Alex Stalock – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – ANAHEIM DUCKS – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 13:20:39 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 23: Ducks center Mason McTavish (37) stickhandles during the Anaheim Ducks versus Washington Capitals National Hockey League game on February 23, 2023 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire)

Review: Anaheim went into the 2022-23 with low expectations and still managed to finish below them. They posted a 23-47-12 record, which was an 18-point drop from 2021-22, and ended last in the league. Despite having a solid young forward core of Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry and Mason McTavish, Anaheim finished 31st offensively with 2.51 goals per game. They did just as poorly at the other end of the ice with John Gibson recording a 14-31-8 record, 3.99 GAA and .899 save percentage in 53 outings. To be fair to Gibson, he had the league’s worst defense in front of him when measured by five-on-five expected goals against (221.12), but clearly, he couldn’t make things any better. In summary, Anaheim was just a terrible team in basically every respect.

What’s Changed? There hasn’t been much in the way of roster turnover. Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and goaltender Anthony Stolarz left as free agents while the Ducks signed Alex Killorn to a four-year, $25 million contract to bolster their top-six. Anaheim also had the best odds of getting Connor Bedard but lost the draft lottery to Chicago. The silver lining is that the Ducks were able to use the second overall pick on Leo Carlsson, who could make the Ducks this year and has the potential to develop into a great two-way center.

What would success look like? No one would be surprised if Anaheim missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year, but they could at least show some progress. Zegras is entering his fourth NHL campaign and could take another step forward. Anaheim might also get a strong bounce back campaign from 21-year-old defenseman Jamie Drysdale, who missed almost the entire 2022-23 campaign due to a shoulder injury. Carlsson’s development is also of the utmost importance, and if he has a strong rookie campaign, that will go a long way towards giving Ducks fans hope.

What could go wrong? Drysdale is a big part of the Ducks’ long-term plans, so if he suffers another major injury, then it will be an extremely troubling sign. There’s also a chance that Anaheim will lean on Carlsson too much before he’s ready, which might lead to him struggling and messing with his confidence. There’s a good chance new head coach Greg Cronin will help with the development of Anaheim’s young players, given his lengthy coaching resume that includes time as a bench boss in the AHL and the NCAA’s Northeastern University. However, this will be Cronin’s first opportunity as a head coach at the NHL level, so there is some risk that his methods might prove less effective at the highest level, which would in turn complicate the Ducks’ rebuilding efforts.

Top Breakout Candidate: McTavish had a decent rookie campaign with 17 goals and 43 points in 80 contests, but he has the potential to do so much better. He should get a chance to serve in a top-six role in his sophomore season after averaging just 12:49 of ice time in even-strength situations last year. The addition of Killorn will also likely result in McTavish getting a chance to consistently play alongside at least one of Killorn or Adam Henrique, which will give him a solid forward to work off.

Forwards

Trevor Zegras - C

A creative playmaker who paced the Ducks with 65 points in 2022-2023, Zegras is a highlight reel waiting to happen and plays with an audacity that could really be a marketing dream if he isn’t stuck toiling for a bottom-dwelling franchise. Zegras is among the players most likely to attempt, and succeed, a lacrosse-style goal, and seems to be gaining a reputation for talking on the ice, both of which tend to play better if your team is winning. Zegras has room to improve in his own right, not least of all on his faceoffs, as he has won 40.9% of his draws in 180 career games. He is one of 56 players to have recorded at least 60 points in each of the past two seasons and that feels like the 22-year-old is just scratching the surface of what he could become with the right supporting cast. Questions about that supporting cast are the main concern when it comes to projecting Zegras’ production for the 2023-2024 season. Last season, his most common linemate was Ryan Strome, followed by Troy Terry and Adam Henrique. Newcomer Alex Killorn should be considered as a possibility to play on Zegras’ wing and 65-70 points should be a fair expectation.

Troy Terry - RW

It took some time, but in the past two seasons, Terry has started to reach his potential as an offensive performer, in part because he is generating more shots. Last season, he had a career high 2.69 shots on goal per game and has scored 47 even-strength goals in the past two seasons, which is tied for 29^th. In his last 27 games of the regular season, Terry delivered 27 points (11 G, 16 A). He has become a well-rounded player who creates opportunities, can finish, and has reliable defensive results as well, and that is not to be taken for granted on a Ducks team with many holes. Terry had a Corsi percentage of 48.7% which doesn’t sound like much, but it was the best among Ducks regulars. Terry, who will turn 26 before the 2023-2024 season begins, signed a long-term contract extension with the Ducks this summer, and should be a core piece while this team tries to turn the corner. While his shooting percentage predictably declined last season, Terry did increase his shot volume and recorded more assists, so his overall production was nearly at the same level of his breakthrough 2021-2022 season. While his strong finish last season suggests that he might have a higher ceiling, a total in the range of 60 to 70 points is a reasonable expectation.

Mason McTavish - RW

The third pick in the 2021 draft, McTavish finished seventh in Calder Trophy voting last season and that was underachieving to some degree because he was among the favorites to be named top rookie going into the season. It took McTavish some time to get going, but from mid-December through mid-March, he produced 26 points (12 G, 14 A) in 36 games, while averaging more than 16 minutes of ice time per game, an inkling of the kind of production that awaits the sturdy young forward. McTavish thrived in the shooter position on the power play, waiting to unload one-timers from the faceoff circle, and that should only become a bigger part of McTavish’s game as he matures. While his overall impact as a rookie was modest, McTavish did flash potential and he already has a body that is strong enough to handle the challenges of pro hockey. He can play a physical game, win board battles, and get to the net in traffic, all of which can help him have success at this level. McTavish should take a step forward in his second season. There are still concerns about the supporting cast in Anaheim, but McTavish should see more ice time and his on-ice shooting percentage (7.6%) was on the low end. After 43 points as a rookie, McTavish could see a jump to 55 points in his sophomore season.

Alex Killorn - LW

A valuable contributor to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Stanley Cups wins, the veteran winger is coming off a season in which he tallied a career high 27 goals and 64 points. There are some warning signs for Killorn’s future production, however, as he scored on 18.9% of his shots last season, well above his career mark of 12.5%, and he will be 34 by the time the pucks drops this season. Even with those concerns, Killorn is a quality addition to the Ducks, as a veteran who has played a lot of meaningful hockey in his career. The challenge for Killorn will be to provide the same fire and competitive play for a team that is not going to be a Cup contender anytime soon. Killorn thrived for a long time as a complementary player to elite talent in Tampa Bay. He is not going to have that kind of talent around him in Anaheim so, combined with likely regression in his percentages, Killorn should see a significant drop in his scoring. His possession numbers were already starting to sag in the past couple of seasons and that was with a strong Lightning team. There will likely be a new career low in Corsi percentage this season in Anaheim. Killorn had a fabulous finish to his time in Tampa Bay. In 21 games after the trade deadline, he had 20 points (12 G, 8 A) and then he added three goals and five points in six playoff games. After a career-high 64 points last season, it would be asking a lot for Killorn to produce even 50 points in Anaheim in 2023-2024.

Frank Vatrano - LW

Throughout his career, the 29-year-old winger has established that he can put pucks on the net and last season that resulted in him scoring more than 20 goals for the second time in his career. While the goals were there, Vatrano had a tough season defensively, too, and a rebuilding team like the Ducks brought in the likes of Strome and Vatrano hoping to have some consistency and reliability and that did not happen last season. When he is firing the puck, Vatrano can get hot. During a 10-game stretch in January and February, he scored eight goals on 39 shots with seven of those goals coming at even strength. That is a useful contribution from a middle six winger. Vatrano played a career-high 16:41 per game in 2022-2023, and while he will have a steady role this season, that ice time could come down a bit, too, thanks to the addition of Killorn. Another 20-goal season remains within Vatrano’s reach, but he typically scores more goals than assists, so his point total might hover around 35 points.

Ryan Strome - C

Even though he contributed 15 goals and 41 points in his first season for the Ducks, Strome got crushed defensively. It looked promising early on, when Strome had 10 points (4 G, 6 A) in the first 13 games, but he could not sustain that production. He has spent most of his career in a complementary role, but the Ducks could use more leadership from the 30-year-old or, at the very least, much more reliable play away from the puck. For most of his career, Strome’s defensive play has hovered around average, maybe a little better, maybe a little worse depending on the season. In 2022-2023, though, he got caved in and the Ducks were outscored 72-47 during five-on-five play with Strome on the ice. That is far too lopsided and if Strome can’t offer reliable defensive play, he would likely have to shift to the wing, which would be less than ideal considering Isac Lundestrom will be out of the lineup for the first half of the season. If Strome’s defensive play bounces back, he can still provide value in a middle-six role for Anaheim, but there is enough uncertainty that 40 points is about what should be expected.

Adam Henrique - LW

Even though he was limited to just 62 games last season, Henrique still scored 22 goals, the sixth time in his career that he reached the 20-goal threshold. A reliable player who can productively handle center or wing, Henrique has won 53.0% of his faceoffs since joining the Ducks and is going into the final year of his contract, which makes him prime trade bait for this upcoming season. If he continues to produce, that will only make him more in demand. Henrique is a high-percentage finisher, scoring on 15.3% of his shots over the course of his career. Among active players that have scored at least 100 goals, that ranks 15^th. He can get on a hot streak at times. During an 11-game stretch in the second half of the season, Henrique contributed 12 points (7 G, 5 A) and there are not that many Ducks who can even claim to be capable of that kind of production. Injuries have been a common feature for Henrique in in the past couple of seasons, and that should put a limit on expectations for what he might produce in 2023-2024. With the expectation that he will likely miss significant time, 20 goals and 40 points would be a fair target for Henrique.

Jakob Silfverberg - RW

A four-time 20-goal scorer, Silfverberg managed just 10 goals last season as he saw his ice time reduced. The veteran winger averaged 15:16 per game, his lowest time on ice since 2013-2014, his first season with the Ducks. While his offensive contributions are fading, Silfverberg remains a quality defensive winger, and there is value in that, especially on a team where there is a need for any kind of reliable defensive play. He has started more than twice as many shifts in the defensive zone over the past two seasons, a tilt in the ice reflecting his change in deployment. Silfverberg had a 17-game goalless drought early in the season then wrapped up the season without a goal in his last 19 games. Even so, Silfverberg should still have a secure role in the middle six, but there is limited offensive upside at this point, so he is not likely to surpass 30 points.

Brock McGinn - LW

Having scored a dozen goals in back-to-back seasons, McGinn does offer some finishing ability, but his overall offensive contributions are limited. He is a quality checking winger, and the 29-year-old should be a bottom six upgrade for the Ducks, though he did not have much success in 15 games for Anaheim after he was acquired from Pittsburgh as part of the Dmitry Kulikov trade last season. He has flashed some offensive potential from time to time, scoring eight points (5 G, 3 A) during a 10-game span last November, but he also endured a 26-game pointless drought after Christmas that showed why McGinn is more suited to a checking role. While McGinn hit career highs of 16 goals and 30 points with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2017-2018, he has not been able to hit those highs again, so it would be unreasonable to expect more than 25 points from him this season.

