Conor Sheary – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING – Team Preview

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 16:00:01 +0000

ST. LOUIS, MO - JANUARY 14: Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) during a game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the St. Louis Blues on January 14, 2023, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis MO (Photo by Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire)

The Lighting had 98 points (45-29-8) in the regular season and lost in the first round of the playoffs for a second straight year. They had enough high-end skill to be competitive, but with goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy not having his best season, they were not realistically among the top contenders. The Lightning ranked 15th in Corsi (50.7%) and 21st in expected goals percentage (49.1%) which certainly did not provide the foundation for a Stanley Cup championship. What the Lightning did have was an exceptional power play that scored a league-leading 10.98 goals per 60 minutes with the man advantage. That masked a lot of the Lightning’s mediocrity. They also tied for fourth in penalty killing, allowing a mere 5.99 goals against per 60 minutes, so the season was a special teams success albeit not much else.

WHAT’S CHANGED? Lightning legend Steve Stamkos departed for Nashville in free agency, but the the team brought in Jake Guentzel, who finished last season in Carolina after years skating alongside Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh. The Lightning also added veterans Cam Atkinson and Zemgus Girgensons in free agency. Trade deadline pickup Anthony Duclair signed with the Islanders as a free agent and winger Tanner Jeannot landed in Los Angeles via trade. Defenceman Calvin De Haan signed as a free agent in Colorado. Tampa Bay made a couple of big moves on the blueline, trading to re-acquire Ryan McDonagh from Nashville and then sending Mikhail Sergachev to Utah in a deal that brought J.J. Moser in return. Is that enough to take the Lightning into a deeper playoff run?

WHAT WOULD SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? For a team that has won two Stanley Cups and lost once more in the Final in the past five seasons, the only real success would be another Stanley Cup. However, for a team that has lost in the first round in back-to-back years, there is a smaller case ‘w’ to be earned by winning a round in the playoffs and getting back into the mix of teams that reach the final eight or final four before even worrying about another championship. For that to happen, the Lightning will need Vasilevskiy back in peak form and the players in the supporting cast will need to contribute consistently. This is possible, but maybe not the most likely outcome.

WHAT COULD GO WRONG? Because the Lightning roster is top heavy, an injury to one of the premier players – Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Victor Hedman, Vasilevskiy – could be difficult to overcome. The Lightning team doesn’t have the depth that the team did in 2020-21 when Kucherov missed the regular season and roared into the postseason to lead the playoffs in scoring on the way to winning the Stanley Cup. Vasilevskiy’s injury at the start of last season was difficult for Tampa Bay to overcome and as this team that does not typically invest a lot in its backup goaltender, Vasilevskiy’s importance to their success is even more than you might otherwise expect.

TOP BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: This Lightning team is star-laden, and the big names are the ones driving the train, so any breakout candidates are likely to do so in supporting roles. A player like Michael Eyssimont is interesting, in that he is a late bloomer who will be 28 this season and has played 136 games in the NHL. What he has shown in that time is that he plays hard, will generate shots, and is not shy about playing a physical game when it comes to hits or fights, if need be. He plays with real commitment, likely forged by his battle just to reach the league, and if he gets a little bit of opportunity, he could provide secondary scoring for Tampa Bay.

Forwards

Nikita Kucherov

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	36	80	116	1.41

Since the 2017-2018 season, Kucherov has racked up 639 points in 440 games, which ranks fourth in the NHL across that time frame. His 1.45 points per game ranks second, behind only Connor McDavid. Kucherov is a brilliant passer, who recorded 100 assists on his way to leading the league with 144 points in 2023-2024, the second time in his career that he earned the Art Ross Trophy. Kucherov played a career-high 21:40 per game last season, recording a career-high 3.78 shots on goal per game. His increased shot volume made him even more dangerous, leading to a career-high 44 goals, even though his shooting percentage (14.4 percent) was right in line with his career numbers. On top of playing the game with sublime skill, Kucherov also has an undercurrent of edgy play. He only had 22 penalty minutes and 45 hits last season, but he is not shy about taking a run at someone who he feels has wronged him on the ice, so he knows when to pick his spots. While Kucherov is a scoring threat in all situations, he has recorded at least 50 power-play points in back-to-back seasons, the only NHLer to reach that threshold in both years. Kucherov is one of the few players in the league who has a legitimate chance to win the scoring title and going into 2024-2025, it’s fair for the Lightning to expect 35-40 goals and 120 points from the playmaking winger.

Brayden Point

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	50	42	92	1.12

Tampa Bay’s No. 1 centre is coming off the third season of his career in which he finished with more than 40 goals and at least 90 points. He scored on more than 20 percent of his shots for the second consecutive season. Although the puck was moving in the right direction with Point on the ice, the Lighting were outscored during five-on-five play when Point was on the ice, so there is clearly room for improvement in terms of overall impact during even-strength play. His on-ice expected goals percentage of 50.7 was the lowest of his career, so it might warrant a tiny bit of caution for Point’s production moving forward. This is not to suggest that a player coming off back-to-back seasons with 90-plus points is somehow a risky pick, only that if Point can’t turn around the play-driving results, it would seem less likely that he could continue to score at the same rate, especially considering the high percentages that were responsible for his 2023-2024 production. At the same time, so long as Point has Kucherov on his wing and Point is getting first-unit power play time with such an elite scoring winger, the points should be there. That should lead Point to 40-45 goals and 85-90 points during the 2024-2025 campaign.

Jake Guentzel

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	40	48	88	1.13

When he first arrived in the National Hockey League, there was a tendency to dismiss Guentzel’s early production as a function of his playing with Sidney Crosby. Certainly, playing with Crosby did not hurt Guentzel, but he has established his own credentials as a scoring winger, and it was highlighted when he was traded to Carolina last season. Guentzel put up 25 points in 17 games for the Hurricanes (adding four goals and nine points in 11 playoff games) and it must be noted that Crosby did not play for the ‘Canes. Guentzel is not the strongest, not the fastest, and does not have the hardest shot. However, he is a smart and competitive player who consistently puts himself into dangerous scoring positions and it has led to big-time production. From 2018-2019 through last season, Guentzel had 410 points in 398 games, his 1.03 points per game in that time ranks 20th in the NHL. All of this made the veteran winger a highly demanded free agent and Tampa Bay won the sweepstakes to secure Guentzel’s services. He is an effective play-driving winger whose team outscored the opposition by double digits with Guentzel on the ice at five-on-five in four of the past five seasons. He should have a chance to remain incredibly productive, particularly if he is going to play with Kucherov and Point, two established stars. Guentzel could reasonably be expected to contribute 35 goals and 80 points in his first season for the Lightning.

Brandon Hagel

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	25	37	62	0.76

Coming off his fourth straight 20-goal season, Hagel has proven to be an excellent complementary winger for the Lightning, capable of moving around the lineup, from the top line with Point and Kucherov to further down the lineup, where he can elevate the level of speed and skill in the middle six. While Hagel was naturally more successful as a play driver when playing with Point and Kucherov, he had success with most of his linemates. Erik Cernak and Steven Stamkos were the only two players that played more than 200 minutes with Hagel that had Corsi or expected goals rates below 50 percent. Hagel uses his speed to create chances in transition and plays with a consistent drive that gets him to the front of the net often. From there, tips, rebounds and second-chance opportunities are there for the taking. A sixth-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2016, Hagel had to battle just to make it into the league and he still plays with that fire, only now as an established scoring winger. The arrival of Guentzel likely means that Hagel will spend more time playing in the middle six but should also find first-unit power play time, so he should still be able to score. Although he put up a career-high 74 points last season, something in the range of 25 goals and 60-65 points seems a more reasonable expectation for 2024-2025.

Anthony Cirelli

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	18	29	47	0.57

Twice finishing in the top five of Selke Trophy voting, Cirelli has an outstanding reputation as a checking centre, though his defensive metrics are not quite at the elite level like they were a few years ago. It looked even worse in 2023-2024 because the Lightning had a .890 save percentage with Cirelli on the ice during five-on-five play, leading to Tampa Bay being outscored 54-49. Nevertheless, Cirelli delivered a career-high 45 points last season. Some of that was thanks to Cirelli scoring on 15.5 percent of his shots, after he scored on 11.1 percent of his shots in the previous three seasons. Strangely enough, for a strong checking centre, Cirelli is mediocre on faceoffs and last season’s success rate (49.2) matched his career mark at the dot. Cirelli has had the benefit of playing with high-end wingers at times in Tampa Bay and should have quality on his flanks in 2024-2025. That helps to elevate his offensive ceiling, but he has just 26 power play points across the past five seasons, which means it is not a big part of his game. Looking ahead to 2024-2025, Cirelli ought to be able to score between 15 and 20 goals on the way to contributing 40 points for the Lightning.

Nick Paul

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	20	20	40	0.50

A power forward who has found a home at centre in Tampa Bay, Paul hit career highs with 24 goals and 46 points last season. He played a career-high 17:16 per game and won a tidy 54.3 percent of his faceoffs. At 6-foot-3, 223 pounds, Paul can handle physical play and has recorded more than 100 hits in four of the past five seasons. Paul’s offensive breakthrough last season was largely due to his role on the power play, where he scored nine goals with the man advantage, making the most of his net-front position. The challenge for the Lighting, in the cases of both Paul and Cirelli, is that they both hit career highs last season so it might be difficult for them to expect even better production in 2024-2025. While he does not have a long track record of offensive production, there are some facets of Paul’s game that should remain consistent. He goes hard to the net, using his size to carve out space, and he has a hard shot that can be quite effective if he has room attacking on his off wing. Paul has made more of an impact offensively since joining the Lightning, in a trade for Mathieu Joseph and a fourth-round pick, so he should still be a solid centre in Tampa Bay’s middle six, but a reasonable projection likely falls around 20 goals and 40 points.

Cam Atkinson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
74	22	21	43	0.58

After missing the entire 2022-2023 season, Atkinson returned to action for the Flyers last season, but it was not exactly a roaring success. He was below 50 percent in terms of shot attempts and expected goals percentage, with the Flyers getting outscored 45-29 with Atkinson on the ice during five-on-five play. Those were atypical results for him, but he is also a 35-year-old winger who had just missed an entire season. Coming back from that is not at all easy. Will it go any better for Atkinson in Tampa Bay? He is a seven-time 20-goal scorer who, at his best, is a strong skater capable of playing in all situations. To his credit, even if his offensive production slipped, Atkinson was still a reliable penalty killer last season. Atkinson has a finisher’s touch around the net and knows how to get himself in position to score. The question, at this stage of his career, is if Atkinson is still capable of being that player. Indications from last season would put that in doubt, so projections for Atkinson should be relatively modest, along the lines of 15-20 goals and 35 points. That might not sound like a lot, but Atkinson has only exceeded that point total once since 2018-2019.

Michael Eyssimont

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	12	14	26	0.32

A late bloomer who did not stick in the National Hockey League until he was 26, Eyssimont had a solid showing in a depth role for Tampa Bay last season. Eyssimont earned his way into the league by playing a hard game which includes hitting and dropping the gloves when a middleweight bout is required. Eyssimont recorded 135 hits to go with 104 penalty minutes and six fights in 2023-2024. His contributions are not limited to that, however. He had 11 goals and 25 points, despite a shooting percentage of 7.4 percent, which is on the low end for forwards. Eyssimont’s shot rate of 9.27 shots per 60 minutes was the same as Nikita Kucherov, so he is providing plenty of value on the lower half of the Lighting’s forward depth chart. At the same time, he has had modest success offensively. His top AHL season saw him produce 42 points in 58 games and he had 39 points in 39 games during his last season at St. Cloud State. With a limited track record in the NHL, it’s probably reasonable to expect similar production to last season, with about 10 goals and 25 points from Eyssimont in 2024-2025.

Conor Sheary

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	11	17	28	0.36

A diminutive winger who has carved out a solid career, Sheary has scored 15 goals in a season four times in his career. His production fell off a cliff in his first season with the Lightning, managing just four goals and 15 points in 57 games. He played 11:06 per game, his lowest average time on ice since his rookie season in 2015-2016. Sheary also saw his shot rate, which was already modest at 1.88 per game in 2022-2023, drop to 0.88 per game in 2023-2024, and that is just not enough to hold down a regular role in the top nine. Although his offensive game was well off of his usual pace, Sheary’s possession numbers were just under 50 percent. While that’s hardly ideal, it’s not disastrous, either. Sheary’s most common linemates last season were Nick Paul and Michael Eyssimont, and he should have an opportunity to at least start the season in Tampa Bay’s top nine again, but if 32-year-old Sheary’s production stays the same, surely the Lighting would seek out better alternatives. While he has contributed 30 points or more five times in his career, 25-30 points would be a reasonable expectation for Sheary in 2024-2025.

