during Perron’s career started and ended there. But he’s ventured out of Missouri eastward to Detroit where his mix of forechecking, goal scoring touch around the net, and occasional nastiness provides an element the Red Wings have been lacking the past few seasons. Like a fine wine, Perron has only gotten better (and more consistent) with age. Last season was Perron's best goal-scoring season since 2013-2014 with Edmonton when he scored 28. His 27 goals and 57 points (in 67 games) played right in line with his scoring output the past six seasons in which he’s had 40-or-more points in each. Perron is as good of a player as you could ask for in your middle-six forwards because he can do a little bit of everything well and be a factor on the power play as well. He had 11 goals with the man advantage last season and 26 of his 57 points came on the power play and with how poorly Detroit’s power play has done in recent seasons, Perron will surely help improve it.

Dominik Kubalik

After the good fortune Detroit had in picking up Pius Suter from Chicago after he wasn’t qualified by them, and now Dominik Kubalik–who was also not qualified by the Blackhawks–may wind up being his linemate with the Red Wings. Kubalik, who scored 30 goals in his rookie season in 2019-2020, has 32 goals total in the past two seasons. The biggest reason for the drop off was simple regression. He shot over 19 percent during that 30-goal season, but that number retreated to a more realistic 9-to-10 percent in each of the past two seasons. He’s had steady third line minutes each season and that seems likely to continue with the Red Wings. Detroit’s added lineup depth means Kubalik won’t have to play over his head to produce. Whether he winds up on the second or third line, he’ll be relied upon to help add offense. His stats in all have gone down each season, but Chicago falling down the standings played a role in that. Be it points or possession numbers, they’ve all come back to earth, which is a reason to keep a close eye on his performance with a new group of players. If nothing else, Kubalik can help pick up the Red Wings power play. In all three seasons in Chicago, he was part of their power play unit and 11 of his 62 career goals in Chicago came on the man advantage. If he can give Detroit a lift there, he’ll be worth it just for that.

Oskar Sundqvist

The 28-year-old Swede was acquired by Detroit from St. Louis in the Nick Leddy trade at the deadline last season and was able to make an immediate impression on the team. In 18 games with Detroit, he had four goals and four assists while playing mostly down in the lineup. Sundqvist’s NHL career has been one which he’s spent a lot of time proving himself in the AHL and eventually carving out a steady role as a depth forward. With the Blues, Sundqvist provided a physical element to his game to go along with his grinding style of play. There was a time from 2018 through 2020 when Sundqvist put it together consistently with his mix of offense and physical play that led him to score 26 of his 40 career goals during those two seasons. Sundqvist can do the dirty work with the hits and shot blocking as well. Playing that role in the NHL is never glamorous, but if the success he had late in the season with Detroit carries over, he’ll have a spot in the lineup every night, even if his possession numbers are very poor.

DEFENSE

Moritz Seider

The German rookie was a phenomenon in his first NHL season. Seider was the fifth defenseman since 2000 to win the Calder Trophy. His seven goals and 43 assists (50 points) made him fourth among rookies and fourth on the Red Wings in scoring. The 6-foot-4, 197-pound 21-year-old fit into the NHL seamlessly and was an instant impact player on a Red Wings team that’s been desperately searching for a No. 1 defenseman since Nick Lidstrom retired. Seider was a strong possession player at 5-on-5 considering he played the most minutes and on a below-average team (46.9% CorsiFor). You want those numbers to be better as a No. 1 defenseman, but as a first step it’ll do. Seider was also a dominant force on the power play and led the team with 21 power play points (two goals, 19 assists). Seider’s presence on the man advantage gave what was one of the NHL’s worst performing power plays sorely needed improvement. Seider paired up with Danny DeKeyser most of the season but had improved possession numbers away from him. With DeKeyser gone, who Seider pairs up with will be fascinating. The four defensemen he played the most minutes with are all no longer with the team, meaning whoever winds up with him will have a great opportunity for success.

Filip Hronek

While Seider got most of the attention on the back end, his arrival helped lessen the burden on Filip Hronek to steer the defense. Hronek was still asked to play a lot of time (averaged 22 minutes per game) which meant whenever Seider wasn’t on the ice, chances were great Hronek was. Hronek’s possession numbers slipped to the lowest mark of his career at 5-on-5 (45.7% CorsiFor) but he put up a career-high 38 points (five goals, 33 assists) including seven points on the power play. With Detroit’s defensive unit getting an overhaul in the offseason and new head coach Derek Lalonde, how Hronek is deployed and whom with he’s paired with will be fascinating to watch. Hronek’s rookie season performance set a standard for what kind of player he can be. That season he posted a CF% of nearly 50 percent, the best he’s had in four seasons. Hronek was able to be a better offensive player last season and if Lalonde will push the Red Wings to play like how the Tampa Bay Lightning play, getting Hronek to perform better to his strengths will go a long way to making the Red Wings blue line that much stronger.

Ben Chiarot

Over the past eight seasons, Ben Chiarot has established a reputation as a classic defensive defenseman and it’s because of that he was able to secure a four-year, $19 million contract from the Red Wings. Chiarot has hopped around from Winnipeg, Montreal, and finally Florida in a deadline deal last season. At 6-foot-3, 226 pounds, he’s a big, physical defender able to use his size to hit opponents as well as get in front of their shots. He’s been a staple on the penalty kill wherever he’s played, and it can be expected he’ll do the same in Detroit. Chiarot is 31 years old which makes the decision to sign him to a four-year contract a bit curious, but GM Steve Yzerman tends to get the benefit of the doubt more often. If Chiarot can bring defensive stability that allows Seider or Hronek the ability to better use their offensive skills to drive play, then it could be considered a savvy (but pricey) move. He’s not an offensive dynamo but can chip in with about 20 points per season and for a guy whose main purpose is to hold down opponents, getting even that much offense from him is a bonus.

Olli Maatta

The 28-year-old Finnish defenseman landed in Detroit via free agency, and after he was able to grab headlines in Pittsburgh, he’s settled into the role of a defender in Chicago and Los Angeles that’s there to take care of business in his end. Injuries (and COVID-19) have hampered his career the past few seasons and prevented him from playing a full season (2017-2018 was the last time he played every game). Last season with Kings, Maatta was strong on possession (52.8% CorsiFor) but weak on points (eight in 66 games) while playing a bit more than 18 minutes per game. If his previous seasons are any indication, he will see time on the penalty kill unit, but where he may be most useful is when the game is close late. Maatta’s possession numbers were better than his total 5-on-5 ice time (more than 53% CF). That means when the game is on the line or under fire, Maatta was even better at mainlining possession and producing pressure against opponents. When a player isn’t scoring points in bunches, holding it down in defensive situations or hotly contested moments of the game is just as important. Given that Maatta splits his time evenly between offensive and defensive zone starts, who he winds up pairing with means he’ll be able to hold his own and adapt their game to play with them. Whether it’s with Seider, Hronek, or perhaps rookie Simon Edvinsson, Maatta’s balanced play with a lean towards defense could provide a boost for any of them.

GOALTENDING

Alex Nedeljkovic

The Carolina Hurricanes surprised more than a few people when they cut ties with prospect Alex Nedeljkovic just when it seemed like they needed a talented young up-and-coming goaltender the most. But while his incredibly impressive rookie season numbers were good to wow fans and mystify evaluators of Carolina’s move to send him to Detroit, his sophomore season slump was certainly pronounced enough to warrant consideration that he might be Detroit’s second-best option this year in net – even as their more experienced netminder heading into the upcoming year.

Nedeljkovic is the perfect foil to his new tandem partner in Ville Husso. Where Husso plays a game based on structured movement and rigid lower-body efficiency, Nedeljkovic is a little bit faster and freer; he’s got the reflexes and the speed to catch shooters off guard and make up for his own mistakes, but he lacks the control and finesse to avoid making them in the first place. That worked out perfectly for him when he was playing behind an experienced, playoff-bound Carolina blue line – but left him exposed and less capable of thriving behind the rebuilding Detroit Red Wings, who saw him play a season that was completely comprised of games that either made him look like the next Vezina shoe-in or someone who needed a conditioning stint in the American league. When he was able to get into a rhythm and communicate well with his defense, he was nearly unstoppable – and he posted a whopping 28 quality starts in 59 games as Detroit’s clear starter. But in comparison, he also posted an alarming ten games that qualified as Really Bad Starts, clocking in under an .850 save percentage in a full fifth of the games that he played in his first full season as a starter. Of course, that could easily have been due to the learning curve any young goaltender would face in their first full season handling the lion’s share of the games, and it certainly could have been exacerbated by playing behind a team that still competed more for a lottery standing than for a playoff berth. But while it’s still too early to write him off, it’s worth entering his second year with Detroit prepared to exercise just a little more caution in expressing enthusiasm about his game; he still looks like a good option for the team, just maybe not as their number one.

Projected starts: 35-40

Ville Husso

Just when it seemed like St. Louis had given up on Ville Husso, he emerged during the 2021-22 campaign as the hottest new thing to hit the NHL. Detroit likely hopes that wasn’t a fluke; they’ve brought him on board to tandem with Alex Nedeljkovic, their prior summer’s off-season acquisition from the Carolina Hurricanes.

Detroit has been the poster child for smart rebuilds over the last few seasons, remaining patient with their prospects and peppering their lineup with reliable, steady veterans on good contracts to fill in the gaps their roster still possessed. For the last two seasons, Thomas Greiss was one of those – and now, as the Red Wings look to continue moving forward in their rebuild plan, Husso will take his spot as a fresh face with promise in his game and plenty of mileage left. He was inked to a three-year deal in hopes that he can be a solution for Detroit moving into their future plans, with the Atlantic Division club banking on his game to remain subtly effective without any major setbacks after moving to a new team. It’s tough to tell just how that’s going to go, of course, since Husso seemed to be the last goaltending prospect in St. Louis to finally get his shot – and since his numbers at the AHL level had been mediocre enough for a handful of years to allow him to remain overlooked by teams up until his finally made his all-too-impressive NHL season backup debut. But his style, which relies on a combination of challenging out at the top of his crease and smooth crisp technical skating and positioning, boasts a lot in common with fellow Finnish netminder Antti Raanta; while there may be nothing about his game that screams top-tier talent, there’s nothing about it that looks like it could suffer from a whole lot of variance, either. He may have just been a late bloomer – and for Detroit, that’s a lucky find just in time for their push back into contention.