Max Jones - LW

Considering he was a first-round pick in 2016, the Ducks have been waiting a while for Jones to fulfill his potential and the 19 points (9 G, 10 A) he scored last season counts as a career high. While Jones has good size and can skate, his total contribution remains limited. He does bring a physical element as a willing hitter, who had a career-high 110 hits last season and will drop the gloves from time to time, but if Jones can’t even surpass 20 points in a season, then he has little overall value. Now that he is 25 years old, he runs the risk of getting nudged out by younger prospects who are ready to challenge for full-time jobs in the NHL, so anything that he can do to solidify his role in the lineup should be embraced.

Defense

Cam Fowler - D

The 31-year-old is coming off a season in which he produced a career high 48 points while logging more than 24 minutes of ice time per game for the fourth time in his career. Fowler can distribute the puck and should play a ton for a Ducks team that is lacking proven NHL options on the blueline. That said, Fowler should not be killing penalties, as there have been 96 defensemen to play at least 300 4-on-5 minutes over the past three seasons, and Fowler ranks 93^rd in rate of expected goals against and 88^th in rate of shot attempts against. His reliability does make Fowler a valuable contributor in Anaheim, and he is the safest bet to quarterback the power play, at least at the start of the season. In the past two seasons, Fowler has scored 32 of his 90 points on the power play, so he should be able to contribute 40-plus points this season.

Jamie Drysdale - D

A torn labrum in his shoulder left the 21-year-old to play just eight games last season so it was effectively a lost season. The sixth pick in the 2021 Draft, Drysdale is a captivating skater, whose edge work sets him apart and gives him a chance to create more offense. On a rebuilding Ducks squad, with a bunch of rookies challenging for spots on the blueline, Drysdale might have an advantage when it comes to earning a top-four role, but if he squanders that opportunity as he returns from injury, he could be at risk of losing ice time to other prospects on Anaheim’s blueline. Given how thin the Ducks are on the blueline, a healthy Drysdale should see a lot of ice time, and it will be up to him to show that he deserves it. With such a limited track record, there are a wider range of outcomes for Drysdale’s point production this season but, if he is healthy, he will likely see power play time and could deliver 35-40 points.

Radko Gudas- D

One of the most punishing hitters in the league, Gudas has accumulated a league-leading 667 hits over the past two seasons, and he has done that playing on a third pairing, averaging 17:42 time on ice per game for the Florida Panthers. Moving to Anaheim there may be an opportunity for Gudas to log more ice time, and he has been effective enough in his depth role that he could be worth a look in a bigger role. He is also 33 years old and has never averaged 20 minutes of ice time per game in a season, so that is hardly the profile of a defender that is ready to take on substantially more minutes. Gudas is not particularly adept with the puck on his stick, so if he even hits 20 points, that would be the first time since 2018-2019 to hit that modest threshold.

Goaltending

John Gibson - G

It was hard enough to get a feel for what the Anaheim Ducks might get from John Gibson last year. He was floating in no-man’s land with an albatross contract and a career data set that suggested his best performances were somewhere in his rearview mirror, with even his style showing signs of genuine fatigue and not just his famous unhurried mannerisms. Then, he and the team were saddled with some off-ice distractions during the summer months. A media report suggested that the Pittsburgh native was going to refuse to play another game for the Ducks in an attempt to force their hand on a trade - and although his agent tried to quickly squash the report as nothing more than an inflammatory and false rumor, the damage had largely been done.

Now, Gibson will enter the 2023-24 season fresh off his worst statistical season to date, with ugly rumors swirling and making it hard to imagine he’ll be able to perform completely unbothered. He posted a career-high 31 losses last season in 53 games, falling below the .900 save percentage unadjusted over the entire season for the first time in his NHL career. And particularly to start the season, those numbers weren’t all the fault of a porous defence in front of him; he went through entire stretches during the season during which he posted the worst expected goals numbers in the entire Pacific Division. And like the last couple of years, it wasn’t all just on paper, either. His reactive speeds seemed slower, with the former league star misreading cross-ice plays and lagging behind incoming attacks in a way that made him look like he might have just lost his touch.

The good news, though, is that those numbers started to change over the back half of the 2022-23 season. While he still struggled from an outcome perspective, more of that appeared to be the fault of a defence that allowed more shots against than anyone else; Gibson himself didn’t return to star form, but his expected outputs returned to exactly league average, suggesting a slow but sure bounce-back for the starter. It’s possible that he could be getting closer to shaking off some of the bad form he was starting to display as the Ducks entered free-fall; it likely isn’t enough to push them back into contention for a Wild Card spot, but it could at the very least be enough to help get his career back on track for the final few years of his contract. The only question is whether that will play out in Anaheim, or if they’ll move him out at the deadline if his numbers improve enough.

Alex Stalock - G

The Anaheim Ducks are officially in full rebuild mode. They were the worst team in the NHL in 2022-23 - and with a tumultuous goaltending situation for John Gibson, the team made the right move bringing in a veteran who seems to do nothing but boost locker room morale.

Alex Stalock is an undersized option in net and he’s coming off of his first full NHL season since 2019-20 (he missed the entirety of the 2020-21 campaign due to a case of myocarditis and played just one NHL game the following year). But he made sure that his comeback season, despite playing for the also-heavily-rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks, was one that counted. His .908 unadjusted save percentage for Chicago over a 27-game offering was among the best performance by any goaltender on a bottom-tier squad, and his seemingly relentless optimism - shown in his refusal to ditch the aggressive save selections he’s always loved and his full sixty-minute efforts even behind a struggling squad - should serve Anaheim well regardless of who he tandems with. The expectation, of course, is that he’d split the net with John Gibson. But if the Ducks ultimately have to part ways with their beleaguered number one, expect to see Stalock as a guiding presence for the up-and-coming Lukas Dostal.

Projected starts: 25-30

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Value to be mined on the waiver wire in time for fantasy hockey playoffs

Scott Cullen — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 17:41:29 +0000

OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 27: Carolina Hurricanes Center Jesperi Kotkaniemi (82) skates during the second period of the NHL game between the Ottawa Senators and the Carolina Hurricanes on January 27, 2022 at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Steven Kingsman/Icon Sportswire)

Each week I dive into the numbers and offer some insights that should help when it comes time to make fantasy hockey decisions.

This week, the fantasy playoffs are coming, or underway in some cases. There is still value to be mined from the waiver wire, especially if your team needs to adjust to late-season injury news, like the season-ending injury to Andrei Svechnikov. Barrett Hayton, Dylan Strome, Logan Couture, and Jason Zucker are some of the forwards worth a late season add.

#1 The worst of the injury news this week is the Carolina Hurricanes losing left winger Andrei Svechnikov to a season-ending knee injury. At the time of his injury, Svechnikov was one of six players to have at least 20 goals and 140 hits. Brady Tkachuk, Jason Zucker, Lawson Crouse, Alex Ovechkin, and J.T. Miller were the others. With Svechnikov out, opportunity knocks for Jesse Puljujarvi, who gets a shot on Carolina’s top line alongside Sebastian Aho, his former teammate from Karpat in Finland. It has been a disappointing season for Puljujarvi, as he has just 14 points (5 G, 9 A) in 61 games, but this could be a good opportunity to snap out of it.

#2 While we’re talking about Finnish forwards in Carolina, don’t overlook Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who has produced 16 points (7 G, 9 A) in his past 17 games. That does include a five-point game against Tampa Bay and he only has 23 shots in that time, but the increased offensive production is a welcome development from the third pick in the 2018 Draft. His next point will tie his career high of 34 points, set during his rookie season in 2018-2019.

#3 It has not necessarily been the smoothest development path for Arizona Coyotes center Barrett Hayton, who was drafted fifth overall in 2018, but it looks like he is starting to find his groove in the NHL. The 22-year-old has 11 points (3 G, 8 A) during a six-game point streak and is making the most out of his opportunity to center Arizona’s top line. Before the points picked up, Hayton had already started generating more shots and has 68 shots on goal in his past 22 games, which is an encouraging sign for his future production.

#4 The third pick in the 2015 Draft, Washington Capitals center Dylan Strome has had his share of ups and downs with previous stops in Arizona and Chicago but has shown that he can score when given the chance. Strome has 10 points (3 G, 7 A) during a six-game point streak and has hit the 50-point plateau for the second time in his career.

#5 He is older now and playing for a team at the bottom of the standings, but San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture has contributed 21 points (7 G, 14 A) in his past 19 games. That gives him 58 points (24 G, 34 A) in 69 games for the season and his 0.84 points per game is the second highest per-game rate of his career. He’s also widely available for fantasy managers, so worth considering for a late-season push.

#6 Pittsburgh Penguins left winger Jason Zucker has managed to stay relatively healthy and is once again a goal-scoring threat. In his past 10 games, the 31-year-old forward has scored nine goals and put 38 shots on goal, giving him 24 goals and 42 points. The last time he had more in either category was the 2017-2018 season. Zucker’s 20 even-strength goals ranks 20^th in the league.

#7 As one of the few regular forwards to remain healthy in Montreal, Josh Anderson is playing a big role late in the season. In the past 10 games, he has eight points (4 G, 4 A) and 23 shots on goal, while averaging more than 19 minutes of ice time per game. He is up to 21 goals on the season, the second time in his career that he has crossed the 20-goal threshold.

#8 Recently acquired from the Dallas Stars, winger Denis Gurianov is thriving in a bigger role with the Habs. After scoring two goals and nine points in 43 games for Dallas, Gurianov has contributed five points (4 G, 1 a) and 29 shots on goal in 10 games for Montreal. It’s not earth-shattering production, but he is getting more than 15 minutes of ice time per game and, on a depleted Canadiens roster, has a good chance to play a big role for the rest of the season.

#9 Playing a bigger role in Chicago, winger Taylor Raddysh has seven points (6 G, 1 A) in his past five games and has hit the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career. One of the encouraging signs for Raddysh is that he is shooting more – he has 21 shots on goal in the past eight games and this comes after he had recorded a total of five shots on goal in the previous eight games. It is a lot easier to buy Raddysh as a goal-scoring threat if he is averaging 2.5 to 3 shots per game.

#10 On rare occasions, the waiver wire can unearth a gem, and it looks like that could be the case for the Arizona Coyotes with defenseman Juuso Valimaki, the 24-year-old that they claimed from Calgary. Valimaki had 16 points (3 G, 13 A) in 82 games for the Flames before he was waived and has shown that he is not only a legitimate NHLer, but a legit top four, or even top pair, defenseman. In addition to providing sound defensive play, Valimaki has responded well to an elevated role, playing nearly 23 minutes per game since late January. In his past 21 games, Valimaki has earned 16 assists and is quarterbacking Arizona’s top power play unit.