DEFENCE

Victor Hedman

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	13	57	70	0.89

Just when it looked like Hedman’s game might be slipping, after a relatively down season in 2022-2023, the towering 33-year-old blueliner bounced back with a stellar year, putting up 76 points in 78 games and seeing his possession numbers move back in the right direction. Hedman also resumed his spot on the Lightning’s first power play unit, and he had 31 power play points, up from 14 the season before. Hedman has finished in the top seven of Norris Trophy voting in eight of the past nine seasons, a perennial contender every year. Hedman skates so well for such a large man. He has a powerful stride that swallows up so much ice and it allows him to join the rush on offense and take away space in the defensive zone. Since 2018-2019, Hedman has 364 points in 421 games, ranking second among defencemen, behind only Roman Josi. His 154 power play points in that time is the highest among all defencemen, so with the Lightning moving out Mikhail Sergachev in a trade with Utah, Hedman should be more comfortable as the No. 1 option on Tampa Bay’s power play. That makes it likely that Hedman will put up elite numbers, something like 70 points would be a fair expectation.

Ryan McDonagh

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	3	25	28	0.37

When the Lightning traded McDonagh to the Nashville Predators following the 2021-2022 season, he was clearly not happy. His first season with the Predators was somewhat of a struggle, but he was back in fine form last season, which is rather impressive for a guy who is now 35 years old. He remains a strong skater and plays with competitive fire even though he tends to play a very clean game. Not only was McDonagh’s defensive game more typical last season, but he finished with 32 points, his most since the 2018-2019 campaign. His most common partner was Roman Josi, which certainly helps, and the Predators outscored opponents 29-15 during five-on-five play with McDonagh and Josi on the ice. Last season marked 13 consecutive seasons in which McDonagh has logged more than 20 minutes of ice time per game and given the strong results, he will surely play a significant role in Tampa Bay, albeit maybe not with one of the premier offensive defencemen as his partner. He would certainly be capable of playing with Hedman, if needed, but McDonagh will likely be counted on to anchor another pairing. McDonagh can be expected to deliver 25-30 points, along with at least 130 blocked shots now that he is back in Tampa Bay for the 2024-2025 season.

J.J. Moser

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	6	24	30	0.37

Acquired from the Utah Hockey Club in the deal that sent Sergachev to Utah, Moser is a 24-year-old defenceman who has shown some promise through three NHL seasons. He is a smooth puckhandler who anticipates the play, can skate well and keeps the puck moving in the right direction. He is nimble on his feet and is competitive, but also not huge, so Moser can get overpowered in some situations. Nevertheless, he steadily continued to get better through his first three seasons and his situation in Tampa Bay is likely to offer much better support. With a stronger supporting cast, the Lightning should be able to deploy Moser in better situations that will increase his likelihood of having success. On the other hand, that stronger supporting cast could make it more difficult for Moser to even earn second unit power play time with his new team, considering that Darren Raddysh already has enjoyed some modest success with the Lightning last season. Moser has shown enough skill that he could get an opportunity to play on Tampa Bay’s second power play unit and that does offer some potential for his point production in 2024-2025. Based on his production to this point, 25-30 points would be the most reasonable expectation, but he has potential for more, too.

Darren Raddysh

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	6	22	28	0.34

A 28-year-old right-shot puck-moving defenceman coming off his first season in the National Hockey League, Raddysh took a long time to make it to the league but established that he can be a solid contributor when given the chance. After playing for Erie in the Ontario Hockey League for five seasons, Raddysh spent five more seasons in the American Hockey League, split between Rockford and Hartford, then he joined the Lighting and in his first two seasons with the organization, he played in 111 AHL games and 21 NHL games. It was fair, at that point, to believe that his window for an NHL career was closing. However, he did play six playoff games for the Lightning in 2022-2023 and showed well enough to earn a spot on the 2023-2024 roster, then he played in every game and ranked second among Lightning defencemen in points. Raddysh is not a punishing force on the blue line, but he is an intelligent player who makes a crisp first pass. He handles the puck like a veteran pro, even if much of his pro experience is outside the NHL. It appears that Raddysh has secured his position in Tampa Bay and can be expected to play a secondary role on the Tampa Bay blueline. He may have to compete with Moser for power play time on the second unit, so that could complicate his projections for the 2024-2025 season. That uncertainty makes it more reasonable to expect 25-30 points from Raddysh in the upcoming campaign.

GOAL

Andrei Vasilevskiy

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
62	33	21	8	4	0.913	2.68

Almost every team in the NHL has undergone at least one major goaltending change since the Tampa Bay Lightning won their first of two back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021. The Lightning, though, appear poised to continue running it back until Andrei Vasilevskiy finally crumbles into a pile of dust; barring any major roster changes at the last minute, the Atlantic Division powerhouse will once again start their season with Vasilevskiy sitting as their one and only starting goaltender. The Lightning boast one of the most barren goaltending cupboards in the entire NHL, with only backup Jonas Johansson and minor leaguer Matt Tomkins signed to NHL deals behind the team’s Vezina and Conn Smythe winner.

This strategy has yet to fail them thus far, but it’s becoming harder and harder to feel confident that things will go well in net for Tampa Bay as Vasilevskiy suffers more and more wear and tear over the years. He remains one of the NHL’s most impressive instinctual minds, reading opponents at an elite level even on his worst days. But after playing nearly 500 regular season games in just 10 NHL seasons - only eight of which were spent fully at the NHL level - fatigue is clearly starting to settle in. It’s hard to consider Vasilevskiy a sure thing at this point, and Tampa Bay likely knows it - they just lack the cap flexibility to do much about it.

THE WEEK AHEAD: November 13th to 19th – Bruins goaltending driving early success – Oilers reset with coaching change

Ryan Dadoun — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 14:39:11 +0000

MONTREAL, QC - OCTOBER 26: Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (11) waits for a face-off during the Columbus Blue Jackets versus the Montreal Canadiens game on October 26, 2023, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

The opening story of these articles might be a bit of a curse. I talked about how bad the Sharks were, and they subsequently got outscored 20-3. I followed that by discussing the sorry state of the Oilers in the last edition of this column, and their situation proceeded to get worse with a loss to the lowly Sharks, prompting the firing of coach Jay Woodcroft.

So, who will I burden with featuring this week? Rather than focus on the negative, why not shift our gaze to one of the best teams in the league? After over a month of play, I think it’s fair to say that reports of Boston’s demise over the summer have been greatly exaggerated.

It was logical to expect the Bruins to decline after losing significant pieces over the summer, most notably Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci due to retirement, but Boston’s 11-1-2 start is only a slight deviation from its 12-2-0 opening in 2022-23. How have they managed that? It really just comes down to the one thing that hasn’t changed: The goaltending.

Through 14 games in 2022-23, Boston had surrendered just 32 goals versus 28 over the same span this year. In the previous campaign that was entirely due to Linus Ullmark -- Jeremy Swayman struggled in the early portion of that season -- whereas this year it’s been a joint effort between Ullmark and Swayman, but the result is the same: Amazing goaltending wins games.

That has shielded Boston’s record from the reality that this genuinely is a worse iteration of the Bruins. Through 14 contests last year, Boston led the league offensively with 4.00 goals per game. By contrast, the Bruins are in the middle of the pack this season at 3.21.

David Pastrnak has enjoyed a near identical start to his 2023-24 campaign (21 points versus 22 points last year) and having Brad Marchand healthy from the start of the season (he missed the opening eight contests of 2022-23) helps. However, that’s not enough to make up for the loss of Bergeron (12 points in 14 contests), Taylor Hall (nine points) and David Krejci (nine points). There’s been a trickle-down impact in the Bruins’ scoring depth too: Boston had 12 multi-goal players at this point last year compared to eight today.

But what we’ve seen is all that extra offense was a waste. When you have goaltending this good, what does it matter? In 2022-23, Boston scored four or more goals in four of their first six contests. The Bruins did that just once in the same span this campaign. But so what? Boston not only won its first six contests this year but did so by two or more goals in all but one occasion.

The takeaway here is that those who predicted Boston’s decline were underestimating just how much their success is truly linked to their goaltending and how much the Bruins could afford to regress before it would actually start to impact their record.

Then again, there’s still a lot of the campaign left. The 2022-23 Bruins didn’t just get off to a strong start, they maintained it all year, finishing 65-12-5. This year’s weaker offense also makes Boston more vulnerable to injuries. When Brad Marchand was hurt at the start of 2022-23, Boston had enough talent to shrug it off. Could these Bruins do the same? What if a couple of middle-six forwards get hurt? Boston isn’t exactly swimming in depth anymore to fill the void.

Time will tell, but while Boston is better than some gave it credit for, it might also prove to be a bit of a glass canon.

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets got off to a 3-2-0 start, but they’ve posted a 1-5-4 record since, including five consecutive losses. They’ll try to right the ship this week with home games against Pittsburgh and Arizona on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, followed by road contests versus Washington on Saturday and Philadelphia on Sunday.

Despite the Blue Jackets’ continued struggles, there have been some individual standout performers. Defenseman Erik Gudbranson has contributed five assists over his last four contests. He’s not a bad short-term pickup to ride while he’s hot, especially because he also has 13 PIM and 39 hits in 15 games this year, so the blueliner offers a bit of versatility.

Rookie Adam Fantilli is also looking good. He’s on a three-game scoring streak, giving him four goals and nine points through 15 contests. That puts him in a tie for fourth in the rookie scoring race. Fantilli has a top-six role and is on the first power-play unit. He’s likely to finish the campaign with 45-55 points.

Edmonton Oilers

New Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch has a pretty favorable stretch to start his NHL career. The Oilers will host the Islanders on Monday and the Kraken on Wednesday -- both of which are off to mild starts -- before facing Tampa Bay, which is just 6-5-4 due in no small part to the continued absence of goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (back). Edmonton has a lot of ground to cover to claw back into the playoff race, but taking four of six points this week is entirely doable.

How much of the Oilers’ problems can be fixed with coaching change is up for debate, but teams do typically get at least a short-term boost following a bench boss firing, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Edmonton does well this week.

A new coach also has the potential to be a reset point for struggling players. I’m not expecting Connor McDavid, who has been subpar by his high standards with two goals and 10 points in 11 contests, to see an immediate spike in production. Knoblauch was McDavid’s coach with the OHL’s Erie Otters, so I’m sure McDavid will play well under him, but the superstar might be playing through an injury right now, which makes a coaching change matter less as far as he’s concerned -- at least in the short-term.

Do you know who else Knoblauch coached with Erie, though? Connor Brown. Before the season, it was hoped that Brown, reunited with McDavid, might have the best season of his career, but so far Brown has failed to record even a single point. The 29-year-old is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, but when he returns, perhaps working under Knoblauch will do him some good.

I’m also interested to see if Darnell Nurse can rekindle his offensive game after recording just four points through 13 contests this season, down from 43 in 2023-24. Rather than Knoblauch directly, it might be the presence of new assistant coach Paul Coffey who aids Nurse.

New York Islanders

The Islanders are on the road this week with games in Edmonton on Monday, Vancouver on Wednesday, Seattle on Thursday and Calgary on Saturday. It’s not the easiest schedule, but it is a packed one, so there is an opportunity here for players to have above-average weeks.

Backup Semyon Varlamov will be one to watch. The Islanders are likely going to use him in one, maybe two starts. With three of the four teams being middling-to-poor offensively this campaign (Edmonton, Calgary and Seattle), this seems like a favorable stretch to lean on the Islanders’ goaltending.

On the offensive side of things, the Islanders aren’t a strong group and not many players have performed well recently.

Simon Holmstrom is an exception, providing three goals over his last five contests. He’s an interesting player. Selected with the No. 23 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, he has offensive upside, but the Islanders used him sparingly last year (an average of 11:06 per game), which resulted in him providing just six goals and nine points in 50 contests. Even with his recent run, he’s been limited to four points through 12 outings this year, but the Islanders seem to be experimenting with him in a bigger role, bringing him up to an average of 14:58 over his last four contests. Keep an eye on his usage and performance over the next few games.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins’ rough start is well behind them after winning each of their last four games. They’ll look to keep that going this week with games in Columbus on Tuesday, versus New Jersey on Thursday, in Carolina on Saturday and finally against the Golden Knights on Sunday.