Projected starts: 45-50

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS 4/14/21 – TRADE DEADLINE EDITION – Hall, Vrana, Mantha, Bennett, Carter and more

Scott Cullen — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 21:10:46 +0000

Each week, Scott Cullen will dive into the numbers to unearth some analytical insights to help your fantasy team.

This week, notes on some of the biggest names to move before the trade deadline – Taylor Hall, Jakub Vrana, Anthony Mantha, Sam Bennett, and Jeff Carter plus emerging players Michael Bunting, Connor Brown, and Adam Erne.

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 13: Boston Bruins left wing Taylor Hall (11) takes a shot off the face off during a game between the Boston Bruins and the Buffalo Sabres on April 13, 2021, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

#1 It is hard to imagine a highly skilled forward going through the stretch that Taylor Hall did with the Buffalo Sabres this season, scoring two goals in 37 games before he was traded to Boston. Not only did Buffalo have their best shot and expected goal metrics when Hall was on the ice, which is to be expected because he has been a play driver for his entire career, but the Sabres were outscored 29-17 with Hall on the ice at 5-on-5 thanks to an .895 save percentage. The on-ice shooting percentage of 6.4% wasn’t great either. Low percentages can sink anyone’s perceived value but if those percentages bounce back, Hall could be poised for a big finish with the Bruins.

#2 In the past three seasons, there are 205 forwards that have played at least 2000 5-on-5 minutes. From that group, Jakub Vrana ranks fifth in goals per 60 minutes with 1.36, behind only Auston Matthews (1.55), Alex Ovechkin (1.49), Brendan Gallagher (1.48), and David Pastrnak (1.37). That’s pretty great company for the 25-year-old winger. Now, moving to Detroit, he also might have a chance to get more power play time because, while he has seen more power play time this season, Vrana was very clearly on the second unit in previous seasons and the second unit in Washington does not get a lot of prime opportunities.

#3 Looking at the power play, in the past three seasons, Anthony Mantha – who went from Detroit to Washington in a trade for Vrana – is one of 224 forwards to play at least 200 5-on-4 minutes. He ranks 15^th with 16.2 shots per 60 minutes but 74^th with 1.91 goals per 60 minutes of 5-on-4 play. In Washington, Mantha is looking at less time on the power play so the question will be whether he can offset that with more production during 5-on-5 play. He started his Capitals tenure skating on a line with Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie which should help him generate quality scoring chances.

#4 Sam Bennett was on a four-game point streak when the Calgary Flames traded him to the Florida Panthers, his first four-game point streak since December of 2017. In the past three seasons, there are 12 Flames forwards that have played at least 1000 5-on-5 minutes and Bennett ranked 10^th with 1.45 points per 60 minutes, ahead of only Mark Jankowski. However, Bennett did rank sixth among Flames forwards in that time in rate of shot attempts, shots, and expected goals, so he is capable of creating some offense. Just look to the postseason, where Bennett has produced 13 points (6 G, 7 A) with 41 shots on goal in 15 games over Calgary’s past two playoff appearances.

#5 It might seem unusual for a contending team like the Pittsburgh Penguins to seek out the services of 36-year-old Jeff Carter, who had 19 points (8 G, 11 A) in 40 games for the Los Angeles Kings, except that Carter was leading the Kings in 5-on-5 shot attempts, shots on goal, and expected goals per 60 minutes. The trouble is that Carter has scored on 6.8% of his shot this season, his lowest shooting percentage since 2006-2007, his second year in the league.

#6 Carter’s 5-on-5 shot rate (10.87 per 60) ranks seventh in the league among forwards to play at least 300 5-on-5 minutes this season, behind Brendan Gallagher, Brady Tkachuk, Frank Vatrano, David Pastrnak, Max Pacioretty, and Timo Meier. Seems like a reasonable bet to take Carter and hope that his percentages bounce back if he can still generate shots at an elite level.

#7 In the past month, Toronto Maple Leafs left winger Zach Hyman has tallied 17 points (7 G, 10 A) in 14 games. He is currently riding a six-game point streak during which he has nine points (3 G, 6 A) and the encouraging sign for Hyman is, in addition to the fact that he’s playing with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner on one of the league’s most dangerous lines, is that his shot rates are climbing. Last season, he averaged 2.08 shots per game. In the first 27 games this season, 2.56 per game, and in the past month, 2.86 shots per game.

#8 Boston Bruins right winger Craig Smith was thought to be one of the best value free agent signings last summer and he started out all right, with four points (2 G, 2 A) in the first five games, but then he started to slump, and went through a 25-game stretch during which he had just seven points (4 G, 3 A) as Boston struggled to score. He recently got bumped up to play on the top line with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron for a little while and Smith has rallied with 13 points (3 G, 10 A) in his past nine games. Smith has since moved back to the second line, where he is skating with David Krejci and newly acquired Taylor Hall which should be a good opportunity for Smith to have a productive finish to the season.

SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 29: Minnesota Wild left wing Kevin Fiala (22) takes a shot during the San Jose Sharks game versus the Minnesota Wild on March 29, 2021, at SAP Center at San Jose in San Jose, CA. (Photo by Matt Cohen/Icon Sportswire)

#9 After a brilliant finish in 2019-2020, when he scored 26 points (14 G, 12 A) in the last 18 games, Minnesota Wild right winger Kevin Fiala was facing elevated expectations in 2021. While he has been able to generate shots, Fiala has had a hard time scoring and in his first 22 games of the season, had 11 points (8 G, 3 A) despite putting 73 shots on goal. In the past month, he has started to get the bounces; he has 14 points (6 G, 8 A) and 45 shots on goal in 14 games. Sometimes it takes some patience but if a player can create chances, they start to go in eventually.

#10 Before he was traded from the Ottawa Senators to the Boston Bruins, defenseman Mike Reilly was already having the best season of his career. He had already set a career high with 19 points, all assists, in 40 games, but he really started to turn his career around with the move to Ottawa last season. Since the start of last season, Dylan DeMelo is the only player to play more than 300 5-on-5 minutes for the Senators and have better shot and expected goal differentials than Reilly. Of course, the Senators were still outscored with Reilly on the ice because of a .907 save percentage during 5-on-5 play. Going to a Boston team that has a need for him to play a lot but also has a stronger defensive team structure should bring positive results.

#11 Ottawa Senators right winger Connor Brown has scored a goal in eight straight games. The last time someone had a longer goal-scoring streak in the National Hockey League was in 1997 when Teemu Selanne had an 11-game streak. Brown is getting some good fortune, but he is creating chances by shooting the puck. He has 25 shots on goal during those eight games (3.13 per game) after he had 69 shots in 35 games (1.97 per game) before the streak started.

#12 Detroit Red Wings left winger Adam Erne has made the most of his opportunity to play a significant role on a rebuilding team. He is not a star but in the past 19 games, the 25-year-old winger has 12 points (9 G, 3 A) and 41 shots on goal. In the 17 games before that, Erne had 5 points (2 G, 3 A) and 16 shots on goal. As an added bonus, Erne is a hitter, with 67 in 36 games, which starts to make his case in terms of fantasy value.

#13 The Arizona Coyotes recently called up left winger Michael Bunting from the American Hockey League, where he had 19 points (7 G, 12 A) in 16 games. The 25-year-old was a fourth-round pick in 2014 and while he had been a solid American Hockey League player, Bunting had played just five NHL games prior to this season. Since getting promoted, he has seven points (6 G, 1 A) in eight games and is averaging 17:48 of ice time since arriving in the NHL. The Coyotes have two forwards, center Christian Dvorak and right winger Conor Garland, that average more ice time per game this season.

#14 Calgary Flames center Mikael Backlund has performed well, even as the team around him seems to be crumbling. Since Darryl Sutter took over behind the bench, Backlund has 13 points (4 G, 9 A) and 43 shots on goal in 15 games. For the season, he leads all Flames forwards in shot attempts, shots, and expected goals per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play.

#15 I know that Kirill Kaprizov has been the surefire Calder Trophy winner since the first couple of weeks of the season but what about Dallas Stars left winger Jason Robertson? He has 22 points (9 G, 13 A) and 66 shots on goal in the past 22 games and now has 29 points in 36 games, leaving him five points behind Kaprizov in four fewer games.

#16 It’s not easy to find goaltending value at this point of the season but Bruins rookie Jeremy Swayman does offer some potential. With Tukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak out, the Bruins have turned to the 22-year-old from Alaska who played three seasons at the University of Maine before posting a .933 save percentage in his first nine AHL games. He has three wins and a .926 save percentage in his first four starts for Boston.

#17 Tampa Bay’s secondary scoring is taking a hit recently. Center Anthony Cirelli has no points and 10 shots on goal in the past nine games. Alex Killorn has zero points and 15 shots on goal in the past nine games. Tyler Johnson has three assists and 14 shots on goal in the past 11 games.

#18 Good thing the Lightning have Ross Colton, the NHL leader with 2.75 goals per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play (minimum 100 minutes). The next closest to Colton are Buffalo’s Rasmus Asplund (2.07), Toronto’s Auston Matthews (1.76), Montreal’s Josh Anderson (1.64), and Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen (1.53).

#19 San Jose Sharks rookie defenseman Mario Ferraro has a respectable 14 points (1 G, 13 A) in 41 games but is starting to creep into fantasy relevance because he is a hitter. Ferraro has 53 hits in his past 13 games (4.1 per game).

#20 It may not mean much, given how awful the Sabres have been this season, but Brandon Montour was leading Buffalo’s defensemen in points, shot attempts, shot, and expected goals per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play. The Florida Panthers could use at least some of that to help offset the season-ending injury to Aaron Ekblad.

Advanced stats via Evolving Hockey and Natural Stat Trick

Atlantic Division Training Camp News

Ryan Dadoun — Fri, 28 Sep 2018 14:04:37 +0000

Boston Bruins

The Bruins have a number of veterans that have been working through injuries during training camp, which has raised some questions about who will be available for the season opener. Fortunately, the news is largely good on that front.

Torey Krug suffered a fractured ankle in Game 4 of Boston’s second round series against Tampa Bay and that injury was still a factor when camp started. However, he got into his first preseason game on Wednesday, so it looks like he’ll be fine for the start of the season. His most likely defensive partner is Brandon Carlo, especially after the decision to trade Adam McQuaid to the Rangers on Sept. 11.