#11 What a strange path it has been for Nashville Predators center Thomas Novak, a 25-year-old who had seven points (1 G, 6 A) in 27 games as a rookie last season and started this season in the American Hockey League. He is now Nashville’s most productive center, playing on the top power play. In his past 14 games, Novak has put up 17 points (9 G, 8 A) with 25 shots on goal. He is obviously not going to keep scoring at that rate without more shots, but Novak has gone rather quickly from fringe NHLer to significant offensive contributor.

#12 Although he is not finishing like he has in the past, Vancouver Canucks right winger Brock Boeser is contributing to the club’s improved play late in the season. Since Rick Tocchet took over behind the Canucks bench, Boeser has 18 points (3 G, 15 A) in 21 games and he is helping center J.T. Miller get back on top of his game, too. Boeser has 45 points, a level that he has hit in each of his six NHL seasons, but just 12 goals.

#13 Los Angeles Kings right winger Gabriel Vilardi had a strong start to the season before some lean times in the middle portion of the schedule, but he is picking up his production again. In his past 17 games, he has 14 points (6 G, 8 A), giving him 22 goals and 39 points, which are both career highs. Of course, given Vilardi’s injury history, the 59 games that he has played this season is also a career high.

#14 Banger league managers may want to have an eye on Blues winger Sammy Blais, who has seven points (4 G, 3 A) and 69 hits in 16 games since returning to St. Louis. Philadelphia’s Nic Deslauriers is the leading forward in terms of hits per game (minimum 50 GP), averaging 3.89 hits per game. Blais is averaging 4.31 per game with the Blues. Arizona rookie Jack McBain is another to consider, though probably for deep leagues only. McBain has six points (3 G, 3 A) to go with 25 hits in his past seven games and the Coyotes are giving him plenty of reps – he is averaging nearly 18 minutes per game over the past seven.

#15 At this stage of the season, it is not easy to find goaltending help, so that help may have to come from unlikely sources. If Tristan Jarry continues to struggle for Pittsburgh, Casey DeSmith could see more action. DeSmith has a .932 save percentage in his past six appearances.

#16 Other goaltenders that are more readily available in fantasy are some of the guys getting action with the worst teams in the league. Alex Stalock and Petr Mrazek of the Chicago Blackhawks are both playing better than might be expected. Stalock has had trouble staying healthy but has a .922 save percentage to go with a 9-8-1 record in 19 games. Mrazek struggled for a good chunk of the season, but he has a .926 save percentage in his past eight games. Arizona’s Connor Ingram has a .927 save percentage in his past 10 games but, because it is with the Coyotes, he has a 3-2-5 record in those 10 games. These aren’t ideal options, obviously, but if you’re desperate enough to look for goaltending at this stage of the season, you might be desperate enough to take goalies that are playing on bad teams.

#17 Colorado lost left winger Artturi Lehkonen for 4-6 weeks with a broken finger, suffered in his return to Montreal. That has resulted in guys like Evan Rodrigues and Denis Malgin getting bumped up the depth chart. Rodrigues has five points (3 G, 2 A) and 20 shots on goal in his past eight games. Malgin has two goals in his past six games but is not getting enough ice time to generate serious fantasy interest.

#18 The Arizona Coyotes is missing Nick Schmaltz with a lower-body injury, which is unfortunate considering that he had 25 points (14 G, 11 A) in his last 20 games before getting hurt. Newly acquired Brett Ritchie has been plugged into Schmaltz’s spot on the top line and first power play unit, which is not typical deployment for Ritchie. He does have four points (2 G, 2 A) in five games for Arizona and has played more than 18 minutes in each of his past three games.

#19 A lower-body injury has kept Kings right winger Kevin Fiala out of the lineup for the past week. That takes the leading scorer, with 68 points (22 G, 46 A) in 66 games, out of the mix for Los Angeles. Trevor Moore has rejoined Phillip Danault and Viktor Arvidsson on the second line with Fiala out of action and Moore has a goal and an assist in three games since his ice time was bumped up.

#20 Connor McDavid, Clayton Keller, and Cale Makar are tied for the scoring lead in the two weeks since the March 3 trade deadline, with 13 points. They are followed by Matthew Tkachuk, Nathan MacKinnon, Tim Stutzle, and Miro Heiskanen, at 12, with Leon Draisaitl, Barrett Hayton, Jamie Benn, and Vince Dunn coming in with 11. Hayton is obviously making the most of his chance to play with Keller, and the Stars getting big production out of Benn and Heiskanen is a little eye opening considering how dependent Dallas has been on production from the top line. Stutzle and Dunn have both taken a major step forward this season. Dunn is tied for 10^th among defensemen with 56 points (13 G, 43 A) in 68 games while Stutzle has erupted for a career-high 76 points (34 G, 42 A) in 64 games.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.

CULLEN: 20 Fantasy Points – Veterans Re-establishing Value, Significant Injuries Shake Up Lines

Scott Cullen — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 18:46:19 +0000

20 FANTASY POINTS

Each week I dive into the numbers and offer some insights that should help when it comes time to make fantasy hockey decisions.

This week, Anders Lee, Dominik Kubalik, and Sean Monahan are veteran forwards re-establishing their value and there are significant injuries starting to shake up lines around the National Hockey League.

#1 New York Islanders captain Anders Lee is a six-time 20-goal scorer who is off to a strong start this season, with seven points (4 G, 3 A) in seven games. What is particularly encouraging about Lee is that he is averaging an even three shots on goal per game, a massive jump from the 2.09 shots per game that he averaged last season. In addition to his goal-scoring prowess, Lee adds a physical element. He has surpassed 100 hits six times in his career and has 14 hits in seven games to start this season.

CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 01: Detroit Red Wings left wing Dominik Kubalik (81) looks on during a time out during a game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks on October 1, 2022 at the United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire)

#2 Intent on beginning a full-scale rebuilding plan in the offseason, the Chicago Blackhawks did not give winger Dominik Kubalik a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent. That left Kubalik free to sign with any team and he joined the Detroit Red Wings. Early returns in Detroit have been outstanding as Kubalik has 10 points (4 G, 6 A) during a five-game point streak which started in the second game of the season. While he will not continue scoring on 25.0% of his shots, but with Tyler Bertuzzi injured and Jakub Vrana in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, Kubalik moves to the top of the Red Wings depth chart on the left side, so he should play a prominent role for Detroit for a while.

#3 When the Montreal Canadiens acquired Sean Monahan from the Calgary Flames in the offseason, there was some uncertainty about how much Monahan could contribute. He had a career low 23 points in 65 games and was headed for hip surgery. It turns out that Monahan is healthy, and the veteran forward has quickly moved up the Habs’ depth chart. After averaging 14:04 of ice time per game last season, Monahan has played at least 15:45 per game in every game this season, including more than 22 minutes against Pittsburgh.

#4 After busting out with 37 goals and 67 points last season, Anaheim Ducks right winger Troy Terry has continued his career ascent this season. Terry has nine points (4 G, 5 A) in seven games this season and his 2.86 shots on goal per game is a career high. Early viewings of Terry this season reveal a player brimming with confidence and his playmaking ability has contributed to point production and Terry’s positive play-driving results, whether playing with centers Trevor Zegras or Ryan Strome, the results have been positive with both.

#5 The fifth pick in the 2021 Draft, Columbus Blue Jackets winger Kent Johnson is highly skilled and seems to be finding his range in the National Hockey League. After scoring 37 points in 32 games as a sophomore at the University of Michigan last season, Johnson had no goals and three assists in nine games at the end of last season for Columbus. Johnson played just 12:27 per game last season and his average ice time has only moved to 12:37 early in the 2022-2023 season, but he also has goals in three straight games, and that production could force Johnson into a bigger role soon.

#6 Drafted fourth overall in 2019, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Bowen Byram has battled injuries early in his career, but he flashed great potential during Colorado’s run to the Stanley Cup. Byram’s ice time has jumped to more than 21 minutes per game, and he has contributed five points (2 G, 3 A) in seven games. He is not going to get the role of power play quarterback on the top unit in Colorado, because Cale Makar is still great, but Byram is showing that he can nevertheless be productive enough to draw fantasy interest.

#7 Ottawa Senators center Josh Norris is out long-term, potentially for the entire season, with a shoulder injury and the Sens have had to shuffle lines to make up for losing their No. 1 center. Tim Stutzle has been bumped up to the top line between Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson, while veteran Derick Brassard has been inserted into the lineup between Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux. Brassard went from not playing to averaging 16 minutes of ice time per game, and if he sticks with DeBrincat and Giroux, there should be points available in that spot.

#8 Philadelphia Flyers veteran left winger James van Riemsdyk is going to miss a month with a broken finger. He had five points (2 G, 3 A) in six games to start the season and his presence in front of the net will be missed. Scott Laughton is getting net front work on the Flyers power play with van Riemsdyk out. Laughton has three goals and 16 shots on goal in seven games, and he played a career-high 23:24 last game. Laughton also brings a physical presence and has 19 hits in seven games.

#9 With Sean Couturier out of the Philadelphia Flyers lineup indefinitely, Kevin Hayes has been tasked with handling the No. 1 center role. He has thrived in the role of playmaker, putting up 10 points (1 G, 9 A) through seven games. While Hayes has played mostly with Travis Konecny and they have led the Flyers in scoring, the duo has also managed a miserable 30.5% of expected goals during 5-on-5 play.

#10 Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek has established his credentials as a defensive center, finishing in the top seven in Selke Trophy voting in the past two seasons. However, he also scored 45 goals in 133 games over the past two seasons. He has started this season with six points (4 G, 2 A) and 27 shots on goal in seven games. His 3.86 shots on goal per game is a career high and Eriksson Ek has shown that he can produce without depending on having an elite scoring winger like Kirill Kaprizov on his line.

#11 Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson tallied a career-high 50 points (4 G, 46 A) last season and has not slowed down this season, putting up seven points (1 G, 6 A) in six games. He is averaging a career-high 23:54 of ice time per game and is running the point on the Flames’ top power play unit.

#12 St. Louis’ forward ranks have been depleted by injuries, including to wingers Pavel Buchnevich and Brandon Saad. That has created an opportunity for rookie right winger Jake Neighbours to skate with Ryan O’Reilly and Brayden Schenn, a good chance to contribute offensively. Neighbours has one goal in six games this season but played a career-high 15:27 in Thursday’s loss at Nashville.

#13 While Detroit Red Wings sophomore defenseman Moritz Seider is off to a slow start, with one point through seven games, Filip Hronek is picking up the slack on the Detroit blueline. Hronek has five assists in seven games, including three assists on the power play. His expected goals percentage of 49.0% during 5-on-5 play is tops among Red Wings blueliners.