Erik Karlsson has been a huge part of the Penguins’ recent success. He got off to a slow start with a goal and four points over his first eight contests this year, but he’s bounced back with a five-game scoring streak, providing three goals and nine points in that stretch. Maybe he needed a bit of time to settle in with the Penguins, but he should finish the campaign with over 70 points so long as he stays healthy.

Pittsburgh has other stars excelling too, but one lower-profile player who is quietly having a productive campaign is Lars Eller. He’s up to two goals and seven points in 13 contests and is also entering the week on a three-game point streak. With how packed this week is, you might want to consider grabbing him temporarily. However, he’s primarily a third-liner, and it’s rare to see him on the power play, so don’t keep him long-term.

Seattle Kraken

Seattle hasn’t been able to replicate its 2022-23 success, going just 5-7-3 thus far. The Kraken are averaging an okay 3.27 goals per game dating back to Oct. 19 though, so while their overall of 2.60 is poor, that’s not reflective of their recent play.

Jaden Schwartz has been a big part of their improvement. After a quiet start to the campaign (two points through five contests), he’s recorded at least a point in each of his last nine outings, providing six goals and 12 points over that stretch. At this point, he’s a solid sell-high candidate in fantasy leagues. Schwartz is a solid forward but won’t be able to maintain this level of production. If he finishes the season in the 50-60 point range, that would be seen as a win. Keep in mind that he also has a somewhat lengthy injury history, which adds another element of risk to the equation.

Eeli Tolvanen is also on a roll, contributing two goals and five points over his last four contests. I wouldn’t be surprised to see that hot streak extended, especially against Colorado and Edmonton, which are two teams plagued by struggling goaltending (Edmonton’s is obvious, but Alexandar Georgiev has a 4.73 GAA and an .842 save percentage over his last seven contests).

At the other end of the spectrum, Kailer Yamamoto hasn’t done much yet, supplying just two goals and four points in 15 contests. There was a time when the 25-year-old seemed set to become a great top-six forward, but outside of his 41-point showing in 2021-22, that hasn’t panned out yet. Seattle is still giving him every opportunity, often deploying him on the top power-play unit, so there is still hope there.

St. Louis Blues

The Blues will host Tampa Bay on Tuesday before going on a road trip with stops in San Jose on Thursday, Los Angeles on Saturday and Anaheim on Sunday. The Lightning and Sharks are two of the bottom-five teams in terms of goals allowed per game this year, so this seems like a good time to grab a Blues forward.

Robert Thomas couldn’t be hotter going into the week. He’s contributed five goals and 10 points over his last six contests, including four assists versus Colorado on Saturday. Brayden Schenn came up huge against the Avalanche too, supplying a hat trick and an assist to elevate him to nine points in 13 outings this year.

Neither is likely to be available in most fantasy leagues, but Oskar Sundqvist probably is. While the bottom-six forward isn’t a good long-term option, he has chipped in a goal and three points over the last two contests, so he’s warm going into a favorable stretch.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning will play just three games this week, but the competition isn’t bad for them. As noted above, they’ll be in St. Louis on Tuesday, followed by a contest in Chicago on Thursday before hosting Edmonton on Saturday. The Blackhawks unsurprising have a poor 5-8-0 record and while Edmonton’s coaching change adds an extra X-Factor to the meeting, the Oilers are near the bottom of the pack too.

Tampa Bay will continue to be without Vasilevskiy -- though he’s currently on track to return around American Thanksgiving -- and they’re also missing Conor Sheary (upper body). Erik Cernak’s (undisclosed) status isn’t known at the time of writing, but he did exit Saturday’s game. Nikita Kucherov didn’t play Saturday, but unless his illness is significant, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him play Tuesday or Thursday at the latest.

If Cernak ends up missing additional time due to his injury, then we might see Philippe Myers draw into the lineup. He wouldn’t be an offensive threat, but if you’re fishing for PIM and hits, then Myers would be worthy of consideration should he play.

If you’re looking for scoring outside of the usual candidates, Alex Barre-Boulet might still be worthy of consideration. He has just a goal and an assist over his last six contests, but Barre-Boulet has shown he can be productive with limited minutes and the defensive quality of Chicago (3.46 goals allowed per game) and Edmonton (3.92) improves the chances of him factoring in later in the week.

Vegas Golden Knights

Along with Boston, Vegas has dominated the league with its 12-2-1 start. The Golden Knights haven’t played since Friday, so they’ll be well rested for their road trip, which will take them to Washington on Tuesday, Montreal on Thursday, Philadelphia on Saturday and Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Like Boston, Vegas’ success starts with its goaltending. Adin Hill leads the team with a 7-1-1 record, 1.75 GAA and .939 save percentage in nine contests while Logan Thompson has been a fantastic alternative, providing a 5-1-0 record, 2.31 GAA and .923 save percentage in six games. With a full road schedule this week, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them each get two starts.

The Golden Knights outshine Boston offensively though, averaging 3.67 goals per game. William Karlsson has been leading the charge with eight goals and 18 points in 15 contests this year, including five markers and seven points over his last five outings. His shooting percentage has climbed to 32.0, which is a huge red flag. To put that in perspective, he had a 23.4 shooting percentage in 2016-17 when he set career highs with 43 goals and 78 points in 82 appearances. After that campaign, many pointed to his shooting percentage as being unsustainable and used that as part of their argument that he would decline -- which he did in 2018-19 to 24 goals and 56 points. Karlsson is extremely unlikely to continue to cash in on nearly a third of his shots, so the goals will probably dry up in the not-too-distant future, which makes him a potential sell-high candidate.

When it comes to someone to pick up, Michael Amadio, who had two assists Friday, is a decent candidate. His value is linked to the availability of Nicolas Roy (undisclosed) and Chandler Stephenson (upper body), though. With those two out, Amadio is seeing some use in a top-six capacity, but that will change once one or both of Vegas’ injured centers return.

FANTASY: The Weekly Look Ahead – Week 1 – October 10 – 15 – Teams with a favourable schedule and players to target

Ryan Dadoun — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 14:18:21 +0000

MONTREAL, QC - JANUARY 24: Look on Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha (18) during the Boston Bruins versus the Montreal Canadiens game on January 24, 2023, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Welcome to the first edition of my weekly look ahead. In this column, I’m going to highlight teams I believe have a particularly favorable schedule for the upcoming week and zero in on some potentially undervalued/underappreciated players on those squads who might be in line for a strong week. Going forward I’m also going to highlight hot players on those teams, but of course given that the regular season hasn’t started yet, I can’t really do that justice. I will make mention of preseason standouts instead this week, but please keep in mind that exhibition stats need to be taken with a large helping of salt.

Boston Bruins

The Bruins might not be the team they were a year ago, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see them start the season 2-0-0. They’ll begin the campaign with two home games, first against the rebuilding Blackhawks on Wednesday, then Saturday they’ll host Nashville, which is likely to be a middle-of-the-pack team.

Chicago’s offense is now led by Taylor Hall and Connor Bedard, so it will be interesting if nothing else, but Petr Mrazek and Arvid Soderblom is a pretty sorry goaltending duo that the Bruins should be able to take advantage of.

I’m particularly interested to see how Charlie Coyle does this week. The 31-year-old had 44 and 45 points in each of his last two campaigns, so he hasn’t been a major part of Boston’s attack, but there is the potential for him to play a bigger role in the post-Patrice Bergeron/David Krejci era. He’s gotten a chance to work alongside Brad Marchand during the preseason, which is a great opportunity for him. We might also see the NHL debut of Matthew Poitras. He has plenty of offensive upside and could begin the campaign in a middle-six role, so keep an eye out for that.

Boston was just 2-2-2 in the preseason, but David Pastrnak did stand out with two goals and four points in three appearances. Pavel Zacha, who might start the campaign on a line with Pastrnak, recorded three assists in three games.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes have three games slated for their opening week. They’ll first host Ottawa on Wednesday, then play road contests versus Los Angeles and Anaheim on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The Kings and Senators are projected to be playoff contenders, but not the cream of the crop, while Anaheim is still looking to the future.

The Kings were also the only one of those three opponents to finish in the upper half of teams in terms of goals allowed per game last year and even then, just barely – LA ranked 16th. To be fair, Ottawa did sign Joonas Korpisalo over the summer while the Kings scooped up Cam Talbot, so there has been turnover in net, but this still looks like a potentially favorable grouping for the Hurricanes’ forwards.

Perhaps we’ll see Jesperi Kotkaniemi get off to a strong start. The 23-year-old set career highs last year with 18 goals and 43 points in 82 contests, but the 2018 third overall pick still has room to grow. That’s especially true when you consider he averaged just 14:44 of ice time in 2022-23. He might start this campaign on the second line with Teuvo Teravainen and Martin Necas. Speaking of Teravainen, he had just 37 points last season, but is a huge bounce back candidate.

Carolina went 3-3-0 during the preseason with Michael Bunting doing particularly well, providing three goals and four points in three contests. Bunting, signed from Toronto, might end up playing a pretty big role with the Hurricanes. He’s been seeing time alongside Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis on the top line and crucially has also slotted into the first power-play unit.

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers have only two games this week, but it’s an away-and-home series against Vancouver on Wednesday and Saturday. The Canucks are a weird team. They clearly have some star talent and goaltender Thatcher Demko might have a comeback season if he stays healthy, but they seem caught in that weird middle ground between building for the future and focusing on the present, with the outcome that they look mediocre on paper.

The player I’ll be most interested in during those two games will be Connor Brown. He didn’t record a point in four contests last season and the 29-year-old has never contributed more than 43 points in a single campaign – and even then, it was back in 2019-20 – but Brown has been seeing time on the top line with Evander Kane and Connor McDavid.

Brown is new to the Oilers, but not new to McDavid. The duo spent two years together with the OHL’s Erie Otters where they were two of the main driving forces of that squad’s attack. It’s been a while since Brown was that kind of offensive leader, but playing with McDavid should help.

Brown had two goals and three points in four preseason contests, which is solid, but it’s nothing compared to McDavid’s four goals and seven points in four exhibition games. Defenseman Evan Bouchard was also a preseason standout with six assists in five outings.

New Jersey Devils

The Devils will start the campaign with home games against Detroit and Arizona on Thursday and Friday, respectively. The Red Wings are a team on the rise, but they’re still questionable to even make the playoffs while Arizona likely still needs significantly more work.

Luke Hughes will be fun to watch as he begins his rookie campaign. While Bedard is understandably seen as the favorite for the Calder Trophy going into this campaign, Hughes is very much in the conversation too. The 20-year-old defenseman had 10 goals and 48 points in 39 NCAA games with the University of Michigan last season followed by a goal and four points in five appearances with New Jersey between the regular season and playoffs.

The big X-Factor is how much of a role will Hughes play off the bat. It’s hard to say what his even-strength role will be initially, but there’s a strong chance he’ll serve on the second power-play unit.

Also, while it must be said over and over again that preseason stats don’t mean much, it will be interesting to see if the Devils are able to carry any momentum from their 7-0-0 exhibition run into the regular season. In particular, Jesper Bratt, Jack Hughes and Dawson Mercer dominated with nine, eight and five points, respectively – each in four preseason contests.

Pittsburgh Penguins

After falling short of the playoffs last year, the Penguins made significant changes over the summer to try to push back into contention with their most notable addition being defenseman Erik Karlsson. With their aged roster, a lot is on the line in 2023-24, and Pittsburgh has a golden opportunity to start off on the right foot. The Penguins will host Chicago on Tuesday, play in Washington on Friday and then host Calgary on Saturday. All those three teams joined the Penguins in the most recent draft lottery.

Between that favorable schedule and the absence of Jake Guentzel (ankle), Drew O'Connor might hit the ground running. O'Connor had four goals and five points in four exhibition games and while, yes, it’s preseason stats, it also seemed to be enough to demonstrate to the Penguins that he’s deserving of temporarily playing alongside Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust while Guentzel recovers.

If you want a real stretch, I have a little interest in Jeff Carter. He had just 29 points in 79 contests last season and is inching towards his 39th birthday on Jan. 1, so not much is expected of him. That said, he’s projected to start the campaign on the Penguins’ second power-play unit, which is an underrated assignment. Obviously, the top unit should do better, but getting anyone from that group is naturally costly. Meanwhile, the second unit is (due to the acquisition of Karlsson) now headlined by Kris Letang, who is immensely overqualified for his new role. This could be a pretty effective unit and Carter is one of the easiest to obtain from it.