Wednesday’s contest was also Noel Acciari’s (sports hernia) first exhibition game of the year. He said after the game that he felt good so it seems reasonable to believe he’ll also be ready for the season opener.

The jury is still out on forwards Sean Kuraly (lower body) and Patrice Bergeron (back spasms) though. Kuraly and Bergeron have both been skating recently, but not practicing. In the case of Bergeron, he might resume practicing on Friday. If all goes well, he will be in the lineup for the season opener, but if that doesn’t happen then it will likely be David Backes that temporarily takes Bergeron’s place on the top line with Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak.

Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres certainly don’t have a shortage of exciting young players, but one that might get lost in the crowd a bit is Tage Thompson. The Sabres picked the 20-year-old up from St. Louis as part of the Ryan O’Reilly trade and he went into training camp with a real shot of making the team. Nothing has been finalized yet, but so far Thompson has made a strong impression with a goal and three points in three preseason games.

He’s been given looks with a lot of different linemates. On Sept. 17 he was on a line with Alex Nylander and Patrik Berglund before firing five shots on Sept. 22 while playing alongside Jack Eichel and Jeff Skinner. Buffalo didn’t dress many veterans for Wednesday’s contest, but Thompson was paired with Zemgus Girgensons and Casey Mittelstadt.

BUFFALO, NY - March 29: Buffalo Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt (37) skates with the puck in his first NHL game against the Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres on March 29, 2018 at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. (Jerome Davis/Icon Sportswire)

Speaking of Mittelstadt, this training camp has been something of a mixed bag for him. The hope going into training camp was that he would be the Sabres’ new number two center in the post-Ryan O’Reilly era. That might be where Mittelstadt ends up eventually, but perhaps expectations were a bit too high for the 19-year-old in the short-term. Berglund might get that number two slot instead while Mittelstadt begins the season as the third-line center.

Of course, the player attracting the most interest at the Sabres’ camp is first overall pick Rasmus Dahlin. He’s made some mistakes, but of course he should also be one of the most exciting rookies this season. We’re still waiting to see who his defensive partner will be though. Initially it looked like Jake McCabe would get that job, but he was paired with Casey Nelson instead on Tuesday while McCabe played with his old partner, Zach Bogosian.

Detroit Red Wings

Detroit got some terrible news at the start of training camp when it was revealed that Henrik Zetterberg’s career is over due to a back condition. He was one of the last remaining connections to Detroit’s 2008 Stanley Cup Championship and in that way, his retirement further closes the book on one of the best era’s in the franchise’s long history.

In contrast to those times, the Red Wings have fallen short of the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and while there some long-term hope for the franchise, the 2018-19 edition likely isn’t going to have much success. Filip Zadina is a good example of that as the sixth overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft has a lot of promise, but likely hasn’t done enough in training camp to prove that he’s already NHL-ready. Instead, the Red Wings might take advantage of the fact that Zadina is eligible to be sent to AHL Grand Rapids rather than return to QMJHL Halifax. That would allow Zadina to get key minutes against men and still leave the door open to Detroit calling him up as warranted.

Evgeny Svechnikov might be ready though. He was taken with the 19th overall pick in 2015, but he left plenty to be desired in 2017-18 with 23 points in 57 AHL contests. In the long run, he’s probably a top-nine forward, but he’s put himself in the conservation for a fourth line spot with the Red Wings to start the season.

Tyler Bertuzzi is set to not only make the team, but play a prominent role. Based on what’s happened in the preseason thus far, he could very well be part of Detroit’s top line alongside Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha. Bertuzzi scored seven goals and 24 points in 48 games with Detroit last season so he’s already got a good amount of NHL experience on his resume, but 2018-19 is likely to be his first full campaign at the top level.

Right now, the biggest question marks are with Detroit’s defense. Mike Green is fortunately believed to be over the worst of the viral infection that led to him being shut down, but there’s still no timetable for his return. Red Wings GM Ken Holland recently said that the plan was for Green to be tested on a bike and then they’ll go from there. As things are right now, it seems entirely possible that he won’t be ready for the start of the regular season.

Trevor Daley, Danny DeKeyser, and Jonathan Ericsson are all dealing with unspecified injuries and while none of the three defensemen are believed to be seriously hurt, they are all questionable for the season opener. In other words, Detroit is looking at a worst-case scenario where it will enter the season without four of its top six blueliners. That does open the door for some young defensemen to get a chance though, such as Dennis Cholowski, who was taken with the 20th overall pick in 2016, and Filip Hronek, who had 39 points in the AHL last season.

Florida Panthers

The Panthers have already made one noteworthy cut from their training camp roster by sending Owen Tippett back to the OHL. The 19-year-old was the 10th overall pick of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and got a seven-game trial with the Panthers in 2017-18 and there was some hope that he would force his way onto the team this year. That ended up not happening and the Panthers’ roster situation when it comes to forwards might be partially to blame. They have 13 forwards already signed to one-way contracts, so Tippett would have had to do something fairly special to earn a spot in that environment.

That logjam also contributed to Mark Letestu failing to earn a roster spot after joining the Panthers’ camp on a tryout basis. He has since signed a two-way contract with the Blue Jackets instead.

There might be one forward on a two-way contract that ends up making the opening game roster though: Henrik Borgstrom. He spent the 2017-18 campaign primarily with the University of Denver, but also got four games with Florida under his belt before the summer. He’s made a good impression during training camp and has the versatility to play any forward position, which certainly makes him an easier sell. If the regular season started today, it’s entirely possible that he would be on the third line with Jared McCann and Denis Malgin.

Montreal Canadiens

QUEBEC CITY, QC - SEPTEMBER 20: Montreal Canadiens center Jesperi Kotkaniemi (15) during the Washington Capitals versus the Montreal Canadiens preseason game on September 20, 2018, at Centre Videotron in Quebec City, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Montreal acquired Max Domi from Arizona in exchange for Alex Galchenyuk back in June, but right now neither player is available. Galchenyuk is dealing with a lower-body injury, but Domi is out because he sucker punched Aaron Ekblad after the Panthers defenseman refused to fight him. Domi was suspended for the Canadiens’ final four preseason games and while that is arguably just a slap on the wrist given that none of those contests count, it does prevent Domi from properly settling in with his new team. That lack of discipline, especially in an exhibition game environment, also doesn’t make for a great first impression. It’s one thing to be gritty, it’s another to make a bad decision because you couldn’t control your temper.

On a more positive note, Jesperi Kotkaniemi has made a good first impression. It was something of a surprise when the Canadiens took him with the third overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft and he wasn’t initially expected to be on Montreal’s opening game roster, but he might end up forcing his way on there. In particular, he looked good during Montreal’s 5-3 loss to Toronto on Wednesday in what Canadiens coach Claude Julien described as “probably his biggest and best test since the start of training camp.”

One other player of note during training camp has been Joel Armia. Like Domi, Armia was acquired on the trade market – in this case from the Winnipeg Jets – and while he perhaps doesn’t get the same amount of attention as Domi, Armia might end up playing alongside him. Right now it’s entirely possible that Montreal’s top line will be Armia, Domi, and Jonathan Drouin. It would be an interesting combination as they are three players that are old enough and have been in the NHL long enough that it feels like a stretch to call them prospects, but it seems reasonable to say that more is hoped for them than what we’ve seen thus far. All are former first round picks with Armia being taken the latest out of all of them at 16th overall and yet none of them have done better than Drouin’s 53-point campaign in 2016-17. Perhaps if they do remain the same line, they can help each other find another level. That’s probably the kind of luck the Canadiens would need in order for them to surpass their low expectations going into 2018-19.

Ottawa Senators

The Senators naturally quiet a number of upset fans right now and their recent events have arguably made that worse. First they traded Erik Karlsson to San Jose on Sept. 13, ending months of rumors. The fact that he was finally dealt can’t be a shock to anyone and it arguably even makes sense given their status as a rebuilding team, but it’s still a bitter pill for fans to swallow and it’s made worse by the return Ottawa got, which is significant, but perhaps not enough given Karlsson’s superstar status.

One item of note that might upset some is the fact that San Jose agreed to give Ottawa a first round pick in the event that Karlsson ends up playing in the Eastern Conference in 2018-19. That’s likely a responsible to Ottawa’s decision to trade San Jose to Mike Hoffman over the summer, which then turned around and traded Hoffman to Florida at a profit. So Ottawa wants to prevent history from repeating itself, but then the question has to be asked: Why would Ottawa need that kind of clause? If San Jose could theoretically turn around and trade Karlsson to an Eastern Conference team for a better return than what Ottawa was provided, then why didn’t the Senators simply trade Karlsson to an Eastern Conference team? It’s entirely possible that Ottawa simply accept the best offer available, but it also might be that the Senators limited themselves to only talking to Western Conference clubs and for them not to simply take the best return available when the stakes are this high for the franchise’s future is a questionable decision to say the least.

More recently, Ottawa decided to put Zack Smith on waivers in a move that Matt Duchene, who is on the final year of his contract, described as a kick in the pants. Senators GM Pierre Dorion said it was a move to send a message to the dressing room that what happened last year wasn’t acceptable, but of course, that message would likely carry more weight if the Senators’ front office’s trades dating back to the 2018 deadline weren’t so clearly focused on the future at the expense of the 2018-19 campaign. For what it’s worth, Smith did clear waivers and while Ottawa might ultimately trade him, for now he might still be part of their opening game roster.

If there’s a silver lining for the Senators right now, it’s Brady Tkachuk. He made the decision to sign with Ottawa rather than return to Boston University for his sophomore season and it’s looking like he might not only make the team, but play a significant role. He’s been seeing ice time with Mark Stone and the duo could have a solid season if they stick together. Tkachuk only celebrated his 19th birthday on Sept. 16 and we still have to see for certain if he will make the team, but there is potential there for him to be a bright spot in what is otherwise looking like a probable gloomy season for Ottawa.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning fans will definitely want to pay attention to injury reports leading up to the regular season. While Nikita Kucherov (lower body) and Tyler Johnson (upper body) aren’t believed to be seriously hurt, both are questionable for the season opener and obviously they’re two big parts of the Lightning’s monster offense.

Assuming those injuries don’t prove to be a bigger deal than they presently seem, the opportunities they might create are perhaps too short-term to really be of note. The Lightning do have some fourth-line spots open though and Adam Erne might end up taking advantage of that situation. He has scored three preseason goals and reportedly made strides in his conditioning over the summer.