VANCOUVER, BC - JANUARY 21: Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) skates up ice during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on January 21, 2022 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)

#14 Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov is still looking for his first goal of the season, despite putting 26 shots on goal in eight games. His 3.25 shots on goal per game is slightly up from last season, when Barkov produced 39 goals in 67 games. Barkov is not the only forward getting lots of shots but not so many goals. Forwards with most shots on goal with 0 or one goal: Timo Meier (48 shots, one goal), Oliver Bjorkstrand (36 shots, one goal), Trevor Moore (29 shots, one goal), Reilly Smith (27 shots, one goal), Alexis Lafreniere (26 shots, one goal), Boone Jenner (25 shots, one goal), and Sam Bennett (25 shots, one goal).

#15 Players exceeding all-situations expected goals by the most: Andrei Svechnikov (5.02 goals above expected), Valeri Nichushkin (4.47), Connor McDavid (3.87), Shane Pinto (3.78), Jared McCann (3.32), Max Domi (3.08), and Mark Scheifele (3.02). This might be a decent indication that these players will not maintain their current goal-scoring pace but that should also be evident in their production. McDavid, for example, has eight goals in eight games. As great as he is, it would be asking a lot for him to maintain his current pace and score 80-plus goals this season.

#16 On the other hand, players with the largest deficit when it comes to all-situations expected goals are Timo Meier (-3.91), Erik Haula (-3.13), Boone Jenner (-2.96), Sam Reinhart (-2.93), Chris Kreider (-2.62), and Auston Matthews (-2.55). These are players that are getting quality chances but not converting. Matthews’ struggles are well publicized, but most of the options on this list are worth considering as buy-low targets because pucks have to start going into the net at some point. It’s notable that three Panthers – Barkov, Reinhart, and Bennett – are among the forwards that have yet to find their goal-scoring groove despite generating shots and/or scoring chances.

#17 Chicago Blackhawks forward Tyler Johnson got off to a quick start with six points (2 G, 4 A) in six games before suffering a sprained ankle that could keep him out for 4-6 weeks. With Johnson out, the top scoring options on the wing for the Blackhawks are Patrick Kane (naturally), Taylor Raddysh, Andreas Athanasiou, and Philipp Kurashev. Aside from Kane, none of those players have underlying numbers that suggest sustainable offensive production. Raddysh is worth considering in deep or banger leagues because he does have 15 points (8 G, 7 A), 54 shots on goal, and 54 hits in 28 games since joining the Blackhawks last season.

#18 Goaltending injuries have opened the door to some unexpected starts. Martin Jones is getting starts for the Seattle Kraken with Philipp Grubauer on the injured list due to a lower-body injury. Jones has a .858 save percentage in seven games, though, so if Grubauer is going to be out for a while, maybe Joey Daccord will see some action.

#19 A groin injury has put Petr Mrazek on the shelf, so Alex Stalock seeing regular action for for the Chicago Blackhawks. Stalock, 35, had appeared in one NHL game over the previous two seasons, but has played well early for Chicago. Even after surrendering six goals on 38 shots against Edmonton on Thursday, Stalock has a .913 save percentage in five starts this season. 23-year-old prospect Arvid Soderblom, who had a .919 save percentage in 38 AHL games last season, is also available for Chicago while Mrazek is out.

#20 This is really for the deepest of deep leagues – and that still might be a stretch – but keep an eye on Stefan Noesen in Carolina. The 29-year-old journeyman has four points in five games this season, giving him 58 points in 212 career NHL games spread across six teams. Noesen is crushing it on Carolina’s fourth line with long-time NHLers Paul Stastny and Derek Stepan. In five games, the Hurricanes are controlling 68.6% of 5v5 shot attempts and 65.6% of expected goals with Noesen on the ice. Noesen also had a monster 2021-2022 season in the AHL, scoring 48 goals in 70 regular-season games before putting up 25 points (9 G, 16 A) in 18 playoff games, so the Hurricanes are giving him time on the power play, too.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS – NHL Player Profiles

Corey Sznajder – Forwards and Defense, Catherine Silverman - Goaltending — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 22:28:52 +0000

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 24: Chicago Blackhawks Defenceman Seth Jones (4) skates in warm-ups before a Los Angeles Kings game versus the Chicago Blackhawks on March 24, 2022 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Rob Curtis/Icon Sportswire)

FORWARDS

Patrick Kane

Entering the final year of his contract, the talk surrounding Kane is less about his performance and more about where he’s going to be playing by the end of the season. It’s unknown if he wants to stick around for a teardown rebuild and he will be a coveted player if the Hawks make him available. Still one of the league’s stars, Kane is one of a few players who you can bookmark for at least 90 points regardless of his team situation. He has the hands to make impossible plays happen and his passing can change the pace of the game on a dime, halting for a second to freeze the defense and finding a teammate entering the zone with speed seconds later. It papers over some of his concerns away from the puck and makes any line he’s on dangerous. This year is going to be an interesting transition year for him. Kane usually has a sidekick who can read off of him, whether that’s Artemi Panarin or Alex DeBrincat. This year will be a little different with the talent drain in Chicago. Kane has produced with the likes of Artem Anisimov and Nick Schmaltz before, but it’s hard to say if the Hawks even have players of that quality on their roster now. Elite talent always finds a way to produce, but there’s going to be more pressure on just him to carry the load, which doesn’t seem possible given he’s already averaging 22-23 minutes a night. To say this will be a challenging year for him would be an understatement.

Jonathan Toews

It was obvious that Toews wasn’t himself during the first half of the year. It took him until early December to score his first goal and he struggled to make an impact in any area of the game. This wasn’t unexpected after he missed the entire 2021 season, but it was hard to figure out what the “new normal” would be for the Hawks captain. He turned the corner a bit during the second half, not producing the same way he used to but getting back to being a solid play-driver on a line with Brandon Hagel and Dominik Kubalik. Slow starts were a running theme for Toews even before 2020, so last year wasn’t out of the ordinary. What’s a little concerning for the Hawks is that Toews needs a lot more help from his linemates now. He doesn’t carry the puck as often as he used to and is more of a support player than someone driving the bus. Hagel was a great support guy for him for that reason, a worker bee type of winger to help get the puck from Point A to Point B while Toews drove the middle or provided support on breakouts. His production next year could depend on how much the Hawks pair him with Patrick Kane. Even at their age, they still have instant chemistry and Toews will get his points with Kane by his side. It’s been more of an “in case of emergency” thing for the Hawks recently because of the team’s depth, but with so few options and Toews also on an expiring contract, it might become more of a regular fixture.

Max Domi

Three years have gone by and Max Domi has gone from Montreal’s top-line center to just another guy in Columbus. The Jackets struggled to figure out the best way to use the skilled playmaker, not fitting at the top of their lineup and struggling to find chemistry with anyone. He couldn’t play with the same pace he did in Montreal and found himself relegated a third line role on the wing. His great passing chops would appear in spurts, but more off turnovers and plays where he was standing still to find someone going to the net instead of the play-driver he was at his peak. The same can be said for his brief stint with the Hurricanes where he was just a depth player. He had a few nice games and played hard but only had moments where he was a game-breaker for them. With Chicago, he’s getting another chance to show that he can drive his own line and play in the middle. They have some decent speed on the wing to pair him with, so the door is open for him to show teams he still be a difference maker at the NHL level. A fresh start on a new team (and a year where he isn’t recovering from shoulder surgery) could help.

Andreas Athansiou

Speed to burn. That has been Athanasiou’s tagline since he started playing hockey. Putting the rest of his skillset together has been a challenge aside from one 30-goal season in Detroit. His first year with the Kings was a step in the right direction, as he was used up and down the lineup to form “skilled checking lines” with the likes of Blake Lizotte and Gabriel Vilardi, doing a better job of using his linemates instead of trying to fly for a breakaway on every shift. It earned him a spot on the Danault line before injuries kept him from being a key player in the LA lineup. When healthy, Athansiou was on-pace for one of his best NHL seasons from a point-per-game pace (granted with only 28 games played). Still, he was trusted with some good minutes, ending the regular season on a line with Kopitar and Kempe and providing a jolt of “instant offense” to whatever line he was on. Doing this over 82 games will be a challenge, but on a Chicago team in desperate need of skill, he is a welcomed addition.

Tyler Johnson

It’s easy to forget that this is Tyler Johnson’s second year on the Blackhawks because injuries limited him to only 26 games. Between neck surgery and a concussion, the two-time Cup champion never had a chance to begin his career in Chicago. He started to find some traction late in the year on a line with Toews and Kublaik, recording four of his seven points in the month of April when the Hawks put that unit together. The veteran brings a little of everything to the table. He was a great shooter during his prime years in Tampa Bay and has the hockey sense to play off elite linemates, finding soft spots in the defense, giving them a passing option and being the guy who can carry the puck into the zone. The question is how much of that skillset is still intact after so many injuries. He’s only 32 years old, but with over 615 games to his credit, the miles and wear-and-tear on your body starts to add up. Johnson can still move well enough to be a decent support player on a checking line, but it’s tough to say if he can be a dangerous offensive player now. He should have plenty of opportunities to prove this in Chicago this year.

Sam Lafferty

Acquired in a mid-season trade for Alex Nylander, Lafferty filled some of the Hawks needs. He’s a hard-working forechecker and gave the Hawks a small jolt of energy whenever he was out there. The Hawks moved him around the lineup, including giving him time with Kane and DeBrincat and did his job as someone who will play physical with speed and recover pucks. Making plays with the same pace was a challenge, as his point total would indicate, but his lines did a nice job of at least titling the ice. This isn’t a small accomplishment on last year’s Hawks team, as even their good players got caved in from a territorial standpoint. Don’t expect much offense from Lafferty, but a guy like him is needed on a rebuilding team. There are going to be a lot of tough games and the Hawks need some guys who will at least inject some life into the lineup and can play on different lines.

Colin Blackwell

It’s rare for a player to make the NHL in his late 20’s these days, but Colin Blackwell did just that a couple of years ago. Selected by the Kraken in the expansion draft after a 12-goal season with the Rangers, the Harvard grad found a niche as a nice defensive forward on a line with Yanni Gourde and Mason Appleton. He had some scoring upside with the minors and in his brief stint in New York but excelled more with the details of the game after leaving the Rangers (and Panarin’s right wing). He has a jack of all trades type of skillset and was a fixture on Seattle’s aggressive penalty kill, being one of their leaders in shorthanded entries. It was enough to catch the attention of the Toronto Maple Leafs at the trade deadline, who quickly incorporated them as part of their penally kill rotation in the playoffs. The offensive side of the game can be a struggle for Blackwell at times, but his knack for stealing pucks and playing a strong forechecking game make him a great fit on a checking line. This is the role he will likely play in Chicago with some heavy penalty killing duty added in.