As already noted, O’Connor was a preseason standout for Pittsburgh, but Marcus Pettersson and Rickard Rakell did well too, each recording three points in three games.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay will begin the campaign at home Tuesday versus Nashville before facing Detroit and Ottawa on the road Saturday and Sunday, respectively. None of those three teams made the playoffs last year, though to be fair, all three of them should be in the mix in 2023-24. Still, the Lightning should be looking to take at least two of three against those middle-of-the-road squads.

The big X-Factor is goaltending. The Lightning won’t have Andrei Vasilevskiy (back), so they’ll probably have to rely on Jonas Johansson for two of those three starts. With how strong of an offensive team Tampa Bay is, Johansson seems like a strong pickup for the duration of Vasilevskiy’s absence.

Outside of Johansson, Conor Sheary is worthy of consideration. After signing a three-year, $6 million contract with the Lightning over the summer, Sheary seems to be settling in on a line with Steven Stamkos. That could be a significant boost for Sheary, who had 53 points in 61 contests with Pittsburgh in 2016-17, but has struggled to replicate that success since, most recently recording 15 goals and 37 points in 82 contests with Washington.

Steven Stamkos is also worth keeping an eye on. Obviously, he’s a star and is expected to put up big numbers regardless, but even by his standards, he might have a big start to the campaign. Stamkos expressed disappointment with the lack of offseason discussion about a contract extension, and he could make the Lightning literally pay for waiting by coming out strong this campaign.

During the preseason, Brandon Hagel and Sheary were two of the Lightning’s best performers, each recording four points (Hagel in four games, Sheary in five). Johansson saved 94 of 96 shots during exhibition play.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights will start their defense of the Stanley Cup with a difficult home game versus Seattle on Tuesday. However, they’ll follow it up with what should be a pair of comparatively easy contests: one in San Jose on Thursday and a contest back in Vegas versus Anaheim on Saturday.

Vegas won’t have defensemen Alec Martinez (upper body) or Zach Whitecloud (upper body) this week, which opens the door to both Brayden Pachal and Ben Hutton dressing in the Golden Knights’ opener. Neither player is a significant offensive threat, but if you’re in the market for blocks, hits or penalty minutes, then Pachal is worth taking in the short-term. Pachal had eight PIM, 12 blocks and 27 hits in 10 contests with Vegas last season. He also had 90 PIM in 55 contests with AHL Henderson – his second straight 90 PIM campaign at the AHL level.

Adin Hill and Logan Thompson should also be good for some situational starts this week. It might be best to avoid going with Vegas goaltending Tuesday if you can, but Hill and Thompson are likely to split the San Jose/Anaheim contests. The Sharks and Ducks ranked 25th and 31st, respectively, in terms of goals per game in 2022-23 and neither is likely to be a major offensive threat this year.

Vegas was a mediocre 3-3-1 in the preseason, but Jack Eichel managed to score two goals and eight points in four contests while Jonathan Marchessault finished with three goals and seven points in three appearances.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Player Profiles + Team Preview – Scott Cullen, Goaltending – Catherine Silverman — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 19:01:32 +0000

Review: For the first time since 2018-2019, the Lightning did not reach the Stanley Cup Final, losing in the first round to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Tampa Bay had 98 points and was better than average in terms of possession, controlling 51.7% of score-and-venue-adjusted shot attempts and 52.2% of expected goals, but better than average also revealed signs of vulnerability. Even so, the Lightning averaged 3.45 goals per game, which ranked eighth, and they allowed 3.10 goals against per game, which ranked 14^th. None of this indicates massive problems, but it does reflect a team that might not be at the same level as when they were making annual trips to the Stanley Cup Final.

What’s Changed? Keeping the Stanley Cup core gets increasingly difficult over time and the Lightning have been forced to make roster decisions based on salary cap commitments. This summer, that meant watching Alex Killorn, Corey Perry, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare leave as free agents while trading Ross Colton and Pat Maroon. Trying to fill those holes inexpensively, Tampa Bay brought in Conor Sheary, Josh Archibald, Luke Glendening, and Logan Brown, which would seem to be a downgrade, but it might also open the door for some prospects to challenge for regular roles, something that has not happened a lot with the Lightning in recent seasons. On defense, veteran Calvin de Haan adds solid depth to a unit that has much more continuity.

What would success look like? After reaching three straight Stanley Cup Finals, winning two, the Lightning are hardly going to settle for something less than a Cup Finals appearance, even if that is increasingly less likely. They still have elite talent, and the core pieces of those Stanley Cup teams. However, every loss of supporting players like Killorn, Colton, and Ondrej Palat the previous summer makes it that much harder for the Lightning to stay on top. The stars are the ones that drive results, but Cup winners have a strong supporting cast and it’s fair to wonder if the Lightning even warrant legitimate Stanley Cup hopes given the quality of their current supporting cast.

What could go wrong? While Tampa Bay appears to have too much talent to flop entirely, with a lot of key players on the north side of 30, there is the possibility that injuries could loom large for Tampa Bay. Certainly, any injury to goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy would be a concern because the Lightning continue the shop the bargain bin for backup goaltenders, landing on Jonas Johansson this season, but if injuries hit Nikita Kucherov, or Steven Stamkos, or Victor Hedman – core players who are all over 30 – that could present a significant challenge. These are first-world hockey problems, worrying about what might happen if more than one of your superstars gets injured.

Top Breakout Candidate: The Lightning do not have unproven players in prime positions so any breakout expectations should be tempered. However, winger Michael Eyssimont is worth watching. He split last season between Winnipeg, San Jose, and Tampa Bay, managing 15 points in 54 games, but he also had 107 hits and 124 shots on goal. That physical play is likely going to earn Eyssimont a regular spot in Tampa Bay’s top nine, but if he starts scoring on more than four percent of his shots, he could really start to provide some value. The opportunity is there for Eyssimont to not only secure a full-time NHL job, but for him to play a substantial role.

Forwards

Nikita Kucherov

Coming off his third career season with more than 100 points, Kucherov is a premier scoring winger, an elite setup man in every respect. His creativity and vision are special, and he plays with a confidence that allows him to make plays that are only possible at the very top end of the league. He also plays with a nastiness that gives him a competitive edge. Since 2017-2018, Kucherov has 495 points in 359 games, his 1.38 points per game ranking second behind only Connor McDavid. He has scored 160 points in 142 career playoff games, so he does not shrink away when the games matter most. As great as Kucherov is, his 11.1% shooting percentage last season was his lowest since his rookie season in 2013-2014 and his defensive play is not exactly going to earn him Selke Trophy votes. When he is firing on all cylinders, though, Kucherov is too much for most defenders to handle. For example, from November 17th through December 17th last season, he tallied 24 points (5 G, 19 A) in just 14 games. While Connor McDavid has to be the favorite to lead the league in scoring in 2023-2024, Kucherov is as worthy of consideration as any other contender for the Art Ross Trophy.

Brayden Point

An established star who has been an integral part of Tampa Bay’s playoff success, Point erupted for the most productive season of his career, scoring 51 goals and 95 points, both of which were career highs. He scored on a career high 21.7% of his shots, while registering a career high 2.87 shots per game, so it is not as though Point is a high-volume shooter, but he has always been a high percentage finisher, scoring on better than 15.0% of his shots in each of the past five seasons. Point has a quick release and makes the most of his role in the bumper position on the Tampa Bay power play, scoring 20 of his 51 goals last season with the man advantage. Playing with Kucherov is obviously a great spot to be for a player who can pull the trigger like Point, and he finished last season with 53 points (28 G, 25 A) in his last 42 games. It is fascinating to see how productive Point has been in the playoffs, with 82 points (40 G, 42 A) in 82 playoff games, and how he has had two seasons with 90-plus points, but then has seasons with point totals in the 50s and 60s. That does suggest some caution when looking ahead for Point, but an 80-point season should be well within his grasp.

Steven Stamkos

At 33 years old, Stamkos continues to churn out points, putting up 84 points (34 G, 50 A) in 81 games last season. He did record 35 points on the power play and his possession numbers during five-on-five play showed signs of slipping. His shot release is one of the most dangerous in the league, but it is reasonable to wonder if there might be some decline on the way given his age and the injuries that he has endured during a career of more than 1,003 games during which he has scored 515 goals. Stamkos had an 11-game point streak in January, during which he had 15 points (7 G, 8 A) and 46 shots on goal. If he would keep generating shots like that, the goals would never stop. However, he is still in a position to contribute big offensive numbers and that means that 35 goals and 80-plus points is within a reasonable range. The supporting cast in Tampa Bay is part of the calculation, too. It would be easier for Stamkos to keep producing at an elite level if he always played with Kucherov and Point, but he spent significant time with Alex Killorn and Nick Paul, and Anthony Cirelli, too.

Brandon Hagel

An energy winger in Chicago who has thrived since arriving in Tampa Bay where he has been playing in a scoring role, Hagel set career highs with 30 goals and 64 points last season, and he makes the most of the great opportunity to play with Kucherov and Point. Hagel has good speed in transition and is not shy about getting to the front of the net when the Lightning have control of the puck in the offensive zone. Considering the way that Kucherov distributes the puck, that is a good idea. Because he is not necessarily the play driver on that number one line, Hagel’s production can fluctuate. In the last 16 games of the regular season, he had 14 points (7 G, 7 A), even though he had a seven-game scoreless streak in the midst of that span of games. Hagel is an interesting player to project because he has scored on 16.1% of his shots in his career, which is rather high, but he has played 211 games, which is not a huge sample. On the other hand, he plays mostly with Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, so that could contribute to creating better chances and higher shooting percentages. He may not match last season’s output, but 25-30 goals and 55-60 points should still be within range for Hagel.

Anthony Cirelli

At his best, Cirelli is a premier defensive center who can contribute on the offensive end, too. He missed the start of the season due to shoulder surgery and had a 20-game stretch during which he managed just four points, but he also had six points (3 G, 3 A) in six playoff games. Even with some ups and downs during the season, the Lightning outscored opponents 35-22 with Cirelli on the ice for five-on-five play. Cirelli has twice finished in the top five in Selke voting and, when healthy, the 26-year-old is a legitimate contender for the award as the league’s top defensive forward. Strangely enough, given his earned reputation, Cirelli was at least as effective offensively as he was defensively last season, which is not the case when he is giving his peak defensive performance, but starting the season late likely didn’t help matters. Cirelli can reasonably be expected to put up 35-40 points, though there is potential for more. If he is healthy for a full season and play a lot with Stamkos, for example, that might offer better scoring potential.

Nick Paul

Anchoring Tampa Bay’s third line, Paul scored a career high 17 goals and tied his career high with 32 points. He has good size and plays a physical game in addition to winning 53.7% of his faceoffs. While he is a strong defensive presence, Paul’s offensive game is limited, and that puts a ceiling on what kind of impact he can have overall. At the same time, Paul is exactly the kind of big-body physically strong player that the Lightning want on their third line and has played more than 16 minutes per game for three straight seasons, so he has established himself firmly in this role. Paul got off to a sensational start last season, producing 18 points (11 G, 7 A) in his first 23 games, but he followed that up with eight points (5 G, 3 A) in his next 30 games. His straight-ahead game has definite benefits, but it does contribute to his uninspiring offensive numbers. Paul should continue in the same range as his recent seasons, so somewhere between 30 and 35 points is a reasonable expectation.

Tanner Jeannot

After an impressive rookie season in 2021-2022, when he scored 24 goals, Jeannot was one of the most snakebit players in the league last season, finishing with six goals on 107 shots in 76 games. The Lightning paid a steep price to acquire Jeannot and while he managed just four points (1 G, 3 A) in 20 games for Tampa Bay, he also suffered a high ankle sprain late in the season and tried to play through it. He is as strong as an ox and that powerful base is the cornerstone of his game. The 26-year-old winger has recorded 608 hits in the past two seasons, 90 more than any other forward over that period. Jeannot is probably a decent buy-low option going into 2023-2024, because it would be difficult to struggle to that degree again – he had a 38-game goalless drought! – and he is due for percentages to swing back in his favor. A bounce-back season for Jeannot could still mean as few as 30-35 points, which would be a big jump from the 18 points he had in 76 games in 2022-2023, but maybe with good health, he could climb the depth chart and offer more than that.