Mathieu Joseph, who added 10-15 pounds over the summer, is also in the mix. He’s coming off an encouraging AHL rookie campaign where he scored 15 goals and 53 points in 70 contests. Of course, we’re likely talking about a fourth line position, so his offensive output would be low, but if Kucherov and/or Johnson aren’t available at the start of the season, then it might be Joseph that gets added short-term responsibilities.

On defense, Erik Cernak has worked himself into the conversation. He was paired with Ryan McDonagh during Tuesday’s preseason contest and he’s impressed the coaching staff. There’s a fair chance he’s done enough to stick with the team.

Toronto Maple Leafs

April 2, 2016: Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Maple Leafs center William Nylander (39) skates with the puck against Detroit Red Wings at Air Canada Centre. (Photo by Dan Hamilton/Icon Sportswire)

There’s a lot of optimism about the 2018-19 Toronto Maple Leafs, but the big question mark right now is William Nylander. At the time of writing he’s still a restricted free agent and it’s possible, if not almost certainty at this point, that he will end up missing the Toronto’s entire preseason schedule. He’s expected to eventually sign with the Maple Leafs and it will probably be to a long-term extension, but whenever a player misses training camp for any reason, you have to wonder if it will have an impact on his readiness for the regular season. Even assuming he signed in the period between when this was written and you are reading it, there would still be concerns about him struggling out of the gate in 2018-19 after missing so much prep time.

Fortunately the Maple Leafs have plenty more offense anyways. Obviously, the Maple Leafs added John Tavares over the summer giving them a second superstar in addition to Auston Matthews, but Mitch Marner is another gem of a player and has looked good in the preseason. Not that Marner being good is a revelation – he has 130 points in 159 games after all – but there might be another level there, especially if plan to have him play regularly with Tavares works as well as hoped.

It also helps that Tyler Ennis has done well in training camp. In a sense he’s kept Nylander’s spot warm by playing alongside Matthews and seeing some time on the second power-play unit. Of course, Ennis will relinquish that role to Nylander once the latter signs, but it’s encouraging to see Ennis step up after enduring two rough campaigns that resulted in him recording just 35 points in 124 contests. It will be interesting to see how things shake out from here. Under ideal circumstances for the Leafs, Ennis might even have trouble cracking into their top-nine, but teams don’t often get to dress their theoretical best and in the event of injuries during the season, Ennis might be the first choice to get added responsibilities.

Capital Expense – Tampa Bay Lightning 2018-19 Season Preview

Ryan Dadoun — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 15:22:42 +0000

REVIEW / STATE OF PLAY – Injury problems, including Steven Stamkos being limited to just 17 games, resulted in the Tampa Bay Lightning barely missing the playoffs in 2016-17, but they bounced right back in 2017-18. Their offense was second to none, led by a now healthy Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov elevating to the 100-point plateau. The Lightning also got stellar goaltending out of Andrei Vasilevskiy and while he struggled in the second half, it averaged out to be a solid season that led to him being a Vezina Trophy finalist.

The Lightning finished with the top record in the Eastern Conference at 54-23-5. They made quick work of the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins in the first two rounds of the playoffs, but ultimately lost in seven games to the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference Final after being dealt back-to-back shutout losses in Games 6 and 7.

Nikita Kucherov

KEEPING THE BAND TOGETHER – In terms of making additions through the UFA or trade markets, this was a quiet summer for Tampa Bay. While the Lightning were regarded as a finalist for John Tavares and at the time of writing have been commonly cited as a potential destination for Erik Karlsson, thus far they haven’t signed any new player to a one-way contract and their only acquisition through trade was depth forward Andy Andreoff.

It was nevertheless an eventful summer for Tampa Bay. After Kucherov set a career-high with 100 points last season while also scoring at least 29 goals and 65 points for a fourth consecutive campaign, Tampa Bay locked him into an eight-year, $76 million contract that starts in 2019-20. Given that Kucherov is just 25-years-old and the rate in which the cost of top-tier forwards has been rising, that could prove to be a very favorable contract for Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay also secured Ryan McDonagh to a seven-year, $47.25 million contract that starts in 2019-20. The Lightning acquired McDonagh from the Rangers in February and his continued presence will go a long way towards maintaining a strong blueline on a team that already excels offensively. Meanwhile, the other player Tampa Bay got in that trade, forward J.T. Miller, was a restricted free agent this summer and signed a five-year, $26.25 million deal. Miller had 10 goals and 18 points in 19 games after the trade due in part to him seeing ice time with Kucherov and Stamkos and it will be interesting to see if he’ll spend the majority of 2018-19 with those enviable linemates.

MORE THAN JUST AN OFFENSIVE TITAN – Tampa Bay can outscore just about every team in the league, but what sets them apart from some of the league’s other offensive powerhouses is how much they have beyond that.

Victor Hedman is one of the best defensemen in the league today and solidified that status by winning the Norris Trophy in 2018 after finishing third in voting a year prior. As touched on above, they also now have McDonagh long-term, who will join Anton Stralman and Hedman to form the core of the defense. Their blueline beyond that is more questionable, but there is certainly potential there. The most notable piece to that puzzle is Mikhail Sergachev, who averaged just 15:22 minutes as a rookie and still managed to record 40 points. Sergachev has the potential to be an elite offensive defenseman, but he’s not a safe bet to reach that level as a sophomore.

They also have a potential elite goaltender in Andrei Vasilevskiy. Certainly, he lived up to that label with a 2.16 GAA and .931 save percentage until the All-Star break, but he had a 3.37 GAA and .902 save percentage over his final 24 games. He admitted in March that he was dealing with some fatigue, which is understandable given that it was his first full season as an undisputed starting goaltender and he did manage to bounce back for the playoffs.

Vasilevskiy still finished third in Vezina Trophy voting last season and if he is able to be consistent this time around then he could win that award while also making the Lightning something magical.

OUTLOOK – There is so much to like about the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning. This team isn’t without X-Factors and as we’ve seen before, bad luck in the injury department can derail even potentially great teams, but the Lightning look like major contenders for the Stanley Cup going into the season.

Tampa Bay Lightning Prospect System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 15:20:25 +0000

Even the worst teams generally hit on their first-round picks, especially if the first rounder was near the top of the board. The great scouting teams get their edge through success in the later rounds.

For many years, the Detroit Red Wings were one of those teams. They were successful. They set an incredible record of making the playoffs for 25 years in a row, from 1990-91 through 2015-16, a period which included four Stanley Cup Championships.

They drafted exceptionally well. Two drafts prior to the start of their mythical run, they selected an astonishing four players who would all go on to play over 1,000 games in the NHL before hanging up their skates. A fifth, Vladimir Konstantinov, could also have challenged for the milestone were he not tragically severely injured in a limousine accident after the first championship of that run in 1996-97.

Despite the pratfalls of low draft position due to their success, subsequent drafts included both first round hits such as Martin Lapointe, Jiri Fischer, and Niklas Kronwall as well as late round gems including Mike Knuble, Tomas Holmstrom, Pavel Datsyuk, and Henrik Zetterberg. Not every draft class worked out – witness the stretch from 1995-97 in which none of the 27 drafted played more than 136 games in the NHL, but they were able to supplement the acquired superstars with depth from within.

The Tampa Bay Lightning, who General Manager Steve Yzerman was part of Detroit’s success, first on the ice and then off, through the first 20 of the Red Wings’ 25-year run, have also shown some of Detroit’s past hallmarks of success and astute drafting.

While they have only made the postseason in five of the eight seasons in which Yzerman ran the show, they made it at least to the Conference finals in four of those five seasons. Further, in last three seasons, they were consistently thought of as one of the elite teams in the NHL, both for their on ice success, as well as for their success on draft day.

In addition to successful first rounders like Vladislav Namestnikov, Andrei Vasilevsky, and Jonathan Drouin, they also picked right later on, with players like Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat, and Brayden Point all coming through day two picks. Other highly touted youngsters in the system were also later round picks, including most of the players discussed below.

Of course, 19 of the 20 players here were selected after the first round, as the Lightning have only made two round one picks in the last four years, and one of those was traded last season in the Ryan McDonagh/J.T. Miller trade.

So far only one player drafted in the past four years has received so much as a cup of coffee in the NHL. More are sure to follow, but our projections are bearish on most of them growing into highly impactful NHL players. Despite the pedigree of Yzerman, coming from a team that had focused on drafting skill for years and often reaping the benefits of that mantra, all too many of the picks made by Tampa in the last few drafts have been of players with limited skill game and the attendant low ceilings that came with that type of prospect. Even the more skilled players are noted for their two-way games at least as much as they are for their pure skills.

It is not too late for most of them to prove us wrong, but if we are correct, the Lightning will be hard-pressed to create a history like that of the Red Wings.

Cal Foote

1 Cal Foote, D (14^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 6^th) In a game where teams are exceedingly going for smaller, faster blueliners, Foote is almost an anachronism. More in the mold of his father, hard hitting Colorado defender Adam Foote, Cal is big, plays mean, and skates better for his size than he does in a vacuum. In addition to his inherent size, and the impact that has on his game, the young Foote has exceptionally high hockey IQ, and has great puck skills for a blueliner. His passes from the blueline are to the tape, no matter how tricky and he can unleash on a bomb of a point shot. Already too good for the CHL, he will have to return to Kelowna if – as expected – he does not make the Lightning roster out of camp.

2 Mathieu Joseph, RW (120^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 5^th) After a stellar rookie pro season, wherein he led the Syracuse Crunch in scoring with 53 points, a total good for third in scoring among all 21 and under players in the AHL, Joseph also demonstrated that his near elite speed is good enough for the pro game. As much as he has proven to be a bonafide offensive contributor, if you spend any time watching him play, it is easy to see how his two-way game makes him more valuable than his point totals. He is a frequent penalty killer, strong in the neutral zone, and finishes his checks. He could stand to put on more weight, but Joseph has gone from an unheralded fourth round pick, to a reasonable second line upside and might be ready for an NHL role.

3 Boris Katchouk, LW (44^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 19^th) After 85 points in the regular season and another 37 postseason points as Sault Ste. Marie made it to the OHL finals, Boris Katchouk has nothing left to prove in the OHL. It is good then, that he does not have to return to the junior ranks, his four years being up. The type of player who gets good grades everywhere, he should be able to fill whatever role is needed in Tampa when given the chance. Katchouk is a puck fiend, excelling in the possession game, whether carrying it through danger himself, or getting it to the right linemate to pass the next line of defense. As much a goalscorer as he is a playmaker, he is ready to follow in Joseph’s footsteps in Syracuse.