Taylor Raddysh

Finally graduating from Syracuse, Raddysh was given every opportunity to succeed in a lower line role with the Lightning. He was a nice player for them and showed that he can play a strong game from the hashmarks down, but he proved to be redundant in their system and he was dealt to Chicago as part of the Brandon Hagel trade. His Hawks career got off to a great start with five goals in his first six games and after that it was tough sailing. Raddysh scored only 4 goals in his last 15 games, two of them coming in the same game, despite getting consistent second line minutes with Jonathan Toews and power play time on top of that. Attempts to make him a goal-scorer who you could setup in the bumper spot didn’t go as smoothly as planned and Raddysh was best utilized as someone who could be the first forward in on the forecheck rather than a scorer. With two years left on his deal, the Hawks have some time to figure out what they have in the former 2^nd round pick. They have plenty of grinders on the roster, so Raddysh developing a scoring touch would help him stick around.

Philipp Kurashev

Kurashev’s highlight reel from his rookie year paints a warped picture of him. He scored some absolutely beautiful goals during the 2021 season and looked like a perfect complementary player for this next chapter of Hawks hockey. Those moments were few and far between, though and Kurashev ended up getting lost in depth forward purgatory by the end of the year. This year was an interesting turn. The goal-scoring touch that he had his rookie year was gone, two of his six goals went off a defender, but there was more of an all-around element to his game. He was more willing to be the first guy into the zone on the forecheck, not trying to split defenders or carry the puck through traffic or force plays that weren’t open. The more direct approach to his game made him a more reliable player away from the puck and helped him find a niche as an energy line type of player with some playmaking upside. A nice player to have for this year, but also a guy who might get lost in the shuffle if there isn’t another level to his game.

DEFENSE

Seth Jones

When Chicago made the trade for Seth Jones and signed him under contract until 2030, the idea was he would be a franchise cornerstone defenseman who could raise the tide of their roster. Instead, they got a defenseman who could log a lot of ice-time, play solid in those minutes but not change the game as much as they hoped. In the vacuum, Jones had a typical season for his standards, and it was a major bounce-back from his final year in Columbus. Some of the warts in his game are still there. He’s a dynamic, explosive skater when the play is moving north and showed that with some of the splash plays he provided on offense. When skating backwards, however, he has trouble containing speed and will misjudge where the puck is going. There aren’t many defensemen who can do both at an elite level, but the Hawks didn’t play with the defensive structure to cover up for Jones’ weakness here. You would see him get caught in the middle while defending entries, unsure if he should protect the middle or chase to the outside. It’s the game you often get stuck in on a team that struggles to control play like the Hawks. The mistakes aren’t always the player’s fault, but they add up overtime. Interim head coach Derek King did a good job of simplifying the games for Jones, but he still carried a heavy burden and only making a major impact on the power play. Jones is stuck in a tough place with a rebuild on the horizon, but he is one of the Hawks go-to guys for now and finding him a partner to replace the departing Calvin de Haan will be a top priority.

Jake McCabe

The longtime Buffalo Sabre set a career high in points with 22 in 75 games, which is a little surprising with how long he has been around. It was a bright spot compared to some of his underlying numbers. McCabe was the victim of Chicago’s volatile defensive system, posting one of the worst Expected Goal Differentials on the team at five-on-five. Part of that is his limited offensive skills and the Hawks exposing some of his weaknesses with defending the rush. He’s a lanky defender with decent puck skills, but not the most agile player in the world and only 12 months removed from knee surgery. He had difficulty turning to retrieve pucks and containing speed, which is concerning for a player who was signed to be more of a steadying presence. Oddly enough, some of his best plays from last year came on at the other side of the rink, showing some decent vision from the left point behind the Hawks top line. Originally signed to play alongside Seth Jones, he could see more time on that pair after spending most of last season in a secondary shutdown role alongside Conor Murphy.

Connor Murphy

Prior to last season, Connor Murphy was the only true shutdown defenseman on the Hawks roster. While mobile, he spent most of his shifts in the defensive zone and was always the one putting out fires there for the Hawks while supplement it with some splash offense off the rush. Last year was another usual season for him, playing on the team’s second pair in a shutdown role with heavy penalty killing duty, but the additions of McCabe, Caleb Jones and Stillman made his skillset a little redundant. He is the most defensively sound member of that group, so his contributions were easy to get lost in the shuffle, although not so much to the Hawks who inked him to a four-year contract. It’s tough to say if Murphy will be relied on for more offense this year. He skates well and has a sneaky good wrist shot when he jumps in, but those moments are becoming once every month now instead of once every few games. It’s less about the willingness to do it and more that he burns so much energy blocking shots and chasing pucks down while defending that he has to change before even thinking about starting a rush. He is someone who could benefit from stronger play-driving in Chicago, which will be tough with the current state of their roster.

Caleb Jones

The younger brother of Seth, it took some time for the Hawks to work Caleb Jones into their lineup, missing the first month of the season with a wrist injury. He was in-and-out of the lineup for most of the season, caught in the middle of not being a trusted veteran and being too “old” to be considered a prospect. Jones had some skills the Hawks needed, as he’s very good at using his stick to disrupt entries and is a good enough skater to keep forwards to the outside. His passing was also a welcome addition to their backend which lacked puck skills, as he provided a nice safety valve for Murphy or McCabe when he got in the lineup. The caveat is that he played a sheltered role for most of the year, exiting the zone on more regroups and controlled plays than beating forechecks. Jones became more of a fixture on the second pair later in the season and is an interesting piece for the Hawks heading into next year. He doesn’t have the reputation as an impact player yet but could be someone Chicago gives more responsibility to with a real lack of mobility on their blue line and a spot on the second power play unit up for grabs.

GOALTENDING

Petr Mrazek

It’s been an up-and-down career for Petr Mrazek, and it’s hard to get overly excited about his latest stop on the league tour. He’ll be presumably taking the reins in Chicago, where a disastrous handful of seasons has left the club – so recently considered a dynasty – sitting at the bottom of the NHL’s standings with little hope of an upward path. That’s a tough fit to consider for the now 30-year-old Mrazek, who most recently struggled behind the ever-mercurial Toronto Maple Leafs.

Mrazek’s game at its best is one characterized by quick, nimble skatework and a willingness to put in the extra legwork to get to those hard-to-reach shots. But when he struggles, Mrazek’s speed can give him an almost sloppy appearance; a lack of crisp positioning leaves leaky gaps in his pads and around his hands that allows pucks to sneak by even when he gets himself into what seems like the perfect position on time. And while he showcased his best work in Carolina, staying on his toes and anticipating defensive breakdowns in time to save the day for the Hurricanes more often than not, he offered Toronto some of his most inconsistent performances in recent memory. Now, he’ll be expected to serve as a stopgap for the clearly-rebuilding Blackhawks; he’s at a point in his career where it’s nearly impossible to see him outlasting their tank efforts. The bright side for him, though, is that it’s hard to see Chicago having much use for him if he does right the ship – and there are a handful of contending teams who don’t have a lot of security in net for the coming year. So, if he sheds the inconsistencies and tightens up the gaps in his pads to kick off the 2022-23 campaign, he could buy himself a one-way ticket to fill a need in net for a playoff franchise midway through the year. The only real question mark? His health – given his propensity for injuries and the lack of much in the way of relief waiting in the wings, it’s a little unsettling trying to predict just what Chicago is going to roll out in net over the course of the year. Ultimately, though, Mrazek is a much better bet for game starts than his tandem partner Alex Stalock – so when it comes to workload, he should at the very least get himself a nice amount of volume.

Projected starts: 60-65

Alex Stalock

If you find yourself surprised that Alex Stalock is still in the NHL for the upcoming season, you aren’t alone – but he’s in for a doozy of a season, set to play a role in Chicago similar to the one Craig Anderson is playing in Buffalo. Fresh off the celebration of his 35th birthday, Stalock arrives in Chicago with just one NHL game to his name in the last two seasons combined.

The Blackhawks are shamelessly throwing their season to the wolves in hopes of building back up from the bottom in the next few seasons, so it’s unlikely they’re worried about Stalock being rusty and costing them wins. But on the bright side, despondent Chicago fans dreading the upcoming season should at the very least enjoy what Stalock has to offer from an entertainment perspective this year – and he’s a genuinely respected presence in the locker room, so there’s little worry that he’ll drag the team down from a morale perspective. He’s one of the most fun goaltenders the modern game has to offer, to boot; with a passion for cutting down angles and challenging shooters, Stalock is practically a living meme. He doesn’t exactly thrive in any one area of his game, but a remarkable level of self-confidence and a near-bottomless bag of tricks he’s willing to pull from leave Stalock operating from a position of strength as he continually keeps shooters guessing. As far as stopgaps go for a club looking to overhaul their lineup, there are few that offer the same entertainment value and feel-good vibes that Stalock does – even if he may not have the kinds of numbers most would associate with free agent acquisitions. And for a team that seems determined to lose a lot, he’s a reasonable bet not to break the tank.

Projected starts: 30-35

Central Division Training Camp News

Ryan Dadoun — Sun, 30 Sep 2018 13:05:12 +0000

Chicago Blackhawks

Corey Crawford

The single biggest question surrounding the Chicago Blackhawks throughout the summer was what the future held for Corey Crawford. His last game in 2017-18 was on Dec. 23 and the specifics of his injury were never made clear during that campaign. What little news we did get about Crawford over the summer did have an optimistic tone to it, but once training camp actually started, everyone seemed to get a little more cautious.

It was confirmed that the injury Crawford has been dealing with all this time is a concussion. He isn’t quite ready to return from it yet either and at this point it would be surprising to see him play in the season opener. The news isn’t grim though. He hasn’t taken part in a full team practice yet, but Crawford has been on the ice in full gear, taking shots. Hopefully he’ll continue to trend in the right direction.

In the meantime, Cam Ward will fill the void. He’s not an ideal starter, but he certainly has a lot of experience in that role, so he’ll provide the Blackhawks with a better Plan B than they had last season. That statement isn’t meant to be too harsh on last season’s Plan B, Anton Forsberg, though. Forsberg didn’t exactly shine when thrust into a bigger role in 2017-18, but he also came into that campaign with just nine career NHL starts under his belt. If Crawford is healthy, then Forsberg will head to the AHL, but until then he’ll get another chance with the Blackhawks as Ward’s understudy.

Outside of the goaltending situation, there isn’t a ton of roster uncertainty regarding the Blackhawks, but they do need to make a decision on Dylan Sikura. He’s been battling for a final spot and was given a golden opportunity to play with Artem Anisimov and Nick Schmaltz and on the top power-play unit Thursday. Sikura got knocked down to the fourth line before the game ended though, which probably isn’t a good sign. John Hayden replaced Sikura alongside Anisimov and Schmaltz and looked good. Just as an aside, when the season starts, Patrick Kane is expected to play with Anisimov and Schmaltz, but he was a healthy scratch on Thursday so that the bubble players could get more of a chance.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche have made one of their tougher cuts when they decided to send defenseman Ryan Graves to the AHL. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar liked what he saw out of Graves, but there just isn’t room for him on the blueline right now. Bednar did specifically mention that Graves put himself in the mix to be a call up at some point, so we might see him again in 2018-19 in the event of an injury.