Conor Sheary

An undersized winger who filled a secondary scoring role in Washington the past two seasons, Sheary could have an opportunity to play a quality complementary role in Tampa Bay. Playing more than 15 minutes per game, Sheary has put up 80 points (34 G, 46 A) in 153 games across the past two years, but his possession numbers have been on the wrong side of the ledger, too. He somehow finished with 37 points despite a massive slump. In a 29-game span from January 8 through March19, Sheary had three points (1 G, 2 A). There may be an opportunity for Sheary to fit in a top-six role in Tampa Bay, which would provide a path to continued offensive production. With quality forwards in Tampa Bay, Sheary should still be able to find his way into the range of 35 to 40 points.

Michael Eyssimont

By the time the puck drops on the 2023-2024 season, Eyssimont will be 27 years old and will have 55 NHL games under his belt, 54 of which came last season when he played for Winnipeg, San Jose, and Tampa Bay, so he is a late bloomer to be sure. What makes Eyssimont more interesting than the typical 15-point winger is that, in his small sample of NHL games, he has shown that he can generate shots. Among players that appeared in at least 500 five-on-five minutes Eyssimont ranked ninth with 11.06 shots per 60 minutes. He scored on just 4.0% of those shots, but generating the shots in the first place creates the possibility that his production could get a boost merely with better luck around the net. While he does not have notable size, he plays a physical game and recorded 107 hits in 54 games, so he has a way to earn his spot in the lineup. Although Eyssimont does not have a lot of NHL experience, he has a legit chance to stick in Tampa Bay’s top nine. He has 51 points in 67 AHL games over the past two seasons and could have a chance to produce 25-30 points as a full-time NHLer.

Defense

Victor Hedman

For the first time since 2015-2016, Hedman was not a finalist for the Norris Trophy, and it was justified because his defensive play had slipped compared to previous years. Hedman was still a positive influence on the Lightning but was not the dominant play driving force that had been. He has such rare physical tools, to be able to skate and handle the puck at his size, that Hedman could very easily return to Norris Trophy form, but it bears watching. He is 32 years old and while he is far from finished, it is possible that there is some decline from the top tier elite status that he has been occupying for so long. 2022-2023 was the first time in Hedman’s career that the Lightning fared better in terms of shot attempts when he was off the ice. It was the second time in the past three seasons that the Lightning were better when judged by expected goals with Hedman off the ice. For all of those questions, it can’t be ignored that Hedman has been an elite defender for a long time, so it would be premature to write him off. Losing power play time to Mikhail Sergachev doesn’t help Hedman’s output, but he remains capable of producing 55-60 points.

Mikhail Sergachev

With Hedman’s production slipping, Sergachev stepped up and became the quarterback on the first power play unit for Tampa Bay, scoring 27 of his career-high 64 points with the man advantage. At 25 years old, Sergachev is in his prime, and played a career-high 23:49 per game last season. Not only is he a strong skater who can handle the puck and unleash a heavy shot from the point, but he is sturdy and physical. Sergachev was one of 22 defensemen to record more than 125 hits and 125 blocked shots last season. From that group, Darnell Nurse and Moritz Seider were the only ones with more than 40 points and Sergachev was 20 points clear of both. He finished the season with a scoring flourish, producing 22 points (3 G, 19 A) with 45 shots on goal in his last 18 games. If he is going to put up those numbers, he will continue to hold greater responsibility on the Tampa Bay blueline. Since he is in his prime and did not benefit from lofty percentages last season, another 60-point campaign is a reasonable target for Sergachev.

Nick Perbix

A sixth-round pick who played at St. Cloud State, Perbix was not highly touted, and the right-shot defender landed in the NHL as a 24-year-old rookie last season. From the moment he arrived, though, he did not look out of place and delivered quality third-pair minutes. He is a strong passer who moves the puck up the ice and, generally, the Lightning had success with Perbix on the ice, out-shooting and outscoring the opposition during five-on-five play. The next step is to see if he can handle more responsibility, potentially into a top-four role on the Tampa Bay blueline. With more ice time, in a full season, Perbix could see his point production jump to the range of 25 to 30 points, but he has such a limited track record that he might end up on the third pairing and unlikely to even match last season’s production.

Erik Cernak

A 26-year-old thumper on the Tampa Bay defense, Cernak recorded a career-high 209 hits then got knocked out in the first game of the playoffs thanks to a high hit by Maple Leafs winger Michael Bunting. Cernak has limitations with the puck on his stick, but he is a strong skater and plays such a hard, competitive game that he still offers plenty of value in a top-four shutdown role and has consistently played more than 19 minutes per game throughout his career. One other thing that has been a consistent factor in Cernak’s career is injuries. He played a career-high 70 games last season, so his hard play comes with a price, and while that tends to happen to most physical defensemen, it is not so common for a defenseman in his mid-20s to be sidelined as frequently as Cernak. While he has yet to record a 20-point season in the NHL, Cernak has a chance to get there if he stays healthy. Hits and, to a lesser degree, blocked shots are the counting stats that are going to enhance Cernak’s value.

Goaltending

Andrei Vasilevskiy

The Andrei Vasilevskiy story, by this point in his career, is very much rinse-and-repeat. Vasilevskiy might not be the league’s hottest topic anymore, with shiny new names circulating the Vezina conversation alongside him each year and younger franchises (including one just downstate from Tampa in metro Miami) contending for the cup, but he remains one of the top ten goaltenders year-over-year with no signs of slowing down. It’s not a matter of if he’ll do well, but how well he’ll do; he might not win the Vezina or the Cup, but he’ll make the playoffs and keep his team in games with very little evidence that he’ll do anything to disappoint.

The Lightning almost certainly know that they’ll need to do something about their goaltending situation at some point in the coming years, but they also seem to know that there’s no rush – so they seem content to ride with Vasilevskiy while prospect Hugo Alnefelt develops in the AHL. Their only change this off-season was to move on from a now-underperforming Brian Elliott as the rarely-used number two, instead signing Jonas Johansson as their number two. That could be a sign that Alnefelt is being prepped to get his NHL look, given how poorly Johansson has performed at the NHL level in the past few seasons. But ultimately, there’s not much about Tampa’s upcoming season that warrants discussion beyond reiterating that Vasilevskiy is still their best shot at success; with his dynamic drives and quick hands, the only thing that could slow the starter down is physical fatigue. At some point, he has to hit a wall – but he hasn’t yet, so Tampa seems content to address that problem when it pops up down the road.

Projected starts: 65-70

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Iaffalo, Rodrigues, Steel stepping up + The most productive players during the 2022 calendar year

Scott Cullen — Sat, 31 Dec 2022 15:21:06 +0000

TEMPE, AZ - NOVEMBER 01: Florida Panthers Right Wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) skates down ice during an NHL game between the Arizona Coyotes and the Florida Panthers on November 1, 2022, at Mullett Arena in Tempe, AZ. (Photo by Zac BonDurant/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, Alex Iafallo, Evan Rodrigues, Sam Steel are among the veterans stepping up with recent production, plus a look at some of the most productive players during the 2022 calendar year.

#1 Although Los Angeles Kings left winger Alex Iafallo missed 23 games this season, he has returned to action and picked up where he left off when he got hurt. Iafallo had five points (2 G, 3 A) during a four-game point streak before getting hurt and he has seven points (4 G, 3 A) during his current five-game point streak. Iafallo is taking advantage of an injury to Trevor Moore to get regular playing time with Phillip Danault and Viktor Arvidsson, but that does leave some question about what Iafallo’s role will be when Moore returns from his current injury.

#2 After the Anaheim Ducks refused to give center Sam Steel a qualifying offer in the summer, the Wild signed him in late August. It was a low risk move for Minnesota and it is starting to pay off. Steel has moved to the top line, between Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello, and in the past nine games, he has produced eight points (1 G, 7 A). Just as importantly, his ice time is up to 17:38 per game in that span, after averaging 12:54 per game in his first 26 games with the Wild.

#3 An injury to Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson has opened the door for Erik Gustafsson to handle a bigger role. Gustafsson has 10 points (5 G, 5 A) and 18 shots on goal during a six-game point streak. His ice time has also increased, averaging 20:55 per game during the streak, compared to 19:11 per game before that. He is a capable puck mover who has recorded 10 of his 20 points this season on the power play, but his role on the power play is dependent on Carlson’s availability.

#4 Even the most optimistic Montreal Canadiens fan could not have expected the kind of contributions that the team is getting from rookie defenseman Arber Xhekaj. The 6-foot-3 blueliner is known for his toughness and he has still delivered on that end, but he has also contributed four points (1 G, 3 A) in his past five games, giving him 12 points (5 G, 7 A) to go with 101 hits and a league-leading 65 PIM. He is bringing banger league value already.

#5 The Colorado Avalanche did not sign Evan Rodrigues until just before training camp and it’s a good thing they did. Colorado has battled injuries all season and it has resulted in some players getting pressed into bigger roles. Rodrigues suffered a lower-body injury in late November but since returning to the lineup, he has six points (3 G, 3 A) and 28 shots on goal, while playing 20:41 per game, in seven games. He is centering Colorado’s second line and getting first unit power play time.

#6 Calgary Flames left winger Dillon Dube struggled early in the season, managing just six points (3 G, 3 A) in 21 games, but he has turned his season around. In his past 16 games, Dube has produced 15 points (5 G, 10 A) and 30 shots on goal. He has landed a spot on the Flames’ top line, skating with Elias Lindholm and Tyler Toffoli, which is a nice spot to continue putting up some numbers.

#7 Everyone knows that Alex Ovechkin is a legendary sniper. With 23 goals in 38 games this season, he now has 802 career goals to rank second all-time. Who ranks second on the Capitals in goals? (Wait for it….) The answer is Conor Sheary, who has moved up the lineup to play right wing on Washington’s top line. The veteran winger has 11 goals in 38 games and has put up 13 points (4 G, 9 A) in 14 games in December. Keep an eye on Sheary’s role as the Capitals get healthy. Tom Wilson and Nicklas Backstrom are likely to return soon to the Capitals lineup, which will result in some line shuffling.

#8 He might not be a part of the long-term plan in Arizona, but Nick Schmaltz gives the Coyotes enough offensive punch to be more competitive than expected this season. In the past 10 games, Schmaltz has produced a dozen points (4 G, 8 A) with 18 shots on goal. He has never been a huge volume shooter – his career high is 2.02 shots on goal per game in 2019-2020 and he sits at 2.00 shots per game this season.

#9 Veteran Coyotes center Nick Bjugstad has probably not lived up to expectations in his career, surpassing 40 points in a season just twice, but he has been a useful addition for Arizona this season. In his past 18 games, the 6-foot-6 pivot has 11 points (7 G, 4 A) to go with 33 shots on goal and 45 hits.

#10 With Tyler Bertuzzi out and Jakub Vrana still working his way back from time in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, 2017 first-round pick Michael Rasmussen has had a better opportunity in Detroit. He has recently found himself on the left wing of Detroit’s top line, alongside Dylan Larkin and David Perron. Rasmussen has six points (2 G, 4 A) and 13 shots on goal in the past four games and while he does not have high-end offensive upside, his production could help to earn him a bigger role even when the Wings get healthy.

#11 The Vegas Golden Knights have been decimated by injuries, to the point that Michael Amadio has spent time skating on the Golden Knights’ top line with Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone. Amadio has seven points (3 G, 4 A) and 16 shots on goal during a five-game point streak. He is not a long-term fantasy answer but as a short-term fill-in, he is worth considering just because of his recent role in Vegas.

#12 Winnipeg’s forward lines are getting decimated by injuries. Nikolaj Ehlers was already out but adding Cole Perfetti and Blake Wheeler to the injured list has forced the Jets to get creative. While Sam Gagner and Karson Kuhlman have moved into the top six, the better value probably comes from Adam Lowry, who adds physical play to his point production. In his past 14 games, Lowry has nine points (3 G, 6 A) with 26 shots on goal and 33 hits.

#13 When the Los Angeles Kings decided to waive goaltender Cal Petersen, sending him to the AHL, it did not seem like the addition of journeyman Pheonix Copley would solve their goaltending issues. In the short term, at least, Copley has given the Kings a boost, winning eight of nine starts and posting a .905 save percentage. There is some risk in adding Copley, considering he had started one NHL game in the previous three seasons, but if you need a goaltender, he is going to keep getting reps as long as he can deliver league average goaltending.

#14 When it comes to rookie forwards, the top three scorers in the month of December are Anaheim’s Mason McTavish (2 G, 7 A in 14 GP), Arizona’s Matias Maccelli (2 G, 7 A in 12 GP), and Dallas’ Wyatt Johnston (5 G, 3 A in 14 GP). Maccelli has suffered a lower-body injury that will keep him for the next six week,s but McTavish and Johnston are more intriguing as they get their footing and turn into productive NHLers. McTavish has six points (2 G, 4 A) and 17 shots on goal in his past six games. Johnston has five points (4 G, 1 A) and 13 shots on goal in his past five games.