4 Taylor Raddysh, RW (58^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 2^nd) Between Joseph, Katchouk, and Raddysh, the future of Tampa’s offensive attack will be coming down the flanks. Whereas Joseph is the speedy rover, and Katchouk brings more to the puck battles and intensity, Raddysh is the quieter finisher among the trio. He has improved his skating ability since he was drafted, and has always had a knack for showing up in the right place at the right time. He offers a fantastic net front presence and his hands are soft and skilled, able to maneuver the puck around in tight. He has the tools to grow into a James van Riemsdyk type of winger, deadly on the power play and able to create havoc for goalies just by being there.

Alexander Volkov

5 Alexander Volkov, RW (48^th overall, 2017. Last Year: unranked) Another winger with middle six upside, Volkov went right from the draft to the AHL, as the 20-year-old was not beholden to any CHL club and was had no contractual obligations to stay in Russia either. He has quick hands and a powerful shot with a tricky release. His offensive gifts quickly came to the fore in the AHL, although he did struggle at times to give consistent shifts over the course of a full game. He has the tools to succeed at the highest levels, particularly in his puck skills, but in addition to the consistency, has yet to undeniably prove that his game can succeed in the smaller ice surfaces. That last point includes showing more commitment away from the puck and lessening his propensity to take needless penalties.

6 Anthony Cirelli, C (72^nd overall, 2015. Last Year: 4^th) The most likely player on this list to spend all of next year in the NHL, Cirelli is a big game player who makes up in hockey intelligence what he lacks (in a relative sense) in offensive tools. He is a good skater, but neither his shot nor his puck skills grade out as much above average. He plays a strong game, commendable in light of his somewhat slight frame, but his understanding of the game and advanced reads allow him to always be in the optimal place and to proceed to make the smart decision with where to go (or move the puck) next. As impressive as his rookie AHL season was, he was even more impactful in his 18 game NHL trial by fire. He is ready to play full-time on a bottom six energy line in the NHL.

7 Mitchell Stephens, C (33^rd overall, 2015. Last Year: 8^th) Imagine Anthony Cirelli, but with a 2% discount, and you basically get Stephens. Whereas Cirelli has earned a reputation as a clutch performer with a history of timely production, Stephens is a notorious leader, having worn the “C” for both the Canadian U18 squad at the 2015 WU18 and for Saginaw in the first half of the 2016-17 OHL campaign. A good skater with average or better grades across the board, his top offensive tool is a strong shot which works from distance enough to be used on the point for Syracuse power plays. He sees the game well, and makes positive decisions, but his overall tool set lacks the dynamism needed to reach a top six upside.

8 Gabriel Fortier, LW (59^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) An undersized winger who skates very well and has a knack for putting the puck in the net, Fortier meets a lot of the benchmarks of the forwards ranked higher up on this list. Tampa’s top pick in the most recent draft, he plays the game with a two-way mentality and brings more of a physical nature to his game than many of his size do. He is an energetic player who can lead by example. With those plaudits out of the way, Fortier, again like those above, lacks the dynamic tools expected for top six forwards. He seems likely to maximize his talents, such as they are, but Tampa is not going to be in a position to build around him.

9 Dennis Yan, LW (64^th overall. Last Year: 11^th) You guessed it. Dennis Yan is another strong skater winger with good puck skills. Although he could not bring his high offensive production from the QMJHL to the AHL in his rookie pro season, he showed flashes of the ability to create chances on his own when he was healthy enough to play. He can be trusted to give good effort and his work rate will often pay off in a couple of good chances per game. He needs a fully healthy follow-up campaign for Syracuse next year so we can see what he can truly bring as a professional.

Dominik Masin

10 Dominik Masin, D (35^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 12^th) Proof that past is not always prologue, Masin followed up an underwhelming rookie AHL campaign with a much stronger, more well-rounded second effort. Whereas he focused almost exclusively on acclimating in his own zone as a rookie, Masin last year showed more of the puck moving attributes that initially made him an intriguing prospect in the Czech Republic and then Peterborough of the OHL. He keeps good, tight gaps, handles himself well in one-on-one situations can play a heavy game as needed. Not the highest ceiling, but he is looking more and more like an NHLer. I suspect he will see his first callup to Tampa in the coming season.

11 Adam Erne, LW (33^rd overall, 2013. Last Year: 15^th) An ornery power forward, Erne will graduate from prospectdom with 11 more NHL games. A bruising, scoring force in junior, he has not brought all of his production to the pros, although he did contribute decent secondary numbers in Syracuse. He has a mature, muscular frame and is a very good skater for his size, but needs to begin showing more than just strength to earn more than fourth line minutes. On the positive side, those fourth line minutes are there for the taking. Considering that Tampa only gave him a one-year extension coming off his ELC, it is safe to say they want to see more from him before committing to him for the long haul.

12 Alex Barre-Boulet, C (UDFA: Mar. 1, 2018. Last Year: IE) After leading the QMJHL in postseason goals in 2016-17, he led the league in regular season scoring last year, earning both an MVP award as well as an ELC from the Lightning as an undrafted free agent. Barre-Boulet may be a dying breed in that he was overlooked on draft day three times, largely due to his small stature. Considering his top tier production, he should have been snatched up two years ago. He is an excellent playmaker, with vision and decent speed. Mike Sanderson, our QMJHL analyst, has noted that Barre-Boulet is more advanced than Yanni Gourde was at the same stage. He will have to prove he can keep up at the AHL level first, but the Lightning have made this profile work many times over in the past.

13 Alexei Lipanov, C (76^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 20^th) Immediately after being drafted by the Lightning last year, Lipanov pooh-poohed the Russian factor by moving to North America to play for Barrie of the OHL, often alongside countryman Andrei Svechnikov. He seemed to have a soft landing with the Colts, producing at a respectable rate, but when his scoring dropped by nearly half after a midseason trade to Sudbury, doubts were naturally raised about his ability to drive scoring. To his credit, he has good hands and a quick shot release and does not ignore the game in his own end. He needs to show more to remain a high priority for Tampa.

14 Ross Colton, LW (118^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 18^th) A late bloomer, Colton took off in his third year of draft eligibility, his second season in the USHL. Moving to a struggling University of Vermont, he kept up his scoring pace, finishing second and first, respectively in his freshman and sophomore seasons with the Catamounts. More of a one-way, offense-only player than the other forwards higher up this list, Colton will have the chance to round out his game in Syracuse, after the Lightning signed away from his remaining years of college eligibility in late June. The shot and the puck skills are good enough to cause some damage, but he still has a long way to go to prove himself.

Carter Verhaeghe

15 Carter Verhaeghe, C (Trade: Jul. 1, 2017. Last Year: unranked) A minor league journeyman before the age of 22, Verhaeghe’s third AHL season, with his third organization, was his best – by far – yet. A skilled player in junior, he finally showcased the ability to produce scoring chances as a pro as well. He has a good sense for the flow of the game in the offensive end, and seems to play with good vision. He has a good frame, although does not really play a very physical game. He still needs to show that he can impose on the game away from the puck as well, but the former third round pick has at least earned a chance to keep fighting to play in the NHL, something that was not apparent as recently as 12 months ago.

16 Otto Somppi, C (206^th overall, 2016. Last Year: unranked) Somppi went backwards in his first post draft season in Halifax but made up for it with two steps forward in his final year of junior eligibility, earning an ELC from Tampa towards the end of the season and then a short trial run for the Crunch in the AHL postseason. His skating will never be a strength of his game, but he is skilled with the puck, and shows above average hockey sense. If he can get his stride to at least average, he will have a reasonable chance at an NHL career. If he can’t, well, most seventh rounders don’t make it to the Show anyway. Somppi, in a sense, has already exceeded expectations.

17 Erik Cernak, D (Trade: Feb. 26, 2017. Last Year: 9^th) Acquired by Tampa as part of the return from LA in the Ben Bishop trade, Cernak had an underwhelming first pro season in the AHL. Unlike Masin, whose AHL rookie season was notable for its lack of offensive production, Cernak showed a deficit of tools. In a game growing smaller and faster (see: Barre-Boulet) Cernak is bigger and slower. He plays a heavy game and is trust-worthy in his own zone. Unfortunately, his bow-legged stride is very inefficient, and he is very vulnerable to the rush. He shows hockey intelligence and moves the puck well enough, but he needs to be able to move his feet better to take the next step in his career.

18 Dmitri Semykin, D (90^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) A two-way player in the Russian junior ranks, by which I mean he played both defense and on the wing. Semykin is not blessed with an extravagant set of hockey skills, but he is very big and heavy, skates well enough for his size and is exceptionally hard-nosed. He actually has some goal-scoring touch, although at this point, it looks like his future prospects are based on his ability to shut down opponents without being a liability at the other end. Semykin is certainly not a typical Lightning pick, but they do like to leaven their collection of smaller, quick wingers with outsized players on the backend (see Sosunov below)

19 Alex Green, D (121^st overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) Ignored at the draft twice as a low producing defenseman in the USHL, Green raised more eyebrows as a freshman with Cornell, earning himself a shout out in the fourth round. He is a strong skater, reads situations in his own zone well and knows how to clear the puck from his zone. He plays a bit light, although he has a decent-sized frame. Although Cornell has used him on the power play, that is not yet reflected in his production, as third assists are not tracked. In short, Green is not an exciting prospect, but his understated, quiet game can go a long way as long as he continues to minimize mistakes.

20 Oleg Sosunov, D (178^th overall, 2016. Last Year: unranked) Standing at 6-8”, and weighing a solid 225 pounds, Sosunov was drafted late as a physical specimen more than a talented hockey player. His D+1 year was brutal as well, without a single point in 40 games across two levels of Russian junior hockey. Undaunted, the Lightning signed him to an ELC and he moved to the WHL for his age 20 season, putting up the best offensive numbers of his life. His skating, like that of most players of his size, is a bit on the awkward side, but he is starting to show some ability to move the puck, and he naturally has a promising physical game, while encouraging with the reduction of time spent in the penalty box. Sosunov is still a long shot, but he is long, and he will get a shot.