Another player that Bednar has liked in training camp is Logan O'Connor, who is still in the running to earn the Avalanche’s final roster spot. O'Connor would be making the leap straight from the University of Denver after scoring seven goals and 21 points in 41 games last season. He was never drafted, but the Avalanche inked him to an entry-level contract back in July and GM Joe Sakic praised his “leadership, energy, and speed” at the time.

Easily the biggest story with Colorado though is its goaltending. Semyon Varlamov was the Avalanche’s number one goaltender last season and was solid in that role, but the Avalanche acquired Philipp Grubauer, who is ready to be a number one after years of being the Capitals’ overqualified backup. In the long run, the job will probably go to Grubauer given that Varlamov is entering the final season of his contract, but who is the Avalanche’s number one right now?

The Avalanche would argue that they are both the number one goaltender, but at some point, one of them is likely to actually take that position. We don’t know who the opening game starter will be yet, but even that probably won’t be too telling as whoever warms the bench for Game 1 will probably start in Game 2. We’ve might have to wait weeks or even longer to see which one differentiates himself from the other or if Bednar demonstrates a clear preference.

Dallas Stars

Tyler Seguin had been dealing with a minor injury that kept him out of preseason contests from Sept. 18 until his return on Friday. There was never a lot of drama surrounding that situation because it never seemed like he was in serious jeopardy of missing the season opener, but given how important he is to the Stars, it was nice to get further confirmation of his availability going forward by seeing him get into that exhibition contest.

Unfortunately, Dallas still might not be entering the season at 100%. Defenseman Stephen Johns didn’t participate in Friday’s practice and has been frequently absent due to an undisclosed injury. With each practice Johns misses, it becomes increasingly likely that his recovery will end up bleeding into the regular season.

In the meantime, Gavin Bayreuther has been given a long look with Friday’s contest being his fifth preseason game of 2018. Bayreuther is coming off an encouraging campaign in the AHL where he scored seven goals and 32 points in 71 contests. However, Bayreuther’s offensive talents might not be enough as Stars coach Jim Montgomery has noted that they need him to be more of a defender. Still, if Johns isn’t available at the start of the season, perhaps Bayreuther will get an extended opportunity. Joel Hanley is also an option and he’s certainly the veteran alternative with 22 NHL games 259 AHL contests under his belt.

Minnesota Wild

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 25: Minnesota Wild Defenceman Ryan Suter (20) skates with the puck during a NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and San Jose Sharks on February 25, 2018 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. The Wild defeated the Sharks 3-2 in overtime.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)

The Minnesota Wild dealt with more than its fair share of injuries last season, but perhaps this season they’ll be a little luckier. It certainly was a good sign that Ryan Suter, whose season ended prematurely due to a fractured ankle, not only made his preseason debut on Wednesday, but logged a healthy 21:22 minutes. He reported afterwards that he felt fine, so barring a last minute surprise he should be in the lineup for the season opener.

As a whole, the Wild appear to be basically healthy going into the season, but there are a couple minor exceptions. Luke Kunin hasn’t been cleared for contact yet, but he hopes to get the OK soon. Even when he’s healthy though, he’s expected to report to AHL Iowa. Gustav Olofsson is dealing with a shoulder injury sustained on Sept. 17, but he has at least resumed skating.

With the team largely healthy, there aren’t many roster battles to speak of. Perhaps the one of most consequence is the fight for the backup gig between Alex Stalock and Andrew Hammond, but it would be a little surprising at this point if Hammond ended up getting the gig over Stalock.

One player that probably would have made the team regardless, but has nevertheless had an encouraging training camp is Joel Eriksson Ek. Charlie Coyle has noticed that Eriksson Ek is a lot more confident now that he’s going into his sophomore season and the two should end up playing on a line together. If you’re looking for a player that could take a step up this season with Minnesota, Eriksson Ek is someone to keep in mind.

Nashville Predators

Eeli Tolvanen was someone that was cited over the summer as a potential 2018-19 Calder Trophy contender, but that was contingent on him being able to land a meaningful role on the Predators, which would be a tall order given their depth. Ultimately he fell short of that goal and the Predators decided to send him to AHL Milwaukee rather than have him stick around and play on the fourth line. Given that Tolvanen is just 19-years-old and needs to adjust to North American hockey after spending 2017-18 primarily in the KHL, the decision to have him start in the minors where he can get big minutes makes a lot of sense for his development.

There’s a wrinkle though: Tolvanen has a clause in his contract that would allow him to return to the KHL if he plays at least 10 games in the AHL. Will he exercise it? That remains to be seen. Certainly the Predators hope he doesn’t, not just because he would be out of their control for the duration of his KHL stint, but also because it would be counterproductive to their goal of having him adapt to the smaller ice.

Outside of the resolved (at least for now) question about Tolvanen, there weren’t many question marks for Nashville going into training camp, which is to be expected of a team that went 53-18-11 and saw minimal turnover during the summer.

We’re waiting on word regarding the fate of Austin Watson. He was given a 27-game suspension by the NHL after pleading no contest to misdemeanor domestic assault. He appealed to that suspension to a neutral arbitrator on Wednesday and it might be a couple weeks before a decision is handed down.

St. Louis Blues

23 MAY 2016: St. Louis Blues center Robby Fabbri (15) takes a shot and scores against the San Jose Sharks during game 5 of the Western Conference Final of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scottrade Center. (Photo by Jimmy Simmons/Icon Sportswire)

No matter what team you root for, you have to want only good things for Robby Fabbri. The 22-year-old showed such promise, but injuries have kept him from playing since Feb. 4. He was healthy coming into training camp with his sights set on resuming his career, but then he left a preseason game on Sept. 23 with a grade 1 groin strain. The good news is that he has already started to skate again and hopefully he’ll have much better luck on the injury front going forward.

Outside of Fabbri, the Blues are relatively healthy as we round the corner towards the regular season. Alexander Steen and Vince Dunn have been dealing with upper-body injuries, but they recently resumed practicing with the Blues, so they might be fine for the opener.

St. Louis did have an eventful summer though, so you might be wondering what the top lines look like now. That’s always going to be subject to change of course, but Friday’s preseason game seems like a good gauge in that regard. The top line was Patrick Maroon, Ryan O'Reilly, and Vladimir Tarasenko, the second line was Jaden Schwartz, Brayden Schenn, and Jordan Kyrou (probably filling in for Steen, who didn’t play), and the third line was David Perron, Tyler Bozak, and Sammy Blais (who might be replaced by Fabbri if he’s healthy). Again, take that with a grain of salt, but there you go.

Winnipeg Jets

The Jets were one of those teams coming off an amazing season that justifiably had little in the way of openings going into training camp. That’s not to say that they had nothing to settle during the preseason. The Jets and Tobias Enstrom parted ways over the summer, so Dustin Byfuglien needed a new partner.

Winnipeg toyed with putting Tyler Myers in that spot, but that would have involved Myers shifting to the left side and that experiment wasn’t encouraging during the preseason. Given that, Byfuglien is likely to be paired with Joe Morrow instead. This will be Morrow’s first full season with Winnipeg after being acquired from Montreal on Feb. 26, but did get some ice time with Byfuglien in 2017-18, so this won’t be an entirely new job for him.

One other story of note is Patrik Laine dropping 14 pounds over the summer. That’s unusual to hear given that most young players need to bulk up, but Laine’s a big guy and the hope here is that he’ll be faster now. He hasn’t ended up scoring in the preseason, but there was evidence of his increased speed, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out over the season. As it was, he was one of the league’s top snipers, so if this change can give him a little something extra, then we might be in for a pretty special season out of him.

Fantasy Hockey: Ranking Goalies by Tier

Peter Harling — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 16:35:35 +0000

For most, trying to predict fantasy goalies is a little like trying to predict where lightning is going to strike. If you are like me, you need all the help you can get. One thing you can do to help better prepare for your fantasy draft is to rank goalies by tiers. Depending on your leagues size, format, and scoring mechanism you can have all different kinds of values associated to players. With goalies, there are a few constants which apply to most leagues and situations that you need to take into consideration.

Skill level of the goalie
Situation: is he the sure-fire staring goalie looking at 50 – 60 starts
Strength of the team: Lousy teams usually equals lousy goalie stats

Below I will rank the top 50 goalies and categorize them into groups. Heading into your draft, you should have an idea of how much value you want to place on a goalie. How soon do you draft one, do you want an elite goalie, are you happy with two good goalies. You can put all your eggs in one basket and use a first round pick on a player like Carey Price. You may think that the league elite goalies fluctuates so much each year, and you would be correct, and therefore you wait until mid-draft and pick a goalie who may have a monster year. Once you have an idea of how your draft strategy, you need to look at ranking the goalies into a tier system. I suggest looking at some of the better fantasy hockey predictors such as the McKeens yearbook, and Dobber hockey and then create your own draft tier list like the one I created below.

Tier I: The Elite

These are the best of the best; they play on Stanley Cup contenders and are the undisputed starter, and are Vezina calibre.

1. Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens – He won it all last year, Vezina, Hart, Lindsay, and Jennings.

2. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers – King Henrik is arguably the best goalie on the planet.

3. Jonathan Quick, LA Kings – No contest who is the starter with the two time Cup Champion.

4. Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals – New addition to the top five after a breakout year.

5. Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay Lightning – Big Ben needs to stay healthy, if so he is elite.

Tier II: The very good

Nothing wrong with this group, they are all capable of being elite but have some question.

6. Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators – Re-established himself after an injury lost season.

7. M.A. Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins – Always has strong regular season stats and the Pens have beefed up.

8. Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins – Rask is solid, but what direction are the Bruins headed?

9. Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks – Crawford struggled at times and temporarily lost the crease in playoffs to Scott Darling. A hiccup or a warning sign?

10. Jaroslav Halak, New York Islanders - Was unable to get job done in St. Louis but has looked good on the Island. The Islanders are a team on the rise, can he do for them what he couldn’t do in St. Louis?

Tier III: Good goalies in bad situations

11. Semyon Varlamov, Colorado Avalanche – The Avs had a huge regression but Varly remained solid.

12. Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus – Injuries killed the season last year but Columbus are a team on the rise

13. Roberto Luongo, Florida Panthers – Roberto is getting older, will the Panthers improve while he can still make a difference?

14. Corey Schneider, New Jersey Devils – Entering his prime but desperately needs some run support.

15. Steve Mason, Philadelphia Flyers – Flyers may have finally found their starting goalie

16. Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Wild – This time last year he was a fantasy after thought, then went on to play in over 40 straight games earning a Vezina nomination. Would the real Dubnyk please stand up?

Tier IV: Should be the starting goalie on a good team…should be!

17. Jonas Hiller, Calgary Flames – Rebound season, Flames projected to regress, contract year, a lot of questions with this player.

18. Frederik Andersen, Anaheim Ducks – With the addition of Khudobin and Gibson pushing, Andersen could lose some starts at the first sign of trouble.

19. Craig Anderson, Ottawa Senators – Has elite type stats, but can’t stay healthy. Had the crease burgled late in the season.