#15 With the calendar about to flip to 2023, here are the NHL leading scorers in the 2022 calendar year (heading into games on December 31):

Connor McDavid (57-86-143 in 86 GP)

Matthew Tkachuk (46-75-121 in 87 GP)

Mitch Marner (45-72-117 in 84 GP)

Kirill Kaprizov (55-62-117 in 86 GP)

Johnny Gaudreau (38-79-117 in 87 GP)

Nikita Kucherov (37-79-116 in 78 GP)

Leon Draisaitl (52-64-116 in 85 GP)

Auston Matthews (57-56-113 in 82 GP)

Sidney Crosby (46-63-109 in 87 GP)

Mikko Rantanen (46-61-107 in 85 GP)

Maybe none of these names qualify as a major surprise – they are elite scoring forwards, after all – but it is worth noting a player like Matthew Tkachuk, who has outscored every NHLer not named Connor McDavid in 2022.

#16 When it comes to underlying numbers, the players that are getting the highest quality and quantity of chances, these are the 2022 calendar year leaders in expected goals: Brady Tkachuk, Auston Matthews, Chris Kreider, Zach Hyman, Connor McDavid, Matthew Tkachuk, Jake Guentzel, Alex Ovechkin, John Tavares, David Pastrnak. These players are either elite scorers or players that are put in position to score by skilled linemates. Hyman and Guentzel naturally benefit from playing with elite playmaking centers.

#17 During the 2022 calendar year, these are the leaders in exceeding expected goals (ie. goals minus expected goals), according to Natural Stat Trick: Tage Thompson, Kirill Kaprizov, David Pastrnak, Jason Robertson, Bo Horvat, Mark Scheifele, Leon Draisaitl, Cole Caufield, Connor McDavid, and Brock Nelson. This is an intriguing group of players, including breakout superstars like Thompson, Robertson, Horvat, and Caufield. Over the long run, it is not easy to have a huge advantage over expected goals, but for the players that are elite finishers, they can be expected to convert a higher percentage of their scoring chances.

#18 At the other end of the spectrum, these are the 2022 calendar year players whose expected goals totals exceeded their goal totals by the greatest margin: Brady Tkachuk, Brendan Gallagher, Trevor Moore, Joe Pavelski, John Tavares, Mikael Backlund, Jesse Puljujarvi, Zach Hyman, Phil Kessel, Nicolas Roy. Some of these players have established that they are not going to score on a high percentage of their opportunities, but there could till be hope for someone like Puljujarvi to turn into more than what he has shown thus far in Edmonton.

#19 The top scoring defensemen in the 2022 calendar year:

Roman Josi (21-73-94 in 84 GP)

Cale Makar (24-70-94 in 88 GP)

Adam Fox (13-65-78 in 84 GP)

Victor Hedman (14-57-71 in 81 GP)

Quinn Hughes (7-64-71 in 75 GP)

Rasmus Dahlin (17-53-70 in 80 GP)

Josh Morrissey (13-55-68 in 85 GP)

Kris Letang (11-53-64 in 81 GP)

Erik Karlsson (15-49-64 in 61 GP)

Noah Dobson (19-44-63 in 92 GP)

The takeaway from this list is that there are very few defensemen capable of contributing a point per game. Josi, Makar, and Karlsson are the only three to exceed a point per game in the 2022 calendar year. Fox and Hughes are the next closest. Understanding the rarity of their contributions helps to establish their value above that of other defensemen.

#20 One of my preferred stats to follow is shot generation because consistent shot rates can add a level of consistency to point production. Here are the 2022 calendar year five-on-five per 60-minute shot rate leaders (minimum 200 minutes): Patrice Bergeron, Patric Hornqvist, Nathan MacKinnon, Auston Matthews, David Pastrnak, Nikolaj Ehlers, Timo Meier, Jeff Skinner, Jack Eichel, Tage Thompson. There are not a lot of surprises here, but Hornqvist is amusing because of hi very limited role in Florida at this stage of his career. Then there is a collection of players with ties to the Buffalo Sabres in spots eight, nine, and ten. Jeff Skinner and Tage Thompson are generating a lot of shots for Buffalo’s high-octane attack, while former Sabres center Jack Eichel has been able to generate shots at an elite level when healthy.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – WASHINGTON CAPITALS – NHL Player Profiles

Scott Cullen – Forwards and Defense, Catherine Silverman - Goaltending — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 22:21:55 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 03: Capitals defenseman John Carlson (74) carries the puck out of his own end during the Carolina Hurricanes versus Washington Capitals National Hockey League game on March 3, 2022 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire)

FORWARDS

Alex Ovechkin

Incredibly, Ovechkin scored 50 goals again last season, his 36-year-old season. He is up to 780 goals, which puts him 114 goals behind Wayne Gretzky to be the all-time leading goal-scorer in NHL history. While the expectation might be that a player in his late thirties can’t possibly be expected to score enough to challenge that record, Ovi just showed that it is unwise to count him out. While he remains an elite finisher, Ovechkin’s defensive play is suspect, but that may not matter much. He is still a massive physical presence on the ice and last season was the 12^th time in the past 15 seasons that Ovechkin recorded more than 150 hits. The Capitals have outscored opponents in seven of the past eight seasons with Ovechkin on the ice during 5-on-5 play and he is an all-time great shot generator, putting up more than four shots on goal per game in nine of the past 10 seasons. Looking ahead to this season, Ovechkin may not have playmaking center Nicklas Backstrom to feed him the puck and it might be a lot to ask for OVechkin to surpass a point per game, but he has scored more than 45 goals in seven of the past eight full seasons and can probably find a way to do it again and push a point per game in the process.

Evgeny Kuznetsov

There were questions about Kuznetsov following the 2020-2021 season and what kind of future he might have in Washington, but then he went out and put up 78 points in 79 games last season, playing more than 20 minutes per game for the first time in his career. He shot the puck more and scored 32 of his points on special teams. With Nicklas Backstrom expected to miss most of the season, Kuznetsov will be hugely important as Washington’s No. 1 center. He remains abysmal in the faceoff circle, winning 43.5% of his draws last season, which matched his career average, but it also tends to offset his steep offensive zone usage, with more than 70% of his 5-on-5 faceoffs coming in the offensive zone for two seasons running. Considering his declining production in the previous few seasons, it might be asking too much for Kuznetsov to be a point-per-game scorer again, but he should be around the 70-point range.

T.J. Oshie

The 35-year-old winger battled injuries and his production fell off significantly last season and, at his age, it is fair to wonder if he can bounce back. Oshie is a six-time 20-goal scorer who has played a hard game throughout his career, the player who plays proverbially bigger than his size, and that can take its toll. Last season, Oshie generated 1.75 shots on goal per game, the second-lowest rate of his career, and he was outscored during 5-on-5 play for only the second time in his career. Overall, Oshie has excelled in Washington, playing a strong complementary role around the Capitals’ stars but that window could be closing. Still, if he can stay reasonably healthy and maintain his role on the Washington power play, at least 20 goals and 40 points could still be within Oshie’s grasp.

Anthony Mantha

A towering and talented but enigmatic winger, Mantha is a 27-year-old who has topped out at 48 points twice in his career, though he did score 39 points in 43 games during the 2019-2020 season. Mantha would seem to have the skill to provide more but last season was something of a bust when he missed four months after requiring shoulder surgery. He did have 17 points in 27 games once he returned to the lineup, and at his best he is surely the type of player who could respond to a bigger role. If the Capitals are going to remain competitive this season, they will likely need a bounce-back season from Mantha. 20 goals and 45 points is a fair expectation if Mantha is healthy but that is hardly a sure thing.

Dylan Strome

Despite scoring a career-high 48 points last season, Chicago did not offer Strome a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent, so the 25-year-old center found an opportunity in Washington, where they needed to improve their offensive production down the middle of the ice, especially considering Nicklas Backstrom’s absence. It has taken some time for him to find his niche in the NHL, but it appears that Strome has found a way to take advantage of his size and playmaking ability. Even if his skating has been an issue at times in his career, he showed last season that he can thrive if given the right opportunity and he played a career-high 17:26 per game while winning a career high 52.3% of his faceoffs. He scored 27 points in his last 28 games for Chicago and while that might not be sustainable over a large sample, Strome should be able to contribute 45 points in a complementary role.

Connor Brown

Acquired from the Ottawa Senators for a second-round pick, Brown has established that he is a capable of handling major responsibility in the NHL, playing more than 20 minutes per game in two of the past three seasons. Brown came into the league as a sixth-round pick and has had to earn his role. At 6-feet, 185 pounds, he is not the biggest nor the fastest, but he is smart and competitive. Brown is also skilled enough to contribute offensively, with two 20-goal seasons to his credit yet strong enough defensively to be a primary penalty killer for nearly his entire career. Brown’s shot rate dipped last season, falling below two shots per game for the first time since 2018-2019, but he has never been a high-end shot generator. Moving to Washington, Brown should maintain his significant role and could provide 40-plus points in addition to filling a valuable two-way need for the Capitals.

Lars Eller

A 33-year-old center who has been a reliable third-line pivot for many years, Eller has been able to move up the depth chart in spurts to fill in as the second line center, but he is better suited to the third-line role. He has contributed more than 30 points in four of the past five seasons and had 23 points in 44 games during the shortened 2020-2021 season. Eller excelled in Washington’s 2018 Stanley Cup run, scoring 18 points in 24 games, but his track record is long enough to show that pace will not hold over a larger sample of games. But, as a pivot who has handled more than 16 minutes per game for each of the past four seasons, he can still be counted on for 30-plus points again.

Conor Sheary

An undersized 30-year-old winger, Sheary is crafty and competitive, a tenacious forechecker. He scored 19 goals and 43 points last season, his most productive year since 2016-2017, so he is going to be relied upon to provide secondary scoring again this season. He does not generate a lot of shots, producing more than two shots per game just once in his career, so production can come and go depending on how his percentages fall. It would be safe to look to Sheary for 30 points, with the understanding that he has potential to contribute more depending on the role that he ultimately ends up playing next season.

Marcus Johansson

The 31-year-old winger returned to where it all began for him when he was traded from Seattle to Washington before the trade deadline. While Johansson remains a quality passer with good offensive instincts, he is not the player that he was in his first tour with the Capitals. However, Johansson is skilled and versatile enough to help the cause, fitting in a top nine role. He has taken four minor penalties in 105 games over the past two seasons, so he is not exactly playing on the edge. Johansson has not scored more than 30 points in a season since 2016-2017, so that is probably the top end of expectations for his production this season.

DEFENSE

John Carlson

One of the most productive defensemen in the league, Carlson has scored 328 points in the past five seasons, which is 25 more points than any other defenseman (Roman Josi has 303) in that period of time. 131 of those points have come on the power play, where Carlson has been a fixture at the point. Even though he is 6-foot-3 with a sturdy build, Carlson is not a particularly physical defender and yet he is an effective top-pair defenseman who quarterbacks the power play. He has finished in the Top 10 in Norris Trophy voting in four of the past five seasons, with three of those seasons in the Top 5. He is 32 years old so, like many in the Capitals’ core, his window of productivity could be drawing to a close. It is just a matter of how gradually that production declines. Based on recent seasons, though, Carlson should be expected to have another high-scoring season, with something like 15-plus goals and 70 points.

Dmitry Orlov

An underrated but quietly reliable defenseman, Orlov scored a career high 12 goals and 35 points last season, but he has also played more than 20 minutes per game in four of the past five seasons and plays a physical game, recording more than 100 hits in six of the past seven seasons. More importantly, he has consistently driven positive results, with the Capitals outshooting, out-chancing and outscoring the opposition with him on the ice. The 31-year-old is still going to play a big role on the Capitals blueline and that ought to put him in position to score double-digit goals and 30-plus points.

Nick Jensen

A quietly effective right shot defenseman, Jensen scored a career-high 21 points last season, but he also recorded 135 hits, which was far more than he ever had previously. He formed a very effective pairing with Orlov and the Capitals outscored the opposition 49-22 during 5-on-5 play with that tandem on the ice. Even if Jensen is having a positive impact for the Capitals, he is still not likely to contribute much offensively, so 20 points is about the high-water mark for his production.