Tampa Bay – System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Sat, 16 Sep 2017 11:51:37 +0000

I have long advocated for teams drafting the best talent available on draft day. With all but two to five prospects in any given year needing to go back to amateur hockey in the upcoming year, it does not make much sense to draft for current need. To that rule, I have appended an exception in the case of netminders. Namely, that there is a maximum number of goalies a team should have.

At any given time, there will be room for two young netminders to play in the AHL and usually another promising one can be assigned to the ECHL. If a team has more than that who are past the age junior/college hockey, there will be no place to play and develop them. This is why it is so rare for one team to draft two goalies in one year. And until Vegas left draft weekend with three netminders, more than two was unheard of.

The goalie problem is not one faced by Tampa. The opposite, in fact, as there are only two netminders with prospect eligibility in the organization. This topic is significant for Tampa, because they are stretching the boundaries of the best player available rule by drafting an abundance of players that fit within a fairly narrow profile.

During the draft, Tampa is generally a team that stockpiles draft picks. They rarely have less than their full allotment of picks, and often substantially more, including nine picks in 2015 and ten in 2016. When we look at the types of players they draft, we can see clear patterns.

For starters, they like their defensemen to be…well…defensive. Out of 15 blueliners in the system, nine are clearly defensive defensemen. Four more are two way defenders and only two could be counted as offensive defensemen. This topic came up when we were putting the system’s top 20 together. There are very good arguments to be made for a number of the defensemen in the system to make the top 20, but when so many of them have near-identical profiles, there are fewer paths for them to reach the NHL.

Most NHL teams, even possession-conscious teams like the Lightning, will have no more than three, and more likely two, defensive spots for blueliners who are limited in how much they can provide in the offensive end of the ice. So as talented as players like Erik Cernak, Libor Hajek, Slater Koekkoek, Matt Spencer, Dominik Masin and others are, it is hard to see a path where more than two of them establish themselves in Tampa. After two do, the others become trade bait. Only really Cal Foote and Mikhail Sergachev are versatile enough in their approaches to the game to fit in any type of role.

The Lightning have a similar, if not identical, story with their forwards. The majority, if not all, of their better forward prospects are secondary offensive contributors, providing as much if not more, energy than talent to their teams. With more forward spots on all teams than defensive ones, this is less of a problem, but it sure seems like Tampa scouts have a type that they prefer to hunt.

1 Mikhail Sergachev – One half of one of the most interesting trades of this offseason, Sergachev was traded straight up from Montreal to Tampa for Jonathan Drouin almost one year to the day of being selected ninth overall in the draft. A high end skater who excels at both ends, he can afford to pinch in deep as he is well able to recover. Plays with great maturity and patience on the puck, able to outlast an opponent and create a better lane for passing, or pushing the puck forward by himself. He should be ready for the NHL and has first pairing upside.

Taylor Raddysh of the Erie Otters. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

2 Taylor Raddysh – Although he has scored at superstar levels for the last two seasons, next season will be a real test for Raddysh, who will finally be the featured player on the Otters after the graduations of Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome. Standing in his favor are his excellent combination of shot and puck skills. The former is sniper level, and he is extremely dangerous from the mid-slot and in. The latter rears its head when he does not have a clear shot on goal. Very skilled at finding an open man through his vision and creativity.

3 Brett Howden – A two-way center with plus playmaking skills, Howden had a great offensive year for Moose Jaw, even without accounting for the 15 or so games he missed due to injury. Aggressive in his own zone, he is not afraid to block shots and has a knack for retrieving the puck and getting it into a position to move back up the ice. More quick and nimble than fast, he has enough speed to hold his own and play his game. Plays a chippier game than many with his passing acumen.

4 Anthony Cirelli – A big game specialist, Cirelli burst onto the prospect radar in his last game before he was drafted. It was a Memorial Cup final and he scored both Oshawa goals, including the overtime winner, to claim the title. Traded to Erie this year, he hit another level in the playoffs and again in a second Memorial Cup. All this after starring for Team Canada at the WJC. Supremely intelligent player who has great patience on the puck and an easy to underrate snap shot.

Mathieu Joseph

5 Mathieu Joseph – Drafted as a quick two way forward two years ago, the former fourth round pick has since emerged as a clinical finisher in QMJHL play with underrated playmaking ability that shone at the last WJC. Has a very strong neutral zone game, forcing turnovers through relentless pressure on the puck carrier. A good, if not exceptionally fast skater, his first two steps give him a clear advantage. Plays with great energy and has an overall skillset that can fit on any line.

6 Cal Foote – Foot speed is currently the only real impediment standing between Foote, whose father Adam played over 1,100 games in the NHL, and a projected first pairing ceiling. A competitive shut-down defenseman, he has near elite size and strength and puts those attributes to good use nightly. He inherited more of his father’s hockey IQ than his snarl, although he is a tough customer to boot. Reads the play very well and, although he is a pass-first player, has a cannon from the point.

7 Slater Koekkoek – Although the career for the former tenth overall NHL draft pick has been a disappointment thus far, it is far too early to count Koekkoek out. A fine skater with above average puck skills, he quadrupled his previous career high in NHL games played. A big minute muncher for Syracuse, he is rarely caught out of position and makes smart decisions when moving the puck. Seems to be past the injury issues that plagued his junior career.

8 Mitchell Stephens – Tampa’s top pick in the 2015 draft, Stephens is a high-energy, heart-and-soul forward capable of filling any role, up and down the lineup. A hard working player, he understands his role on a line works as part of a unit, rarely trying to play for himself. Strong and aggressive, he projects best as a puck retriever playing with two higher skilled linemates. Very effective when he skates to the crease. Ready for pro hockey.

9 Erik Cernak – Originally a second round pick of the LA Kings, Cernak was traded to Tampa as part of the return for a few months of Ben Bishop. Big and rock steady on the back, the Slovakian native has limited offensive upside, although his shot is strong enough to be a threat if he used it more often. Does not use his body aggressively, but keeps opponents at bay with strong positioning. Plays a quiet game, but is integral in getting the puck moving in the right direction.

10 Libor Hajek – One of the few lights shining on an otherwise abysmal Saskatoon team over the last two years, which makes him difficult to scout, Hajek has the right mix of size, mobility and snarl to keep the Lightning confident in his future projection as another shutdown defender. They are also hoping that he can show more offensive upside, regardless of the lack of support. They also expect him to finally be named to the Czech squad for the WJC.

11 Dennis Yan – An American-born, Russian national, Yan was one of the best shooters in the QMJHL last season. Combined with his plus skating ability, he was consistently able to get to soft spots in coverage before his opponents and from there to threaten the goalie. Further, his anticipatory skills have allowed him to play an important role in the penalty kill. May be brought on slowly this year in the AHL, but has top six upside.

12 Dominik Masin – Although his rookie pro season went smoothly, Masin seems to have left his offensive game in Peterborough. After putting up 66 points in 105 games across two years in the OHL, he was limited to a mere six points for Syracuse last year. He has a big body and skates well. Can play a heavy game, if not a violently aggressive one. He seems comfortable carrying the puck up the ice, but is mostly a defensive minded player at this stage of his development.

13 Connor Ingram – With Vasilevski now the incumbent NHL starter and the Kristers Gudlevskis era over, Ingram is now the only netminder in the Tampa system who has NHL upside. Drafted in his second year of eligibility after taking massive steps forward with Kamloops, Ingram was even better last year in the WHL, although he was very shaky in WJC play. On the small side, but very athletic, he is also a strong puck player. The workhorse should receive the lion’s share of work in Syracuse this year.

14 Ben Thomas – One of the surprise performers with Syracuse last year, Thomas showed the ability to push play from the point in a way that was not expected based on his WHL output. He has a solid first few steps and is very comfortable moving the puck up ice. Quietly dependable in his own zone, he does not play a very physical game, but uses his stick more and solid positioning. His point shot is strong enough to earn him some power play time.

15 Adam Erne – A power winger with a good top gear in his feet, Erne has steadily improved his offensive output over his first two years of professional hockey. Although he struggled to produce offense in his lengthy NHL stint last year, he did at least tend to move the puck in the right direction, without being protected to any extreme, a good indication for his future. Needs to be more consistently involved in the play before moving to the NHL full time.

16 Yanni Gourde – Gourde’s long and winding road up the professional ladder may finally be leading him to the NHL. Undrafted out of Victoriaville, he spent two years in the San Jose system on AHL deals before Tampa offered him an ELC. He has been consistently one of their top offensive performers in the AHL since. Feisty and with a strong nose for the puck and a playmaker’s instincts, he could play on an energy line in the NHL right now.

17 Matthew Spencer – Once the third overall pick of the OHL entry draft, Spencer has had a solid, if unspectacular career with Peterborough. A very good passer with advanced hockey intelligence, he plays a quiet game, limiting mistakes. He is an average skater and is unlikely to ever develop into a significant offensive threat, but is reliable enough in all zones to play in a depth role. Has a solid pro frame and began to leverage that more often last year.

18 Ross Colton – After exploding for 35 goals in his third season of draft eligibility with Cedar Rapids of the USHL, Colton was a revelation in his freshman season with Vermont. He has quick wheels, and nearly as quick hands. Plays a responsible game and his speed can be leveraged well on the penalty kill. He can absolutely fly with the puck through the neutral zone. His snap shot is a weapon. Needs to show that he can succeed in the dirty areas of the ice.

19 Boris Katchouk – A big power forward who combines a quick skating stride with a very strong shot, Katchouk took a few steps forward last year in his finishing ability, becoming a go-to guy for Sault Ste. Marie. Still justly lauded for his refined hockey smarts, if his scoring rates hold up, we can up his projections from that of a potential bottom six forward to someone with middle six potential. Great compete rate.

20 Alexei Lipanov – A two-way center with strong puck skills who plays with great energy, Lipanov can be a force when lined up next to a top finisher. The type of forward who plays on the point on the man advantage to leverage his great vision and passing touch. Very lean and not yet filled out, he will get a taste of the North American brand of hockey as he comes over to play with Barrie of the OHL this year. Very agile skater.

Despite their proclivity for certain types of players, the sheer amount of talent in the Tampa Bay system gives the Lightning one of the deepest organizations in the league. At the very least the big trade of Drouin for Sergachev proves that GM Steve Yzerman recognizes that he needed another two-way dynamic presence on the blueline as well as showing the ability to go out and get it through trade. That suggests that some of the others on the list above may be viewed as assets for other, future trades.