20. Ryan Miller, Vancouver Canucks – Jacob Markstrom will push Miller who struggled at times last year.

Tier V: Split starters on good teams

Tandem situations where the team will ride two goalies, ideal for handcuff situations

21. Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings – Lost the starting job in playoffs, but contract says he is the starter

22. Petr Mrazek, Detroit Red Wings – Is younger and arguably better than Howard.

23. Brian Elliott, St. Louis Blues – Like Howard, lost the starting job in the playoffs.

24. Jake Allen, St. Louis Blues – Is the gaolie of the future, which could begin immediately.

25. Kari Lehtonen, Dallas Stars – Brutal season, may flourish with less pressure.

26. Antti Niemi, Dallas Stars – Couldn’t cut it as a starter in San Jose, may work well in tandem.

Tier VI: The Unknown

Potentially great goalies, potentially getting their first crack as a number one.

27. Martin Jones, San Jose Sharks – Sharks could have a good season and Jones could see the lions share of the starts.

28. Robin Lehner, Buffalo Sabres – Tim Murray believes in Lehner, he drafted him in Ottawa, gave up a first to bring him to Buffalo, but has injury history.

29. Cam Talbot, Edmonton Oilers – Talbot was excellent spelling Henrik Lundqvist when he was injured behind a strong New York Rangers defence.

Tier VII: Split starters on bad teams

30. Jonathan Bernier, Toronto Maple Leafs – The Leafs badly want him to be the answer in goal.

31. James Reimer, Toronto Maple Leafs – Clean slate in Toronto with new management, it’s now or never for Optimus Reim.

32. Ondrej Pavelec, Winnipeg Jets – The Jets are not a bad team, but Pavelec has proven to be very inconsistent

33. Michael Hutchinson, Winnipeg Jets – Again, Jets are a good team, but Hutchinson struggled later in the season

34. Cam Ward, Carolina Hurricanes – Ward has been in steady decline, but is in a UFA contract year.

35. Eddie Lack, Carolina Hurricanes – Lack is a player on the rise. In a better situation he would rank higher. His time may come next year, or as soon as now.

Tier VIII: Boom or Bust

These players need a break to reach their full potential, but I’m saying there is a chance.

36. John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks – If he were not injured last year, he could have been ranked in the top three tiers

37. Andrew Hammond, Ottawa Senators – Count on Anderson being injured, and when that happens, the Sens will look to Hammond. Was his miraculous run an aberration, or is he the next Tim Thomas?

38. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets – As mentioned above, the Jets are a good team and Pavelec and Hutchinson have underwhelmed. Hellebuyck impressed at the World Championship and could steal the show

39. Scott Darling, Chicago Blackhawks – Darling temporarily won the starting job away from Crawford last year and has a slight chance of doing so again and not letting go.

Tier IX: Rookies

These rookies have lots of potential and should be starters one day, maybe not this year…but maybe.

40. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning – A blood clot will keep him out for the first few months otherwise he could push the split with Bishop.

41. Matt Murray, Pittsburgh Penguins – The AHL’s best goalie will be the backup to Fleury this year, all it takes is an injury and Murray will be the starter.

42. Malcolm Subban, Boston Bruins – Was shelled and pulled in his first NHL game last year but is the future starter for the Bruins and could be the backup to Rask this year.

43. Anders Nilsson, Edmonton Oilers – Was dominant in the KHL last year and returns to the NHL after 23 games with the Islanders.

Tier X: The long shots

If you are drafting these guys, they better be your third goalie or you only score one and you have a Tier one goalie.

44. Karri Ramo, Calgary Flames

45. Michael Neuvirth, Philadelphia Flyers

46. Alex Stalock, San Jose Sharks

47. Jacob Markstrom, Vancouver Canucks

48. Ben Scrivens, Edmonton Oilers

49. Thomas Greiss, New York Islanders

50. Jhonas Enroth, LA Kings

How Much is a ‘Good’ Goalie Worth? A Look at Antti Niemi

Darren Kennedy — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 21:38:28 +0000

We spend a lot of time (some may say too much) talking about the San Jose Sharks. In a perfect world it would be great to investigate the intricacies of every team equitably. But in hockey pools not all franchises are created equal. Few, if any, have provided the kind of fantasy production that the Sharks have the past 10 years.

2014-15 figures to be more of the same. A long list of elite forwards (Thornton, Couture, Marleau, Pavelski), a group of unique defencemen on the back-end (Demers, Burns, and Vlasic), and a four goal-a-game prospect (well, sometimes) in Tomas Hertl. They’ll all no doubt be speckled across the early and mid-rounds of your draft come September.

Where things start to get interesting, or dangerous, depending on how you view it, is in net with Stalock and Niemi.

Conventional hockey wisdom says this shouldn’t really be much of a discussion. Niemi has been the team’s full-time starter the past four years, never playing in less than 60 games (if you pro-rate the lockout), boasts career numbers of 2.35 and .916, and has won a Stanley Cup (if you’re into that sort of thing).

Saying all of that, the mindset of general managers has shifted from 15 years ago. Capturing a Stanley Cup is no longer considered an automatic omen of future success. During his time in Chicago and now San Jose, both teams have been among the five best in hockey. He’s been a part of their success, surely, but just how significant of a part is difficult to discern.

There’s the additional wrinkle of his looming unrestricted free agency. Niemi is currently making $3.8 million dollars a year. That ranks him 21^st among goalies in terms of cap hit. Behind such notables as Ondrej Pavelec and Cam Ward. It’s an understatement to say that he’s one of the better bargains around the league.

That all changes come this summer, when he’ll be looking for a significant contract extension. If we’re looking for a comparable tender, names like Corey Crawford and Kari Lehtonen spring to mind. Both are making around $6 million a year on long-term deals. We can assume that Niemi will be looking for at least that number (if not more), given how the cap has been rising the past few seasons.

And then we have back-up Alex Stalock. The 27-year-old American goalie who has played in a grand total of 27 games in the NHL. Now, his play has been remarkably good over that time – 1.86 and .931. It’s a small sample size, but he certainly hasn’t disappointed. His cap hit comes in a lowly $1.6 million for this year and next – the NHL equivalent of the sale rack at your local department store.

Doug Wilson has a number of factors to weigh: just how good is Niemi? How much of his goalies’ success is due to their innate ability versus the team in front of him? At nearly 31 years old will a long-term deal to Niemi leave the team in a lurch as time wears on? Is Stalock ready for 40 or 50 starts per year given his relative level of unprovenness? (if that’s a word).

Niemi had an even strength save percentage of .920 last season, ranking him 22^nd among goalies that played 41 or more games. It’s a somewhat worrisome statistic, and it’s not limited simply to last season - in 2012-13 he finished 11^th. If we assume the truth lies somewhere in the middle then he’s probably around the 15^thbest tender at even strength (or thereabouts, the stat isn’t perfect)

Are the Sharks prepared to offer a big money, long-term contract to a goalie that is entering what should be his declining years, and has proven to be slightly above average over the past two seasons?

It’s a question that that’s surely plaguing management, but is also sitting on the minds of poolies this fall. If he’s starting 60 or more games, on that team, then Niemi can be counted on as one of the top seven or eight guys at the position. If he’s in some sort of time split scenario where his future is uncertain… well who knows at that point.

Jonas Hiller went through a similar situation in Anaheim the last few years. He was pushed internally by a variety of other tenders, each of whom posted decent numbers on a talented Ducks’ team. He went to free agency and is now stuck on the deserted island of fantasy relevance that is Calgary (sorry, Giordano).

It’s not time to officially press the panic button if you’re targeting Niemi this season or beyond. He could sign a five year extension in November and remove any and all doubt from our collective psyche. But, at the very least, I’d start scribbing your ‘plan B’ on a napkin, just to be safe.

Darren Kennedy (@fantasyhockeydk) is a contributor for McKeen’s and Dobber Hockey. He’ll talk about anything and everything… except Kovalchuk. Never, ever, Kovalchuk.

Free Agent Frenzy: The Goalie-Go-Round

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 06 Jul 2013 01:03:08 +0000

The Goaltending Market, just as it was with the other positions, was very active during Friday's Free Agent Frenzy. It kicked off with a few bigger names in Evgeni Nabokov and Ray Emery, then closed out with a number of teams solidifying the backup roles.

You can view the latest version of the NHL Depth Charts to stay updated with every team's movement in goal.

Below are some of my thoughts on all of the goalie movement that transpired on Friday. If you would like more insight or opinions on anything, please feel free to contact me at justin@thegoalieguild.com at any time.

NABOKOV STICKS WITH ISLES

The goalie-go-round started turning when the Islanders signed Evgeni Nabokov to a one-year deal reportedly worth $3.25 million. "Nabby" got hot at the right time for the Isles this past season, going 7-0-4 in April with a 1.76 goals-against average and .928 save percentage. He was a stickler against some decent teams, going 3-0 against Tampa Bay and Florida, 2-0 against Montreal, 2-0-1 against Washington, and 2-0-1 against Toronto.

Photo Copyright: Tom Turk - Piratical Photography

Just a few days after buying out Rick DiPietro, I was not surprised to see Nabokov re-sign. On one hand, I think it's a good fit because it breeds an even higher level of familiarity between the two sides. Paying him over $3 million is a hefty investment, but there is no long-term risk due to this being a one-year deal.

On the other hand, Nabokov turns 38 on July 25, so the risk regarding this deal begins and ends with his durability. If the Islanders feel he shouldn't or can't play more than 62-65 games, they will have to either instill their faith in Kevin Poulin as the team's backup, or spend more money to sign a veteran.

If the Isles don't sign anyone else, there is a chance that Anders Nilsson could win the job, but the odds are in Poulin's favor since he spent a chunk of this past season behind Nabokov. Nilsson also missed a fair amount of time with what was possibly a vitamin B-12 deficiency, but it still remains somewhat of a mystery.

Honestly, I think questions surrounding Nabokov's durability are overblown. You can't go into a season expecting an injury just because he's a year older, and beyond playing in 41 games this season, he arguably saved his best stretch for last. No, he wasn't very good against the Penguins in the playoffs (posted a 4.44 GAA in six games), but he still gave the Islanders a chance to win a few of those games.

Since 2000, for all active and non-active goalies between the ages of 30 and 45, Nabokov is currently third overall in wins with 214 (Brodeur has 345, Kiprusoff has 239). So despite the fact he's in his late-30's, I still think he's reliable. As the driving force behind the team making it back to the playoffs, even though things like rebound control and "timely saves" were questionable at times, he still earned this new deal.

EMERY RETURNS TO FLYERS

The theme of "familiarity" continued when it was announced that Ray Emery signed a one-year, $1.65 million deal with the Flyers. There's never a dull moment in Philly's crease, and you can be rest assured there will be plenty of media commentary and maybe a bit of drama surrounding the tandem with Emery and Steve Mason.