Martin Fehervary

The 22-year-old defenseman brought a physical element to the Capitals blueline, recording 251 hits. While Fehervary moves the puck well enough, his defensive play still has room for improvement, but that’s okay, he just finished his first NHL season. He has room to grow and, since he has paired with Carlson, the Capitals are set to give Fehervary the opportunity to develop into a top defender. He is not likely to surpass 20 points this season, but Fehervary recorded 251 hits as a rookie, so he has category specific appeal when it comes to fantasy.

GOALTENDING

Darcy Kuemper

The Colorado Avalanche got exactly what they asked for when they traded for Darcy Kuemper in the summer of 2021. Now, with Alex Ovechkin and Niklas Backstrom continuing to age, Washington is trying to stabilize their own in-net presence by snagging the veteran netminder as the crown jewel in 2022’s goaltending free agency class. He’ll arrive with the Capitals hoping to help them prolong their playoff window just a little bit more – and hopefully help the team bounce back after a disappointing year for both of the goaltenders they iced last season.

Kuemper remains an easy goaltender to feel confident about. For the last handful of years, he’s delivered exactly what he’s advertised to be; a big-bodied and capable starter who struggles to stay healthy but doesn’t derail his entire season when he has a particularly bad game. He sometimes runs the risk of reverting to older bad habits that permeated his game during his early seasons with the Minnesota Wild, oversliding on shots and challenging too aggressively for the size and stature he boasts, when he has a bad game – and rarely, when he allows a sloppy goal to kick things off, does his game level back out before that night’s sixty minutes of play are up. But he’s the ultimate goldfish goalie, bouncing back from ugly games remarkably and playing a more controlled, conservative style the majority of the time. He wasn’t Colorado’s star player last year, but he certainly didn’t need to be – and he didn’t make life any harder for the offense in front of him most nights, either. His biggest red flag remains his ability to stay healthy for heavier workloads, which could be a problem for Washington if backup Charlie Lindgren doesn’t manage to get the job done. But assuming he doesn’t need to play more than 55 games during the regular season, he should be exactly what the Capitals need.

Projected starts: 50-55

Charlie Lindgren

It’s clear that the Capitals hoped for a fresh start after the struggles they saw from Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek last season. But if Darcy Kuemper is the known entity they acquired to replace last year’s tandem, former Montreal prospect Charlie Lindgren is the wild card. He boasts just 29 career NHL games under his belt at the age of 28 – and while last year’s numbers in St. Louis were promising, his sampling of games over the last half-dozen years range from elite NHL promise to particularly ugly.

Lindgren plays a smooth-looking style that combines fluid movements and well-paced skating with a strongly established habit of staying well within the blue paint. It’s clear his game was developed in the same Stephane Waite system that developed Carey Price; he isn’t limited in his ability to move around within the crease, but he’s rarely caught playing too aggressively and prefers to rely on tracking the puck instead of reacting and exploding movement-wise. It seemed to take him a while to really hit his stride with his style, missing shots that it looked like faster, more ‘dazzling’ goaltenders might have gotten to over him. But it paid off in the end; while it’s hard to look at his overall career numbers and feel confident that he’s a sure bet, it’s a lot easier to bank on him succeeding when looking at how his game has progressed over the last few years. And if Darcy Kuemper can stay healthy, he won’t need to showcase his talents often enough to worry about him backsliding or hitting long slumps; for Washington fans, that should come as a welcome relief.

Projected starts: 30-35

My Swede Lord – Buffalo Sabres 2018-19 Season Preview

Robert Howard — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 20:31:19 +0000

Review/State of Play - The Buffalo Sabres finished last in the NHL, last in their division four out of the last five years and were a dispirited group by seasons end. Ryan O’Reilly professed his frustration with a culture of “being OK with losing”. Jack Eichel also expressed his frustration after three seasons “When I got drafted, if you would’ve said we’d be in this position, I probably would’ve told you to give your head a shake.” This was following a season in which they had overturned their front office firing GM Tim Murray and Head Coach Dan Bylsma after a short time in the saddle and replaced them with GM Jason Botterill and Coach Phil Housley, a Sabres alumni great. This offseason Botterill decided to blow up the support group around his young stars and franchise centerman, Eichel.

Trade winds blow - It started at the trade deadline by trading disgruntled O’Reilly for a package of solid NHL veterans in Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka and former first round pick and promising prospect Tage Thompson along with a first round pick in 2019. Berglund and Sobotka make a solid foundation for the third line. Both are responsible defensively and Sobotka is a face off master. Thompson bring size at 6’5” 200 pounds and a good compete level with good hands.

Jeff Skinner

He made two other trades to add impact roster players acquiring Conor Sheary from Pittsburgh for a conditional fourth round draft pick and then add Jeff Skinner for prospect Cliff Pu and three draft picks (second, third and sixth round picks). Both wingers are 26-years-old, Skinner has scored 30 goals three times and Sheary netted 23 in 2016-17. Both had poor seasons and could be rejuvenated in a revamped Sabres top six. Skinner is a free agent after this season and Sheary is signed at a reasonable $3.0 million AAV for the next two seasons. Botterill added four experienced roster players for O’Reilly along with a first-round draft pick came as a bonus.

Sheary and Skinner should man the left wing on lines one and two. Sheary has experience playing with superstars after being teamed with Sidney Crosby much of the last two seasons and Skinner is a sniper. The Sabres are hoping that another new addition in 19-year-old Casey Mittelstadt, who signed an entry level contract in March and appeared in six games, can be the answer in the middle on the second line. He has very high-end offensive skills and impressed with five points in six NHL games in his debut. He will be supported by an experienced winger, in addition to either Sheary or Skinner on the left side, he will line up with Kyle Okposo or Jason Pominville, who are both on the wrong side of 30, but can snipe when called upon. Okposo faced some serious health concerns and could bounce back to the player he was, but not a given considering age and health, even with the infusion of talent around him.

Dahlin impact - The painful 2017-18 turned to enthusiasm when the ping pong ball fell their way this time and they claimed Rasmus Dahlin. He is a dynamic talent at 6’2”, 185 pounds and is ready to make an impact in the NHL immediately. He projects as a franchise defenseman and this past season was named top defenseman at the World Junior Tournament, played against men in a regular role for Frolunda, leading all SHL defensemen in scoring aged 22-years and under. He has elite level skating, passing and reading the game. He is a natural left defense but can play either side. Buffalo is deep in left defenseman, but he will line up nicely with Rasmus Ristolainen who shoots right on the power play.

Ristolainen has had tremendous pressure placed on him and has been mercilessly overworked on poor Sabre teams. He has played over 25 minutes each of the last season and has been labelled a disappointment after being the eighth over all pick. Dahlin may steal some power play ice time from him, but more importantly removes the pressure. Ristoulainen may flourish on a more talented team and in a lesser role.

Marco Scandella lined up primarily with Ristolainen last year playing over 23 minutes a game, killing penalties but if they make Dahlin and Ristolainen the top pairing, he slides in on a solid second unit with Zach Bogosian. Scandella is 28-years-old and provided a solid season. Bogosian is also 28 and missed all but 18 games last season. Once a highly regarded prospect, he also gets a reset, but there are some concerns about health. They acquired 33-year-old Matt Hunwick for added depth.

In net, they bailed on the Robin Lehner experiment and signed 32-year-old Carter Hutton in the off-season for three years at $2.75 million AAV. It will be his first season as a number one goalie and sustaining a level of play over 60 games can prove a challenge. Linus Ullmark, a highly regarded prospect will back him up and could steal the crease. He has a 0.917 save percentage in 26 NHL games and has been a standout in the AHL.

Outlook - The Sabres will be improved this season and will be an exciting team to watch. They are still rebuilding and have a serious cache of draft picks and prospects in the system. They might surprise as Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart look ready to break out as superstars. Dahlin’s addition to the back end makes them better already. Watch for growing pains but the playoffs will be a reach.

NHL Prospect Watch: Pittsburgh Penguins

Ryan Wagman — Tue, 03 May 2016 13:22:48 +0000

Any look at the Pittsburgh Penguins’ system must first reconcile to the fact that the team began the season with one highly touted prospect who surprisingly made the opening game roster and another highly touted prospect who surprisingly did not.

The surprise inclusion was Daniel Sprong, an 18-year old Dutch winger who had been the team’s highest selected player in the 2015 draft. Sprong lasted 31 games with Pittsburgh before being (wisely) sent back to his CHL team in Charlottetown. 13 of those 31 games were spent inactive, only one of which was not as a healthy scratch. In the other 18 games, he had over 10 minutes of ice time only once. He scored twice on 23 shots. He was also dreadful at the possession game, with a relative Corsi of -5%, despite receiving favorable shift starts.

On the other hand, he had Derrick Pouliot, once upon an eighth overall pick, a pick which the Penguins parted with Jordan Staal to acquire. Pouliot had made his professional debut in 2014-15, splitting the season between Pittsburgh and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Adding fuel to the fire of expectations for Pouliot was that the Penguins head coach was Mike Johnston, who had also coached the 21-year old in Portland of the WHL. Nonetheless, and despite faring well in advanced possession metrics in the NHL as a rookie, Pouliot started the season back in the AHL. Judging purely by the statistics, Pouliot was no better in his second AHL go-round than in his first (from 24 points in 31 games in 2014-15 to 23 points in 37 points this year), he was finally recalled in mid-January and spent the remainder of the season with the Penguins, albeit for large stretches (especially in the final month of the season) in the press box. He has yet to suit up in a postseason game.

Sprong maintains his prospect eligibility, while Pouliot, who now has 56 NHL games under his belt, does not. This article is not about them. Nor is it about the unheralded prospects who were called up to Pittsburgh around the mid-point of the season and gave the Penguins scoring depth the likes of which they did not have since their back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup finals last decade. Conor Sheary, Bryan Rust and Tom Kuhnhackl (and to a lesser extent, Scott Wilson) all showed true NHL tools, and served as a reminder to the punditry that there is far more to every organization’s pipeline than the big names. The four have combined for 42 points in 151 games, respectable totals for depth line players, and most notably, at a fraction of the cap hit of the types of players who used to populate the back half of the Penguins’ roster.

The biggest impacts will often be made by those who fit available roles. It is nice when those roles are sized right to fit the studs, but that is not always the case. While the Penguins’ system is not exactly deep, there are still a number of prospect-eligible players who could find roles to suit their respective skill sets in the near future.

Matt Murray, G, Pittsburgh Penguins (83^rd overall, 2012)

Perhaps Murray’s inclusion is cheating a bit, but he only appeared in 13 regular season games, so he fits. If you had watched the second half of the Penguins-Rangers series, or the first game between Pittsburgh and Washington in the second round, you should already know a little bit about the 21-year old netminder. Probably not enough, though. Without exception, Murray is the best rated goaltender I have scouted this year. Combining quickness, athleticism and size, he simply stops pucks. Only one goalie in the AHL who played even 25 games had a save percentage better than Murray’s .931. That stupendous mark is actually a big step down from his league-leading rookie save percentage of .941, a total helped along by a record setting shutout streak of 304 minutes and 11 seconds.

Murray anticipates the play very well and is quick to telescope outwards to challenge the shooter. His movements are both crisp and controlled, which helps him to avoid long recovery times. Both his glove hand and legs move very quickly allowing him to trust his reactions. The former third rounder does not get rattled after surrendering the rare goals and fights through screens well, most likely assisted by his lanky 6-4” frame. His quick legs also allow him to remain tall in his crease. Murray handles rebounds nicely as well, either deadening the puck on impact, or ushering it into safe spaces. If there is any one area where he is not above average, it is in puck handling. Not that he’s bad at it, mind you, but I wouldn’t expect any long bombs to center ice to hit a streaking winger. He can put the puck at rest for one of his blueliners, or try to fling it up the boards and out but it isn’t fancy. In Matt Murray, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a special goalie who will eventually give the team pause regarding the long term future of incumbent starter – and former Stanley Cup champion – Marc Andre Fleury. With the potential of an expansion draft looming, a blockbuster trade involving one of them as soon as this summer should not shock.

Dominik Simon, C, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) (137^thoverall, 2015)

Drafted last summer shortly before his 21^st birthday, Simon had risen to prominence after a strong season in the top Czech league, followed by a solid showing for the Czech Republic in the World Championships. Simon moved to North America right away and finished fourth in scoring for the Baby Penguins, with a team leading 25 goals, in his first season on this side of the Atlantic. A three game call up to Pittsburgh in mid-March was earned.