CHL 2014 IIHF WJHC Participants On-Ice Stats

Gus Katsaros — Fri, 27 Dec 2013 20:22:56 +0000

A short post with the focus on participating players dressing for their respective countries in the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championships and their member clubs in the CHL playing overseas in Sweden.

I broke away from the traditional goals-assists-points statistics and focused on the breakdown of ON-ICE even strength goals for/against as well as on the percentage basis for their respective teams. The legend is located just before the table.

Some additional details break down the draft year, team that drafted the player (none of these players have been traded to another NHL team). There are very few undrafted players as this tournament is drafted prospect heavy, but there are many European exceptions – along with some draft-eligible players for 2014 (and two notable 2015 draft eligible players in Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel – as a late birthday).

ESGF - Even Strength Goals For (On-Ice)

ESGA - Even Strength Goals Against (On-Ice)

%TmESGF - Percentage of On-Ice Even Strength Goals For

%TmESGA - Percentage of On-Ice Even Strength Goals Against

Draft Team - Team that drafted this player

Draft Yr - Draft Year

DOB - Date of Birth

Country	Team	Pos	ESGF	ESGA	%Tm ESGF	%Tm ESGA	Draft Team	Draft Yr	DOB
Canada
Josh Anderson	London Knights	C	29	13	20.28	25.00	CBJ	2012	1994/05/07
Chris Bigras	Owen Sound Attack	D	26	30	27.08	27.78	Col	2013	1995/02/22
Jonathan Drouin	Halifax Mooseheads	C	36	19	25.71	19.00	TBL	2013	1995/03/28
Aaron Ekblad	Barrie Colts	D	25	24	22.12	25.53	--	--	1996/02/07
Zachary Fucale	Halifax Mooseheads	G	0	0	0.00	0.00	MTL	2013	1995/05/28
Frederik Gauthier	Rimouski Oceanic	C	25	24	22.12	60.00	Tor	2013	1995/04/26
Bo Horvat	London Knights	LW	37	19	25.87	36.54	Van	2013	1995/04/05
Charles Hudon	Chicoutimi Sagueneens	LW	27	29	26.21	26.36	MTL	2012	1994/06/23
Scott Laughton	Oshawa Generals	C	36	27	30.00	33.75	Phi	2012	1994/05/30
Curtis Lazar	Edmonton Oil Kings	C	41	18	32.80	30.00	Ott	2013	1995/02/02
Taylor Leier	Portland Winterhawks	LW	39	20	23.93	18.02	Phi	2012	1994/02/15
Anthony Mantha	Val-d’Or Foreurs	LW	50	33	29.07	37.50	DET	2013	1994/09/16
Connor McDavid	Erie Otters	C	42	20	24.85	42.55	--	--	1997/01/13
Josh Morrissey	Prince Albert Raiders	C	40	29	34.48	42.65	Wpg	2013	1995/03/28
Jake Paterson	Saginaw Spirit	G	0	0	0.00	0.00	Det	2012	1994/05/03
Adam Pelech	Erie Otters	D	44	21	26.04	44.68	NYI	2012	1994/08/16
Nicolas Petan	Portland Winterhawks	C	52	27	31.90	24.32	WPG	2013	1995/03/22
Derrick Pouliot	Portland Winterhawks	D	51	37	31.29	33.33	Pit	2012	1994/01/16
Griffin Reinhart	Edmonton Oil Kings	D	15	11	12.00	18.33	NYI	2012	1994/01/24
Sam Reinhart	Kootenay Ice	C	32	28	31.37	31.82	--	--	1995/11/06
Kerby Rychel	Guelph Storm/Windsor Spitfires	LW	32	19	26.67	19.19	CBJ	2013	1994/10/07
Czech Republic
Radek Faksa	Kitchener Rangers	C	23	33	24.21	28.70	Dal	2012	1994/01/09
Jan Kostalek	Rimouski Oceanic	D	24	26	21.24	65.00	Wpg	2013	1995/02/17
Marek Langhamer	Medicine Hat Tigers	G	0	0	0.00	0.00	PHX	2012	1994/07/22
David Nemecek	Saskatoon Blades	D	23	28	21.30	20.00	--	--	1995/06/29
Michal Plutnar	Tri-City Americans	D	6	11	6.67	11.58	--	--	1994/02/21
Petr Sidlik	Victoriaville Tigres	D	24	32	24.24	25.20	--	--	1994/01/18
Dominik Volek	Red Deer Rebels	RW	23	20	23.47	26.32	--	--	1994/01/12
Patrik Zdrahal	Rimouski Oceanic	RW	12	16	15.00	30.19	--	--	1995/04/09
Finland
Julius Honka	Swift Current Broncos	D	42	33	35.59	32.04	--	--	1995/12/03
Henri Ikonen	Kingston Frontenacs	LW	40	25	32.00	21.93	TB	2013	1994/04/17
Mikko Vainonen	Kingston Frontenacs	D	36	22	28.80	19.30	Nsh	2012	1994/04/11
Germany
Tim Bender	London Knights	C	16	4	11.19	7.69	--	--	--
Marvin Cupper	Shawinigan Cataractes	G	0	0	0.00	0.00	--	--	--
Leon Draisaitl	Prince Albert Raiders	C	31	30	26.72	44.12	--	--	1995/10/27
Markus Eisenschmid	Medicine Hat Tigers	C	13	20	11.50	21.05	--	--	1995/01/22
Dominik Kahun	Sudbury Wolves	C	10	15	7.94	12.10	--	--	1995/07/02
Maximilian Kammerer	Regina Pats	C	1	5	0.91	6.41	--	--	--
Norway
Jorgen Karterud	SSM Greyhounds	RW	14	16	10.22	31.37	--	--	1994/05/06
Russia
Ivan Barbashev	Moncton Wildcats	C	31	33	30.39	34.74	--	--	1995/12/14
Nikita Zadorov	London Knights	C	12	4	8.39	7.69	Buf	2013	1995/04/16
Valentin Zykov	Baie-Comeau Drakkar	RW	22	9	16.30	10.11	LAK	2013	1995/05/15
Slovakia
Martin Reway	Gatineau Olympiques	LW	31	21	27.93	18.75	Mtl	2013	1995/01/24
Sweden
Andre Burakovsky	Erie Otters	LW	35	16	20.71	34.04	WSH	2013	1995/02/09
Oscar Dansk	Erie Otters	G	0	0	0.00	0.00	CBJ	2012	1994/02/28
Nick Sorensen	Quebec Remparts	RW	22	12	18.49	13.79	Ana	2013	1994/10/23
Switzerland
Phil Baltisberger	Guelph Storm	D	34	15	20.12	28.30	--	--	1995/11/13
Jason Fuchs	Rouyn-Noranda Huskies	LW	23	20	16.79	30.77	--	--	1995/09/14
Fabrice Herzog	Quebec Remparts	RW	30	28	25.21	32.18	TOR	2013	1994/12/09
Mirco Mueller	Everett Silvertips	D	21	20	19.09	27.03	SJ	2013	1995/03/21
Vincent Praplan	North Bay Battalion	LW	22	21	24.44	60.00	--	--	1994/06/10
Yannick Rathgeb	Plymouth Whalers	D	19	27	22.89	27.55	--	--	1995/10/24
United States
Adam Erne	Quebec Remparts	LW	30	27	25.21	31.03	TBL	2013	1995/04/20
Ryan Hartman	Plymouth Whalers	C	21	37	25.30	37.76	Chi	2013	1994/09/20
Anthony Stolarz	London Knights	G	--	--	--	--	Phi	2012	1994/01/20

**********

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2014 IIHF World Juniors Fantasy Hockey Future Watch: United States

McKeen's Hockey — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 04:58:55 +0000

The World Junior hockey tournament held every year over the Christmas holiday season is some of the best and most exciting hockey you will ever see. It is also a great source to find an edge in your fantasy league.

We are always looking for the next hot rookie or prospect to own, and if you are in a deep keeper league with a prospect roster, the World Jr. is must watch T.V., and gives you one more reason to watch. The tournament has seen memorable performances from great players such as Peter Forsberg and Pavel Bure who went on to have Hall of Fame careers in the NHL. There have been players who were also great in the tournament such as Justin Pogge, who were not as successful in the NHL so remember to keep things in perspective.

Each year the tournament is comprised of the best players in the world who you do not get a chance to watch live very often, if ever. It is a great opportunity to give some prospects you have heard about or read about the eye test. It is one thing to buy magazines or read online articles such as this one and get opinions about players, but no opinion is better than your own.

This will be the first in a series of articles focusing on specific countries players who have a good chance of playing in the NHL and becoming a future contributor to your teams drive for a Championship. What better place to begin with than the defending Champions, Team USA.

Most of the players in the tournament are drafted by a NHL team, and some exceptional players make their nations team in, or even prior to their draft year. A lot of hype exists for Canada’s Connor McDavid who will be drafted first overall in 2015, but the USA’s Jack Eichel is another phenomenal talent who is projected to be drafted second overall, right after McDavid. Jack Eichel is a 6’1” 191 pound player for the U-18 NTDP program and in only ten games has 13 goals and 23 points.

“He’s a dynamic offensive player” said U.S. Junior Team general Manager Jim Johannson. Eichel has deceptive speed, and a Brett Hull like shot said TSN’s Craig Button in an article from USA Today.

"It's not one thing that stands out with Jack," Button said. "It's the whole package."

Expect the 2015 draft hype for McDavid and Eichel to ramp up in this tournament.

Last year’s Gold Medal win had a lot to do with the play of goaltender John Gibson, but Gibson has graduated and the reins will be turned over to Big Jon Gillies. Gillies stands tall in the net at 6’5” and 216 pounds and is a draft pick of the Calgary Flames. In his rookie season with Providence in HE, Gillies has a GAA of 2.08 and a save % of .931 in his 35 games. Last year’s backup, will be the starting goalie this year.

Ryan Hartman was drafted by his hometown Chicago Blackhawks and will make his second appearance for team USA at the World Juniors. Hartman was selected with the final pick of the 2013 first round and is a versatile, and talented agitator. He is the type of player you can quickly become a fan of, similar to how Steve Downie was a stand out for Canada a few years ago.

Adam Erne is another grinding forward for USA who was picked three places after Hartman by Tampa in the second round of the 2013 NHL draft. Erne made quite an impression in his only NHL preseason game where he scored two goals and laid out Vladimir Sobotka with a hit that landed him a three game suspension. He can make an impact.