In terms of efficient production, Emery is coming off the best season of his NHL career. He was well-insulated behind a strong Blackhawks team, which certainly played a role in his ability to go 17-1-0 with a 1.96 GAA and .922 SV%. Take nothing away from Emery's accomplishments (Stanley Cup, Jennings Trophy) and his admirable return from Avascular Necrosis, but the major change in atmosphere and scenery will play a major role in his performance next season.

With that in mind, I consider this to be another risky tandem for the Flyers. But at least it's way more cost-efficient, and for way less term.

You will see plenty of feel-good stories coming out of the Philly media as the summer goes along. They'll talk about Emery's improved maturity, his work ethic, and his determination. But when the going gets tough and the Flyers are relying on him every night, I still have to question his durability in a system that hasn't been the kindest to their goaltenders.

Of course this is all contingent on how Mason performs in his early-season opportunities. Both will have chances to run with things, but I'm not seeing a clear-cut "winner" in this battle right now.

------

The Flyers also announced the signing of Yann Danis. Danis is an undersized goalie that can fill in as an NHL backup in an injury situation, but I don't believe he has the skill to stick in the league for a full season.

He does make a perfect starter for Adirondack though. He was the AHL Goaltender of the Year in 2012 and was fifth overall in AHL wins this year with 26. He posted a 2.59 GAA and .911 SV% in the regular season, and then went 10-7 in the AHL playoffs with a 2.41 GAA and .923 SV%.

That signing sets up a really nice battle in training camp for his backup spot between Carsen Chubak and Cal Heeter. Chubak is signed to an AHL with Adirondack after a stellar year with Niagara. He was a Hobey Baker Finalist and led his team to the NCAA Tournament.

GREISS LANDS IN THE DESERT

The Coyotes went against the grain of their prototypical bigger, positionally-based goalie by signing Thomas Greiss. In my most recent viewings of Greiss, I continued to like what I saw. I think he has a very nice athletic blend to his butterfly style, but I always came away feeling like he could be a more stable, consistent performer.

While he clearly has the active hands and feet needed to thrive at the NHL level, I think he over-pursues shots and plays too often. In that regard, I think he will benefit from working with Coyotes goalie coach Sean Burke, who can instill more structure in his positional game. He'll learn how to trust his angles and depth more by possibly having him play on a tighter leash and spending a bit more time in the blue paint.

I love the fact Greiss is not afraid to square up to shots in the white paint and be aggressive, but he has decent size (listed at 6-foot-1, 215 pounds), so I think there is an opportunity for him to use it a bit more effectively.

Smooth laterally and very quick to drop, recover, and rotate, I also think Greiss has the mechanics and quickness to improve on his 1-4-0 record and .915 SV% from last season. It will certainly be bolstered playing within Phoenix's defensive system, but even that's not a guarantee since he won't have the luxury of playing often behind Mike Smith.

That being said, San Jose scored just 2.42 goals-per-game (24th overall) in the regular season, so I just don't anything came easy for Greiss. He also suffered a head/neck injury (may have been a concussion) and missed a fair amount of time, not playing at all from Feb. 11 to March 6.

With only 25 appearances behind Antti Niemi over the past two seasons, I feel like Greiss' game needs to be cleaned up. He's messy at times; over-animated and exhibiting unnecessary excessive movement. I think he tries too hard to make some routine saves, so he seems to expel a lot of energy, and then struggles to play at a composed and controlled manner as the game drags on. Although this sample size is extremely small, he has allowed 15 goals in the first period, 16 in the second period, and then 22 in the third period.

I have no way of knowing whether there's a correlation between that goal-per-period stat and my observations, but it was something I've noticed over the past few seasons.

At the end of the day, Greiss' role essentially stays the same -- he goes from backing up one workhorse to backing up another. The Coyotes' defensive-minded system is a benefit, but whether it translates to a more successful season remains to be seen because he simply may not play more than 10-12 games. I am excited to see what kind of tweaks and adjustments Burke makes to Greiss' game, however.

SHARKS SECURE ALEX STALOCK

The Sharks made a key move by signing St. Paul, MN native Alex Stalock. It appears like he has earned the backup role to Niemi, which is a role I had projected for him a few years ago.

Stalock has a high level of quickness and agility, he's very proficient at moving the puck, and he is very competitive in the crease. He plays with an aggressive edge, challenges shooters very well, and makes excellent compact, tight butterfly saves. He has active hands and a good stick and is not afraid to surprise shooters with a poke check or a full-split save attempt.

The biggest obstacle for him will be the size and consistency factor. He is listed at 6-foot-0 but that is being gracious, and with only three games of NHL experience, he won't shake the questions concerning his readiness. But his NHL debut was memorable. He was thrown into the fire after replacing Niemi on Feb. 1 of 2011. He entered the game down 3-0 to the Coyotes halfway through the second period and stopped all nine shots he faced for the 5-3 win.

But just two days later, Stalock suffered a nasty laceration injury behind his left knee due to an errant skate blade. That ended his season, and in that same game, he was replaced by none other than newly-signed Predators backup Hutton.

It took almost an entire year for Stalock to recover from that injury, so the playing time he missed was significant. Now that he turns 26 on July 28, the injury and rehab experience has made him no worse for wear, and maybe even a bit more prepared to handle what lies ahead.

Stalock established himself as a legit NHL prospect after he spent three years at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He turned pro in 2009 as the school's all-time leader in SV% (.910) and GAA (2.48). In 2009, he was the driving force behind the Bulldogs winning the WCHA Final Five.

LABARBERA JOINS THE OILERS

The 33-year-old Jason Labarbera had his ups and downs with the Coyotes last season, going 4-6-2 record with a 2.64 GAA and .923 SV%. He's one of those "perfect backup" guys that earns kudos from guys like myself because he does all the little things in practice and on the bench in order to be labeled a great teammate. His size is a clear-cut asset, and despite the fact the numbers and performances may not be sparkling, his work with Burke during his tenure in Phoenix has enhanced his overall skill-set.

It also helps to play behind a guy like Smith and learn from him since the two are decently comparable in terms of style.

LaBarbera has bounced around a lot in his career, playing with the Kings, Rangers, and Canucks. He has 175 games of NHL experience and has a great friendship with Devan Dubnyk, as they have trained together for many years.

The risk involved in this situation is the fact that LaBarbera will have to win some hockey games in a very different type of system compared to Phoenix. If Dubnyk struggles, can Jason perform at a high level on a consistent basis. Is a .923 SV% possible outside of the insulated Coyotes defensive system?

Over the past four seasons, LaBarbera has tallied just 17, 17, 19, and then 15 appearances. That's only 68 games over the course of four seasons -- a lot of drills and practice work, and not a lot of playing. He has obviously learned how to handle that aspect of being a backup, but it doesn't make things any easier once the workload increases.

So that's the question in my mind -- will his role actually elevate behind Dubnyk, or will the Giraffe reach the next level in his slowly-developing career? Except for Bryzgalov, we don't have any legit NHL goalies coming out of Phoenix's system to use as a comparable for moving out of their warm and cozy defensive shell, so consider me apprehensive right now.

HUTTON GRADUATES TO THE NHL

Carter Hutton was one of the most unlikely candidates to earn a full-time NHL backup gig today. But even though Hutton didn't have the strongest season compared to 2011-12 (named as Rockford's team MVP), he did impress Nashville's scouts enough to earn this opportunity.

Another person he impressed was Predators goalie coach Mitch Korn. I had a brief chat with him shortly after the deal was announced to get his thoughts:

"He has battled for everything he's ever gotten," Korn told me. "He's played in an AHL team that has produced goalies. He handles the puck extremely well and he's the right age [27]. He reminds me so much of when we took Dan Ellis with one NHL game of experience. For all those reasons, we felt we'd go in that direction rather than recycle."

In my lone live viewing of Hutton, which came in November at the Xcel Energy Center against the Houston Aeros, I noted that his puck-handling was very good. At the same time, I also noted that I thought he could play bigger, as he was dropping early on a few shots and not showing great patience on his skates. It was a very average showing in my opinion, as he stopped just 18 of 21 shots total in the 3-2 loss. But hey, that's just one game, and one where he didn't see much action, while Matt Hackett stood on his head that night.

Ultimately, Hutton is being asked to fill a role where he might play 12 games total. As Korn told me, the door is open for Hutton to establish himself as an NHL backup, and they have some goalies to continue developing in Milwaukee.

That means you can expect Sweden's Magnus Hellberg and Czech Republic native Marek Mazanec to be the organization's AHL tandem.

DAN ELLIS RETURNS TO DALLAS

Speaking of Dan Ellis, I was surprised to see the Stars sign him to back up Kari Lehtonen for two years. I knew they would be adding some type of veteran presence to act as a buffer between Lehtonen and Cris Nilstorp, who signed a new one-year, two-way deal back in mid-June.

Ellis was originally drafted by the Stars 60th overall in 2000. He most recently resurrected his career by having a stellar run in the AHL with Charlotte during the NHL Lockout, going 8-7-2 with a 2.46 GAA and .922 SV%. After that, he signed with Carolina for a pro-rated one-year deal, and went 6-8-2 with a 3.13 GAA and .906 SV% while playing with Justin Peters (Cam Ward was injured).

Ellis earned the opportunity to return to the NHL after resurrecting his career following a bad groin injury to end the 2011-12 season. Over the summer, he trained hard with Corey Wogtech from W Goaltending. In February, I had a chance to chat with Wogtech and posted this piece on the adjustments they made to make Ellis a more positionally sound goaltender.

I spoke with Stars goalie coach Mike Valley shortly after Ellis signed, and I know the two have a good relationship and get along very well. So Ellis will step into a familiar role by backing up a workhorse starter and should mesh with his teammates comfortably. Because the Stars will continue to manage Lehtonen's minutes by trying to keep him in the 62-game range, Dan will get a chance to win some games for a team that has a whole new look, a new general manager, and a totally new direction.

KHUDOBIN NOW A HURRICANE

The Bruins lost their solid backup when Anton Khudobin agreed to sign a new one-year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Personally speaking, this was my favorite deal of the day. Khudobin rarely had an off night with the Bruins this season, going 9-4-1 with a 2.32 GAA and .920 SV%. He brings a ton of energy to the crease, and just like his dynamic and unique style on the ice, he has a similar personality off the ice.

I believe he'll be well-received by the team and successful in a role that has been quite unstable for the Hurricanes. From Michael Leighton to Justin Peters to Brian Boucher (UFA) and Ellis, they finally have someone that has worked hard to get to this point in his career.

Khudobin is 27 and was drafted 206th overall way back in 2004 by the Minnesota Wild.

That age bracket --- between 25 and 27 --- seems to be the sweet spot for a number of these fringe AHL/NHL guys to earn that elusive opportunity to be full-time backups.

Chad Johnson just signed a new one-year, one-way contract with the Bruins to replace Khudobin, and he just turned 27 on June 10. Hutton and Greiss are also 27 years old.