Looking solely at Simon through his collection will leave one underwhelmed and wondering why I would bother wasting so much digital ink on him. His skating is OK, but nothing special. He has a decent shot, getting solid whip on his wrister when he keeps his hands high and close together. He is a little bit undersized, standing under 6-0” tall with a listed weight under 180 pounds. And yet if the Baby Pens have the puck during a Simon shift, it is more than likely that it is on Dominik’s stick. He is patient with the puck, and will not be pressed into getting rid of it before he is ready to. Simon is a clever stickhandler and creative passer, not needing too much space to find an open teammate. To his credit, Simon maintains utility when the opponents are in possession as well, and plays an active role in his own zone, sticking with his assignment and looking to break up plays and jumpstart the transition back to offense. Although he lacks the size typically associated with the bottom six, he plays with a lot of energy and the Penguins have already demonstrated that size is not their main concern, as of the four rookies mentioned above, only Kuhnhackl would not be considered undersized by common NHL standards. Simon should compete for a roster spot next pre-season and will definitely appear in more than three NHL games in 2016-17.

Jake Guentzel, LW, University Nebraska-Omaha (NCAA) (77^th overall, 2013)

Like Simon, Guentzel is another undersized forward (5-10”, 168) who is unremarkable on his skates, but just produces. A top-20 point-producer as a junior for Nebraska-Omaha, Guentzel signed an amateur try-out with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after his collegiate season ended. Considering his scoring exploits in college and his brief time as a pro, as well as the fact that he had another year of collegiate eligibility remaining, tells me that he will get an ELC in short order, but was held back by non-hockey related reasons.

Not just undersized, Guentzel lacks in muscle and can be neutralized. Thankfully, he doesn’t stand still for long enough to be easily caught. The former third rounder is the type of play who simply knows how to make offense happen. His shot and puck skills are both OK but what sets him apart is his vision. He can score goals through positioning and instincts, but as a playmaker he is high level. He finds seams in coverage in the offensive zone and first makes himself available to accept a pass and then (seemingly before he even gets the puck) finds a way to keep the chain moving by picking out a teammate who is better positioned. Despite his size handicap, Guentzel will play in the dirty areas and does a lot of his best work in the slot where his shot is still strong enough to be effective. He shows no hesitation in following his shot to the net, looking for rebounds. The son of a former New York Rangers draft pick and long-time University of Minnesota assistant coach, Mike Guentzel, Jake remains engaged in his own zone, trying to fore mistakes by the opponents. The former USHL rookie of the year needs at least a full year of develop in the AHL, both to get used to the paucity of open ice that he feasted on in college as well as to work on his strength, to help compensate for that loss of space. Then again, he has gotten off to a great start, with 13 points in his first 14 (regular season plus playoff) AHL games. His upside is higher than that of Simon, but Guentzel has farther to go to reach it.

Ethan Prow, D, St. Cloud State (NCAA) (UDFA, signed Mar. 29, 2016)

One of the newest members of the Penguins organization, the slight of stature (how many times can I call a prospect undersized?) blueliner was on the short list for the Hobey Baker Award as the top collegiate player this year, his senior season with the St. Cloud State Huskies. With 38 points in 37 games, Prow was the leading scorer among all NCAA blueliners, narrowly edging out the highly heralded Zach Werenski.

As you might have guessed, Prow is primarily an offensive defenseman. He is a natural quarterback, who has above average vision and excels at identifying opportunities to jump into the rush. He is comfortable at carrying the puck whether leaving his own zone or entering enemy territory – or both. When appropriate, he will also make a pass to a better positioned teammate to carry the load. The Minnesotan is an above average skater as well. As with nearly any undrafted player, there are, of course, warts to Prow’s profile. He is better with the puck than without. While not a pushover in his own zone, NCAA opponents have not shown any hesitation in trying to push their zone entries towards Prow’s side of the ice. He will need to be paired with a strong and reliable partner as a professional so as not to be exploited. While there is still room for power play specialists in the NHL, Prow has bust potential in that he will need to prove that he will not be a liability in his own zone. If he can get to at least passable in that regards – a task which may take closer to two years in the AHL than one – he has the puck skills and skating ability to carve out an NHL career.

Lukas Bengtsson, D, Frolunda (SHL) (UDFA, signed Apr. 27, 2016)

After inking Prow, the Penguins continued to strengthen their blueline depth by signing Swedish defender Lukas Bengtsson, lately of Frolunda, to an ELC. Yet another small, offensively minded prospect, Bengtsson more than held his own in his first season in the top league in Sweden after two solid years in the Allsvenskan (Swedish second league) with Mora. A one-time representative for Sweden at the World Juniors, Bengtsson is more known for his offensive prowess than his own zone play.

Swedish Hockey Prospectus contributor Jimmy Hamrin has called Bengtsson mobile and skilled and gave his best-case outcome for the youngster a John Klingberg career path. If you will recall, Klingberg was very much a sleeper until he turned 21, also with Frolunda. A late-bloomer, Bengtsson missed close to half of this season due to injury, but was fantastic after returning, especially in the SHL playoffs. Calm with the puck under pressure, he has a good first pass and a plus point shot. He will be tested by the physical game (he is not as big as Klingberg) but the Penguins seem to have found themselves a real sleeper in Bengtsson.

Josh Archibald, RW, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) (174^thoverall, 2011)

A one-time teammate of Guentzel’s at Nebraska-Omaha, Josh Archibald is another slight player who is among the ranks of potential bottom six contributors in the Pittsburgh ranks. What differentiates Archibald from his peers though is his speed. Straight ahead, Archibald is a special skater with top line acceleration. He is the type of player that can be utilized for a tactic stressing long, chase passes, much like former Penguins coach Dan Bylsma loved to employ. He also can endear himself to coaches through the zeal which he brings to board play. While small, he completes checks with gusto. Archibald received his first NHL callup this year, a single late-season game, but more AHL time is in his future, as his offensive production over his first two seasons has been pretty dismal. The native of Regina, Saskatchewan has one year remaining on his ELC, so 2016-17 is very much a make-or-break year for him.

Anthony Angello, C, Cornell (NCAA) (145^th overall, 2014)

Finally, at long last, we have a Penguins non-goalie prospect who is not undersized. Tall and lanky, Angello, turned some heads in his freshman season with Cornell, ending it with 24 points in 34 games, finishing second in team scoring. The closest thing to a sleeper in the system, Angello has very good skating for his size (6-4”, 196), taking big strides that chew up the ice. A natural center, he is a power forward and is active in all three zones. An undisciplined player with Omaha in the USHL, he also drastically cut his penalty minutes, another sign of growth and the ability to slow the game down. If he can take another step forward in 2016-17 like he did this past year, expect his stay in upstate New York to be short.

McKeen’s Prospect Watch: Five Fantasy Sleepers

McKeen's Hockey — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 07:42:36 +0000

The project of ranking the McKeen's Top 300 NHL Prospects - plus a Top 15 for each club - proved a formidable task.

One might presume that studying more and more about each player would make the rankings easier. It seems logical. Increased viewings of each player will provide clarity to make difficult decisions - and why one player is slightly ahead of another. However, at some point, it becomes apparent that the entire process is getting more complex. Basically, the more you know, the more you appreciate and weigh all the factors that a player brings to the table.

The breakouts are often unpredictable - as unexpected as one player gaining 15 pounds of muscle over the summer, undergoing a sudden growth spurt - or gaining foot speed due to a successful training regime. It all comes out in the wash - and we watch and scrutinize how these changes translate into the growth and emergence of certain players.

A number of 'sleeper' prospects caught the eye of the McKeen's Hockey staff last season. Here are scouting reports on five 'below the radar' prospects to consider. Good luck in your drafts, pools & fantasy hockey pursuits.

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Kenny Agostino (Calgary, LW-RW, Age: 23)

The Morristown, New Jersey native and Yale University graduate improved quietly and steadily during a strong first pro campaign .. led Abbotsford with 43 points - with over half his production coming during the stretch run .. recorded 10 goals and 23 points in his final 19 games - and average of 1.21 points-per-game .. not overly tall at 5-11 solidly-built - rugged for his size with a solid center of gravity .. a competitive, aggressive winger with playmaking skills .. a hound for the puck .. doggedly sniffs out pucks - closes gaps swiftly forechecking .. displays a knack for tracking opponents and stripping pucks away .. guided by good vision and anticipation of the game .. knows how to use his girth to win battles and protect the puck .. sharp instincts as checker - sustains solid positioning with body ready and angled to intercept or block lanes .. skating has strengthened - notably stronger on his feet .. has some odd hitches in startup and crossovers - yet settles into a full, urgent stride .. a resilient type - bounces back, scraps, competes for pucks.

Viktor Arvidsson (Nashville, RW, Age: 22)

Led Milwaukee last season and finished third among AHL rookie scorers with 55 points - in a bright and industrious North American debut .. fired a whopping 272 shots -tops in the league - and nearly 45% more than the next highest on the Admirals .. spunky, skilled energizer with speed and creativity .. slightly built at 5-9, 170 pounds - but is brave, quick, and feisty .. tricky on his feet - adept at spins, pivots, going heel-to-heel while moving in a straight line .. sustains speed in possession .. quick shuffling stride - with sharp cutting ability moving laterally .. keen sense for taking plays to the point of getting creamed physically - and then making a play .. namely, can draw physical pressure and create space for others .. boasts a paralyzing pull-and-drag move coming in on right wing - and has a quick shooting release .. excels making plays in tight areas and in traffic where his quickness and elusiveness makes him hard to contain .. developed a more well-rounded game since his draft year - and now gives a solid and sustained effort defensively .. has been a standout for Nashville in preseason.

Tanner Kero (Chicago, C, Age: 23)

Delivered a sensational breakout senior year with a career-best 46 points while captaining his hometown Michigan Tech Huskies .. captured the WCHA scoring title, league MVP honours, and a nomination as a Top 10 Hobey Baker finalist .. tied for third in the nation with 7 game-winning goals .. signed an NHL contract in April and made an immediate splash in his AHL debut - firing five goals in his first six games - and another two in the playoffs (6-2-1-3) .. fast, slick playmaker with good two-way smarts .. anticipates the play well - has a knack for being in the right place at the right time .. not overly large at 6-0, 185 pounds - yet is quite strong on his skates for his size .. adept at spreading out his legs and absorbing physical pressure from bigger opponents .. distributes the puck with pace and vision - touches are skilled and economical .. boasts deceptive hands and body language - adept at concealing intentions until last moment .. creates openings with his tenacity and breakaway speed .. possesses an excellent top gear .. tenacious on backchecks - stays with plays, doesn't give up.

Colin Miller (Boston, D, Age: 22)

More than tripled his production during a breakout sophomore pro season - earning a berth on the AHL Second All-Star Team .. acquired this summer in the Milan Lucic deal with Los Angeles - bringing winning pedigree fresh off a Calder Cup championship - playing top-line minutes for Manchester (19-2-8-10) .. skilled, mid-sized defenseman boasts excellent skating range, quickness and mobility .. excels moving the puck on outlets, breakouts - starting rushes .. adept at backpeddling with the puck and then exploiting a fast and fluid transition sequence to springload attacks .. slick outer edge control on turns and pivots .. not overly large nor physical - however is strong on his feet for his size and uses his body well to protect the puck .. can lose positioning defending 1-on-1 down low around his net at times .. must guard against getting drawn out chasing .. puckmoving decisions have steadily improved - calm under pressure - makes safe choices - doesn't force things .. skilled at shooting on the fly - exploiting a nice pull-drag-fire motion.

Conor Sheary (Pittsburgh, LW, Age: 23)

The undrafted Melrose, Massachusetts native landed an NHL contract in July on the heels of an eye-opening first pro season .. led Wilkes-Barre in the regular season tying for seventh among AHL rookies with 45 points .. also led the Baby Pens in playoff scoring (8-5-7-12) .. led the UMass. Minutemen in scoring as a senior in `13-14 .. fast, tiny winger with excellent puckhandling skill .. courageous - plays a gusty and energetic style .. excels driving zone entries utilizing his speed, determination and intensity .. despite his smaller stature (5-9/175) will take hits to advance plays and doesn't shy from contact situations .. displays a penchant for initiating counter-rushes - via his defensive pursuits .. tracks back doggedly on the backcheck and has a very quick stick that he employs to swipe pucks away .. generates speed using a running style of alternating crossover patterns - and by sustaining a fast cadence .. keeps building speed - and is quite adept at throwing the puck into his feet and driving 1-on-1 around a defender to goal .. possesses very good balance and strength on his feet for his size.