Hudson Fasching brings even more size to team USA. The LA Kings drafted the 6’3”, 214 pound power forward in the fourth round and he may be a gem. He is very difficult to move off the puck and is excellent in the offensive zone. The knock on Fasching is his defensive liabilities, so keep an eye out for that.

The blue line will feature Connor Carrick, who started the season in the NHL, playing three games and scored his first NHL goal. He was sent to the AHL rather than the CHL, so he may see more NHL action as the season rolls on. He is close to ready.

Brady Skjei is a New York Rangers first round pick from the 2012 who brings advanced skating and size at 6’2”, 196 pounds. A shutdown defender who won’t score a lot of points, but plays big minutes and if your league scores hits, blocked shots and PIM’s he has value. Ian McCoshen is another big, mobile shut down defender at 6’3” 205 pounds and was drafted by Florida Panthers with the first pick of the 2013 second round draft.

Anthony DeAngelo who plays for the Sarnia Sting in the OHL and is a 2014 draft eligible player will be relied on to bring the offense from the blueline. DeAngelo is running away with the defense scoring lead in the OHL with nine goals and 37 assists in 32 games. He will run the powerplay for team USA and has tremendous offensive fantasy upside. I will be watching him closely.

The games begin December 26^th and will be broadcast live on TSN and on the radio on SiriusXM NHL channel 211.

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2013 Draft Guide Preview – Adam Erne

McKeen's Staff — Sat, 29 Jun 2013 16:15:40 +0000

Quebec Remparts forward Adam Erne is a true wildcard on draft day.

His high-end skill and gritty style impressed right from the moment he joined the Remparts as a rookie last season. His exceptional offensive play was capped by a 28-goal season as a 16-year-old, and it was equaled in his sophomore campaign.

Erne embodies the bull in a china shop mentality, and will put his head down and go through a defender with sheer force before trying to sidestep one and make a finesse play. But rest assured, although gritty, Erne does possess the offensive intangibles to evolve into a top-six winger who creates space for his linemates due to physical intimidation.

Although he had a solid performance at the Top Prospects Game in January, his stock dropped shortly thereafter when he, along with teammate Anthony Duclair, were briefly suspended by the team. They were re-instated before missing a game, but the incident raised questions.

National Hockey League teams will need to determine whether the perception of his attitude is overblown or a reality.

Regardless of the question-marks, Erne has undeniable skill. It should be interesting where his value is determined on Sunday.

2013 Draft Guide Profile:

Adam Erne (LW, 2013), Quebec Remparts

Led Quebec with a career-high 72 points while duplicating his 28-goal effort as a rookie in 2011-12 .. his accomplishments were tempered however by a brief team suspension in January - along with Anthony Duclair - for behaviour detrimental to the ‘team concept’ .. the New Haven, Connecticut native added five goals in 11 playoff games, but looked worn down and missing the same speed and energy level .. SCOUTING REPORT .. a skilled catalyst and agitator .. rugged, assertive, determined .. plays a gritty, hi-octane style .. keeps active in the offensive zone and excels initiating and working the cycle .. quick, decisive playmaker - gets pucks to the net ‘by hook or by crook’ .. exploits his shifty stickhandling and puck-control savvy to open up playmaking routes .. solid, balanced skater - not overly technical .. uses short, shuffling steps .. faster than he appears though .. accelerates by a series of alternating left and right crossovers .. effective operating around the net - parking his broad frame in the goalie’s kitchen .. spins, pivots well, solid on his axis .. creates a wide protection field by spreading his legs and using his hips and backside to shield away opponents .. gets chirpy and aggravating in a distracting way at times .. can be drawn into retaliation fouls - at times away from the puck .. his checking skills and overall defensive play are works in progress that require attention .. will come back enthusiastically, only to lose steam and go static once the opposition cycle engages .. would benefit from elevating his physical intensity at key times while defending .. makes poor threat assessments and doesn’t fully commit at times - swirling away rather than driving directly at the puckcarrier .. holds value for a strong down-low playmaking game - and for displaying the attributes to develop into a plug-n-play, top-six NHL forward.

McKeen’s 2013 NHL Draft Rankings – March

McKeen's Staff — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 23:25:38 +0000

Perception is everything when it comes to scouting 17 and 18-year-old hockey players - and the only real certainty is that you just don't know how a player will turn out.

The microscope intensifies at this time of the season - with six months in the books - as every facet of a player's game being dissected and chewed up and whatever is left - in the words of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - must be the truth.

However, along with clarity also comes skepticism and doubts about whether they will ultimately fall short of fulfilling potential.

As is the case with every draft class, the shine has rubbed off for some of this year's first-round candidates, having had holes and shortcomings exposed.

Initially presumed a sure-fire NHL prospect, but now veering towards 'boom-or-bust' territory.

Certainly Russian thoroughbred Valeri Nichushkin headed down that path before restoring his stock with a 'man-against-boys' performance at the U-18 Five Nations earlier this month in Sweden. Nichushkin entered this season as a probable top ten pick, so his major rise is more a re-adjustment than a sudden epiphany.

GAUTHIER SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW

Rimouski center Frederik Gauthier is one of the developing wildcards for this draft. There was talk over the opening months that Gauthier might challenge the top 10 as he appeared to be shaping into a big two-way force. However, since suffering a broken jaw, his play has regressed alarmingly with the edgy physical side he displayed earlier giving way to a more tentative version. He's also let his defensive play slide, an area once considered a given area of strength.

There are also growing concerns about Prince Albert blueliner Josh Morrissey and specifically whether he will develop the strength and jam to defend at the next level. There's not much push-back to his game and his lean body is getting knocked around pretty good as the playoff race thickens.

Medicine Hat winger Hunter Shinkaruk can expect a similar rough ride against NHL bodies, however his stock has softened over questions about his vision and game sense - even despite the impressive stat totals. A strong playoff push from Shinkaruk would help put him back in the top-ten discussions.

It hasn't been a great campaign for Andre Burakovsky of Malmo, a significant faller in this month's McKeen's top 30 rankings. A detailed report on Burakovsky and his progress to date will be published shortly on the site.

THERE A NURSE IS IN THE HOUSE

Along with Nichushkin, another heavy mover this month was Sault Ste Marie defenseman Darnell Nurse whose game has blossomed recently under the tutelage of Greyhounds coach and former NHLer Sheldon Keefe. Nurse has advanced his game further than many of his peers - and ditto for Halifax wizard Jonathan Drouin whose progress appears to have no bounds. Drouin is currently riding a phenomenal 24-game scoring streak (22-32-54) - and has left no choice but to bump him ahead of injured teammate Nathan MacKinnon.

The only newcomer to the top 30 this month is Owen Sound defenseman Chris Bigras, a steady riser all season, bumping Guelph's Jason Dickinson.

RANK	LAST	PLAYER	POS	HT/WT	BORN	TM (LG)	GP-G-A-PTS
1	1	Seth Jones	D	6-3/205	10-3-1994	Portland (WHL)	55-10-38-48
2	3	Jonathan Drouin	LW	5-11/185	3-28-1995	Halifax (QMJHL)	43-37-57-94
3	2	Nathan MacKinnon	C	6-0/180	9-1-1995	Halifax (QMJHL)	41-28-41-69
4	4	Elias Lindholm	C	6-0/190	12-2-1994	Brynas (Swe)	48-11-19-30
5	5	Aleksander Barkov	C	6-2/210	9-2-1995	Tappara (Fin)	49-21-25-46
6	6	Ryan Pulock	D	6-0/210	10-6-1994	Brandon (WHL)	53-14-29-43
7	7	Sean Monahan	C	6-2/190	10-12-1994	Ottawa (OHL)	50-26-43-69
8	19	Valeri Nichushkin	RW	6-4/195	3-4-1995	Traktor (KHL)	18-4-2-6
9	15	Darnell Nurse	D	6-3/190	2-4-1995	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	60-11-25-36
10	8	Adam Erne	LW	6-1/195	4-20-1995	Quebec (QMJHL)	60-25-41-66
11	10	Rasmus Ristolainen	D	6-3/205	10-27-1994	TPS Turku (Fin)	47-2-11-13
12	11	Valentin Zykov	LW	6-0/210	5-15-1995	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	59-35-34-69
13	13	Anthony Mantha	RW	6-4/200	9-16-1994	Val d'Or (QMJHL)	60-45-37-82
14	9	Hunter Shinkaruk	LW	5-10/180	10-13-1994	Medicine Hat (WHL)	57-32-41-73
15	17	Mirco Mueller	D	6-3/185	3-21-1995	Everett (WHL)	54-6-19-25
16	22	Robert Hagg	D	6-2/200	2-8-1995	MoDo (Swe)	25-0-1-1
17	14	Nikita Zadorov	D	6-5/230	4-15-1995	London (OHL)	54-5-17-22
18	20	Alexander Wennberg	C	6-1/190	9-22-1994	Djurgardens (Swe 2)	45-14-17-31
19	12	Frederik Gauthier	C	6-5/210	4-26-1995	Rimouski (QMJHL)	55-19-37-56
20	23	Bo Horvat	C	6-0/200	4-5-1995	London (OHL)	59-28-27-55
21	21	Max Domi	C	5-9/195	3-2-1995	London (OHL)	56-35-40-75
22	16	Andre Burakovsky	LW	6-1/180	2-9-1995	Malmo (Swe 2)	42-4-7-11
23	18	Josh Morrissey	D	6-0/185	3-28-1995	Prince Albert (WHL)	62-15-28-43
24	27	Kerby Rychel	LW	6-1/200	10-7-1994	Windsor (OHL)	60-35-42-77
25	24	Curtis Lazar	C	6-0/195	2-2-1995	Edmonton (WHL)	65-34-18-52
26	25	Zachary Fucale	G	6-1/180	5-28-1995	Halifax (QMJHL)	39-5-2, 2.39
27	26	Linus Arnesson	D	6-1/190	9-21-1994	Djurgardens (Swe 2)	30-0-1-1
28	28	Eric Comrie	G	6-1/170	7-6-1995	Tri-City (WHL)	20-14-3, 2.62
29	29	Ryan Hartman	C	5-11/185	9-20-1994	Plymouth (OHL)	51-23-34-57
30	NR	Chris Bigras	D	6-0/190	2-22-1995	Owen Sound (OHL)	59-6-25-31
		* Goalies (W-L-T, GA)